Today's Report
June 27/11 0800 JST
Position: 24°31'N, 151°51'E
Remaining to Yokohama: 1,000 nm (ETA: ? days)
A 5-hr rest stop to sleep during the night, headsails furled and boat drifting, was part of his first-day strategy after Saito-san was forced to quit using the autopilot to conserve battery power. He sounded chipper this morning, especially after steady northeasterly winds and the helpful Kurosio (Black) Current kept pushing him in the direction he wanted to go. Despite the rest break, he could make 102 nm of progress toward Ogasawara where he will attend to engine repairs.
Ogasawara is presently 544 nm away. At 0800 he was making 4.5 kts. Depending on how much he is slowed by rest breaks now that he must hand steer, he should be able to reach Ogasawara in 5 or 6 days.
Saito 8 Support Committee member Hide Katada was to contact the Coast Guard facility on Ogasawara this morning as well as make first contact with a marine engine service company there. Saito 8 Support Committee member David Devlin was also assisting with local contacts on the island.
Saito-san confirmed that he is able to recharge the Iridium phone from the ship's batteries as long as they hold out.
***
Today marked another milestone… he had just 1,000 nm to go to Yokohama at the time of his morning call.
Today marked another milestone… he had just 1,000 nm to go to Yokohama at the time of his morning call.
***
Distance in last 24 hours: 102 nm DOG / 102 nm DMG
Total distance completed: 27,431 nm
To Yokohama: 1,000 nm (measured)
To Ogasawara: 544 nm (measured)
Average daily DMG over last 4 days of sailing: 95 nm (measured)
ETA, Ogasawara: 6 days
ETA, Yokohama: ? days
Heading: 260°
Reported boat speed: 4.5 kts
Average boat speed: 4.3 kts
Weather: Overcast; winds moderate; warm
Temperature: 29.0° C
Barometer: 1015 hPa
Wind (from): 13-17 kts ENE, variable
Waves: 2.0 m
Sails: Genoa 80%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef
Engine: 0 hrs
Generator: 0 hrs
[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 Supporting Sponsor.]
