Location 40° 41S 86° 42W
Tuesday11.06.2007

The Schooner Maggie B's noon position on November 6th was 40° 41S 86° 42W. We are motorsailing downwind towards Puerto Montt at 6.5 knots. The wind is from the West at 10-12 knots. The Maggie B doesn't do well going directly downwind, and, after about 4000 miles, we are more in "delivery mode" for the last little bit, rather than extracting every last knot out of whatever wind we have.

We have come 4359 NM from Rangiroa and have 597 NM to go to Canal Chacao, the channel entrance to Puerto Montt.

We are focusing on arriving at Canal Chacao at the start of the flood, which is one hour before low tide. Low tide on November 10th is at 0830 local (GMT -3), so we are shooting to be there at 0630 local -- better early than late. The math is Fourth or Fifth Grade, but still so often done wrong: at noon today we had 597 NM to go. Ship's noon now is GMT 1800 (we are now -6). We want to arrive at 1130 GMT in @3 1/2 days, or 90.5 hours. 597 divide by 90.5 equals 6.6 knots average speed. Could we arrive by the end of the Friday flood? It starts at 0940 GMT, it would end at @1530 GMT or 69.5 hours equals 8.6 knots. Hmmm. Could do it, but not with 10 knots of wind on our stern and tight on diesel (we have fuel for 6 knots for 600 NM, but not 8.5 knots - which would require approximately twice the fuel flow for the 40% more speed). So Saturday morning it is.

It was lovely at noontime today. We had lunch at the table in the cockpit. It is so strange to go from snow flurries two nights ago to lunch on deck.

No one on board speaks Spanish, but we are all trying to learn. The Armada, the Chilean Navy keeps tight track on shipping. One must report to each lighthouse or Naval Station one passes. But what to say? Probably not buenas dias or Mas cervezas, por favor, the Spanish we are learning. So catchy phrases like "A que hora es el corriente de creciente nel canal Chacao?" are the order of the day ("When does the flood start in the Chacao Channel?"). But will we understand the answer? We'll know Saturday. I wish my daughter Alexandra were on board with her fluent Spanish!

I am pleased to report that we seem to have shopped successfully for this leg. It appears that we will have sufficient supplies of good coffee, garlic and chocolate.

All is well.

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