Day Three: 264 miles achieved. All is well and the winds are steady from the south. I am north, and now heading due east to Bermuda with an ETA (estimated time of arrival) offshore Bermuda at around noon on Saturday. Eating well and keeping my log, personal journal and another log on my mental and emotional status put together by Jack and Karen Merwin of St. Augustine Psychological Services. Dodge did something similar. Jack read the book and updated the approach. Could be interesting. Taking some photos. Glorious sunsets which last so much longer than sunrises. Sleeping well.
Last night I had to hail a cargo ship that was getting awfully close. My AIS (Automatic Identification Service) and radar showed we were on a collision course. At a half mile apart, I put on my strobe light at the mast head (my idea to install it) and made radio contact. Immediately he turned to his port and passed behind me. Were they on watch? Was I on their radar? Did they see my AIS? What would they have done if I had not called? That’s why I sleep no more than 30 to 45 minutes at a time. Safer to sleep during the day when I can be seen a little better. My radar and AIS picks up ships at about 12 to 20 miles – some 30 minutes away. –S.P.
