DAY-145 24hr. Run=101nm. Pos. Lat.44*53’S Long. 161*01’W. Weather=Bar=1026mb. Wind=NE-N-8-15kts. Seas= N 4-6ft Cabin Temp=58*-63*.
DAY-146 24hr. Run=161nm.Pos. Lat.45*17S. Long.158*22’W. Weather=Bar=1018mb. Wind=N-NW. 12-15kts.Seas=4-6ft. NW. Cabin Temp=59*-62*.
DAY-147 24hr.Run=38nm. Pos. Lat.45*13’S. Long.157*00W.Weather= Bar=1013mb. Wind= WSW-5-8kts. Seas=W. 2-4ft. Cabin Temp=60-63*.
Total Miles sailed so far=18,877nm.
Miles sailed last three days=300nm.
Miles left to go before turning north=2,972nm.
Top speed so far= 14.1kts.
THE REST OF THE STORY:
DAY-145.
Sailing slow today, sailing as close to the wind as we can go and pounding into the waves.
I had decided that the weather was finally right to put “Patches” back up so wrestled the 50lb sail up the companion way steps, and attempted to bench press it through the narrow companion way opening.
After what seemed like way to long of a struggle, and ending up balancing the sail on my head while trying to get the sail clear of the edges where it was hanging up, I made that final all you can do bench press, and I mean this is like trying to bench press a “Buick”, as you are trying to lift the cabin top off the boat.
Finally at last out of “go-hetas”(push in Spanish), I let the sail fall back into the galley and regrouped. This time putting the sail in a sail bag and cranking it up with the mizzen halyard, and soon it was out in the cockpit.
It is then that the wind begins to pick up and I stuff “Patches” back down through the hatch where she had just emerged from. You see I’m not going to try and hoist this thing in a blow where once again it goes in the ocean.
I spent the rest of the morning wiping the surfaces of the galley down with vinegar to get rid of the mold that is taking up residence in my all too moist environment.
DAY-146.
We had sailed a good course through the night and the winds were now down and it was time to put “Patches” up before breakfast.
Once again it was a wrestling match getting the sail out of the boat and out around the mizzen rigging and finally up onto the fore deck.
I carefully begin razing the sail, checking countless times to be sure it was going in the foil correctly, and staying aboard at the same time.
At last “Patches” was up and flying. After making fast the halyard I stepped around the staysail to admire my repair job. I almost “felt ill”, as I found myself looking at yet another 4-inch teat in “Patches”. The sail once again had to come down.
Once on deck the repair was easy and this time I used a product called “grab it” a Loctite product for gluing down flooring, as I’m running out of everything at this point.
Once again I start hauling the sail back up into the foil, it was about ¾ of the way up when the sail jammed in the foil as the sail had got in ahead of the 5mm luff line and I mean it was jammed.
I worked on it for over two hours and was still unable to pull it free, finally in desperation I got my exacto razor knife and was ready to try and cut it in the clear, not a good thing. I decided at the last minute to make one more attempt to get the feed alignment piece off, as on earlier attempts one of the screws would just not budge, but I had been spraying wd-40 on everything hoping something would loosen up and at last I got the feed unit off, and was able to pound it down the sail and free, and then with my vice grips I was able to tug the sail free of the foil it was jammed into.
After 7.5 hours ” Patches” was up and flying, and I could go drowned my “cotton mouth” in coffee and some much needed breakfast.
I had counted the patches on “Patches” and she now has 43 not counting the major big ones of the last big repair.
DAY-147.
Today slowly moving along the 45* of latitude in very light air, normally the highs would be above me and the lows to the south, but it seems some highs are south of me creating head winds, on the nose at times.
Having “Patches up there and no wind is like having a powerful motor with Dual 4-barrel carburetors and no gas.
Oh well, this is all part of sailing, never quite knowing what you will get from day to day.
The Jefe’ limping along the 45* South Latitude, in the not so “Roaring 40s”.