Day 3 - passed halfway

Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Fri 21 Oct 2011 15:12
16°02.693N
110°48.075E
21/10
2200LT
Great sailing all
day, fresh breeze 14-18kn from the NNE with some swing to NE at times had us
barralling along at 10-12kn, although with a head current our progress over
ground was not quite that good. 2 mains, the genny and our favourite sail the
"monkey" which is a cross between a mizzen kite, staysail and blooper - always
good for an extra 1.5kn, but only a narrow wind band that it works
in.
At current speed
should finish Sat night, but light winds ahead likely to delay
that...
Fingers still
somewhat useless (as a left over from my Captain Jack Sparrow up the mast
impression yesterday) but started on the repairs to the kite as the forecast
ahead looks like the last day could be light winds. Steering's ok using the
palms, but no rope handling possible for a few more days I suspect. Typing
possible but slow, so Ian will fill in the rest of our day's
activities...
SJB
0910, just after
completing the morning radio duties - we're the fleet's radio control boat, so
we're required to run 2 position skeds and 2 weather skeds daily, at 0800 and
1800. I'm the designated radio operator, so I'm trying to emulate the calm,
reassuring deep brown voice of the old BBC weather readers ("......Cromarty and
Fastnet, wind force 10, visibility nil....." etc, but making it sound
non-serious).
Not a lot to
complain about with our weather except that we'd like a little more than we've
had. Currently 15-20 knots NE, slight seas and 1m swells, carrying
jib, main, staysail and mizzen downhill, making 10 knots. Weather cloudy,
but tropically warm, so we're all in various stages of resort wear. V.
colourful.
We've just passed
the halfway mark - 352 miles covered, 314 to run, looking to arrive Nha Trang on
Saturday if the weather stays as is. Saw our first gaggle of gannets this
morning, playing greedy and elaborate games with the fish that each of them
catches, the empty-beaked divebombing those in possession to force a drop which
is then neatly stolen in midair. Life on El Oro is now quite regulated by the
needs of the ship. Watches are well established, duties assigned. Breakfasts are
mostly individual, but we share lunches, cocktails and dinners. Catering
standards are high, and portion sizes generous, so nil complaints from the crew
so far. The espresso machine is working well and often, and the biscotti are
going down a treat. One shudders to think of the tank water and energy bars that
are being forced onto the slaves on the flat-out racing boats ahead of
us.
We're just about to
gybe the rig to take us due south past the westernmost extent of the Paracel
Islands. Simon has unpacked the sailmaker's sewing machine to repair yesterday's
spinnaker explosion, so life at sea goes ahead. More
later.
Ian
R