Day 2
At around midnight, the moon moved to be in front of boat and really lit up the sky, seriously improving visibility. At around 0100, we turned a corner and started pitching some more, but it was still a nice ride overall. The wind did come back in the early morning hours, but it was very light at 4 5 knots real on the nose.
The excellent conditions lasted all day. This passage has been almost perfect so far. The pitching is quite light. The temperatures are pleasant. We forgot to mention that in Huatulco, the temperature was idyllic every day, which was wonderful. Thanks to the light head wind, ventilation is good downstairs, so downstairs it is not hot and there is no smell. So, the combination of light seas and good air quality means we are all sleeping well.
As for interesting events”¦ in the morning, Eric saw a turtle and some dolphins. We were making excellent time too good, so he slowed us down from 1750 to 1650 to ensure we’d come in during daylight hours. In bad news, we broke the automatic blackwater pump. Eric accidentally ran it with the valve closed. Sigh. Until it is fixed, we have to pump the tank by hand. Not disastrous, but definitely not fun.
Day 3
Conditions were the same as yesterday actually, maybe even a little better. The sun was out, the sky was mostly clear, the temperature perfect. We even saw several more turtles.
That is, it was good until about 1700. Then the wind changed. Darn it! It picked up to 13 15 knots real on the nose, and of course, the seas followed suit. The waves were coming at rapid intervals, and we were pitching like crazy. The front windows were being consistently smacked with sea spray. It really wasn’t that bad, but it certainly was no longer the peaceful and smooth ride that it was. The good news is that we only have to be in this for less than 24 hours.
The sunset was blindingly bright, making it hard to be in the pilot house. After dark, the visibility was OK, and we knew that just like the previous two nights, visibility would get better after midnight. And, as the night wore on, it got progressively rougher. It was too rough for Bruce to sleep downstairs, so he moved over to the couch.
And a random observation”¦ when at sea, the hot water used to be dangerously hot. We had to be very careful in the shower to never turn the knob more than halfway, because the water temperature above halfway was literally scaldingly hot. But now that we are in such cold water, the water is no longer dangerous. You have to crank it all the way to the hottest setting to possibly burn yourself.
And blog questions:
Q: What kind of bottom paint did you use and would you recommend it?
A: Our bottom paint brand is ABC3 and it is excellent. We would highly recommend it. Nothing grew on the bottom at all for the first year. Unfortunately, we overcleaned our bottom and cut the paint’s life span short. For more details see:
https://kosmos.liveflux.net/blog/2008/04/28/chores-food-and-elephants/ and
Q: Is it true that you haven’t had a fight this whole time?
A: We like each other, enjoy each other’s company, and get along well. We don’t argue often, but we do occasionally argue. Generally speaking, the fights are usually when one of us takes our own stress out on the other person. The person who is out of line will usually apologize quickly. There were a couple issues that came up along the journey that we had a few arguments about, but we figured out solutions that made us both happy.
Q: Did you have any problems getting insurance?
A: Yes, getting insurance was not easy. Only one company would insure us at all. We were required to have a licensed captain test us to make sure we were competent seamen before we could take the helm ourselves. Fortunately, we passed with flying colors. And the insurance premium was ungodly expensive.
Q: Isn’t gold considered a soft metal? I’m not so sure that gold armor would be so great to have on in the field of battle for the indigenous Panamanians.
A: We thought the same thing when we were at the museum in Panama City. No wonder the Spaniards could kill them so easily!
Q: What do you do with your trash on long passages?
A: First of all, we are conscientious about how much trash we make and go out of our way not to make needless trash, particularly paper trash. For example, we use Tupperware in the fridge instead of a bowl with plastic wrap on top. On both long and short passages, as long as we are at least three miles from land, we throw food overboard. So, we generally never have stinky trash. On both long and short passages, as long as we are far from land, we’ll throw paper and cardboard overboard, too, since they biodegrade quickly. On very long passages where we are days and days from land and in deep seas, we will also throw glass and metal overboard. Both biodegrade slowly over time, and it is probably better for the environment to biodegrade in the ocean than to be burned on small islands with no room for landfills. Plastics never, ever, ever get thrown overboard. What really helps keep the trash situation under the control is having a trash compactor. We find that it can hold a tremendous amount of trash. It just keeps packing it down and it seems like you can always cram a little more into it.