SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip

The hole in our sail has grown markedly larger and another is starting below it. We are going to take down the sail early in the morning in the hope that if we work hard all day we can fashion a repair before nightfall. We have about a 5 ft by 8 ft piece of sailcloth that we think can be used. The problem of course it that it is a lot of hand stitching. Of course taking the sail off the boom and putting it back on is also a problem. That is not so easy. The sail is heavy and the deck is pitching. I'm not looking forward to this but we have weeks to go before we get anywhere near where we can get a sailmaker to help us. We may have to go all the way to Papette. My fervent hope though is that we can get help in Nuka Hiva.

In the meantime the wind is pushing us briskly along. We'll try to keep the jib pulling us while we fashion our repair. By poling out the jib and running directly downwind we can avoid the flailing lines that are dangerous to people working on the deck. Taking down the mainsail will cost us speed but it has to be done. For those of you planning a passage, take a note. Tape really doesn't work when the sail is torn. Where it is worn but still intact it appears to work fine. Then take a second note: buy a new sail before you leave..

We have a second sailboat sighting! SV Ganga. She is about 12 miles ahead of us and we held about the same distance all night. Ginga has an AIS transmitter but we lose its signal at about 12 miles. There are 19 sailboats checking into the puddle jump ssb net. And of course there is us! We are like a flock of birds moving west together ...that is if you call together somewhere within a thousand miles. Here is the bummer: We are the only one with a hole in our sail. One boat had a problem with its backstay. Mostly not much is said about our problems, but it was apparent in the Galapagos that every boat has them. Many boats were trying to do repairs in the harbor. Watermakers and engines were the most frequent problem sources. This morning SV Vinga reported that they had heard what may have been a distress call from an unknown vessel at 9 deg 35 min S and 124 deg 50 min west which call was made at 11 pm. Communication conditions were poor this morning due to QRM so I am not entirely sure of what I heard. We will sail near that position and listen but that is still over 1200 miles away from us. Other boats are closer and will listen and watch but I have to say this is a VERY bad place to have a VERY bad problem.

Those of you that are imagining sunshine and calm tropical seas for Panta Rhei should make an adjustment. The weather yesterday was solid overcast with low clouds and imbeded thunderstorms. We got 66 AHr of solar energy but I don't know how. The seas are rough. It is not a time you would choose to work on deck.

The food continues to be great though and we are all getting a lot of reading done. I'm reading a history book (Lords of Finance) about world war 1 and the depression. It makes today's news sound pretty good. (Note - I haven't got any news and haven't read any since the Galapagos but I'm speaking as if I had some!)

Trip log 12417 Distance to go: 2096 Miles traveled since Wreck Bay: 1054 Solar energy for the day: 66 AHr (1.8 kWHr)