Location: 30° 50S, 50° 24W
Tuesday 02.05.2008

The Schooner Maggie B was at 30° 50S, 50° 24W at noon on February 5th. We are schoonering along the Brazilian coast, marvelously making 7.3 knots in 12 knots of wind on our beam. It is clear, bright and warm. The sun is getting higher every day. The sun is now heading north, like us. It is about 15 degrees south of the equator, and we are 15 degrees south of it.

We have come 548 NM from Buenos Aires and have 213 to go to Florianopolis and 2932 to Antigua. We still have about 1/3 of a knot of favorable current. We expect to be motoring again soon, as the wind is seeming to fade out, as forecast. We expect to arrive at Florianopolis at about sundown tomorrow.

I have mentioned all the wrecks in the Rio de la Plata. Probably the most famous is the Graf Spee, scuttled just outside Montevideo in 1939 by her crew. We passed quite close to the wreck when we went by from Colonia to Piriapolis. The Graf Spee, called a pocket battleship, was probably the most dangerous Nazi vessel, faster than any battleship, but stronger than any fast cruiser. She had sunk about a dozen merchant ships when she was set on by three English cruisers, possibly an even match, but the Graf Spee’s guns out-ranged the English ones and the Exeter was the first to be trashed. But the Graf Spee had taken a few minor hits, including one that temporarily knocked out the Captain. Rather than turn on the next two victims, the Captain decided that he needed to refit in Montevideo. The English then sunk her with a fuel order. Really. They had reinforcements on the way, but no way to stop the Graf Spee from escaping. So the clever English Admiral had his supply officer order a refueling rendezvous for two light cruisers (all that was nearby), two heavy cruisers, and an aircraft carrier. The information “leaked” to the Germans and the Captain felt that he was trapped, had his ship scuttled, wrapped himself in the battle flag, and shot himself.

All is well.