2002

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Ocean Planet Report
Ocean Planet Qualifier Update
July 2, 2002

UTC Time: 02. July 2002 18:56
LAT: 39,01.65N LON: 045,45.47W
Course: 90mag (72 true) @ 10-12kts,
Wind SW at 12-15.
Pressure 1025mb

It’s late in the afternoon here, but only 10 a.m. back at my home in Oakland, California. It’s amazing how often, even in the middle of a sail change, my mind drifts to our backyard and the garden with Jeanie’s carrots, onions, tomatoes, artichokes, oranges, lemons, and more. Sheesh, if I get homesick here in the North Atlantic, I’ll be even worse in the Southern Ocean! Oh well, I think it makes me sail faster…..;-)

Last night was fun as I saw a little sailboat just before dark. I did a few tacks (I was sailing upwind in light air at the time), to get closer and they called on the radio . . . in Spanish. We couldn’t communicate very well, too bad, but I think they are headed for the Azores too. I was going to sail close by and see them in person, but it got dark just a little too soon. Just after the squall (more like a mild front, really) came by, there was a nice southerly wind shift and it was “Adios, Amigo” as Ocean Planet happily took off down the track. This is a treat after a day of messing with spinnakers and taking reefs in and out.

The wind has held all night and so far today, which is great as I try to work north a bit to have a better angle to the islands. The “Azores high” is going to take hold, and we are likely to skid to a crawl again if I don’t play it right. It has been good practice messing around with the SSB radio and weatherfax software again. Of course, one can just go online with the mini-m and download the faxes without any static from the NOAA website, but it costs about $20 a page with the slow (2.4k!) link at $3 a minute. The SSB will pay for itself soon!

Oh, oh, rain squall coming, that’s it for now.

Bruce