Mauritius to Richard's Bay, South Africa - Day 4
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Fri 25 May 2012 09:31
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25:01.398S 48:38.936E
May 25, 2012
Motoring.
And the captain is none too happy about it. We started
out with a full tank of diesel (580 liters) plus several jerry cans, but now are
down to 375 liters total. Still plenty, but not enough to motor the 1,150
miles left to go from here to Richard's Bay. Not that we think we'll be
doing that. We've never heard of a boat having to motor all the way to
Richard's Bay and certainly we won't be the first. But, the droning of the
engine does dig itself in under your skin after a while and sometimes plants
pessimistic thoughts while there. We sailed for a few hours
yesterday afternoon in light NNE wind, but broke down and put the engine back on
around dinner time. It's been running ever since, and this morning
the captain started to fret about our fuel supply and general wear and tear
on the engine. The rest of the crew is more patiently waiting for the
promised ESE wind to kick in.
On the bright side...
Just as the engine went on last night, the sky completely
cleared and we had a nice crescent moon throughout John's night watch
(payback for the previous night's rain squall misery). After the moon set,
we had a glorious view of the stars throughout the rest of the night - the best
we've had in quite a long time. It's hard to complain about the rumble of
the engine when surrounded by a dome of brilliant starlight.
After our first real sunrise (the
first three dawns consisted of gradations of gray and
nothing remotely resembling a sunrise), this morning has been perfect.
Even more so when we nearly rammed a pod of whales sleeping at the
surface. The collection of black shiny whale backs just visible above
the water barely moved a muscle when we slammed on the brakes (put the engine in
neutral) and turned sharply to port. They lazily breathed, spouting a bit
of mist, and slowly rolled away under the sea. We didn't see more than
their backs, but we did get a very close view. It was about the closest
we've ever been to so many whales at once (5 or more?). What a fabulous
brush with nature - one we are glad happened in daylight.
Hey! What's this?
The engine drone stopped. The wind has arrived, as
promised. Just like that. One minute we're barely motorsailing in 3
knots of southerly wind, and then poof! 10 knots of SE wind appears.
I'm sitting here lazily typing while Don and John pull out the
sails. Ahhh.....now there's only the sound of sailing in a
light breeze - water gently slapping the hull, the cabin
woodwork creaking softly when the boat rolls slightly to
starboard, and the reassuring clicking of the autopilot. This is more like
it.
This light breeze should increase through tomorrow, but from
an angle mostly behind us, so the sailing should only get better (faster).
If all goes according to plan, we'll sail past the southern coast of
Madagascar (about 40-50 miles away from the coast) tomorrow
(Saturday), reaching the passage half-way point. Hmmm...we'll have to
think about an appropriate way to celebrate.
Anne
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