Ocean Challenge Live! Captain's Log

CAPTAIN'S LOG Click on the calendar below for the week or day that you want to view.
	Day								Day
	S	M	T	W	T	F	S		S	M	T	W	T	F	S
Week 1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Week 7	43	44	45	46	47	48	49
Week 2	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Week 8	50	51	52	53	54	55	56
Week 3	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	Week 9	57	58	59	60	61	62	63
Week 4	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	Week 10	64	65	66	67	68	69	70
Week 5	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	Week 11	71	72	73	74	75	76	77
Week 6	36	37	38	39	40	41	42

Week 4

Great American II - 2003

Sea Witch - 1849

Day #

Date	latitude longitude	course@ boatspeed	daily nm
baro- meter	air �F sea �F	wind dir@ windspeed	sea height

Date	latitude longitude	course	daily nm
Capt. Waterman's Logbook at Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts, USA

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Apr 6 sun, clouds	22�14'S 078�028'E	312�T@ 8.5 kts	196 nm
1015 mb	air 88� sea 78�F	SExE@ 13 knots	seas 4'-8'
Last night, breezed lightened, turned to east, forced us nearly due south, into high. 2 a.m. gybe, set reacher, rolled jib, headed NW to try to escape new high overtaking us. Sailed 60 deg north of course to escape. Morning, breezed strengthened from 6 knots to 12 knots. Sea Witch now lying 175 miles NNW of our position and moving fast toward Cape of Good Hope. – Rich Wilson

Jan 30	21�24'S 25�60'E ??	SW	282
*Throughout these 24 hours, a fresh breeze from the ESE, cloudy weather. All light sails set. Ends the same. – Capt. Waterman*

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Apr 7 pt. cldy	22�38'S 074�06'E	266�T@ 11.8 kts	243 nm
1018 mb	air 80� sea 79�F	SE@ 15 knots	seas 4'-8'
Got back into trades yesterday aftrnoon after sailing too far south into high. Escaped barely. Made good mileage with reacher through afternoon, then shortened sail for night run. Sea Witch made another big run, now bears NW just 90 miles. – Rich Wilson

Jan 31	23�08'S 70�05'E	SW	299
*Strong trades all through the day, and light sails set, wind ESE, cloudy. All flying sails set. – Capt. Waterman*

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Apr 8 cloudy	23�12'S 069�55'E	259�T@ 10.0 kts	237 nm
1018 mb	air 80� sea 79�F	SExE@ 25 knots	seas 6'-12'
Last night, astonishingly, after thousands of open sea miles, THERE SHE WAS, Sea Witch within 10 miles astern! She had a "bone in her teeth" and all sails set, while the lighter GAII was hunkered down in the growing seas. Only 2 minutes of latitude and 10 minutes of longitude separate us over the 154 years. – Rich Wilson

Feb 01	25�12'S 65�06'E	SW	300
*Strong trades all through, royal, studding sails, and topgallant staysails set, wind ESE, cloudy. – Capt. Waterman*

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Apr 9 sunny	24�21'S 066�07'E	243�T@ 10.9 kts	223 nm
1018 mb	air 85� sea 77�F	ExS@ 20 knots	seas 6'-12'
At 180 feet long, Sea Witch can span several waves; at 53 feet, GAII is affected by every one. Forced to slow down so that there is less pounding of waves against the boat, we are still averaging nearly 10 knots. Sea Witch now lies about 70 miles ahead of us, having had a great day's run in her perfect condiitions. [more]. – Rich Wilson

Feb 02	26�28'S 60�30'E	SW	260
Begins with fine fresh breezes from ESE. At 6 PM squally with rain. The wind fell off to 9 knot breeze, freshened at midnight. Latter part wind lightened, baffling rain squalls. – Capt. Waterman

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Apr 10 clouds	25�12'S 062�010'E	271�T@ 10.5 kts	240 nm
1017 mb	air 82� sea 77�F	ENE@ 25 knots	seas 6'-10'
Breeze moved from SE to E. Weather map shows low forming SW of Madagascar, forecast said to head ESE. Gybed immediately, plan to stay north of track of low, rather than to continue on SW course to try to get across in front of it, more wind and riskier in my judgment. [more]. – Rich Wilson

Feb 02	27�14'S 56�13'E	SW	234
Moderate breeze from SE by S. All light sails out. Wind light through the night. Thus endeth the trades probably. Ends with light breezes from South hauling toward the west. – Capt. Waterman

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Apr 11 sunny	24�55'S 058�00'E	278�T@ 6.6 kts	230 nm
1012 mb	air 88� sea 78�F	NNW@ 9 knots	seas 3'-6'
Had special advisory from weather advisors about thunderstorms with potential gusts to 45 knots last night. Three reefs plus staysail kept us under control, no wind more than 30, then down to 15, then back up in next black cloud. Now heading for low pressure system moving off Madagascar, heated by Agulhas current. We're staying north to try to let it pass by to our south [more]. – Rich Wilson

Feb 04	27�14'S 56�13'E	SW	156
This part light breeze inclining to the westward . At 3 PM took in all stud sails, wind SW. At 6 PM the wind hauled back to south, set all larboard stunsails, light breezes all through the night. At 10 am wind hauled to SW again, in all studsails and braced, by the wind, clear, pleasant weather. – Capt. Waterman

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Apr 12 sunny	25�42'S 054�53'E	274�T@ 10.1 kts	NA nm
1016 mb	air 82� sea 77�F	SSE@ 24 knots	seas 12'-18'
*High seas today. Squally weather. The good news is that we've got some good speed on. – Rich Wilson*

Feb 05	27�42'S 50�30'E	SW	151
Moderate breezes from SW until 8 PM when wind light showers of rain, the wind died away and continued very light all night from South to SW. A little more wind in the morning. Ends with very light air from SSW, clear, and pleasant, ship going about 3 knots. – Capt. Waterman

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