1pm Just had a call from Alameda RCC - a lovely woman at the other end said she had spoken to me when we were lying to JSD (series drogue) in rough weather the other day and she just wanted to touch base and see how I was - how very kind of her to call! I'd been called at 7am by her counterpart in Seattle so she'd presumably not been kept informed of my status since yesterday, when I spoke to Alameda while I was heading W-NW to keep away from another system.

Thanks again to Luis Soltero of GMN who has so generously loaned me the Redport Aurora terminal which has allowed such a lot of vital telephone calls and weather downloads over the last week of bad weather (and its aftermath) - all free of charge.

Thanks also to so many kind people in the Victoria area who have offered me help once I get back.

Just now, the sun is shining but the seas are still very rolly - from S at around 3m/10ft still and we're moving around a lot as they pass by I'd cut the seal on my engine and started motoring at 7.30am - we were making only 2.1kt NE under sail in light wind from almost dead astern at that point. Up to then, I'd been using my lovely Eberspacher hot air heater occasionally, to keep warm - it has been very cold and damp on board. But now I'm able to use a fan heater off the engine cooling water circuit to heat the cabin - saving on fuel, so long as the engine is running!

I caught up on some of my many emails, checked the weather, posted a position report, talked to Connecticut about my relacement drogue coming to Victoria and tidied up a few things on deck, after changing sails over onto starboard tack in the SE wind - still quite light at only 8 kt so I unfurled some more genoa to help our boatspeed. The mainsail is contributing also - it needed another sail tie to hold a loose section in place better. I then got some breakfast before hitting my bunk for more sleep - I'm feeling very tired, presumably the result of all my efforts yesterday over quite a few hours, retrieving the damaged drogue. I'm pushing a bit, to get into the Strait of Juan de Fuca - once there, the waters are quite protected and I'll be able to relax on the final leg back to Victoria.

6:30pm The sun has disappeared and light is fading fast. I'd had to furl in the genoa a few hours ago with the wind dead on the nose but the wind ha snow veered more to SE at 13 kt so the genoa can help and I can cut the engine for a time.. It's noisy!

Really enjoyed a Welsh rarebit a short time ago - I'd fancied some fried eggs all day and finally got around to toasting two slices of bread in a frypan, buttered them (with some Marmite added), then fried the eggs, melted some cheese on top of the eggs and finally turned them upside down onto the slices of buttered toast ... Another simple one pan dish - and very tasty too!

Took photos of the damaged JSD cones and a mess of lines on the cockpit floor (from the stormy weather)

and of the sunset and swell - but failed to manage sending any of them... Need to sort that out - a software settings problem, I presume.

Seeing more shipping now - ofen quite close... Getting closer to the busy Strait entrance... AIS is so very good to have - they 'see' me and I 'see' them and we both can see how close we're likely to get to each other and when.

Damaged JSD bridle

11:30am Had good sleep overnight in between sched calls at 1000Z and 1600Z from USCG RCC Alameda, with Bill, KI4MMZ, on as well. Last one included Seattle RCC since I'm in their waters. Seems we're managing fine in keeping just ahead/out of stronger conditions by sailing W. Mostly 25-30kt wind from E-ESE and we're actually having a good sail although seas are building slowly.

I'll keep on this course until the wind changes as the Low moves N - the aim is to end up on the W side of the Low where conditions are less strong... Pressure is still dropping - now down to 992, so clearly Low is getting closer - we might well pass through its low-wind cenrre...

I'm getting msgs about my position reporting and tracking... If any problem with the website links on my 'Home' and 'Travels' pages, go to www.winlink.org with callsign "kc2iov" or to www.shiptrak.org with same callsign for my manual posn reports. The GPS Redport Aurora tracker info should be showing up on my 'Travels' page link - but is being checked out as I write.

Time for brunch - I've missed breakfast!

5.30pm Redport Aurora tracking now good - see 'Travels' page on website.. And a photo added into Day 6 blog!

Waiting for USCG call.

Pressure dropped 2 hrs ago but is now up again - 993.4. Wind down to 16kt from S. We're making ~4.5 kt NW - not in a hurry!

Once Low has gone N, I can change direction and head back to Victoria where I'll have stays'l repaired on Monday and new drogue should arrive on Tuesday. As soon as that's in place, I'll be looking for a weather window to start out again...

7pm Wind and seas have suddenly increased again, coming more from SW - last few hours for us of the second 'blow' I've mostly managed to avoid by headig W. Seas expected to be nasty to SE of my position, and they're heading N, so need to keep on heading NW - N rather than make any Easting for a while. ... whatever close-hauled course we can manage in the 25-30kt we're getting just now.

Looks as though an enormous system is heading across the Pacific in a few days' time - likely to delay my re-start for several days.

Underway again

Midday Had a good sleep overnight, but had contact with USCG every 6 hrs as well as Bill, KI4MMZ, in between for instant weather updates to supplement my own downloads. We discussed my options - once storm conditions had passed, head back to Victoria to get damage fixed or keep going if I could deal with the damage myself. In the meantime, try to head W in the short lull before the following system came along. Packed my grab bag with passport etc at one point, and even thought of getting into my survival suit, just to be ready for the worst, but "Nereida" coped and rode the big seas well, despite a lot of shaking and noise.

Lovely bright sunshine now - amazing how a bit of sunshine lifts the spirits!

Every time I think I can begin to get in the series drogue, the wind gets back up to around 30 kt again... Seeing a gust to 37 kt as I'm writing this... Seas are still very big (about 15ft or more) and quite close together (8sec) so it's very rolly - easy to get thrown around as we lurch suddenly.

I'm concerned about the JSD shackle situation - it's a big one, intended to take a big strain when the series drogue is deployed, as now, and I suspect the pin must have gone missing somehow - despite being wired in place. Once I've got the drogue back inboard, I'll be able to see the problem more clearly.

Have found some sailcloth which might be enough for the staysail repair that's now badly needed after a loose section flogged in the strong wind. Also found some Sunbrella canvas I could use as well if I need more cloth. Have needles and thread. Will take a lot of time and effort by hand but first I need to lower the sail and take it down below - definitely something to be done in lesser seas!

11pm LT Well, I finally got on deck around 1pm - seas still quite big and wind around 25 Kt but my concern was to get sailing W as soon as possible - and that meant getting in the JSD first. Without the retrieval line to the end of the bridle, it was going to be difficult.. The only way forward was to use two winches and lines alternately with a series of rolling hitches on the drogue line to bring it inboard bit by bit - slow progress but it worked so long as I used the slack on the drogue line in between when it was taut. When the cones started coming close, I could see just how tattered they were - two days of big seas had taken their toll and reduced the JSD's effectiveness. Normally, the cones go around the winch without a problem but because they wee so tattered, they kept catching on each other and any line nearby, causing big problem. After struggling for some time, I changed tactic and put one turn only on each of two winches. That worked better but took a lot of strength to hold the line from going back when taut - so I ended up putting the line around a third winch and that held it fine but I had to pull on the incoming line to the first winch when slack and simultaneously pull on th last winch to take in the line... Needless to say, that didn't always work out and several times I saw the line slip back - all that effort wasted...

At sunset, I was still nowhere near finshing and saw a freighter approach very slowly and seem to stop close by for a bit before continuing on. I suspected the USCG had asked any ship in the vicinity to come and see if I was OK - I'd missed a scheduled phone call hours ago. I waved at them and gave them the 'thumbs up' to indicate all was fine and carried on. I was surprised not to get a call on VHF16 but later learned the ship was Korean and had poor English. I thought the cones on the line would never finish - it was very slow progress but finally I was clearly near the end and was able to haul the last few, and the chain weight, by hand.

It was getting dark as I tried to raise the main and unfurl the genoa. Another rolling hitch was needed when I over-rode the main halyard in the dark ... and it caught several times on clutches on the mast as I hoisted it... But we're now headed W in pleasant wind of ~20 kt on a broad reach, hoping to avoid the worst of the Low headed N to our S ...

1.30pm LT Has been good to have Iridium phone to contact USCG and Bill, KI4MMZ about the nasty conditions out here. Many thanks to Luis Soltero of Global Marine Network for providing me with the Redport Aurora and unlimited free air-time - a very generous gesture. It also enables me to get almost instant weather updates using PredictWind - handy when bad weather is around.

Winds are over 50kt now with seas from SSE to match. I just had to tie the wheel midships after noticing it has worked loose and we were being steered to starboard - the one thing I don't want just now.

The JSD has, unfortunately, lost its shackle attachment to the boat's port quarter so we are attached only by the starboard line. The result of that is the boat lying off to starboard somewhat - hence my comment about the wheel needing to be centred firmly (if not held to port perhaps).

With the increased wind, we're making way at just over 3 knots, rather than the previous 2 knots. For the moment, we've plenty of sea room. Assuming we get through this storm, a worry is the next system - if we can get further W before it reaches us, we should be able to avoid the worst of the winds.

Another concern is having big seas from two different directions when the present wind veers to SW from its present SSE, as it's supposed to quite soon.

Just now, I'm simply 'hanging in there' and hoping for the best....

5pm Wind is up again. Pressure has stayed around 990 for several hours now. By tomorrow morning, things should ease.... I can't wait!

8.45pm Just finished with Pacific Seafarers' Net - I'm lucky to have so many good friends out there but I'm sorry they have reason to be concerned about my situation out here - hopefully, by Thursday night, all will be far better! Thanks to everyone for their good wishes and thoughts.

Had to tie down steering wheel while lying to JSD (Jordan series drogue) on Monday.

Posted first part of Day 5 report by mistake!

Forgot to mention... Thursday afternoon, saw three Black-footed albatross flying around nearby! What a thrill! Their distinctive albatross wing shape and length had caught my eye from a distance. I was able to watch them for quite a time - they mainly just glide using updraughts from the waves, rarely flapping their wings - looks so easy and graceful.

By 1 a.m. today, we'd made just 66ml 'as the crow flies' (DMG) in 24hrs - but our course has most definitely NOT been a straight lline!

2.35pm LT Pressure has begun to drop - now 1006 from 1008 earlier. Making good progress: SOG 5.5kt, COG SSW in SSE wind at ~17kt.

Have prepared the boat as best I can for the 'blow'... Sealed the washboard and front windscreen opening window with duct tape and Gorilla tape respectively to try to prevent water getting in. (Washboard in case we're 'pooped' and water gets into cockpit; window because it leaked when seas washed over the windscreen.) Sailing nicely now with staysail, small genoa and third reef in mains'l. Reduced sail early and genoa will be furled away when I see the wind rising more - it's been fairly constant for several hours now. Seas are getting up and sky is overast. Checked the JSD - tied off the retrieval line ready and made sure I can easily deploy the chain (weight) at the end of the line - that gets thrown out first and the rest follows. Galley is tidy and cleared and I'll have some food shortly. Coast is over 100 ml away, giving plenty of searoom.

Had to change my socks - got soaked by seas washing the deck as I fixed the removable inner forestay to the deck more securely... the only time recently I've not worn my boots, of course!

Now we just wait, keeping an eye on the wind and pressure....

5pm Rained for a short while. Wind got up as it started so furled away genoa. Rain stopped - wind died away... Grrr!! But now it has came back up again - SE 18-20 kt. Seas not too bad as yet. Pressure has dropped further - to 1002.5 in 3 hrs... Boat speed has dropped to well under 4 kt but that's OK - just staying safe and waiting...!

9.30pm LT

Enjoyed a hot ready-made meal and slept a little before start of Pacific Seafarers' Net at 0300GMT/8pm LT(PDT). SOG 2.3kt with staysail and triple-reefed main in wind of ~15kt from E - which meant, to my mind, the Low was to S of us.... Pressure: 999hPa - a drop of 4 hPa in past 3hrs - a lot! Several people came up on Net, or emailed, worried about my position. (Thank you all) Peter, ZL1PWM, confirmed deep Low was to S of us and heading directly our way, with winds of 50-60kt. The clue would be wind veering to S and it was likely to come very soon, with rapid increase of wind strength. Advised extreme caution.

I went up on deck immediately, furled in the staysail and lowered & tied down the mainsail in slight rain and darkness (of course !!). I checked the JSD retrieval line was tied on OK to a cleat, pulled out the chain and threw it overboard, off our stern, to deploy the drogue I had ready on its harness. Wind has now increased to 25-28 kt from SE and we're making 2.6kt NW - downwind. (Fortunately, that's out to open ocean - nothing in the way!) Checked all lines are secured and came down below. So now it's a waiting game... I can hear the wind howling outside as we move to the waves - a fairly gentle motion, at present. Pressure at 0445 GMT (9.45pm) is 997 hPa.

To be continued...!

1am Beautiful clear starry night - Orion in East and my favourite Dolphin high up... Milky Way strewn across the sky.

A nice mug of tea in hand as I wait for wind to back into S-SSE - will change onto port tack then and wait for wind to rise again later on Sunday.

Plan is to change down to staysail and third reef in main initially, as we keep sailing S, then furl in staysail to heave to in strong wind and then deploy Jordan series drogue when winds strengthen further. Expect to lie to JSD for quite some time, maybe, to let bad onditions pass by in safety.

Conditions likely not to ease up until Wednesday!

5am Cooked a lot of food while seas calmer - found mince in fridge so used that plus onions, potatoes, tomatoes, sweetcorn. Enough for several meals - ready for the storm...!

Tried tacking around but wind had not backed enough -COG became N of W... I don't like going backwards if I can avoid it! ...So back onto starboard tack for time being. Slow going, heading into 10kt wind. Pressure up a bit - to 1006 from 1003 earlier.

11.30 pm (LT Thurs) Had a good meal earlier - usual omelette with potatoes and onions followed by welcome mug of tea and biscuits (Thanks for the mug, Becky!) Having to try to drink more - easy to become dehydrated simply from lack of drinking in cold weather.

Found us hove-to (yet again...), Swell catches us when close to wind and so too easy for boat to tack and back the genoa... Had to release wheel and swing us around through 180 degrees to stop us from drifting North.

Hoping wind will back to E of S soon so we can head SW - away from coast again. Don't want to get too close in and especially don't want to get anywhere near Cape Blanco.

...........................

10am Rough ride!! Wind is over 20 kt, there's 2.5m swell from WSW and rough 1.5m wind waves from SE. Two reefs in main & reduced genoa a bit but might have to furl in more - we keep heeling a lot, with plenty of banging and crashing ino the waves.

Wind has backed into ESE and we're heading due S close-hauled, 85ml off Willapa Bay, WA.

1pm Still rough - suspect this will go on for several days.... Wind ~25kt or so, now.

5pm Rougher now - more so than before, with bashing into 25-35 kt winds and big seas. Sunday-Monday looks grim! Could well deploy series drogue... And Tues-Wed ??

Heading due S while the wind allows it. Still have just two reefs in, should have reefed down further but hanging on with two - lesson learned yet again - reduce sail early!! Wind got up to over 30 kt for quite a time... Heavy rain at one point and seas continually washing the decks - and over the cockpit at times. Good to have sea room....

11pm (LT Sat) - wind abated and veered to SW - I'd fallen asleep and missed 8.30pm Pacific Seafarers' Net.

Hove-to... Genoa taken over to port - we're close-hauled on starboard tack now and sailing smoothly in lesser seas. Wind dying down - was 15kt, down to 10 kt by midnight. Time for a nice mug of tea.... Another even bigger blow expected later on Sunday...

Thurs 11pm - wind finally got up to 10kt from SSE-SE so we're sailing SW at 5 kt ... I'm off into 'sleep/watch mode' ...

Fri 7am Back down below after long session furling in genoa & reefing main - two reefs. Wind ~22kt, seas up ... but we're making a good course and speed at last. Just getting light - I'm off to my bunk for some more sleep!

7.40am Just got call to my Iridium phone - tracking hadn't been enabled on the Redport Aurora item replaced just before I left but now it should be there - refreshed every 60 minutes! Having to wait for my sleep..

5pm Spent a lot more time sorting out Aurora today - several phone calls needed - but at least voice is working now, as are several other options. A good back up to my faithful HF radio.

Wind has been variable but consistently from S quadrant - presently from WSW, enaabling us to head offshore more, giving more freedom of choice of course to steer safely.

Still needing more sleep - getting naps whenever possible, in between dealing with boat and Iridium problems.

7pm Light winds again and being forced SSE rather than SSW...

Feeling much better after catching up on sleep. Now for some food!

Many thanks to all those kind people who have taken time to send their best wishes - very much appreciated but too many to reply to individually - please accept this "Thank you!"

Strong conditions overnight - managed to get 2 reefs in eventually but not before shooting out of Strait entrance under full canvas at 8-9+ kt! Following winds to over 30 kt kept life rather too interesting... Found only options were heading NW along Vancouver Island or heading S-SSE off Washington - opted for lattter although had hopd to get well off coast by now - 100ml or so was my plan - not happened... Presently only 16 mls WNW of Cape Alava, having made little progress over the day - frustrating!

Slept after 4am in 3 sessions until 8am and was then busy clearing up from being thrown around all night and morning. Tried to make up sleep but we kept rounding up and backing genoa in sloppy left-over seas and had to gybe around each time to get out of 'irons'.

Sunset saw us drifting around, in almost no wind, close to a brightly lit weather/tide buoy - haven't hit it yet! Group of fulmars(?) rested in sea nearby.

Still drifting now - wind too light in 4-6ft seas to maintain a course successfully. Genoa furled in. Weather looking bad for next few days - either calms or stormy - wind mostly from S or SW- ugh! Hope to get some good sleep overnight to be ready for bad times a-coming...

Much lighter wind earlier, with some drifting about, but slowly increased, with some heavy rain, as got near exit from Strait ... as expected.... and became S F5-6. A good well now - in Pacific, off Cape Flattery. Rough!

Date/Time: 2016/10/20 08:35 GMT

Latitude: 48-28.28N

Longitude: 124-49.64W

Speed: 7.7

Course: 275T

Comment: wind up in rain - fast exit from Strait of Juan de Fuca pas Cae Flattery

Wind_Dir: E

Wind_Speed: 23

Clouds: 100%

Baro: 1015

Trend: -2

Air_Temp: 14.0C

Sea_Temp: 8.0C

What a great sail through Race Passage - at over 7 knots in maximum ebb!

With almost no wind everywhere else, giving very little boat speed, it was great to have the wind get up for that part of the trip through the Strait.

I'd poled out the genoa earlier in light wind , but soon after exiting the Passage on a beam reach, it was taken down - only to have the wind die again - now astern from starboard with our change of course.

It had been a lovely send off - even the sun came out to join friends who came to wish me well, both on the dock, at Ogden Pt and in the boats towing and keeping me company as I started off- thank you to all of you!

As I write this at 1.30pm, we're approaching Sooke Basin with aother 45 mls to go to the exit from the Strait. Making 4.5 kt in 10kt of N-NNE wind, that's going to take until around midnight although, hopefully, the wind might increase as we get further on and we'll change course soon slightly to bring the wind further forward.

Leaving on Wednesday morning from Ogden breakwater start line, Victoria Outer Hbr. Tow and accompanying boat provided by Prince of Whales - thank you!

More to be posted soon - running out of time to get everything done...!!

Have been made very welcome by so many people here in B.C. - thanks to all of you!

Had a nice two-day stay at Causeway dock in heart of Victoria last week - fun events going on, with Busker Festival, street entertainers and usual small stalls by waterside.

Weather has turned sunny - summer has finally arrived here...!

Saw Mark at 'Prince of Whales' - they're happy to tow 'Nereida' out to Ogden Pt breakwater (and back when I finish!) at beginning of my RTW attempt - engine will be sealed off, so not useable.

Wandered around and enjoyed re-visiting Victoria waterfront - lovely flowers and historic buildings.

Moved around to Cadboro Bay and the Royal Victoria Y.C. for a short stay - but the Commodore Dunnery and Rear-Commodore Randy made me very welcome and extended my stay - and said to come back again anytime but especially before I take off in October - they've people and facilities they feel sure I can make use of. Thank you so much for your friendly generosity!

I gave the boat a thorough wash down - nice to get rid of the sticky salt everywhere - and slowly started on boat jobs. One small but important item on my list was a leaking portlight over the galley - but it turned out that all I needed to do was to tighten some screws on the closure - an unexpectedly quick and easy fix!

Today, I took advantage of a calm day (rather than the strong wind yesterday) to move over to Westport marina, where I'll probably haul out at some point. A pleasant trip in bright sunshine inside Discovery Island and on to just beyond Sidney.

As I approached Tsehum hbr entrance, I met a small boat - and was hailed on VHF soon after they had passed - good cruiser friends (first met up in Hawaii) were on board - we're meeting up for a meal and to catch up tonight.

Once Nereida" was safely tied up at Westport, I though I should look at another problem - auto-tuning to the various shore-station radio frequencies used to send and receive my emails when at sea. It hasn't been happening for quite a while and I've had to manually set the different frequencies. I'd spoken to Shea Weston, of Sailmail, when I was in San Diego recently - but he was in Hawaii on holiday. He mentioned a few possible things to check on - so I've just gone through some of them.. and finally, I'm delighted to report, I've solved the problem. It wasn't quite as simple as it sounded, but I found a 'work around' - and the auto-tuning to the different frequencies I choose to use for emailing is finally happening - great!!

My friends have just arrived to pick me up and take me to their house...

Up at 5 a.m. - just getting light. Away by 5.10 a.m. - no wind, murky, misty, wet conditions. Lots of small pleasure fishing boats zipping out of the marina to maximise their fishing time. Lots of shipping in the Strait.

Lovely sunshine by midday and continuing all afternoon... Very pleasant steep forested hillsides, with Olympus Mts behind, on the Washington (S) side of the Strait. A lot of trees had been clear-cut, some very recently, giving a slashed, bare look to the hillsides but there were also areas of young trees growing where older cuts had been made. To the N, the coastline of Vancouver Island became clear by the afternoon, but was hidden in mist and cloud all morning.

A good 2m swell coming up the Strait all day, sometimes more - even close to PT Angeles. In fact the ferry to Victoria is renowned for being often very rolly in the prevailing swell.

By two o'clock, an ENE 8 kt wind had got up - a headwind of 12 kt apparent which slowed us down to 5 kt at times. But by now, the Strait was flooding and we had an extra 'push', so were making well over 6 kt, instead of the earlier SOG of 3.5kt.

Just N of Pt Angeles the shipping lanes have an 'intersection' of three lanes - N to Victoria, SE to PT Angeles and E to Puget Sound and Seattle - and further on there are two more. Most Vancouver traffic takes the E route here and then heads N into Georgia Strait further on.

3 p.m. Just over an hour from the Pt Angeles marina & fuel dock. The Olympic Mts of Washington have their usual snowy high peaks but across the Strait, the coastline of Vancouver Island is partly hidden by low cloud - the air is quite cold, despite the sunshine.

4.40 p.m. Arrived at fuel dock, with friends Kathy and Dianna from Pt Townsend waiting to take my lines - was lovely to see them and spend time with them. While there, Peter, KJ6PNG, who I'd spoken to on the Chubasco Net, turned up to say hello & meet in person. (Both he and Dianna had been keeping track of Nereida's position using an AIS app) It's good to put faces to radio voices!

Just before sunset - a vivid, huge red ball sinking into the sea - I wandered over to another dock and chatted to a couple who 'd been out crabbing and were dealing with a good pile of lovely freshly-cooked Dungeness crabs. They were caught very close by, they told me - and proceeded to present me with one of them - made an excellent, unexpected, tasty supper!

A relaxed day tomorrow - it's only twenty miles from here across the Strait, to make for the Victoria Customs dock and deal with Clearance paperwork into Canada - usually very quick and straightforward. I hope the docks nearby have at least one empty slip to tie up to...! On Monday, my priority will be to organise a local phone so I can contact friends and organise help with some of the boat work I'll be doing from now on.

What a difference a few hours make! When I took to my bunk for some sleep near midnight, winds were 24 kt, having been 27-28 kt for quite a time with steep seas tossing us around every 6 seconds. I thought they were beginning to subside but when I talked to the cargo vessel 'Cronus Leader' on VHF at 3.30 a.m. to make sure they kept well clear (they altered course to stbd, to pass port-to-port), winds were back up at 27-28 kt. The bow and stern navigation lights, that I tried to add in for safety, kept shorting out but, fortunately, the tricolour, at the masttop, continued working fine.... Another problem added to the joblist for when I get in!

By 6 a.m., I was being woken by the noise of the boom as it flopped about - we were in light winds but there was still a big swell . The wind had died right down to 15 kt, veered to NNW and we were 26 miles from C. Flattery, with a lot of ships to our NE, heading in and out of the Strait, a good distance off.... We were making 3.7 kt ....over a deep kelp bed - I could see and smell it.

An hour later, with all reefs shaken out, both headsails unfurled completely and the sails trimmed for what was then a NW 10 kt wind, we were making 4.5 kt .... But not for long ... two hours later, with boat speed under 2 knots in 5 knots of wind, the 'iron sail' was turned on and the headsails furled in - they were flapping uselessly. 16 miles to the Cape and a further 6 ml to Neah Bay.

We're lucky to be heading for the entrance to the Strait on the flood - that only lasts for five hours (max flood 0.5kt) but should easily see us to Neah Bay. Most of the rest of the day, the Strait is ebbing, so SOG when heading in to the Strait is mostly reduced, with up to 1.7 kt of current to fight five hours ago in the middle of the Strait.

Well - not quite the ending I expected...! I took my usual course towards Neah Bay - aiming midway between Tatoosh Island and Duncan Rock - its black outline clearly seen at low water in the bright sunshine. Wind had appeared, so I was having a very pleasant sail but as I got closer, the wind died down so boat speed was much less - and I found us being taken strongly towards Duncan Rock and the shallows to its S... I turned on the motor to give us some boat speed and had to steer well off our course to compensate for the strong current. I stayed at the helm for a time until safely past both Duncan Rock and Tatoosh Island. Neah Bay is only six miles further on but as I got close, a strong (19kt) SW wind came up and headed us as we entered the Bay and made for the marina.

It hadn't occurred to me that with the strong conditions offshore that I'd just come through, the entire fishing fleet would be sheltering in Neah Bay...! I had expected to tie up at the long 'visitors dock' and had lines and fenders all ready - but it was full, as was most of the marina - I've not seen so many fishing boats tied up since a similar situation in Sitka, Alaska!

What to do? The wind was blowing a hooley and I spotted an empty pontoon. I'd have to dock almost head on to the strong wind... We survived, but only just... I jumped off when we were alongside and grabbed my bow and stern lines to tie us off. The wind blew the bow on and the boat astern . I got the stern line round a cleat but not well enough and the wind blew her back... I nearly lost the stern line... I tied the bow line to the same cleat - hanging on to the stern line for dear life, I had no choice! - and called over to the neighbouring fishing boat for help - someone was there! Steven came and took the bow line from me and tied it for'd - but no way could even he pull the boat for'd against the strong wind... In the end, I had to leave the stern sticking out and accept that at least we were tied safely to the dock, not going anywhere.... Later, I used a lull to move the boat - but not by much.

"The fleet is stuck here until Sunday," he informed me... "Love your accent!"

I've made up the log, made out a position report, had a late lunch (watching an osprey pair using a high post nearby for a perch) and will now hit the sack - after posting this with the position report.... A shower will be enjoyed later and I'll also find out more about the possibility of moving on tomorrow - could be dubious, depending on wind direction and strength. In theory, I've a couple of good friends driving over from Pt Townsend to meet up with me in Pt Angeles later in the day...

One thing I love about sailing is you can never know for sure what the next day will bring... "Plans are made in wet sand at low water." ... but it can be equally frustrating, at times...

Midnight - Lovely half moon in starry sky - Plough clear above - making broad path of silvery light on sea surface up to the boat. NW wind of 14-16 knots.

5 a.m. Beam reaching nicely in 17-19 knots of NW wind. Trimmed sails - making 5-6 knots with reefed main and full headsails. Cloud overhead. 165 n.ml. to Cape Flattery - ETA early afternoon Friday. Back to my bunk after posting position report and downloading latest grib (weather) files (showing strongest winds of 23 kt not until tonight - around midnight) Hint of daybreak in NE.

9 a.m. Went up on deck before, prepared to let out a reef - we were only making around 4 kt in 14 kt of wind... But then wind suddenly gusted up and we were heeled over, making over 6 kt ... so reef left in! Lots of grey rain clouds everywhere - clearly gusty conditions prevailing today but wind still mainly from NW. Was reminded of one of the first lessons I learned on a sailing-school course - "If you think of reefing down - do it! If you think of shaking out a reef - go make a cup of tea!" Excellent advice. Often, when a big rain cloud is nearby, it gets calm before the strong wind due to the cloud suddenly comes. Was thinking (hoping?!) winds might be less over next day or so than previously forecast - but seems they're still going to be around 25kt, gusting higher, tonight.

Midday Wind is varying a lot - mainly NW but occasionally back to WNW. As soon as I trim for a beam reach with a wind shift, wind veers and we're on a close reach once more... Lovely sunshine and blue sky now - grey cloud mass is on S and E horizons. We seem to be in sunshine under blue sky one moment, then under cloud, with gusts, not long after. Pressure still very high - 1029 hPa - has been steady for almost a day now.

3:30 p.m.Wind NW 21kt - SOG 5.8 kt - sailing well under blue sky & white cumulus, rather bumpy in increased seas.

More shipping now we're about 100 miles off the coast but not a problem - all keeping well clear of each other...

5:30 p.m. Wind mostly 22-24 kt now, still NW. SOG ~6 kt so going well. Main problem is the rough seas - because they're fairly close (~6sec) and ~2-3m high, that makes them rather steep and small sections of crest are tumbling a little. So the end result is we're getting well tossed around over to starb'd when the wave crests hit the port side of the hull - mainly because we're beam reaching. I'll definitely reduce the genoa a little before dark - partly to reduce the heeling and partly because the strongest winds are forecast to be around midnight.... Pressure has actually gone down a tad - to 1028.

7:50 p.m. Wind 24-27 Kt, SOG 6-7Kt Sun close to setting. Seas are impressive! Just finished clearing up in galley. Will try to reach SHTP racers on their 8 p.m. evening Net but too far away now for 4MHz. 6 MHz works most times but even there, they are becoming hard to copy. Then it's over to Pacific Seafarers' Net for my regular daily report soon after 8:30 p.m. Pressure down to 1026hPa - that's 2 hPa in 3 hrs - a lot! That's why we've these winds ... from isobars being 'squeezed'.

11 p.m. Cooked meal after reefing down some more at sunset. Tied in deep 3rd reef & furled in some more genoa - AP coping better - we're not rounding up so much when we're hit by big seas. We're still making nearly 6 kt in 24kt of wind on the beam. I could well be wrong but have feeling wind is subsiding instead of increasing - which is good! Think it peaked a couple of hours ago.

Still 66mls to C. Flattery - ETA likely to be ~11 a.m. but will first need to keep eye out for ships turning to head in and out of shipping lanes at entrance to the Strait. Tofino Radio usually puts out warnings on VHF16 if needed - but good to be approaching in daylight.

Time for my bunk...

Had to furl in the headsails just before sunset last night and motor. A fog layer seemed to be forming on the sea surface not so far away and a grey cloud layer was off to the S and W but stars were beginning to appear overhead.

The swell wasn't too bad and it occurred to me that I shouldn't leave topping up the fuel tank any longer - it could be raining tomorrow - who knows? In the twilight, I transferred three lots of diesel - 65 l in all, making over 200l in the tank - giving two days of hard motoring if needed, with spare fuel available.

I'm hoping that the strong Northerlies will reach us at the point where our course can swing around to the East, so the winds will be helpful to lay Cape Flattery under sail. If they're more from the NNW than N, so much the better. Just past Cape Flattery lies Neah Bay anchorage and marina and the Makah fuel dock - a useful refuelling spot in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. If the two-day sail there is as rough as it looks it might be, with 25+ knot winds forecast, it could be a good spot to rest before moving on down the Strait to Victoria..

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9 a.m. (Wed) Cloudy sky with blue patches between cirrus overhead, sea fairly calm with noticeable 2-3m swell from WNW every 8 sec - so much easier to see the swell clearly without the rough seas on top.

Time for coffee and breakfast after morning radio chats. No problem putting on my Bialetti coffee-pot in these light conditions, despite the 2-3m swell - the coffee ends high up in the top section and I've had few messy incidents in not-so-calm seas - but not today, I hope... It was great to make voice contact with Barbara, VE7KLU, near Sidney this morning on the Gt Norther Boaters' Net and I'm looking forward to seeing her and other friends in B.C. shortly.

I'm feeling really pleased that my present passage plan seems to be working out fine. I'll get to my waypoint north of here just before sunset with a good angle to turn onto my course making directly for the Strait entrance, ready for the strong NNW winds that are expected to build. I should be able to sail the rest of the way in good winds - but I might take in my second reef early on, just to be safe - nothing like being cautious and I'm in no rush. If we average 5 knots or less, that would be fine.

Two days to Neah Bay and a Friday afternoon arrival there means I'll probably drop anchor (or go into the marina) and get some sleep overnight before continuing on at first light up the Strait to PT Angeles (<50 mls) for fuel, then make for Victoria (<20 mls), to clear in to Canada - maybe on Sunday. There was no fuel at the dock in Neah Bay yesterday, so I heard today!

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1:30 p.m. Passing the mighty Columbia River mouth! Early this morning, passed Cape Meares, Portland and Vancouver, OR, ... but everything about 225 miles offshore. Wind up and down a bit, but still mainly ~8 kt, WNW.

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7 p.m. It's been a lovely, relaxing, sunny afternoon, with just a few fluffy white clouds around. Pressure has been steadily increasing - now 1029 - that's high! Current weather-fax shows the High has now moved, with a Low to its NW pushing it E, and its centre is now just NE of 40N 140W. We're at 46.7N 129.2W so it's much closer to here than usual.

We're still 2 1/2hrs (13ml) from my waypoint for the turn to Cape Flattery but we're bouncing around quite bit now with bigger wave action caused by the increased wind, now 12-13 kt from NW, so it's time to get the sails working. If the wind is good, it's a pity not to make use of it and save diesel. It means we'll have to come off the wind more but I think my waypoint is close enough for the slight change of course not to matter.

I hope the winds don't get too strong over the next two days - I'm expecting mostly around 20kt, with 25 kt forecast for around dawn on Friday, which could mean gusts to 30 kt - but they might have got that wrong!!

11 p.m. (Monday) - studying the weather info... Present wind is WNW 16 kt. Looks like light winds for next two days, then N winds will arrive and increase to become strong quite quickly. I need to get into position to make good use of those N winds to head ENE, rather than have them cause me a major problem if I'm not far N enough.

My present thoughts are to motor N frequently, whenever possible, for the next two days, if winds are light enough and direction is OK... Will need the winds to be as light as forecast for that to work. That would place us on outskirts of the 20-25 kt N-NNW wind field on Thursday, ready to 'turn the corner' and head for Cape Flattery...

3 a.m. Just turned off engine - no point in wasting fuel and wind had veered to NW, from W when turned on. COG now is 027T (NNE) at 3.7 kt.

6 a.m. Engine back on - we were making just 2.5kt, now 5 kt. Wind backed soon after into W, so N course again. Grey rainclouds with some tiny blue patches between and stronger wind under darker clouds. Bumpy - heading into WNW seas.

8.30 a.m. Very poor copy on 4MHz maritime frequency with Mike on Mouton Noir and others in SHTP race fleet, although I think my position was copied. Went to 6MHz - had quick chat with Seazed Asset (all going well in 15 kt following Trade winds, but still rolly) and Tortuga was also clear. Weatherfax download, then to Baja Net for quick chat and more weather info!

9.30 a.m. Wind 8-10 kt from just N of W at present - motor-sailing. Sky brighter now, with occasional sunshine and fewer dark grey rain clouds around. Still bumpy, heading into waves. Time for b'fast.

11 a.m. Wow! A rain cloud .. and wind suddenly shot up to 16-18 knots - noticed we were rushing along at just over 7 knots - definitely time to cut the engine for a bit! Sun getting out between the clouds but just put a fleece top on - air is cooler here than in Mexico!

Busy calculating distances sailed during my westabout circumnavigation - interesting exercise, made a lot easier by having a plotter to hand.... Lots of nice memories!

1 p.m. ....Comes to well over 25,000 n.mls., taken as straight lines between major ports of call.

Really variable today... One moment - nice sunshine, blue sky overhead and rainfall seen in distance, light W wind. Then, a short while later - big cloud and the wind really gusts up. Keeping me busy - up/down, to/from cockpit, to adjust sheets and motor.

Hoping seas might calm down a bit more so I can top up main fuel tank from jerry cans - 3/8 full at present - about 140 litres or more, giving more than 36 hours of motoring, even before topping up.

6.30 p.m. Tried contacting the B.C./Pacific NW evening Net on 3860 - but too noisy to copy anything. Need to be a bit closer.

Wind has been consistently W 8-9 kt this afternoon but has now veered closer to WNW .. still light, at 7 kt. I suspect wind will slowly veer over next few days as we head N. No unexpected squalls this afternoon! In fact, having totally forgotten to download all my usual many weatherfaxes, it was positively relaxing, with bright sky and far less rough seas...

Stays light so much later than I'm used to - I'm really noticing how late darkness falls.

Just gone midnight - 3 kt of WNW wind - and we're basically drifting downwind ... E ... at just under 1kt.

The boom is prevented to try to stop it swinging noisily, however little, from one side to the other - but the sails keep 'slatting'. Nothing much else to be done just now, so might as well get some sleep and check things out a little later... Wind is 2kt .......0.0 - we're drifting aimlessly... bows pointing N and drifting E! I'll furl in the headsails so they don't chafe....

At just gone1 a.m., as I was seriously considering dropping the mainsail, I suddenly thought to start the engine and motor gently - to stop the sails flogging and make some headway - I had forgotten that I wasn't necessarily under sail alone on this passage...! We've about 320 l (85 US galls) of diesel - enough to motor gently for 3-4 days if needed. COG 345T

1.30 a.m. Called 'Katagalan Wisdom III' on VHF16 - heading S directly for us! Agreed he'd change course to port so we'd pass starb'd to starb'd. Passed each other at 2:30 a.m. 1.4 n.ml. apart. Now I can finally get to my bunk.

9.30 a.m. Beautiful! Sailing gently and peacefully under blue sky and broken white cloud - the grey rainclouds are off to the W and S. Half an hour ago, I suddenly felt us heeling to some wind - it had picked up nicely from W-WSW. Quickly up on deck, to cut the motor... The sails were already set (I'd unfurled the genoa earlier to motor-sail with it) and we were now sailing at 4.5 kt due N. I suspected my luck might have been due to a big raincloud off to starboard - but we're still sailing nicely under wind-steering at around 3 kt in 11 kt of W wind, having left that well behind. I must go and add in the staysail for a touch more speed.

12.40 p.m. Well, that was nice while it lasted but now we're motor-sailing again - trying to get W while we can in lighter winds - they dropped to 8 kt from the WSW and we were making just 2 kt. Grey cloud layer with occasional small breaks - rather rainy-looking day. We shan't be able to get W easily in a day or two, so I'm 'making hay while the sun shines'...

Downloading usual batch of weatherfaxes from Pt Reyes. Hurricane Celia, well ESE of Hawaii, is doing well but by Friday is expected to diminish to a Tropical Storm and looks not to be of concern to the racers. Hopefully, once this Cold Front, from the next Low coming down, has passed over, there might be some more sun here - it's chilly and grey now.

3.35 p.m. Wind has veered into WNW so our heading is almost N - motor off. Sailing gently again in 10-11 knots wind - time to relax. Fred , the Hyrovane, can take over the steering. Northerly flow, Wednesday onward, becoming strong, will give us a problem. I'll worry about that nearer the time and will just try to get W whenever possible before then. I've noted where I need to get to, in order to lay Cape Flattery in W-NW winds but it looks as though it's going to prove difficult getting there!

9.30 p.m. Still some light in the grey sky, with a pinkish break near the NW horizon. Swell from WNW with 1-2ft wind-waves on top. Sailing nicely, close-hauled, as usual on this passage, with full canvas, in 14-15 kt of WNW wind, making N-NNE at ~4 kt.

Spoke earlier to both the SHTP racers (talking about their stronger wind sail plans for downwind sailing and some discussion of squalls) and also to the Pacific Seafarers Net. Seems there's been a tragic grounding in the Tuamotus very recently, with a lot of questions surrounding the event and its handling. That is a very dangerous reef area, to be sailed in with great care....

Midday - Sun trying to get out. 19C air - I'm feeling cold - need more layers on! Has been a grey cloudy day with occasional short showers and wind mainly 10-16kt from WNW, sometimes more NW. Expecting wind to be light for several days now, I've shaken out all reefs and added a small staysail into the mix but we're still close-hauled so speed still not great. Don't want to head in to coast if avoidable since NW or NNW wind will send us that way anyway - and we mght get those winds sometime soon.

The overnight strong winds didn't arrive - we were far enough W to be well away from centre of the Low, as it headed in over the land. But that meant very low boat speeds since we were well reefed down overnight to be safe.

3.30 p.m. Tea-time! Just had an afternoon nap - seems to be becoming a routine. Getting down to sleep late and up early leaves me needing more sleep so this works out well. Weatherfaxes were being downloaded - should have been able to leave them running and stored on the computer - but that keeps hanging up after a short while - RF interference - must dig out some soft iron chokes and put them on the data and power cables to the computer, in hope that stops the problem...

Light overcast with hazy sunshine still. WNW wind, COG 016T (N-NNE), SOG 3.5kt. We're about 240 mls off the coast, nearly at the Cailfornia-Oregon border at 42N and not quite level with Crescent City and Pt St George. Just changed the flash card in my plotter from the one covering Mexico & mid-America to the USA one. The Canadian one is ready and waiting. Nice to see all the chart details on shore now.

5 p.m. Just got to my tea after adjusting the sails, trying to get some more speed. Eased the mainsail outhaul for more sail shape and was able to unfurl a touch more genoa. Centred the main rudder more to reduce drag. Hasn't made a vast difference but I think we're doing better. Wind almost W now, at 10-12 kt. Big grey cloud off to port - hope it stays there! Our daily straight-line mileage is appalling - we only made 65 mls GMT midday to midday... ugh! (Being well reefed down and, as usual, close-hauled overnight, expecting strong winds that didn't materialize, didn't help.) I'm constantly watching our course and the wind direction, to try to improve things, but we just keep sailing slowly...

Had my last banana with my breakfast cereal this morning and, lunchtime, finished last cherry tomato of a pack bought in San Diego. I'm hoping a second pack stored low down will be OK - they're really tasty and last so well. Also, with my tea, I just finished the red wine jelly that I discovered hidden away, given by friend Barbara VE7KLU who runs the Gt Northern Boaters Net for B.C. & the Pacific NW- should be getting close enough to hear her very soonc.

6 p.m. Just happened to turn radio knob to bring up 15 MHz (transmitted by WWB, Ft Collins, CO) which continuously 24/7 gives precise time (and gale warnings for USA waters) - and wondered why my radio time was different from my plotter time.... saw that my plotter time was just over 45 minutes fast, according to the received transmission.... a new problem, not seen before. Both should be precisely in line with the received GPS signal time. I've been busily saving my track on the screen as best I can so that I can switch the system off to re-boot it (and not lose the record of my present track), hoping that will fix the problem. .... Great! That has worked - GPS time is showing correctly now - RF interference again??

One problem solved but another reared its head ... Before re-booting the system, I went to the head - and found the pan overflowing with seawater.... NOT good! I'd forgotten to close the seacock out to sea on my last visit... It's a good thing the seat is just above sea-level (although we're presently heeled that way) and I had only recently been there or I'd have had a major problem. Possibly the joker valve needs replacing but I don't have a spare, having only recently replaced it when in La Cruz. It's good to have a shower pump that gets rid of the water that spills over onto the head floor. That could have really ended up nastily... :-(

7p.m. Wind speed down to 8 kt from NW, SOG down to under 3 kt, COG NE. Low, light grey cloud . Mixed swell - from both WSW and NW - around 2-2.5m. Not as rough now - seas definitely calming down.

10 p.m. Thoroughly enjoyed a cheese omelette (why does Brie taste so good when hot?) and then spotted a major wind shift - to SSW...and boat speed way down!! Rushed up on deck to ease the sheets and set up a preventer on the boom to control it in the light winds and swell. Speed went up very satisfyingly... Although wind then veered to just S of W, we're still moving along fine - N-NNE - the direction of Cape Flattery from here. Wind now: WSW 8kt, COG: N SOG: 3.0kt.