Hopes for arrival today, the 17th, are now dwindling. We’ve had the Code Zero up all night with winds around 10 knots. We can average 4.5kts in this but it’s not enough to arrive in daylight. Right now, it’s not enough to arrive before midnight. I fixed the speed log yesterday which I should have done when at anchor. Knowing our speed through the water suggests we have a small counter current which surprises me but that may explain part of our slowness.
I also learned some more about the water maker issues. Three days into the voyage the seas are a little calmer and I more or less have my sea legs. That means I can spend a bit more time upside down in the bilge. I found a piece broken off the water maker and traced it to the cap on the high pressure cylinder. Perhaps this was broken during our bumpy exit from Maupiti or maybe it was just a coincidence. I will assume the former and see if there is a way to mount the unit with a little more clearance from the hull to reduce the possibility of impact. It will be a good exercise anyway.
Apart from the niggling issues all is well aboard. We’ve all got through the first 48 hours of passage which feel the worse. It would be nice if we could arrive by sunset. If we had the winds forecast in our GRIBs we still could but we don’t and we probably won’t. Next blog from land, hopefully.
We’ve left French Polynesia behind us after over three months in the area starting with landfall in Fatu Hiva, Marquesas seemingly a lifetime ago. Ahead of us are English speaking islands which we look forward to after nearly a year in Spanish and French speaking countries. We learned a few words of each but never enough to get by. We also hear that in Niue (near the end of the month) we can get English Breakfasts and curry. Much to look forward to.
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