Day 22 – Saturday
Witches moon! The quarter slice orange moon hung low in the night sky directly behind the boat. Its rich orange glow warming the night sky. At any moment from behind the moon I expected the dark shadow of a witch on a broom to rise into the night sky adding to the magic of the night. What a beautiful and at the same time eerie sight that greeted me on my 2am shift.
Our spinnaker was still flying in the morning and although not large enough to make a huge difference in our speed it certainly helped with the bang of the main, as it could be lowered for the night. The wind continued to disappoint during the day until at about 11am, when it picked up a bit whereupon our spinnaker ripped for the 5th time. The spinnaker team took to their job immediately now and looked at what could be done with the remainder. They finally made the repair work and our new bag was flying in the afternoon. It is now the size of a handkerchief ripped on 3 sides now and knotted at the tack and clew where the sheets are attached. It is probably a quarter of the size of the original or less.
After the repair work was done, it was time for a swim again. Before flying the spinnaker we pulled in the genoa and jumped in the water. The swells were larger than the previous time. Mark, Jean and Warwick jumped off the bow and floated to the back of the boat. Kevin and I were in the water already. The boat continues to move at 1.5 to 2 kts. so we had to be careful not to be left behind. In the interest of safety we had 2 lines attached behind Hot Ice to cling onto should you need. It was very refreshing and a fun part of the day.
The weather has slowly become hotter and hotter and yesterday over midday it was particularly so. I cant imagine what it would be like if there was no wind at all!
In the late afternoon, Mike was walking through from his cabin into the galley and, as you have to at all times have one hand on the boat, he gripped the hinge side of the door and a sudden lurch slammed it on his right hand ring finger breaking the nail and cutting the finger. We bandaged it as best we could and gave him pain killers. Apart from being very painful for a few days and being in an awkward position, he should be fine.
We heard from the race committee that the finish deadline has been extended to 9pm UTC on the 1st a full day extension. Unfortunately for us I don’t think this will help. We need strong winds and a full spinnaker to get there realistically. We have apart from repairing a spinnaker, thought about rocking the boat from side to side by doing aerobics, taking off the propeller and kicking behind the boat. We realize that some of these are against the rules but, “come on”, desperate time need desperate steps. Jean made grilled chicken and sweet potatoes with gem squash for dinner. T-Rex was played and it was Mike who actually put it on, the painkillers definitely going to his head.
After dinner everyone enjoyed the beautiful evening and the cool night air. Mark took his deck chair to the fore deck and could be seen hand on chin reflect on I know not what. Jean and I sat at the back quietly reflecting on life. We saw 2 satellites fly over one so bright it lit up the night sky as it moved at an incredible pace across the sky.
From the magic of Hot Ice .. till tomorrow.
Position [18 59 S 24 12 W]
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