We Quit!
It seems that there has been some interest in publishing our various logs which follow our route around the world on s/v MaaMalni, our 52' cutter rigged sail boat. Yes, but if we publish will you quit before the end? we've been asked skeptically by potential publishers. So what do you think?
Here is what our day looked like today. We left the Galapagos Islands two days ago bound for Tahiti, a passage of nearly 4,000 plus miles before any land fall. We are desperately searching for the elusive trade winds but we will need to motor 300 plus miles due south from the Galapagos to find them although our intended direction is nearly 90 degrees in the other direction to the west.
We've had very little sleep, seas are sloppy, the Pacific Swell is a gentle 8-12 feet but with a strong current counter to its direction it creates quite a miserable chop. Temperatures are in the 90's with humidity running 95 - 100%, depending whether it is actually raining or not. As we are in a "Trough" there are frequent squalls with winds on the leading edge of anywhere between 10-25 knots, lasting from 5 to 20 minutes, then no wind...and more ocean slop. Woke at 4:30 AM as I was nearly rolled out of bed due to the rock and roll of boat. Suzan did not fare much better. We've had 2 hours rest in the last 24. So were are motoring against the current and slowly making some headway when checking the engine compartment we discover what looks like the residue from a bomb explosion or fire - very gritty awful stuff looks like course ground charcoal bricquets in the aft starboard quadrant of the compartment.
STOP THE ENGINE! Its 9 AM. Check all systems, power, sea water for cooling, transmission, fan belts to alternators. Checking outside we find a line around prop to further complicate matters. With the engine stopped, the motion within interior of boat is like being a bee bee in a beer can. Back, forth, up, down, again, again and again. Suzan is suffering from a bout of motion sickness. We try to sail but this is nearly impossible due to the sloppy sea conditions and nearly no wind. We work through the systems to try to solve engine problems. Write e-mails to smart people in Seattle, our trusted yacht mechanics, Gallery Marine. All the while we discover that the furling line to our number one jib has fallen off its spindle. The untangle and rewrap takes us nearly an hour, but we've got to get the jib furled before next squall hits. Suzan with mask and snorkel dives under the boat to pull line from prop. The squall hits just as she is coming out of the water. While the rain comes down in buckets we return to the engine problem, it's now been 5 hours. We drain and clean sea chest where sea-water comes on board for cooling of various systems. We look at the raw water pump with eye to taking that apart. Now all these activities take place in our engine compartment which is really small and hot with the boat rocking back and forth, where most systems can only be reached while contorted on one's knees or backside. Michael discovers a small hole in exhaust manifold, viola!...
but how to fix? This is a piece of cast aluminum. Solution? "Rescue Tape"! - that package of super technology purchased at some boat show 20 years ago knowing that someday it might come in handy... well this was the day. A couple of wraps and we turn "Perkie" back on and we are underway once again. Time is now 4:45 PM. We've had nothing to eat for 20 hours. So, now its time to slip out of our wet clothes and into a dry martini! The fix of the forward head will just have to wait until tomorrow...one
problem at a time.
Quit? Not a chance, we have fun and are challenged everyday, it just comes in a new form... and we never know what's coming next. So as I look around the vast empty horizon with martini in hand I can ask, 'How many people do you know that are actually pursuing their dreams?' And this is how it really is on the High Seas. We're liken to share our adventures with any who have interest.
Interested in publishing our story? If you won't quit, we won't quit!
Fair Winds _/) Suzan and Michael