What Goes up must come down...
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 13 Sep 2011 15:09
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Tuesday September 13th 1430 UTC 1530
BST
27:55.90S 011:10.64E
Aaaaargh! The slack wind is driving me nuts! This
morning after blogging the wind again fell away to almost nothing with boat
speed down at two knots.
The sails were continually collapsing and slatting
and slamming - fraying the little bit of sanity I am sure I must have somewhere.
This is actuall very hard going mentally and physically but nothing I can't
handle I hope.
So I struck on the idea of using the pole to
support the genoa on the leeward side where it had been hanging, hopeing that
supporting the clew may help the sail hold its shape. That doesn't seem like
much of a job I know but the pole is heavy and rigging everything in my tired
and weakened state I can assure you was quite a task. Eventually after rerouting
several lines I succeeeded but the ned result was no significant improvementg in
boat speed though perhaps there was slightly less slatting of the sail. I also
tried easing the boom with the main all the way out and took a preventer line
through the spiders web of lines to the forward cleat. All fine but still no
improvement in boat speed.
Right that's it I thought, time for the spinaker.
So I set about rigging the enormous spinaker. The foredeck now had topping
lifts, down hauls, genoa sheets, jib sheets, pole guy and that's before the
spinaker sheet, tack line, halyard and snuffer hoist line appeared on the scene.
It looked like the snake pit in the Indiana Jones movie. Anyway my back was
aching and I was sweating as I rigged everything and hoisted the snuffer. The
spinaker emerged from its snuffer and boat speed rocketed from two to four
knots.....
I walked back along the side deck. No,
strutted. Well actually I tried to strut but feeling
nauseaus from the exertion and limping with a bit of a stoop it was the
best I could do to imagine I was strutting....
Then I got my camera and thought to take a photo of
my handiwork just in case nobody would believe me that I got 1750 square foot of
spinaker up myself. So I lay on the deck to take a photo up and when I went to
get up the pain that went shooting through me caused me to howl in agony. I
think I must have twisted something, but having settled down for an hour or so
it seems fine now.
So what goes up must come down as the bishop said
to the nun. Or was it Sir Isaac Newton? Can't remember, but as I look up at
my spinaker, blotting out the northern horizon and driving the boat on now at
4.5 knots it doesn't matter who said it. It is a reality I have to confront. But
when to take it down? Having gone to the trouble of putting it up I want my
monies worth. Knowing what can happen if I leave it too late after the forecast
wind increase kicks in (if it ever does ) perhaps I should take it down sooner
than later. In daylight or in darkness?
It's a little bit like the dilemma one could
face if you ever owned a stock/share which has increased in value. (I know this
seems like a hypothetical situation nowadays - but apparently it used to
happen...).
You see that it's price has risen considerably from
what you paid. The non owning friend comments that he wishes he had bought that
share which he was thinking of doing at the time you did and by now would
have made a fortune. You as an owner are wondering if you should sell and bank
the gains or will you wait just a little longer because you think the price will
go higher. Then the price falls. You don't want to sell now because you believe
it is just a temporary drop. It continues to fall then you think you missed
your chance and you will wait till the next time it increases ( and promise
yourself you will sell at x price) It never does increase. You join your friend
in discussing that "only if" you would have made a fortune! Ring any bells,
actual or metaphorical?
Well here I am with my spinaker up and speed has
now crept to 5 knots. I should keep going at least for now that's for sure. But
when to snuff it? When the boat gets to optimum speed say eight or nine knots, I
will be thinking its just a temporary rise in speed and the wind will fall away
again. As it climbs in speed I will be thinking I really need to wait now for my
chance to snuff it. As it get stronger still I think why the hell didn't I
snuff it and hour ago?
Time will tell but at this rate it will take me
another twelve days to get to St Helena! The wind however is forecast to fill in
after midnight. If you don't see the moon tonight it's because I still have my
spinaker up and its blotting out the southern sky from your northern view. I'll
keep you
posted.
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