The GRIB which was perfect last night was far from perfect when updated this morning. Not even forty-eight consecutive hours without headwinds next week. So I'll wait until Monday and see what it looks like then. Although GANNET and I are eager and ready, we may be here a while.
Craig of LuckGrib wrote that perhaps in the old days I would have sailed anyway. I wouldn’t have. Not on this coast. I’ve carefully picked my times here and not had trouble. I suppose in 1987 I did so by viewing the daily weather map in the local newspaper. How last century. But then it was.
For the first half of the seven hundred miles from Durban to Cape Agulhas, the course is southwest. Around Port Elizabeth the coast and course turn west. I’ll leave when I have the likelihood of at least seventy-two hours of wind on or aft of the beam. Or when I get fed up with waiting.
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When I wrote the ‘decked’ entry I was not aware of the remarkable circumnavigation made in 2013-15 by the Swiss/French sailor, Yvan Bourgnon.
Not much has been written about this voyage in English, but I did find a brief article here with an internal link to another article and photos.
That is unquestionably an open boat.
I have been surpassed, which is what is supposed to happen.
Two things particularly interest me about Yvan's voyage: how he transited Panama, and that he was jailed, as was I. Obviously a risk of open boat voyages.
Two things particularly interest me about Yvan's voyage: how he transited Panama, and that he was jailed, as was I. Obviously a risk of open boat voyages.
I salute Yvan Bourgnon and thank Matthias for bringing his voyage to my attention.
I have updated the ‘undecked’ entry.
