June 25, 2008
Current Position (as of 9:41pm PT):
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.3297,-130.9063&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
I was woken at 6:00 this morning by the radar alarm and a ship on a collision course. Of course the ship was 20 miles away but I had to sit in the cockpit and watch for it, changing course a bit for it to pass safely. I am still making good distances everyday. The wind is hitting my aft starboard quarter (back right side) and making it difficult to keep wind in the genoa (big sail in front). I have spent the last 2 days fiddling and tweaking the sails, lines, and course to try to improve on this without much success. I may try to attach the spinnaker pole to the end of the genoa tomorrow to force it to stay out and stop flapping constantly. This has really made today frustrating.
I have started to do some onboard exercises: sit ups, push ups and pull ups. I don't want to get too out of shape. Did some more cleaning along with the usual boat maintenance. My laptop died today. It may be that it is just the screen that is dead. It sounds like the machine is actually running but nothing on the screen. Fortunately, I have another computer, Leviathan. Tomorrow I'll hook the laptop to Leviathan's monitor to see what can be done.
Today had more than it's share of problems but I'm still making good progress and tomorrow I should hit the 1000 mile mark.
I am nearing the coordinates of the so called Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is where scientists believe about 100 million tons of plastic trash has accumulated trapped by underwater currents. It is supposed to be twice the size of the USA! I can't even imagine what that would be like. I will report more in this if possible.
Questions:
How do you navigate?
My first choice is my RayMarine C70. It is a radar and chart plotter combination. It has so many functions it is the main instrument I use for navigating. I am using C-maps electronic charts that are interfaced with a GPS signal so when I look at the C70 I can see my position (lat/long) in the ocean and how fast I am going, whether I am on course, etc. I also have the computer navigation program MaxSea. I also have paper charts with parallel rules that I can plot my position on using a handheld GPS. Now for the question of the hour...yes, I have a sextant on board and no, I do not know how to use it! To be honest, when it came time to load all my gear on board and out came the 3 large Sight Reduction Table books and Almanac well, I left them at home. I have several backup GPS units that take up a fraction of the space of one of those books. I would like to learn celestial navigation one day. I also have on board about 20 cruising guides of the various areas where I will be sailing. These books tell you where the reefs are, what the weather patterns are and how and when to go where you want to go. I also have on board Pilot Charts of the world's oceans. Each chart shows prevailing weather patterns-- wind, currents, wave heights, visibility, surface pressure, sea surface temperature etc.
Until tomorrow,
Zac
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=25.3297,-130.9063&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
I was woken at 6:00 this morning by the radar alarm and a ship on a collision course. Of course the ship was 20 miles away but I had to sit in the cockpit and watch for it, changing course a bit for it to pass safely. I am still making good distances everyday. The wind is hitting my aft starboard quarter (back right side) and making it difficult to keep wind in the genoa (big sail in front). I have spent the last 2 days fiddling and tweaking the sails, lines, and course to try to improve on this without much success. I may try to attach the spinnaker pole to the end of the genoa tomorrow to force it to stay out and stop flapping constantly. This has really made today frustrating.
I have started to do some onboard exercises: sit ups, push ups and pull ups. I don't want to get too out of shape. Did some more cleaning along with the usual boat maintenance. My laptop died today. It may be that it is just the screen that is dead. It sounds like the machine is actually running but nothing on the screen. Fortunately, I have another computer, Leviathan. Tomorrow I'll hook the laptop to Leviathan's monitor to see what can be done.
Today had more than it's share of problems but I'm still making good progress and tomorrow I should hit the 1000 mile mark.
I am nearing the coordinates of the so called Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is where scientists believe about 100 million tons of plastic trash has accumulated trapped by underwater currents. It is supposed to be twice the size of the USA! I can't even imagine what that would be like. I will report more in this if possible.
Questions:
How do you navigate?
My first choice is my RayMarine C70. It is a radar and chart plotter combination. It has so many functions it is the main instrument I use for navigating. I am using C-maps electronic charts that are interfaced with a GPS signal so when I look at the C70 I can see my position (lat/long) in the ocean and how fast I am going, whether I am on course, etc. I also have the computer navigation program MaxSea. I also have paper charts with parallel rules that I can plot my position on using a handheld GPS. Now for the question of the hour...yes, I have a sextant on board and no, I do not know how to use it! To be honest, when it came time to load all my gear on board and out came the 3 large Sight Reduction Table books and Almanac well, I left them at home. I have several backup GPS units that take up a fraction of the space of one of those books. I would like to learn celestial navigation one day. I also have on board about 20 cruising guides of the various areas where I will be sailing. These books tell you where the reefs are, what the weather patterns are and how and when to go where you want to go. I also have on board Pilot Charts of the world's oceans. Each chart shows prevailing weather patterns-- wind, currents, wave heights, visibility, surface pressure, sea surface temperature etc.
Until tomorrow,
Zac
posted by Zac at
9:38 PM
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