05:24.70N
096:32.56E
24/5 0400LT
Mad quick stop off at Phuket to refill LPG (which can't
do in Langkawi) and get two alternators repaired. After just a day and a half
anchored at Au Chalong, picked up altyernators at 5pm then straight back to boat
to finish off jobs and prepare for the 200nm to Banda
Aceh.
Finished work at midnight and still somewhat tired from
lack of sleep last few days so decided to have a nap and pull anchor at
3am.
Depatrted on time and as soon as we rounded S end of
Phuket sailed straight into the trade winds. Full genny and mizzen and one reef
in the main we started heading SW. Winds consistant at 12-15kn to begin and
sailing hard-on making mostly 7-8kn. Winds increased through the day to 15-18kn
making it a little harder to sail very close as that rersults in hammering hard
into every wave. Seas where mostly slight, but periods of larger confused seas
made for very wet trip.
Zac not doing too well. Sleeping when possible and
hiding in cockpit corner when neeeding some air.
Wind and seas a bit heavy to rely on autopilot,
(although it could handle fine the slacker periods) meaning I spent entire
crossing at the helm station (36hr).Dropped off the wind several degrees and
decide to close the Sumatra coast before tacking and hope for lighter, possibly
friendlier land breeze to sail N up the coast to Banda
Aceh.
At a few stages through the night we had very strong
gusts and a few violent squalls, although nothing over 22kn with brief peaks at
25. Apart from Zac's incapacitation and my tiredness, the sailing was terrific.
EO handled the striong head winds as expected and mostly we charged at 8-10kn at
35-38 deg wind angle with only a few degrees of leeway. Of course it was wet.
Spray and green water over the deck was continuous and at one time with us both
in the cockpit a wave broke over our side and half filled the cockpit andf
dumped about 2 foot of water over the entire length of the
yacht!
SJB
