Day 9 - More problems
Sawsealady
David Moore
Mon 4 Dec 2006 13:15
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"21:0.052N 32:30.606W "
date lines
yacht dismasted
epirb loose
Day 9 - More
problems
The crew were arisen at 4.15am to perform a strategic
gybe. We're getting slicker by the minute. It's good to be heading
west on a course of 275 for St. Lucia. Although at one point yesterday I
didn't know if we'd be heading anywhere at all. I'd just finished the 10am -
2pm watch with 'Donald where's your trooosers' and was relaxing in the
cockpit, sunnies on, feet up listening to some Classical music when Peter the
Pedallist sternly shouted, "Something's broken".
It turned out the chain which links the helm to the rudder
had slipped loose and a sprocket needed attention. Sails down, with
SSL laying ahull (horizontal to the wind), we sat there whilst David
probed, proded, and eventually tightened the chain. We had the crude in
style emergency tiller to hand, but it is now safely stowed away again.
Sitting in the swells without sails whilst we made running repairs
rather than romping down the surf gave me a true appreciation for
the enormity of the seas we are in. They are big, and without
a steerage way they would be scary.
We were also woken early the previous morning for a
'sails-down-possible-squall-coming' routine. When squalls hit they
increase wind speed by 3 - 20kts to 60kts for a few minutes ! It turned
out to be a good drill when the squall passed to one side. But it does
mean with sleep as difficult to come by in these rolling conditions as it is, we
are all pretty fatigued.
 Richard keepinn control watched by David while
Oscar catches up on his sleep on a roller coaster.
Other
events
ARC Control sent out two emails yesterday.
The first was a call for any boat ith a 240v angle grinder
to go to the help of MUSTANG. One of the largest yachts in the fleet ( a 25.3
metre Camper and Nicholson ) which had been dismasted in the strong
winds. She coldn't cut her rod rigging with conventioal
cutters. A yacht wih the equipment was heading for her.
The second was a request to head for a transmitting EPIRB.
(The device which broadcasts your position to a satellite in an emergency).
It turned out that it had fallen overboard from a yacht. It shows that the
system works !!
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