16:34.27N 46:01.66W

3 December 2011

Not a nice 24 hours.  The winds kept dropping last night but the seas remained rough.  When that happens the sails no longer can stay fully set and begin to bang, snap and groan.  Each wave will push the boat forward and deflate the sail.  When the boat heads down the wave and gains speed the sail quickly fills with a loud snap.  This shakes all the standing rigging which in turn shakes the entire boat.

Just to keep things interesting the rocking and rolling makes walking around the boat a two handed effort.  Eating meals on flat plates is nearly impossible so bowls become the preferred plate.

As the night progressed the slapping of sails was worse so we made the decision to bring in the genoa sail and start the engine.  First time we used the engine the entire trip.  This provides relief in several ways.  First getting the genoa (head sail) down stops a large amount of noise.  Second having the boat make way through the water smoothes the ride versus sitting around being slapped by the next wave.  So from 01:00 to dawn we ran under engine and a little mainsail.  This also made helming easier as the auto-pilot is used so it becomes hands free.  FYI we have been hand steering the boat the entire way to not overwork the autopilot, enjoy the feel of sailing and to get a free aerobic workout.

Once dawn broke the winds came back a little.  So off with the engine and back to sailing.  The initial setup was with a poled out genoa and the mainsail both out on the port side (starboard tack).  This worked for a few hours but as the seas grew a little the genoa was difficult to keep filled so we reverted back to wing and wing.  Now the boat is more stable, quieter and moving along at 7 knots.  Last 24 hours was 148 miles.

With the need to re-set the sails it required us to head the boat to windward.  As a result all the deck washing we accomplished yesterday was washed away with salt spray.  Such is life.

As for sea life we had a few dolphins for a short time yesterday.  Storm petrels still fly by on their daily routine.  Of course flying fish continue to commit suicide on the deck, last night’s count was a low of only three.

Water temperature is still in the 25 degree C range.

Supplies are still in good shape.  The freezer has worked well keeping pre-cooked dinners ready to defrost, reheat and eat.  All the fresh veggies are gone, oranges and apples still in good shape.  Still have plenty of canned tuna, shrimp, salmon, fruits (canned and dried) and soups.  There is also plenty of cereals, rice, oatmeal and of course grits (an acquired taste).  Water was refilled yesterday with the watermaker so we have about 800 liters now.  Diesel fuel supplies are fine with about 500 liters remaining.

Typical view from the boat with the large swell (3 meters) coming and going under the boat.

I would like to say Fáilte  to the Kilkenny College and Ms Grainne in Ireland who are following S/Y Persevere across the Atlantic.  I think it is a bit warmer here than wintery Ireland; hope you are doing well in the rugby this year; I hear that Leinster do not fear Munster quite as much as they did!

870 nautical miles to go.

Kind regards

Bruce