As last night progressed, our tradewinds diminished. This is not unusual and we expect them to return as the sun rises. When this phenomenon occurs, there is a period between moonlight and sunlight when ground fog accumulates and the night seems very black indeed. Though there remained stars above, just above the surface of the sea all around Carina was an impenetrable black that allowed me to imagine for a second the inside of a black hole.
Hope now comes as Venus rises, the cloak fades and the horizon brightens.
At 1/31/2014 and 18:39 UTC (GMT) our position was: 06°13.36'N / 149°08.65'E.
We were traveling 297T degrees true at 2.5 knots.
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Friday, 31 January 2014
Thursday, 30 January 2014
Carina Crossing the western North Pacific
We are now moving west in Micronesia, having left Pohnpei on January 11, 2104 after 13 months resident. Our first stop was magnificent Ant Atoll, and then friendly Lukunor, known by the locals as Lekinioch, in Chuuk State.
Today is Friday January 30. As dawn is beginning to brighten the horizon, the stars are fading. There is a blush of pink in the mares tail clouds to windward at the horizon. It has been a perfect night of sailing. NE tradewinds, 2 m seas and brilliant stars with constellations Carina, the Southern Cross, Orion and the Big Dipper obvious amongst the navigational stars and the Milky Way. Lightning could be seen to the south and west but none found us. The occasional thin cloud would pass overhead but none disturbed Carina's brilliant jaunt across the sea.
We have been at sea for 46 hours and we have not yet reached the stage where sleep comes easily, so we are both tired.
We are now less than 300 nm from Lamotrek but, though tradewinds are promised, we will unlikely make landfall on Sunday February 2 and will have to slow down for a Monday morning entrance to the atoll when we would have plenty of time and ample light to navigate the narrow south entrance to the reef.
At 1/30/2014 and 19:54 UTC (GMT) our position was: 05°52.34'N / 150°55.42'E
We were traveling 275T degrees true at 5.5 knots.
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radio email processed by SailMail
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Today is Friday January 30. As dawn is beginning to brighten the horizon, the stars are fading. There is a blush of pink in the mares tail clouds to windward at the horizon. It has been a perfect night of sailing. NE tradewinds, 2 m seas and brilliant stars with constellations Carina, the Southern Cross, Orion and the Big Dipper obvious amongst the navigational stars and the Milky Way. Lightning could be seen to the south and west but none found us. The occasional thin cloud would pass overhead but none disturbed Carina's brilliant jaunt across the sea.
We have been at sea for 46 hours and we have not yet reached the stage where sleep comes easily, so we are both tired.
We are now less than 300 nm from Lamotrek but, though tradewinds are promised, we will unlikely make landfall on Sunday February 2 and will have to slow down for a Monday morning entrance to the atoll when we would have plenty of time and ample light to navigate the narrow south entrance to the reef.
At 1/30/2014 and 19:54 UTC (GMT) our position was: 05°52.34'N / 150°55.42'E
We were traveling 275T degrees true at 5.5 knots.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
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