To Galapagos day 4
Moxie - Beck Family Adventure
Mike, Denise, Asia and Aranya Beck
Sat 5 Apr 2014 17:07
05 April 2014
6.8kts 242 deg
17ktSSE
About 350 miles to go
Still no fish and not much chance of catching one as we had a involuntary hove to tacks in the night and have run over the lines. We have been using 'George' the autopilot in wind mode but every now and then in a lull or gust he loses the plot. It looks like i'll be taking a swim sometime before we arrive, hopefully we still have one of the lures under there somewhere but have definitely lost the last of the bigger expensive ones. In any case the water is cleaner here and perhaps we should inspect and clean the hull a bit more.
Overcast today which is keeping the temperature down a couple of degrees but the (small) sea is on the nose which gives us the least comfortable ride. The generator is still playing up, it was ok for a while after cleaning the temp gauge connection wires but the issue has returned.
Speaking to cruisers in Panama 1 in 4 boats simply cannot be bothered with the hassle, uncertainty and expense and are opting instead for a 4000 mile continuous journey to Marquesas, something we considered too. Reading properly about the conservation and restoration efforts of the Ecuadorian government gives a better appreciation for the many restrictive regulations that are in place. Anticipation is building and for the first time I am really looking forward to getting to the islands.
We spotted another yacht last night and crossed paths within 3 miles or so, they are still very close this morning which is interesting as I expected that they would have less leeway and be managing a much more southerly route. The wind overnight has turned in our favour and for the first time in days we are holding course for destination. It is mostly slow going, we hope to arrive April 8th although might need to hold station for a recommended daylight entry
, a lot can change between now and then of course.
Brilliant bioluminescence show last night, swirling galaxy in the heads, rivers of green in the twin wakes.
Mike, Denise, Asia and Aranya Beck
SV Moxie
http://blog.mailasail.com/moxie