AHHH THIS IS WHAT I LOVE ABOUT SAILING
Day -#1- 3/1/19:
24 hr. Run=166 nm
Position N 09* 36′ Long. E 170* 33′ Weather 15-20kts NE switching to ENE seas=6-8ft NE Barometer=1008 mb and steady. Cabin Temp at 7 am=82* Course 359* True at 7kts.
Day-1 The Rest of the Story:
I sailed off the mooring at 7-am and was of to a quick start sailing at seven-knots. Inside the atoll the seas were flat and a great way to start a voyage. Now as you might imagine this was not to last. I was nearing the pass where you exit from the protection of the atoll and head out into much rougher sailing conditions. I was eye balling my mainsail and thinking how far it will be required to take me on the trip to Mexico. Suddenly something is not right as there at the second batten pocket down is a tear in the batten pocket and about eight inches of the four foot batten is showing.”AH Shit”how did I miss that the last time the sail was up.One thing for sure it will not last for 7,000 nm.
I was now on final approach to the pass and decide to exit first then once clear of the shallows go ahead and drop the main. I let the sail down and the main boom just lay on the dinghy that is upside down on the cabin top. The seas are running 6-8ft so not any place to do a proper repair so I go for the fast fix. I gather up several ounces of contact cement and a chisel, life jacket and lanyard to clip in with and head top side. I spread the contact cement all over the damaged area, then go below and get a foot long piece of sticky back sail repair tape and slap that in place. “Walla fixed” at least for now and it will be interesting to see if it makes it all the way.
I’m beginning to realize that there are some truly amazing advantages to getting older.
The day before my departure I made one last dash to the store to pick up some additional “RUM” supply’s. You know, after and sometimes before taking on a most challenging job on the boat you need to “splice the main brace” [have a shot of rum]. Well, I find some rum with a nice golden color to it and ask at the register what a liter bottle cost. The clerk says $14.95, I go great that is right in my price range as I only drink cheap rum. Now, I did not have my glasses on but looking at the label I could make out that the rum was 75 proof this seemed ok to me as most rum is 70-80 proof. I grab 5-bottles and head for the boat. Once back aboard I put on my glasses to take a closer look at my newly acquired rum, Hmmmm! I now read the alcohol content and discover it is 75% meaning 151-proof. I mean this crap has more alcohol than rubbing alcohol. I’m pretty up on adapting so maybe what I best do is complete the tough task at hand prior to “splicing the main brace”.
Making my best efforts to avoid being “plastered” at sea. El Jefe’
Day-#2-3/2/19.
24 hr. Run=168NM.
Pos. Lat.09*36’N Long. 170*33’E. Weather: Wind ENE 18-20 kts. Seas 8-10 ft. Bar.1009 up 1mb. Cabin temp at 7am 81*.Course 000* True speed 6.6kts.
Day-2 The Rest of the Story.
Sailing hard and fast on a close reach. The Genoa is about 1/2 out, stay sail up, full main and reef in mizzen sail. I was enjoying a cup of coffee below and glanced aft watching the wind vane steer. I love my Monitor wind vane as it hunts the wind keeping the boat sailing fast and will steer up when the wind shifts helping Sailors Run Get back on a more northerly course. The winds seem to be shifting from NE to East over the next two days a good thing for me. As I watch the wind vane I notice that it seems to be moving about much more than is normal. Once out in the cockpit the reason for shifting around becomes obvious as the support strut at the bottom of the vane has dropped off on the starboard side and is just swinging out into the sea. I go below and locate a replacement bolt to reattach the strut. This job takes about 30-minutes total and requires me to get harnessed up as I must hang by my knees off the back of the boat to reattach the strut and screw the bolt in while all the time being submerged to different levels by the passing seas. What surprises me is that I tightened these bolts just before leaving as they are notorious for working loose. Normally they require tightening about every thousand mile, but I have only covered about 200 nm. and a bolt has fallen out. I dipped the new bolt in contact cement and let it set up for 5-minutes before screwing the bolt in place, possibly this will help.
Always busy underway El Jefe’ [ Jefe’ is Spanish for boss and the J is pronounced like an H or Hefe].
Day-#3-3/3/19.
24hr. Run=155nm.
Pos. 14*48’N Long,169*54’E. Weather: Wind=10-25 kts. ENE-E. Seas 10-15ft. ENE. Bar.=1010 mb. up 1mb. Cabin temp. 7am=80*. Course 000*N speed=5.6 kts. Total miles sailed so far=489 nm. Top speed so far=9 kts.
Day-3 The Rest of the Story.
I seem to be getting very tired as the conditions are rough one must struggle to do the simplest tasks like just moving about the cabin.
I have now at last sailed clear of my last atoll in the Marshall Islands so that will make sleep easier to come by. The winds have built to 25-kts and the seas are 15 feet at times. Sailors Run is healed about 15* and I’m pretty sure I will end up with one leg shorter than the other by the time I get to 35* North. Once clear of the atolls a ship shows up on the Ais and manages to pass just 1/2 mile ahead of my bow. The skipper was nice and we had a nice chat on channel 16 bidding each other good sailing. This might all sound well and good but the truth is this day “sucked”!!
It was 5 am when I was awakened from my sleep to sails flogging on deck. Once in the cockpit the problem was obvious the servo rudder on the wind vane that runs in the water had snapped off and was trailing astern on it’s safety line. It has been over 10,000 nm since this failure has happened. It is a safety fetcher to save the wind vane from being torn from the stern of the boat say a log should roll up from under the boat and hit it.
Drilling a new piece of stainless tubing and getting it replaced takes about two hours not to bad if you don’t count the fact that I have bolted it on 180* out.”Shit”! The sea conditions are growing worse by the hour and all this work must be done while being part submerged while once again hanging by my knees over the stern of the boat. This second reattachment of the rudder takes five long hours. The biggest problem is you can only work with one hand as the other one is hanging on for dear life. Sometimes the seas rushing by nearly take my sunglasses off my face. There is one point where I’m sitting in the cockpit getting the bolt and nut ready for reattaching the rudder and a rogue wave breaks in over the stern of Sailors Run totally engulfing me and I find myself being forced through the stern pulpit. It was frightening to feel my head bashing into the stainless steel tubing on the stern pulpit and fortunate for me I was tethered in by my safety harness and stayed aboard.
The struggle to line up the holes on getting this bolt back in with the rudder facing the right direction was just kicking my “ass”.
I finally get it started in and feel like it is somewhat lined up on the other side and in desperation I put the hammer to it and forcefully drive it through. Now of course I have screwed up the threads on the bolt and after losing 5-nuts into the sea while trying to get them started on, I’m starting to think about splicing the “main brace”. I can’t pound the bolt out and be sure I could ever get another one back in. My ribs are protesting with a great amount of pain every time I lay on them as I wiggle my way over the stern for more of this torture.
At last I say “screw it” and take a piece of stainless steel mousing wire rape it around the end of the bolt then back around the tube and pray the damn thing doesn’t fall out. I can only say that for the past 14-hours the Monitor vane steers on.
“Hanging out” on the beautiful Pacific El Jefe’