Mischief - Log Day 13: Confusion over a 'Jib', Bonding with spinnakers with a difference, Unchartered island and Benefits of inverters

2 December 2017 0950 Position 15 degs 44.2'N 039 degs 32.3W

The wind this early morning is trying to send us slightly North of our desired ideal route but we are wise to its game, there is less wind up there according to the updated weather grib files which suggest we need to be nearer to 15 degs than 16 degs. So we have had a team meeting and Alf is suggesting we make a 'jib', which to us non Viking descendants means a small foresail but assumed he meant a 'gybe' which was good because we have no means of sail making on board. The trouble is gybing across at say 50 degs means that speed over ground (SOG) will no longer match velocity made good (VMG) so we would effectively sail slower towards our destination. The dilemma is that there are greater winds a little further South. Hum, answers on a postcard. The Jib committee then met but luckily before we could come to a inconclusion the wind backed and we were making a little Southing again. Crisis over for now without either a jib or a gybe.

The gas ran out again last night, the second bottle since we left. We had to resort to putting on the inverter thingy and plugging in the electric kettle. Marvelous we can have coffee again before we change the gas in daylight. This boat has ever electric device available on the market, either that or we are still plugged in at Las Palmas? However, we have no more butane on board but we do have propane which requires a different regulator. That was fine as Dave has one of those too but coming to fit it was a scare as it didn't seem to fit! Oh no, that would mean the prospect of no more cooking for the rest of the trip which as I have been doing a fair amount of the cooking so far may just be a good thing! Anyway, a quick swear word or two and it seemed to slide on without further objection.

Neal and I were on deck this morning - we are the 'Marlborough Men'- only the roughest and toughest are allowed forward of the mast, to pack the spinnaker into its bag. We managed to get the three corners together and to hold them there I thought it a cool idea to attach them to the spare clip on my life belt. However, when it came to undoing it again one of the stainless steel corner rings had forced its way the wrong side of the guard spring on the clip and no amount of brute force and ignorance was enough to shift it. We even swore at it but on this occasion that tactic failed as well; I was effectively attached to the spinnaker! Out with the tool box and Neal managed to save the day with a well wielded screwdriver in expert hands.

As we shift along due West we are passing loads of weed floating in the water and the clumps seem to be getting bigger and bigger. It's a mystery as to where this stuff has come from but it is a nuisance as it keeps fouling our hydo-generator (another electrical bit of kit dangling over the transom which allows us to boil an electic kettle when the gas runs out). Neal though has thought about this phenomenon and believes he has the answer: there is an uncharted island around here somewhere inhabited by Virgins! Yep, that figures.....just how long have we been out here? But just in case shouldn't we be doing a grid search?

Question raised: what is the first drink we are going to have when we reach St Lucia? Dave says, "A large one!"; Wendy says, "I don't think I'll have one at all". Poor Wendy was inundated with hoots even from Alf and Neal immediately put bets on starting at 50/1 on (whatever that means). I took pity and simply offered to drink hers for her, whatever it was!

A funny thing happened today would you believe. Neal had lost a sailing glove a few days ago so in a fit of pique tossed the other one over the side. You guessed it he found the lost one today so that followed its counterpart overboard as well. However, he seems to have mislaid one of his spare pair too so who knows what fate may lie in wait for the other one.

More seriously, the Code 0 which we are using predominantly boomed out and is allowing good speed, has split in two further places again along the bottom seam. This would be a problem if it really tore completely so we dropped it and effected another repair with rip-stop tape and reset the thing on the basis that if indeed it does split wide open it is going to have to have a major repair at the sailmakers' anyway so let it do its worst! Very philosophical David.......We do have a spare genoa on board in the depths of a locker somewhere and we can set this on the second luff groove and pole it out as before so we have options thankfully. Sorted!

It is approaching tea time for which we have chicken paella, lets hope that having gas again has been worth it!! The trouble is the wind is dropping again so this could be a long night. Lets hope not.

Hi Ho!

Charlie