PORT BLAIR, ANDAMAN IS. TO TRINCOMALEE, SRI LANKA

March 8-18, 2016

We departed Port Blair at 0936 hrs on March 8, 2016 bound for Trincomalee, Sri Lanka 750 nm distant.  My Wx forecast and Grib files showed that the winds would be very light for this voyage.  Just how light came as a surprise as we proceeded down the east coast of South Andaman Island.  Along the coast, during the day, we had had winds out of the ENE at 10 kts which makes for pleasant sailing.  As evening approached, the winds started to go light but we still were able to make headway.  There are many passes that can be navigated between the various Andaman Islands but most have strong currents and overfalls. I didn’t want to be becalmed near land in those conditions so I decided to add distance to the trip and go down to the south end of Little Andaman Island (10-28.0’N; 92-30.0’E) and start our “Westing” from there.  Good thing I did this because at 0100 hrs on March 9^th we were becalmed in position 10-37.5’N; 92-40.3’E:  dropped all sails and waited for a breeze.  A very light E’ly wind at 5 kts came up at 0400 hrs.  When you have winds this light, it is very difficult to carry a mainsail.  The smallest amount of swell will roll the wind out of the sail and cause it to flog and slat. This is hard on the sail and nerves so a workaround is needed.  We dropped the mainsail and poled out the headsail on the most favorable side.  The pole keeps the jib from collapsing and presents a big surface to the wind.  This is most effective when the wind is coming from abaft the beam to the stern.  Should the wind be directly aft then we can pole out two headsails and run with it.  This makes for very nice sailing but should the wind “back” or “veer” one of those headsails has to be taken in.

Thus began the long light wind sailing voyage.  It’s an exercise in patience and light wind management.  Normally, I calculate the number of days to reach a destination using a 100 mile per day figure.  We have always be able to make this with 120 nm being an average.  On this voyage, our first day out from noon-to-noon gave us 79 nm with 669 nm to go.  March 10^th noon position (10-13.7’N; 91-35.7’E) gave us 49 nm in a twenty-four hour period.  That’s slow: 2 kts an hour.  A person walks faster than that.  March 11^th Noon position (9-55.7’N; 90-26.3’E) delivered 70 nm with periods of calm and very slight seas.  Later in the afternoon, a NW’ly wind came up and started to increase.  We set a full mainsail and jib.  By 2200 hrs, the wind was blowing 20 kts so we put two reefs in the mainsail and reduced the headsail.  We don’t know where that wind came from but it was glorious while it lasted.  Unfortunately, by 0600 hrs on March 12^th it was gone and left a very lumpy sea that was difficult to negotiate with a mainsail.  Eventually, we had to drop it because it was flogging too badly.  Continued on under a poled out jib and Noon position (9-36.2’N; 88-44.4’E) gave us 102 nm with 448 nm to go.  The Bay of Bengal is not a friendly place to be.  It is prone to tropical storms and cyclones.  These are unlikely in the month of March but one wants to make time as quickly as possible.  I had good Wx reports coming in from Port Blair and Iridium-Go was providing me with three day forecasts.  I’m an old seaman and I still look at the barometer in the morning and evening.  It’s amazing how consistent the barometric pressure is in these latitudes. It doesn’t vary by more than 3mb during its daily cycle.  A drop of 5mb from the daily normal barometric pressure reading would indicate some kind of tropical depression.

Maarch 13^th Noon position (9-29.5’N; 87-34.4’E) delivered 72 nm from the Noon Position with 378 nm to go.  Today is Phyllis’ birthday.  Not much wind but smooth seas so we rejoiced in being healthy enough to undertake this sailing life.  Dolphins came to visit us and played around the boat for twenty minutes or so.  Winds have been in the NNE-ESE at <5kts but pick up in the evening to 5-7 kts.  As long as the seas are almost flat, it’s pleasant but slow.  Wx remains stable with no tropical storms on the horizon.  March 14^th Noon position (9-19.5’N; 86-18.9’E) indicates that we have made 75 nm with 303 nm to go.  Still the lightest wind sailing we have ever done.  When we look back on the voyage from Panama to the Galapagos which is notorious for the light winds encountered, we find that we were on a rollercoaster next to this one.  The one amazing aspect of these light winds is that they never really die out.  They drop out to three kts, maybe less, but they are there that allows for ghosting along at 1.5-2.0 kts.  Ridiculous!!  In our favor is a W’ly setting current at 0.5 kts which is giving millage on a daily basis.  In the evening time until early morning, we are making 3.0-3.5 kts.

We still have engine driven refrigeration.  What this means is that we have to run the engine to charge the reefer twice a day for one hrs.  I have decided to engage the transmission while we are charging the fridge and this gives us an extra 12 nm per day.  March 15^th shows that we made 77nm from Noon-to-noon (9-15.7’N; 85-01.0’E) with 226 nm to go.  It’s all unfolding slowly: a pregnancy that has to be brought to term in its own good time.  At times, we are experiencing almost no wind so I am starting to motor to make distance.  I don’t like to do this on principal:  we are a sailboat!  March 16^th   brings up 70nm for the noon position (9-00.8’n; 83-51.0’E) with 156 nm to go.  Winds are very light out of the ESE.  The evening time gives us the most consistent winds and pleasant sailing.  At times, we can carry both jibs poled out.  On March 17^th, we started to experience a 0.75-1.0 kt current against us.  Given the fact that we are only making 2.0 kts, I started to motor to get out of it.  Also, at 240 miles offshore, we have had a few Sri Lankan fishing boats approach asking for booze and smokes.  They are not a threat but can be persistent in asking for something.  They have a hard life and, surely, are paid very little for their labor.  Nevertheless, to give them something only encourages more approaches for future yachts.  March 17^th Noon Position (8-51.8’N; 82-32.2’E) shows that we made good 78 nm with 78 nm to go.  It’s going to happen!

At 1100 hrs on March 18^th, we dropped anchor in the beautiful harbor of Trincomalee in position (8-33.823’N; 81-13.759’E) on a sand/mud bottom with 25’ water depth.  We found our good sailing friends on S/Y Elonissa anchored.  This was, indeed, one of the slowest voyages we have made to date.  All’s well that ends well.