Morocco?
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Mon 30 Sep 2013 04:57
32:43.21N 010:20.50W
0415z
30/9
Well not as much
progress along the rhumb line as hoped for by this stage approaching 1,000nm on
th etrip log, but closer to 600 straight-line. Mostly head winds since since
entering the Atlantic have hindered us getting out into the trade wind belt.
Weather data shows a N-NE flow between Africa and NE of the Canaries, so we're
heading for this more favourable wind to get us up and
away...
On the positive
side, Aphrodite seems to enjoy sitting at 9+kn in anything over 12kn of wind. So
once we do get into the trades it'll be a fast comfortable sleigh ride to the
Equator.
A semi breakthrough
fishing today. Jed, who seems to be back to full speed now (apart from his
broadband withdrawals) hooked a small tuna but lost it well before it got near
the transom. A few hours later I noticed a mutton bird flying behind the boat
like a kite - wings spread and swooping from side to side. After reeling it in
and getting the lure out of its beak it flew away quite happily. It appears to
be juvenile and stayed in sight of the boat through till sunset. Anyway, Jed
failed to land a small tuna, and failed to notice his lure flying 20 feet up
from the water's surface. Unfortunately he wont be able to Google for "Fishing
for Dummys" instructions for another month. I suspect his duties will be
re-assigned.
A spontaneous
crew training excercise occured when the jib fairlead car stopper blew off and
overboard. So all hands to strop down the jib sheet, then furl, then pilfer
a stopper off the staysail track and rebuild the genoa track. Now all fairleads
are lashed with spectra so that should be the end of it. We did pick up a box
load of titanium blocks from the Volvo 70 head quarters in Alicante
before leaving Spain, so I think this is a good opportunity to break out a bit
more titanium. We also got hundreds of titanium nuts and bolts and other deck
fittings, so all repairs and additions to date involve titanium in some
way.
Ryan and Robbo spent
a second day in the bilge, installing a new bilge/fire pump - titanium bolted
down. And Julie who cameleoned back to human colouring today got stuck back into
bread making, cleaning, washing and cooking. (With her onboard, concious of
such things, there's a good chance we wont arrive in Cape Town smelling like
we've been at sea for a month)
Tried the water
maker today for the first time and put quarter of a tank in while charging the
batteries. Be good to swap the not-too-pleasant tasting Spanish water out of the
tanks. Although Robbo's been enjoying it - better than drinking fresh(ish) water
out of a swamp in Afganistan I suppose.
Motoring now through
the dead spot between wind patterns, no swell today and only mild sea, so
on-course for W of the Canaries and expecting to hit favourable wind through the
day.
SJB