SHOWING THE 4 CAPES AS I TRACK SAILORS RUN & JEFF ON MY WORLD MAP (IN BLUE)
Total miles sailed so far=16,151 NM.
Miles sailed last three days=368 NM.
Miles left to sail to East Cape New Zealand=735NM.
Top speed so far =14.1kts.
THE REST OF THE STORY:
DAY-118.
24hr.Run=96NM. Pos. Lat.46*04’S. Long.144*23’E. Weather=Wind=45-60kts WNW. Seas=15-30ft.WNW. Cabin Temp=53*-60*.Bar=999mb
First let me say I shared some of this day in the last adventure, because I could and wanted you to know I was all right.
The winds screeched and howled throughout the night, and on many occasions Sailors Run was slammed by powerful breaking waves, but little water found its way below.
I rolled out of my berth at 3 am after riding to the drogue for 8-hrs, and decide to winch it in. Now I got to tell you this thing really bites into the sea and takes nearly an hour to get it back onboard.
I decide to remain under bare poles until the squalls subside a bit. Our run for this day was diminished because of the time under the drogue. It was very late in this day that the winds began to come down and the waves diminished at a much slower rate.
The only damage we sustained was the loss of a dozen eggs that were broken in the fridge, leaving me but three eggs left, and as it turned out these were also rotten so possibly they were all finished before the storm any way.
DAY-119.
24hr.Run=135NM.Pos. Lat.46*10’S.Long.147*23’E. Weather= Wind=30-45kts.SW. Seas12-20ft. SW. Cabin temp=56*-60*.Bar=1000mb
It appears today we will get a break from the severe weather with that severe weather returning once again tomorrow.
We find ourselves sailing along the bottom of Tasmania some 100+ miles to the south headed for the East Cape. It would appear that the Cape will not be reached on this day.
Late in the day the winds increase to 45 knots and very rough seas overnight, and we sail on under staysail alone.
DAY-120.
24hr.Run=137 NM. Pos. Lat.45*11’S, Long.150*10E. Weather= Wind=10-45kts. SW-S. Seas=10-18ft. Sw. Cabin Temp=53*-60.Bar=1016mb
After 119 days 4hrs and 11-minutes Sailors Run sails abeam of South East Cape Tasmania!!! “Yahoo” our FOURTH CAPE and now off to New Zealand, and Cape #5 about 850 NM to the ESE.
Tasmania is an Island State of Australia, where over 1/2 million people live. The Island nearly 100 mile’s square was first sited by the Dutch sailing captain Abel Tasman in 1642. He named the Island Van Diemen’s land after the prime minister of the Dutch East Indies whom he sailed for.
Tasman is believed to be the first European to site Australia, and it is also believed that the Aborigines had lived there for more than 40,000 years prior to that sighting.
I’m currently watching the barometer shoot up like it has a solid fuel booster rocket attached to it. This means we are approaching the high pressure that will eventually bring us northerly winds to take us SSE down around the high to get to New Zealand.
The 975 low that has been tormenting us over the past three days should move SE and away taking the bad weather with it.
Now I know there was another topic I was to explore but for some reason, possibly battle fatigue I can’t recall what it was.
Hmmm! 40,000 years ago, maybe we did all fall down from the “Milky Way”.
After that final Cape the Jefe’