Race 6 - Day 13
Crew Diary - Race 6 Day 13
04 February
CV28 Blog – Tuesday 4 February 2020.
Author: David Deisley.
‘Ruminations’
In my last blog, I celebrated the start of a new race with some carryover crew, some returning crew, a few new crew, and a new Skipper. All of us have settled into comfortable living, sailing, and sleeping rhythms. Unfortunately, my celebration of the start of the new race proved premature as light winds delayed the LeMans Start by about two days.
As Zhuhai supporters know, Zhuhai got off to a great start, building a lead as we entered the doldrums corridor. As we hit the first wind hole, Wendo gave notice of our intent to begin motoring as required. For the next 36 hours, we enjoyed a relaxed routine of split watches, sun protection from the boat shade and the cute green leaf that Melodie brought along. The end of our motoring left us about 150 miles short of the end of doldrums corridor, days later after many periods of 0 knots of true and apparent wind, we emerged from the corridor, but not to the predicted trade winds. Instead, among patches of fine sailing, we are enduring more drifts. Thus we are learning that sailing requires patience, that you pay attention to those aspects of life on the boat that you can control (e.g., trim, surprise treats, well-made hot drinks – yes, hot drinks even in the heat of the doldrums! - and good meals) because all these aspects are essential to maintaining positive crew morale when the factors that you can’t control (the WIND) conspire to unravel even the most effusive Pollyanna.
So, some random memories and observations from the past few days.
One morning, as the Watch with No Name went on deck to relieve the Oreo Ws, all of us were treated to a stunning double rainbow to the east. Beautiful way to start the day!
It is possible for Zhuhai to rotate through 360 degrees while drifting with the current. My theory is that the shifting winds that cause the windex to do 360s, sometimes 1080s, occasionally result in the windex becoming stuck, causing the boat to rotate.
One night, we saw a very bright light on the horizon akin to the diffuse glow from the ambient light of a large city. Knowing that there were no large cities nearby, we puzzled. The moon? No, the light remained on the horizon. A fishing fleet? No, the light remained steady in its location on the horizon. Finally, as I checked the chart while completing the log, I noticed that Zhuhai was passing Lihir Island. Then the penny dropped. The light was indeed the result of human settlement as Lihir is home to the Porgera Mine. We were looking at the port facilities for the mine.
My Apple Watch activity logger informs me that during the 22 full sailing days of Leg 4, I walked an average of 4,589 steps or 2.27 miles per day with a high of 8,653 steps / 4.2 miles. So far over 10 days of sailing on Leg 5, I have averaged 3,341 steps or 1.67 miles per day (a high of 6,975 steps / 3.5 miles). All on a 70-foot boat!
The chilled pudding made to accompany Kath’s birthday cake, given the reality of life on Zhuhai, was even better than a quad scoop from Sweetaly.
There is real joy in having an oven with a door that seals properly. Not only do the baked goods bake in a reasonable time, but the galley is not an integral part of the baking experience. Thank you Clipper Race Maintenance Team for replacing the oven during the Airlie Beach stopover.
A new fresh water foot pump installed during the graveyard shift is a welcome present to the mother watch when they wake in the early morning to prepare fresh bread and coffee for breakfast.
Powdered eggs are viable alternatives to the real thing for egg-fried rice and baking. We had to dispose of our “fresh” eggs which resembled the storied Chinese 100-year-old egg after 10 days in the stifling heat and humidity of the doldrums.
Not putting on and taking off foulies is a significant upside to sailing in the tropics. Taking a saltwater shower provides a change of condition, not a clean body. Brushing one’s teeth is more rewarding than showering because the results last longer.
Finally, seeing Zhuhai blue on the weather map is not a good thing and four USB charging ports are not sufficient for an electronically connected crew of 17. This is especially true in the tropics where we all rely on battery powered fans to keep us from drowning in our sweat when sleeping.
We appreciate the good wishes, prayers (especially for steady wind), and messages from our supporters. Nautical mile by nautical mile, your sailors are making way toward those they love.
Cheers,
Dave Deisley