(Blog No 32) Was it Ben's Thai chicken curry or was the wind forecast?

Catou
Paul and Sylvie Tucker
Fri 3 Dec 2010 13:17
 17:28.67N 30:08.02W
 
Friday 3rd December
Noon Position: 17 deg 29'N   30 deg 8'W
Daily Run: 133' (Best day's run!!)
Average speed: 5.54 Knots
Total Average Speed: 4.50 Knots
Total Distance Covered: 1300' exactly.
Total Distance to go: 1792'
 
Thought for the day:  You should always reef the sails when you first think about it!
 
After lunchtime yesterday we continued with the engine, since we were still experiencing very light winds. At 1630 hrs we stopped engine and were only sailing at 2.5 knots. So we had a swim - we do this by dropping the bathing ladder in the water and then hang onto it and allow the boat to drag us behind.  It can only be done if the boat is moving at about 3 knots or less. It's a wonderful way of cooling off later in the day. Back on board, we can wash, a quick spray with the cockpit fresh water shower and we are clean, showered and ready for a gin & tonic!
 
Sylvie's finger is badly bruised, and she thinks it might just be cracked and not fully broken.  As mentioned yesterday,  we have it in a splint, and it's not giving her too much trouble now.  Took the splint off yesterday to make sure everything was OK, and she winced as the new strapping went on, but we think it is otherwise OK.  She's being very brave about it. 
 
Since baker Ben was doing rather well on the bread making front, I thought I'd try my hand at it. Afterwards, I told Sylvie and Ben that it reminded me of Spock addressing Captain Kirk in Star Trek - "Jim, I think it's bread, but not as we know it". The gas bottle ran out as I was making it (but I'm not blaming the outcome on that - I promise) - that cylinder has lasted from when we left England in  late June- not bad.  Anyway, not sure what happened to my bakery efforts, but the management of the local brickworks just down the road from our office would have been proud of it if it had emerged from one of their kilns - and I'm sure they would have offered me a job on the spot!  Think I put the yeast in too early with the water.  Anyway, it's chewy brick loaf for breakfast this morning.
 
After Ben's amazing effort at Thai chicken curry, we started to see the wind rise (apparently no connection !) and by 2130 we were screaming along downwind with the genoa poled out and touching over 9 knots!  We had to de-power her quickly, so I shouted down to sleeping Ben and Sylvie.  As they emerged they looked at my face and were not sure if they could see elation, terror or a combination of both!  With lifelines on, and Sylvie on the helm and controlling the sheets, Ben and I got on the foredeck and managed to get the pole down more easily than we thought. We reefed sails, and she was still doing 8 knots but much more comfortable (See thought for the day - above). We have been on a reach all night and probably had the fastest night's sailing so far.  We have two whisker poles on board, and we have been having trouble with the spring jaws on one end. It's normal stowage position is vertical on the mast, but we'd had it down to squirt WD40 into one end to try and ease it. Last night, we re-stowed it on the mast, and this morning as we were doing 7 - 8 knots, right in front of my eyes, it fell out of it's stowed position, bounced a couple of times on the lifelines, and fell over the side.  I called the others up quickly, and we tried to pick it up, but it eventually disappeared below the waves.  We have another on board fortunately, but it was an expensive loss!
 
We did an analysis of water consumption yesterday. We have used 100 litres in 11 days.  3 litres/day/person (We have separate bottled drinking water) is very good.  Though we are delayed with the strange weather conditions, the water is not a problem, since we still have approx 550 litres on board (that includes 200 litres in collapsible containers).  Food is fine, so we will not have to revert to cannibalism - my sister, Angela was wondering about this!  As yet, still no rain to speak of, so the water catchers haven't come into their own yet! (That's just in case sail maker Chris Scaines is reading - it was his idea!)  We haven't done much clothes washing yet (Ben did a bit) since it uses so much water, but my shorts are caked in salt - everywhere you sit, it's salty.  While analyzing food and water, I was wondering about the gin - we are not at serious levels yet.  We bought a Spanish 'cooking' gin with a label made to look like Gordon's .  We bought it, since Sylvie was told that if we catch big fish, we can spray gin into their gills to subdue them ! (yes, it's true apparently!) That's why we bought a 'cooking' gin.  This is now looking more unlikely to happen, since both Ben and I have our eye on it.  It might mean that we will have to wrestle the marlin down single-handed in the cockpit with nothing to subdue them first, but at least the gin will last out!
 
Best Wishes  Paul, Sylvie and Ben