Total distance sailed so far: 3711 nm
Distance sailed last three days: 379 nm. .
Day-25.
24 hr.Run: 133 nm. Pos. Lat.33*16’N. Long. 153*33’W.
Weather:Winds: 10-15 kts NNE. Seas: 4-6ft .NNE. Course 075*
Speed: 6 kts. Cabin Temp at 7 am=60* Bar: 1023 mb. up-3 mb.
The Rest of the Story.
The winds have dropped way down and so have the seas so it was time for me to set about to fix that roller furling system. I had worked the project through in my head before ever heading up on deck. I redid the end on the genoa halyard as it was showing signs of chafe. Then I wrapped a grape vine knot on to the furler foil and winched it up from where it had broken. The foil slid up about 6 inches before stopping at the top of the mast. I grabbed the end of the broken piece that was still in the furler tube and could move it up just slightly before it got hung up. I then took a very large screw driver and pounded it down inside on the out side of the foil and against the wall of the tube, this allowed me to bend it in towards the stay. I also did the same thing on the other side of the piece of foil then reached over and pulled it out and off the stay.
Next, I cut the end of the foil off square with my angle cutting wheel getting rid of the flared broken end then lowered the foil back down into the furler tube. It took some pounding to get it in there as it is a very tight fit, and suddenly Sailors Run was ready to have her most powerful working sail hoisted up into the foil.
Wow, what a difference this made in boat speed as we went from 4-kts to 6-kts just like that and I felt a great concern was lifted off my mind.
Definitely time to “splice the main brace”.El Jefe’.
Day-26.
24 hr. Run:146 nm. Pos. Lat.32*57’N. Long.150*51’W.
Weather: Wind: 10-15 kts. NE Seas: 4-6 feet NE.
Course 117*T Speed=5.5 kts. Cabin Temp at 7am=60*.
Bar.=1020 mb. Down 3 mb.
The Rest of the Story.
Today sailing pretty fast on a good course towards the east. My weather looks like light winds ahead,tomorrow as I sail into a wind hole. How long this will last is a good question but hopefully less than 12 hrs.
Food supply’s continue to diminish aboard Sailors Run. I have but three chicken thighs left in the freezer and now am actively fishing, hoping to fill that freezer back up, but no guarantees out here. I have seen no birds on the sea the past three days and that is a bad sign for fishing.
In the heavy winds and seas the Albatross were gliding about on every wave it seemed, I mean they seem oblivious to 40 knots and seem to take shelter in the troughs of the large waves.
I have lots of canned tuna and Spam so will not go hungry. I have eaten the last orange yesterday and now have lots of apples. I also have potatoes,onions and two cabbages for stir fry’s just looking for some fish.
I seem to keep being pushed further south and that concerns me. I will be sailing 70* to get some northerly when the opportunity arises.
Just “slip sliding” across the Pacific. El Jefe’.
Day-27
24 hr. Run:100 nm. Pos, Lat.33*10N. Long.149*04’W.
Weather: Winds: 4-15 kts. NE switching to SSW. Seas: 4-6 feet, Course=080*T. Speed 7 kts. Cabin Temp at 7am=62*
Bar.:1015 mb. down-5 mb.
The Rest of the Story.
A high pressure system has formed in my area and it became necessary to splash up the diesel as what wind there was,was 54 kts on my nose. I’m never anxious to burn fuel with still a long ways to go as you never know what kind of rigging failure could occur but it is reassuring to know you could motor for 5-6 hundred miles.
I bit the bullet and powered for 10-hours until a favorable wind started filling in from the SW and soon we were sailing swiftly along.
There is a low pressure area coming to my area and the winds should be up pretty good around 30 kts.
I noticed one of the steering lines on the Monitor wind vane was chaffing through the outer jacket and replaced it with a new line while conditions were still mild.
Still no luck at catching any fish, but I know if I put it out there everyday sooner or later something is going to grab it.
I want to thank all my friends in Majuro that have been staying in Radio contact with me up until now, and it seems that I’m just now to distant and our time differences is making it nearly impossible to hear each other. So please pass the word that I will no longer be on the radio and Thanks so much for being there, and all future communication will be via email.
Sailing into Radio Oblivion El Jefe’.