I have not seen a number, other than 0.0, for boat speed all day! The speed of current however, is showering numbers up to 6knots. Our Speed over ground is typically the same as current or slightly more😳… I guess my speedometer (wheel) is spinning with the current??? I’ve restarted my system and no change. Please, enlighten me!
Since our coordinates are N10*53/W124*52 we are approaching squally area! Fellow sailors are reporting squalls around 7 degrees north, but also that they are fairly low wind of 25 knots. I’ve played around with my radar and set it up to pick up squalls at night. One cannot see squalls at night with just the eye, as they are dark! I do believe that one will have some warning though. From zero/low wind, winds will suddenly pick up, kind of zero to ten! I also think temps will drop quickly ahead of a squall. I’ve experienced squalls before however this was in BC and fairly tame. I’ve taken down a couple of panels on my Bimini to prevent it getting ripped out in the event of a squall. As a habit I run a very small main sail at night, as it’s easier to deal with at night! My Genoa is typically furled in 30-40 percent!
Overall a quiet day; cribbage, reading, opened a watermelon, washed my hair on deck and hung out on the bowsprit with my pet bird! I really should be working on my French!
Stars are out and few clouds are present. It’s a sleigh ride and a bob sled experience! Goodnight world!
On Noforeignland, Sarantium is the most northern boat in the pod, aka the slowest! Most of them are catamarans and monohulls with long waterlines and fin keels so fast. I’m the slow, steady comfortable one!
I believe that the three-four most southern boats are already in the ITCZone and one is approaching the equator.
It got a bit gusty last night, so I added a reef to the Genoa, vertically running it as a large staysail.
My mind is just fixed on the sound of the waves, the wind, the splashing and sails luffing as we surf down the wave!
Out! And Goodnight World!
Sailaway Sarantium 
Hello Ulrika, friend of Mariele and Kev Hardy here. We live across the street and own an IP380. I’m following your voyage with great interest . I admire your calmness in dealing with challenges. A great quality at sea.
when our knotmeter reads zero, and gps show SOG, apart from some current , its most likely the little paddlewheel has stopped spinning (it happens a LOT on our boat). Doesn’t take much to clog it up. I think the location near the keel tends to feed crap into it. Safe travels and fair winds!
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Oh wow another IP owner in Nanaimo!!! Nice to meet you!
It seems strange that it all started to change as the current was increasing. I’ll jump and unclog at the equator while waiting for wind!!!
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