End of Day 7 - Caribbean towards Chesapeake

These Blog entries are edited versions of the messages we sent back as we completed the passage. They were sent by radio using a laptop that controls a modem and the HF/SSB radio, using the SailMail system. We sent the messages daily to Charlotte and she then forwarded them on to a list of family members.

2359 (AST, GMT-4) 13 May 2018

Dear All,

Temporary repair with red self-amalgamating tape

So, it has been another day of motoring - we're now up to 52 1/2 hours under engine, virtually non-stop. Happily, the water leak had not got significantly worse, but when we sponged out the sump at every watch change as a means of monitoring it, we realised that it was getting slightly worse. As result, at 1300 we shut down the engine for 25 minutes whilst we made a repair. The rubber connection that is leaking is a difficult shape to patch because it is only 8 cm long and is 5 cm in diameter at one end and half that at the other.

It's not a very elegant repair but the offending connector has now been wrapped in thick self amalgamating tape. We did the best that we could, given that it is butted up close to other bits of the engine, and so far we seem to have stopped the leak completely.

The wind has remained very light and variable (as per the forecast) and reality seems to back up the weather model which shows the windless area to be quite extensive.  Mike and Cate on Kealoha V reported this morning that they too were motoring but that they had been fortunate with the wind yesterday (Sat) and had only needed to start the engine at 2100 that evening. We have enough fuel in the main tanks to be able to motor until about lunchtime on Wednesday and then we also have another 120 litres (about 36 hours worth) in jerry cans on deck. So it's not desperate yet but, for lots of reasons, not least the expense of burning diesel, we'd much prefer it if the wind filled in. The latest grib files show that we might be able to expect some wind by around lunchtime on Monday but we're not holding our breath on that one yet.

Looking further forward, the forecast winds for our arrival close(ish) to the American coast and entry to the Chesapeake are currently looking less extreme than they did on the previous grib forecast and happily, this agrees with the assessment Chris Parker gave on the HF/SSB on Saturday. Unfortunately but not unreasonably, Chris takes Sunday off from forecasting to grotty yachties, so we will have to wait until Monday morning for his updated pearls of wisdom.

One thing Chris did mention to one of his subscribing yachts was a counter current to the Gulf Stream / circular back eddy centred at about N33 W074. We have certainly seen evidence of this swirling us east (not helpful because it was also slowing us down) and now a bit north (helpful). Hopefully we'll continue to get a useful push from it for a couple more days.

The increasing latitude reading of the lat/long display on the GPS is not the only way that we can tell we're moving onwards. The sea temperature had dropped from 28 degrees down to 23 and the air temperature has become noticeably cooler too. Day rig is still swimming costumes but at night a jacket and shorts are definitely required and when you're on deck for any length of time a fleece is needed too.  The days are getting longer as well.  In the tropics daylight lasts about 12 hours summer or winter.  As we move north dawn is arriving ever earlier and sunset ever later.  Twilight is much longer too.  In the tropics there is a very short twilight period but now we're heading north our twilight periods are definitely on the increase. So much so that we nearly left making dinner until too late last night: Reg's off-watch period started almost as soon as we had finished our meal rather than a comfortable 30mins afterwards.  We're going to have to start looking at our watches again!

Hopefully tomorrow we will be able to report that sailing has actually taken place.

Reg and Nicky

Passage statistics:
Position at midday 13 May: N31 07 W71 15
Position at 2359 13 May: N32 02 W71 59
Midday to midday distance: 129 nautical miles
Midnight to Midnight distance: 131 nautical miles
Total miles covered:  939 nautical miles
Approximate distance to go: 340 nautical miles

End of Day 7 - Caribbean towards Chesapeake