Rhumb Line

Rhumb Line

Once again we are on a direct course to The Traps and Snares and the shallow bank that guards the southern approaches to Stewart Island. Just beyond these hazards lies South Cape.

It is a rough ride as we lurch along in the building swell from the west and last nights leftovers. Today will be a repeat of yesterday with what I hope will be somewhat milder conditions. Milder is relative in these parts as yesterday handed out 35 knot gales and 45+ knot gusts  in hard driven rain that pricked like needles on any exposed skin.

Knock on wood and scratch a mast, we’ll pass under South Cape tomorrow after some 182 days at sea. Where did the days go? Have I been out here that long? Can I really have sailed close to 20,000 miles to get here? And where exactly is here? The Capes are nothing more than pencil lines on a plotting sheet. We pass sight unseen. Unnoticed.

It isn’t sinking in, but it is percolating.

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