DAY FIVE UPDATE: LEMONS AND LEMONADE
WHEN: Thursday April 1st. 2000Local / 2200EST / 2300BRZ / 0200UTC
WHERE: 13:48N 114:11W
MILEAGE: 676 miles since La Cruz (sailed), 2,261 miles to Nuku Hiva (straight line)
It was still the middle of the night when the wind started to fade, eventually getting so weak and variable that the autopilot couldn’t handle the boat anymore. As I took the helm to steer Pesto and try to keep the sails full, the thought that the Trade Winds were slipping away from us was torturing. Down below, Adriana was handling an even more complicated ordeal. Paulo fell seasick, and did so big time.
Day Five broke for us with two seasick kids and two badly sleep-deprived adults, and wasn’t promising much.
But, as things were, the Trade Winds started to blow again, and both Paulo and Raquel had swift recoveries from their seasickness.
The winds settled at a 12-15 knot strength, blowing from the North, and propelling us at full speed all day long, Trade Wind style.
The kids, as they got better, stayed the whole day at the cockpit, and we had many long hours together listening to music from the time they were babies, and revisiting stories of our lives. It was a precious moment.
On the opposite direction went the Boobie situation. From two or three cute specimens paying an occasional visit, Pesto soon became a full-blown Boobie colony, with 20 count on board and a number more trying to find a space to land. It was awfully resembling our Sea Lion situation in California. A thick mortar of feathers and poop risked ruining our most powerful solar panel, and there were no signs they would leave any time soon. We decided to ask them to go, and the eviction process soon proved to be a game of patience. Still today I was bellowing and waving my arms in rage as a flock of Boobies threatened to land atop of our mast – risking damage to our equipment – or on the spinnaker – risking to blow it up. They are gone now, but I know they will try again tomorrow …
But without Boobies, and a bright sunlight all day long, the solar panels could do their job well, and almost fully replenished the batteries – first day we haven’t had to run the generator. That was excellent.
And so the day went by.
As I wrap this up, we are surfing down waves at 8-9kts under spinnaker, in a pitch-dark night. The kids are still in the cockpit discussing random subjects. And I am going to join the conversation.
Have a great evening!
Pesto out.
Sounds like both you at Geoff have been fighting off Boobies!! Enjoying your passage notes. Keep it up.
Well done Captain. You have your inside force to handle your visitors, take care of family and keep focus at your destination. I hope and I wish one day you can share your experience and photos face to face. Congrats and good winds.
Sugiro que vc improvise um espantalho com roupas velhas e deixe o içado junto a Adiça do mastro. Boa sorte a todos
.
Morri de rir imaginando vc de braços abertos espantando os bichos…Mae.
devia ter feito isso mesmo. Mas o nível de cansaço era tanto, que sempre procurávamos fazer o mínimo esforço possível.. No final, os sacos plásticos e o apito alto fez o papel de afugentar os bichinhos.