can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

American Spirit II - Day 267; We Leave Cocos Keeling for Mauritius, Then Return to Direction Island (Briefly) for Repairs; Monday, September 29, 2014



Woke up at 5:20 AM, but stayed in bed until 6:30 AM. At 8:01 AM I noticed that the Rally boat Shaya Mora had hauled someone up their mast in the rain squall. I guess better to do that in the anchorage than under sail. Not sure what their problem was.

Breakfast at 7:30 AM: scrambled eggs, potato, chilled pineapple slices and bread.

At 8:23 AM I sent out and received some emails on the SSB via Brunei in the Philippines, 1,458 miles away on a bearing of 47 degrees True. After that I typed a log then sent it out via the SSB again.

Started the engine at 9:25 AM, then weighed anchor. As we started to motor out of the anchorage in a rain squall and high winds,Jeremy and I both heard a grinding noise emanating from the rear, aft port side of the boat. Didn't know what to think about it.

The leg to Mauritius, 2,350 nautical miles away, was supposed to start with a 'race start' at 10:00 AM, but was delayed until 10:15 AM. We started OK, then right after the start the auto pilot stopped working. I received an error message stating: 'Stop... Drive.' Not good. Without an auto pilot we'd have to hand steer for the next 16 days. Not good. So we rolled up the jib, turned around and headed back to the anchorage to sort the problem out. Nexus called us and asked what was up and we told them. Then Russ said that if we needed his help he'd turn around and join us in the anchorage. We told him thanks but no thanks. That's another advantage in being part of a Rally. Help is usually only a quick radio call away. Thank you Russ for offering.

Once back in the anchorage we anchored, then emptied out the port cockpit locker so Joel could go into the rear area of the boat where the steering mechanisms and auto pilot were located. It looked like the culprit was a roll of fishing line that had gotten caught in the quadrant, part of the steering devices in the boat. This fishing line on a spool had gotten loose from a red fishing bucket that I'd lost a couple of months ago. I guess we found some of its contents. After conducting a number of auto pilot tests, we weighed anchor and rejoined the fleet - 2 1/2 hours and 20 miles or so behind them.

Once we rounded one island to port we went to low side pole with one reef in the jib and one in the mainsail. With rain squalls around the wind was up and down all day long.

I took a nap from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM; and then Joel took a nap. When I got up the wind was 13/15 knots, our speed thru the water was 4.7 knots and over the land 5.5 knots. We had a .8 knot helping current.

Dinner at 5:35 pm was minced meat patties (hamburgers), white rice and chilled sliced pineapple pieces.

The 7;00 PM net was hosted by Sandra from Sweet Pearl. Only about half of the boats participated. We suspected that the non-participating boats didn't know we were doing a net tonight being the first night out.

I napped before my watch from 7:30 PM to 8:40 PM, then relieved Joel. Jeremy was already asleep.

During my 9:00 PM to midnight watch it was rainy, lumpy and the wind was as low as 5 knots and as high as the low 20's in the rain squalls. A miserable watch.

At 9:48 PM I saw a star. Yeah! Then I saw a large squall line port abeam. Bummer. It was warm out so I was wearing my foul weather pants but not jacket. The pants only to keep my shorts and underwear dry. The only light I saw was a boat on the port bow. No AIS identification. Probably not a Rally boat but a sail boat that left a little ahead of us the second time.

At 10:49 PM I saw half the sky filled with stars. Good morale booster. Stars at night.

At 11:45 PM the wind was 12/16 knots, our speed thru the water was 4.4 and over the land 5.5.

Joel relieved me at 12:00 AM. I took a shower and then came back into the cockpit to help him make some sail changes until 1:00 AM, when I went to bed. The wind was swinging around 40 degrees. Not a good night for sailing.

Brian Fox


Previous | Next