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 8

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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May 4 cloudy	11�15'S 013�00'W	309�T@ 9.1 kts	215 nm
1017 mb	air 85� sea 79�F	ExS@ 14 knots	seas 5 '–9'
Many sail changes mid-day in response to black thunderheads. Close encounter with ship bearing southwest across our bow. No response to VHF or spotlight on sails. We headed up high to pass astern, close enough to smell exhaust. Good sailing through night continues in the morning. – Rich Wilson

Feb 27	14�26'S 012�17'W	NW	121 nm
Very light airs all through, from SE by S, to SE, smooth water, occasional showers. – Capt. Waterman

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May 5 cloudy	08�47'S 015�24'W	320�T@ 9.1 kts	215 nm
1014 mb	air 85� sea 80�F	ExS@ 13 knots	seas 4'–6'
Through mid-day with spinnaker, then into night. Very dark. Hard to steer, no moon. Breeze lightened to 8-9 knots, needing to head more NNW than WNW. Not getting westing desired. At sunrise wind velocity picked up to 13, same angle. Heading well east of waypoint. – Rich Wilson

Feb 28	12�54'S 014�16'W	NW	149 nm
First part, light airs from SE by S, early calm until midnight. Latter part, freshened some. – Capt. Waterman

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May 6 cloudy	05�40'S 017�30'W	332�T@ 10.3 kts	227 nm
1012 mb	air 88� sea 81�F	SE@ 16 knots	seas 4'–6'
Continuing NNW. Considering crossing equator far to the east of recommended longitude. With ESE winds, we must sail across at 30 degrees, so cannot get down to course. Sailed through night with spinnaker, dropped and stowed when wind in black clouds gradually advanced to 24 knots. Then wind immediately dropped to 14, and we re-set. Sailing well in the early morning. – Rich Wilson

Mar 1	11�06'S 017�00'W	NW	193 nm
Fine pleasant breezes from SE all through the day. Averaging eight knots. – Capt. Waterman

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May 7 cloudy	04�28'S 021�48'W	278�T@ 10.2 kts	279 nm
1011 mb	air 82� sea 81�F	SExE@ 12 knots	seas 4'–6'
Wind shift to south in early morning led to NNW course, gybed to port giving course of WNW, closer to desired. Sailed fast through afternoon and night, consistent high speeds, some gusts to 22 knots, otherwise consistent, made fine day's run. In night, bioluminescent bursts around boat occasionally, very bright in dark night. – Rich Wilson

Mar 2	09�17'S 019�28'W	NW	191 nm
Moderate breezes all through, from SE, clear and smooth. – Capt. Waterman

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May 8 cloudy	02�52'S 024�42'W	351�T@ 8.8 kts	242 nm
1010 mb	air 85� sea 81�F	SEx1@ 12 knots	seas 3'–5'
Sailed through enormous black clouds, ominous, throughout day; becalmed twice, rain in most clouds; outran two, finally got caught late in the afternoon by rainsquall. Into night with spinnaker, then reacher, then spinnaker, then jib, then reacher. At sunset, a bird landed on a cockpit winch, then moved to lifeline on starboard pontoon; there about 8 hours. – Rich Wilson

Mar 3	07�45'S 022�02'W	NW	172 nm
Rather light winds from SE. Smooth and warm. – Capt. Waterman

Great American II has crossed the equator and entered the Northern Hemisphere!

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May 9 cloudy	00�12'N 026�31'W	348�T@ 6.2 kts	222 nm
1012 mb	air 87� sea 81�F	ESE@ 8 knots	seas 2'–3'
Intermittent winds and showers through the day, made reasonable average speed, but occasionally very slow. Altered target point to enter doldrums to the east, to avoid a large band of squalls and thunderstorms to the west. This will lengthen our distance to New York, but may save us time if we can get to the northeast trades sooner. The strategy is a balancing act [more]. – Rich Wilson

Mar 4	06�08'S 024�31'W	NW	177 nm
Winds light from SE by S all through. – Capt. Waterman

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May 10 showers	01�39'N 027�20'W	338�T@ 9.0 kts	117 nm
1014 mb	air 85� sea 81�F	ENE@ 8 knots	seas 2'–3'
In doldrums, no wind in afternoon, later west wind into bottom half mainsail, east wind into top half mainsail. Rolled up jib to reduce to wear. Through night squall clouds came with moderate wind, wore ship 6 times to get best heading to north with shifting winds. In morning, ENE wind allows us to come to course. – Rich Wilson

Mar 5	03�41'S 027�15'W	NW	220 nm
Rather more winds today. Through the night the wind hauled to SE by E. Latter part, pleasant breezes from SE by E. – Capt. Waterman

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