Day2/3
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Thu 27 Oct 2011 21:44
28/10 0500(Sing Time)
Solid progress the last couple of days has given us a bit of cruising
time we intend to use to have a quick stop at the Tioman Island, around
100nm N of Singapore. Off the NE coast of the Malaysian Peninsula.
Apparently a spectacular coastal golf course with the final hole a 150
yards chip over a beach.
The 26th was still fast sailing in solid trade winds of 13-18kn easing
through the later part of the day, yesterday, 27th, the winds eased
further so we gave the repaired kite its first shake-out. Apart from the
new GT stripe across it, and a dodgy new tension point near the tack, it
performed very well!
The kite was stowed in plenty of time for a squall, which we hadn't had
for a couple of days. This had obviosuly been building and just waiting
for us to get in range. 40kn sustained gusts had us surfing along at
over 12kn for more than half an hour (the speed log scale stops at
12.5kn and the needle was pinned for virtually the whole time we were in
the squall. Not possible to see the SOG value below as the washboards
were in). Apart from breaking the mizzen boom in half just aft of the
vang point, we surfed through the storm unscathed and exhiliarated.
Our menu the last few days in nice controlled trades has taken a further
step up. Rare roast beef steaks, spagetti bolognaise, proscuitto and
salad club sandwiches intermixed with sauscissant salamis and gourmet
cheeses, olives and cheese crackers for snacks and also well used as an
absorbtion food for the evening Jonny Walkers.
Second day out everyone was definatley taking a day off after the
gruelling race followed by Nha Trang lightning tour. Snoozing,
sunbaking, reading and movies. Now that we are back to passage making,
HAL is in control (and mostly behaving itself) and Evan and I are back
on our regular 6/6 watch cycle with one of the Cadets and Han Thaung
called upon if sail changes are needed. Win stands watch still through
the night, but mostly napping in the cockpit so he's close at hand. The
other Cadet has been relieved of further duties onboard which has
doubled Win's workload.
The Scrabble board finally made an appearance and this time the guests
let me play (I was excluded for 2000 miles when we sailed down to Bali
from Phuket earlier in the year). Perhaps I wont get another invite as I
pulled off a 7 letter word (first time in recent memory) for a single
word score of 91 that made it pretty hard for me to loose from that
point on. (Living most of the time with Burmese crew only, my vocabulary
doesn't get too well excercised!)
Now sunrise approaches and just under 100 miles to the Tioman Island so
plan to drop anchor by sunset.
SJB