Irrawaddy Approach

Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Sun 19 May 2013 09:00
14:51.32N
096:43.05E
Sun 19/5
0300(LT)
Wind 10kn
SW
Boat 7kn @
340°
Great day's sailing
for last 24 hrs, after the storm yesterday morning Silky settled into his watch
and shook out all the reefs to sit on 8+ kn for 6 hrs, still enjoying the SW
trades that are mostly manageing to get this deep into the Gulf of
Martaban.
..... well, I
started writing that at 3am this morning when we were nicely on time for an
arrival at the Pilot Station just after lunch, then got distracted by an
oncoming storm, so up to part-furl trhe jib and reef the main. The storm hit,
not too strong, peak gusts just under 20kn, but then the reef line broke, so
woke Silky from his poorly needed beauty sleep and he and Rog pulled down to the
second reef while I managed my best to make their time on the foredeck as
uncomfortable as possible.
After riding out
that storm, we got hit by several more on sunset, this time with 90 deg wind
shifts to the N - so head winds and barely making a couple of knots to
destination. As Luke was now well awake, and no more beautiful, I tried to get
another few minutes of sleep. Then the shaftbrake overheated and blew a seal
which drained the gearbox oil (our shaftbrakes grab and release based on oil
pressure to determine if engine is on or off). Aimee fortunately picked up the
strange smell and I was bruskely woken and thrown into an oil bath in the engine
room.
So engines off to
cool down, light head winds so depressing fwd progress for a few hours. Removed
shaftbrake, replaced alternator belts on one engine that had been wearing badly
as didn't want any break downs tomorrow on the river.
It's now 3pm and
instead of being at anchor sipping arrival G&T's at the Pilot Station we are
still 30nm out and doing 5 kn with both engines on into a 2kn contrary
current.
ETA at Pilot Station
now around 8pm, which still gives hope for getting in the queue for a pilot
tomorrow morning.
A flood tide will
follow us up from 6am low at river mouth to 1pm high at Yangon so if all goes
according to plan it'll be an easy trip up river.
No Luke, shutup, we
are not there yet.
And the Jolly Roger
has made a reapearance the last day or two, I think keen to step onto dry land
but still will be a trip to remember!
SJB