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DATE 12/7/06
COURSE 225˚
WEATHER/SEA STATE Gibraltar coastal: Force 4–5 gusting 15/17 kt SW GP for open water forecast: wind 20–25 kt, waves 2–3 m at 12–14 sec intervals
DIALOGUE Fully pressed fuel tanks. 3,950 l diesel. Called Gib port control channel 16—no reply. Depart from Gib headed for Canary Isles. Heavy shipping in separation zone of straits. Hit whirlpool. Dimma swings violently through 35˚. No damage sustained. 8.1 kt
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DATE 12/10/06
COURSE 240˚
WEATHER/SEA STATE Severe weather. Wind force 8, occasional 9. Seas steep 4–6 m/short intervals
DIALOGUE Running with wind and high seas. Winds gusting near 50 kt. Stabilizer fluid temp 218˚ and leaking into bilge. Slow to 7 kt but steep faces push to 13/14 kt and starting to broach in deep troughs. Stabilize with drogue off stern. Arrive Los Palmos harbor 3:30 a.m.
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DATE 12/15/06
COURSE 220˚
WEATHER/SEA STATE Force 2–3. Calm seas, slight increase in swells.
DIALOGUE Clear radar. Speed 8.5 kt. No shipping visible. Sky red from Saharan dust. Slow for large pod of pilot whales. Port stabilizer appeared stuck on incline. Centered and seems OK. Catch dorado. Great fish dinner.
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DATE 12/23/06
COURSE 273˚
WEATHER/SEA STATE Force 2–3 trades. Light swells.
DIALOGUE West from Cape Verde—all well in tropics. Fifth day without sighting—visible/radar—of another vessel or VHS contact. 3:45 a.m. main engine shut down—all electrical systems out including nav lights and backup system. Wing engine and port/starboard gensets won’t start. Dimma broadside to waves. Next day trace problem to faulty 12V cutoff. Charge batteries and resume course.
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DATE 4/29/07
COURSE 038˚
WEATHER/SEA STATE Force 2. 1 m following sea.
DIALOGUE After four months in Caribbean enter Verrazzano Narrows. Approximate distance traveled from Gibraltar–N.Y. 6,100 nm. Weather permitted winter passage up East Coast without use of inland waterways. Arrive at dock on East River. Voyage from Gibraltar to N.Y. complete!
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