Day 5
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Mon 10 Oct 2011 17:47
18°17.9254N
116°55.3178E
Tues 11/10
0030
On the home
straight! Just under 300nm to go, and aiming direct for HK. Now all we need is
the promised trades to push us along!
Mostly good
winds last 24hrs, very large and confused seas and plenty of rain showers. Much
of today was easy downhill sailing in 12-15kn breeze and good sunshine. Still
haven't had a chance to go up the mast and fix the kite halyard, which is a
shame as perfect conditions today for flying it. Wind started dropping boxing
the compass after sunset so had a few hours under motor. Around midnight
steadied again in line with teh GRIBS at 12kn SE.
The trade belt
blowing in from the Pacific appears to have shifted N so may be longer to reach
them that was hoped.
No fish, but
keeping the lure on deck attached to the reel does make it too challenging for
the fish to strike. As we're sailing mostly, we haven't been dragging the lure
much because we only hook up when moving fast - ie, stronger winds - and takes
too long to slow the boat to retrieve the fish. Got tired of donating $50 lures
and 100s of metres of line to Davy Jones on every strike. Anyway, plenty of
tinned tuna onboard....
Cadets still
suffering from seasickness on and off. The conditions much bumpier now, and will
likely remain so, or worsen, until we get back to Singapore - only 1800 miles
left! But at least they are getting some semblance of sea legs - they
just pause in their work now and then to feed the
fish.
Making water
for nearly last 18hrs - very empty tanks, as we take 2 tonne, and current
production rate around 110 ltr/hr. Something about the planning of this - adding
2t weight to the boat just before a race??? Anyway, we'll use much in HK as we
can't make water in "Fragrant Harbour" and we're on a mooring in Causeway Bay,
so no access to shore water.
Very full
moon, skies bright (almost blue) so only planets are visible, and only 2 or 3 of
the brightest stars. If the night were dark, we'd probably be in range of the
loom of a billion Chinese lightbulbs....
SJB