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American Spirit II - Day 407; Motor Sailing in Lumpy Seas; Tuesday, February 17, 2015



One year ago today:

"Da;y 45; Land Tour of San Cristobal; Monday, February 17, 2014. Got up at 8:00 AM and observed 2 sea lions laying on transom, snug as can be. An adult and a juvenile. When they saw us, they would raise their head to look, then close their eyes and go back to sleep."

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During her 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM watch Jeanine got sick and threw-up over the side. Said she was exercising with her rubber bands and got air in her stomach. Bummer.

The sun rose at 5:30 AM. Cloudy, so no green flash.

I relieved Jeanine at 5:55 AM. The wind is 16 knots and we're motor sailing at 4.5 knots thru the water and 4.5 knots over the land.

At 6:00 AM I go 3 degrees left to try to stop some of the pounding into the 3-5 foot seas. At least its warm out. I'm wearing a short sleeved shirt and shorts. No jacket. I can see sand dunes 8 miles to port.

At 7:07 AM the wind is 12 knots and we're motor sailing at 5.4 knots the water and 5.2 knots over the land. At 8:01 AM the wind is 12 knots and we're motor sailing at 5.2 knots thru the water and 4.6 knots over the land.

At 8:39 AM I see a rain shower/squall on our port bow. Didn't know if it'd hit us or not. At 8:48 AM I put a 2nd reef in the mainsail. Its raining; a sun shower.

I took the 2nd reef out of the mainsail at 9:00 AM. The wind is now 12 knots and we're motor sailing at 4.8 knots thru the water and 4.5 knots over the land; with an engine RPM of 1,600.

Joel hosts the small 10:00 AM net, consisting of us, Civetta II and Merlyn of Poole. Civetta II is 287 miles from Recife and motor sailing at 4.8 knots over the ground. Merlyn of Poole sailed southwest on port tack and is 50 miles southwest of our boat. We're 8 miles off the coast with 297 miles to Recife and motor sailing at 4.7 knots.

Breakfast at 10:35 AM consists of eggs, cut up potato, chilled pineapple slices and brown bread...for Joel and me. The pineapple is a harder texture than what I buy in the US; and in a blind taste test I'm not sure I would know its pineapple. Jeanine has oatmeal, pineapple and a banana.

At 10:45 AM we passed 2 fishing boats to starboard 2-400 yards.

At 11:24 AM I rolled the dodger window up to cool the cockpit and since the wind is forward of the beam, to decrease the windage the window causes, making us go faster.

At 12:13 PM Joel spotted what he says is a large manta-ray. I see a mustard colored square object in the water moving parallel to us; so there is definitely something there.

From 12:23 PM to 2:00 PM I type one log and a couple of emails.

I take a nap from 2:00 PM to 3:11 PM, when Joel rolls the jib out and cuts back on the engine RPM's, waking me up.

At 4:20 PM the wind is 13 knots and we're motor sailing at 7.5 knots thru the water and 6.2 knots over the land.

At 4:30 PM I roll the jib up.

Joel naps from 4:00 PM to 5:08 PM.

At 4:45 PM a pod of dolphin swim off the bow. We can't see them from the cockpit, and its too rough to go forward and look at them from the bow.

The sun set at 5:48 PM into a bank of clouds on the horizon.

Dinner is at 6:15 PM and consists of freeze dried Chicken a la King with Noodles; corn; and instant garlic mashed potatoes. During and after dinner a small sea gull fly's around the boat many times trying to land. A leg is trailing under its body, like it might be non-functional, maybe even broken. We hope he'll land on our poop deck to rest, but it keeps trying to land on a life line. I don't think it was successful.

We also started getting the first of a handful of AIS antennae alarms. That's a new one for us. Maybe a loose wire? We'll check the wiring nest when we get to Recife.

I relieved Joel at 9:00 PM. The wind is 17 knots and we're motor sailing at 5.0 knots thru the water and 4.7 knots over the land. There are a lot of stars out. I don't remove the canvas insert between the dodger and bimini because of the likelihood of rain. I see lightning on the bow; but hear no thunder.

I see the first of 5 oil derrick ships. The first one I see is burning off natural gas and is visible for over 20 miles. Plus the lights on the platform are hard to miss. The oil derrick ship is 194 feet long and listed as a 'sailing vessel' due to the windage of the oil derrick on its deck.

I notice on the chart plotter that a tanker, the 459 foot Castillo de Herrera, is coming up astern of us. It will pass, eventually, on our port side. At 9:22 PM I can see the two white range lights on the ship, the right one lower than the left one. That means its not headed towards us and will pass on our port side.

At 9:28 PM, while I'm sitting in the middle of the cockpit, starboard side, a wave hits the side of the boat and completely drenches me in salt water. A lucky shot. I'm so soaked it looks like I jumped in a pool.

A rain shower hits the boat at 9:39 PM, making a lot of noise as the rain hits the dodger and the boat's fiberglass deck.

At 10:07 PM the wind is 13 knots and we're motor sailing at 5.5 knots thru the water and 4.9 knots over the land.

At 10:25 PM I identify an oil derrick ship called the Vega Jaanca, to port. Its burning off natural gas and is visible for many miles.

At 11:00 PM the wind is 16 knots and we're motor sailing at 6.0 knots thru the water and 5.3 knots over the land.

I can see the constellation Big Dipper on the port bow, 20 degrees above the horizon. First time I've seen it in many months. Of course, first time I've looked for it in many months. Go figure.

At 11:45 PM the wind is 15 knots and we're motor sailing at 5.5 knots thru the water and 4.7 knots over the land.

Brian Fox




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