Leg 10 Lombok - Christmas Island

Take Off
Jörgen Wennberg
Sun 17 Sep 2017 20:31
At 07.45 we waved goodbye to Mado and got us prepared to start sailing the Indian Ocean. Only an hour before start we had problems with our AIS / Auto-pilot / VHF. Lovely Lars on Sandvita once again helped us fix and we managed to get started just on time for the start at 09.00. We left the bay in Gili Gede and together with the rest of the World ARC fleet we sailed towards Christmas Island. 

  

We did a great start and passed the starting line as boat no 2!

  

 

Our last view over Lombok: a fishing boat with Sandvita in the back. 

  

Owl and Tulla Mhor.


Our first day in the Indian Ocean! We sailed half wind in 20 kn of wind. As we pass the top of Lombok the wind increases to 25 kn and we are now reaching. Jörgen and Pär having their first wave over them with Lombok in the back.

   

The first day's beautiful sunset!


The day after we saw some activity far away behind the boat. I managed to catch it on the camera, however until today we still not really know what sort of whale it is?


Then this funny fishing boat crossed our stern.


We hoist the spinnaker quite early and sail all day in a quite calm and nice sea with the perfect waves and no swells. 

 

The engine is working, the goose neck is on its place, the watermaker is working….. so everything is feeling perfect! The waves are favourable for Alex and Inez to do schooling up the in cockpit. 

 

We take our sundowner and even play cards : vänd-tia. We eat soup made out of Jörgen’s marlin, miam! 

  

 

The wind being so favourable we decide to keep the spinnaker up for the night. 

  

We continue sailing with the spinnaker during the next day as well as the night. However the night of the 19th of September (our 3rd night) during Louise’s shift the wind picked up and gusted up to 22 kn. At around 22h30 the gust was so hard that the boat broached. We waked Pär up and took down the spinnaker for the night. We knew from the forecast that the wind was going to pick up so it was not wise to still fly the spinnaker during this night. Another lesson learned or….? This night the sea started to get pretty choppy and none of us had a good night sleep. 

From the 19 - 20th of September although we did not fly the spinnaker during the night. However we progressed pretty well and managed to make 190 NM the last 24 hours. When Jörgen did a rigg check this day he discovered that the forestay was starting to get apart. We decided to send me up and repair it with silver tape so far until we come to Christmas Island. So up I went and wow what a freaky experience having up in the air with nothing to hold on to and swinging back and forth like a lost glove in the wind. The silver tape was set and quickly I went down again. However the silver tape did not last long and after a few minutes it was seen in the sea. Never again I will do this!

For this we decided to keep the jib and hoist the spinnaker instead until we can repair the forestay properly.

 

We take turns to steer Take Off...


… while Inez is being very creative...

   

… and also helping make Alex’s birthday cake for tomorrow. 

  

We also discovered Alex and Inez’s aeroplane hangar!


Pär making origami with Inez and playing vänd-tia during our sundowner.