Waiting for Wind
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Mon 18 Nov 2013 23:57
2248z 18/11
The perfect sailing conditions continued through the night but died at
sunrise so a combination of motoring and motorsailing since as the wind
is very light and trying to choose a direction. Even though we're only
36 and a half degrees S, 30+ kn W is forecast for later in the day so
hopefully this is the start of the Roaring Forties wind band that we're
searching for. Our GC route dips us to just under 40° which has
consistent W/SW averaging F4 to F5 and a friendly current up to 3kn so
this should be the start of our sleigh ride towards the W Aus coast.
Mostly calm seas with an underlying deep even swell and clear sunny days
with clear full moon nights has allowed everyone to get their sea legs.
The burly trail from the first day payed off though with a 5kg Mahi Mahi
slaughtered and enthusiastically consumed by all today. Lucian made his
Pacific Island coconut and lime sashimi specialty to go with the
luncheon salad and Robbo fried several steak sized fillets for the full
formal sit down dinner with veggie additions perfectly prepared by Kay.
The Galley dynamic is much changed on this leg. Robbo, who played the
Galley nazi on the last leg and kept Julie in place, has been cowered
into accepting a secondary role as Kay has indisputably become the Queen
Galley Bitch. I think there are already more meals been pre-cooked,
divided, and frozen than we have remaining days left to eat them.
Meanwhile Rod and Rob stay well clear above deck and seem to be enjoying
the sailing, and general R&R from being so remote from the distractions
and confusions of civilisation. No rest for the shipwright though, who's
gaining a lifetime's worth of in-situ experiences and training ...
Ryan's been variously pulling down ceilings to find the source of leaks
in the very complicated internal guttering system for the deck drains,
and pulling up floor boards to trace and repair electrical damage to the
toilet pumps and control panels.
Meanwhile, with such mild conditions and such an experienced crew, I
just pretend to be occupied with captain type stuff - shuffling the
mouse around and looking at pretty coloured wind arrows on the chart,
and disappearing into the engine room to warm up and look at mostly
clean and not-really-need-anything-to-be-done-to-them-anyway fuel filter
bowls. Although there was a flurry of foredeck activity that needed a
sensible mediator as Luc and Robbo pulled one of our new Volvo-70 Code
Zeros onto the deck with the thought to just pull it up and see if it
fits in an attempt to catch some wind. It ended up staying on the deck
for its first outing, but we have now established that it will fit, but
we need to organise some additional rigging for it with spectra
halyards, luff ropes, tack downhauls etc.With the 30kn from behind
likely to be our next sail setting breeze, I think the Code 0 will stay
packed away for the next few weeks...
SJB