Wednesday, November 9th

9th Day at Sea

Easting, Birds and the Gremlins Arrive

For the first time in days, the wind moves forward of the beam.  Now, we wish we had made more easting earlier and banked a few miles east of I-65.  In the evening, gremlins arrive.

Chart

 

Log

 

 

Journal

7a. Pulled down the wing on wing rig. The wind and seas are increasing. Wind moving forward of the beam. Late morning the Genny’s brought in, the staysail set at one reef. Seas 5-10, with periods of swells adding another ~ 5’. 

Birds. Think I covered this earlier, but saw a single brown pelican fly lazily in front of us several days ago. Closest land was Turks and Caicos about 345 nm to the SE. 2 sightings of a white bird. Description in iPhone. Flying ~mast height, circled boat and left. These birds and pelican heading E to SE. Today saw small dark bird w/white belly. Slim wings. Distinctive behavior, darting low between waves into the troughs. Very active seas, so quick darts up and down between waves. Didn’t appear to pay any attention to us, but did pass within 100 yards. 

[12-18 inches with tail. Over all white. Gull like wings. Orange/red beak, about 2-4 inches. Glack stripe in leading edge of wings. Black band across eyes?] 

Night. The gremlins arrive. Night’s fallen. The SSB call in is done. Bx asks Scott to pull the line off the wind generator. We’re on a close reach, 15-20 kts, small sea state for the wind, but some wave jumping and rolling. Scott climbs on the cockpit combing and sees that the line was cinched around a blade to stop the gen. Who did this? Bx? Scott and I normally grab the tail line to turn the gen downwind. Doesn’t stop the blades, but slows them enough to stop interference with the SSB. Scott sees that a climb atop the stern rail is needed to uncinch the line around the blade and retreats to the cockpit. “I can’t reach that.” Baxter climbs the rail. Scott on the combing next to him, for a grab, if needed. Bx reaches for the blade, slips from the rail, inward, feet landing on the combing and hanging from the gen pole. The gen pole leans inward. I grab the pole, Scott grabs Bax. We spend the next 30 minutes trying, with some success, to reposition the pole, Scott & Bax working from the combing, Molly and me fetching and handing tools. Me, steadying the pole with my free hand. My tether wears against the Monitor lines leading from cockpit footwell to the wheel. Too much pressure, too long, and the footwell eyestrap explodes, sending the boat into the wind. I grab the wheel, Molly sets the autopilot. Bx is done at the pole, and now he turns to replacing the fitting. Drill out. Enlarge one eyestrap hole and install a strong eye bolt. One of my soft shackles completes the new gear. Bx brings the Monitor back online. Scott & I truss up the gen pole and legs to the stern rail and each other. As we finish, I scoop up a flying fish from the port deck and return him to the ocean.