I am there. Finally. Fair winds and following seas, and a current that goes with me, not against me. And it feels nice…
I was reflecting on the trip down to Buenos Aires last year, as I am using the same set of charts to mark my progress. In some stretches, it was quick both ways, due to the different weather of the seasons. But in other places, it was very quick one way, and very slow the other. I wish I had my actual log sheets, to compare conditions. What I now observe as fair winds and following seas and pleasant, last year was probably “more cursed wind on the nose, current against me, pounding in the *$#%! seas!” . How many times am I going to learn that lesson, do you suppose?
As I now travel more west than north, my landmarks up ahead are crossing the equator, and passing through the ITCZ (Inter-tropical convergence zone), also called the doldrums, which should lie around 3 degrees north. After that, entering the Caribbean sea, and then Panama.
3/31 8am 4.14 S 36.17 W 2562nm gone, 2914nm to go