THE REST OF THE STORY:
Total miles sailed so far=6738 NM.
Miles sailed last 3-days=411 NM.
Distance to go to Cape of Good Hope=2690 NM.
Fastest speed so far=12.2kts
DAY 50- 24hr Run=102 NM.
Position: Latitude 55*28’S Longitude 60*23’W
Weather: Wind-NNE3-12 kts
Seas: 2-4ft.
Cabin temp: 44-51*
Bar: 995mb
Now after a day of “rocketing away” from the “Horn” in winds up to 30-kts that were created by a low that slipped below us to the south it is once again time to pay my dues.
On the eve of the heavy weather sailing day, during an inspection of the Genoa sail I noticed three new tears in the sail. I furled the sail in and buried the tear’s
Now down here it starts getting light at 1am Bahia Caraquez time and at 2:30am I rolled the Genoa sail out, and glued patches over the tears in the Genoa. I could just barely reach the tear’s while standing on the bow pulpit lashed onto the furled part of the sail with my safety harness. Once again I furled the sail allowing the contact cement to set up.
It was 6am when I pulled the Genoa down off the furler tube, and spread it out on deck where I could finish a proper repair. I glued patches backing the first patches on the opposite side of the sail, and then sewed the patches together, all the time sliding about on the fore deck, harnessed into my jack line and being very thankful for a high tow rail, to brace myself against and stop my slide off the deck.
After about one and a half hours the sail was back up and flying at 100% as we waited for the winds to build.
Sailing on a passage such as this is like having a new baby in your home, there is no set routine and you never know when nature [baby] will call.
I should mention that as of this day I believe we are nearly 30% complete on our solo circumnavigation. Yahoo!!
DAY-51 24hr.Run=144 NM.
Position: 54*49’S. Longitude 56*30’W
Weather: Wind=NW 7-15 kts.
Seas: 4-6ft
Cabin Temp: 47*-52*.
Bar: 996 mb
The sun is out and the winds have returned making this day tolerable to be outside. It seems when the wind comes from the north the temperature is nearly 10 degrees warmer than the southerly winds off of Antarctica.
I take advantage of the good conditions to put a fishing line out and do a much needed outside project. I moved the double cheek block that the control lines from the wind-vane pass through, aft about ½ an inch. I believe this change will stop the steering line from ever dropping of the wheel again.
The fishing lure a cedar plug was my choice as it runs a little deeper so the Albatross can’t get it as they do not dive below the surface.
Now you can imagine my surprise when I came on deck to see Five Giant Albatross all trying to get my lure. My first instinct was to grab the camera, but then I seen what these guys were up to. They would fly right up near the stern of Sailors Run where the line entered the water, and grab the fishing line in one of their beaks and the one with the line in his beak just slipped aft towards the lure as it was leveraged to the surface and all the birds could get after it.
I grabbed the meat line and started pulling it in all the time trying to scare the birds away, to no avail. Suddenly the lure got to the albatross and somehow hooked him or tangled him in the line. I knew the bird would surely drown if I did not haul him in and try and set him free.
I know from experience you do not want to attempt this without first putting on gloves because those “suckers “bite hard.
The bird was towing in pretty well when, suddenly it turned over creating a huge drag on the line. I was “shocked”, at what happened next, the bird reached out with his beak and bit the leader in half and suddenly took flight. Now whether he had the lure in him or not he flew vary well and circled the area looking perfectly normal.
That was the end of the cedar plug and my attempt to fish on this day.
From deep in the Atlantic, your amigo the Jefe’
One of the many wandering Albatross who love to get my fishing lure
Having a great time together on our boat