We started motoring yesterday afternoon and currently (0300 hst) are
motor sailing at 7.6k with a 0.5 knot helping current. We are
expecting the wind to fill in by this morning. Right now, it is 8.3
knots from 325 degrees and our Velocity Made Good (VMG) is great. The
grib files show a big header later this morning which should force us
to pick a tack, north or east, that will best get us in position to
jump onto our port reach to the Columbia River Bar. Our plan is to
stay close hauled in the lighter winds and gain ground to windward.
Then, when the wind backs, we can ease sheets, increase our speed, and
improve on our ETA. We have plenty of fuel left with 30 reserve, 24 on
deck, and 5/8 in the main tank. That's a total of approx. 84 gallons.
The crew are really doing great. While we are motoring, they are
playing cards, watching movies on the portable flat screen tv,
charging their Ipods, eating and sleeping.
I was on watch this morning and expecting increasing wind and seas. i
cleaned all the reaching running rigging of the deck, restowed all the
loose gear, poured the remaining 24 gallons of diesel into the main
tank, and stowed the jerry jugs below deck. So, the deck was clean
when the wind started to increase. At 5 a.m., the wind picked up
rapidly to 13 knots true. I turned the engine off and we started close
reaching at 7-8 knots. The seas are growing from dead calm to about
3-4 feet presently. Riva handles them very well. She is well balanced
on the helm and the crew now vie for turns at the helm.
The Nobletec software is predicting an ETA of 8/7 around noon. With
940 miles left to go as of 7:30 a.m. hst, I am reluctant to say yet
that that will be our arrival time.
The new updated grib shows weather completely different that what we
are experiencing. We seem to be rapidly entering the area of
compressed isobars along the west coast. We exited the low wind part
of the high about 12 hours earlier than a previous grib file had
predicted. So, I think the lesson to be learned regarding grib files
is that you can rely on todays weather to be similar to what the file
is representing. However, beyond that, you need to try to figure it
out based on the weather in the vicinity of your vessel.
Stephen is making bacon and pancakes to the wild reviews of the hungry
crew. We are making great time. We will keep in touch and looking
forward to seeing you all very soon.
As of 3 pm hst (6 pm west coast) our position should be 40 N by 142 W.
This would put us in Oregon waters!!!!! Yeah!!!! Only we would be
about 850 miles offshore.
Later,
Dave
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