Getting in the groove of offshore passage making
27 October 2009 | 32 05N 78 45W
Sun is up and seas relatively calm. Motor-sailed a fair amount today and took time to catch up on small items that needed repair. The biggest one that can't be fix is the starboard engine, which is running poorly again. Diagnosed might be the injection pump, which is a bummer to loose that engine when possibly motoring into the wind. It can only run at 1000 RPM, which doesn't do much heading in the wind. Normally we would motor sail in the wind and can do 7-8 knots but dead into the wind 5 knots will be the best that can be done. Mind you, many sailors would love to be going 5 knots but it is a bit slow for this boat. Who knows, it might be the result of the fuel problem we had coming up from St-Martin. Some contamination may have got through to the injector pump? Oh well, one more item for the to do list in Fort Lauderdale.
On the good side, sail cover, refrigerator door, lifeline, new preventer and several other things, the calm weather allowed to fix, were address. The guys are helping with some switches that needed to be replaced on the furler and traveler. So all in all a number of items got off the to do list.
Diner tonight pasta with the left over tenderloin, does this sound familiar? With a Ceasar salad and homemade bread maybe? Clearly the guys' appetites are good now. So that's a plus. And everyone helps out as best they can. They are getting into the groove of offshore passage making which usually takes about two days for someone to get into it. Then a routine sets in, with a bit of excitement thrown in for good measure, and everyone seems to be content.