(Blog No 32) Was it Ben's Thai chicken curry or was the wind forecast?
Catou
Paul and Sylvie Tucker
Fri 3 Dec 2010 13:17
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17:28.67N
30:08.02W
Friday 3rd December
Noon Position: 17 deg 29'N 30 deg
8'W
Daily Run: 133' (Best day's run!!)
Average speed: 5.54 Knots
Total Average Speed: 4.50 Knots
Total Distance Covered: 1300' exactly.
Total Distance to go: 1792'
Thought for the day: You should always reef the
sails when you first think about it!
After lunchtime yesterday we continued with the engine,
since we were still experiencing very light winds. At 1630 hrs we stopped
engine and were only sailing at 2.5 knots. So we had a swim - we do this
by dropping the bathing ladder in the water and then hang onto it and
allow the boat to drag us behind. It can only be done if the boat is
moving at about 3 knots or less. It's a wonderful way of cooling off later
in the day. Back on board, we can wash, a quick spray with the cockpit fresh
water shower and we are clean, showered and ready for a gin &
tonic!
Sylvie's finger is badly bruised, and
she thinks it might just be cracked and not fully broken. As
mentioned yesterday, we have it in a splint, and it's not giving her too
much trouble now. Took the splint off yesterday to make sure everything
was OK, and she winced as the new strapping went on, but we think it
is otherwise OK. She's being very brave about it.
Since baker Ben was doing rather well on the bread
making front, I thought I'd try my hand at it. Afterwards, I told Sylvie
and Ben that it reminded me of Spock addressing Captain Kirk in Star Trek -
"Jim, I think it's bread, but not as we know it". The gas bottle ran out as
I was making it (but I'm not blaming the outcome on that - I promise) - that
cylinder has lasted from when we left England in late June- not
bad. Anyway, not sure what happened to my bakery efforts, but the
management of the local brickworks just down the road from our office would
have been proud of it if it had emerged from one of their kilns - and I'm
sure they would have offered me a job on the spot! Think I put the yeast
in too early with the water. Anyway, it's chewy brick loaf for breakfast
this morning.
After Ben's amazing effort at Thai chicken curry, we
started to see the wind rise (apparently no connection !) and by 2130 we
were screaming along downwind with the genoa poled out and touching
over 9 knots! We had to de-power her quickly, so I shouted down
to sleeping Ben and Sylvie. As they emerged they looked at my face
and were not sure if they could see elation, terror or a combination of
both! With lifelines on, and Sylvie on the helm and controlling the
sheets, Ben and I got on the foredeck and managed to get the pole down more
easily than we thought. We reefed sails, and she was still doing 8 knots but
much more comfortable (See thought for the day - above). We have been on a reach
all night and probably had the fastest night's sailing so far. We have two
whisker poles on board, and we have been having trouble with the spring jaws on
one end. It's normal stowage position is vertical on the mast, but we'd had
it down to squirt WD40 into one end to try and ease it. Last night, we re-stowed
it on the mast, and this morning as we were doing 7 - 8 knots, right in front of
my eyes, it fell out of it's stowed position, bounced a couple of times on the
lifelines, and fell over the side. I called the others up quickly, and we
tried to pick it up, but it eventually disappeared below the waves. We
have another on board fortunately, but it was an expensive loss!
We did an analysis of water consumption yesterday. We
have used 100 litres in 11 days. 3 litres/day/person (We have separate
bottled drinking water) is very good. Though we are delayed with the
strange weather conditions, the water is not a problem, since we still have
approx 550 litres on board (that includes 200 litres in collapsible
containers). Food is fine, so we will not have to revert to cannibalism -
my sister, Angela was wondering about this! As yet, still no rain to speak
of, so the water catchers haven't come into their own yet! (That's just in case
sail maker Chris Scaines is reading - it was his idea!) We haven't done
much clothes washing yet (Ben did a bit) since it uses so much water, but my
shorts are caked in salt - everywhere you sit, it's salty. While analyzing
food and water, I was wondering about the gin - we are not at serious levels
yet. We bought a Spanish 'cooking' gin with a label made to
look like Gordon's . We bought it, since Sylvie was told that if we
catch big fish, we can spray gin into their gills to subdue them ! (yes, it's
true apparently!) That's why we bought a 'cooking' gin. This is now
looking more unlikely to happen, since both Ben and I have our eye on it.
It might mean that we will have to wrestle the marlin down single-handed in the
cockpit with nothing to subdue them first, but at least the gin will last
out!
Best Wishes Paul, Sylvie and
Ben
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