Decent Weather
Digiboat's "Product Testing"
Simon Blundell
Wed 23 Oct 2013 11:05
1045z 23/10
Finally yesterday the weather pattern changed and we have moved from
stormy 20-30kn wind to mostly sunny 12-18kn with occasional light rain
showers. This has allowed us to pull out some genoa - only about half
for now until the main is fixed and can be shaken out to balance.
Instantly we're up to 8-10kn speed with averages now regularly in the
9s. If we can average around 10kn we'll arrive Cape Town in 10 days.
Conditions probably suitable today for the sewing job aloft, will just
get well recaffeinated and check the amount of pendulum motion at the
top spreader....
Robbo hooked another of those big fish travellinbg north yesterday. The
rod bent double, the line ran out several hundred metres, without the
fish deviating. Fortunately didn't steal our lure, but did return it
with the hook straightened. Haven't yet found out how to turn off HAL's
control of the deck winch, at this stage have just unplugged the
solenoid switch, but when the hydraulics are on the pump motor for that
winch spins. Need to spend some more time in the bilge today tracking
deeper into HAL's inner workings...
An interesting foredeck workout for Ryan and Robbo with the extra 20
foot of up-down motion seeming to time itself perfectly to make the 500
squats way-way harder, rather than easier. G&T's in the aft cockpit for
the first decent sunset in days followed by an exceptional paella by
Julie no doubt inspired by the Burriana examples from all those weeks
back in Spain. Definately much easier to eat when you're not pretending
you don't mind eating the snails.
Getting bloody cold on the night dog watch now - (I'm getting closer to
attacking that lone sleeping bag, withGoose Down boots, mitts and pants
in my sights.)
SJB