Day 7 Wednesday We're doomed - George goes on strike...again!
Synijinsky
Wed 23 Nov 2022 17:50
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15:53.6N 042:52.1W
Speed: 7.25kt Trip:
1047 Wind: E F5/6
The night started well with Nijinsky and George our 5th
and naughty crew member performing well. To be fair to George he had been
acquitting himself very well since his holiday in Mindelo. The weather during
the night was reasonable with winds relatively steady between 20 and 25
knots and" Nijinsky bowling along between 7 and 8 knots.
Just after watch change from skip to He at 0400hrs,
George decides to go A.W.O.L. and the boat gybes backing both sails but held in
place with preventer ropes on both the boom and Yankee pole. Skip returns on
deck slightly under dressed to help He and to give George a good talking to,
however George was not having it, so He was tasked with hand steering to
dawn.
At dawn around 0700hrs , the calibration team of Chief
Eng, skips and He started the autopilot dock and "at sea" recalibration
exercises that are normally meant to be carried out firstly in dock and then at
sea in calm protected waters, not in the middle of the Atlantic with 3 to 4
metre seas and 20 to 25 knot winds. We carried out 3 or 4 full calibrations but
always got the same error message " autopilot rudder sensor is not
calibrated". (Neil can you ask Garmin if they can suggest anything to try
please)
We have for the time decided to continue on hand
steering and therefore have changed the watch system to 1.5 hrs and 4.5 hrs off.
Steering during the day is not too bad even though we are sailing dead downwind
but it is always more challenging at night when you are totally on instruments
and more tired. We are currently still discussing the " 2nd man on call system"
as the watch keeper is unable to leave the wheel to adjust the sails
etc.
Due to these latest developments and that we are
currently north of the rhumb line, it is likely that we may route to either
Barbados or Bequia as the first destination in the Caribbean. Crew discussions
today have been focused on George and how we might persuade him to play again
but there is crew consensus that we all want shares in a Hydrovane wind vane
steering system for Christmas.
Georges antics have put a little downer on the half way
celebrations which we should reach later this evening. They also delayed one of
our main topics of daily conversation, namely what is for dinner ! Decision now
made and the chicken has come out of the freezer, if somewhat behind
schedule.
So stay tuned for tomorrow's report and further school
reports on George !
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