LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 179:
Tuesday, January 15, 2002
(continued)
Underway, bound for Bermuda
1150 The wind is N 13-14G20 kts;
we are about a beam reach. We haul out the jib to keep the speed up (in
the 5-6 kt range). We leave the triple reef in the main sail for the time
being to see what is really going to happen with the wind. Everything on
deck is wet although the air temperature is warmer (60 F) than
it was along the coast. The heat has been off in the boat since yesterday
except for one quick shot that we gave it earlier this morning.
1247
Chris adds: Jim is on deck making sail adjustments again. The sun
has begun to come through the clouds. It was a rough night! Jim was
very kind and let me stay in my bunk but neither of us got much sleep.
I've made my first Gulf Stream crossing - yeah! I am thankful and
grateful for Jim's wisdom, experience, and skills in getting us safely
this far. I have avoided being sick and, while it's a bit uncomfortable
when the boat rolls and bounces, I'm not afraid. The waves looked huge
this morning and I hope not to see them any larger.
1250 We set the dual jib,
split and spread, with a whisker pole out to port. The boat is on a port
broad reach under the full spread of the dual jib and a triple reefed
mainsail.
1500 I do a review of the performance of our Furuno 207 Weatherfax
because we are missing some faxes that we should have received. I
discover I have made an error in the initial programming of the machine,
which I did prior to start of the trip. It seems I unwittingly failed to
tell the machine to scan all available frequencies for the designated
stations. The error occurred in several places. As a result, when the
machine performed its timed wakeup and looked for a signal, it scanned
only one frequency; it listened but finding no signal, it
produced
no weather forecast. I correct my error in the places where it
occurs. Hopefully the machine will work now according to plan! When the
weatherfax is working it is a great tool. And if I do my job by
programming it properly, it will usually do its job. But it does take some
effort to get it to work right. And unfortunately, the machine is not
particularly user friendly. This is the third year I have had the
weatherfax. I still have to refer to the manual and I am
obviously still making mistakes. The machine unfortunately is a bit
complex to program. When
we move the boat from one sea area to another, it
becomes necessary to reprogram the weatherfax machine and this reopens
the opportunity for new errors. E.g., I will reprogram it on arrival
Bermuda for our next leg to the Caribbean, again upon arrival in the
Caribbean for use while we are there, again upon leaving the Caribbean
for the leg to Abaco in the Bahamas and again for the leg from
Abaco home. Every one of these programming packages is different and only
one area program can be saved in the machine at a time. E.g., there is no
existing provision within the machine to save a given area program for
use when one passes back through the area. Everything has to be
re-entered. Typically there are about 20-23 products to be specified for
any given area. Each specification makes up a separate part of an area
program. I usually start the reprogramming process by
reviewing the
current broadcast schedules for the stations I will be using and I
then decide (adjusting for conflicts) on which products I will attempt to
receive. I lay this out on a piece of paper, as a written plan is
essential. It usually takes me 2-3 hours to wade through this process for
each leg of the trip. Once I have
created an area fax plan, only then can
I actually start to program the machine. The programming usually takes
another 20 minutes. I then print the program to check for errors, correct
the errors and reprint the program. I continue this step until I think I
have it right.
1630 I lay out our expected positions at various times over
the next few days as we proceed toward Bermuda. The positions are timed
to coordinate with the timing of the various weather forecasts that we
are receiving via the Weatherfax.I mark a little boat on each chart to
show our position at the valid time of the current faxes we have on hand.
With this done, we are able to more correctly anticipate the weather we
will encounter each day on our way to Bermuda. I will continue putting
little boats on these weather charts throughout our passages.
1700
Sunset.
1730 The wind has shifted to W 18-20 kts. We stow the dual jib and
the pole, jibe the mainsail and shake out the second and third reefs. The
boat is making about 5.5 kts on a starboard broad reach.
1826
Position: 35 14.463 N 72 00.941 W. We have soup for dinner, which we take
seated on the cabin sole with our feet braced against the port salon
berth and our backs to the starboard berth. This is a more secure
position than sitting on either berth from which one might easily be
propelled when the boat takes an unexpected roll.
Wednesday,
January 16, 2002
Underway, bound for Bermuda
0045 The wind is blowing WNW
20-25G30 kts and the sea surface is quite lumpy. Now and then the boat
takes rather a hard yaw-associated-roll. GPS speed occasionally tops 8
kts.
0130 Since the boat's theoretical hull speed is 6.9 kts (based on
waterline length) and this is the kind of ride we get whenever the boat
is pushed above hull speed in lumpy water, we take a second reef in the
mainsail to reduce its area and thereby slow the boat down. This gives us
a more comfortable ride.
0221 Position: 34 56.975 N 71 06.451 W. Still on a
heading of 111T, we have 356 nm remaining on this leg to reach our next
waypoint N of Bermuda. We are on a run with the wind directly behind,
under a double-reefed mainsail with the boom to port. Both preventers are
in place on the boom with the port one being tensione
d to prevent a wild
jibe.
0525 The wind is WNW 18-20G25 having veered slightly. As a result we
are sailing a bit by the lee (the wind is on the port stern - the same
side as the boom). We therefore jibe the sail over to a port tack
run.
0534 Position: 34 49.798 N 70 44.566 W. We are 336 nm from our
next waypoint. The air temperature is 63 F; SST is 73.5 F.
0649
Sunrise.
0830 The wind has veered N 16 kts. We trim the main in and haul the
jib about 2/3rds of the way out. Lord's Prayer is on a port beam reach
and making about 6 kts.
1114 Position: 34 38.193 N 70 09.791 W. We are
305 nm from our next waypoint. This position is 100T/266 nm from Cape
Hatteras Light. SST: 72.6 F. Air temperature: 64 F. The wind is N
12-15G19 kts. We continue to make good speed toward Bermuda.
END OF
LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 179
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