Friday 7 December 2018
Kelpie
Sarah and David Holtby
Fri 7 Dec 2018 18:48
Well it had to happen I suppose. Despite our best efforts interpreting grib files and anticipating wind shifts we are now pretty much becalmed with the sails banging around in a demented fashion as Kelpie pitches and rolls in the swell with no wind to steady her. It seems the other boats are in the same predicament and we actually made up 44 miles on the leader in the past 24 hours (our days run noon to noon was 141 miles) and I strongly suspect the big 55 footer we were contesting second place for has switched on his engine to make a beeline for St Vincent.
As I type this, we are 150 miles from Barbados and Leigh Brown should be landing there right now. We dutifully waved at the sky but there are no aircraft contrails to be seen!
D
Andrew adds:
In news from the fo'c's'le, we should record the Skipper's triumphant sourcing, fiendishly difficult installation and commissioning in Las Palmas of a watermaker. This device, of similar size and indeed age to a 1980s office typewriter has faultlessly produced 10 litres of drinking water every hour we've switched it on. That is a major reassurance. We are not really becalmed and actually sailing at the average speed of a Folkboat, four knots, but it does feel slow because of how well we've roared along so far. Star gazing also continues. Last night we clearly saw the Southern Cross, the Aussie equivalent of our Pole star, and a fully resolved Venus, whose rings I was convinced I saw until I covered one eye and realised it was my astigmatism! For the record, Saturn apparently has the rings: Venus is sending Leigh and Jane out to meet us.
A