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> Another good days run of 170nm from Mindelo to Bequae with fantastic sailing conditions. To top off a great days sailing, we enjoyed a beautiful meal of Mahi Mahi for dinner last night. Everybody’s favourite meal! >
> I finally managed a decent link with the HAM radio station EA8URF in the Canaries. The HAM operator Roque had the courtesy to email me and tell me that my signal was coming through well to his station, however he could detect we were not receiving well. I sent Roque EA8URF an email thanking him for his services to the HAM network. >
> Yachts are not designed around a radio station, and the SSB radio was only fitted in Palma, so there is a lot of RF interference with the radio due to Sunday Island being an aluminium yacht and the close proximity of the switchboard to the radio. With fridges, freezers, autopilot etc all running and Solar power topping up the batteries this creates a lot of RF interference that prevents the received radio frequencies from getting back to the radio. To continue using SSB over future years efficiently the wiring of the boat will need to be adressed to rectify the problem. Installing a SSB on an aluminium yacht is more technical than on a wooden or GRP yacht, so to have signal 2000nm from the nearest station is a blessing in itself. >
> The wind has shown a familiar pattern. In the afternoon the wind begins to swing to the north, so we take the pole down and set Sunday Island on a broard reach with a True Wind Angle of 140 degrees. In the late afternoon the wind swings back to the ENE so we pole out the Yankee again. In the early evening the wind begins to increase about 23kts, so I place a reef in the mainsail before getting my head down and Emilie taking the watch. At midnight I take the watch and the wind is normally around 21kts, before easing in the early morning before sunrise and I take out the reef. And so the process repeats itself day after day. >
> Forecasted winds at 50*W become fickle above 14*N due to some interferance with the low pressure above it disturbing the pattern from the North Atlantic High and resultant trade winds. We have altered our course further south to avoid the light winds, so our course is 260*T instead of the rhumbline to Bequae of 268*T. This new course should have us skim the edge of the interferance and give us adequate winds to continue sailing to Bequae. The course alteration is a comprimise as we sail at 6-7kts but motor at only 5kts, however the distance traveled to skirt the interferance is greater so we need to find a balance of the two to decide on our best route. Sailing too close to our rhumbline will result in us motoring for two days, but sailing too far south will put an extra day of sailing onto our voyage. >
> Overnight we passed three more large fishing vessels not on AIS. Because the fishing vessels are so large they are well lit with lights and show up well on the radar, however their smaller dories and nets do not. I am glad Emilie and I agree to keep watches at night. Some cruisers simply go to bed and poke their head up to look about every couple of hours. Colliding wth one of the big fishing vessels or their numerous long nets could end our voyage, so it is important to keep a good lookout. >
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