Location: 30° 57 S, 64° 43 E
Friday 12:00, 02.02.2007

At noon on February 2nd the Schooner Maggie B was at 30° 57S 64° 43E. We were making 8.3 knots on a heading of 170 degrees magnetic. We did 193 NM in the last 24 hours, and have come 1725 NM from the Seychelles, with 2613 to go to Perth.

The wind has been fairly steady in direction at 080-090 magnetic, with the speed slowing from 15-18 yesterday to 12-15 today. The barometer is slowly rising as we work our way down south of the Southern Indian Ocean High (and away from T/C Dora!).

Last night was beautiful with the full moon rising as the sun set, and then keeping us company all night behind a veil of complex high cirrus clouds.

T/C Dora is now about 850 NM NNE of us, scheduled to pass a little south of Mauritius early next week. It is no factor for us, other than to pull the SE trades more to the NE, which is a great help.

A building ridge of high pressure is modeled to set up along 36-37 South early next week, and we will have to be south of that if we want to get our Westerlies for Perth. We may need to head as far south as 40. Already being at 31 south should make it an easy target.

We may come near to, or possibly land at a French island at 37° 52S, 77° 24E, which is about 750 NM ahead of us on our current course. The island was first known as Isle Amsterdam, then La Roche Godon, now Martin-de-Vivis. Correspondents tell us that it is volcanic, with the last eruption in 1792. It has an area of 21 NM and the highest mountain is 2844 feet. There is a French Meteo station and a UN atmospheric research station on the island, plus many, many fur seals. In 2002 there were 145 scientists and support personnel on the island. Anchoring and landing challenges are unknown. I wonder if they have a French Warship protecting them from itinerant American schooners?

It is definitely getting cooler. Watch last night needed a warm top as well as full foulies, and ..... shoes! Hard on feet used to being barefoot. The crew started digging for the blankets. Sea water temperature is down ten degrees Fahrenheit from the Seychelles.

Yesterday we experienced our _fifth_ Lewmar block failure. Another poor design. Hopefully there is a cut-rate Antal distributor in Perth/Fremantle and we can get this Lewmar junk off the boat before someone gets hurt.

The Captain got injured today in perhaps the more ridiculous fashion possible. We usually play some music loud when we are getting ready for lunch, our big communal meal. I put on the soundtrack from the musical Spamalot. When it came to "We Are The Knights of the Round Table and Dance Whenever We're Able," I was doing a sailor's jig with Owen, and misjudged the overhead in the Pilot House and almost knocked myself out on a beam.

Ah, the Sailor's Life.

All is well.

Extreme Sports on the Indian Ocean

The Sea is having a great old time with us, turning the normal everyday simple things, such as brushing one's teeth, into an enormous feat of bravery! Everything is an Extreme Sport....if you can get dressed in 15 minutes or less you win a prize held more dear to the four of us sailors than gold — a piece of chocolate !

Putting on your underwear is in a category completely of it's own... however, Bori has come up with a strategy to get past this dilemma — You put your pants and knickers on the floor together and pull them up at the same time right quick !

Two pieces of chocolate for Bori!

In the Galley, it suddenly becomes apparent that having some circus training would be handy... juggling garlic, pots and pans, salt and pepper shakers, apples and glasses — all in the attempt to make a Peanut Butter sandwich ...and then you open the cupboard and the 2 pound tub lands on your big toe!

It's just another day at sea...