Noon Position: L25^-00N, Lo075^-23'W, or about 20 nm off cat Island
The days have been overcast, cloudy, with some rain. And of course the
S to SW wind which has been good for going south, but has been keeping
me from getting into the islands. It seems like forever I have been
either beating or close reaching into the wind and waves. "Bashing to
windward" they call it. All the while the weather folks have been
talking about a gentle cold front with north and northeast wind. I was
expecting the wind to come more to the west last night, allowing me to
sail closer to the islands, but not last night, not this morning.
I check around me, and I check the AIS ship location instrument, on a
regular basis. About noon today I was bashing to windward, and The AIS
alarmed on a ship which I had been tracking, indicating that it was four
miles away. I routinely did my check, saw nothing, but the AIS showed a
cruise ship, the "Extravagance of the Seas", or some such, only four
miles away! I looked carefully in that direction, and there it was, a
white ship in the mist and looking like a white cloud. It was really
strange. Like a vision, or apparition. Not a ghost ship, but a spirit
ship, and it was huge! The AIS had been showing that it would pass three
miles away, so it wasn't even a close pass.
That AIS is
wonderful. I can "see" other ships, and they can "see" me many miles
away. It also shows information about the ship, and its closest point of
approach. Really great.
I went about my business, which at the
time was to go forward to check the ProFurl bolt, glancing up
occasionally to look at the ship. Wow it is big. I went forward,
tightened the bolt a half turn, and went back to the cockpit, glanced
around, and the ship wasn't there! It had vanished. Where???... I
looked around, and instead of being off my stbd beam, it was off my port
bow. What??? Then I realized, that in the time it took me to go
forward, tighten the bolt, and come aft, the wind had shifted from
southwest to north! Windy and obediently steered the boat to follow the
wind. That was a first for me.
And now I am beautifully sailing
wing-n-wing, genoa poled out to port and the main boomed out to stbd,
The wind is directly astern, and the sailing is easy. The sun even came
out. I have about 45 nm to go to get to the pass south of Cat Island,
then 50 nm to George Town. I think I will take a hot cockpit shower.
Reef Early
Bill Doar.
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