Today's Report
April 20/10 0800 JST
Position:
00°10'N, 94°29'W (North Pacific Ocean, Equator)
The traditional sake toast was raised on board the Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III in late afternoon, as Saito-san crossed the exhilarating, if invisible, line that separates south from north, and symbolizes both the final miles back home and completion of slightly more than 70% of a voyage of impossibilities.
He had reached the place on the globe where "the wrong way around" was now the right way, as the currents, winds, and waves would no longer conspire against him. He'd left behind the portion where, along much of the way, he had bashed against contrary waves and virtually unrelenting headwinds. Even the skies were clear, and the temperatures warm and soothing. (Meanwhile, back in Punta Arenas, where he spent a long, now-returning winter, on this day it was just a few degrees above freezing.)
He had reached the place on the globe where "the wrong way around" was now the right way, as the currents, winds, and waves would no longer conspire against him. He'd left behind the portion where, along much of the way, he had bashed against contrary waves and virtually unrelenting headwinds. Even the skies were clear, and the temperatures warm and soothing. (Meanwhile, back in Punta Arenas, where he spent a long, now-returning winter, on this day it was just a few degrees above freezing.)
The crossing into the North Pacific also marked his 565th day of the circumnavigation, his 20,400th mile, and his 27,862nd day on Earth. That's 76 years, 3 months, and 13 days.
"I'm really happy," he crowed to us this morning. "It's great!" He has lost count of the number of times he's crossed the Equator on solo voyages, but it would have to be at least twice for each of his eight circumnavigations, plus a number more during long ocean passages.
The Equator has, since the earliest voyaging days, been a point that invokes the loud cheers of crews either just beginning -- or no doubt, even more poignant -- just finishing, extended voyages. On the way out, shipmates subject novice "pollywogs" to various, sometimes brutal, rituals that invariably would include a seawater dunking of those on their first time across. In British sailing ships an extra measure of grog was the order of the day. And of course in the celebratory cup of present-day Japanese sailors, you'll find rice wine.
King Neptune got a splash as well yesterday to keep him happy.
King Neptune got a splash as well yesterday to keep him happy.
For Saito-san, from here on out, once past the equatorial Doldrums and barring an early typhoon after passing Hawaii, it should be mostly smooth sailing.
***
No more problems were reported involving the auto-pilot that suddenly went on brief holiday yesterday. Saito-san said this has happened a few times before when going directly downwind.
***
Distance in last 24 hours: 111 nm
Distance completed: 20,420 nm
To Yokohama: 7,879 nm (distance remaining: 27.8%)
Heading: 290
Reported boat speed: 6.5 kts motoring (day's average: 4.0 kts)
Weather: Clear to partly cloudy
Temperature: 28.0° C
Barometer: 1008 hPa (steady)
Wind (from): Steady at 8-11 kts SE -- expected to remain 8-12 kts out of SE
Waves: 1.0 to 1.5 m, with rolling boat movement
Current (from): E at 1.0 kt (favorable)
Engine rpms: 10.5 hrs, 1800 rpm
Generator: 4.0 hrs
Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 100%, mainsail 1-pt reef
Position Map (click to enlarge)
