Yes, I finally got the rain
11 September 2015 | 08 30'N:18 30'W, ITC Zone for REAL now, Squallsville
Donna
Yes, I finally got the rain ITC Zone for REAL now, Squallsville
Yes, I finally got the rain...and it was all night from 2300 to 0600 fine tuning ways to catch it. First thing I had to do was slow the boat right down otherwise the rain blows off the sail. I already had the boat reefed down as I was becalmed, which is normal, right before the squall �'hit�'. I even turned sideways, on the beam to make sure the water would be caught in the sail. At one point, when the wind kicked up�...I went more downwind.
So I ended up with a good catch where the boom meets the mast. I was able to use the reef line to lift the aft end of the boom up and with the reefs in the sail, the water was lead forward to a bucket I had on the mast. This water is the nicest�...clear and clean.
Then I plugged the scupper and used a dingy bilge pump in the scupper and got 'lots' of water there...not perfectly clear but good enough. Definitely potable. I was able to pump it right into my bladder tank (Thanks Scott Brockmeyer) that we have hooked up to a deck fill.
So at that point I was all full except the buckets themselves from last night. I have smaller 5 gallon jugs that I filled and a 2 gallon. But I was absolutely exhausted by morn between sails and water. Interesting that the rain is moderate, not a real downpour so it takes a good while to collect the water. Luckily the squall line was big enough and I wasn�'t really sailing anywhere.
I finally got the boat on a course of 150* and went below�... had some breakfast and tea�...but then the Sargasso weed became wild�...huge areas of dense deep weeds. Literally hundreds of feet and in long lines. When we would hit a batch, the boat would slow down to a hush just sliding through the deep weeds, barely making headway. I thought I remembered reading something about a dense weed issue thhis year. JOan Conover was able to get the details. I wil get in touch with the group. .there is a Sargasso Weed Commission studing the tremendous growth of the weed as it impacts the caribbean.
The steering vane rudder couldn�'t handle that at all�...of course. It kept breaking away. So all morning I spent hung over backwards off the stern cleaning it off and putting it back on�...absurd thng to be doing. finally I had to do something about it�...it wasn�'t staying on at all anymore.
I had been mentally working on a fix for the rudder for a while as it has been coming off too easy. I already did a fix after talking to Yves Gelinas, the creator of the vane. But it wasn�'t working still..so I got out the drill and hopefully placed a bolt thru at a point where it will prevent the vane shaft from kicking out of place and falling off (of course I have a lanyard to it so it can�'t �'really�' fall off and away).
Drilling stainless is hard and I don�'t have a punch so the bit had a hard time digging in..So the holes aren�'t exactly where I wanted them�...So far, the older teak rudder has stayed on really well since the fx. I will try the newer one when I get a chance. The rudder has been a concern as when I am in heavy seas and big swells, the rudder can�'t just come off. So I am feeling much better it. I had to do the fix anyway. But today??
This afternoon, I got some more rain�...and here I sit, night two�...becalmed in the middle of a squall waiting for all heaven to break loose. Actually, the wind has come up�...it seems to be steady so the main squall may be past and the rain stopped. I have got to get some rest but could be another all-nighter...All dayer... all nighter...just all ways.
So�...finally things are put away and cleaned up. I had a nice chicken soup for dinner earlier. I am not making a lot of headway south as the winds are from the SW or SE. It could take me a while to get past this Zone and the squalls. It is always a trying place. It was odd that this time I was so set on needing water that I was looking for squalls. But then again, I have never been offshore for nine months�...a long time to store water for. And this has been a strangely dry sail. There is really no rain seen in the rest of the S Atlantic still.
OK�...I am off to try to lay down�...I hope everything just settles down.
Keepin On Sailin On a Dream�... and doing the next thing that has to be done. The ocean is like a three year old, Tantrums, squalls, but so beautiful and whimsical that you can�'t but love her.
Fairest of winds and the love of the oceans Only Gratitude, Donna