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Feb 26 2008 11:00GMT.
Message from Erden re the planned stop-over at
Kosrae Island:
Aiming for Lele
Harbour on Kosrae, at the NE corner of the
island.
I will get charts both electronic/paper, do
laundry, regroup, clean barnacles, bottom paint,
decide when and where to go, etc...
Let's hope that I can stick the landing. |
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All afternoon and
evening yesterday, rain squalls passed over me, bringing
stronger easterly winds, pushing me more west, then subsiding.
During the lulls between the squalls, I was able to maintain
course toward Lelu harbor By sunset, I felt the need to ease
the angle of approach, and aimed the boat toward Utwe Harbor on
the south side. I felt that I was by then already too far west
given the winds.
About 4 hours after sunset, the wind did not subside after a
rain squall, and remained steady from ENE. By rowing, I traveled
due 290 degrees or so. I had set myself a target at 11nm due
south from the Utwe harbor, to bring me within 12nm of the
island. I could not maintain a course even for that. By the
time I gave up, Lelu was 41.4nm due 332, Utwe was 40.5 due 325
and the 11nm point south of Utwe was 33.6nm due 312.
Doug had kindly offered to take extra fuel along to come looking
for me up to 30nm from the island. I felt good knowing that he
would come out that far, but this was not an emergency. I did
not want to bring Doug out that far, abuse our boats over such a
long distance tow, and most importantly, the idea did not sit
well inside given my human powered journey. Had I reached
within 20nm, I probably would have been tempted, but it did not
look likely that I would get there.
So I recommitted the boat on what will hopefully remain a
southwesterly heading. I will now try to get south of 3N
soonest to escape the counter current.
Wish me luck. Thank you for the encouragement, and all the
goodwill that has been poured into my safe arrival at Kosrae.
Best regards.
Erden Eruç |
