What is the Equator?

The Equator is a great circle around the Earth that is everywhere equidistant from the geographic poles and lies in a plane perpendicular to the Earth’s axis. This geographic, or terrestrial, Equator divides the Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres and forms the imaginary reference line on the Earth’s surface from which latitude is reckoned; in other words, it is the line with 0° latitude. (Source Encyclopaedia Britannica)

What is the Guinea Current?

The Guinea Current is a surface oceanic current of the Atlantic Ocean, the eastward continuation of the Atlantic Equatorial Countercurrent, off the western coast of Africa near the Gulf of Guinea. Always north of the equator, the southeastward-flowing Guinea Current changes position with the seasons so that its northern limit lies at approximately latitude 7° N during the winter and latitude 15° N during the summer. The warm, highly saline Guinea Current reaches a depth of less than 660 feet (200 m). (Source Encyclopaedia Britannica)

Day 581 – 25th December 1987

Noon Summary Log

Day: 581
Date: 25th December 1987
Latitude: 7° 11.8′ S
Longitude: 31° 13.5′ W
Water Temperature: 27.6°C
Wind @ Noon: 12-15 E
Max Wind /24 hours: 20 E
Min Wind /24 hours: 12-14 E
Cloud Cover 3/8
Cabin Temperature: 30.3°C
Outside Temperature: 30.4°C
Barometer: 1009

Source: CUL00045/16

Log

  • Happy Xmas me all alone with a sunburnt cracked chafed bottom lip – very sore. I’m listening to Xmas carols specially taped for me by Noel Semmens – who is a truly nice friend. Good program on BBC too.
  • The day was a good excuse to treat myself to abetter fare with my evening meal. 1st I had a mixture of Bacardi with water! (the only grog – that was – on board). Then big full plate of Hawaiian & California chicken mixed with surprise beans & a liberal helping of fresh greens sprouting beans. Then stewed prunes & custard. Then two cups of coffee.
  • Gosh my strobe light is working – hooray but none of the rest of the lights on the mast.

Source: CUL00058/1

Day 577 – 21st December 1987

Noon Summary Log

Day: 577
Date: 21st December 1987
Latitude: 15° 47.9′ S
Longitude: 31° 53.8′ W
Water Temperature: 27.6°C
Wind @ Noon: 25-30 NE
Max Wind /24 hours: 25-35 NE
Min Wind /24 hours: 10-14 ENE
Cloud Cover 4/8
Cabin Temperature: 30°C
Outside Temperature: 28.3°C
Barometer: 1011

Source: CUL00045/16

Log

  • Oh dear a gale force squall & rain – will put more reefs into main, when it passes. Days and days of northerly component in the wind here’s hoping it does not go south down these latitudes when I’m coming back and going the other way. It is rough & humid at the moment, lots of water over the deck, wind is strong to near gale.
  • Sun over Tropic of Capricorn today. Bean spouts are spouting nicely.

Source: CUL00058/1

What is the Tropic of Capricorn?

The Tropic of Capricorn is a latitude approximately 23°27′ S of the terrestrial Equator. This latitude corresponds to the southernmost declination of the Sun’s ecliptic to the celestial equator. At the winter solstice (Northern Hemisphere), around December 21, the Sun is directly over the Tropic of Capricorn and lies within the boundaries of the constellation Sagittarius, having reached its southernmost declination in the ecliptic. Previously, however, it appeared in the constellation Capricornus at the winter solstice, hence the name Tropic of Capricorn. (Source Encyclopaedia Britannica)