Here's the brilliant little IridiumGo device!
It's operated via a couple of Phone Apps. It's expensive because it requires a monthly subscription but then again so would be an HF radio because of the upfront cost of installing one (between $7,000 - $10,000). At least you can take your IridiumGo off the boat!
The IriduimGo replaced our old PredictWind Satellite Communicator and is now responsible for sending the tracking info that’s visible on the front of our blog. The best function though, is getting much improved and very detailed weather information and weather routing via PredictWind. Technically, we ought not get blindsided by unexpected bad weather. This does not mean that we won’t ever experience bad weather but we are likely to get some forewarning or have an opportunity to avoid it by either staying in port or re-routing.
The external aerial mounted on the targa bar
It’s so nice to get some emails when we are on the go too. It’s a bit boring and lonely sometimes and news from home or from a fellow traveler is a very welcome distraction.
Below is an email sent to Amanda of the sailing Catamaran - The Bossa Nova, from half way across the Coral Sea on our leg from Chesterfield Reef to Bundaberg. Amanda and husband Neville participated in the GoEast Rally to New Caledonia with us. Neville sailed The Bossa Nova home with some of his mates acting as a delivery crew, while Amanda flew home to Melbourne. Amanda wasn’t quite ready to retire from the cruise and was going to fly up to Bundaberg to help deliver the boat back to the dry stand on the Gold Coast. We corresponded a lot to bridge the days: her waiting and us sailing. It’s all the mundane stuff...
Good Morning Amanda
We heard from Neville this morning and it sounds like he's throwing everything at it to gobble the sea-miles.
We did our usual watches last night. What works for us is 'rests as needed' during the day but come late afternoon we'll each have a shower, then have 'cheesy fivers' - no alcohol, perhaps a coke or lemonade with some nibbles to see off the day. We are completely out of coke btw because Brian gave it away to the Navigator boys the other night. They have our fish knife too. Honestly B just gives anything to anyone! We don't generally drink coke but have it for those urgent pick-me-ups at night or if its too rough to get food below!
Anyway after that Brian downloads the weather while I heat up dinner. We had tagliatelle last night with a sauce I had made from egg plant, tomatoes, onion, garlic and chorizo before leaving Aore. I also threw in some chopped olives, capers and sundried toms and a dollop of cream. I'm trying to clear out everything in the fridge! Plan succeeding. After dinner Brian goes to bed until around 1am. He then does 1 til dawn after a handover.
We encountered a 2kt north-flowing current yesterday. Mud. It let us go about 6-7 hours later. It seemed less cloudy overnight which was unexpected. We had up to 90% cloud cover by dusk. So the clearer skies and lots of stars were a nice surprise since the moon didn't come up at all on my watch. It's been later and later coming since the full moon last week-end as you know. A few nights ago it was shielded by a cloud close to the horizon (around 11pm) and it startled me. The intensity of visible dots made me think of a UFO!
The sea state has been getting flatter and flatter. We expect still less wind today. A motor-fest predicted and it will likely glass-off altogether ahead of the rain and building wind associated with the trough. Brian furled the headie for a period overnight but has pulled it out again this morning. Will it give us an extra knot? Maybe. It's not flapping!
I seem to be the lucky one and see the shipping on my watches this time. There was a completely unexpected small container ship yesterday at dawn. Its arrival to its visible form heralded by a glow on the still dark horizon. Where it came from on that course is a mystery. Last night at around 11:45 a couple of dots appeared. I was convinced it was port lights but really too far for certainty. Starred it down and watched it go slightly northward so it could only have been starboard lights. It then veered over the horizon but remained as a feint over-horizon-glow until handover at 1:00am. A giant fishing boat perhaps doing bog laps?
Brian reports now that not only are we out of the adverse current, we are now with its running mate and it's with us. Yay!
I've not been allowed to get up yet except to give Brian a cup of tea. He must be running on adrenaline at the thought of landfall. Will we smell the shore I wonder? Will the eucalyptus hit our senses. I know we smelled the Vanuatu Islands. They smelled very sweet. All that coconut and paw paw!
The first cup of tea was not a success. We have 2 styles of those stainless steel thermal walled mugs. Unfortunately I made Brian's tea in the one that flares up from the base like a sundae glass. Usually we use the others which are very curvy and bulge out close to the base. They sit better in the drink holder on the cockpit table. The ride is a bit more jerky when we motor. The boat lurched to one side and then the other dislodging the mug and contents. It doesn't happen often but that's life on a mono for you! We do have those sippy mugs like commuters use in their cars for take-out coffee but we hate them. The occasional spill is the price we pay, lol!
So what the day holds is more motoring and building excitement. Rain too but not likely to dampen spirits too much. Hope N and team have some wet weather strip. You're Victorians, of course you do! It's funny though how rarely we sail in rain!
We'll send you an ETA later in the day seeing as you are tracking us all in.
Btw we joined the GoWest Rally. Thought we'd let ourselves down gently-prolonging the fun!
Have a fun day Amanda, find something interesting to bring to Bundy on Wednesday. Neville will have recovered his first hangover by then!
Love
Evz
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