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Day 69 Friday, November 30 ,2007 46.01 S 170.32 E
Contact with our ham radio operator in Vancouver (Ron) has become too difficult to continue. Today's report is from Meri with Bluff Fisherman's Radio in Bluff, New Zealand. Boat speed 4.5 knots. Heading 210 magnetic.
Day 68 Thursday, November 29, 2007 45.54 S 171.08 E
Ten miles offshore heading south towards the Otago Coast travelling at 3.5 knots. Wind is SW 25+ knots, swell 2 metres. Temperature is 13 C with 50% cloud cover.
Day 67 Wednesday, November 28, 2007 45.18 S 171.18 E
Covered 55 miles doing 4.5 knots. Wind is NE 10 - 15, swell is E 2.0 metres @ 7 seconds. Temperature is 13 C with 50% cloud cover. Saw dolphins, sea lions and storm petrels today.
Day 66, Tuesday, November 27, 2007 44.06 S 172.24 E
Covered 60 miles doing 3.5 knots with westerly winds at 10 knots and 1 metre swells from the west.
Day 65 Monday, November 26, 2007 8:50 p.m. 43.31S 173.56 E
Covered 80 miles with boat speed increasing to 6.5 knots. Glenn reports weather is improving and he's in great spirits this evening. Wind is 10 - 15 knots of wind from the NW and 1 metre swells from the NW.
Day 64 Sunday, November 25, 2007 42.49S 174.59 E
Covered 80 miles in the last 24 hours at a boat speed of 2.5 knots. Wind is S 5.0 knots, swell is SW 2.0 metres @7 seconds with no wind waves. Temperature is 14 C with no cloud cover. Lots of sightings in the last 24 hours; Killer whales, Right whales, Sea Otter, Albatross and Kermadec Petrels.
Southern Right Whale or Eubalaena australis is on average 16 - 18 metres long. It is rotund, with a large girth relative to its length, and an enormous head - approximatley 1/3 the length of its body. Southern right whales do not have dorsal fins; their flippers are broad and relatively short. Southern right whales weigh between 36,000 - 73,000 kg. For more information, visit http://www.rightwhale.ca/
Day 63 Saturday, November 24, 2007 42.10S 177.00 E
Covered 96 miles in the last 24 hours with a boat speed of 6.0 knots. Wind is SE 5 - 10 knots, wind waves are SE 1.0 metre with no swell. Barometer is 1012, temperature is 16 C with 10% cloud cover. Still unable to connect by satellite phone.
Day 62 Friday, November 23, 2007 41.32S 178.09 E
Covered 50 miles in the last 24 hours with a boat speed of 5.0 knots. Wind is SE 15 - 20, wind waves are SW 1.5 metres with no swell. Temperature is 18 C with 80% cloud cover. Saw an albatross, kermadec petrel and a Right Whale today.
Day 61 Thursday, November 22, 2007 40.34S 179.06 E
Covered 85 miles in the last 24 hours with a boat speed of less than 1 knot. Wind is W 5.0 knots. There is no swell and the waves are less than 0.5 metres. Barometer is 1017. Temperature is 16 C with no cloud cover. No sightings today.
*** Glenn writes ...." The inverter is not working today which means I cannot charge the laptop, the sat phone, the camera, video camera or cordles drill. I can still communicate with the local ham radio operators who will relay my position and other messages and may be able to do the odd phone patch. Whatever happens, know that I am fine and of course thinking about you. I will try to send this message now. Love Glenn"
*** Glenn writes..."Regardless of gear failure, the fact remains that we have just sailed across the Pacific Ocean single handed non-stop! We're not sponsored, I'm just an average guy fulfilling his dream... We will overcome this situation and I will sail around the world single handed non stop with the help of all the great thoughts and prayers from everyone. Keep thinking about me and say the odd prayer as I know I am not out here alone. Please post this message so folks will know I too am thinking about them."
Day 60 Wednesday, November 21, 2007 39.38 S 179.44 W
Travelling at 6.0 knots, covered 155 miles yesterday. Winds are W 25 - 30, swell is 2.5 metres from the west @ 6 seconds. Temperature is 17 C with 5% cloud cover. All's well on Kim Chow.
Day 59 Tuesdy, November 20, 2007 No position reported
Laundry day on Kim Chow. Clothes drying in the cockpit and on the decks. Sleeping bags and pillows airing out. "Woke up at 5 am, wind has died down and is coming from the northeast. Beautiful sunrise this morning. Cloudless sky. Did some caulking and secured reefing lines to the boom. Made a big stew that lasted for a few days. Stil have some fresh onions and potatoes which add a nice flavour. Still no luck connecting the satellite phone. Currently sailing on a broad reach at about 5+ knots. In the next few days I will pass by the gap between the north island and south island of NZ and predicit I will be about 200 miles off the coast. From there I will continue heading south and west before rounding under the southe island and eventually hope to pick up the satellites then. I've had several albatross with me today. One actually landed at the stern of the boat. All the best to everyone following with me". Best regards, Glenn
Day 58 Monday, November 19, 2007 37.28S 177.00 W 9:39 a.m.
Glenn is currently 200 miles off the coast of New Zealand traveling parallel to the coast at 5.5 knots into the wind. Wind is SE 15 - 20 knots, wind waves are SE 1.0 metre, swell is SE 3.0 metres @ 7 seconds and NE 2.0 metres @ 10 seconds. Temperature is 15 C with 10% cloud cover.  Kermadec Petrel (shown at left) and Royal Albatross have been soaring above Kim Chow throughout the day. Seas calmer today, motion on the boat today is "almost pleasant".
Day 57 Sunday, November 18, 2007 35.57S 174.49 W
Boat is travelling 6.5 knots. Wind is SE 25, waves are SE 1.5 metres, swell is SE 2 metres @ 10 seconds and NE 3 metres @ 10 seconds. Temperature is 18 C with 100% cloud cover.
Day 56 Saturday, November 17, 2007 35.05 S 173.45 W
Crossed the International Dateline today. Covered 150 miles in the last 24 hours. Wind is SE 25 - 30, wind waves are SE 2.0 metres. Swell is SE 4.0 metres @ 11 seconds and NE 4.0 metres @ 10 seconds which makes for a very rough passage. Glenn reports the ride on board is still very rough and at times is difficult to walk around the boat. Temperature is 16 C with 90% cloud cover. Albatross, Kermadec Petrels and Storm Petrels around the boat today. Glenn is enoying listening to Kiwi radio stations and keeping up on the world net ball championships (Ozzie women beat the Kiwis). He saw a fish boat on the horizon for about 30 minutes today. He's also enjoying listening to other boats talk on the radio and will try to contact one called Misty Dawn who is about 50 miles ahead of Glenn. As the weather cools down, Glenn reports conditions are better for sleeping and better for keeping food fresh.
Day 55 Friday, November 16, 2007 32.24S 170.14W
Covered 148 miles in the last 24 hours travelling at 5.5 knots. Wind is E 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are E 0.5 knots, swell is NE 2.0 metres @ 7 seconds and SE 2.0 metres @ 8 seconds. Barometer is 1014. Temperature is 18 C with 40% cloud cover. No bird sightings today. Glenn is now sailing in what is called the Horse Latitudes which are subtropical latitudes between 30 and 35 degres north and south. This region, is an area which receives little precipitation and has variable winds mixed with calm. It may owe its name to the fact that the confused sea, muggy heat, and rolling and pitching of waves often slowed colonial ships for days to weeks due to lack of propulsion. In order to reduce the weight of the ship and to conserve water, the crew would throw horses overboard, subsequently increasing the speed of the ship in the low winds.
Day 54 Thursday, November 15, 2007 31.07 S 168.06 W
Travelling at 4.5 knots. Wind is SE 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are SE 0.5 metres, swell is SE 1.5 metres @ 6 seconds. Barometer is 1015, temperature is 19 C with 50% cloud cover. The weather is cooling off nicely and I enjoyed a pleasant, cool evening last night. No bird sightings today.
*** Of Special Interest*** Through our website, Glenn has been contacted by Ms. Pat Lark, the Social Studies teacher of the Grade 5/6 class at Edenwold School east of Regina, Saskatchewan located at 50.38N 104.14W . The se students are particularly interested in Glenn's expedition and have sent him a list of questions which he has now responded to. Here then, are the questions and answers. We would like to thank Ms. Lark and her students for their interest and wish them all the very best in their studies. We would also like to thank Dr. Peter Campbell for making the connection with Pat Lark. We hope to hear from other interested students as the trip progresses.
Day 53 Wednesday, November 14, 2007 30.30S 167.21 W
Covered 104 miles in the last 24 hours travelling at 4.5 knots. Wind is NE 9.0 knots with no wind waves. Swell is SW 2.0 metres @ 8 seconds. Barometer is 1010 with 100% cloud cover. Temperature is 24 C. Glenn saw two Royal Albatross today and reports that all is well on board.
Southern Royal Albatross
Day 52 Tuesday, November 13, 2007 29.21S 165.02W
Travelling at 6.5 knots with approximately 1500 miles to Foveaux Strait that lies between the South Island of New Zealand and Stewart Island. Wind is N 12 - 15 knots, wind waves are N 2.0 metres, swell is N 3.0 metres @ 8 seconds. Temperature is 22 C with 100% cloud cover. No bird sightings today. Stormy weather is in the forecast so will watch out for the albatross.
 Chatham Island Albatross
Day 51 Monday, November 12, 2007 28.27S 164.27W
Covered 145 miles in the last 24 hours. Doing 5.0 knots. Wind is N 10 - 15 knots waves are N 1.5 metes, swell is N 2.5 metres @ 9 seconds. Temperature is 25 C with 10% cloud cover. Beautiful weather today. Spent 5 hours on deck with no wildlife sightings of any kind.
Glenn received this mesage from Dee Caffari , world famous sailor who, in 2006, set a new world record and is the first woman to sail single handed non-stop around the world against the prevailing winds. She writes ... "Glenn, the Southern Ocean is an amazing but very demanding place. My advice on your preparations for this part of your circumnavigation would be to check for chafe now and deal with any repairs you can while life is relatively calm. Always remember that the voyage cannot succeed without you, so keep healthy and sail safe. All the best. Dee"
***As of Sunday, November 11, 2007 Glenn has travelled an estimated 5056 miles making the average daily run just over 100 (101) miles per day.
Day 50 Sunday, November 11, 2007 26.40S 162.56 W
Covered 149 miles in the last 24 hours. Boat speed is 6.3 knots. Wind is N 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are NE 2.0 metres, swell is NE 2.0 metres @ 8 seconds and SE 4.0 metres @ 14 seconds. Temperature is 25 C with 60% cloud cover.
 Masked Booby
Day 49 Saturday, November 10, 2007 24.48S 160.49 W
Covered 135 miles in the last 24 hours. Boat Speed is 7.0 knots. Wind is E 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are NE 1.0, swell is 3.0 metres @ 13 seconds. Temperature is 27 C with 40% cloud cover. I would like to express special thanks to Ron Kolody, my ham radio operator who is responsible for ensuring I have daily radio contact. Ron provides me with essential weather information and he produces the audio recordings I hope you enjoy listening to. Ron is a member of the Bluewater Cruising Association and teaches the ham radio course which I took before I left on this voyage. Ron has dedicated many hours of his time to ensure that I stay connected with my family and I would like to express my sincere appreciation for all his support and the support of the Bluewater Cruising Association.
Day 48 Friday, November 9, 2007 23.12 S 159.05 W
Covered 122 miles in the last 24 hours. Boat speed is 6.0 knots. Wind is E 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are NE 1.0 - 1.5 metres , swell is 2.0 metres @ 10 seconds. Temperature is 26 C. Great day of sailing today. Mornings on Kim Chow usually follow this routine. I wake at about 5:30 am and come up on deck to watch the sun rise over the horizon. I then check my course and today adjusted the self steering vane and noted the change in the log. I then turn on my laptop and check my email eager to see if there is an email from Marylou. I then begin preparations for making breakfast. Today I had an omelette and one pancake with Nutella. Saw White Tailed Tropic bird today (see below)
Day 47 Thursday, November 8, 2007 21.25 S 157.25 W
Covered 144 miles in the last 24 hours. Boat speed is 6.5 knots. Wind is SE 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are E. 1.0 metres, swell is E 2.0 metres @ 8 seconds. Temperature is 27 C with 20% cloud cover. Thick cloud on the horizon. Am sailing through the Cook Islands and currently at about the same latitude as Rarotonga. Next group of islands to pass is the Chatham Islands off New Zealand. Tropic bird sightings today. Estimated number of miles to go to the bottom of New Zealand is 2200. Anticipate making my first right turn through Foveaux Strait early to mid December.
Day 46 Wednesday, November 7, 2007 20.12S 156.10 W
Covered 164 miles in the last 24 hours. Wind is SE 20, waves are SE 2.0 metres, swell is SE 3.0 metres @ 7 seconds. Temperature is 27 C with 50% cloud cover. On deck today for 4 - 5 hours and no bird sightings to report. Weather is warm and pleasant. Motion on the boat best described as "wild".
Day 45 Tuesday, November 6, 2007 18.02S 154.20 W
Travelling at 7.0 knots. Wind is steady from the southeast at 25 knots, waves are SE 2.0 metres. Temperature is 28 C with 100% cloud cover. Lots of bird sightings today; Kermadec Petrels, Boobys and Tropic Birds.
Day 44 Monday, November 5, 2007 17.03S 153W
Travelling at 3.0 knots. Wind is from the East at 5.0 knots, waves are NE 2.0 metres and SE 2.0 metres with no swell. Temp is 32 C with 20% cloud cover. I have fallen easily into the natural rhythm of waking at sunrise and going to bed in the early evenings even though sleep eludes me quite often. Temperature on the boat remains in the 30s and it was tempting to pull in at Bora Bora and enjoy a refreshing swim in the fabulous lagoon I remember from 10 years ago. My skin has turned brown even though I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible. I spent the day doing chores and prepping the boat down below for the Southern Ocean. Stowing things a little differently. Weather forecast is for light air so I have been tweaking the collar on the spinakker so I can maintain a good boat speed. I feel lucky to have had such a long run of good weather but I must remain vigilant in monitoring every area of the boat and all my equipment. Tonight I plan to begin studying the constellations and see if I can learn a few new ones. Thank you for all the well wishes.
Day 43 Sunday, November 4, 2007 15.00S 151.23 W
Day 43 is a personal milestone for me. It marks my longest non-stop passage at sea to date. In 1997, I sailed solo non-stop from Victoria, BC to the Marquesas in 42 days. Covered 95 miles in the last 24 hous at a speed of 5.5 knots. Wind is E 10 - 15, waves are NE 1.0 - 1.5 with no swell.Temperature is 29 C with 75% cloud cover. Lots of Tropic birds and petrels within sight today.
Day 42 Saturday, November 3, 2007 14.16 S 150.57 W
Covered 165 miles in the last 24 hours. Wind is E 10, swell is NE 1.5 metres, no swell. Temperature is 23 C with 30% cloud cover. Barometer is steady at 1011. The motion on board is still robust and staying down below decks helps somewhat but the heat is making it difficult to sleep down below. There is some relief from the heat under the dorade vent in the galley that provides a welcome light breeze. I try to catch some sleep on the deck which is slightly cooler but also wet. Had the last of the fresh cabbage, onions and potatoes for lunch today. Reading Ken Follett's "Code to Zero" which is providing a good distraction.
Day 41 Friday, November 2, 2007 12.05S 149.32W
Covered 150 miles in the last 24 hours. Wind 15-20, swell SE 4 metres. No cloud cover today. Temp 27 C.
Fierce rain squalls this morning that laid the boat over. Two reefs in the main and moving along at 8 knots this morning. Ominous black clouds on the horizon signal the low pressure fronts moving in. I am mindful of the approaching cyclone season in the South Pacific and watching the weather very closely. I'm close to French Polynesia and heading towards the Cook Islands. Thinking about the offshore passage I did with my wife and two daughters in these waters 10 years ago. Back then it was in a 26' Haida with 4 people on board. Today it's just me and the feeling is starkly different. Had several dolphins around the boat today. Busy doing my chores in preparation for the Southern Ocean. Spending lots of time carefully caulking the hatches to avoid leaks down below, topping up water tanks after the rain squalls and cleaning up down below. Trying to stay out of the blistering hot sun. Listen to Glenn's radio report.
Day 40 Thursday, November 1, 2007 08.46S 147.42W
Covered 150 miles in the last 24 hours. Wind is E 10 - 15 knots, wind waves are NE 1.0 - 1.5, Swell is NE 2.0 metres @ 7 seconds. Temperature is 27 C with 30% cloud cover and barometer is steady at 1010. Glenn saw a freighter on the horizon today but was unable to make contact. He also saw a large ship in the last 24 hours. Has been visited by Kermadec Petrel and a White Tail Tropic Bird.
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