LOG 5 Galapagos Marquesas Transit 2
Overseas Express is making good progress with 145-170 Nm
(except for a couple of days with low winds) each 24 hrs, and right now the
19th March we have 600 Nm left to the Marquesas Islands. With an
average of 150 Nm a day we will arrive at the 23th of March. We have to anchor
up in daylight.
The life on board is easy going, but we have had to
problems, first the gasoline to the generator we bought (in Galapagos)for triple
price was triple dirty with asphalt (only Ecuadorians could by gas and diesel ,
they payd US$ 1 pr gallon, we had to pay 3), and everything were transported to
the boat. The generator stopped even with one filtration, and we had to clean
the carburator twice, and filtrate twice the second time through Erics T-shirt.
The color of the gasoline was green, like the Norwegian kerosene, and the smell
was something in between. But now the generator is running and fresh water and
power is produced.
The next that needed repair was the watt&sea
hydrogenerator. The power plug through the hull had been corroded and looked
green, we made a shortcut on the
wire. But to put the watt&sea down into the water was difficult. Eric
of course went into the water with I rope, we reduced sail as much as we could,
and we got it in place. The watt&sea, gives us a lot of power, we run the
water maker every second day, and that is enough for power and water. We have
also solar panels that gives us daytime power. Watt&Sea gives us between
5-10 amps (between 5 and 8 kts). But we charge PC, IPAD and phones direct from
battery through the Victron inverter that gives us 220v 50Hz.
Today is Saturday, that means that we are having rom
punch before dinner, and wine to the meal. Tor Odin has been educated to mix the
rom punch, and he is now a good rom punch mixer.
The fishing has not been a big success, I have lost two
10 kg Wa Hoo (they both went under
the boat), Eric has caught two small Dorados, which we have eaten. The rest of
the dinners have been tinned food, and now we are running out of onion. We had
pineapple, apples, tomatoes and papaya, but they are gone. But we still have
lime for the rom punch.
Kirsten is the big boss below deck, and makes bread
nearly every day, washing cloths, cleaning the toilet, she knows were the food
is and set up the meny. She have the right to move things (also the skippers
things) to where she find it natural. On deck Eric is in the lead with his multi
talent (sailor, cook, spear fisher, meister in filleting fish), Tor Odin do a
better and better job with the sails and navigation. He was fighting a squall
alone on his 2100-0000 watch a
couple of days ago, and went over to handsteering when the windstrenght were
high, up to 28 kts. But he forgot to reef. We all need help when its blowing 28
kts.
This is a little of the daily life on a long leg, but we
all sleep as much as we can, Kirsten is reading about them who have done circum
navigation before us. Tor Odin is making music on his IPAD. And with a head set
he cannot hear when is rom punch time, that is serious .
My best friend from childhood, cross country ski and
hunting friend, Anders passed away on Saturday 12 March. It was sad that I could
not be in his funeral. I miss him very much.
Alex
Skipper
on Overseas Express