kindredspirit
Well-known member
Moose? Are you are on \"Cheyenne\"?
Extract from Cheyenne report featuring MOOSE !
"A great days sailing out here as the wind continues to veer around towards the east and the seas start to flatten off. We are freed up now to start heading more northwards and picking up speed. We have full main and solent up now, in preference to the one reef and staysail that has propelled us cautiously through the windiest section of the NE Trades.
We are past the Cape Verde Islands now well to our SE, and we are heading far outside the Canaries. The next island group we will pass close by will be the Azores, in 2 or 3 days time.
Over the last few watches Moose has been constructing a pin to fit inside the original hollow pin that is barely holding the front beam to the starboard bow. He has made it out of pieces of batten covered in a carbon tube, which was moulded from the outside of food containers. This morning he successfully fitted it, with help from Fraser and Justin. We now have a fraction more strength in the current set up and a good safety backup in case the original pin does break. Moose's pin should keep the beam on the hull long enough to get the sails down if necessary. Hopefully we will not need it, as the upwind section of the trip should be over now, and this puts the most stress on the pin. Already the wind has shifted to the beam and by tomorrow night we should be sailing downwind. If we are fast and lucky this downwind sailing should continue to the finish. If not, there will be a little more upwind for the last section. Currently the weather forecasts are looking really good; you could not dream of a better set up. If they come true we just need to keep the boat going without any breakages, and we will have a good finish.
Last night was another good night, with the bonus of seeing the pole star, polaris, for the first time. It was almost on the bow, and a great reference to steer by. High above us, the moon was illuminating the boat brilliantly for most of the night, and will guide us in all the way to the finish now, getting bigger night by night. This moonlight did not help the flying fish who must have bad night vision. It was looking like a fish market and at dawn I threw out at least 20 from the leeward cockpit, and apparently the watches before also spent time clearing out the scuppers.
I saved a couple of the biggest ones for Nick to photograph, and on receiving them he proceeded to get out his knife and cut them up. I thought it might be out of scientific curiosity, but when the pressure cooker and tabasco sauce came out, it became clear he had suspicious culinary motives. In fact, I had some of the results, and they were delicious. It made a great change from the freeze dried food of the last 53 days.
<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.begleys.com/kevin/weather.htm>Weather & other useful links for Irish waters.</A>
Extract from Cheyenne report featuring MOOSE !
"A great days sailing out here as the wind continues to veer around towards the east and the seas start to flatten off. We are freed up now to start heading more northwards and picking up speed. We have full main and solent up now, in preference to the one reef and staysail that has propelled us cautiously through the windiest section of the NE Trades.
We are past the Cape Verde Islands now well to our SE, and we are heading far outside the Canaries. The next island group we will pass close by will be the Azores, in 2 or 3 days time.
Over the last few watches Moose has been constructing a pin to fit inside the original hollow pin that is barely holding the front beam to the starboard bow. He has made it out of pieces of batten covered in a carbon tube, which was moulded from the outside of food containers. This morning he successfully fitted it, with help from Fraser and Justin. We now have a fraction more strength in the current set up and a good safety backup in case the original pin does break. Moose's pin should keep the beam on the hull long enough to get the sails down if necessary. Hopefully we will not need it, as the upwind section of the trip should be over now, and this puts the most stress on the pin. Already the wind has shifted to the beam and by tomorrow night we should be sailing downwind. If we are fast and lucky this downwind sailing should continue to the finish. If not, there will be a little more upwind for the last section. Currently the weather forecasts are looking really good; you could not dream of a better set up. If they come true we just need to keep the boat going without any breakages, and we will have a good finish.
Last night was another good night, with the bonus of seeing the pole star, polaris, for the first time. It was almost on the bow, and a great reference to steer by. High above us, the moon was illuminating the boat brilliantly for most of the night, and will guide us in all the way to the finish now, getting bigger night by night. This moonlight did not help the flying fish who must have bad night vision. It was looking like a fish market and at dawn I threw out at least 20 from the leeward cockpit, and apparently the watches before also spent time clearing out the scuppers.
I saved a couple of the biggest ones for Nick to photograph, and on receiving them he proceeded to get out his knife and cut them up. I thought it might be out of scientific curiosity, but when the pressure cooker and tabasco sauce came out, it became clear he had suspicious culinary motives. In fact, I had some of the results, and they were delicious. It made a great change from the freeze dried food of the last 53 days.
<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.begleys.com/kevin/weather.htm>Weather & other useful links for Irish waters.</A>
