Day 5
leeonsea
Lee Price
Fri 16 May 2008 19:58
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N27.49.03 W070.40.20
Heading 023T Winds, light variable and
building.
Funny day yesturday, wind quit at 0430 and so
motored most of the day till at 1430 the motor got all upperty about being a bit
warm. I threw a selection of gunks and greeses at it which greatly improved it's
mood but this is clearly not a motor to get you anywhere, simply designed to
move the boat off the dock and nothing more, well, not in it's 26th year
anyway.
But it had an odd effect on me, as a slight breeze
returned yesturday afternoon I felt really good, reside to the fact that if
the weathers not with me I aint going. This means I'm going to have to 'sail'
home! Sounds odd I know but there you are.
I think too that the first three days where a bit
odd, firstly I was nervous and felt quite sick as I said, this gave way to
paranoia in so much as every slight noise was to me the yachts way of
telling me it was ready to sink, I must have checked the sea cocks about 20
times in those first two days and the mast was due to fall off on any of 100
occasions. Then Day 3 was a hard slog weatherwise and I got very
tierd.
So the motor thingy and the windlessness of the
best part of the day that had been preceeded by the above mentioned just
kind of felt a little overwelming, so last night I sat with Van Morrison and
Neil Young on the stereo which some how seemed appropriate and had a couple
of beers, howling at the moon ;o)
The wind had left by 0230 as was forcast so not
unexpected. In the end, I took down the sails. Every time I picked up a bit of
breeze and got my head down, I would be woken 10mins later to the sound of the
sails dancing wildly to some unheard astral tune in the still night air,
released from their burden of work and would emerge to the cockpit to find
the boat piroetting on the spot in joyful abandon of her primary function in
stark disreguard for her masters need to sleep. Once the sails were stowed
I retiered to bed hurt and confused.
I awoke though in a good mood again having drifted
only a few miles and in the right direction as well, bonus. I ran the engine for
a few hours only really as a battery charging excercise and then sat slowly
slowly crawling forward at 1-2knts. Now, with the sails poled out to either side
of the boat (goose winged) and the self steer keeping her on a dead run we are
traveling again at 4-5knts but the day has been lost, with only 66miles covered
yesturday and a big dent in todays proceedings also.
Still, forcasts of good SE winds promise a good
couple of days to make up a miles, so all is well.
L.
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