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Karma Wins -



Blog 3 Calmer Winds ..not yet

Kalma wins is still bouncing along on choppy seas, sailing well with 2 reefs in the main and full genoa, winds 20-30 knots and we think we are doing about 8 knots. Since the wind indicator has gone on strike we aren’t too sure what is genuinely registering what but we are heading in the right direction and have south-easterly winds and the sea with us most of the time. What with true wind, apparent wind, sog (speed over the ground), speed and mileage on the wind machine we think we are about halfway. As Per explains we do much more mileage as we go up and down the swell and from side to side as the auto-pilot struggles to keep on course. Per and I are enjoying the sailing and trying to get Barry to relax and enjoy it too.

We had a good night sail and the clouds broke up for a bit so the stars were twinkling and the Southern Cross is easy to pick out. The only thing s missing are phosphorescence and a few shooting stars. On Barry’s shift 9pm-midnight there were waves crashing against the hull so it was really hard to sleep so I had a morning nap today.

The loaf of bread turned out much larger than expected so it has lasted us 3 days. When hanging the washing out on the line I discovered the source of an unaccountable noise on my night watch. A flying fish had somehow trapped itself between the garbage bags and the diesel tanks; it must have been flapping for its life. It was a big fish but too dried out to eat.

Per had a good afternoon siesta and Barry had a short nap. Barry is now using tissues as earplugs and sleeping better. We let the second reef out of the main and as the sea seems to be settling a bit and the skies are clearer, we are sailing well. On my night shift i settled down on watch with a cup of coffee and a muesli bar. When I opened the bar there was a distinct whiff of garlic, fortunately I hadn’t bitten straight into it as it was actually a packet of garlic stock cubes!! It was a dark night as the moon hadn’t come up yet.

We are definitely over halfway and it is Sunday so we had bacon and eggs for breakfast and opened the water melon. We have a full main and genoa out and have turned more to the south west. Karma Wins is doing about 8 knots in 16-20 knot winds. The sea swell is not so big but still choppy and we are sailing more across it. Movement around Karma Wins is now more like a cross between a quickstep (slow slow quick quick slow.. if I remember rightly) and a jive where we have to put in an extra step just to stay on our feet or where we were. Also cups, cutlery etc don’t slide in this, they wait until I turn my back and then they jump off the side or the table. Barry found non-stick mat for the table so that makes life a bit more stable.

It is a lovely sunny day today and we are all in a relaxed Sunday afternoon mood.

Monday morning. We had a mixed night sailing; on Per’s watch he had a few squalls and then lack of wind. I had a big and a little squall but not much rain and then the wind died so Barry motored for a short while. We are now doing 6-8 knots in 16-20 knot winds. I have made bread so there is a delicious smell of baking bread.

We are now having time discussions. As we move back in time the sun is now not appearing until about 8 am and setting 8pm. We are leaving the clock in the saloon at Galapagos time but Per wants to change the watch times by 2 hours, ie 11-2am, 2-5am and 5-8am. I think, phsychologically, it would be better to move back 1 hour this week and another next week. Barry has yet to make up his mind. No matter what we do there is bound to be some confusion!

Tuesday. We have moved back in time but left the clock as it is so we automatically have to go -2 hours when we look at it. We seem to be managing especially as the night watches were a bit disrupted. We took one reef in the main at dusk as it looked cloudy on the horizon. Barry and Per had quite a few squalls on their shifts but not too much wind or rain. Per had a big one looming on the screen (it was a very black night) when the chart plotter went haywire. Without the wind instrument and the plotter the only way to know where the wind is coming from is the Per’s ears and nose technique. You have to be on the windward side of the boat and where the wind is noisiest in your ears the wind is coming to your nose! Per had to wake us up as he thought we might have to jibe but the squall passed just behind us; at least we were all on standby.

Per set up a fishing line but we haven’t caught anything yet. I’m not sure I want to as I might feel sorry for it and want to let it go! Early this morning (4am) Per was in the pilot seat and I was stood in the doorway into the saloon when I felt something. I thought Per had thrown something but it was a large flying fish (goodness knows how it arrived there, either straight passed Per’s nose or over the stern) making its way into the saloon. They are extremely agile and slippery so it kept slithering out of my hands,…heading for the stairs to our cabin…. I caught it with some kitchen towel and thought about eating it as it was a large one, but it looked me in the eye so I had to throw it overboard. It probably will die anyway as it left most of its scales on the mat in the saloon. Barry has also caught a fish in his head’s (loo – for non-sailors) hatch! This morning I had 2 fried flying fish for breakfast but they were only small ones. Yesterday we had clouds of them leaping in front of the boat, glistening in the sunshine. We see the occasional bird but no whales or dolphins.

We are now sailing with full main, 5-7 knots in 12-15 knot winds, the sun is shining, the sea is calmer so it is very pleasant. The boys did try the main on the port side for a little while as the wind shifted behind us but it shifted again. I was half asleep and having swept up the fish scales from the saloon floor and, much to Per’s amusement, threw them over the stern and the little brush as well, by mistake. Fortunately we were sailing downwind so the brush landed on the dinghy, phew!

Barry has made a lemon cake so there are delicious smells and I have just squeezed some limes for juice. Karma Winds is floating along merrily and we have less than 1000 miles to go as the crow flies but of course sailing yachts don’t often go in a straight line.


Happy sailing

Chrissy White

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