3Feb2011

Half Way Across Arabian Ocean

Last night and all day today we had great sailing making an average of about 9 knots with about 10 or 11 knots of wind on the beam and only 1 meter seas. 85 degrees and the sailing is just delightful!

No crisis breakdowns in the last day except losing the wind instruments which we can live without. We did seriously grease the rudder bearing yesterday and that has quieted it. The freezer is down to 17 degrees, almost where it should be. The backup regulator is working well.

We are more than half way from Uligan to the entrance to the IRTC (International Recommended Transit Corridor) which goes thru what used to be the worst of Pirate Alley. 522 miles and two and a half days to go to IRTC.

We are at 11 degrees N latitude and believe it or not it is a bit cool at night. Joseph is wearing sweats on his night watch and I wore a chamois shirt last night on watch for the first time. While it's 85 degrees during the day the cooling trend has started. We are feeling good about not being in the Brrr US right now!

Chef Joseph made pasta with pesto and veggies plus salad last night. It was excellent. We played Pavaratti and other opera. . .Thinking of our ladies... Tonight Chef Yosef made a delicious pasta salad. We are eating very well! But we are getting plenty of exercise moving around the moving boat so we won't gain any weight.

While in Uligan Maldives we met a family sailing out that Pam Wall of the Fort Lauderdale store helped get into cruising! They met at one of Pam's Boat Show cruising seminars. Marc, Jane and three young children aboard S/V Imagine a Halberg Rassy 46 from Chicago. Jane said that it was Pam that gave her the confidence to take her family cruising around the world. Pam has helped scores of couples realize their cruising dreams, as she, husband Andy, and children Samantha and Jamie did several years ago.

All is well aboard the good ship Convergence.

Randy

Photo of Chef Joseph/Yosef splicing

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