Location 32° 55S, 171° 13W
Saturday 12:00, 07.21.2007

The Schooner Maggie B was at 32° 55S, 171° 13Wat noon on July 21st. We are booming along at hull speed, 10 knots, on a beam reach with 25-30 knots of wind from the WNW. The sky is overcast with occasional rain showers. The wind waves are only 2-3 meters from the NW, but the SW swell is making up 2-4 meters also, making for occasional good surfing. The max GPS speed this afternoon was 14.2 knots. We have reefed down both the main and fore to one reef.

We made 205 NM in the last 24 hours, and, as I write this, 53 in the last five.

Reefing down the main and fore, but leaving the jib full moves the center of pressure forward somewhat, as the Maggie B is now more pulled than pushed by the main. We also have the centerboard down about 1/3 which reduces rolling. Both the centerboard and moving the center of pressure forward increases directional stability, which makes Jorge, the Furuno autopilot happier. In about the same conditions, with full sail and no centerboard, Jorge took 2 degrees port and 8 starboard (we are on port tack) to keep us straight as the waves and gusts push us around. With the reefs in and 1/3 c/b, Jorge takes 2 degrees port and 2 degrees starboard. It makes it much less likely that Jorge will throw up his hands and turn us towards Tonga or the Antarctic, as it did a few times last night during Theresa’s and my watches. Please see Nigel Iren’s discussion on directional stability in schooners, and particularly the Maggie B, posted on the web site.

As those who check out our weather brief from Commanders (posted on the web) will see, the plan of staying south of the rhumb line seems to be working out. We certainly are in the right place (right now) for this low. We are easing north a bit, aiming for a point at 32S/155W, due to Commanders “Heads up!” about a “Big Dog” possibly developing in Fiji/Tonga early next week. We are in the traditional storm track, which is where we want to be, but it makes sense to slide a bit north so that we don’t get too much of a good thing.

When I was growing up racing in Maine, I was taught to “tack on a header,” which means if the wind shifts to push your nose away from your goal, it is time to go over on the other tack to take advantage of the shift. In Maine it was a question of going a couple of hundred feet to get a shift, in the America’s Cup, they go perhaps 300 meters to grab one. We are planning three days or 600 NM ahead for our easterly header, which should hit us about when we get to our 32S/155W turn point. We’ll tack there and head north for the Islands. That’s the plan, anyway.

Stay tuned.

We started fishing again this morning, though we were really going too fast for good trolling speed. The speed made it very difficult to keep the lures underwater. We were horrified when a Pintado Petrel briefly became tangled on one lure, and fishing quickly ended for the day.
The rain, waves and wind seem to have attracted a whole mixed squadron of Blue Water birds around the boat. It is such a pleasure to watch the petrels do aerial maneuvers that this former fighter pilot wholly envies. What is more amazing is to see albatross doing much the same. Rather like a 747 (Airbus 380?) in an air show.

I have a neat new gadget. A striking Brazilian woman in a Paihia shop effortless sold me a “2C Light.com” ball cap. It is the size of a normal ball cap, but the top of the visor has solar cells and under the visor are two LED’s which give good light. You wear it during the day and charge up, you use it at night to read the latest thriller when on watch. My shipmates think it is dorky, but I’m sure I’ll have the last laugh.

All is well.

Location 33° 00S 175° 46W
Friday 12:00, 07.20.2007

At noon on July 20, the Schooner Maggie B was at 33° 00S, 175° 46W. We were making 7 knots essentially right along the 33 South latitude. The wind has piped up a bit to a perfect 12-14 knots from the West, as the barometer begins to fall. The next front is also being indicated by the progression of clouds from high cirrus Mares Tails last night to Alto Stratus this morning, to lower cumulus and stratus showing up on the horizon at dusk.

We started fishing today, and have our wasabi ready. Our “Fishing Stations!” are:
1) Whoever’s on watch sets the hook
2) Hannah takes over handling the boat and slowing her down
3) Ben takes over handling the rod
4) Theresa gets the salt water washdown hose going and gets the gaff
5) Frank gets the killing gear (hammer, ice pick and sharp knife)
6) Ben brings the fish in close enough for Theresa to gaff, and she lands it
7) Frank kills the fish with the ice pick, stunning it first with the hammer, if necessary
Frank slits the arteries in the gills and tail and ropes up the fish, which is then dragged to bleed out, but not so long that the sharks arrive
9) It is then cleaned, washed down and sashimi within minutes. Yum!

We had a big fish hit about sundown, but it spat out the hook before it could be set. Tomorrow is another day.

Our overhauled C. Plath Southern Hemisphere steering compass is leaking out its fluid. I accused the crew of drinking it, but it was pointed out that A) it contained oil, not alcohol like in the old days, and B) we have better alcohol on board. It appears to need a new expansion seal at the base plus some more fluid.

Much of today was taken up by overhauling docking lines from the beating they took in the storms in Russell. All protective leathers came off, and two were shortened and respliced where chafe was severe. We also made up two new lines from 50 meters of new rope purchased in Opua. All the books about the coast of Chile emphasize how much line you’ll need to carry.

Hannah made some delicious carrot/oatmeal/bran muffins for tea. She is spoiling us.

All is well.