Monday 7am LT (Z+11) Yellow and pink colour in eastern sky before sunrise - getting light now. W wind up under raincloud - slight rain as furled in a little genoa - want to keep speed at 5kt or below still. Seas feeling not quite so rough in rather lighter wind than earlier and we're sailing downwind, which always helps, although seas are actually coming onto starboard quarter. Wind dying after rain goea away...
Changed time zone to GMT+11hr - one hour ahead of E. Australia and one hour behind NZ.
2pm Very gusty conditions under cloudy sky and in big 5-6m seas. One moment we're sailing at 4.5kt, the next, we're surfing at well over 6kt on a big wave. Wind is anything from 18-29kt, veered to NW now, so we're still on a broad reach but on port tack.
Have been trying to catch up on emails - had got way behind with so much else occupying my time but now beginning to catch up - apologies to those still waiting - I'll get there soon.
Getting a nap now - not enough overnight.
10pm Wind came up a bit around sunset but for a short while - has continued to vary up and down around 26kt since then. Expecting slowly increased wind overnight into tomorrow
Presently 28kt and we're making 5kt with well-furled genoa to keep speed down.
Hoping to make Stewart Island by Thursday afternoon - would be nice to round in daylight because of the rocks to be avoided to its E - North Trap, South Trap and Boomerang Breaker are well named. Also lots of albatross and other birds to be seen there - was wonderful passing by last time just after dawn and seeing so many flying around...
Tuesday 6am LT (Mon 1900 GMT) Wind still just under 30kt from WNW with occasional lulls to 23kt. Seas big and conditions quite rough - being thrown around a lot. Adjusted course to keep well-furled genoa filled as wind has backed more towards W - will gybe onto starboard and get back on course.
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While sailing around the world, I'm trying to raise funds to help support the superb life-saving work done by the RNLI (Lifeboats) in Britain each and every day of the year, regardless how bad the weather. In fact, the worse it is, the more likely they are out there, helping someone in distress - whether a swimmer, surfer, small boat or big ship, night or day, summer or winter. They are all volunteers with normal day-jobs who respond immediately to a call and it is a charity - no government funding - so they rely on our help to fund their intensive training and maintain their equipment.
It would be great if you would take a moment to click on the Lifeboats link here (https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jeanne-Socrates2), if you'd like to show your support for my efforts at sailing solo, nonstop, unassisted around the globe, trying to set a World Record as the oldest person to do so, by donating something towards the great work the RNLI do every day. If a lot of people put in even a small amount, it all adds up... Thanks a lot! If you can help, it will be very much appreciated. Let's see if we can reach my target!
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1900GMT (= 6 a.m. LT) - end of Day 222. We made 115 n.ml. DMG, over the 24 hr period, measured in a straight line between the two 1900 GMT positions.
Total distance covered from Victoria, B.C., to end of Day 222 (by daily DMGs):19,177 n.ml.
Distances (at 1900GMT): SW Cape, NZ: 305 n.ml ESE; Cape Leeuwin LH (SW Australia): 2147 n.ml. to NW; SE Cape,Tasmania,LH: 586 n.ml. to WNW; Hobart 585 n.ml. to WNW; Melbourne (Victoria, Australia): 839 n.ml. NW.
Position & weather report for 1900 GMT posted to www.Winlink.org and www.Shiptrak.org (using my US callsign KC2IOV):
TIME: 2019/05/13 19:00GMT LATITUDE: 46-20.09S LONGITUDE: 160-08.93E
COURSE: 106T SPEED: 5.5kt
WIND_SPEED: 28kt WIND_DIR: WNW SWELL_DIR: WNW SWELL_HT: 6.0m
BARO: 1000.7hPa TREND: -2 AIR_TEMP: 15.7C SEA_TEMP: 15.2C
COMMENT: Rough seas...
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At 13/05/2019 22:58 (utc) our position was 4622.72'S 16034.30'E
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