LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 219:
Monday, April 01, 2002
Underway (day 1 at sea continued): bound for Chesapeake Bay
2150 I put Lord's Prayer Dead In the Water (DIW) to transfer email.
2208 Lord's Prayer is back on course making about 4.5 kts under power.
2315 The moon rises.

Tuesday, April 02, 2002
Underway (day 2 at sea): bound for Chesapeake Bay
0024 It is dead calm.
0312 The wind is SE 5-6 kts; I rig a preventer on the main boom and ease the mainsail out to port. Lord's Prayer is on a starboard reach motorsailing. Speed through the water is about 5 kts; speed over the ground is slightly less due to an apparent current.
0557 Sunrise.
0640 The wind is S 5-6 kts. This puts it over the stern at a relative speed of about 2 kts - not much help at pushing the boat.
0750 I drop the mainsail to stop the wear and tear on the rig, halyards and sail; the rolling increases.
0835 The fishing vessel "Deliverance" crosses ahead right-to-left at 300 yards. With a white superstructure constructed in part with a long wall of plywood on the port side the long black-hulled vessel looks like no fishing vessel I have seen before although the starboard side of the superstructure is opened up all the way forward to the steering station like a lobster boat. I can see 3 men onboard. One waves and I return the wave. I cannot quite read the name of the hailing port on the stern, although the last part of it looks like NC for North Carolina. The vessel is in the far SE corner of the US fishing zone.
0914 Having reviewed the morning weather dump from TPC, I note that there were easterly gales reported in the Gulfstream south of Hatteras at 0100 local time this morning. The forecast for the next three days indicates the cold front that passed yesterday stalled out; it is now moving back north at a very slow speed but being depicted as a stationary front. Its speed will approximately match the speed of Lord's Prayer. A high-pressure ridge is expected to form approximately over my position sometime tonight. All of this means light winds and running the engine for perhaps the next 24-36 hours, after which another cold front will push through bringing northerly head winds. None of this bodes well for a fast trip home. But weather often does not develop quite as forecast, so I will hope that the fair winds will freshen just a little above the forecast and that the head winds don't kick up a head sea that makes progress difficult and uncomfortable.
1100 The sky, which was clear through the night, is now overcast with high stratiform clouds.
1118 The radar guard zone gives an intermittent alert.
1122 At Position 28 32.477 N 76 59.622 W or 185 nm east of Cape Canaveral, I pass over a row of fishing buoys (perhaps for a drift net or maybe a trotline) oriented east-west. High-flyer buoys with radar reflectors atop their masts mark the ends of the fishing gear.
1200 Position. 28 34.733 N 76 59.570 W. Lord's Prayer is a half nm ahead of PIM. The PIM or Position of Intended Movement can be thought of as analogous to the rabbit at a dog track. The PIM for this trip is advancing along the intended route at a rate of 100 nm per day (about 4.2 kts). At this rate the PIM will arrive in Cambridge MD on Tuesday morning April 9. Lord's Prayer might arrive before that or after it - hopefully before. In the two previous years I have completed the trip more quickly by taking a ride in the Gulfstream but that is an uncertain  route that may not be available depending upon weather. Even if one takes advantage of riding in the Gulfstream there can be considerable variability in its rate of flow and there are other variables that affect the actual Speed Of Advance (SOA) as well - the direction of the wind and its strength being of major significance.
1215 The wind remains light and variable.
1505 The wind is SSE 4-5 kts; I continue motoring. A head current of about a half-knot is slowing the boat.
1710 The wind is SSE 6-8. I hoist the mainsail; this gives the boat about a 0.5kt increase in speed. I continue motorsailing. The propeller still rumbles and vibrates but it is easier to correct the problem now after giving it a bit of grease. This could be an indicator that a more thorough greasing with a grease gun might improve the situation further.
1723 The wind is SSE 8-10 kts; I haul out the jib. This gives the boat just a little more speed.
1814 I transfer the fuel from a single deck jug (6 gal) into the main tank.
1826 Sunset.
1828 The wind picks up SSE 11-14 kts; I kill the engine.
1938 The wind dies; I start the engine.
2056 The wind is SSE 11-12 kts; I secure the engine.
2100 The wind drops to 6-9 kts. The jib flops about; I roll it up.
2132 Position: 29 11.905 N 76 59.036 W.
END OF LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 219


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