Total mile sailed so far=7027 NM.
Miles sailed last 3-days=299 NM.
Miles left to go to cape of Good Hope=2450 NM..
Top speed on trip=12.2kts.
The Rest of the story:
Day 52:
24hr.Run=144 NM.
Position: Latitude 54*30’S. Longitude 53*01’W
Weather: Wind-3-30 kts NW.
Seas: 7-10ft.NW.
Cabin temp 47-50*
Bar-990mb
Today was an amazing day as I had no projects to do, so in the morning I cleaned up the boat, and decided to take a shower. The showers are only being done every fourth day now to conserve water, and I’m still trying to figure out how to take one with my long-underwear on, but still no luck on that.
I felt great after the shower, and had gotten the dishes all washed up and put away, and it seemed like a good time to set down with my kindle and read a mystery story.
After what must have been twenty-minutes I noticed the boats motion had changed and it seemed that the wind vane might not be steering.
Once out in the cockpit I was shocked to see what looked like a large silver salmon swimming just behind the boat. Upon closer examination this was no salmon at all, it was the shinny servo rudder off the wind vane, trailing behind on the safety line.
Now this was all as it should be as the thinner coupler tube connecting the rudder to the wind vane had broken off as it should when something rolls up from under the boat, like a log etc. I just hoped it wasn’t my rudder leaving that had done it, as I had not heard us hit a log.
I dug through my compartments and on the third one I came up with a couple of replacement pieces of stainless steel tubing to make the repair
Once again with the Makita cutting wheel leading the charge and the Milwaukee drill, punching out the holes, soon a replacement appeared right before my eyes.
Bolting it back on was the interesting part as we were sailing fast and the stern wake was up around the bolt that had to be removed then replaced after new tube was inserted in the hinge socket Once again I find myself tethered off hanging by my knees off the back of the boat working in frigid waters to make the installation happen. “Fixed”!
It appeared the breaking of the wind vane was metal fatigue, more than any one big hit.
Day 53:
24hr.Run=56 NM.
Position Latitude 54*23’S Longitude 51*43’W
Weather: Wind light and variable from all directions.
Waves: 2ft.
Cabin Temp. 47-49*
Bar=990mb
Today the Sailors run is challenged by light and variable winds from many different directions, and this always makes for lots of work trying to keep the boat moving in the right direction. It appears that we are in the middle of a low and must wait for it to move over us, hopefully taking off on the back side of it.
I installed a new LED light over the nave station, after finding the fixture yesterday, while digging through the compartments.
I’m a grandfather once again as our daughter Heather just had a New Baby Boy that came a little early, weighing in at 6 lbs.1oz. The name is Brayden Lucas Thornton, sounds like more crew for the future.
Day 54:
24hr.Run=99 NM.
Position-Latitude 54*15’S Longitude 49*06’W
Weather: Wind-8-12ktsNE
Seas: 2-4ft.
Cabin temp=44*-49*.
Bar.986mb
The winds seem to be on Christmas break, so first let me wish all of you out there a “Merry Christmas and Happy holidays”. Now for me I have a card to open from Debbie and I hope Santa swings by Antarctica, dropping off some fresh breezes that will allow me to get crashing along to where I’m going.
I’m still undecided what will be on the menu for Christmas, but Roast “Albatross” sounds intriguing!! HA HA!!
I have seen 3 ships since the Horn. Two of them were at the Horn, and were small 90-meter passenger ships, the “Plancius and the Polar Princess that both appeared to come up from Antarctica and went to the Horn for photos. The third ship a much larger freighter by the name of “Britannia” was paralleling my course just to the south of me, other than that alls been quiet in the South Atlantic.
Looking for wind your Amigo the Jefe’