No Rest for the Weary

No Rest for the Weary

Getting east in these here parts seems like some sort of US Civil War North vs South drama.

The westerlies supposed to prevail have all but evaporated replaced by North South or Northeast Southeast winds. Every now and then the forecast tantalizes with a hint of west winds but quickly reverts to north south when forecast turns to reality. It seems this entire half of the Indian Ocean is closed for east-bound traffic.

Currently, we are headed almost due south in moderate to strong ENE winds of 25 knots. That’s the polite way of saying we are pounding upwind again. There will be no rest for the weary until Friday or Saturday. I say or as it will depend on how long I can take it. The swell will build, the wind waves will build, the wind will build but my resolve may not.

All this north south stuff is complicated by the vagaries of the sub-tropical high. It, or more correctly a piece of it, just can’t decide where it should be. I would very much  like to tell it where it to go, but I have little say in the matter. It keeps heading South, stalls, orients Southest-Northwest, and then heads back North. Usually it waits to see what I decide to do and then sets out to thwart my ever so carefully laid plans.

I have given up consulting the pilot charts for help. They show Westerlies and a gale a month. They may as well have replaced the wind roses with smiley-faces as that would have been just as useful. The latest high-tech pilot charts derived using satellite radar scatterometer data are equally out-to-lunch.

Eventually, every dog will have its day and it looks we’ll have ours this coming Saturday. Until that time, it’s a dog’s breakfast of contrary wind, wave, swell,and current for Sir Salty McPounded, Port and Starboard, and me.

Follow my tracks in real-time:
https://bit.ly/svseaburban