position S08 40.800 W107 51.500

Ocean Rival Journey Log
Adam Power Diana Power
Wed 30 Aug 2017 18:38

Wednesday 30th August. 141 miles for 24 hrs.

I did put the extra reef in yesterday morning and then took down the mainsail altogether in the afternoon so we were under poled out genny overnight still making fairly brisk progress with help from waves and current of top of the 20 knot plus wind. I was alerted at about 4am by a clattering on deck and thinking I would find a loose halyard was not a little shocked to see the port aft mast stay detached from the deck. Rapidly reducing the genoa to beach towel proportions I discovered that the eye bolt had sheared clean through at the deck leaving a short piece in the cupboard under with insufficient thread to re-fasten the turnbuckle. A search of the spares locker revealed no spare eyebolts but there were a couple of spare turnbuckles and after much befuddled deliberation I calculated that half a turnbuckle would yield the correct length and connection. Luckily I had bought a new hacksaw in Santa Cruz so was able to cut the turnbuckle, file down the sides to fit the clevis and re-fasten the stay. The clevis pin is now bearing on the middle spacer of the turnbuckle which is not ideal but it looks reasonably substantial and provided we are more careful with sail loads I think we can still make adequate progress. We now have half a jib poled out and around 5 knot speed. The roll is very sensitive to speed, direction and what the waves are doing- just now it has become rather violent and I need to go up and see if a change in course or sail size will help.
A tweak to port seems to have done the trick(ish).
I can only assume that the bolt failed due to fatigue -possibly aided by to our hard sailing on port tack over the last week or so.
We are feeling a little starved of news so if you are still reading let us know what is happening at home or send us an uplifting poem.