Panama to Galapagos Passage: Day 5

Author: Pete
Location: 03º 18.939N’ 82º 45.492W’
Date: 17:00 March 13 to 17:00 March 14

 

Day 5 at sea.

 

Last night we got some wind in our sails at about 22:00, came up from 3 knots to 7 knots, enough to sail with. Miranda and Felix shut down the iron genoas and unfurled sails. We made 3 knots for a few hours. When I went on watch at 2:00 a line of clouds marked a weather shift. Sure enough as we went under the wind came up to 15 knots. I put a reef in the mainsail which balanced the boat and put us in a nice 6 knot cruise.

The price of wind is rougher seas. The wind hasn’t been strong for long enough to make any appreciable waves, but we have some chop making for a slightly annoying ride right now. In chop of a certain frequency and height the boat hobby horses until it’s bled off a knot or two, and then resumes its motion, an awkward dance that disrupts the normal flow of the boat. At least we’re moving, if not in style.

Liza spotted the reason for our lack of wind. There is supposed to be a low wind area as one passes through the ITCZ, a band of rising air. We finally got a surface condition weather fax that was a little more zoomed out to find that there are TWO ITCZs right now, one north of the Galapagos, and one south! Not a crazy phenomenon, but it means that we have a high pressure ridge (low wind) right where we want to sail. Nice sleuthing to our weather officer!

ITCZ1

ITCZ2

March 14th is always a special day for us math-geek folks- PI DAY! Being that it’s 2015, it’s exact special. Instead of just celebrating the first three numbers of pi (3.14) on the date 3-14, we now get the added bonus of tacking on the next two numbers- 3.1415! Too choppy to bake a pie, so we had pie filling instead. Sailing is all about being resourceful, right?

day5-1

We are progressing on our same course. It looks like we should have some wind for the next day or two, then have a day of motoring to get through a lull before getting back into some wind. But that’s 96 hours out, lots can change between now and then.

No boats last night. Only the odd albatross. Wonder what they’re doing all this way out here? They probably wonder the same about us! Still 467 miles from the Galapagos. At an optimistic 5 knots that’s 93 hours, or about 4 days, plus one or two more to make up for low wind and our arrival point not being the same spot as our projected harbor. But who’s counting? Anyone up for a round of ’99 Bottle of Beer on the Wall’?

Panama to Galapagos Passage: Day 4

Author: Pete
Location: 03º 51.412N’ 81º 36.720W’
Date: 17:00 March 12 to 17:00 March 13

 

Day 4 at sea.

 

Several hours of good wind yesterday. Okay, by good we mean ‘some’. Kept us cruising at 3 or 4 knots without motoring, a welcome quiet after 21 hours of becalmed air. Took turns jumping off of the bow of the boat, floating between the hulls and out the back where we had two long lines with floats attached to grab onto and pull ourselves back up the sugar scoops. Lots of fun. We always had two aboard in case we had to go pick someone up. The boat wasn’t moving fast, so it was fun to be repeatedly run over by Tayrona with nothing but 3000 feet of water under you.

DCIM100GOPRO

day4-1

day4-2

Played Settlers of Catan while we bobbed along this afternoon and had a cold beer! What a treat!

Wind died again just as we reached Isla Malpelo.

day4-4

Couldn’t stop at the flora and fauna sanctuary on the island. We are trying to outrun the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), a 60 mile wide snake of squalls and poor winds that runs roughly east-west and slides north and south like an elevator. It’s farther north and to avoid its adverse conditions we are trying to scoot on through to better weather while it is happily north of us.

Sir fry for dinner! Get the veggies while you can! Puppy chow for desert!

day3-8

Stars are out in force and the moon has yet to rise. Calm seas.

 

Panama to Galapagos Passage: Day 3

Author: Pete
Location: 04º 07.070N’ 81º 10.524W’
Date: 17:00 March 11 to 17:00 March 12

Day 3 at sea.

 

We were becalmed in the night and ended up motoring through the darkness with the bioluminescent plankton streaming out our twin sterns like rocket bursts. I took advantage of the flat seas and engine-heated water to take a (hot!) shower off the transom. Occasionally squid light up in the water like little fireworks, especially bright when one goes through the props! A big black bird came scooting in to sit on our boat for rest. It was a good night.

day3-2

This morning we were still with no wind and glassy seas.

day3-1

Saw the highest concentration of dolphins I’ve ever seen in my life. There had to be 100 of them in small groups all around the boat, jumping and cavorting. I’m guessing that they were mating because I haven’t seen that many together at once. Didn’t seem like feeding behavior either.

day3-3

day3-4

They’d jump like rockets into the air, seemingly just to play the who-can-get-the-best-air-time game with each other.

day3-5

day3-6

day3-7

Still about 15 miles from Isla Malpelo, a Colombian island which is home to a military base, and no landing available. We turn more west from there and head to the Galapagos. The diversion south then west is to take advantage of the stronger winds further south. I’ll tell you when we find them!

All of our market fresh produce is aging quickly in the tropical heat. We are each eating about 3 bananas, and apple, and a quart of cut up papaya and pineapple EACH daily just to keep ahead of the fruit going bad. I think I smell like fruit. Who’d have thought you’d go to sea and be sick of fresh, tropical fruit?

Taking advantage of the calm seas, and excess power from the diesels to do some projects on the boat. All good here on Tayrona.