Day 975 [June 4/11 JST] -- Engine Test at Noon Today

Today's Report

June 4/11 0800 JST 

Position:  23°47'N, 178°32'W

Remaining to Yokohama finish:  2,323 nm / 8.5% (16 - 27 days)

A lot of fingers will be crossed as Saito-san tests the engine about noon his time to see if his laborious patch of the engine exhaust hose works. He has been attempting to seal the gap in the hose through multiple coatings of glue, hours of cure-time, then a final layered wrap of duct tape.

Whether the motor actually overheated is not yet determined. If it did, then it is expected that the raw water pump and impeller are "fried" along with the exhaust hose. If a hole was just blown in it, thus the appearance of exhaust smoke, and not smoke from over-heating, it may mean Saito-san can get the engine back working again.

In any case, he made relatively good progress under sail during the period, making 76 nm over ground, and reducing the Yokohama distance to 2,323 nm by 0800 this morning.  Last night he was complaining that boat speed had fallen to just 2.5 kts due to weak easterly winds. This morning both the winds and his spirits had perked up as NBSDIII moved along at 4 kts, thanks to more favorable wind from the ESE.

[Click to enlarge]

***

Distance in last 24 hours: 76 nm DOG

Total distance completed: 25,482 nm

To Yokohama: 2,323 nm (measured)

Average daily DMG over last 7 days: 120 nm (measured) 

ETA: 16 days (if motor-assisted @ 6 kts); 27 days (if sailing @ 3.5 kts)

Heading: 240°

Reported boat speed: 4.0 kts (sailing)

Average boat speed: 3.4 kts

Weather: Mostly overcast, scattered rain; warm

Temperature: 26° C

Barometer: 1020 hPa 

Wind (from): 10-12 kts ESE

Waves: 1.5-2.0 m

Sails: Genoa 90%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef

Engine: 0 hrs

Generator: 10 hrs

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 contributing sponsor.]

Day 974 [June 3/11 JST] -- Engine Fix Prospects Grow Dimmer

Today's Report

June 3/11 0800 JST 

Position:  24°06'N, 177°12'W

Remaining to Yokohama finish:  2,389 nm / 8.8% (16 - 28 days)

No luck so far on the cooling water issue – in fact, the nature of the problem turned out to be worse than it originally seemed. The "split hose" involved is the engine exhaust hose which also carries the cooling water through the hull, by way of a sea cock, and out into the sea. The exhaust gases it also carries are very hot, and it seems likely, in consulting with Dave of Team Hawaii, that this cannot be fixed on the water.

Duct tape and glue cannot cope with the high levels of heat the hose carries, and Dave theorizes that the hose has become damaged internally as well, along with the impeller.

He dealt with this same problem on NBSDIII's first arrival in Hawaii – the main reason Saito-san stopped over last June – and that time it required a rebuild of the raw water pump.

So the strong prospect at this point is that NBSDIII will sail the entire distance back, adding another 10-12 days or so. Since yesterday Saito-san put 75 nm on the knot log under weakening wind conditions.

***

At 0900 this morning Saito-san called to say he had jibed to turn the boat on a more southerly heading of 240 degrees (see image). This is to keep him in a relatively more windy area. On ClearPoint we can see a band of weaker and variable air about 75-100 nm to his north.

On first jibe since leaving Hawaii [click to enlarge]

*** 

Distance in last 24 hours: 75 nm DOG

Total distance completed: 25,406 nm

To Yokohama: 2,389 nm (measured)

Average daily DMG over last 7 days: 130 nm (measured) 

ETA: 16.5 days (if motor-assisted @ 6 kts); 28 days (if sailing @ 3.5 kts)

Heading: 240°

Reported boat speed: 2.5 - 4.5 kts (sailing)

Average boat speed: 3.1 kts

Weather: Mostly overcast, scattered rain; warm

Temperature: 26° C

Barometer: 1020 hPa 

Wind (from): 8-14 kts E, ENE & ESE (jibe)

Waves: 1.5-2.0 m

Sails: Genoa 90%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef

Engine: 0 hrs

Generator: 10 hrs

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 contributing sponsor.]

Day 973 [June 2/11 JST] -- Debris Not Likely to Cause Trouble

Today's Report

June 2/11 0800 JST 

Position:  23°22'N, 176°07'W

Remaining to Yokohama finish:  2,458 nm / 9.0% (approx. 15 - 22 days)

A cooling water issue silenced the engine at mid-morning. Saito-san had been inspecting and cleaning the injectors and when he restarted the engine it soon began overheating so he shut it down.

We've seen this problem several times before, so suspicions were directed at the seawater pump impeller, a fan-like rubber part that can wear out and occasionally requires replacing. This time, however, Saito-san found a 5-cm split in the seawater hose in advance of the impeller in the seawater cooling circuit. There is no spare hose so it was expected that this could be fixed by tightly wrapping the split with overlapping layers of duct tape. Whether the dry impeller was destroyed by friction was not immediately determined, but seems likely. Fortunately, there are two spare impellers on board.

***

Even before the cooling problem, Saito-san had switched back to sail power for nearly half the 24-hr period. He progressed 106 nm overground, and by 0800 this morning had reduced the distance to Yokohama to 2,458 nm. Of course he prefers this to motoring, but at the slower speed it will add several days to his ETA unless he can get the engine back up running again.

***

In the weeks following the March 11 9.0 magnitude Japan earthquake, the prospect of floating debris becoming a navigation hazard raised concerns that it might endanger Saito-san. He set his return route to give himself a wide berth of the North Pacific area east of Honshu, adding about 200 nm to the route along a wide westward detour. He's since made this a more direct line toward Yokohama, effectively cutting a week or so off his return time.

Saito 8 Committee member Hide Katada yesterday located a web site published by the Japanese Coast Guard that lists "temporary" navigation hazards not indicated by local marine charts, including navy exercises, newly shoaling areas, construction, and, we were glad to see, the location of the debris field from the March 11 tsunami. The debris is marked with buoys, and, it is presumed, seeded with one or more satellite-linked locator beacons to track its movement.


If nothing else, the official warning is ominous:

Coast Guard warning as of June 1

When we plotted the position of the debris field, what surprised us was how close it still is to the Japanese coast. 

Here's where one media report indicated it would be in about a year. 

In any case, the debris is expected to move north and east along with the Kuroshio (Black) Current. 

The upshot of all this is: For Saito-san it appears that the debris is still well away from his intended route and should not cause him any trouble. We will, of course, continue monitoring. (You can help, if you want, by occasionally checking here. See the items marked "Drifting.")

To read more on the tsunami debris, see this article from April.

*** 

Distance in last 24 hours: 106 nm DMG

Total distance completed: 25,356 nm

To Yokohama: 2,458 nm (measured)

Average daily DMG over last 7 days: 159 nm (measured) 

ETA: 15.5 days (if motor-assisted); 23 days (if sailing @ 4.5 kts)

Heading: 295°

Reported boat speed: 4.5 kts (sailing)

Average boat speed: 4.4 kts

Weather: Mostly overcast, no rain; warm

Temperature: 26° C

Barometer: 1020 hPa 

Wind (from): 10-13 kts E

Waves: 1.5-2.0 m

Sails: Genoa 90%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef

Engine: 10 hrs at 2000 rpm

Generator: 10 hrs

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 contributing sponsor.]http://www1.kaiho.mlit.go.jp/TUHO/tuho/cgi/skat/map.cgi?0&ALL&0#NAVEG

Day 972 [June 1/11 JST] -- The Typhoon and Tsunami Debris Hazards

Today's Report

June 1/11 0800 JST 

Position:  22°44'N, 174°22'W

Remaining distance to Yokohama finish:  9.6%

ETA:  Approx. 16 days

Songda, the typhoon-turned-tropical-depression that passed over Japan this weekend was more scary for what it might do to those exposed nuclear plants in Tohoku than any threat to Saito-san, but it still deserved watching in this space. It was the second of the season to approach Japan, originating near the Philippines.

This morning what's left of Songda was about 1,500 nm NNW of Saito-san's position, heading east, and ready to fade away according to predictions on ClearPoint.  On May 27 they were calling it a "super typhoon," and some were predicting a major pummeling of the stricken earthquake area.  Fortunately that never happened, but it was good for some new scare headines. 

Typhoons, of course, have now somewhat entered the list of hazards he faces, along with the March 11 tsunami debris field. Last year in the month of June there was just one tropical depression, and no named typhoons. The season got good and active in mid-July and by August there had been 7 typhoons and 5 tropical depressions. Hopefully, Saito-san will miss all that added drama. If all goes well, his homecoming will take place before another major storm develops. 

We will be contacting the Japanese Coast Guard today to see if they can tell us where the debris field is – and where it is going. From the looks of things, Songda ran right through it, if our estimated position of the field is right. What that may mean in terms of even more-scattered roof tops, cargo containers, and other hazards to ship traffic is anyone's guess at this point.

Songda (as of today) and our estimated position of the
debris field from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami
[click to enlarge]

***

NBSDIII continued motoring during the 24-hour period, progressing another 168 nm toward Yokohama on the more direct route decided yesterday.

***

While we are reluctant to make predictions on NBSDIII's ETA in Yokohama, at the current rate of DMG we can say 16 days at best, and 18-20 days (more likely). As she gets closer the numbers will become less and less speculative.

*** 

Distance in last 24 hours: 168 nm DMG

Total distance completed: 25,200 nm

To Yokohama: 2,614 nm (measured)

Average daily DMG over last 6 days: 163 nm (measured) 

ETA: 16 days

To Mid WP: 590 nm

Heading: 280°

Reported boat speed: 6.5- 7.0 kts (motoring at 2000 rpm)

Average boat speed: 7.0 kts

Weather: Partly cloudy, sunny & warm

Temperature: 26° C

Barometer: 1019 hPa 

Wind (from): 5-8 kts E

Waves: 1.5-2.0 m

Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef

Engine: 24 hrs at 2000 rpm

Generator: 0

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 contributing sponsor.]

Day 971 [May 31/11 JST] -- A Shorter Route as the Miles Fall Away

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.

***

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.

White line shows his previously planned route [click to enlarge]

*** 

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

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito 8 contributing sponsor.]

Day 970 [May 30/11 JST] -- Back to the Iron Jib

Today's Report

May 30/11 0800 JST 

Position:  20°52'N, 168°44'W

Remaining distance to Yokohama finish:  10.4%

A full day under sail saw him move at 4.0 kts pushed by winds from the east at 14 kts, sometimes falling to 10 kts and even further to 5 kts at mid-morning. The measured distance gained (in sailing parlance, "Distance Made Good" or DMG) toward Yokohama was 95 nm for the 24-hour period.

Just before his 0800 call he returned to motoring, maintaining 6.5 kts at 1900-2000 rpm. The slowing wind had dropped off considerably by mid-morning. Running downwind, there's a 5-kt threshold at which the sails begin to flog and the heavy steel vessel creeps along at 2.0 kts or less. In response he hauled in the roller-furling genoa while leaving the main at a 3pt reef. (In Hawaii the badly sun- and wind-damaged mainsail was cut down to remove weak areas, reducing its size by roughly a third. Thus it's either "all up" at the normal 3pt reef canvas size, or "all down.")

Last night he said he noticed a small tear in the genoa. At about one foot in length it is roughly 4 meters above deck and thus too high to reach with sail tape. He said he will watch it and believes (hopes) it will not grow. At the time of his morning call he said there was no change.


[Click to enlarge]

***

"Tokyo Central" has reset the distance remaining to Yokohama. As of 0800 today, the more exact distance is 3,040 nm.

Until Saito-san reached this part of the circumnavigation, distance (both run and remaining) has been determined by adding (or subtracting, for remaining distance) the day's totals. Every few months under way this has required recalculating the total distance, often with considerable differences from the sum of the daily totals.

Since Distance Over Ground or DOG can vary from DMG (actual progress), these two distances can differ by 10% or more on any given day due to current direction, leeway, tacking, skipper inattention, etc. The most accurate way to understand how much progress was actually made toward a distant destination – either to a route waypoint or to Yokohama itself – is to physically measure it on a paper chart, or much more conveniently and with little or no loss of accuracy for mid-ocean sailing, on Google Earth.

Despite being free software (thanks Google!), we've found that its measuring tools are quite precise and certainly easier to use than the usual charts, plotter, and dividers.

So now that he is in the same area of the world as Japan, our daily summaries will report only the remaining measured distance, rather than calculated, to indicate his progress. This will take a lot of the guesswork – we hope – out of determining his Yokohama ETA.

Such, to be sure, is another indication of how close he is to finishing. On Google Earth we can virtually "see" his Yokohama end point thanks to this amazingly helpful mapping software.

*** 

Distance in last 24 hours: 95 nm DMG

Total distance completed: 24,821 nm

To Yokohama: 3,040 nm (measured) 

To Mid WP: 933 nm (turn to north after avoiding tsunami debris field)

Heading: 280°

Reported boat speed: 6.5 kts (motoring at 1900 – 2000 rpm)

Average boat speed: 6.7 kts

Average daily DMG over last 4 days: 159 nm (measured) 

Weather: Clear, sunny & warm

Temperature: 25.6° C

Barometer: 1018 hPa 

Wind (from): 5-8 kts E, expected to be 10-12 kts E over next 19 hrs

Waves: 1.5-2.0 m

Sails: Genoa 0%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef

[Weather and wind forecasts are from ClearPoint Weather, a Saito Challenge 8 contributing sponsor.]

Day 969 [May 29/11 JST] -- Back to the Sails (and Quiet)

Today's Report

May 29/11 0800 JST 

Position:  20°07'N, 166°52'W

Remaining distance to Yokohama finish:  10.7%

With reduced winds, easing seas, and the need to conserve fuel, Saito-san switched off the engine this morning and brought out the sails for the first time since leaving Honolulu 4 days ago.  He assured that "everything looks good," and indicated he had altered his course slightly more northward, but plans to avoid the contrary currents mariner charts show above 21 degrees north latitude.

He said that although the wind is still from the east, and thus largely astern, he doesn’t feel it is dangerous to the mast and rigging under the less windy and flatter conditions. He said he is happy to be sailing. "I don't like hearing the engine all the time. Sailing is much better!"

He achieved 162 nm during the period motoring until 4 hours ago. However, the changeover to sail power is expected to cut DMG by close to half. At the time of his call NBSDIII was making about 4.0 or 4.5 kts under a 3pt reefed main and 90% genoa.

He passed another thousand-mile milestone this morning,  and is now less than 3,000 nm from home port.

Sea conditions moderated as a low entered the area. Sea swells dropped from yesterday's near 3 m to about 1.5 m this morning.

He reported he was finally able to start the aux. generator after spending about 40 minutes bleeding air out of the fuel circuit. He said he intends to at least start, if not actually use, the generator several times a day to try to keep air blockages from reoccurring.

***
During the night Saito-san passed the furthest point he had reached on July 17 of last year when he was forced to return to Hawaii after developing a leak in the engine seawater cooling system, requiring hours of effort at an emergency hand pump. The engine could not be used and after several days under sail the rigging, which had been severely damaged in Punta Arenas, began falling apart. Later investigations revealed major cracks (picture) in the mast.

Mast crack found after his return to Hawaii in 2010

[Click to enlarge]

Above line, his return route last year against headwinds; bottom line (with markers), his present route westward.

***
Songda, the second typhoon of the season to approach Japan, was downgraded to a tropical storm this morning, according to the U.S. Navy Joint Typhoon Warning Center. Story can be found here.

*** 

Distance in last 24 hours: 162 nm over ground / 159 nm DMG

Total distance completed: 24,726 nm

To Yokohama: 2,974 nm

To Mid WP: 1,028 nm (turn to north after avoiding tsunami debris field)

Heading: 280°

Reported boat speed: 4.0 – 4.5.8 kts

Average boat speed: 6.8 kts

Average daily DMG over last 3 days: 175 nm 

Weather: Mostly cloudy, warm,

Temperature: 25.8° C

Barometer: 1018 hPa 

Wind (from): 12-16 kts E, expected to be 13-14 kts E over next 19 hrs

Waves: 1.5-2.0 m

Sails: Genoa 90%, staysail 0%, mainsail 3pt reef