For our non-sailing friends a starboard tack is when the wind contacts first (also referred to as windward) the starboard (right) side of the boat and a port tack, the port side is to windward. We’ve all seen beautiful sailing boats that are not level but look like they are tipping over, this is called heeling.
Okay, with that said most of our trip from Hawaii to Polynesia has been on a port tack and maybe once for a short day sail have we been on a starboard tack, but now we have another 2 days on a starboard tack. Why, you ask does this matter, boats sail on either tack all the time? The model of Beneteau we are sailing happens to have the fridge along the starboard wall (bulkhead) with the door opening towards the center of the boat. If the boat is heeled from the starboard side and the downward angle of the boat is facing port and the door to the fridge opens to port. If you guess that opening the fridge door under this conditions can result in a fair amount of the contents spilling out onto the floor, you are regrettably correct. Yesterday evening the wind came and we shut off the engine. The boat settled in on a starboard tack. This morning on watch all Sara wanted was an apple and an orange. She knew the crisp green cold apple and juicy sweet orange was in the fridge on the top shelf to the left. She thought just maybe if the door was cracked only a little bit, she could be quick enough everything wouldn’t fly out of the fridge and wake Wade. Instead of attempting such madness she stood her watch only imagining the tasty fruits.
We’ve decided to start a game called Math Be Hard For Sailors – Fatu Hiva and for all of the details click here. The objective of Math Be Hard For Sailors Game is to precisely determine the destination arrival time for a prize. If you’d like to start the game with us see the game details below.
Cheers and good luck,
Wade and Sara
Math Be Hard For Sailors – Fatu Hiva
Destination: Fatu Hiva Marqueses (10° 30.721’S, 138° 41.532’W)
Prize: Marqueses post card from us to you
Submissions are accepted until arrival.
Please only submit the date and time only, no need for your crazy calculations via Math Be Hard For Sailors Entry and Update Form .
- Weather: Sunny and about a squall an hour.
- Ves. Pos. 144° 5.538’S, 140° 26.679’W
- SOG: 4.9 kts
- Heading: 35°
- Course Over Ground (COG): 12°
- Time: 12:00:01 PM 2/25/17
- Nautical miles to destination (Crs Rng & Brg): 275 nm
- Compass degree required to reach destination (Crs Rng & Brg): 22°
- Apparent wind speed (AWS): 18 kts
- Apparent wind angle: 35°
Have fun and good luck!
