6 days out of Mindelo Swimming and Repairs
Diatonic
Anthony Warr
Sat 2 Feb 2013 17:53
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Saturday 02 February 2013
14 42N 036 30W
We still have 1216 miles to go and with no sign of an
increase in wind, progress continues to be mostly engine assisted. The one
advantage of calm seas and gentle breezes is the ability to make no way at all
and go for a swim. After dropping the sails, turning off the engine and scouring
the horizon for shark fins, it was time to take the plunge.
 After two and half weeks of floating on the ocean, it was
time to plunge in. The sea temperature is the same as the air, 30 degrees
Celcius, so a mid-afternoon paddle was the perfect way to cool
down.
 Even with zero boat speed through the water, the current
is powerful enough to push Diatonic along at almost a knot, so the floating line
that Tony trailed astern was necessary to avoid requiring an Olympic-calibre
front crawl to keep pace. Barrie’s waterproof camera came in handy, letting him
take a shot of Tony being towed along. If we’d been going any faster we could
have got the water skis out. Having avoided becoming lunch for any creatures
from the depths, it was time for our own, a feast of hot dogs and fried onions,
to help replace the thousands of calories we pretended to have
burnt.
 Unfortunately, even the simplest of meals are dependent on a working stove, and our diesel-powered unit has proved troublesome. Tony and Ian pulled the oven apart, but lacking any replacement parts, were forced to reassemble it without having actually done anything. This didn’t stop them from taking credit when the oven decided to start working again. Ken continues to act as the trip’s videographer, and if
the wind doesn’t pick up, he’ll have enough footage to make a feature length
film. The options for material is rather limited, with no traces of life, human
or otherwise, besides the occasional school of flying fish or sea bird, in the
last two days. Our diligence in maintaining a watch on the endless waves is
wavering, so there’s a good chance that pods of whales or dolphins have escaped
our notice.
Planning for the halfway party continues. We’re taking
bets on the exact hour that we’ll drop the hook in Barbados and if you’d like to
play along at home, Ken has promised to pay out on any winning guesses at 10-1
odds.
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