Sunday 11^th  March:  The South Pacific Ocean 06 49.5S 111120.7W     

Today’s Blog by David

Yesterday I used the analogy of  the No 19 bus, you can wait for ages and then three will come at once.  I hadn’t really seen how prescient it might be because another well-known feature of No 19 buses is that – always – “There’s another one coming one behind!”  And so there was – and another one behind that!

Sail Plan

We have been receiving the odd email of encouragement from our readers to the effect:   “Everyone is south of you and overtaking you – why don’t you go south?”  Well, the truth is that we would like to have.  However, before we set off, we (well, I) decided to rig the twin headsail rig. That makes for easy sailing downwind provided that the apparent wind angle is greater than about 135 degrees – i.e. pretty much downwind with one headsail on either side of the boat.  However, thus rigged  you can’t sail for extended periods with the sails on the same side of the boat because they rub against each other and wear out the stitching – an hour or so from time to time maybe,  but not for days at a time.   It is possible to take the rig down at sea – but hard to put it up when needed. So if we think we will need it, we  rig it in advance of departure.

As you know, we did have a good start. The wind was light at first so we carried the spinnaker until the wind became too strong and thereafter we relied on the twin headsails.  The problem is that the wind has been more south than east so too far forward for us to sail where we want to with the twin headsails. (Ideally, in order to do well (sail where we want) we needed to have the sails on the same side).  So we sailed further north than we would like with an expectation that we would be able to take them down some time and sail down to the finish.   For a while, yesterday, following the twin headsail rig collapsing on the foredeck, (see yesterday’s blog – chafe) we sailed in the right direction with the wind on the beam using staysail and mainsail but that meant we travelled rather more slowly than desirable – costing us probably 2 knots compared with what we could do if we only had the right sails available.   So we decided to try the twin headsails on the same side and – if we liked it – we would take down the smaller headsail and stow it.

Well, the decision was made for us because the genoa halyard cleat was not properly fixed (inquest is underway) so when we unrolled the twin headsails they both came down into the water……  much scrabbling around to recover etc. The good news though is that it took the decision for us and we are now sailing faster towards where we want to go!!!  Probably cost us 90 minutes sailing though.

Dangling Hailer

If that was not enough, there was another No. 19 behind. After dinner we discovered that the loud hailer/fog horn attached to the mast was dangling on its wire and hitting the mast.  This is about 7 metres above the deck.  Well, it had to be sorted and required someone to go up the mast to investigate.   Until you have done it at sea,  it would be difficult to understand what is involved. Suffice to say that  it  is daunting enough in daylight – in darkness is another dimension again. 

Cutting to the quick, we did it in relays. Peter went up to make the assessment and Richard executed the plan – essentially to take it down.  It did take three hours though.

By 23.30 when we had packed everything away the crew were VERY TIRED. They were VERY TIRED again today. So we played Scrabble and just jogged along in the right general direction.

No more No. 19 buses behind.