Mast bling
12 February 2011 | Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
Tracy Clear,sunny and getting warmer
Bill was feeling up to getting hauled up to the top of the mast to finish out the last eleven steps. There are 33 total. I figured each on took Bill about 45 minutes to finish. The only things he dropped: a pair of sunglasses and a Sharpie he was marking with. The lenses popped out of the sunglasses when they hit the deck after their journey from 60 feet up. One lens stayed on the deck, but one bounced, bounced and went down the scupper. I just happened to look down the scupper and saw it pressed down against the covers we put over the teak. I put my hand under the scupper and lifted the cover...well, of course the lens missed my hand and went into the water. I quickly fished the sinking lens out and voila all the parts to reassemble Bill's shades. Whew, I'm glad as they were his favorites.
I think tomorrow, Bill will be under the aft bunk putting the hydrolic lines back in so we can bleed the lines and have steering again. I make a great step and fetch it person while he works his miracles.
The estimated date for leaving Puerto Vallarta for the Marquesas and beyond is March 25. It really is dependent on weather, but we are getting the list peeled down and are getting rid of lines on the list.
I have started making meals and freezing them, so on the passage I won't have to always spend so much time in the galley. I really believe in one hot meal a day is important on passage. I'm going to try to put up 10 days worth of dinners so if the seaway is rough, I can just throw something in the microwave or oven.
Some interesting estimates you might be interested in:
We think this passage will take between 25 and 30 days. We will be sailing 24 hours a day. We will be covering about 3,000 nautical miles. Most likely we will be going only 5 to 6 knots (about 6 to 7 miles per hour). We will be doing four hours on and four hours off for our watch system. Just try to think about every single thing you will eat in a month...no stores in the middle of the ocean. We have to have anything and everything we will be eating on board when we leave. We will be fishing, but from what I've heard, most people only have caught one or two fish the whole way. And finally, usually a boobie bird hitchhikes most of the way....that will give the cats a thrill, huh?!