(Blog No.37) Where are the brakes? (so says Ben!)

Catou
Paul and Sylvie Tucker
Tue 7 Dec 2010 14:18
14:49.65N 37:52.21W
 
Tuesday 7th December (Day 16)
 
Noon Position:                 14 deg 50'N  37 deg 52'W
Daily Run:                        155'  (25 hour day)
Average Speed:                6.2 Knots
Total Average Speed:       4.71 Knots
Total Distance covered:   1817'
Distance to go:                 1343'
Total No. hours motoring: 57.7 hours
ETA St. Lucia:  @ 6 Knots  Thursday 16th @ 1800 hrs                
                         @5 1/2 "    Friday      17th@ 1400 hrs
                          @5       "   Saturday  18th@ 1400 hrs
 
Clocks retarded 1 hour yesterday to GMT -2.
 
Actually, Ben had a great suggestion for yesterday's blog - ( but it was after I'd sent it unfortunately ).  "A fish looking for love" could have been a great title of Blog 36!
 
Well, if only we had had these winds 10 days ago, we might almost be seeing the green mountains of St. Lucia rising above the western horizon.  We have had a fast 24 hours and at last seem to be eating up the miles (see above).  No dramas or real excitement in the last 24 hours to report, except to say that it has been somewhat more exhilarating than being stuck in a calm!
 
The fruit is now running low.  Sylvie has done an amazing job with the ship's victuals!  The 'last fruit' honour goes to a mango and a few oranges.  We have only lost a small amount of vegetables - and that was because a bit of sea water got into the bilge and collected in a particular veg basket.  The veg is holding out very well.  Chicken and Pork are now finished, but there is plenty of beef in various forms in the bottom of the fridge. All vacuum packed by the Las Palmas supermarkets.
 
Water is not a problem.  We are STILL on the first tank (containing 210 litres) after 16 days!  The 2nd tank has 245 litres and we have another 180 litres in soft containers about the boat.  About 4 litres per day each, and we couldn't have done with much less.  (We have had separate drinking water, so that would add an extra 1 litre per day).  At the skipper's briefing on the last day in Las Palmas, it was strongly suggested that we drank at least 1 1/2 litres fluid a day.   So 1 litre water/day + juices/soft drinks and the occasional beer, and that seems about right.  If anything, we might require slightly more due to the sticky and humid tropics and higher sweat levels !
 
Yesterday (Monday) was a heavily overcast and grey day. It was quite like a day sailing in the English Channel actually! As a result it was much cooler than of late - and a welcome relief, but we did get quite wet as urgent jobs on deck necessitated one, two or all of us to get on deck quickly for sail adjustment or work on the foredeck  We rigged up one of the water catchers, but the rain wasn't hard enough (we need a good tropical downpour to get them filled and running into the water tank.  However, the rain really did wash 'Catou' down and get rid of the salt that was encrusted on everything.
 
Normally we have been goose-winged with genoa poled out on one side and mainsail the other.  Catou is sailing so well like this, that we don't want to change the set up and hoist the cruising chute.  The hydrovane is, as if by magic, steering the course amazingly well.  We (or should I say 'I') have had a love/hate relationship with this expensive piece of scaffolding hanging off our stern since our first trials in Plymouth bay back in May.  My old sailing friend, Brian Sharp CPE (Catou's Preferred Engineer) and I fitted it during one week-end when Catou was laid up last winter. Several people had said to me 'Don't worry ...... keep persevering........ it will come eventually......... you'll be amazed by it's ability'  etc ... etc.....   And sure enough it does suddenly happen!  It is most odd - it's like Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus!  Suddenly you get confidence in it, and it's easy to set up.  There are several factor that affect it and a few adjustments need to be made - but it is quite amazing - it just works!
 
All for today.  We are sailing much faster now - as I'm sure you can see from the position map.  I hope we have done some catching up of the others, since we are pushing 'Catou' harder now, without over-stretching her rig (we hope).  Best wishes Paul, Sylvie and Ben.