Day 2 and half of 3: the adventures really begin!
We have had a couple of adventures to say the least.
Early this morning, right at the end of the night, we launched the asymmetric spinnaker. We had spent a bit of time setting things up the night before (you do not want to do these things at night). The kite launched beautifully. We gained some speed, reached 10 knots of speed. And then after about 45 minutes, `la tuile’. The spinnaker halyard broke near the head sending the sail into the sea. We retrieved the spinnaker all right and packed it up. The problem is that we lost our spinnaker halyard. By loosing the halyard, I mean that the sectioned halyard was on the boat instead of going from the boat to the head and back. Sailors will understand. Others…
Because our mast is complicated, Bertrand, who understands everything very quickly, informed us that if we wanted to fly a spinnaker ever again during this passage, someone had to get up the mast to bring a messenger line into the sheave followed by the halyard. I could tell that Bertrand was worried about the passage without a kite as this would surely make the crossing quite a bit longer.
We decided to rest and have lunch, we would make a decision after. We ate a very good salad. We usually have fresh food for lunch with lots of vegetables. This time, we had endives, onions, avocado, a bit of brown rice. It was quite good as every lunch and dinner we have had so far.
After lunch we took the down the jib and staysail to change halyards as we had inadvertently swapped their lines before departure. We also took a reef because we had decided to send someone up the mast right away. This was the beginning of a somewhat delicate maneuver. We have a big swell, 17 knots of wind and someone needs to get up the mast to pass a messenger line and eventually a halyard. Olivier volunteered to do it. He is the lightest of us all and the most agile with his fingers. I am at the helm. Seb F. is at the winch to hoist him. Bertrand and Seb R. are down the mast with the messenger line helping the hoisting. Olivier gets in the chair, and we tie him up with two halyards (one extra for safety which Fred will control). The idea is to pass a weighted messenger line through the top sheave and let it fall inside the mast — that’s what the weights are for. Then at the bottom of the mast, Bertrand will try to retrieve the line through a tiny opening.
I go downwind to stabilize the boat. I do my best as there is a large swell. We begin hoisting Olivier. I can see Seb use all his muscles. Olivier swings around the mast as he’s getting up. This is quite a sight in the middle of the ocean. After a while, I stop looking to focus on my task: keep a stable angle. This is not the time to gybe or swift upwind and I don’t think I have ever been more concentrated in my whole life! After perhaps 10 or 15 minutes, Olivier is at the top of the mast. After some effort, he manages to put the messenger line in and after a little while, Bertrand retrieves it at the bottom. Mission accomplished! He brings him down and find him exhausted. What a hero! And a superb team effort.
Check the photos below so see our hero in action!
Other than that, we are still trying to get used to life at sea. People seem to feel better. Although not everyone yet. A lot of us spent quite a bit of time washing ourselves with sea water and sailor’s soap. This is a project in itself but the outcome is worth it. We feel refreshed, almost renewed.
We are now getting ready for a new night at sea. I am sure there will be new adventures but I hope they won’t come too soon.
