Day 5 Sailing to Sri Lanka – half way and woah, look at that one!
3Saturday 27 February 2016
Surfing the waves
During the morning of day 5 we passed our halfway mark for the passage – always a good reason for some cheer. Just a paltry 560 nautical miles to go. We can almost smell that Sri Lankan curry!
The weather forecast was spot on again as the winds blew 22-25 knots – but more sensational were the big waves. We estimated they were 4-5m at times. You’d look back and see one above Adina’s stern, we’d rise up and then look into the trough of the next wave. “Woah, look at that one”. Susie seemed less impressed. The sea state has been the really big factor on this trip – most of the time it’s as lumpy as can be and we yaw away, other times it calms down and we sprint off.
There’s not much more to do than chat, read, and if the sea calms down venture out of the cockpit to check all is ok with the rigging. We’ve made a high-level itinerary to go ‘backpacking’ in Sri Lanka and it certainly promises a lot – elephants, leopards, temples, tea plantations and a curry called hoppers!
The afternoon wind dropped below 20 knots and life became a bit more endurable. Tips breaking the water were spotted – dolphins! We never tire of seeing dolphins and up to the bow we went to watch as some small spinner type dolphins played away. You wonder what it is that attracts them.
The moon now rises at 9pm so we get two and a half hours of pitch black darkness – on this trip we’ve preferred having some moonlight so we can see the sea. Stronger winds were forecast for the night but didn’t materialise and we even got a bit more sail out. More annoyingly the wind is going east and we are having to steer away from our rhumb line – probably means a gybe during the day tomorrow. An impressive 171 nautical miles for the day – given lighter winds forecast ahead that will probably be our record for this passage. Dolphins and elephants – it’s a funny old world.
Sigiriya is worth a visit and a climb when you get to Sri Lanka as is Dambulla.
Keep on rolling.
Well done – 171 nm = brilliant!! Wishing you many more dolphins, softer seas and helpful winds. Hope you see some of the really ancient seafaring ships in Galle, the hub of the seven seas.
Good morning (UK time) from a coolish, overcast, but (unusually, given the rubbish weather, we’ve had lately) dry day, with light winds.
You and your Nautical Miles! (6082.66 feet or one minute of longitude measured at the equator, for any land-lubbers logging in). I can tell you, by my calcs, in proper miles, that since you left Ao Po Marina, Phuket and arrived at 6 degrees, 19.93 minutes North / 84 degrees, 20.59 minutes East , you completed 925.462 (proper) miles……. approximately!
We love all the journal writing about your day-to-day routines and checking out kit etc. So please keep them coming. Along, of course, with all your observations on the natural world, as Adina carries you safely up and down and ever onwards through the days and nights. It must be hard to sleep at times, when you’re listening out for those inevitable and annoying slight differences in Adina’s regular heart beats and motion. The odd strange sound or motion that takes you up to the cockpit in the middle of the night in a big swell, to check it out. At least in a car you can stop, lift the bonnet, and have good look around….!
There don’t appear to be many good harbours along the South and South East shores of Sri Lanka, so we’re thinking you might be heading for Colombo…..however, that’s
just a guess of course….. you’ll most likely find a nice quiet beach somewhere along the South coast to chill out after you crossing…can’t wait for the next blog!……God speed to the three of you and stay safe and well!
All our love from The Keenors
xx