Day 12: Prepped for what lies ahead
Day 12
What a pleasing sun rise. Great start to the day. Black bucket duty successful completed. Full sun on the forward solar panels. Charging the best, they can.
The only electronics I am using at the moment is the AIS, at night the compass light and a USB charger for my phone. The big user is the Thales Satellite system which is used for a short period three time a day.
It’s been a very frustrating day. Mentally and physically. It started off with a light head wind changing to zero wind and hot. I just can’t seem to get any speed up. Mentally it’s been tough. Trying to get East as fast as possible. Before the winds start to dominate our plan to get to Walvis Bay.
Ever since things turned from “We are flying towards Brazil” to oh crap, “Self-rescue Walvis Bay” there has been an odd vibe on-board. It’s taken me a while to figure it out and this is how I see it.
The BLAME GAME.
Osiyeza is sulking and refusing to speed up. I think she blames me for the solar problem since I was the one who installed it. I, on the other hand, I feel that she could have done a better job of keeping the salt water out of the “sealed compartment ” or indicated earlier that there was a problem.
This is a not a healthy game for us to be playing especially when neither of us know if we are going to make it to Walvis Bay to find the answer. ❌
We need to focus on what’s ahead and not on something that has passed and especially something we have no control to change. ✅
GOT IT!
Over the next six days we are going to be tested to the max. If we can keep moving downwind with just enough right rudder we are in for a chance. It will be very wet and Osiyeza will be rocking and rolling like never before. If the sea gets too big and the wind too strong running across the swell becomes unadvisable. We run the risk of a capsize and neither of us want that.
I spent some time today adding another section of drogues to my sea anchor to give a little more holding power should the condition become too extreme. I also added a quick release clip to the right side of my harness. This should stop me getting tossed out of my seat every time Osiyeza heals over more than 45°.
It was super calm earlier when I came across some floating Kelp that must have been ripped off the rocks by big swell a while back. Crystal clear water. 💧 The Kelp has not been at sea long enough to get its own ecosystem going but I did see a few big splashes which may suggest Dorado are hanging about. 🐟
When the SW tail wind started to tease me a whale pass by in the distance. I kept on hearing this noise and thought it was the paddle leash brushing against pants. It took a while to figure out it was a whale blowing out. 🐳
I started sprouting my beans the other day. I sprout them for 4 days before eating them. With fresh water being limited I drink the bean infused water after their daily rinse. Wonder if it could be the next big hit in the heath shops “Mung bean infused spring water?”
The most useful items to date?
No 1 would be my Forever Fresh silicone bag with sealer. Almost every meal is eaten out of this and a simple dip in the ocean to clean. Shake it dry and it’s ready and salted for the next meal. 🤩
No 2 is a silicone coated spoon. When eating out of any dish a skilled silicone spooner may never need to wash a dish. It gets ever last bit of tucker off the dish and into the mouth. 🥄
Not a single bird today.🕊 Wonder what sort of omen that is? 🥺
Very proud of my nautical htfu t-shirt so I thought I would share it with you. Please not the model used in this shoot is one of a kind. 🥰
Everything is prepped and ready for what lies ahead.
Position:
S 26.786700°
E 12.656920°
No of smiles changed: 16 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰. Please continue to help support Operation Smile, changing lives one smile at a time.
Donate here
