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Starblazer - 08/03/2014 – The pretty sail



Yesterday the wind returned soon after 0700. I set the main but didn’t pull
out the genoa because I find it too heavy to winch properly, anyway there
was a line of squalls heading our way and I didn’t know how much wind to
expect. After John got up we pulled out the genoa and were sailing quite
well until the wind backed and our speed, in a suitable direction, dropped.
Decision time: the plotter showed no significant squalls on the radar so we
took a chance and rolled away the genoa and launched the cruising chute, the
colourful big sail. We continued with the chute all day, only taking it
down just before dusk. I am expecting the day’s run towards the Marquesas
to be our best yet on this leg, pedestrian compared with the first leg but
better than the preceding days.

On the subject of winches, many of the bigger boats have electric winches
which I covet. John, on the other hand, thinks they are a problem waiting
to happen. My major task is winching up the mainsail while John usually
winches in the genoa sheets, a job made more difficult by the bimini. This
gives us wonderful shade in the cockpit, essential in these latitudes, but
its frame inhibits the winch handle’s rotation so it is half a turn at full
speed, half a turn at slow speed etc. The problem arises when you need to
winch in the last little bit and the lower gear is essential but the handle
can’t go any further that way. Richard, our lovely generous son, has solved
both our problems. He has given us a big Milwalkee 24v drill with a bit
which fits a winch so I can now let the drill wind up the mainsail, once I’ve
hauled it high enough so the battens can’t snag in the lazyjacks, and John
can trim the genoa sheets with a lot less effort. Thank you Richard, it is
getting a lot of use.

We are still the back markers but hopefully the wind we have found will stay
and we might be able to make rather more progress. We are unlikely to ever
repeat our performance in the first leg, not least because we have
recalibrated the wind speed indicator and we are unlikely to be so cavalier
again!

No fishing yesterday, it would have been very difficult to slow the boat
down to land a fish with the chute up. We might try again today, not least
because a squid thudded into the sprayhood about an hour before dawn, I
heard the thud but only found the culprit when it got light. I’m sure live
bait, or at least ‘recently alive’ bait, is more attractive and far cheaper
than fancy coloured lures!

Dinner last night was chili con carne and brown rice, followed by the last
of the pineapple with yoghurt and honey. I have become a great fan of
thermos flask cooking. The dried beans only need to be boiled twice for a
total of 15 minutes with two three hour rest periods, rather better than an
hour and a half using lots of gas and filling the boat with extra unwanted
heat. The brown rice was only boiled for 5 minutes and rested for three
hours then quickly reheated rather than 35-45 minutes on the gas. The
pineapple, bought at the Farmer’s Market, was the sweetest, tastiest one I’ve
ever had. In Hawaii it was explained to us that the first year fruit is the
smallest but sweetest and never leaves the island, the second year fruit is
exported and the third year fruit is canned. Perhaps the same is true on
Isla Santa Cruz in Galapagos. I should have bought more.

Joyce



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