Today's Report
June 1/10 0800 JST / 1500 local
Position:
11°01'N, 120°38'W (North Pacific Ocean)
With winds out of the NNW, and thus slightly unfavorable, Saito-san was able to squeeze 117 nm of DMG from steady winds of 15-18 kts during the period. He said he is "fine" and reports no special problems on board.
***
On opening up ClearPoint last night, we were surprised to see a collection of lightning bolt balls directly on Saito-san's location. We then updated his position by specifying the lat long coordinates provided by the late-afternoon beacon report and found that he had moved well outside the storm area.
If there is one thing that causes Saito-san to become worried, it's watching an approaching thunder cloud spitting lightning bolts into the sea. He recalled this morning that a strike blew out his masthead light during his arduous crossing of the Indian Ocean. The bulb was subsequently replaced in Punta Arenas.
By late afternoon the storm was 150 nm east of him. Below is how it looked 12 hours ago. The red balls indicate satellite detection of a lightning strike within the last 5 minutes, the orange within the last 5 to 10 minutes, the yellow within the last 15 minutes, and the white more than 15 minutes previous. The white cross marks his position, about 130 nm away.
***
We occasionally receive donations from Saito supporters, ranging from donor-described "beer money" to somewhat larger amounts, coming sometimes from admirers who don't personally know the yachtsman but most often from people who do. While every bit has been helpful, regardless of the amount, we were hugely surprised to open an envelope from one long-time sailing acquaintance of Saito's, Tony Whitman, containing a check for $1,250.
"For one of the hydraulic cylinders" he had written.
Now that it looks like there may be still another hopefully brief repair stopover in Hawaii, this money will definitely come in handy.
So, thanks Tony! And thanks again to a number of others who have helped either through their own generous gifts, behind-the-scenes Saito 8 Committee tasks, helpful advice, or simply much friendly encouragement despite the occasional setbacks. That includes one donor who has given through PayPal several times, and prefers to stay anonymous.
While it's been hard to consistently communicate all of these diverse efforts to Saito-san, he greatly appreciates what many people have done in support of his historic circumnavigation.
***
Distance in last 24 hours: 118 nm overground, 117 nm DMG
Total distance completed: 22,202 nm
To Yokohama: 5,998 nm (distance remaining: 21.5%)
To Hawaii WP: 2,142 nm
Heading: 280°
Reported boat speed: 5.0 kts
Average boat speed: 4.9 kts
Average daily DMG over last 7 days: 71 nm
Weather: Clear skies
Temperature: 27.0° C
Barometer: 1010 hPa (rising)
Wind (from): 14 - 18 kts, NNW expected to be 12-15 kts NNE over next 19 hrs
Waves: 2.0 m
Current (from): E at 0.7 kts
Engine: 0.0 hrs
Generator: 8.0 hrs
Sails: Genoa 80%, staysail 0%, mainsail 2-pt reef
Position Map
