24 37.580N 017 27.247W
Tuesday 10th November 2015
I should never have said we were problem free !!!
Since yesterday’s missive, we have been punished for my (I wasn’t, honest) gloating.
Having used some water from the tanks, there was space for a ‘top up’ from the water-maker. This has given us some problems in the past and it was brought back from Lanzarote for a repair/service in the UK. Since when it worked OK until the passage to Gran Canaria when we repositioned the filter which seemed to fix the problem. I spent yesterday in the bowels trying one thing and another, exchanging Emails with Mactra, the agent in the UK without success and I have one last exercise to try today before we instigate trying to get a replacement out to Sao Vicente. This is really essential to the whole endeavour and I know that Christopher Columbus didn’t have a water maker but we were rather hoping to be able to wash!
Ignoring my own advice, I made the mistake of walking around on deck barefoot and I have now damaged a toe, kicking an immoveable object as the yacht lurched in the swell. At least it gives Stephen something to report I guess.
The next thing was a different sound coming from the Watt & Sea hydrogenerator. The downhaul (rope) holding it at the correct angle in the water had parted so it rose to skip along the surface. This piece of kit (when we finally got it working correctly) has been a boon, charging away as we sail along and it has more than made up for our electrical consumption. The down side has been that it is positioned on the transom (back) of Hejira, right by my berth (bed) and the constant whirring is not conducive to great sleep. With the discovery just as the sun was setting, there was nothing could be done but to lift it out of the water to be tackled in the light today so the result was the best sleep so far. Every cloud and all that.
The wind angle, direction and sea state meant that we maintained plain sail yesterday and being busy, we are yet to try the super duper (expensive) fishing lure we were persuaded to buy in Las Palmas. Hoping to report progress on all fronts tomorrow.
Stephen writes:-
Our first full day at sea and apart from the minor hiccoughs as mentioned above we are settling into a routine of quiet efficiency. Today we will try our fishing lures including one I have made out of a crisp packet (Munchitos ) and of course our state of the art one as advised by the fishing tackle man in Las Palmas - well he would wouldn`t he. I hope to be able to update you on the delicious flavour of fresh yellow finned tuna tomorrow so if there is no mention of tuna in tomorrow’s blog……..
Bob and I spent another uneventful 12-4 watch and saw three large tankers heading north to Europe as well as the phosphorescence illuminating our wake. The Dolphins have made another appearance as I write this, on this occasion I am more convinced they are the Clymene species .
Crew all well bar the Skipper with his sciatica and stubbed toe (no fracture only a sub-ungual haematoma). I understand this, under Naval regulations, constitutes a self-inflicted injury so attracts certain disciplinary actions which have yet to be decided by the Medical Officer.
Bob Writes:-
Little more to add, other than Stephen’s idea of ‘quiet efficiency’ clearly doesn’t accord with the opinion held by the skipper! The time taken to stow the mainsail and then rig twin Yankees surpassed even his worst expectations! However, once done, this sail plan suits our course and current wind conditions. There is talk of deploying the Parasailor, so we may soon see an even greater turn of speed.
Barry says he can’t be arsed to write and ‘would we stop pressuring him’.
Nick