Log Day 3 - Big Black Spinnaker Day!
Jusdoit5
Sat 1 Dec 2012 18:46
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Thursday 29th November 2012
Position at 1100hrs 23' 58' 643N , 020'19'
199W
Miles covered 370
Beautiful sunrise , everyone much happier today.
Ronnie hooks a dorado at approximately 10.30am - Gordon is ready with the gaff,
Annie with the squeezy vodka, but alas, it's off the hook 10 metres from the
back of the boat. WE then hold a crew meeting to discuss the fankle issue. There
are 2 timid (but commendable nevertheless!) volunteers to go up the mast -
Ronnie and Gordon - while Frank and Annie remain mute and Nathan disappears
downstairs pretending to sort out the communication problems knowing he was
probabaly the most likely canditate! Anyway by the time there's been some
chat, the wind has picked up making the task too difficult so new attempts
are made to unfankle from the foredeck, unsucessfully.
The next repair is to the pole and then a new
shackle is added to the bottom of the vang. It was agreed that due to the
condition of the pole that it can only really be used on one gibe.
We have a late breakfast and Nathan cracks open the
cocopops. We all then decide that to cover more milage we could try the big
black spinnaker.........!
There's a brief crew meeting then it's all hands on deck for the hoist.
Once it's up there is a brief panic as it has corkscrewed round the forestay .
Ian and Ronnie get blasted by Annie for being so doom and gloom ie Mr D " OH ,
that's us ------ now", Mr H "we're got SERIOUS problems now", while the rest of
the crew manage to sort it out as soon as the words are out their mouths! Our
speed increases to 8-10 knots in 16-18 knots of wind. Skipper and crew now
happy. The drop goes remarkably smoothly, just before a large squall ! However,
the headsail becomes fankled so Gordon and Nathan spend some time on the
foredeck until issues are resolved.As a result we now have a bigger headsail. We
make good steady 8-10 knots throughtout the night, topping at 14 but heading
more South than we would have preferred. Rushing to get this in so we get up to
date! Photos to follow! |