Day 23 - Passage to the Caribbean
Misterx
Thu 24 Apr 2025 03:37
23/04/25
8:30 pm
Day 23
North Atlantic Ocean
DTD to Trinidad: 1,487 NM (115NM)
The great thing about engineer's mind is that they find solution to problem and make things work. And luckily, Ian has got one of these mind...
Problem: the compacted seaweed at the end of the wind vane rudder is too heavy for me to lift, between the weight of the rudder, the weight of the weed and the force of the water, going at 5 knots, I have not got the physical strength to do it... never mind he said, we'll work something out, and he has...
Solution: a heavy shackle at the end of a thin rope, attached to the line lifting the rudder where the weeds gets caught... pull on the thin rope with the shackle at the end, the shackle moves up the rudder line, pulling the weeds up toward the deck. I can then safely pull the weeds away from the shackle, with my pink silicone oven glove, drop the rope, the weight of the shackle takes it back to the end of the line... et voila, minimum effort, minimum risk, no acrobatics standing up at the stern in boisterous sea, all can be done safely sitting down from behind the guard wire. So now I can manage the de-weeding, the wind vane works is not being overwhelmed, no more genoa flapping and hectic course to sort out. And Ian hasn't got to get up every hour or so to pull up the weeds!
As yesterday, we are religiously emptying the bilge every 4 hours, and monitoring the amount of water. So far so good, no change in the amount collected. Good news.
With the help of our Shore AngeL, we have been able to secure a slot for lifting out at Peake's in Trinidad on the 8th May, all we need to do is to get there in time!
Settling in my evening shift, and the wind is just gotten up, a steady 14/15 knots with gusts up to 20/21. Our boat speed between 4.5 to 5 knots. A bit bouncy at times, but pretty much the same as yesterday and the day before this. These conditions look set to be with us for the best part of the week, with very little changes in wind strength and direction, this is the beauty of trade winds. And it's been sunny most of he day, a few clouds but not lasting.
And we've changed the clocks, yet again!
Better go and check that all the clocks have been changed!
M