estrella damm sailing team 30-nov / los skippers nos explican
By Jonathan MacKee
Wednesday was a relatively mellow one by recent standards; reaching along toward Fernando do Noronha with 15 to 20 knots, jib top, staysail and one reef. Fast and easy miles.
We arrived at the gate in the early morning of Thursday having made good progress overnight, and turned upwind. But an hour later we realised we had not rounded correctly (too far east), so we had to sail back downwind to the waypoint, round correctly, and back on the wind. That was very disappointing, to say the least, giving up those hard fought miles. It seems just when we are starting to get on track something like that happens. Simple mistake but easily done when tired or confused. I am writing it off to an insufficient offering to Neptune when we crossed the equator. By coincidence, that was nearly the same place I broke my mast in the 2003 Mini Transat. So Neptune’s price could have been higher.
Anyways, fast beating all day yesterday in 15 to knots, gradually lifting. The wind continues to lift as we go south, so all the boats ahead are getting freed up sooner, thus gaining miles. A pretty routine day on the sailing side, warm conditions but not too hot, and a pleasant wind speed with out the waves being too bad.
However my day was anything but routine. Since fixing our watermaker problem, it had stopped working again. This was potentially catostrophic, because we hve only limited stored water. We had passed Fernando, the last convenient stopping place, and would have to put into the Brazil coast if we could not fix it ourselves (Recife or Salvador).
I spent all day with my head down trying to get the thing going. We have 2 complete watermakers, so I tried to isolate the problems, with some phone help from our shore team. I ended up having to completely take apart both units, motor from gearbox from drive converter from filtration unit. It took a few iterations to get the right combination of parts, and the thing back together, hopefully correctly. Finally I got it running and fresh water was briefly coming out. My heart sang, but then I noticed a growing leak in the intake manifold; one of the O rings had been damaged… I tried to fix it without taking it totally apart, head stuck in the bilge, but no luck. I decided I needed a rest, as my brain and body were both pretty fried by now. By this time it is 9pm and I have been working on it for about 10 hours, with some brief rests for sailing. All the while trying not to drink water because we don’t have much.
When I get up again I sail for a bit, giving Guillermo a break, then switch the pilot on and get back into it with renewed vigor. I have to dismount the unit, take it apart, take to O rings from the remains of the other unit, and put it back together again. Carefully assembling for the last time, can’t screw up now because there are no more spare parts. And finally it all works! I have since made about 30 litres of the most beautiful fresh water you ever tasted. Maybe Neptune is finally happy.
This morning is clear and bright, not too hot yet. The wind has lifted a bit, so we changed the solent for the jib top and staysail, then reef the main. About 30 minutes of good effort. Hopefully this will be our combination all day, maybe coming and going with the reef. I am hoping to have a day without much boatwork, just try to get my head back into the sailing. I am still confident we will improve our position as we go on, we just need consistent sailing and good focus.
There is lots of time left, including the most challrnging part of the course, the Southern Ocean, now not so far away as we race down the South Atlantic at 16 knots, in how pursuit of the fleet ahead. Because of the wind, they are likely to gain today, then hopefully our turn may come. Time will tell.
