Getting into the Swing of things
The Travels of Running Tide
Mick Norman
Fri 15 Feb 2013 22:53
|
16:36.4N 30:38.0W
This is our third day at sea for this leg of the
journey its quite blowy, last night it was F7 and posibly 8 for a short while.
We are still using only a mizen and a head sail in various states of reef. At
present 9.00 on 15 Feb its fully out and we are bowling along at a comfortable
6.5kn. Our onboard forecast via the sat phone
iplies that the present conditions will continue for a few mor days getting
slightly more windy.
We are operating a three hour watch on board. With
three of us on board that equate to 3 on and 6 hours off. When on watch you are
responsible for operating the boat, checking course speed, sails,etc. Of
course everyone is around to help when needs require but genearlly when you are
off watch you can do what you like, sleep, read, contemplate life in general and
wonder why you put yourself through such misery (joy when its all over) when you
could be sat back home in front of the fire.
One advantage of the three hour system for three
people is that it has a three day cyle, therefore the watches you do step on
three hours a day. No one gets the same watch day after day.
We haven't seen much wild life one pod of dolphins
two day ago, a few flying fish and a couple of sail jelly fish. We haven't seen
much of the blue skies and fluffy white clouds typical of the trade wind
areas
We haven't tried fishing yet Ian, going much to
fast and not inclined to hold back at this stage of the crossing. Make hay while
the skies are grey, that's how it goes init.
We seemed to have resloved the problem with water
ingress aft. It was combination of things which we have plugged but primarily
water was entering through a cooking gas vent in the transom. This must have
been put in the original construction so not sure why the problem didn't become
so appaling apparent until recently. Anyway fingers crossed. Hate to say so
Laurent (the Designer) but that wasn't one of your best moments. Also failing to
have a drain from the rudder chamber to an accessible sump wasn't great either.
We have ducted it to the stern gland area where a manual bilge pump is
installed.
Before we headed off from Mindelo Norm amused us
all by his antics. Try and guess how.
What Happens Next
 More tomorrow.......
Apparently this Blog has an international following
most of UK, half of Sweden, a bit of Canada and maybe a few in Austtralia.
Probably a slight exageration. As a consequence it has come to our attention that some of you out there would like to
have a pen portrait of each of those on board the good ship RT. So here
goes.
Peder, handsome Viking with asperations to row an
Ocean. Last member to be recruited for the crew when he heard of RT's impending
travels. Learning fast how to cope with RT. Good cook, that's important.
Specialist subject eating reindeer.
Norm, a lovely lad, even older than the skip. Good
around the boat and at making us laugh. Can't cook for toffee but good at the
dishes and eating biscuits. Specialist subjects transporting sheep and cattle to
their maker and the Archers in that order
Mick, very ex ocean rower and long suffering owner
of RT and much the poorer for it. Career as an electrical engineer worrying
about watts, now spend most of my time considering what ifs. Specialist subjects
digestive biscuits and their dunking.
|