Thursday 23 July

Thursday 23 July
620 nm east of Block Island
Weather- We get weather forecasts from three sources. There is something called GRIBS (don't worry about what that stands for)that I can request by email. It shows the forecasted winds by showing arrows that indicate the wind direction and speed over a grid in an area I define by latitude and longitude. All it shows is windspeed, and because of the amount of data that needs to be downloaded for a large area all I request is for where I am. A second source is weatherfax maps which I receive on the shortwave radio and computer. That is a weather map of the entire North Atlantic, showing fronts and low pressure storms. And last but best is Normandie, who can refer to several sourced to tell me what is going on.
For the past two weeks there has been a front going from Cape Hatteras all the way across the ocean to the British Isles. Lows form on that front, travel up and over, and become gales about when they cross 40 degrees latitude. They seem to come every three days. One is at Hatteras now, and will be just south of us in two days, and a gale just east of us in three days. Another will leave North Caroling in four days and come this way. Normandie can tell me whether to move north or south a few miles to utilize the winds from these systems, or to move away from them.
Our day today was one of fast travel. The wind is directly behind us at about 15-25 knots, and we have 1.5 knot positive current. We have been in the 7's and 8's all day. And compared to yesterday, very comfortable. But then, as that low approaches south of us, the counter-clockwise wind around the low will be in our face. That is when I ask Normandie should we go north, or go south, until the winds are again more favorable.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II