24/02/2022
Blog update Day 3
Position Latitude 40 22.15 S
Longitude 114 54.67E
Hi Everyone,
Wowzers, today has been a big day, last night I actually managed a decent amount of sleep but today I was going from sunup to well past sun down. It all started with an email yesterday asking me to utilise this lull in the winds today to deploy the first of two Argo Research floats... SO, after a hot bowl of porridge and a deck check I started to try to come up with a plan. These Argo floats were supplied to me by the CSIRO through my research partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology. I have two aboard to deploy along with 8 weather drifter buoys. The Argo research floats are long torpedo shaped items with some antennas out the top and house all sorts of cool scientific equipment but …..they are also nearly 40kg heavy. As a solo sailor they can be a little difficult to move around.
Argo Floats Deployed for the Department of Meteorology, supplied by CSIRO
Initially we were planning the deployment to be in the Indian Ocean towards the end of the trip, so I had actually had them stowed in the sail locker, lashed to the ladder and wedged in by all the sails etc so I knew it was going to take me a while to dig one out. About an hr later I had it free and then the tricky part came of trying to manoeuvre it around the decks and towards the back of Climate Action Now where I could safely deploy it. With much grunting and small steps to carry it back I was in position to deploy. I added Climate Action Now's name to the cylinder, and it was time to toss him overboard.
Tomorrow the CSIRO should be able to activate the device and fingers crossed he is working like a charm.
As I now had an almost completely destroyed sail locker it was time for some clean up. I then needed to pause and complete the micro plastic sample changes before tidying up the rest of the boat. The winds gods were mostly nice to me while doing so as we had a steady 8 knots of wind for most of the day. It shifted from E to N to W yet again and I needed to make a gybe at lunch: this is where you change direction of the boat, and the back of the boat passes through the wind and you pull all the sails to the other side "Gybing" the boat. A tack is the opposite where the bow or pointy end of the boat goes through the eye of the wind and you 'Tack' the boat. By sunset I mostly had Climate Action Now ship shape, but I didn't get much of a break all day and I am starting to feel it.
I tacked just after dark as the winds swung right around from S to SE again completing a full circle and now as I write this the winds have dropped out to 2.9 knots of True Wind Speed (TWS) and I have a boat speed of 0.1 knots. It seems that I didn't get the chance to pass through this lull unscathed.
I also want to make sure to give a shout out to todays degree sponsors:
114 East - Paul and Bernadette Terry from Great Southern Wills
Not only did they sponsor a degree but they also sponsored me a will which we are all hoping I won’t need for many many years to come, but it pays to be prepared.
I also wanted to let everyone know that I am still seeking 360 degree sponsors for this project. I am unfortunately not fully funded yet so my goal is to raise another 50 degree sponsors to cover all the project costs so while I am at sea it is not too late to get involved and become a part of the action. You can find out more information on my website under the 360 degree page.
Thanks all and here’s to some more sleep tonight.
Now for a much-earned hot meal of green curry in a freeze-dried pouch Yumm.
I must thank my SPONSORS who have gone above and beyond to make this trip happen.
