Saturday 15th March
To day we have been trundling along merrily, 190 miles in the midday to midday time. Pretty good going for this boat. Our longest ever day was 205 with help from the engine.
Poor Shin. He stayed in the cockpit all night to try and encourage a fish to bite the lure and come aboard-no luck still! Ah well we keep trying, but I think the fish around here are a lot more savvy than the Atlantic ones. Maybe we'll come across a slow learner one.
Then poor old Paul. He left his port window open after a debate with himself as to the wisdom of doing so. The only wave to come aboard today did so, right into his cabin. All his bedding has been out drying all day, thank goodness there was no rain today. On top of that the lunch chef had a whoopsee with the eggs, 6 of them, whilst preparing the omelette for lunch. All over the floor. It did mean we got down on the floor and cleaned up, including unscrewing the floorboards and moppping up underneath in the bilges. Every cloud has a silver lining.
Shin and I went forward and topped up the generator tank, it still uses a litre per hour running, even with the air conditioner running. As there are 200 litres approximately in the engine tank and 130 litres left in the on deck cans, it would appear we are OK for fuel. We have managed to empty both forward water tanks, it is not according to the planning, but the water had a pretty disgusting taste off it. It was water bought in in Puerto Ayora. I dont think it would have killed us, but it certainly would not encourage anyone to keep drinking water. The aft tank is topped off each morning by the watermaker, thank you Mr. Schenker. It has been incredibly reliable and economic to run.
We sent out our St.Patrick's Day quiz to all the other boats today, it will be interesting to see if we get a response, and from how many boats. Thank you to Fiona for that. One of the other boats with an Irish crewman on board also did a quiz. I think ours is better!!
The chartplotter is showing 11 days to Hiva Oa at this speed, 7.7 knots over the ground. Bruce the weatherman reckons on several more days of these sailing conditions. Then he says there may be changes. I hope we dont lose the wind totally. 500 miles to the 1/2 way point, say 3 days. We'll have the wine open when that happens. Mind you there's a bottle in the fridge cooling at the moment for tonight. No reason for it. Then I suppose we'll need another bottle on the 17th as well. Any excuse, or none.
Several emails came in today, they always make great reading and help to pass the day in a more enjoyable manner, SO PLEASE KEEP SENDING EMAILS. The more there are the better.
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Hi all, great to see that you are trundling along at a steady pace, but I sense that some fair winds (buenos aires) would not go astray and would be welcomed with open sails. Back here on the Emerald Isle we are preparing to celebrate the the feast day of that famous Roman British slave,captured by Irish raiders in the 5th centuary, the Patron Saint of engineers,Nigera and Montserrat, the one and only Patrick. I don't know if a flying fish might land on deck with a gaping mouth full of shamrock sprigs, but you would never know ! after that length of time at sea without landfall, you could be all gradually turning into leprechauns.The sea and the sun does funny things to sailors, you know ! Anyway its just as well you are not drinking the strange tasting water. Enough of this rambling, happy Saint Patricks day to all who sail on BlueFlyer,
Good Luck and God Bless,
Alan.
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