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Hejira - What a relief



34 59.299N 012 06.641W

Sunday 30th August 2015

Yesterday was not one of the best.

Unfortunately, the sea state did not abate during the day which failed to bring the hoped for relief to those with the ‘mal de mar’.

The swells passing under the stern made the galley only suitable for accomplished jugglers and I do not begin to qualify. First a jug of sauce lost its equilibrium and spread its contents over the work surface, cooker and floor then, all the washing up crashed to the floor both before being washed and then again from the draining board – grrrr.

It was also time to commission the water maker as, because once it is initiated, it needs to be maintained, it has never been put to work since it was installed by Northshore 3 years ago. I should have expected that this would not just be like ‘throwing a switch’ and it seems I have a fundamental problem which I will have to address once we moor up and the yacht isn’t lurching around and I am not wedged into a sweat box. Better that the issue is discovered now rather than two days into a 3 week crossing.

Even our fishing has had a disappointment as, having hooked our first fish, it was lost while I went below for a landing net – typical !

I am writing this while the crew sleep and the wind has dropped to around 8 knots so we are motor sailing at 2000 revs using only the yankee jib and we are doing nearly 6 knots on a flatter sea. This is where the new Bruntons Autoprop should be in its element as it self-adjusts to optimum pitch and, when motor sailing is supposed to be 20% more efficient – so there.

Crew have all now surfaced and I am very pleased to report smiling faces throughout.

WHAT A MASSIVE RELIEF ! ! !

Hoping for a better day today.

Nick

 



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