20Jan2011

Convergence En Route to Maldives

We finally broke out of the marina on high tide last night (Wednesday). The two mile marina channel only had enough water in it on Wednesday for us to transit on the 2300 high tide.

We have been in Phuket preparing Convergence for the passage for 8 days. We were hoping to leave a few days earlier but several important projects on the 40 item project list for shipwrights here like getting refrigeration, freezer, alternators, watermaker, autopilots working took longer, as it usually does, to complete. A number of other projects were completed when we arrived: the masts had been pulled, derigged, striped of hardware, repainted, then re stepped and re rigged. Minor repairs were made to the sails and new sail covers and cockpit shades. We helped refit the sails and covers. Interior varnish as well as exterior paint was touched up. Our goal is to keep Convergence in better than new condition. And of course to help support the marine industry!

Precision Shipwright who oversaw the work is a very good wholesale customer of West Marine. They did good work. We have several other customers here as well.

We anchored off a white sandy beach at a pretty island just a few miles from the harbor channel entrance and spent a peaceful night.

After weighing anchor we checked out a few systems, raised the sails and made a few minor rigging adjustments.

We motor sailed in light winds coming from the stern for 10 hours and before picking up a nice breeze. We are sailing in the Bay of Bengal, part of the Indian Ocean, apparent wind is a bit forward of the beam at about 12 Knots, and smooth seas we are averaging about 9 knots. Convergence really moves along in these conditions.

The passage from Phuket to the Maldives across the Indian Ocean is 1552 nautical miles. We expect to complete it in 8 plus or minus days. We carry 400 gallons of diesel so we can motor the whole way if needed which will not be the case. Sailing the Indian Ocean is reputed to have the best sailing on average in the world. So far we agree.

Tonight just after we had a beautiful sunset off the bow, the full moon rose over the stern. What a great sight. Too bad to waste it on our three male crew. . .

The crew consists of Kelly Waterhouse, Joseph Rodgers (Sally-Christine's brother a marine surveyor and very competent professional captain who has done a few passages with us in the past, and myself. Kelly completed a circumnavigation last year with his wife, also named Kelly, aboard their Dufour 35 ft sloop. They did this same passage a couple of years ago.

The crew has good experience and is easy going and is thoroughly enjoying the superb sailing conditions!

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