Day 12: Trade Winds and Poop Decks

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Added: Fri. Jun 05, 2009 9:30am
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This is one in a series of blog posts from Roz during her journey. To follow Roz's adventures, visit http://rozsavage.com.


Today the trade winds arrived. Or in fact, they arrived last night,
which gave me a few handy overnight miles but didn't let me get much
sleep as the waves are now considerably bigger and the boat is a-rocking
and a-rolling. As I sit here in the cabin writing this blog, I can hear
the waves crashing against the side of the boat. And working at my
computer is making me feel a little more queasy than usual.

In these stronger winds there will be more west and less south in my
course, although I'll keep doing my best to push on down across the
lines of latitude towards the equator.

Meanwhile, what to do about these unruly boobies? For most of this
afternoon, no fewer than three of them were hanging out and chuntering
away to each other on the roof of my forward cabin. When I wave my arms
at them and try to shoo them away, then just look at me in all
innocence, as if to say: "It is obviously our god-given right to perch
where we like, so why is she getting her knickers in a twist?" And they
just carry on sitting and preening and pooping all over my solar panels.
Sigh.

[Postscript: I just went outside to furl away the sun canopy, which was
flogging in the wind, and there are my three feathered friends, sitting
in the darkness, hunkered down for the night. Looks like they're here to
stay....]

Other stuff:

Please remember to go and follow UNEPandYou on Twitter. For every new
follower before Friday, they will plant a tree to help reduce climate
change – an easy way for you to do something positive to help. Happy
World Environment Day!

I've just emailed my latest video update to Dawn the editor for her to
pop it into one of our prepared shells. It should go online shortly. You
may notice a couple of amusing things in it:
1. Yes, I do hold my nose before I jump in the ocean. I know it's
wussy, but what can I say. I hate getting water up my nose.
2. And yes, I do forget to take my baseball cap off before I jump
in. But I managed to retrieve it after I surfaced, so there was no
increase in marine pollution. Phew!

Mitch – you asked what is my absolute favorite food...and how many audio
books do I have on my ipod? (and do I have a backup ipod):
1. At the moment my favorite foods are the chocolate syrup from
Wilderness Family Naturals, and the rawfood falafel crackers made for me
by Marlene Depierre. But not together!
2. I got 100 audiobook credits from audible.co.uk, and $500 of
audiobooks from audible.com. Plus the books from Leo. So I've got
plenty! And I now have a rather embarrassing total of 6 iPods….

Special hello to Susan and the Montessori Community School in Honolulu.
I hope you enjoy your ocean studies this summer – and thanks for showing
your solidarity with me by doing 10,000 steps a day!

Thanks for all the comments and warm wishes winging their way to me
across the waves. Much more welcome than the poopy birds! Thanks also to
John Dunning, Ellen Leanse, and all others who are helping to spread the
word about what I am doing and why.

Weather report:
Wind - substantial increase, to 15kts or so, from the E
Swell/waves - also a substantial increase, to 6ft+ with white breaking
crests

Weather forecast, courtesy of weatherguy.com:

Easterly trades increase later tonight and reach the 20kt range by early
tomorrow morning. As trades increase, they may be shift in direction and
gusty.

Forecast below is for a SWerly course.
Date/Time HST Wind kts Seas (ft)
04/1500-04/1800 E-ENE 7-15 4-5
04/1800-06/0300 E-ENE 15-20 4-5
06/0300-07/1200 E-ENE 18-23 5-6
07/1200-10/0000 E-ENE 16-21 4-6

Partly cloudy with a slight chance of rainshowers.