Location: 35° 20.5 S, 15° 24.3 E
Tuesday 12:00, 08.22.2006

The Schooner Maggie B was at 35° 20.5 S 15° 24.3 E at noon on August 22nd. Our wind is steady from the South (185M) at 15-20. We have eased sheets a bit, but still are heading for a conservative turn point about 100 NM SE of Cape Town, so as not to be caught out by a quick big SE’er with a strong foul current.

Our weather advice says that we should be fine coming in, with the strong SE’er holding off for a day or so, and that the current between us and Cape Town is “weak and disorganized” (from a US Navy analysis). But still we will hold a bit of our Southing in reserve. In any case, we are about 175 NM from Cape Town, an average day’s run, so at this speed, or a bit faster when we are reaching, would allow for an arrival tomorrow morning, which is perfect. So no need to rush the turn.

It is a bright sunny day. Smaller terns are around us now, together with the Shearwaters and Petrels from the further reaches. As Commanders has predicted, seas are “quite rough with wind waves and a Southerly swell” but the Maggie B is handling them well, only throwing occasional buckets into the cockpit to keep the Watch alert.

Three weeks from Salvador! Cape Town tomorrow!

All is well.