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From
the most comprehensive wind hole we have yet to encounter, to flying
along with whites up and cracking just under 10 knots over the ground.
After the last tale of woe, regarding equipment breaks and holes
in sails, could it get worse?
Well
quite frankly, yes it just could. Despite having crossed the doldrums
twice so far in our earlier races, we had never (thankfully) encountered
the consistently light winds of a few days ago.
0.00
knots
The
instruments tell you that there is 3 or 4 knots of breeze. They
even tell you from which direction. How hard can it be? Well, sadly
the direction and the true wind speed are the result of a calculation
(which I don't nearly claim to understand) derived from boat speed,
boat course and apparent wind speed and direction.
The
windex (a wind vane at the top of the mast) that measures apparent
wind speed and direction is doing an impression of a horizontal
windmill. The boat speed, correct to 2 decimal places is 0.00. Boat
course is westish. To be honest, when the instruments tell me wind
direction is 345 degrees exactly, I find the result sometimes questionable.
1
knot better than none
At
the helm, the best you can do is watch the Windex for a while, decide
where the arrow pauses for longest on its 360 degree swing, and
aim the boat 50 degrees left or right of that direction. In fact,
probably the best wind instrument on the boat is the defaced ensign,
flown from the backstay. If it is flying back over either quarter,
you are about right. If it is hitting you in the back of the head
you are running downwind. Turn wheel accordingly.
So
when your desired course is west, and the best you can do is either
320'or 220' at 1 knot, it can leave you feeling a little frustrated.
Mind you 1 knot is better than none. And there were plenty of times
when we were doing none. One of the secrets of helming in these
conditions is to choose your course, and then just not turn the
wheel. Regardless of where the instruments / Windex claim the wind
is coming from.
Momentum
Every
time you turn the helm, it creates further drag. A 30 tonne hunk
of metal (filled to the brim with Tracey's Tupperware containers)
doesn't need much extra drag, me thinks. If you have chosen correctly
you can build some momentum. It takes a long time to build up even
a knot of boat speed. And a very short time to lose it all. And
for me, the worst part is that this frustrating process does not
happen in the beautiful silence you would imagine. But with the
mind bending, madness inducing, uncannily loud, never-ending slap
of the sails. And the best part ? Hearing the ripples of your wake
when you do get moving.
Full
inquest
After
the lull.....and then we were moving again. Slowly at first and
very irregularly. But moving. Sadly at the cost of two further outings
for the sewing machine. Mum, I can now cross-stitch. Just what I
needed to learn. When we arrive in Yokohama there will be a full
inquest into who shot the albatross, who has brought bananas on
board, or who has been whistling in their sleep someone must be
responsible for all this.
Some
nice Force 4 this morning, turned very quickly into 6 and 7s. We
are now well heeled over, bouncing off waves, and steaming more
or less at Japan. Shorts and sunglasses away time to dig out the
warm clothes.
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