I follow my intended course on the electronic chart all the way closer to Antigua. Very fine sailing and refreshingly almost
to my destination in the smallest scale readable, just to mark the exact opposite tack and wind direction from my voyage
anything that may be in the way but not easily visible. Then so far. Across the entire South Pacific and again, across the
I go out on the chart scale with the visible waypoint marks Indian ocean, the wind had always been off the port quarter or
highlighted. This has kept me from any surprises so far, and I’m beam: six months of port tack. now it was from the other side,
sticking with a good thing when I feel it. coming from South Africa and curving counter-clockwise as high
Ascension Island is not a very welcoming destination. I pressure does in the southern hemisphere. This was GREAT. This
had been told that cruising vessels are not welcome, even for wind would push me along at a good clip in the right direction.
a short visit. The island is under British government control, Then it stopped.
but its main purpose over the last forty years has been as a Within minutes the wind died, from 18 knots down to 2
US tracking station for orbital traffic and a site for the Space knots in under an hour. I hoped this wouldn’t be a repeat of
network supporting nASA. The very first Mercury capsules the five days’ “dead calm” I had experienced in the Timor Sea
were tracked from this station on their inaugural orbit and just a few months previously. now, as I had then, I started the
every spacecraft launch since has been scientifically followed Yanmar. Its use had totalled very few hours so far, less than
from Ascension. It is restricted territory. So I did not intend to 900, for this entire voyage. The winds had allowed me sail
stop but instead put a waypoint mark just off the SW tip to almost completely around the world.
keep me on my route but out of danger. I had identified that running the engine at around 1800
The Pilot Atlas has suggested routes for steam ships and rpm was the most economical. This maintains the little 4
alternatives for sailing vessels to take better advantage of wind cylinder just off the turbo and limits the fuel consumption to
conditions. My route was to follow this Pilot’s suggestion by around one US gallon per hour. The big 3 blade Flex-o-Fold
crossing the equator at exactly 30 degrees W longitude with a prop keeps the boat speed at around 6.5 knots, which was my
curving arc around the Caribbean islands and finally into Miami, intended average for crossing oceans. I had enough fuel aboard
from where my voyage began. Ascension Island and Antigua to probably motor all the way to Antigua should the wind
were almost exactly on my route, and with 4,500 miles to go, completely abandon me. My expectation had been for no wind
my first planned stop was English Harbour. near the equator in the Doldrums, but that that was still a long
The first three days out from St Helena I was sailing on a way ahead.
starboard tack, with an 18-20 knot wind blowing onto my It must have been about 30 hours later, while still motor-
starboard quarter; I made good progress and was 500 miles sailing at my chosen 1800 rpm, that I was rudely awakened by
46 YACHTWORLD.COM MARCH 2009
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