Date
26 11 07
Day Two
00.00 27 19N 15 43W Wind has moved to the north and dropped
to 3 kts,
boat speed 1.5 kts; bearing 254 degrees. With very little way on, sails
were flapping as boat is rolled around by the heavy swell.
Part of the port
pole rig failed and the pole was dropped leaving an
unsupported flapping
headsail in the large confused sea. The yardarm also parted,
dropping the
radar reflector and Division pennant.
02.16 27 19N 15 44W Going nowhere finally resorted to
putting the engine
on following the example of others in the vicinity who had clearly done
it
some time earlier and disappeared over the horizon.
03.15 26.23N 15.50W With a freshening wind the
engine is switched off;
it was not long before we
were surfing with a N. wind speed in excess
of 40 kts and the boat
achieving speeds in excess of 13 kts at times.
06 .00 02.17N 16 12.90W winds moderated to 16 – 20 kts, still
from the north. Clock
and batteries
checked. Both OK.
09.00 6 50.00N 16.50.00W Generator turned on.
Mike did another grand job with
porridge.
11.20 26 40.62N
16 51.24W Weather fine, a few squalls around but missed us.
Apart from three other boats some miles away we are now alone; big seas
still.
An
un-successful attempt was made to refit broken port pole related shackle
with
Eugene going up
rigging with heavy boat roll. Managed to re-instate pole without
shackle and to pole out
Genoa.
11.40 Generator turned off; ( 2 hrs 40
mins.)
12.00 26 37N 16 55W Position relayed on to ARC
control by e-mail and via ARC 4A
(Morgan)
13.00 Put up ballooner with headsail, main and
mizzen.
16.00 Put up
remaining mizzen staysail, what an
impressive sight we must be.
17.00 Generator started. Dropped main and
mizzen in preparation for the night,
leaving headsails which can
quickly be reduced before squall hits.
Winds presently 15 kts ENE.
Forecast received from ARC office via e-mail indicating similar
conditions to
today but with NE 20 to 25 kt winds rather than the N winds we’ve been
experiencing since last night. Nasty rumour aboard that we are not
getting our
main meal, just a snack. Cook found stowaway under bunk !
Spoke on SSB with Blue Flyer who advised they some 30 miles to the north.
18.00 26 07N 17 26W Wind remains 15kts ENE,
boat speed 7 kts. Ray cooking
dinner, smells great. Several boats in close vicinity.
19.00 Had dinner, pork with sauté potatoes and
veg. Wonderful. Red wine would
have rounded it off nicely but given the heavy roll would have been
unwise ..
19.30
Generator switched off. ( 2.5 hrs). Had e-mail from Abora to advise they
are
ahead and to the south of us. They have done 160 miles since start.
20.00 Not having slept since Saturday night FN
crashed out.
21.00 25 55N 17 26W Wind NE 10kts, SOG 7-8
kts, Bearing 246 degrees; need to
keep tweaking autopilot to keep sails filled. Still have company of three
or four
othe boats in area as we close the day.
00.00 25.44N 18.01W Distance done over past twenty four hours
– 188 nm.
