Borneo Sth Coast
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Sat 8 Feb 2014 11:34
04:43.04S 114:42.04E
2256z 08/02
A full day and night
under sail making reasonable progress considering it's the wrong time of year to
be heading in this direction. Winds around 12 kn and consistent, seas slight, so
close hauled as planned across to Borneo gaining slightly more ground to the W
than expected so can't complain really. Within another hour or two we'll know if
the breeze is going to bend into the coastline as hoped for which will give us a
decent motor-sailing opportunity due W. Certainly the small wind chop from out
in the middle of the Java Sea has almost gone.
Great to be back at
sea again, Aphrodite and all the crew enjoyed the perfect sailing conditions
yesterday across the Java Sea, close hauled with speeds touching 9.5 kn through
the puffs. But mostly around 7.5-8 kn and heavily influenced by the current
set.
Bligh is quickly
becoming a seasoned sailor now, and proving very helpful and entertaining when
conscious, however he has had to "enjoy" the initiation rights and although
he's not quite had to feed the fish he has spent much time lying in the cockpit
and sleeping. Today I expect he'll have his sea legs fully and energy levels
will be back to overflowing.
Aphrodite didn't
manage to disembark any of its HAL componentary back at Gili, but so far doesn't
seem to have picked up any more either. The genset is still out of commission
with its fuel injector pump removed and sent on ahead to Singapore for
servicing. So no water maker without the gen power but we lashed out and spent
three or four dollars on a tarp, bucket and pipe and built our own water
maker - now we need a squall or two and if all goes to plan we can catch a ton
or more of rain water in around 30 minutes.
Looking forward to
fresh sashimi now - watch this space ...
SJB