A FRUSTRATING 24 HOURS
Aquila
Alan and Sarah Bennett
Wed 11 Jun 2008 14:01
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41:41.50N 40:44.80W
Noon-noon run: a surprising 136
miles.
This has been a difficult 24hrs. A fitful
zephyr started filling in from ESE at about 1400 yesterday, but not enough until
1600 to allow even AQUILA to make progress in the confused sea that remains from
the wind boxing the compass in this region for the past 48hrs. Hoever, by
1700 it had settled into NNE3, and we were making decent progress in pretty much
the right direction until 2300, when a minor front went through and shifted the
wind to East. So we tacked; not something you expect to suddenly have to
do in the middle of the Atlantic! After about 3 hours of ESE3, the wind
started to back again and by 0400 was back at NE3 - involving another
tack. However by 0800 it was WNW3, allowing good progress despite the
continuing confused seas. Then, at 1030 - disaster! It died
completely, leaving us becalmed again.
Our all too friendly original Low is to blame,
having ground to a halt in this area, and right now I reckon we are slap bang in
the centre of it - hence the calm. I think it - and we! - will remain
around here for the next 3 days - groan! Currently motoring gently 070M,
but we do not have the fuel reserves to do this for 3 days. so we are all
whistling like mad! Our next resort is to sacrifice Tom to King Neptune,
but he does not know this yet!
As if sensing the mood, Sarah had a major bread
failure - the yeast simple would not rise. So by suppertime we were
looking at the doorstop to end all doorstops. However, fortunately this
morning's efforts have been more successful, and the doorstop has thus been
committed to the deep.
The entire crew got stuck into emptying and then
dismantling the aft cabin yesterday afternoon so that Ian and the skipper could
tackle the suspected leaking heater pump. Sure enough there were clear
signs that this was the culprit with regard to diesel getting into the
bilges. Shame when it was added to the original build it did not have a
stop cock fitted to the supply pipe. We think we have effected a good
repair, but time will tell.
On the plus side, we enjoyed a delicious salmon
fishcake supper, prepared by our oh-so-resouceful head chef. In
celebration, beers and wine all round. Also, during the day, we saw
numerous large sea turtles, surprised 4 sharks lazing on the surface, the
ubiquitous Portugese-men o' war, a SHIP!!! and a fisherman's discarded
float.
Photo or 2 to follow if we
can.
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