Day 599 [May 24/10] -- Slowing down

Today's Report

May 24/10 0800 JST / 1600 local

Position:

04°59'N, 113°46'W (North Pacific Ocean) 

"It's REALLY slowed down," Saito-san reported with a laugh this morning. The "winds are OK," he said, "but the current is strong" and moving against him. Being a counter-current its strength is difficult to judge from on board a vessel moving the opposite way, but we told him that Clearpoint estimates it to be 1.7 kts. "Really? 1.7? That's bad," Saito-san responded.

He wasn't too disappointed in his much-reduced 3.5 kt boat speed, saying that he had expected that. "As long as it's above 3 knots I will just sail," he explained, "but below that and I'll have to use the engine. I don't want to."

He made exactly 100 nm during the period, with 63 nm of actual progress toward his Hawaii waypoint south of Big Island (the southern-most island of Hawaii). It will take at least the next 3-4 days of sailing or 2 days of motoring to climb through the Doldrums and counter-current to reach the East Trades at 10° N, which presently are shown on ClearPoint as blowing out of the NNE in the low- to mid-teens. 

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 100 nm

Total distance completed: 21,611 nm

To Yokohama: 6,589 nm (distance remaining: 23.6%)

To Hawaii WP: 2,627 nm

Heading: 330°

Reported boat speed: 3.5 kts

Average boat speed: 4.2 kts

Average daily DMG over last 7 days: 144 nm (63 nm DMG toward Hawaii WP) 

Weather: Clear

Temperature: 24.0° C

Barometer: 1007 hPa (steady)

Wind (from): 7-11 kts, SSE expected to be 11 kts S reducing to 9 kts SSW over next 19 hrs

Waves: 2.0 m

Current (from): W at 1.6 kt (counter-current)

Engine: 0 hrs

Generator: 7.0 hrs

Sails: Genoa 90%, staysail 0%, mainsail 1-pt reef

Position Map