Greta Thunberg sails back to Europe on La Vagabonde
- Thread starter Captain Larry-DH
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They're holding back to avoid a tropical storm. TS SEBASTIEN:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/gra...nd120#contents
More info here La Vagabonde's crossing - Page 16 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
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Quote: Nikki Henderson also updated her Facebook - and as you can see, Breaking Waves is perfectly correct in anticipating their deliberately slowing down:
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/gra...nd120#contents
More info here La Vagabonde's crossing - Page 16 - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
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Quote: Nikki Henderson also updated her Facebook - and as you can see, Breaking Waves is perfectly correct in anticipating their deliberately slowing down:
| Day 6 So yesterday was amazing. We surfed at 10-15 knots all the way through the day. The sea state wasn’t too big despite it still blowing above 30 knots - which meant it was comfortable - and also faster because we didn’t sink down into the trough of too many big waves and stall. At the end of the storm we saw a rainbow glowing - so beautiful - the only colour in a sea of grey and black and white. As the afternoon came in the wind started to ease and everything calmed down. It felt so good to make real ground east. After poring over the weather we made the decision to intentionally slow down to ensure we miss the worst of the front ahead - we will be holding closer to 6 knots for a few more days. It’s an unfamiliar position for me to be in - when you are racing, the idea of intentionally slowing down is almost unheard of. It’s feels a bit like driving down the wrong side of the highway in my brain! And in my heart too - I sail for the freedom, for the self-autonomy - and being restricted to a certain speed feels very limiting. But there is no doubt onboard - this is the right decision. It is safe and it is comfortable and these are without a doubt the priority. I have learned a lot from Riley - seeing how easily he made that decision - and how at peace he was with it once he made it. Unwavering confidence - and yet a humble openness to suggestion. Both qualities in my opinion that make an impeccable leader. It’s reminded me how important it is to take the backseat from being in charge; there is always more than one way to do something. Overnight - with a slower boat we managed to sort a few jobs which put our minds at ease. Definitely something therapeutic for me about doing something productive. Neither of us engineers, but Riley and I managed to get our heads around fixing and re-running the furling line that had snapped a few days earlier - this required more than a few brain cells! Then another hour spent sorting an issue with a stiff steering cables. It seemed there was some plastic covering caught in a pulley! #singleuseplasticshouldbebanned " |
They are back up to speed now, going about 10 knots. Seems they figure that they’ve scrubbed enough time to keep the nastiest weather to their East. Rhumb line to Spain is about 2200 nm. James's Over/Under date of December 9th is 19 days away. I’m still taking the Under.
I can’t imagine the stress the captain must feel on a passage like this. They had lots of decisions to make to avoid gale and storm conditions for the current system. The next storm system is beginning to show on models around the 28th, so a whole other week of stressing about how big it'll be and what the best routing around it is. After that there are one or two more weeks of passage still to make, with storm systems that aren't even forecast yet. I guess it comes with the territory, but the unknowns of whether some unavoidable storm is going to pop up make me anxious and I'm not the one out there with all that responsibility.
I can’t imagine the stress the captain must feel on a passage like this. They had lots of decisions to make to avoid gale and storm conditions for the current system. The next storm system is beginning to show on models around the 28th, so a whole other week of stressing about how big it'll be and what the best routing around it is. After that there are one or two more weeks of passage still to make, with storm systems that aren't even forecast yet. I guess it comes with the territory, but the unknowns of whether some unavoidable storm is going to pop up make me anxious and I'm not the one out there with all that responsibility.
I checked with weather.gov and it seems like Sebastian will be following them. I'd be wanting to get out of there. I don't know about that other front or even where it is. 2200 miles @10 knots = 9.2 days. I still like the under.
Ditto with the stress of this or any voyage.
Ditto with the stress of this or any voyage.
Jibed east again now. I’m thinking the turn north was either to accommodate a shift or to buy a little more space behind the front to their east. The models on Windy look pretty good now. If that holds they will be able to stay west of the front and Sebastian.
They are going into a storm , if they progress east.
The HIGH from the PNW is pushing Sebastian on its curved route.
Once they get into that HIGH then they may progress East about Sunday or Monday.
Jim...
PS: Looks like the night watch took the comfort ride, on the North move.
Yeah, Vagabonde seems more privacy concerned than some of the others like Delos that transmit all the time. Riley is also pretty guarded about their exact location in videos and interviews that release close to real-time.
Yes or you guys may continue to wish they will average 10 knots on the Great Circle route.
I bet they move NORTH for most of their route till Sat. Curren Lat= 35° 52.3 N Lon=56° 01.816 W
BTW they moved North since did my plan earlier.
So the BET is do they move More North than East by Saturday.
My bet is MORE... you can bet LESS.
Jim...
I don't know - doesn't look too bad for me. I'm thinking this route in Windy - Windy as forecasted
I don't see the gale conditions Jim mentions; maybe I'm just missing them? I'm sure the route is wildly optimistic, and I'm certainly far from a professional weather router, but if it's close at all it looks pretty manageable to stay east-bound and still arrive somewhere before the 9th.
So I'm still on "Less North" and "Under the 9th".
I don't see the gale conditions Jim mentions; maybe I'm just missing them? I'm sure the route is wildly optimistic, and I'm certainly far from a professional weather router, but if it's close at all it looks pretty manageable to stay east-bound and still arrive somewhere before the 9th.
So I'm still on "Less North" and "Under the 9th".
If you go to their website, they have their current position. Sailing La Vagabonde | A Few Words Behind The Movies
True. I should’ve been more clear - they seem to not use AIS when they’re near shore or in port. They are using the Predict Wind tracker for this passage but I think it’s the first time they’re doing that, and I don’t think they turned it on until they were departing and heading away from population.
The cool part of my Windy.com you can take my link and move along the route or move my point #2 to see why they are heading into a near gale.
Hover you pointer in the forecast area and move it East. Or Grab my point #2 and change their course or position in time.
Note: I clicked on Boat.
Jim...
PS: Use their link Sailing La Vagabonde | A Few Words Behind The Movies and move your pointer to the RED area... NORTH NORTH NORTH
Hover you pointer in the forecast area and move it East. Or Grab my point #2 and change their course or position in time.
Note: I clicked on Boat.
Jim...
PS: Use their link Sailing La Vagabonde | A Few Words Behind The Movies and move your pointer to the RED area... NORTH NORTH NORTH
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