Friday 23 August 2019

Remember that old saw about a silver lining around every dark cloud. Nobody mentions the equally true inverse that puts a dark cloud inside every silver lining.

Even with having to motor the last day or so into destination, we were having such a good passage and would have arrived tomorrow morning at sunrise. Then about 0300, got a peek at the seldom mentioned, non-Pollyanna half of that aphorism. Had previously fixed a compression leak from #one injector. When hearing the sound again discovered that now it's #two. Performing all the same ameliorative tinkerings was no help. Bollocks! Have queries out for suggestions.

We have maybe three knots of wind on our port quarter, wandering between 90 and 180 degrees off bow, and forecast even worse in segments until perhaps Sunday. With just a wee bit of help, could now be in Sunday night. We're flying the spinnaker, which stays open pretty well (it's a very light 3/4 ounce), but sometimes doesn't even give us a knot of boat speed. Even with current we're usually doing less than three knots over ground. May have to tack the spinnaker once or twice, as forecast shows wind direction changing without increase in velocity. Wind is scheduled to increase by Sunday night, so almost sure to make it in by Monday. Fortunately neither wind nor water are going against us. Wind is barely helpful, but current is over 2 knots at least until we run out of it as we move in toward shore. Pretty sure we can use the engine if necessary for awhile without doing damage (part of query), but also have to consider toxic exhaust and brain damage. There are those who think it's already too late.

At 1300 the zephyr died, sea turned to lead and the sun was baking our deck. We drift with the current angled away from shore toward Maine. "Day after day, day after day, we stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean".

With spinnaker hanging like a rag from masthead we pulled it down and re-rigged for starboard tack wind that, if one is gullible enough to believe a GRIB (a Good Response is Idle Babbling), should materialize, however faintly, around sunset (sentence hard to read as coherent parts are separated from each other by blather... not my problem). After that anticipate streaking along at 3 or 4 knots. For now, however, the better responses are reading and installing watermaker pump.

Watermaker pump installed and possibly working. It runs, but don't want to check output until generator operating due poopy (technical electrical term) battery.

We wait with bated breath for return at sunset of forecast wind whispers on starboard quarter. TBA

Jack & Jan