Day 23 Mozambique Channel
Misterx
Tue 3 Dec 2024 06:02
03/12/24
8:30 am
Day 23
Mozambique Channel
DTD to Richard's Bay SA 300nm
It was too good to be true for long! so we had a lovely brisk ride for a day or so and then we fell in a wind hole ... again... by midday yesterday, the wind had all but disappeared. This time not taking any prisoners, the engine goes on. We need the speed to get there in good time before we get clobbered by the next adverse sea and wind. With the engine we have average speed of 6 rather than 4.5/5 knots. It doesn't sound a lot but it is actually making a huge difference on the predicted date and time of arrival into Richards bay. All our weather gurus are again in agreement, speed is of the essence, no matter how you achieve it. So it is all the sails up and the engine driving us as fast as possible. Good news is we have loads of fuel, our tanks are full and so are the jerrycans. We could motor for possibly 3 whole days if necessary. In all our travel, it has been very seldom that we have had need to use the engine for any amount of time. If there is no wind we do tend to wait for it to come back. This time is different, if we don't keep up speed will will be in trouble at the other end and it won't be pleasant by all accounts. This bit of the South African coast is notorious for bad, very bad patch of weather.
By 8.00pm last night, the wind came back, just long enough to make my watch a pleasant one, watching the stars across the sky, making good progress. The only hiccup was the wind vane loosing its head... quickly recovered and back in place... no damage done.
Ian found another wind hole during his night watch, but the time I got back up at 4am it was better again... right up until we gybed and then the wind died again! It must be Ian's watch! he is starting to take it personal! I am just about to go off watch and will have the droning of the engine to lull me to sleep or not!!! Noisy thing! We should be having some wind coming up later in the day... fingers crossed...
M