Day 16: I take the plunge
🏊♂ I TAKE THE PLUNGE 🏊♂
One more chilled day before the next swath of South Easterly winds sweeps over my position. Tomorrow it will be gusting 20 knots and 100km plus days on the chart. Miles paddled do not count for everything I am learning.
These calm, slow days are not to be sneered at. The paddling effort is much the same, just different speeds. The bonus is that the calm day is far less strenuous on my lower back. The big side-to-side rolling really grinds my poor old degenerative spine. During the night, my spine takes great pleasure in reminding me that it’s not a happy camper. 💊
Another bonus of the calmer conditions is I can jump into the water and fight off big scary fish 🦈
I pulled out my diving mask and strapped a 360° video camera to my chest. Knife between the teeth I ……
Sorry got carried away.
After switching the camera on, I tentatively slid over the side and started checking out Osiyeza’s bottom.
Not a fish in sight in the crystal clear water. It was a pleasant 22°. I moved to the stern to inspect the rudder, which was in perfect condition.
Then I swam forward to look over the keel and my watermaker inlet pipe at the bottom leading edge. Also perfect.
360° photo of Rich swimming under Osiyeza
Because I modified the keel and rudder, I wanted to paint an antifoul coating to stop marine life from growing and slowing me down. I bought the smallest, cheapest tin I could find, but it was only available in red hence the keel and rudder are red, and the rest of Osiyeza is still light blue. I spotted a few barnacles attempting to attach themselves here and there, but they will be scrapped off when I swim.
The 360° camera’s stitching did not work so well underwater. One side of my body looks different from the other. 😀 Maybe it does in real life; I just can’t see it.
360° photo of Rich swimming under Osiyeza
Anyway, what I am trying to convey from all you have just read is that I went for a swim today. 👍 💦
I have mentioned before about the 3L bladders that I use to store water in. I have 10 of them filled with tap water (chlorinated) and stored in the bottom of the forward hatch (no sunlight.) This is my emergency water supply. Should not grow algae see ()
I keep two more under the dashboard and for daily use. Pretty much use 6L a day.
They are so easy to use. I open the clip. Put the pipe where I want the water to go and push my foot down on the bladder. As if by magic, water flows out of the pipe. No fixed plumbing is required.
Yesterday I almost popped one of the bladders. I forgot to check it, and the watermaker had blown it to an impressive size. A giant bloated tick sticks in my mind, although some comments suggest more like a breast augmentation device.
Maybe for Dolly Parton!
Jeepers, how uncomfortable.
Anyway, I digress…
Giant tick
Empty tick
I now use my wall clock/timer thing set to 34min, so when it beeps, I have a fully satisfied tick and can switch the filling tube to the hungry one.
Sometimes I think I am too clever for my own good. 😉
The audiobook FEAR by Ranulph Fiennes that I started listening to came to an abrupt halt. Only 35min had downloaded at home. 😖
Need to check if the other audiobooks have suffered the same fate.🤞
That “watertight” compartment that houses the solar cables is still nagging me. How to get the water out?
I found a piece of batten that I was going to use for a cockpit cover. The batten would be used to push it up and off my legs. In the end, I decided not to make one, but the piece of batton was still in the cockpit netting. Bonus. I have an idea.
I skewered and tied a sponge to the batten’s end, threaded it through the inspection hatch, and pushed it as far back as I could. A few minutes later, I pulled it out. Just a little bit of water was collected.
I did this about 10 times, and slowly the evidence indicated that there was not a lot of water in there, and I got out maybe 500ml. Feeling less concerned about this issue.
Last night brought low dark clouds and, along with them light rain patches.
It rained on and off all night.
Co-ordinates: -21.816480°, 4.430000°
Breakfast: yoghurt & nuts
Food: Beef lasagne with noodles
And all the regular snacks.
Bird: Procelliaria Petrel again, but the Spectacled one this time
