10-Feb-2008 Noon Position

Indian Ocean
7'02.5N/89.41.5E

• 105 nm last 24hrs
• 999 nm to Maldive Islands
• 485 nm from Similan Islands, Thailand
• Winds E 10 knots
• Seas E 1 foot

Just after we took our noon fix yesterday which measured our pitiful 80 miles in 24 hour run, the wind picked up. Sandpiper was then making 6 knots for part of the day until the winds dropped down again at sunset, resulting in only 3.5 knots for the night.

We made 105 nautical miles the last 24hrs, which is not near as much as we would like. But that is better than only 80 miles! As I write this, Sandpiper is plugging along at 5 knots. According to our weather GRIB files show that the winds should be up to 15 knots in 24 hours. So hopefully tomorrow we will making better progress.

Sandpiper still has the main sail out to port and the jib poled out to starboard. Not much to see out here. Just one ship in 2 days. A navy warship came up on us off our port side, about a 1/4 mile away, to check us out. I think they were as bored as we were and just wanted something to look at. As soon as they passed our port side they took a hard port turn and steamed off over the horizon. We could never figure what country they were from as their flag was right over their exhaust stack and their engines were burning a bit dirty. It had a big P-61 on the side.

More in 24,
Tom and Amy

Note From Ron: I believe that navy ship was the INS Kora, an Indian Navy missile corvette launched in 1992. She serves in the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet. She burns diesel with two Russian made diesel motors. Here is a photo of her dirty stack in all its smoking glory.