June 26th 2008: Day 6
John
Fish On!
The reel started screaming. I eased into the fighting chair and boldly fought the mighty fish. He repeatedly leapt into the air, thrashing his head, trying to shake the hook. I gracefully eased him to the boat. Within sight, his spirit returned and he made another run. Again, I eased him to the gaff, and again he ran. Finally, on the third run we captured the wild beast. Hemingway would have been proud. Ok, so I just cranked the reel and hauled the 3' Wahoo aboard. Nothing to write home about, (blogging is a completely different matter) but it's fresh bounty from the sea. Besides, it's my fish story.
The sailing has still been great, Encanto performing admirably, romping along at up 9.8 knots. Mostly, it has been between 4 and 7, averaging 5.5. We have to fall off when we start going too fast in big seas; Encanto launches off waves and crashes into the next. The crash is deafening. The boat shudders and comes to a stop; waiting for the wind to get her moving again.
There is absolutely nothing around us. The clouds pass overhead, an occasional bird circles overhead. At night the stars shine horizon to horizon, the Milky Way glowing like a stream of spilt milk. Best of all, we were once again visited by dolphins. Feeling quite insignificant but also, quite content.
Gene
WoW!!! What a fish - John reeled it in. Then he and I cut it up. A wahoo is a barracuda like fish that is very good eating. We had some for lunch today. Great brain food. Today, I finished book 5. The Zahir was geat.
We are now getting very close to the equator. As I write this in the wee hours of the morning, while we whoooosh along at 6 knots, the odometer says we have traveled 833 miles. Only 80 miles to the equator!! Position now is 1 degree 14 min South Latitude, 166 degrees 50 min West Longitude. In all my NAVY career, I had never traversed the equator!!!! I had crossed the Arctic Circle. But, tomorrow, I will cross the equator and I guess I have to be initiated. R-Man and John are going to think of something appropriate for me to suffer so I will be a bonafide wog. That is one who had crossed the equator before. I am not sure the other two have been initiated, but they have crossed the equator before. So, you will hear of the rite of passage in my next blog entry. Maybe they will forget. Hahaha.
Today we made bread. I don't know whether I didn't follow the recipe closely or not, but the loaves (2) were only 3 inches high. Haha. But, it tasted pretty good. There was some rising of the dough but not enough. Maybe next time, we will not add as much water until we see how doughy it is. Anyway, it tasted good.
Sailing this watch is just beautiful!!!!! There must be at least a zillion stars. The Milky Way is splendid and for the first time in all these years, I noticed that it runs in a north/south direction (relative to the earth). Seas are much kinder this day. No banging of the wave on the bow…..well, maybe the occasional whop! But not much of them. It has gotten a little hotter as we near the equator….but not as much rain as when we were in Pago Pago. So, the glass is still over half full.
Till tomorrow.
June 27th 2008: Day7
John
Getting close to our first big milestone - The Equator. From our last long passage, I've learned that it's nice to have little pieces to celebrate, it breaks up the trip. Ha, I knew it; you thought I was going to say boredom. Some people forbid the "f" or "s" words, but for Encanto, it has always been the "B" word. Just not allowed. There is always something to do, people to talk with, books to read. Just ask Gabe and Sam. Personally, I have a difficult time reading while underway. I'm afraid I just might miss something - a school of flying fish, the lone dolphin or the flash of a meteorite. The routine has set in, up at 4am with coffee, an hour spent watching the sky grow light, then download weather faxes, the morning net with Jim Bandy (an old marina mate from sf) from Also Island in Fiji, more weather faxes, and finally breakfast at 10am or so. The afternoon is sending email to San Diego at 3pm, along with the Pacific Seafarers net, then dinner and more weather faxes. Then there are the
little odds and ends that need attention. By 9pm, it's into bed.
June 28th 2008: Day 8
Royce
Hum things that make you go "hum". Well here are only 8 miles from the equator. John and I have been talking about what to do with Gene to initiate him into becoming a shellback. If you read his blog you realize that a Wog is one that has not yet crossed the Equator A Shell back has in fact crossed the Domain and passed Neptune's tests and will be known throughout all the world as a Shellback.
I am sure we will all hear about what Gene had to go through to become a Shellback tomorrow in his blog. So I will not let the Cat fish out of the bag too soon.
Last night it was a bit chilly and I had to find my blanket to stay comfortable. Too strange as we are getting closer to the big E. (Equator not Encanto)
As you can tell not too much to say here. So I will go and find something to write about tomorrow.
Ttfn
John
Today is Equator Day. We passed over that mark in the water at 0115Z, 2:15pm local. Not being one who is normally superstitious, I tend not to embrace nautical traditions. However, there is also that small sense of doubt, so why take chances. So, after taking the obligatory photo of the GPS showing all goose eggs, we went up on deck, toasted Neptune and ourselves, with several shots of nice rum. Now Gene has never been across the equator in a boat, so he needed to be initiated. It is hard to believe, since he was a submariner back in the 60's. He spent his time chasing Ivan around in the North Atlantic. So, on Encanto we performed the necessary rites. However, being of a more advanced age, and much to dignified to go through the hazing the Navy would have performed, we had to make allowances. So, taking a view to long life, he was given the tools necessary to remain regular and entertainment while doing so. Ribbing aside, he seemed pleased.
June 29th 2008: Day 9
Gene
Well, yesterday we crossed the equator at approximately 1:15 pm local time. I was duly initiated into the realm of King Neptune, as a result of crossing the equator, and now I am a Shellback. I was told to sit at the table and was presented with gifts from the crew and ENCANTO. I got a hearing aid in the form of the old style megaphone - only you use it in reverse….hold it to the ear and it amplifies the sound you hear. I also received a variety of foodstuffs that are intended to make one regular….lentils, oatmeal, and other finger food like craisins, mango chips, etc. All very nice indeed. I was flattered that they (Big Guy and R-Man) took the time to put together a little fun stuff for the event…..and the Ole Guy!!!
Well, this day we have traveled 1000 miles. That as of 1:50 am local time. At this rate we will be home before you know it. The boat is performing wonderfully. We couldn't ask for more from her……well, maybe a bed by the helm station….just kidding. We are still making between 5 and 7 knots most of the time. We are on target for a new best of 150 mile day! We are now knocking on the door of the ITCZ (inter-tropical convergence zone) where the southern hemisphere winds rub against the winds of the northern hemisphere. It is a band or area usually bounded by 5 degrees N latitude on the south side of the band and 10 degrees N latitude on the north side of the band. Within this area is usually unsettled weather with squalls and little to no wind. As I write this, the wind is starting to diminish just a little. It comes and goes from about 5 to 12 knots. We are currently at 1 degree 8 minutes N latitude and 165 degrees 32 minutes W longitude. Our heading is about 14 degrees from True North. We anticipate motoring for about a day as we approach the ITCZ and scoot across as fast as we can to minimize exposure to what can be some nasty squalls. Usually we will catch rain water and fill tanks as we can.
On Friday, we (R-Man and I) made bread. It turned out to have about half the volume that I had hoped. It seems that as I mixed the ingredients, the dough was too wet. So, the next time, I will do two things differently: mix the yeast in a small dish with warm (110 deg) water and add only half the water at first to the mixture. As it presents itself as good consistent dough, I will add a small amount of water only as needed to maintain that consistency. I am sure there are plenty of bread makers out there screaming for me to do this and that, but I will figure this out eventually. We have eaten almost all of the two loaves that I made. But this next time, I will use brown sugar instead of molasses and as I mentioned, less water.
Well, I have exhausted my blogness….till tomorrow.
John
OK, a few more minor milestones today. First was to flip the chart. I know, not a big thing, but something else to mark time. The chart is much too large to fit on the navigation table, so it is folded in fourths. We are now in the upper right hand quadrant. After that, it's one more chart to SF. The other milestone is The Flipping of the Eggs. OK, just as I wrote that I had a Gary Larson moment. It had something to do with oven mitts, spatulas and running bulls in Spain. Hmmmmm. Not having much reefer space, plus the sheer volume of 30 dozen eggs, (2.4 eggs/day), we have unwashed, unrefrigerated eggs under the table. To keep them fresh, we flip them once a week.
We are also preparing for the next milestone, crossing the ITCZ, the resulting change of wind direction and whether or not we will be able to lay Hawaii. Gene and Royce are hopeful, me less so. It would be cool to land on Kaui though….
June 30th 2008: Day 10
John
We are now in the doldrums. That means the wind has gone light to zip, and we are surrounded by towering cumulonimbus. I'm really not very fond of these, as they tend to kill onboard electronics with their lightening strikes. Also, they can produce large downdrafts with rain that can easily overpower an unaware sailor. Needless to say, we are alert. So, as expected, we are motorsailing, more motor than sail, due North to get out of this. It may take several days, that's why the diesel tanks were full. This too shall pass.
Royce
Well the Iron Genny is purring away pushing us through the water and lightening our load by about 7 lbs an hour (read engine is running). This will make us go faster once we get out of the doldrums. Really it will. ;) Encanto is getting a shower as I write this little soap and she will be ready for the Saturday night dance.
No electrical stuff in the area yet and this is a good thing don't cha know.
Are we there yet? How much farther? Several good questions I will not repeat the answers here as this is a family type blog and that wouldn't be every unblogging of me.
Wow and to think we have only been out here 10 days.
Aut to be interesting closer to the end.
Sure wish I had pearls of wisdom or insightful things to say but if you know me I don't normally (wow there is a word nor use around me much either) Say such stuff.
So I will quit while I am even.
Gene
Well, today, as we are emerging from the aforementioned showers and squalls, we have been motorsailing and we decided to tighten the leach line (a line that runs up the trailing edge of the sail so you can put a cup shape to the sail) just a little more. Well, wouldn't you know that the line broke!!! Well, John and R-Man jumped to the task of replacing the old one with a new one. They actually had to splice a piece onto the old one and then thread the newly repaired piece back into the leach line seam pocket. They actually had to lower the main all the way and do this while underway. What magicians.
We have gone a total of 1194 miles as of this day at 2:20 PM local time. We are doing very well on the mileage thing. This fast zephyr of a boat is bringing us north far faster than any of us had believed, given that we are sailing against the wind and all. We are mindful of what stress sailing to weather does to a boat and its rigging, so we don't allow sustained pounding or take the boat beyond its limits. After all, the boat you take care of will take care of you!!!! I think that is some old world war one saying or something….but true.
Well, I am blogged out. later