Hey All!
So today Dave ran a few more tests with Challenger in an attempt to diagnose our compass and steering problems. These tests included adjusting the pitch over three one yo segments to a depth of 500m. After running the tests, we sent her on her way to the north west diving with the pitch to 26˚ (the most favorable settings based off of the tests run today).
1000m Averaged Currents + Sea Surface Height
Looking to the ocean models overlayed with the depth average currents, it still shows that we should be on the southern cusp of a cold eddy which should be propelling us forward. However, Challenger is continuing to record currents flowing to the west. The image below from Antonio seems to more accurately depict what is going on:
we hypothesize that there may be smaller eddies along the edge of the eddy shown in the model, resulting in the weak west-southwest currents we have been feeling instead of the strong flow to the west that the model shows. Tomorrow we will continue our discussion as to where we will go from here with Challenger and her mission to cross the Atlantic.
Looking to the North, Silbo continues to make slow progress as he flies the western side of a cold eddy:
Its been a long, hard battle, but Silbo is continuing to battle his way through. Now, nearly half way through splitting this current, Silbo still has close to a week of fighting this current until there is the potential to see a southern flow from the south eastern side of the large warm eddy.
Force Wind Sea & Honor