3 pictures for you
Chaser 2
Yvonne Chapman
Sun 29 Oct 2006 12:52
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Hannu,Tina
and their daughter Minja came to join us in the cockpit with Chris and Fritz
yesterday afternoon. We discuss all the usual items of concern and interest,
weather, sails, battery requirements etc, then we put the world to right.
I believe if all the political leaders got together had a good drink,
then started discussing their politics, they would end up with a more
logical solution to their problems the more intoxicated they got.
We met a
couple in the club last night who are racing across the Atlantic in their Sigma
400. A different style of sailing to ours. We've not been on board but it would
appear they have removed anything remotely luxurious and used the space for
sails. They will have 4 or 5 crew on board although they say 10 is a good
number to sail most efficiently. Their battery and fuel supplies are super low,
it would appear they have only about 40 amps of available battery power before
recharging with their engine. It was very interesting talking to them, and we'll
meet again I'm sure, but Ocean racing is not for us. We need our
luxuries, like water and proper food, a cold beer. Anyone reading this not
familiar with cruising should understand that all our power requirements
are supplied by batteries, which in turn are charged by varying methods, engine
(using diesel) or wind generators (that need wind) or solar panels that
need sun. We for example we use around 200 amps per day, so we have to have
means to replace it. If we only had our engine to charge our batteries
we would run the motor for maybe 4 hours a day, this equals 12 litres of diesel,
over a period of 20 days amounts to a lot of fuel. I believe our friends said
they had about 120 litres on board, navigation lights alone would take 12 amps,
and thats only 1 12 volt light bulb Each to their own though,
they need to cut down on their weight. I'm sure they would be horrified if they
saw the weight we were carrying. The difference is we live on the boat and they
race, they'll have to put up with discomfort for a month, but when we arrive
we'll be living and cruising for the next year or maybe more, so we have to take
all our belongings with us, (and we have!)
The weather
has changed a little and it got a little chilly as the wind picked up, we're in
for some rain over night. This morning it's raining still, not a lot, just
heavy shower in the wind, and the temperature has dropped a few degrees. We're
using the time tidying the boat and reorganizing our clothes. Yvonne has the
sewing machine out adjusting some clothes and making so harnesses. When the
weather returns to normal we'll go ashore, get a bit of shopping and check in at
the Club WiFi and try and Skype Susie again. I think the rain
has stopped so we're off out, we'll continue with the reorganising later, its a
hard life.
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