Chafe - A Problem for Marathon Runners and Sailors Alike - Day 4 Mindelo to Grenada

Walkabout has gone Sailing
Andrew and Traci Roantree
Tue 23 Nov 2021 08:51
Joggers nipple is an affliction that I am happy too have avoided. But we have started to suffer from sailors chafe. Everybody says ‘check your lines regularly, move their positions so the wear points are in different locations, check/resolve any area of abrasion’. We try to do all that. But sailing 24 hours a day, day in day out is a very different prospect to a weekend trip to Salcombe.

Yesterday we had our first breakage as a result of chafe. Happily with no particular consequence. The tack line that holds the bottom of the BWR to the bottom eye of the furler torsion rope (you with me??) wore through and gave way. We noticed that the foot of the sail had started riding up the torsion rope. This would have been a problem if we wanted to furl the sail and hadn’t spotted it. But we were able to remove the remnants of the old rope and replace it with a much sturdier arrangement involving a couple of shackles and better secured line. Not yet tried furling it, but it should work fine/better. (Ade and Bev - you need to change/improve yours).

In other news - we are about one quarter of the way to Grenada!! Feels like a bit of a milestone, and makes us realise that we have made some good progress. Assuming we continue the same then we should be in around the 4/5th December. Is anyone running a book on when we get in?? I think a bit of competition on that front would be good.

More baking yesterday - Carol’s apple cake, using some apples that were starting to turn.

And fishing has started!! So far without any success. But at least the line is in.

We made one sail change yesterday - swapped from G1 and main to just the Blue Water Runner, and are heading dead down wind. Hydrovane steering. It is quite a simple set up for downwind, which is great. But last night neither of us slept that well - there was a lot of rock and roll, and the movement of the sail in the rolly sea is quite loud.

We have had times with no other boats visible on AIS - start to get the feeling of being very remote. Over 500 miles from nearest land now, and increasing. This morning we can see Pippin on AIS, and that is it.

Last night for dinner we had beef stew with potatoes and beans (just as good the second time round).

All is well on the good ship ‘Walkabout’.

A&Tx