Day 7
Pearl of Persia
Andrew Lock
Mon 28 Oct 2013 10:10
Yesterday we managed a total of 174 miles in 24 hours which is good but not
fantastic. A really good day would be getting to 200 miles. We decided not
to put the cruising chute up and have a relaxing day instead, as the winds
were touching the 18-20 knots. Any more than that and it becomes a frantic
battle to get it down at the end of the day. Several boats have reported
bursting their sail or having a desperate struggle with it when the winds
pipes up.
Today we are almost becalmed....the winds have died to about 8 knots. which
is barely enough to sail properly. The forecast shows more wind tomorrow so
we have decided to motor for a few hours. Looking at the fuel gauge we
decided that putting the engine on would be better for morale than just
lolling around in the water for hours on end, but we know we have to be
careful to conserve fuel as we need it to run the generator each day as
well. This allows us to recharge the boat batteries, and keep all the
systems working. Noticed yesterday that the generator was starting to
overheat, so Andrew has spent the morning with his head down inside it,
replacing a broken impellor. Not the most satisfying of things to do on a
rolling boat. I can only sit helplessly and provide moral support and cold
water drinks from the deck.