June 15, 2006
Passage Note underway to Ecuador
Days 8 and 9CAPTAIN's LOG and bits from the FIRST MATE
The Encanto hardware store world tour continues....
This afternoon at 4:30 pm (1630) the stem head fitting that the forestay is attached to, failed. For the non-sailors, the stem head fitting is the welded connection where the forestay joins to the deck and hull AND to where the roller furling is attached. The roller furling rolls up the jib sail or also known as the head sail. It is also more importantly, where the forestay connects to stop the MAST from falling backwards. Yes, the MAST, the big stick in the center of the boat that holds the Main sail.
Needless to say, there was a loud bang ("gunshots? she wonders"). We were all below, enjoying the sunny afternoon after a great Inari Sushi lunch made by Sami. Captain (and everyone else) runs up on deck (we got our exercise, today) to find the roller furling drum punching holes in the hard fiberglass dingy that is stored under the Main boom. We all mobilized on deck, to subdue the flailing roller furling drum before someone lost body parts. We turned Encanto down wind for the Mainsail to blanket the jib and then pulled down the jib. The spare jib halyard was run forward to tension and support the mast head. Several lines were tied to the furler extrusions to keep it from flailing about.
Now back underway, we are motoring with a double reefed main towards Bahia de Caraquez, Ecuador, 192 miles ahead of us.
As always there was the post situation conversation. We were lucky on several accounts:
- no one was hurt
- it was daylight and was fairly calm - 10-15 knots of wind
- the Mast stayed up. In part, because just yesterday the Captain, tensioned the Inner Forestay to help support the mast in the 25-30 knots winds, that we were having. Also, there are Jumper Stays that support the upper section of the mast and the Main Sail had a reef in it already.
- none of the extrusions on the roller furling were kinked.
- the jib doesn't seem to be damaged.
At one point, it became 1700 (5 pm) our regular time to "check-in" with our cruising community that has already made the passage and are in Ecuador AND with the four boats underway (and behind us). We check-in as a group for moral support and of course, more than moral support, three times a day: 0500, 0900 (regular Pan Pacific Net check-in), and 1700. Sami was designated to monitor the SSB radio to make the contact with s/v Carina and the rest of the vessels underway community (s/v Lanika, Soy Libre, Otter and RDreamz) and to reschedule our check-in to an hour later, giving us time to pull the jib off the roller furling, tie the jib and the forestay down on the side deck before sunset. Once this was done, we could think about options.
Options
1) motor to 00 00* (THE EQUATOR), raise the staysail and sail the last 50+/- miles on a Reach point of sail. We couldn't get much of anywhere in the current conditions with that small of a sail plan. If we were reaching or going down wind, it wouldn't be a problem. The amount of fuel on board is a concern, if we tried to motor the entire way. Several of the boats behind us have offered to hand-off fuel to us as our paths converge. Another option, would be to hail a panga (local boat) as we reached the Bahia to bring us more fuel.
2) when it calms down, re-attach the roller furler to an inner attachment point, cut the Backstay and install new terminal ends since the Backstay will be a bit shorter. Ironically, I wanted to do just this, in Panama before leaving for Ecuador. I have all the hardware bits onboard. I didn't do it, because the anchorage in Panama City was too rolly. However, nothing compared to what we are in NOW!
As usual, always exciting on the good ship Encanto.
We have come to appreciate, the kid crew on Encanto, who stepped up to the plate, to get us through this latest challenge without a hitch. We are very proud of Gaby and Sami; they continue to exceed our expectations in times of stress and need.
Everyone is asleep now, except the First Mate (my midnight watch under a weaning moon). A good night's sleep and progress southward will help us decide next steps. Later this morning, the Captain is the Net Controller on the Pan Pacific Net, 0900, with that responsibility completed, we'll roll up our sleeves (yes, it is getting cooler and we are wearing clothes with sleeves on them) and plod our way along.
We maintain high spirited and anxious to get to Ecuador with more tales to come.
Onward Ho, to the Land of the Incas.
N 01.37
W 082.13
Tracking 184
0100