Day 6 - Orange running day
Jacana
David Munro
Thu 15 Jan 2009 16:09
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Last night Paul managed a spectacular surf under
the orange kite in the deadest, blackest of nights joinng John at the
top of the Jacana top speedster leader board with surprising 17.8
knots. He promptly celebrated with a crash jibe, then a broach, a Chinese jibe
and another broach before recovering to hand over John and settle his
tattered nerves! Paul achieved this amazing feat in "arcade" conditions,
total blackout darkness, instruments only off the back of some big unseen but
not unheard waves. The evening turned into a "bad acid trip" as we exploded
through patches of luminescent jelly fish and plankton, as the boat rolled
these patches appeared to be above us! Very dis-orientating. After an
hour struggling with the deep runner and all of having a broach to our
names we dropped the kite and ran dead down under main only. At first light we
picked up the bits of broken block and started to put the boat back
together.
At first light we hoisted the orange spinnaker once
again and headed out west after the obligatory peer at the latest grib weather
files, the wind has benn steady at just under 20 knots - Paul has invented
a new style of driving down wind reminiscent of a snow boarder after a very good
lunch looking for the coolest most radical ride down the mountain. Paul
calls it hunting for moles - I think he means holes.
We have heard from mission control in East Boldre
advising us that other competitors used the same riggers as us in Cape
Town resulting in a rig over the side and a boom detatchment issue ,
both retired for shore repairs in Namibia. Fortunately for us Chris bought
his heavy lump hammer and chissel with him and we have managed running repairs.
Having lost considerable time repairing the boat and sailing into a hole we are
now in a catch up situation, but it is only lunchtime on the first day of play
in this test match.
The boat has settled into a good routine, all
systems are working well - all except the forward heads which blocked this
morning after a member of crew completed his morning constitution and blocked
the Lavac - a potentially explosive situation. As the handbook says - when the
toilet becomes blocked "First stop pumping". Needless to say the crew member who
blocks the toilet must un-block the toilet, said crew member was sent forward
with marigolds a plunger and a large bucket. See the attached photographs for
details.
Nature watch.
Paul & John surprised a large shoal of big tuna
at first light this morning - they fled in front of the boat jumping clear of
the water.
A few more flying fish today.
Does anyone know the name of the black sea-bird
which inhabits this part of the world - size of a large sea-gull, wing pattern
of an albatross, black all over - often sits on the surface? We've seen
loads!
A ship passed us 4 miles away - first for 4
days
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