lunes, 23 de junio de 2008

A Low, Two Puffs, and the Drone Goes On

It's been an interesting weather day, but the overwhelming factor has been a lack of wind for the third straight day. It all started for me at 0500 when I was roused from a deep sleep by the sound of the jib being unfurled. I leapt into the cockpit and felt the fantastic puff of breeze in my face. Within minutes a light rain had begun to fall and the motor was turned off as the sails took control. For an hour we made good headway in the light breeze and light rain that accompanied a cold front extending from a low pressure system that was passing us by; but by 0630 the front had passed, the rain had slowed to a drizzle and the wind disappeared replacing the splendid silence of the sea with the obnoxious drone of the engine. As the morning wore on the low continued passing north of us and at 0945 I began to feel a trace of a north wind--the "clearing wind" for this tiny, weak system. Right as I was preparing to set the jib the fishing pole started screaming. My dad took care of the fish (a seven pound dorado which is now being cooked up for some fish tacos) while I killed the motor and set sail. This breeze looked and felt more promising, but by half past noon it too had disappeared, leaving clear skies and calm seas and, you guessed it, the drone of the engine in its wake. Five hours later the wind is still in hiding somewhere and the motor drones on. Our fuel supply keeps slipping away slowly but surely and my visions of a passage without motoring (thanks to horrid forecasts I received in the first few days) are now replaced by the question of if we'll have enough fuel aboard to motor as much as we may need to. If not this trip could be extended beyond what any of us on board would have hoped. For now we're just searching for a steady breeze. Anyone with information on where I can find one please let me know...I'm open to suggestions.

June 23-1730
33.59N by 154.03W

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