Day three in the doldrums
Day 3 in the doldrums
28th May 2010
Ship’s Log
Jewel’s crew wait for the wind to carry them the final stretch to Georgetown
This was our third full day of little to no wind. In addition, a current of 1.5 knots is flowing against us so our progress is very slow. In these conditions, the heat is intense and there is little shade available on the Jewel of Muscat. Fortunately, it is Friday–a rest day–so the crew members were able to relax as best they could. Some tried to sleep, others read or played fierce games of dominoes, and one person attempted to escape the heat by reading Ernest Shackleton’s, South– the extraordinary account of his harrowing expedition to the Antarctic in 1915.
Weather reports suggest that the winds might pick up tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, so all we can do is hope that the reports are accurate. We are tantalizingly close to Penang (approximately 120 miles) and it is frustrating not to be able to do anything to close that gap. Then again, such helplessness against the weather is an authentic 9th century experience.