Our first 1000m and COB recovery.
Magnetic Attraction
Roger and Margaret Pratt
Sun 1 Dec 2013 15:52
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> Sunday 1 December 2013
> 18:51.0N > 28:18.7W > > Course: 174 >
Engine Hrs: 0
> Day's Run: miles 139 > Total: 1042 miles > Air Temperature 28.5C > Water temperature 27.1C > Wind speed: 11knts
> Wind direction: 147T
Hi this is Roger on mother watch
today!
Well this is the second writing of today's blog
because two events occurred just as I finished.
1) The pack of Vanish Oxy Action fell
overboard whilst doing the washing by hand on the aft deck, so we did an
emergency Container Over Board recovery. We all sprang into action just like in
a Man Over Board situation. It all went very well and we all now feel we
would be recovered if we fall in!
2) When I came back to send the blog the
computer had a 'blue screen' so I had lost all the nearly finished blog (not a
happy bunny).
Early this morning at the 7am watch change we
crossed the 1000m mark sailing in beautiful warm sun, relatively smooth sea,
15knt of wind, the solar panels inputting 7.5A, clothes out to dry all over the
deck. It is a shame we cannot upload a picture of domestic life onboard the
jolly ship Magnetic Attraction. However, over the previous 24hrs the crew
were not feeling so jolly with 30knt of wind, big seas, rain (mostly heavy),
lightning, pitch black night sailing and very little sleep. It is amazing how a
bit of sun can uplift morale! Its been 24 hrs since we saw any other human
life - a tanker yesterday morning. But I did find 2 flying fish in the
scuppers this morning which were left for Lucy to inspect before being sent to a
watery grave.
Many thanks to those who input on the bird ID quiz,
the consensus is that it was a Storm Petrel. These birds have given us a
demonstration of their skills at flying only mm above a choppy sea.
Also thanks to Richard and Wendy for sending data
on the position of our friends on Capibara.
As requested we now add wind speed and direction
for those who are plotting our progress on Excel.
Another response to emails: this is my first blog
of the passage and I should have done one 5 days ago. In my defense I was
crawling around the engine bay trying to understand why the generator had
stopped generating electricity, so Margaret did it with my input. I think
the capacitor/s have gone down so I have ordered a new set that, hopefully,
Jenny will bring out to us in Martinique.
Since we are minimizing on use of electric energy
we have all taken a turn at manual steering. Bryan and Roger both enjoyed
steering for all our shift while Margaret did a bit and Lucy
(having first learnt which way to turn the wheel) soon had the job
cracked.
It doesn't feel like December!
Roger (Mother)
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