Thursday Check ins during the day
15 February 2018 | Southern Ocean
Alan
9am
[at 8:22 am I had written "Just to really scare you, I should tell you I’m doing an open mic with Barb tonight at the Thought Lot." Alan wrote:]
Low [the big storm] was fine; Open mike ?..... now i wet my pants!!!!
3 pm
We prepared the drogue which is ready to go. The wind pilot is stowed away and we are on Autopilot.
I gave some TLC to our remaining rudder and I'm happy with the result. The top bearing had slipped a week ago and the fix I had done left some play in the shaft I didn't like. During calm conditions this morning I actually shoved the bearing back where it was supposed to be and rigged something to keep it there. Now the rudder has no play. It was an easy fix but I needed calm conditions to go out on the scoop.
The fix on the rudder actually improved our port tack steering, and we've been sailing well. We are at 40d30m S and 99W and we're going about NE at 5.5 kts so losing latitude still.
I'll send an update tonight but we're ready for the storm and I don't feel anxious about it.... too much.