No Wind Winding
01 July 2014 | South Fakarava, Tuamotus
Monday 30 June 2014
An especially fine sail today as GRIB (Gerbils Running In Baskets) was wonderful in its wrongness.
OK now, there were a couple of things to remember from yesterday. What were they? Anybody know; show of hands? You there with the Coke bottle glasses, pocket protector and red propeller beenie. What? Say again. Oh right, thanks.
While exploring an inner lagoon on nearby motu yesterday, found 2/3 meter, round float. Taking an idea from Soggy Paws in the Tuamotu Compendium, http://svsoggypaws.com/files, wrapped it in net used to hang up vegetables and tied on a meter of line (to make retrieval easier) with a shackle at the end. As anchor was released, it was attached to chain about 2 times the depth back, then more scope (there's that word again) was let out so that it draped from bow above coral heads. This will prevent chain from wrapping coral just below the bow and possibly doing damage if wind blows and sea rises. A discovered disadvantage is that overnight wind stopped and festooned chain pulled bow to buoy which proceeded to thump against the hull intermittently, keeping some of crew, but not others, awake.
Four years ago the Cabo Rico was anchored off South Fakarava in very light wind; a perfect set-up, as boats bob around in circles, to wrap chain around a bommie just below the bow, as happened. No problem until (a) One wishes to depart or (b) wind picks up dramatically from north with miles of fetch which results in big waves, as also happened. Noticing boat was not in same position when returning from island, got aboard to discover that both main snubber and backup had been sundered and chain wrenched through windlass to bitter end. If not for tether attaching chain to locker, the whole operation would have fetched up on leeward reef. (Notice two separate meanings for 'fetch'. This sort of thing, as well as arcane language, is designed by sailors to confuse landlubbers and to frighten new boat owners so they never go out and eventually sell at drastically reduced prices.. to them.)
So, the question arises: grumpy Jannie or sunken boat? After much circumspection have determined that losing nearly everything might make her even grumpier as well as rest of crew, so may use chain buoy again and hope for at least a soupcon of wind.
Jack