[password]8Tarnhows
[status] Notes from Ambler II, Tuesday 09 April 2019.

Today we find ourselves approaching the halfway point mid Tasman Sea.
Since our last message on Sunday morning 07 April we have had a mixed bag of sailing conditions but overall we must say Huey has been kind to us.
For much of Sunday we generally had winds from the north quarter but with an unpleasant north easterly swell giving quite a lot of rocking and rolling.
A highlight of the day was a near miss with a Sunfish, a very unusually shaped large fish which often basks on the surface of the open ocean. (google sunfish).
Monday 10 April saw us with an early period of head winds from the north east which necessitated the use of the engine for a couple of hours. However, the day settled down to ideal sailing conditions with the wind slightly forward of the port beam and Ambler sporting three sails: jib, staysail and main. This pretty configuration produced 8 knots speed over the ground with only a 12 knot breeze. With the sun out - picture perfect! To complete the picture, late in the day we were visited for a long time by a very large pod of dolphins; many of them being juveniles.
Those pleasant conditions stayed with us through the night (two sails, jib and main) until about 4:30 am when abating conditions called for use of the engine.
Today, Tuesday, we await the passing of our most likely significant weather.
At about 9:30 am we encountered the first of the pre-frontal cloud-banks which rapidly increased to 25 knots from the north. We expect that from about noon, though to just after midnight, we will encounter a wind shift through north to south west. The wind velocity is likely to be up to 30 knots.These conditions will be accompanied by a rising south west swell of about three metres.
After the cold front passes we settle into a beautiful sustained period of moderate south west winds and swell; all heading in the right direction.
All for now from Ambler II, mid morning Tuesday 09 April 2019.
Regards to all,
Jim, Graham, Fred and Bill (scribe)

[END]