Day 6: STT -> Azores - Learning how to deal with frustration.

Blue Note
Marco M.
Fri 3 May 2013 14:16
Date: Friday 03/05/13 - Time: 12:00 Blue Note Time - 11:00 EDT
Position 25:59.2N 57:38.3W
COG 60T SOG 4.1 kt, Wind 330T 3 kt, Barometer 1004.0 falling
Temperatures: Air 25.1C, Sea 22.7C
Last 24h Sailed Distance: 89 NM
Sailed distance since departure: 688NM
Time since departure: 6d 3h 00m
Average Speed since departure: 4.68 kt
Average VMG since departure: 4.07 kt
Intention: sail to Horta
Distance to End on rhumb line: 1645 NM
ETA: Sometime in 2013
Diesel consumption: 40% diesel burned with 27% of passage done.
Detailed Track (50 is the maximum number of point, i.e. once the last point reaches 50, the last point always is 50): <http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0EIVGO9oiEYLjqAfRxhderm34cEEF9dMP>http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0EIVGO9oiEYLjqAfRxhderm34cEEF9dMP

This passage has become a lesson on how to deal with frustration.
Two days ago the grib files indicated that by now we should have some wind but instead there is no wind and the latest grib file now shows that there is no wind for another two days.
I stopped worry about ETA and for as many ways I look at the diesel consumption:
- Gallons left = 69 gallon
- Ratio between diesel consumption (as percentage of the original quantity) and the percentage of the passaged completed = 0.68
- Time left of motoring = 148 hours
we definitely needs some wind to come.
Yesterday for about 4 hours we had 10 kts of wind from the beam and immediately made the spinnaker at use and gave the engine a rest.
With only 10kts we were doing 5-5.5 kts. We don't ask for too much wind.

One way to deal with the complete absence of wind is to embrace it.
So this morning under a beautiful blue sky, a mirror-like blue water we went for a swim into a 6km deep Atlantic ocean.
The other positive things of calm conditions is that these are the best time to read books.
I finished "Adrift" by S. Callahan the true story of the author drifting for 76 days in al life raft in the Atlantic.
Very interesting reading and a preparation for what will happen to us if we don't find wind.
I am now reading "A storm too soon" by M.J. Touglas the story to what happen when you find too much wind.
So I guess we are hoping for something in between.

On the good side: the curse of the Frenchmen ended yesterday afternoon and finally the well trusted lure gave us a Mahi-Mahi.
Damien of course does not believe in the Frenchmen curse but instead insists that it is because the day was overcast and there was no sargasso on the lure.

We also had an addition to our crew, as you can see from the photo:
a small swallow, who Lisa immediately adopted as pet. Unfortunately because of the too much feeding we found him dead this morning but with a full belly.
We debated if giving him a proper sea burial or to camouflage him as a flying fish and using him as lure (the Frenchmen would use everything for a lure) at the end the French lost and the Canadian won.
Beside the bird we also have the visit of humpback whale that luckily did not jumped on the boat but stay at a distance.

As for the AIS/VHF issue: I got an email reply from Raymarine and after some more email exchange we concluded that probably is an issue with the antenna or the PL-259 connector of the LMR400 cable.
I don't have neither a spare VHF antenna nor a spare connector, therefore attempts to restore the AIS/VHF performance will have to wait. Beside they both works, just not with the same range they used to work in March.

Emacs!

Finally our first Mahi-Mahi.


Emacs!

Damien and Lisa swimming in 6km deep Atlantic.


Emacs!

(Temporary) addition to Blue Note crew attending the spinnaker sheet.


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