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American Spirit II - Day 398; Auto Pilot Goes Beserk & We're Almost Back in the Americas; Sunday, February 8, 2015



One day a year ago:

"Day 36; We Lose the Wind; Saturday, February 8, 2014. This morning the wind continues to build, eventually reaching a peak of 30 knots, with 7 foot breaking seas directly behind us. As the wind kept building, we kept putting reefs in the sails, both the main and jib. Eventually, we had 2 reefs in the main and one in the jib. We were surfing at up to 10.8 knots."

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At 4:30 AM Jeanine said that a large black bird circled the boat thinking about landing on it. But because the canvas insert was removed between the dodger and bimini, the bird didn't feel comfortable enough to land. Too bad. We like giving refuge to big birds.

I relieve Jeanine at 6:03 AM. Solid overcast. I'm not wearing a shirt as its warm out. The moon is overhead, lighting up the boat and ocean around us. The wind is 12 knots and we're motor sailing with the mainsail up at 6.4 knots thru the water and 6.8 knots over the land.

The sun rises at 8:17 AM above a large bank of clouds on the eastern horizon. The sun rises next to a 'window' of clouds, 1% above the horizon, but the bright orb doesn't shine thru directly, so no chance of a green flash.

At 9:00 AM the wind is 12 knots and we're motor sailing at 6.8 knots thru the water and 6.6 knots over the land. Its overcast.

I put the canvas insert connecting the dodger and bimini back in place at 9:30 AM as the 'blow torch,' the sun, is heating up big time. The sun is shooting its beams into the cockpit from under the canvas, as its still early (7:30 AM local time).

I put two fish lines in the water at 9:38 AM.

Joel hosts the 10:00 AM net.

Breakfast at around 10:30 AM consists of bacon, eggs, potato, chilled peach halves and brown bread...for Joel and me; and bacon, chilled peach halves and honey with tea, for Jeanine. Jeanine saved her one piece of bacon (really ham) for the last, and while holding the bacon in her left hand, with her thumb and forefinger, she nibbled on it, one piece at a time; trying to stretch out the culinary experience. Then, just before the last piece disappeared into her mouth, she looked me in the eye (I was seated across the cockpit table from her) and said "I'm going to lick my fingers when I'm done." Then she smiled and did what she said she was going to do. I'm not kidding, she said that. So I guess now the 'Pop Corn Queen' and 'Warrior Princess' is now going to also be called the 'Bacon Queen.'

Our noon position is 13 degrees, 12 minutes South; 35 degrees, 13 minutes West; and we're 187 miles closer to Salvador than we were yesterday. We averaged 5.5 knots of speed over the last 24 hours. Concerning our position, another way to say where we are is that we are 793 miles south of the equator (13 x 6-0 + 12); and 2,113 west of Greenwich, England (35 x 60 + 13).

In continuing to read Jesse Martin's solo circumnavigation book, Lionheart, he said that his favorite freeze dried food was 'Sweet & Sour Port.' Coincidently, that is Joel and my favorite freeze dried dinner on American Spirit II. Great minds must think alike!

At 3:00 PM the Auto Pilot stopped working. I mean, the navigation screen said that the boat was still being directed by the auto pilot, but the helm didn't know this was the case. We emptied out all the cockpit lockers, and Joel went down to look at the steering system and checked all the electrical connections while I had steered for an hour. He finally found the problem. The end piece of the RAM that connects to the rudder arm knob came off. Specifically, a lock-nut unscrewed. I guess we'll have to talk to the installer. Oops, that's Joel! When we get in to Salvador Joel says he'll use lock-tight to more permanently secure the nut. Crisis averted. There's a reason why Joel is called 'The Fixer.'

At 3:22 PM a large tuna hit one of our fishing lines, but it threw the lure seconds later. We know it was a big tuna because Joel saw it twice on the surface.

About the same time this was going on we got two AIS ship contacts. One ship was 14 miles away and will cross our bow left to right. Its name was Pretty Lady and it is 597 feet long and heading to Punta UBA Brazil. The other ship was called the Maersk Frida, and was 591 feet long. I called the Maersk Frida on VHF channel 16 and advised them that we were the sail boat on their port bow and that our CPA (Closest Point (of) Approach) was close enough to warrant a course change. So we changed course 10 degrees right, then 10 degrees more right. We had visual contact of both ships at 4:33 PM thru rain squalls. At 4:54 PM the Maersk Frida passed us going right to left at 1.2 miles on our bow. We consider any ship getting closer to us than 2 miles to be too close. The Maersk Frida had a turquoise hull and superstructure, in parts. It was the prettiest ship, color wise, I've ever seen; and I've seen a bunch on this trip.

At 4:57 PM we shook the reef out of the mainsail. I'd put it in earlier due to our possibly going thru a squall. We didn't. Reef early and often.

At 5:04 PM the wind is 8 knots and we're motor sailing at 6.0 knots thru the water and 6.4 knots over the land.

Going back to the book I'm reading, Lionheart by Jesse Martin; he states that he bought an Iridium satellite phone for $5,800 (20 years ago); and that the cost per minute for usage was $15. Iridium then had financial troubles and they dropped the price per minute to $4.45 per minute. During his solo, 11 month non-stop circumnavigation, he spent $50,000 on satellite phone calls. By comparison, the Iridium satellite phone I purchased a year ago cost me $1,000 and the cost per minute for usage is $1.48.

From 5:00 PM to 5:54 PM Joel took a nap.

Dinner at 6:30 PM consisted of blackened chicken cooked on our propane grill by chef Joel; homemade french fries cooked by yours truly in a skillet on the galley stove; corn kernels, chilled pear halves; and brown bread.

I hosted the 7:00 net. Only 3 boats answered the net: Adela, us and Civetta II. Civetta II was 2 miles from the finish line at the lighthouse in Salvador.

From 7:12 PM to 8:04 PM I typed 1 log and did some emails. And at 8:07 PM Jeanine and I sent out the emails using the satellite phone. The transmission took 4 minutes. Fast.

At 8:00 PM a 230 foot fishing ship called the Robin M. Lee passed us. I called up the ship to ask what fish they were fishing for, but did not get an answer I could understand as the radio operator did not speak English and I don't know Portuguese.

The sun set at 8:50 PM into a lot of clouds; so no green flash.

At 9:58 PM the wind is 14 knots and we're motor sailing at 7.0 knots thru the water and 7.0 knots over the land.

At 11:00 PM the wind is 11 knots and we're motor sailing at 6.3 knots thru the water and 7.0 knots over the land. Some stars are visible, but its mostly cloudy.

Joel relieved me at midnight.

Brian Fox



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