Passage to Rio Grande
13/12/10 23:58
At midnight the seas were still rough and the wind was steady at SSE F7. Kiriwina was romping along with about half the staysail deployed.
At 04:00 conditions had improved somewhat. Till now we had been keeping at least 25 miles off the coast. We altered to a northerly course directly for Rio Grande. Now deploying 3/4 of the staysail.
Conditions continued to ease. At 08:00 it was fine and sunny with the wind S-SW F5. The staysail was taken in and 3/4 yankee deployed.
At 12:00 we were having a lovely sail. Moderate seas, long swell. Wind S-SW F5. Full Yankee.
By 16:00 I began to wonder if we would loose the wind. After easing to F2 for a while it settled back to F4 Rio Grande was visible on the horizon and we were running under full main and yankee.
At 18:00 we were just over 4 miles of the harbour entrance with a falling wind and slight sea and swell. Our approach lay to the south and west of the main ship channel and we diverted into the fairway at the harbour entrance.
Number 6 fairway buoy at Rio Grande in very favourable conditions.
Big ship exiting the harbour.
Overview: Rio Grande harbour entrance.
West breakwater.
East breakwater.
At the entrance there was a strong flood tide. Just inside Kiriwina's shaft coupling began to fail.
Starboard buoy with strong tidal tail inside the breakwaters.
However, there is ample space outside the ship channel on either side for small craft to anchor. Fortunately I was able to nurse the coupling until we reached a safe anchorage well inside the outer harbour. At 20:15 the coupling failed completely and we anchored of a shipyard clear of the chip channel in 4.3 metres.
I attempted to call harbour control and Rio grande pilots on channel 16 but got no reply.
Outer harbour container berths.
Sunset over the shipyard.
Rio Grande outer harbour looking seaward.
We seemed safe enough so I decided to stay put for the night and see what tomorrow brings.
Trip log 215 miles. Passage time 2 days and 2 hours. No bad considering that we lay ahull for around 7 hours.
At 04:00 conditions had improved somewhat. Till now we had been keeping at least 25 miles off the coast. We altered to a northerly course directly for Rio Grande. Now deploying 3/4 of the staysail.
Conditions continued to ease. At 08:00 it was fine and sunny with the wind S-SW F5. The staysail was taken in and 3/4 yankee deployed.
At 12:00 we were having a lovely sail. Moderate seas, long swell. Wind S-SW F5. Full Yankee.
By 16:00 I began to wonder if we would loose the wind. After easing to F2 for a while it settled back to F4 Rio Grande was visible on the horizon and we were running under full main and yankee.
At 18:00 we were just over 4 miles of the harbour entrance with a falling wind and slight sea and swell. Our approach lay to the south and west of the main ship channel and we diverted into the fairway at the harbour entrance.
Number 6 fairway buoy at Rio Grande in very favourable conditions.
Big ship exiting the harbour.
Overview: Rio Grande harbour entrance.
West breakwater.
East breakwater.
At the entrance there was a strong flood tide. Just inside Kiriwina's shaft coupling began to fail.
Starboard buoy with strong tidal tail inside the breakwaters.
However, there is ample space outside the ship channel on either side for small craft to anchor. Fortunately I was able to nurse the coupling until we reached a safe anchorage well inside the outer harbour. At 20:15 the coupling failed completely and we anchored of a shipyard clear of the chip channel in 4.3 metres.
I attempted to call harbour control and Rio grande pilots on channel 16 but got no reply.
Outer harbour container berths.
Sunset over the shipyard.
Rio Grande outer harbour looking seaward.
We seemed safe enough so I decided to stay put for the night and see what tomorrow brings.
Trip log 215 miles. Passage time 2 days and 2 hours. No bad considering that we lay ahull for around 7 hours.
Passage to Rio Grande
12/12/10 22:57
Throughout the night we had winds from SE through SW F2-4. The barometer dropped from 1002 to 1000. At 04:00 we were off Cabo Polonia and running under full yankee with one reef in the main.
By 0800 things had deteriorated a bit. I was experiencing my first full gale at sea on Kiriwina. The yankee was furled and we were flying along under the main with three reefs.
If anything we were going a bit too fast with speeds often in excess of 6 knots. The wind was SSE 35 knots and increasing. With the seas and swell building Kiriwina sometimes slid down a wave and on occasion a gust would cause her to lean over and dig her quarter in resulting in her shipping water in the cockpit. This water was slow to drain at times.
Basically we had too much sail up. At 10:45 with windspeed reaching 40 knots in gusts I decided to stow the main and lie ahull for a while. This involved climbing up onto the cabin, securing the sail while ensuring nothing got tangled or fouled. The helm was lashed to leeward.
With this Kiriwina settled down with the wind slightly forward of the beam at a speed of 0.2 to 0.3 knots through the water. Her speed over the ground speed was 2.5-3.0 knots.
It was a lot deeper than 9.8 metres.
Lying ahull in rough seas.
The helm lashed to leeward.
35 knots of wind and increasing.
Calming eddy created by Kiriwina's sideways motion through the water.
By 15:00 the seas were very rough with SSE winds between 35-40 knots. Kiriwina rode easily making good a course of 028º some 25 miles from the coast.
Still lying ahull with the helm lashed to leeward under a dark and gloomy sky.
Around 17:00 the wind eased slightly to between 30-35 knots. I decided to resume sailing and deployed half the staysail.
At 19:00 we were sailing comfortably under a clearing sky. Windspeed was dropping below 30 knots at times.
At 20:00 we were some 24 miles off Chuy on the Brazil/Uruguay border. By midnight the wind had eased to between 25-30 knots. Under half the staysail we were making just under 5 knots.
By 0800 things had deteriorated a bit. I was experiencing my first full gale at sea on Kiriwina. The yankee was furled and we were flying along under the main with three reefs.
If anything we were going a bit too fast with speeds often in excess of 6 knots. The wind was SSE 35 knots and increasing. With the seas and swell building Kiriwina sometimes slid down a wave and on occasion a gust would cause her to lean over and dig her quarter in resulting in her shipping water in the cockpit. This water was slow to drain at times.
Basically we had too much sail up. At 10:45 with windspeed reaching 40 knots in gusts I decided to stow the main and lie ahull for a while. This involved climbing up onto the cabin, securing the sail while ensuring nothing got tangled or fouled. The helm was lashed to leeward.
With this Kiriwina settled down with the wind slightly forward of the beam at a speed of 0.2 to 0.3 knots through the water. Her speed over the ground speed was 2.5-3.0 knots.
It was a lot deeper than 9.8 metres.
Lying ahull in rough seas.
The helm lashed to leeward.
35 knots of wind and increasing.
Calming eddy created by Kiriwina's sideways motion through the water.
By 15:00 the seas were very rough with SSE winds between 35-40 knots. Kiriwina rode easily making good a course of 028º some 25 miles from the coast.
Still lying ahull with the helm lashed to leeward under a dark and gloomy sky.
Around 17:00 the wind eased slightly to between 30-35 knots. I decided to resume sailing and deployed half the staysail.
At 19:00 we were sailing comfortably under a clearing sky. Windspeed was dropping below 30 knots at times.
At 20:00 we were some 24 miles off Chuy on the Brazil/Uruguay border. By midnight the wind had eased to between 25-30 knots. Under half the staysail we were making just under 5 knots.
Passage to Rio Grande
11/12/10 13:57
It looked as though today might be the day to leave. The Uruguayan forecast was as follows.
Boletín Meteorológico Marino de la hora 15:00 UTC del 11/12/2010
Período de validez: 24 hs.
1. Aviso de temporal: se formula por rachas de viento del SE y S hasta la fuerza 8 (34 - 40 nudos) para Mar Territorial Uruguayo, Río de la Plata y Río Grande del Sur. Validez: desde las 20 UTC hasta el final del período.
Situación sinóptica correspondiente a la carta de las 12:00 UTC y su evolución:
Frente cálido se ubica en 27oS 58oW, 29oS 53oW y 30oS 50oW. Frente frío se ubica en 40oS 52oW, 38oS 55oW y 35oS 60oW y se desplaza al NE. Sistema de alta presión se aproxima por el SW de Provincia de Buenos Aires.
• Mar Territorial Uruguayo
Vientos: N fuerza 5/3. Rotando al S y SE fuerza 5/7, rachas de fuerza 8. Nubosidad y fenómenos asociados: nuboso y cubierto, precipitaciones y tormentas aisladas. Visibilidad: buena a regular. Olas: 1.5 m. evolucionando a 3.5 m. Tendencia próximas 48 horas: vientos: SW y W fuerza 5/6, rachas de fuerza 7. Nubosidad y fenómenos asociados: nuboso, períodos de algo nuboso.
The question for me was whether I would get F5 or F7. In the end I decided to go reasoning that the weather was forecast to ease further north and we were going north.
Our stay of two weeks at La Paloma cost Urg$3208 (£103). Clearance out was slow and relaxed.
Back on board I singled up and in calm conditions eased off the berth at 17:00. The engine seemed to hesitate before giving full power after a screeching noise from below. At 17:15 we cleared the harbour and motor sailed east to clear the sandbanks lying north of La Paloma harbour.
At 18:50 we were well clear and continued under sail. A heavy rain squall passed over at 20:00 followed by SW winds F4-5. Later La Laloma radio called up enquiring as to our well being.
Towards midnight we were having a relaxed sail and the wind began to ease.
Boletín Meteorológico Marino de la hora 15:00 UTC del 11/12/2010
Período de validez: 24 hs.
1. Aviso de temporal: se formula por rachas de viento del SE y S hasta la fuerza 8 (34 - 40 nudos) para Mar Territorial Uruguayo, Río de la Plata y Río Grande del Sur. Validez: desde las 20 UTC hasta el final del período.
Situación sinóptica correspondiente a la carta de las 12:00 UTC y su evolución:
Frente cálido se ubica en 27oS 58oW, 29oS 53oW y 30oS 50oW. Frente frío se ubica en 40oS 52oW, 38oS 55oW y 35oS 60oW y se desplaza al NE. Sistema de alta presión se aproxima por el SW de Provincia de Buenos Aires.
• Mar Territorial Uruguayo
Vientos: N fuerza 5/3. Rotando al S y SE fuerza 5/7, rachas de fuerza 8. Nubosidad y fenómenos asociados: nuboso y cubierto, precipitaciones y tormentas aisladas. Visibilidad: buena a regular. Olas: 1.5 m. evolucionando a 3.5 m. Tendencia próximas 48 horas: vientos: SW y W fuerza 5/6, rachas de fuerza 7. Nubosidad y fenómenos asociados: nuboso, períodos de algo nuboso.
The question for me was whether I would get F5 or F7. In the end I decided to go reasoning that the weather was forecast to ease further north and we were going north.
Our stay of two weeks at La Paloma cost Urg$3208 (£103). Clearance out was slow and relaxed.
Back on board I singled up and in calm conditions eased off the berth at 17:00. The engine seemed to hesitate before giving full power after a screeching noise from below. At 17:15 we cleared the harbour and motor sailed east to clear the sandbanks lying north of La Paloma harbour.
At 18:50 we were well clear and continued under sail. A heavy rain squall passed over at 20:00 followed by SW winds F4-5. Later La Laloma radio called up enquiring as to our well being.
Towards midnight we were having a relaxed sail and the wind began to ease.