Day 111 - Less Than 60 To Go

At the 3 AM check I found that the boat was managing to continue sailing in a delicate balance between the sails, the calm sea, and the weak wind that was below 9 knots. The boat had been making 2.0-2.5 knots (sometimes as low as 1.5 kt) but it was to within 10 degrees of the destination, making it all pure gain.

We were now only 100 miles from MdP and between motoring and sailing I expected to arrive on the following day, a Wednesday. It was now time to begin the final preparations for the arrival, such as setting the anchor and rode on the bow and lining up the ropes and fenders. A very important task would be to use the excellent book "Spanish for Cruisers" to prepare the phrases that I would need for the entry. The hours of studying Spanish were going to pay off because my Spanish had improved and I would be able to remember many of the phrases rather than having to hastily paw through books to figure out what to say.

[Oops! While I was writing this at 4.30 AM I saw my first AIS target in weeks. It's 90 miles to the south of me and typically over this distance only the basic information is getting through. He's doing 17.1 knots and heading my way at 008T. His closest point will be 50 miles in 4 hr 17 min. He'll pass to my east, probably heading north beyond Buenos Aires and Monevideo. I cannot yet see his name, call sign, MMSI, destination, etc. The important thing is that it confirms that the boat's AIS is working and being displayed on the chart plotter. 90 miles is an amazing distance for line-of-sight VHF communication. I've seen ships as far as 128 miles away, and first sight never at less than 25 miles away.]

At 8 AM a lovely 11 knot NE wind sprang up and we were making 2.7 knots almost directly to MdP. I could hardly believe my good fortune. So far it was developing into a gentle ending to a tempestuous passage. A moth or butterfly landed on the boat. I would get it back to Argentina if it was wise enough to stay put. Two hours later the wind was at about 15 knots. The grib file was not predicting any winds over 20 knots for the next 24 hours so I shook out the second reef and went to the first reef for the first time in months, actually. The change might get me another 10 or 15 miles over the night.

Shortly before 11 AM AIS reported a cargo ship south of me with the lofty name Virtuous Striker, headed for Bueneventura, wherever that is. Then a target popped up only 9 miles away, traveling at 3.1 knots, and due to close to within 2 miles. With its speed, its status of "restricted maneuverability" and the way it kept appearing then disappearing it might be either another sailboat or perhaps an industrial barge. I could not see it with my binoculars but would keep a lookout for it. Thirty minutes later the rest of the data came up on the mysterious craft. It was the Promospes1, a 79 ft commercial fishing boat out of Montevideo. Hence their restricted maneuverability. I still cold not see them at 6 miles even though the sea was calm and the sun behind my shoulder.

It had turned out to be an outstanding day of sailing. The boat was moving well into a soft and warm 15 knot breeze across a calm sea and under a sunny sky. It could have been a Sunday afternoon recreational sail near a big city such as, say, Buenos Aires.

At noon we were at 39S07, 57W12, representing a n-n distance of 62 miles to 342T. We were 75 miles SSE of MdP and 60 miles off the coast. The boat was still moving well at only 10 degrees off target and the prospects were good for an entry the MdP on the following afternoon, though if I could not make it in during daylight I would stand off for another night. By now I was seeing too many ships on AIS to mention - 5 on the screen at the moment - and I had made sure that the AIS alarm was on. This was to be expected near the busy estuary of the River Plate with Montevideo on its northern side and Buenos Aires to the west.

At 6 PM we were 59 miles from MdP and still moving well at 3.1 knots against a 15 knot wind. It had been a great day of sailing in all respects. The prediction was for the continuation of the moderate winds from the north throughout the night so I expected to keep the boat moving well, though I could not be certain of how direct our track would be, and the directness of our track would determine how much distance would remain to be covered in the morning. Any sailing to be done in the coming day would be finished by about 3 PM when the wind was predicted to die down. Thereafter I would motor the remaining distance if I could get into port before nightfall.

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