Bob Blog 18 July 2021

Bob McDavitt's ideas for sailing around the South Pacific.
Disclaimer: Weather is a mix of pattern and chaos; these ideas are from the
patterned world.
Compiled Sunday 18 July 2021

I thought I'd share with you today my Squall checklist.
Note that I'm basically a landlubber and have only sailed through two
squalls, both near the shore.
APRICOT (mnemonic for remembering the checklist. A-P-R-I-C-O-T
And if you have any suggestions please reply with a comment.

1) ANTICIPATE: Go on squall watch when near a convergence zone. At start of
your shift set your barometer (or note pressure reading). Scan: Get into
routine of watching clouds on the horizon into the wind, into the lee, then
left and right of the wind--- occasionally check for a drop in the
barometer.

2) PUT ON/ PUT AWAY. When you see a darkening cloud heading towards you, or
feel the boat creak differently, put on: check that lifejackets/harnesses/
foul weather gear is on hand; put away- clear the decks of loose gear, close
ports and hatches.

3) REDUCE: reduce sail. At first sign of wind on water, reef main. At first
gust, trim jib.

4) IDLE? Shall we idle/park the boat? Turn engine off if under power.
Consider idea of heaving-to if at sea or anchoring if in the shallows.

5) COMPASS: Hazards: If near land or a reef, take a bearing to nearest
hazard before visibility reduces/wind changes. In mid-latitudes in southern
hemisphere wind will probably BACK (go left) during the squall.

6) OVER: Its normally all OVER in 20 to 40 minutes then, Oh-O, there is a
lull of 20-40 minutes with little wind to power the sails and chaotic steep
waves, an unpleasant motion.

7) THUNDER: Time to turn off the electrics. Lightning is static electricity
and takes the line of least resistance-along the rigging, Safest place is
amidships.

If boat broaches (too much sail/structure caught by a gust), HOLD ON, take
your time, ease the sheets, ease the boom vang. As the boat uprights, beware
of flogging sheets

TROPICS

The latest cyclone activity report is at tropic.ssec.wisc.edu and Tropical
Cyclone Potential is from www.ssd.noaa.gov/PS/TROP/TCFP/index.html

Three cyclones around at present: In-Fa is expected to visit Taiwan.
FELICIA and GUILLERMO should fade in the Northeast Pacific

WEATHER ZONES
SPCZ=South Pacific Convergence zone.
The SPCZ is expected to be about average stretching from Solomon Islands to
Fiji/Samoa, and occasionally over Southern Cooks and Tahiti area.

Two passing troughs for the South Pacific this week. The first one fades
over Tonga on local Monday/Tuesday and the second is expected to reach New
Caledonia on local Tuesday, and deepen into a low south of Tonga by local
Saturday. A good week for getting west from French Polynesia.

HIGHS and LOWS

HIGH over 1030 well south of French Polynesia is expected to travel off to
the east along 35S.
Complex TROUGH below 990 over South Island tonight is expected to travel off
to the east along 40S. This trough brought a large area of over 200mm of
rain to The Sothern Alps in NZ over past few days, producing plenty of
flooding tinyurl.com/nzfloodingjul2021, but less than the deluge in West
Germany tinyurl.com/GermanyfloodsJul2021
HIGH over 1020 over central Australia expected to bud off a ridge around
1016 that crosses North Tasman Sea on Monday and then travels east along
25/30S
Complex TROUGH is expected to reach Tasmania on Tuesday and cross NZ on
Thursday.
Another HIGH is expected to move off Australia into the Tasman Sea on
Thursday and cross NZ on Friday/Saturday.
This weather traffic makes crossing the Tasman sort of like playing Fogger.

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If you would like more detail for your voyage, then check metbob.com to see
what I offer.
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Contact is bob@metbob.com or txt 64277762212
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