Dipping my stick
Fleck
Thu 20 Mar 2008 17:44
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Wednesday 20th March
Noon position 01:42N 85:28W
One of 'Flecks' rather funky aspects is that
despite her burgeoning plethora of electronics there is not fuel guage. You
unscrew the fuel cap and drop a long teak stick down into the tank, then measure
the oil level.
This is critical just now as I am running out of
the stuff. Because the passage to Galapagos is notoriously windless yachts
routinely leave Panama festooned with extra fuel cans (USA speak: jerryjugs - a
WW2 term I guess, but not, Conny, a reference to the German Brust in
general.) These are usually lashed to the side rails round the boat, very
ugly, and in a storm, a little dangerous.
As ever I was unwise before the event. Fleck is a
sailboat I said, we shall sail there (never having been becalmed on a rolling
ocean for more than a few hours at a time before: the motion and noise drives
you witless). As a last minute panic measure I bought 2 jugs before we left, but
did no fuel calculations of any sort until a particularly prolonged calm halfway
accross. Fortunately Lady Luck may be on my side: if there is never another
ounce of wind in the sails I should be able to motor into Santa Cruz on my last
drop of diesel. May be countercurrent nearer the Islands, but on the other hand
we have had light sailing conditions by day for a while now, and today we
have 8kts of wind as I speak: a veritable gale in these parts and enough to fill
the sails and gently heel the boat just like in the pictures! At dusk it goes
completely calm. I switch on the engine, the radar detector and the navigation
lights and go to bed.
Yesterday sleep was not sound. A bit of boat fell
heavily on my right big toe yesterday, it is splendidly discoloured and very
painful, even at rest. In my dreams I anchored on a falling tide in Padstow
Estuary and went to see some old chums at Sandwell Hospital. Inside the Hospital
was done up just like the Unicorn Pub in Wollaston. When I got out Fleck was
high and dry on a sandbank in the Pub car park. No idea how it
finished.
Should arrive in Galapagos sooner rather than
later, and very much looking forward to seeing Olivia. Yachts are allowed to
stay for 21 days so I will have to leave within four weeks from now for the
Marquesas, Victorias arrival there late May (for my birthday!)might fit in
rather well. There will be quite a shopping list for
her.
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