21.04.2006
‘As we head towards the equator the temperature has soared’
In Brief
• Soaring temperatures make it difficult for Dee to sleep
• Changeable weather forces exhausting series of gybes and sail changes
• Stable winds from the south-southeast forecast to get lighter as Dee sails northwest towards the equator
Summary
Dee Caffari is enjoying stable winds from the south-southeast today as she continues her journey north, but they are forecast to become increasingly light as she approaches the equator.
“She is now only 440 miles from the northern hemisphere if she were to sail due north from her current position,” said weather forecaster Mike Broughton, “But that course would ultimately end with Aviva stranded with no wind at all, so Dee is heading northwest to a more prudent crossing point around 700 miles away. However, you can’t sail directly downwind in light winds, so she will have to continue gybing and is likely to sail a total of around 800 miles before she crosses the equator.”
Dee was hoping to catch up on some sleep before the unpredictable Doldrums keep her busy, but the soaring temperature is making it difficult to sleep.
“My steel tank is imitating an oven very well,” said Dee on Wednesday. “On deck during the day it is so hot I can't walk on the deck in bare feet and at night the stifling heat of the day doesn't seem to be lost below.”
She only managed to lie down with her eyes closed for periods of 20 minutes, and the consistent conditions and lack of other vessels at the time - which would have usually helped her sleep - increased the frustration.
On Thursday, the breeze decided to take a “wander,” and keeping up with the weather proved exhausting. “Being in the Atlantic doesn't always mean easy sailing, ask any sailors,” said Dee. “It is notorious for changeable weather and you have to stay with it to get the best progress. A shining example of that happened in the early hours of this morning.”
When the wind changed direction by 60° Dee was forced to gybe. “Almost five minutes after I had finished the ordeal the breeze freshened,” continued Dee. “So I changed from the Code 0 to headsails. Once that was complete the breeze went for a wander again and made the other gybe more preferable. So once again we gybed. This shifting wind continued and in the space of two hours I had gybed four times.”
Searching for the best place to sleep after the exertion, Dee found the bunk was most suitable, noting that it was the first time she had slept in it since heading southbound in the Atlantic at the start of the voyage! Later that day after some more sail changes and another winch serviced, she sat down for a well-earned cup of tea.
“Next thing I knew, it was thirty minutes later. I was that tired; I slept without having to try. That felt great!”
Competition News
More than 1,800 people entered the competition to predict the point at which Dee will first cross her outbound track as she heads north. The competition on www.avivachallenge.com has now closed and the lucky winner of £5,000 worth of travel vouchers will be announced when we have confirmation that Dee has crossed her outbound track.
Quick Links
Listen to an interview with Dee on the BBC World Service’s Digital Planet podcast. The programme that reports on technology stories from around the globe looks at how technology is helping Dee’s round the world voyage:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4849402.stm
Read Dee’s latest diary entry:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=6
Send Dee a message:
http://www.avivachallenge.com/index.asp?pageid=10
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