No need to panic
Position: 3,47.13S , 12,48.4W
Speed: 6 knots, Course: 296 deg.
UTC Time: 27. July 2006 10:11
log reads 2979 from Cape Town.
Hi all, seems as if I may have caused a bit of concern due to the content of my blog entry (One of the reasons I did not want to have any communication at all on this trip since it can lead to confusion and unneeded worry). Have no fear we are all, boat included, doing fine. Sort of. Look there are always going to be teething proplems with new things and there are just a few teething problems with this one. Jon has done a great job in fixing the auto pilot mounting by cutting a 4 inch square piece from the anchor and attached it to the mouting for the pilot. After 36 hourse of hand steering we turned it on and hour ago and it is working like a dream. Doesn't answer the question why did the auto pilot mount go in the first place but alas these thing can happen. Probably a mixture of stiff steering mechanisms and a weak mounting bracket. Sure that will get figured out later. The other little proplems are things that will get ironed out on route. Meanwhile we still have good food, great weather, wide open expanse of sea that is happily taking us along under 1 reef and a storm jib not very fast mind you but getting us in the right direction due to the superbly constant 18 knots of south easterly we have been having since we left St Helena 800 miles ago. Last night was glorious really.
I managed to get a full 3 hours sleep on my of watch so when I came on at 23:00 hrs I was awake to steer the boat and star watch for 3 hours and then again at 5am. The night sky is just fab. Sometimes I am a bit peeved that I reckognise so many constellations since there would be a certain joy to be had just seeing the stars as irregular dots in the sky but alas I don't see that. I see a map with distinct regions and places. Some pointing to others and some more obscure. At the moment Scorpio is near overhead at midnight and is pointing wonderfully to a bright Jupiter. We are sailing in such a direction that I can keep Jupiter just off the boom and I know that I am going in the right direction. Until it falls a bit, chased by Scorpio and Sagitarius. Capricorn is right behind them. I never knew how lovely it is actually. Beautiful big triangle. The southern cross is getting very low now and is lost below the horizon after about 3am. Alpha Centuri (the closest star), on e of the pointers, is still above the horizon, though.In the very wee hours on the other side of the boat, to our east, things really start getting interesting. Orion comes up and the more familiar shapes such as Taurus with Alderbarn and the Plaidies, Cassiopia, Procyon, Andromada (and the nearest galaxy M31), Capella in Auriga and just a hint of Pollux. It is a fantastic section of sky. It is for me. Figure if you have read this far then we must discuss the amazing LMC next time we meet. Anyway all is well. I think Jon is getting some helpfull hints from the boat designers - a sort of online learn to sail a formula 1 yacht course from afar. Well done Merv. (Why don't you fly out to Cape Verde and take her up to the Azores? And bring a Solent whilst you're at it (let's see what sort of hoo haa that coment causes)). Time to go.
#end
Speed: 6 knots, Course: 296 deg.
UTC Time: 27. July 2006 10:11
log reads 2979 from Cape Town.
Hi all, seems as if I may have caused a bit of concern due to the content of my blog entry (One of the reasons I did not want to have any communication at all on this trip since it can lead to confusion and unneeded worry). Have no fear we are all, boat included, doing fine. Sort of. Look there are always going to be teething proplems with new things and there are just a few teething problems with this one. Jon has done a great job in fixing the auto pilot mounting by cutting a 4 inch square piece from the anchor and attached it to the mouting for the pilot. After 36 hourse of hand steering we turned it on and hour ago and it is working like a dream. Doesn't answer the question why did the auto pilot mount go in the first place but alas these thing can happen. Probably a mixture of stiff steering mechanisms and a weak mounting bracket. Sure that will get figured out later. The other little proplems are things that will get ironed out on route. Meanwhile we still have good food, great weather, wide open expanse of sea that is happily taking us along under 1 reef and a storm jib not very fast mind you but getting us in the right direction due to the superbly constant 18 knots of south easterly we have been having since we left St Helena 800 miles ago. Last night was glorious really.
I managed to get a full 3 hours sleep on my of watch so when I came on at 23:00 hrs I was awake to steer the boat and star watch for 3 hours and then again at 5am. The night sky is just fab. Sometimes I am a bit peeved that I reckognise so many constellations since there would be a certain joy to be had just seeing the stars as irregular dots in the sky but alas I don't see that. I see a map with distinct regions and places. Some pointing to others and some more obscure. At the moment Scorpio is near overhead at midnight and is pointing wonderfully to a bright Jupiter. We are sailing in such a direction that I can keep Jupiter just off the boom and I know that I am going in the right direction. Until it falls a bit, chased by Scorpio and Sagitarius. Capricorn is right behind them. I never knew how lovely it is actually. Beautiful big triangle. The southern cross is getting very low now and is lost below the horizon after about 3am. Alpha Centuri (the closest star), on e of the pointers, is still above the horizon, though.In the very wee hours on the other side of the boat, to our east, things really start getting interesting. Orion comes up and the more familiar shapes such as Taurus with Alderbarn and the Plaidies, Cassiopia, Procyon, Andromada (and the nearest galaxy M31), Capella in Auriga and just a hint of Pollux. It is a fantastic section of sky. It is for me. Figure if you have read this far then we must discuss the amazing LMC next time we meet. Anyway all is well. I think Jon is getting some helpfull hints from the boat designers - a sort of online learn to sail a formula 1 yacht course from afar. Well done Merv. (Why don't you fly out to Cape Verde and take her up to the Azores? And bring a Solent whilst you're at it (let's see what sort of hoo haa that coment causes)). Time to go.
#end
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