Weather Update 5/30

Good afternoon Bill and crew -

Good to see that the less than ideal wind direction didn’t last too long. 

Winds will continue to veer this evening and will likely be SSW by sunset. The veering will continue overnight with winds tomorrow morning SW. Wind speeds will gradually increase through tonight and will be running 18-22 knots by tomorrow morning. 

Winds will veer to WSW tomorrow with speeds in the 20-24 knot range, then speeds will increase to 22-26 knots tomorrow night and continue on Wednesday as you move east toward 50W. Winds will shift to NW at similar speeds Wednesday night, and these conditions will continue through Thursday.

Seas will build to 5-7 feet later tomorrow and to 6-9 feet on Wednesday. Seas will build a bit more through Wednesday night and will be running 8-11 feet by Thursday, perhaps building a bit more later Thursday. Moderate NW winds will continue through Friday with seas running 10-13 feet.

Winds will back to WNW by early in the weekend near 40W and speeds will ease off a bit with seas subsiding. That will likely be the time to consider picking up a great circle route toward Ireland

That next low coming along from the west later in the weekend will likely remain near 40N into early next week, and it should be possible to be north of its influence by then.

The previous waypoints still look good. You will likely enter the stream a bit before reaching the 38N/58W waypoint and should have a good ride in the stream for a few days. Winds will be stronger through this period, but with the stream, so seas should remain manageable.

Bottom line, some nice sailing through this evening and tonight, then somewhat rigorous conditions for a few days, but excellent boat speed. Best to be prepared for somewhat more spartan meals as the boat motion will increase!

Ken

Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 3 post 2

DATE: Monday, 30 May, 2016, 13:45 PM Atlantic

SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 3, post #2

North Atlantic Ocean
Position: 36 410 N/60 00.1 W - Note latitude of 36
SOG 7.5 knots; COG 061 mag
TWS 11 kn; TWD: 139 mag

Conditions: Wind came up steadily this morning, and engine was off at 1045 hours. We have been sailing nicely, close hauled 50 degrees AWA, with full mainsail, staysail, and jib.

Current situation: Seas are modest as they have not had time to build due to gradual increase and clocking. True wind is just forward of the beam and we are slipping through the water quite nicely without significant seas as yet. Scattered clouds, mostly sunny. Bar 1029 mb.

NOTE: Please be advised that I barely had me coffee this morning and I mistakenly put us at latitude 38, not 36. Please note the correction as above.

We almost caught a bird..

All is well on-board.


Best wishes,

Bill Strassberg and crew, SY Visions of Johanna
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Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 3

DATE: Monday, 30 May, 2016, 9:00 AM Atlantic
SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 3

North Atlantic Ocean
Position: 38 19.8 N/60 21.1 W -- corrected 36 19.8N/60 21.1W (See Post #2)
SOG 6.1 knots (5.8 VMG); COG 047 mag
TWS 8.9 kn; TWD: 089 mag

Conditions: We are motorsailing in choppy seas. Wind has clocked from NW to NE over night with a few showers, and recently to the east, as anticipated. Barometer 1018.5 mb. Winds eased through the night. Sky is clearing this morning behind the front.

Current situation: Engine went on at 2145 hours last evening, and we are motor sailing. We are making 5 1/2 plus knots toward WP1 - but cannot make the bearing of 065 degrees right now. We do expect moderate winds to slowly clock through the day, and we will turn to starboard as it allows. The current course was selected as it a much more comfortable ride than motoring dead upwind...and we certainly have enough miles to go to make the course alteration insignificant. I reefed last evening as the frontal passage was expected, and will shake it out shortly.

We had chicken salad wraps (tortilla or lettuce) yesterday for lunch, with dill pickles and chips. Dinner was good 'ol burgers and home fries with a green salad. We were successful with our Easi-Yo, and had Greek yogurt over peach slices for desert. Definitely a winner.

No longer do we hear Bermuda radio on the VHF. Several Cargo ships on AIS overnight.

All is well on-board.

Best wishes,

Bill Strassberg and crew, SY Visions of Johanna


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Ken McKinley Weather Update 29 May

Good afternoon Bill and crew -

Glad to hear that you are into your underway routine. 

You’ll continue to have rather light WNW winds through this evening, then after midnight tonight you will cross the weak frontal boundary, and winds will shift to SE, still likely, generally 9 knots or less. There could be a shower or two with the front, but nothing heavy, and nothing of any significant duration. 

Winds tomorrow will slowly veer to SSE and will increase to 9-13 knots in the afternoon. Tomorrow evening as you move into the Gulf Stream, winds will veer to SSW and increase to 12-16 knots; later at night winds will veer to SW. 

On Tuesday winds will veer toward WSW in the afternoon with speeds in the 15-19 knot range, and seas will build to 5-7 feet. WSW winds will increase to 19-23 knots Tuesday night and these winds will continue through Wednesday.

Later Wednesday night or early Thursday winds will shift to N at 16-20 knots with seas still in the 5-7 foot range, but perhaps a bit confused for a while after the wind shift. N winds will ease a bit later Thursday, then will back to NW by Friday with speeds in the 14-18 knot range. Seas may build to 6-9 feet on Friday, mainly in swells from the north. 

Friday night and into Saturday look for winds to back to WNW along the route with speeds likely staying at or below 20 knots as it now appears that the low will move out of the way a bit more quickly than was earlier anticipated. 

The current route looks good through much of next week. Some adjustment may be needed late in the week or next weekend, perhaps an earlier turn to the north as another low appears that it will track east along about 40N through the central Atlantic early in the following week, and it may be useful to get north of that low and miss most of its impact. Lots of time to consider those options, though, and also to see how the system will eventually evolve.

Email with any questions.

Ken

SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 2 post #3

DATE: Sunday, 29 May, 2016, 17:50 PM Atlantic

SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 2 post #3

North Atlantic Ocean
Position: 35 03.5N/61 35.6W

SOG 7.5 knots; COG 078 mag
TWS 13.5 kn; TWD: 309 mag

Conditions: Wind has steadily built from the port quarter.Still sunny but with more clouds, probably 30% - 40% cover with cumulus that have flat bottoms. No convective tops.

Current situation: We have been sailing beautifully since 1445 hrs. with reacher and full main, with apparent wind just aft the beam at 12-13 knots. We have a bit more east in our course (WP1 Bearing 061 mag) than ideal. Plan will be to substitute the jib for the night,head up a bit if not too powerful, and put a reef in the main if wind holds.

We still hear Bermuda radio on the VHF.

All is well on-board.


Best wishes,

Bill Strassberg and crew, SY Visions of Johanna


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SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 2 post #2

DATE: Sunday, 29 May, 2016, 11:30 AM Atlantic

SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 2 post #2

North Atlantic Ocean
Position: 34 33.1N/62 20.3W

SOG 7.3 knots; COG 0658 mag
TWS 5-9 kn; TWD: 297 mag

Conditions: Wind has come up a bit from the port quarter.

Current situation: We are making just over 7 knots now, motor sailing with the reacher. Wind is not steady, though, tending back to L&V, and the reacher is coming down once again. Jib up. And as for our fishing, Denis says that there must be no fish in this part of the ocean.

NOTE: I have re-run GRIBS and potential courses, finding that the issue of upwind sailing with wind against current seems to have disappeared. I am not getting the same route, and wind conditions stay closer to or aft of the beam. I think that the computer/Expedition chose that particular option once but does not wish to find it again. Fine with me. In the end, tactical decisions will come as time gets closer.

We still hear Bermuda radio on the VHF.

All is well on-board.


Best wishes,

Bill Strassberg and crew, SY Visions of Johanna


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SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 2

DATE: Sunday, 29 May, 2016, 8:00 AM Atlantic

SY Visions of Johanna Bermuda to Dingle, Ireland Crossing Day 2

North Atlantic Ocean
Position: 34 15.3N/62 41.2 W

SOG 6.5 knots; COG 064 mag
TWS 4.1 kn; TWD: 287 mag

Conditions: We are motoring in minimal seas and wind, a glassy 2-3 foot swell. Pam had a boat on AIS 32 nm out last night, other than that, simply a flat horizon and gently rippled waters.

Current situation: We are making about 6.5 knots now, essentially motoring with the mainsail up, and we might have another day or two like this; it looks like a large High has parked itself over us, and the High will drift slowly NE as we follow. Winds will slowly build by Tuesday into Wednesday, I think, and I am already looking ahead to Thursday and Friday of this week as we will be situated between a low to our east and a building high to our west. I see some headwinds at that time from late Wednesday or Thursday morning through Friday as we pass through WP's 1 and 2.

As I look further into it, we hopefully would be riding a favorable Gulf Stream current - several knots it looks like - but we might end up in a wind against (significant GS) current zone. An unhappy sea state can result from those conditions, and I will spend the next day or two watching and considering an alternative such as ...just don't be there! We'll see what develops.

Everyone is settling in. Fishing lines are out and Denis supplied us with his "special super-duper can't miss) plug. So I am hopeful.
We had (Trudy's homemade) hummus on wraps with lettuce and side of Goldfish for crunch for lunch yesterday, (Goldfish crackers, not the swimming kind). I think that Andrew's exact words were "That Trudy is a fantastic lady". A nice simple dinner of pan grilled pork loins, roasted potatoes, and garlic bread with green salad was enjoyed below at the table...served on real plates as it was so calm.

We still hear Bermuda radio on the VHF.

320 nm to WP 1.

All is well on-board.


Best wishes,

Bill Strassberg and crew, SY Visions of Johanna


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