Day 1005 [July 4/11 JST] – Weak Winds All Over the Compass


 Today's Report
July 4/11 0800 JST 

Position:  25°54'N, 144°32'E
Remaining to Yokohama:  672 nm (ETA: ? days)
Remaining to Ogasawara:  177 nm (ETA: 3-5 days)


Winds all but vanished during the night, prompting him to remark during the 0800 call that the "boat is almost drifting." A largely stationary high has broken winds coming in from all over the compass  -- ESE at 0800, SSW in 1 hr, WNW in 7 hrs, and SW in 19 hrs, and all weak at 1 – 6 kts.

Earlier steady winds gave him 34 nm of DMG yesterday, nudging him to within 177 nm of Ogasawara. At the time of his call, they were blowing out of the ESE at 1-3 kts, for a "1 or 1½ knot boat speed," he estimated. 

ClearPoint predicts the winds will increase slightly to 6 kts out of SSW, then drop off to almost nothing in about 12 hrs as the high passes over his position.

That low we saw yesterday developing about 900 nm to his SSW is still showing on ClearPoint but has yet to produce any marine weather service alerts.


***
Distance in last 24 hours: 34 nm DOG / 34 nm DMG
Total distance completed: 27,854 nm
To Yokohama: 677 nm (measured)
To Ogasawara: 177 nm (measured)

Average daily DMG over last 4 days of sailing: 45 nm (measured) 
ETA, Ogasawara: 3-5 days
ETA, Yokohama: ? days

Heading: 320°
Reported boat speed: 1.0 – 1.5 kts
Average boat speed: 1.4 kts
Weather: Overcast, warm, squalls in the area
Temperature: 29.0° C
Barometer: 1011 hPa 
Wind (from): 1-3 kts ESE
Waves: 1.5 m
Sails: Genoa 90%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef
Engine: 0 hrs
Generator: 0 hrs

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 Supporting Sponsor.]