No Wind, Slow Progress
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Tue 12 Jun 2012 05:57
04:14.215S
099:46.752E
12/6
1200LT
Three days
into our 1200nm passage and there's been literally no wind since we crossed the
Line on the first day.
Shortly after
leaving Nias Hbr we got hit by squall after squall, gusting to 25kn but from aft
a-beam so with just the jib and mizzen we barralled along at 8-10kn for several
hours. As we approached the Equator the storms started to loose their puff, then
dissipated completely about 5nm N of the Line. There has been less than 3kn of
wind since then, so slow motoring with just one engine ticking over at just
above idle speed giving us a 4.5kn average since we've been in the Sthn
Hemisphere.
110nm per day
is well below our typical passage rate of 160-180nm per 24hrs, but unfortunately
we do not have enough fuel to motor at normal speed for 1200 miles. As we were
expecting nice trade wind sailing, and every Indo local so far has wanted to rip
us off with fuel, I punted (which should've been a sure bet at this time of
year) on the trades to get us to Bali. Actually expecting the fuel to run out at
any time now, we've decided not to check the levels as there's nothing to be
done for it. We have 300 ltrs reserve - more than enough to keep up the battery
bank charge with the generator for a couple of weeks at sea, and for the
final motor up Lombok Straight to Gili Trawangan (or more likely Gili
Gede).
Anyway... for
the first time I can remember we do not have a tight schedule on this trip so no
real problem if we find ourselves bobbing around for a few days on this oceanic
millpond waiting for wind...
On the plus
side we did catch a few tuna the day after leaving Nias. The first flicked off
the lure before we got him to the boat, the second was small and went back until
he sized up, the last, caught just after sunset, was a decent size and produced
4 good sized fillets for our fish and chip breakfast the next
morning.
So, with the
ocean completely flat, and glassy smooth for the last 300nm Zac and I are
getting into a routine for what might be a long time at sea, sanding and
varnishing, odd jobs and minor repairs, watching movies, sleeping and
eating.
1000nm to go,
but Christmas Island is only 500nm away and only a minor detour off our
rhumbline, so as much as I'm reluctant to pay Australian prices for fuel
(compared with 55 c/l in Indo), we may be forced to touch down on home soil
briefly en route to find a gas station. There is also the sexy Immigration
Officer I met there last year as an extra incentive for the
detour!
SJB