What kind of a "track' is this? (Updated)

[Robert McDonald]

This is a GPS rendition of the TMT C Whale, in the past 11 days!
What do you make of this pattern? This must be getting expensive.


Robert in Port Townsend
www.oil-electric.com

[Bart Hakze]

According to her AIS she is bound for Las Palmas, Maybe the berth is not available, maybe she needs to do an offshore crewchange/bunkering/storing and she is too early.

At the moment she is heading back to the island again.

Anyway, it's hard to say whats going on but looks like to me she is just steaming up & down while waiting for something to happen.
Maybe the master just doesn't want to anchor. Or he can't for some reason.

But why do it with 11 knots goes beyond me, I'd reduce speed to save fuel.

Hope this helps,
grtz
Bart

[Robert McDonald]

Thanks for the input, Bart. Very curious indeed! 

Robert in Port Townsend.

[Captain Ted]

LOOKS TO ,ME PRETTY SIMPLE
THE STARTING POINT SHE TURNS 180 DEGREES AROUND, HEADS THEN IN A CURVE TOWARDS THE COAST (NOTE: IN A CURVE, IF NOBODY WOULD ON BRIDGE OR SLEEPING IT WOULD BE A STRAIGHT LINE) CURVE,,HENCE,,COURSE WAS CHANGED A FEW TIMES. WHEN CLOSE TO THE COAST SHE MAKES ANOTHER 180 DEGREES AROUND, WHICH TELLS ME THAT THE PORT IS CLOSE,, PILOT NOT THERE ETC ETC,,COULD HAVE VARIOUS REASONS THEN.
AS CAPT I CAN SAY,, I WISH THESE AIS INFOS WERE NOT PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, NO OFFENSE MEANT, BUT TOO MUCH PEOPLE DON,T HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEA WHAT HAPPENS, BUT DRAWING CONCLUSIONS RIGHT AWAY TO MEGA DISASTERS, LIKE HERE TOO.

BRGDS
CAPT TED