Zooming in towards Barbados 13:09 N 59:07 W
Ticketeeboo
Sue & Alan
Mon 20 Jan 2014 11:53
Almost knackered today. Tried to get an hour's shut-eye this afternoon ........ Zzzzzz-less in the usual rolly-polly sea. Having flogged clocks for last time this passage I missed the 1900UT net, when I noticed 25 minutes too late at 1525 boat time because we're now 4 hours behind UT! Must remember in morning at 0600 boat time = 1000 UT?
Even been in our flag bag and now have all necessary flags on stand-by.
0700: Wind during night mostly ENE F5 sometimes gusting F7 max 33kn from time to time. Now daylight and 36NM to go. Whilst pilot book says we should be able to see land at 40NM we can't........ and it better be there! My list of jobs is a little longer. It now includes repairing our autopilot motor because what started out as 'occasional magnetic clutch rattle' last May (in severe heavy beam-reaching seas) is now a re clearly defines 'weak magnetic clutch' which often slips in these seas. It's doing its job, although is noticeably and progressively weakening. Despite me trying to rattle a few cages since last May, the amount of information available from Lewmar is pitiful. I think Lewmar must rate 'operating, service & repair instructions and detailed parts lists' as 'Top Secret - for your eyes only - do not allow to fall into enemy or yacht-owner's hands - to suffer fate worse than capitulation'. It's sad that Lewmer do not provide anywhere near adequate information, needed to allow
an owner to assess their needs for spare parts, which may be needed. Nor do they provide adequate information with this product. Discovery Yachts Limited have been unable to get it out of them and although I did manage to get to talk to Lewmar on the subject, I have nothing more to work with except the part number and price for what they loosely describe as a clutch kit and a 1/4hp motor kit and oh yes, have to deal through one of their agents ............ who don't appear to hold stock anyway? I've asked Discovery Yachts if they can supply a clutch kit for Sue to bring out just in case we end up needing one in near future. Not the sort of thing I want to fiddle with whilst underway although can do more detailed inspection after we arrive on hook.
Good job we'll arive soon. We've worked our way through a big basket of tangerines (last of 'em only yesterday) apples (2 weeks), plumbs (yesterday), grapes (week ago), bananas (lasted only about 3 or 4 days then looked like a dogs dinner - post digestion. The last of the potatoes now have legs and can probably make own way off the yacht. What was left of the carrots was cooked & frozen 2 weeks ago (when started to go soggy & sticky - yuck!). FRozen peas and frozen mixed veg have kept well. Frozen sliced bread is only good for making toast. One frozen baguette left (scrummy). Frozen cuissants are lovely (1 pkt gobbled-up and one to go). Some iceream left - our little luxury for being good boys. Plenty frozen/fresh tuna left. Down to our last litre of milk & cereal pkt. Some beers, wine & Bombay Sapphire to go at soon! Used up to maybe 600L diesel fuel, some on donk (102 hrs so far) and some on generator (85 hrs so far). To date been sailing 362 hrs and donked 102 hrs = roughly 80% sa
iling, which is the opposite to sailing in Med! Nearly 0800. Ray has just left his sack to it's time for breakfast, just about. No sight of land yet....... visibility is less than 25NM.
Ticketeeboo MMSI 235071989 Callsign 2CED3, Ham callsign = m0hng
At 20/01/2014 11:45 UT our position was 13°09.32'N 059°07.25'W
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