Day 18 - Night time shennanigans
Bonkers
Donald Macdonald
Thu 1 Feb 2024 20:05
Last night is not one to highlight the joys of sailing. Just after 2100hrs watch change the wind died to 2-3 knots, no speed so Harold unable to cope. To stop main swinging and banging a block and tackle put and hand steering commenced. After about 20 minutes wind came and off we went, for a while at 15 knots. As watch coming to an end the wind started diein. By watch change down to 3 knots. Block and tackle back on but the noises from sail when boat rolled banging, sheets hitting the mast, jib cars banging, jib clew hitting shrouds and no sign of wind above the 1 knot we had. Mainsail came down to protect it. When down noticed the full batten car was not attached to the sail and the screw holding it in had unwound itself upwards. A set of allen keys inhand stood on one mast step with the rolling boat to put the batten car assembly back together and tighten screw down as much as possible. The motion of the main going backward and forward on load then off load was just the rig
ht way
to undo the screw is our theory. Then John trying to hand steer with just a jib up for the next 2 1/2 hrs managed almost a mile. On the 0300 watch change having slept about an hour during previous 3 went and checked the shrouds as jib clew ring often hitting them. Felt for damage on the rod rigging, felt notches with nail so decided to drop jib and just drift. We did drift in our preferred direction at about 0.5 knots. Went to get a bigger Atlantic weather chart download to see wher te wind was as this lack of it and a change to 000 degrees from 150 not in any models. As I got this the wind started to fill in from correct direction. Once happy it was going to stay put the jib up then the main. Since then, 0340, we have moving along quite nicely. As I write that I hear noises along the hull, we are starting to go through big patches of sarrogasso grass. We have seen little bits for a few days now, just hope they don't get so big we lose lots of speed carving our way through.
We hope for a better experience tonight with the wind.
Dinner will be Chunky ckicken soup, carrots, cheese, baguette the sliced peaches. Will need to raid the stores tomorrow as there will be no more food in the galley after tonights meal