Today's Report
July 24/11 0800 JST
Position: 27°03'N, 142°11'E (Ogasawara, Chichijima Island, Japan)
Remaining to Yokohama: 502 nm (ETA: ?)
Whatever was ailing the engine two weeks out of Hawaii returned yesterday as Saito-san turned into the wind while motoring from the harbor in Ogasawara. Facing moderately strong headwinds he suddenly found he had no engine power and was forced to abandon his attempt to leave.
Back at the pier with the quick assistance of the locally based Coast Guard, a mechanic assessed the problem as involving the "clutch" that becomes engaged as engine rpms are increased. This is something not easily determined at the dock, so what seemed to be a working engine – one that had been tested at various times over the past week – turned out not to be.
Lesson learned (again) that the only true test of a boat's operability is a sea trial, and that will certainly be done before he leaves again.
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Here's how it looks on ClearPoint.
This morning:
Lots of dead air, resembling the doldrums he encountered not far from Hawaii as Typhoon Ma-On leaves a swath of white area in her path as shown in the CP image.
Lots of dead air, resembling the doldrums he encountered not far from Hawaii as Typhoon Ma-On leaves a swath of white area in her path as shown in the CP image.
Pale areas indicate wind strengths from 0 to 4 kts. Tropical storm Ma-On is in upper right.
A warm front will cross north of Chichijima, bringing with it severe local turbulence and a squall line of thunderstorms.
Warm front crossing tomorrow
In 3-4 days:
The possibility of another typhoon, as shown on the 4-day projection as 2 tight cyclonic lows moving to the NNW. (The one most likely to catch Saito-san out is the one on the right, as it grows in size and intensity.) Winds currently are expected to be near 50 kts at their centers, which respectively show atmospheric pressures of 984 and 992 mb. This was how Ma-On started out 11 days ago, as 2 cyclonic lows, and from the same general vicinity.
The possibility of another typhoon, as shown on the 4-day projection as 2 tight cyclonic lows moving to the NNW. (The one most likely to catch Saito-san out is the one on the right, as it grows in size and intensity.) Winds currently are expected to be near 50 kts at their centers, which respectively show atmospheric pressures of 984 and 992 mb. This was how Ma-On started out 11 days ago, as 2 cyclonic lows, and from the same general vicinity.
Not yet typhoons, as shown in this 4-day projection, these 2 tropical lows could spell trouble [click to enlarge] |
Last night Saito-san was decidedly not happy with the prospect of staying in Ogasawara even a day longer, but prudence calls for him to wait until he has a reliably working engine before he sets out in the middle of the North Pacific typhoon season. A lot can happen in 500 nm of ship traffic and potentially severe weather.
Sailboat or not, there are times when a timely assist by the "iron jib" could mean the difference between a close call and disaster.
