Lunch €” Friday 08.04.06

It’s been a while since we reported how well we are dining. Lunch today was shrimp in a garlic white sauce followed by fresh Yellow Fin Tuna steaks with potatoes and broccoli. Yum!

Commanders’ Weather Corporation
Friday, 08.04.2006

Route: Salvador, Brazil to Cape Town, SA

Departed: approx. 1200utc, Tue, Aug 1, 2006

Prepared: 1415utc Fri, Dec 04, 2006

Summary

• A cold front extends from about 14s/40w ESE to near 20s/23w and then SE into the central Atlantic
• The high will move to near 35s/33w by 12utc Sunday, August 6
• Look for winds to be generally ESE in the teens this afternoon into Sunday morning
• There may still be a lingering shower around today, otherwise, skies will become partly cloudy as the high moves to the NE during Saturday
• During Sunday, the high will slide off to the ENE and be near 30s/22w Monday morning
• As the high shifts off to the E, winds will turn left into the E and ENE later Sunday and then NE on Monday; wind speeds will remain in the teens
• High pressure will strengthen a little and elongate E-W along 25-26s from about 40w to 10e for Tuesday and then remain fairly stationary into mid to late week
• Meanwhile, low pressure will be located near 42s/34w Monday morning and moving to the ENE; a cold front will extend from the low NW to S Brazil at about 30s
• With the large E-W high pressure along 25-26s, the cold front will stall and weaken as it approaches 30-32s; you may see some cloudiness from this system with a slight chance of a shower Monday but this is not certain
• S swells may build to 8-12 ft during Sunday and continue for Monday before diminishing

Routing

1) Would recommend heading to the SSE keeping the ridge axis to your E today and Saturday with ESE winds prevailing

2) As the high settles to the N and begins to elongate E-W at 25-26s later Monday and Tuesday, you will want to be at 27-28s before you adjust to a mainly E course

a) this will allow you to pick up a favorable NW or W wind on the SW and S side of the high

b) you may be able to change to a more E course between 26-27s if position of the high is more N

3) Have kept your routing about 150 nm/day through Saturday, then gradually increased to about 180 nm/day by Tuesday as winds become more favorable

4) Please see waypoints listed in the wind forecast below

Wind Forecast

Wind directions are TRUE, wind speeds in KTS, and time is UTC

Fri, Aug 4

18: 110-130/12-18

Weather: Variable clouds with slight chance of a shower

Seas 6-10 ft S swell

Sat, Aug 5

00: 110-130/14-20

06: 120-140/12-18

12: 090-110/10-17 near 21 45s/34 50w

18: 100-120/10-17

Weather: Partly to variably cloudy

Seas 6-10 ft S swell

Sun, Aug 6

00: 110-130/12-18

06: 110-130/12-18

12: 100-120/11-17 near 24 30s/34w

18: 060-090/ 8-15

Weather: Partly cloudy

Seas build to 8-12 ft S swell

Mon, Aug 7

00: 050-070/10-17

12: 010-030/12-18 near 27s/32 20w

Weather: Partly to variably cloudy with a slight chance of a shower

Seas 8-12 ft S-SW swell

Tue, Aug 8

00: 320-340/14-20

12: 280-300/14-20 near 28s/29w

Weather: Partly cloudy

Seas diminishing to 6-10 ft SW swell

Location: 19° 38.2 S 035° 50.1 W
Friday 12:00, 08.04.2006

The Schooner Maggie B was at 19° 38.2 S, 35° 50.1 W at noon on August 4th. We are 472 NM out of Salvador, and it is 1621 to Tristan da Cunha and 3030 to Cape Town. While we were motoring some last night in light breezes, the wind has now filled in from 110 degrees at 10-15 and we are sailing close hauled on port tack at 6.5 knots on a heading of 180 degrees magnetic.

Our latest forecast from Commanders Weather, is very favorable. We are headed south down the coast of Brazil (about 200 miles off) but making some easting because 180 degrees magnetic is about 160 degrees True here. We hope to rendezvous with the back side of a high pressure system at about 27S/32W, which should give us nice NW’erlies to blow us across. We should be able to make the turn East in two-three days, or Sunday or Monday.

We are just coming to a series of sea mounts, the Cadeia Vitoria Trindade, where, in places, the bottom rises from 4000 meters to 30 meters in a matter of a few miles. We expect interesting sea conditions. The sea mounts reach out 700 NM off the coast to Isla da Trinidade, which is able to poke up 600 feet above the water.

We are now again fully at sea with the Maggie B heeling over comfortably. Everyone is again used to bracing themselves and knowing what will slip and what will stay in place. Finding a place to sleep or nap becomes more specialized. On the interior photos on the site, you can see railings or battens stretched part way up the sides of the bunks. This, if it is on the low side, makes a comfortable corner to wedge into. It is easy to sleep with the water gurgling inches away and the rig creaking above. For those berths on the high side, we have heavy canvas (color coordinated, natch) lee cloths, which tie into place to keep sleeping bodies in the berth and not flying through the air into the companionway. The pipe berths have the cleverest possibilities as one can adjust the supporting ropes to set the perfect angle. You do need warning of a tack, though. Max bought a hammock from a street vendor in Brazil, but has not tried it out on board as yet.

All is well.