DAY 11 EXCELLENT PROGRESS

DAY 11 EXCELLENT PROGRESS only 1350 nautical miles to go

 

We understand that SPOT has been naughty- failing to update.  In future we will attach our position so you can Google Earth us.

 

POSITION     06D32.727s 115D 56.545w

 

We have made excellent progress over the past 24 hours.  The wind picked up during the night and we regularly saw 8 knots.  Yesterday the sea was nice but today it has a very large and confused swell causing Faraway to veer left and right. 

 

So far all equipment is working well.  The generator has not played up again so  hopefully it will hold out until we get to Marquesas-Ian will then do a service including change all oil/coolant and filters.  It is too rolly to work on it at present.

 

We started the engine yesterday for the 1st time since leaving Galapagos-only 1 hour on the engine in 1650 nautical miles.  We ran it for 1 hour just to give it a work out.  We have  Balmar 100 amp/hour alternator attached.  It charged the batteries to the same level that it takes the generator/charger 5 hours.   The generator/charger is a 60 amp/hour system.  Explain that-I think we need a new more powerful charger.  Hopefully we will not use the engine again until we need to motor into Hiva Oa.

 

We sat on the back deck for half an hour this morning.  It was a beautiful sunny morning.  We watched the huge swell build behind us-towering over us menacingly waiting to crash down and wet us.  Just as you thought this was it, Faraway would rise and the threat dissapeared under the stern leaving us peering down into a deep trough of water.  Unfortunately the storm clouds are looming so we have retreated to the cockpit.

 

Everything else is going well-sleep deprivation is the only thing that we really notice now.  The food supplies are doing well and we are particularly pleased that the fresh fruit and veg is lasting.  We will break into the last watermelon in 2 days.

 

 

2 fish