Quieter Night, Great Day, Reasonable Progress

The wind held up much better that I had expected. The previous night's grib file had predicted strong winds into this night but I had been skeptical about a SW wind that I thought was associated with a Low to the south persisting for two days. This evening's grib file was more realistic, predicting a spell of winds down to 6 knots. Fortunately, after the wind sagged for a short while it swung to the NW and strengthened enough to keep us moving at 4 knots throughout the night.

I dealt with two close encounters before midnight. In both cases I used the advanced notice and proximity data to tweak Jeff and avoid having to contact the ships. One tanker was bearing down directly on me. By adjusting my course slightly the tanker passed half a mile to port 30 minutes later. Unfortunately that meant staying up to make sure that the ship passed by safely, but that was a small price to pay. I was then able to resume my series of hour-long sleeping sessions with no more encounters. Nevertheless it confirmed that like it or not, I was bang in the middle of the shipping lane and on the same course (or its reciprocal) that the ships were taking. I could now see the logic of sailing 200 miles off the coast, outside of the shipping lane, then crossing it square on at the appropriate moment. However, this is a sail boat and this is where the wind had brought us and besides, a swing of 200 miles out to sea would have come at a cost of distance and time.

Over breakfast I watched three radar targets spread across my path, two at 15 miles and one at 25 miles. I used the radar's Variable Range Marker (VRM) and Electronic Bearing Line (EBL) to mark two of the targets' position relative to the boat. In neither case did the target move down the EBL toward the boat, meaning that they were not collision threats. Later one of the targets came up on AIS, It was a ship passing a healthy 9.5 miles off my starboard side.

At 9.30 AM our position was 28S34, 047W47, giving us a respectable 24-hour distance made good (DMG) of 103 miles. We were 750 miles from MDP, 75 miles SE of Florianopolis, and 310 miles from Ilha Bella, our destination. We had been averaging 98 miles per day during our 8 days at sea and his was much better than what I had been expecting. The barometer had jumped 4 points to 1019, confirming that I was under the influence of the NW winds of what seems to be a permanent High to the east. This was not to last. I was looking forward to the next set of fresh SW winds predicted to begin in the late afternoon.

The air is getting warmer. At 9 AM before I had introduced any heat into the cabin with the engine or by cooking, the temperature was 19C (66F). The butter has been telling me of the rising temperature for several days.

When I went forward to free the lazy sheet from a bollard while rolling out more headsail I did a quick deck check and spotted a 20 L diesel container on the starboard side that was lying on the deck free of ropes. The top rope was gone and it had jumped out of the loop of rope that had been its lower restraint. It was held in place by its neighbors which were still securely fastened. Being on the leeward side, the only thing that saved it from sliding over the toe rail and overboard was that I had used two backing planks instead of one for the jerry cans, and the center of the lower plank was about 3 inches above the toe rail. While securing the container I took the opportunity to have a close at that side of the deck which I had not been visiting because it is on the leeward side. The other containers were secure and the shrouds were in good order, though the lower (D1) was a bit too loose. Everything else on that side of the deck appeared to be in order.

It turned out to be a splendid day of sailing - the kind of day that comes to mind when one thinks of ideal cruising. The sky was sunny and clear other than a thin sheen of overcast to the western horizon. The gentle breeze was pleasantly cool. The sea was calm and very blue. Sea birds circled the boat prowling for their next meal. The boat ambled along very quietly at 4-4.5 knots.

In the early afternoon I took the opportunity to transfer 20 liters of diesel into the main tanks. Those 20 liters represent probably 7 days of 2-hour battery charge runs at 1500 rpm. It's not that I was running low in the main tanks. Indeed, the tank's air vent made gurgling sound near the end of the transfer, indicating that the tank was getting pretty full. But my instincts tell me to that it is best to keep everything loaded up and ready for anything and besides, full tanks mean less condensation of water inside the tanks. I used the two little 10-liter containers, which made the job easier. There was no need for anti algae additive because I had put additive in all of the fuel containers. Afterward I wiped down the two containers with a soapy sponge and stowed them below in the port quarter berth.

The wind had been backing as predicted and in order to move to the east of north I made one more adjustment to take the boat on a very broad reach. Inevitably the headsail started to fret because the trysail was blanketing its air. Given that the forecast called for a strengthening and backing wind I decided to bring the trysail down because it would not be doing any good in those conditions. At 4 PM I dropped it, flaked it over the dining table, and bagged it with its sheets, all nice and dry. That little sail had done a magnificent job in the recent heavy weather. I left the mainsail tied to the boom, boom tied off, and lazy jacks down in case I needed to put up the trysail again.

We were reasonably close to Florianopolis and I had a serious look at the charts and text information that I had compiled with a view to possibly stopping there to make my formal entry into Brazil. It would be easy, with the Sea Escape Marina or the Porto Belo Marina further north as possible stops. In between them is Punta Ganchos, with its good anchorage and facilities for fuel and water.
But in the end I stuck to the plan of making my entry at Sao Sebastiao because maneuvering onto a mooring at the Yacht Club de Ilha Bella on the island and then clearance procedures at Saw Sebastiao promised to be even easier.

At 5PM we were at 28S03, 047W41, 55 miles SE of Florianopolis, plodding due north at 5 knots. We were less than 300 miles from Ilha Bella. I was looking forward to a quiet night, although I would still be looking out for shipping.

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