At Castine Maine

Wednesday, 16 May     Day 13   Daily Log   Voyage #  0107

Things are pretty much back to normal routine today.  The weather kicked up a bit overnight so it is not too pleasant on deck today.  Blowing 25 knots out of the North Northeast and with our forward motion it is about 40 knots across the deck.  This is being generated by a pretty large low up off the Bay of Biscay which is pretty notorious for winds.  As we get down into the Gibraltar Straits we will be sheltered by Spain and Portugal and it won't be as bad.  Plus we have overcast skies today so it's simply a good day for inside projects.

The plan at the moment is to go into the Med looking for smooth seas, warmth, and sun....then do some training in Terrestrial Navigation along the Spanish coast before turning around and coming back to the "Rock" for arrival Monday morning.  The Queen's Harbourmaster has assigned our berth, arranged our tugs and line handlers and is the  liaison with our agent.  We will be going alongside bow to the North, which will put our starboard side alongside the dock.  We will load bunkers alongside the first day in port.

So....the question of the day is:  How many pickles have we been using per day?  The answer is quite revealing:  5 Gallons per day.   I don't know how many dill spears is in a 5 gallon bucket but it is a lot!

Check out our Question and Answer page.

Position at 1200 Local Time (LT)                                                   Zone Description 0 hours
Latitude  36-22.6 N  Longitude  016-40.5  W

Noon to noon (or Departure to Noon or Noon to Arrival):  
Distance:     314.4  Nmiles
Time run:     24 hrs  00  min
Average Speed.  13.7  Kts
Total passage distance:     2469.6    Nmiles       (to date)
Total passage Time:   07  Days   13 Hours   45  Minutes
Total Average Speed:   13.6   Kts

ETA Gibraltar  21 May  at 0800 Local time (ZT +2 hours) 0600 UTC

Wind:  NE'ly   22 Knots
Sea:     Rough NE'ly
Swell:   Moderate NE'ly
Sky:   Mostly overcast
Temperature:  64 Air    65  Sea   

Synopsis:  Azores High w/winds from a Bay of Biscay Low

More Azores and Holiday Photos courtesy of a cadet.

Gibraltar Info:            

Odessa Info:

Split Info:

Halifax Info:

Rockland/Castine  Excursion:

Rockland to Castine the day we arrive back at our home berth (30 June) has been designated as a possible "excursion day".  The U.S. Coast Guard has granted us a permit to take extra persons on board above our vessels certification.  To do this we have to have certain lifesaving procedures and equipment on board.  Accordingly the numbers we can take are strictly limited.  We, of necessity,  have limited our guests to 2 persons per upper class student on cruise (immediate family members only) plus official MMA invitees and crew member guests.  We can not offer more because we do not have the lifesaving capability.  Also this is always a tentative adventure which, because of weather, security, operational difficulties etc. may be cancelled up to the last moment.  The security issue is becoming a big item in how we offer and execute these excursions, so for those who are planning to attend please be patient with the necessary safety and security procedures.

Castine to Gibraltar

Gibraltar to Odessa

Odessa to Split

Split to Halifax

Halifax to Rockland / Castine

TOTAL Cruise Mileage:      

    3000   Nautical Miles (Estimated)

    2260   Nautical Miles  (Estimated)

    1530   Nautical Miles   (Estimated)

    4460   Nautical Miles   (Estimated)

       280  Nautical Miles   (Estimated)

    11,530  Nautical Miles  (Estimated)