Today's Report
May 31/11 0800 JST
Position: 21°49'N, 171°43'W
Remaining distance to Yokohama finish: 9.8%
A delighted Minoru Saito watched the sun rise into a crystal clear sky this morning, on nearly flat seas with winds hardly more than a moderate breeze. That gave him an excuse to continue motoring, with the result that NBSDIII is eating up the miles toward home. After a route change and 178 more miles under the hull, he now has less than 10% of the circumnavigation remaining.
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Due to the weak winds (not to mention growing confidence in the engine), he's decided to go more directly toward Yokohama rather than follow a more round-about route. Previously he planned to ride the easterly tradewinds, then do a turn up to the north. That longer route would have added about 200 nm to the trip, but also about 5-8 days at the slower speeds under sail.
Instead, he now plans a more direct heading toward the Izu chain of islands that mark the final several hundred miles before reaching Tokyo Bay and, 20 miles later, Yokohama.
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White line shows his previously planned route [click to enlarge] |
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Distance in last 24 hours: 178 nm DMG
Total distance completed: 24,989 nm
To Yokohama: 2,800 nm (measured)
To Mid WP: 748 nm
Heading: 280°
Reported boat speed: 6.5 kts (motoring at 2000 rpm)
Average boat speed: 6.7 kts
Average daily DMG over last 4 days: 160 nm (measured)
Weather: Clear, sunny & warm
Temperature: 26° C
Barometer: 1016 hPa
Wind (from): 4-8 kts E
Waves: 1.5 m
Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef
Engine: 23.5 hrs @ 2000 rpm; .5 hr @ 2300 rpm
Generator: 0
Generator: 0
[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 contributing sponsor.]
