28:50.13S 09:03.93E

COG 300T

SOG 6.5kts

The wind instrument failed completely in exactly the same way as when we left Seychelles i.e. firstly the loss of wind direction and then sometime later the loss of any wind speed data. There was still power to the cockpit reader and switching the reader off and on did reinstate wind speed for a while. This only worked a couple of times so I switched the input to the old anemometer mounted on the pushpit and we have both direction and speed again. After changing the sender, reader and now the mast cable we have exactly the same failure! I can only think the fault lies with the original cable linking the mast cable to the reader.

Another failure worry was the AIS. A cargo ship passed within four miles last night with no AIS data showing on the plotter. This is what happened after we left Thailand when we could receive AIS data by wifi on our iPads but not by cable to the plotter. The diagnosis was a blown chip, most likely caused by lightning, and we had to replace the whole AIS unit. Although we did hit a thunderstorm on leaving Thailand there was no other evidence of a strike and I was sceptical until recently discussing the issue with someone who experienced exactly the same thing when leaving Thailand and who considered it a well known possibility. This time we have definitely not been in a thunderstorm and Annie briefly picked up a target on the plotter this morning. We’ll keep monitoring iPad and plotter, keeping our fingers crossed, but there is no longer any other shipping around to test this.

Just for good measure, as I was searching for a saucepan lid under the sink, I noticed that there was no water in the strainer on the seawater intake for the engine. Given that both the intake and strainer are below the waterline this seemed very odd. If there was a blockage in the intake (which was otherwise open) the engine could have been running without seawater water pumping through the cooling assembly and that in turn could have damaged the impeller in the seawater pump. I once ran the engine for an hour in a marina before I realised with the slight change in engine tone that I hadn’t open the seawater intake. It wrecked the impeller. So, without ruminating for too long on the causes and possible solutions we started the engine and the strainer immediately filled. Phew, maybe our speed through the water had sucked the water back out of the intake?!

Since leaving Cape Town it has been chilly, particularly at night. However, we can now feel the temperature starting to rise as we head north. When it is clear the stars at night are spectacular. There is a new moon that sets at about 2300 that gives a lovely light in the early night. However, last night was mainly cloudy and without moonlight or starlight it was pitch black. Nevertheless I am beginning to get back into the tempo of passage making and enjoying the sense of gentle but palpable progress. Annie is still a day or two behind me on this.