I woke up feeling that CaB was a little slow today. So I adjusted the sails to see if that was the problem. Still slow. I picked up the GoPro to check the keel and rudders for debris. Sure enough, CaB was dragging a big net on her port rudder. In fact, there was no need for the GoPro, it was readily visible, trailing 6 feet behind us. I’m not sure how I missed that! To clear the rudder, I was going to stop Changabang, and let the net drop off. As I went to disengage the B&G autopilot, I found out that the ram was locked, just like it was for the NKE a couple weeks ago. I first thought it was the NKE drive that was locked, but after disconnecting it from the shaft, I still couldn’t get the tiller to move. So I disconnected the B&G, and was able to gain control over the tiller again. I proceeded to clear the rudder, re-connect the drive, and on our merry way again we are. I wonder if the B&G will go belly up just the same as the NKE. I do have a third autopilot, just in case. There’s one shared component between the two systems, so my guess is that’s the troublemaker: it’s a toggle switch that connects/disconnects the wires to the clutch of each drive. Picture attached. On other news, I collected a flying fish and a small squid this morning. The port hydrogenerator has sported a leak so I’m using the engine to charge until we switch to port tack, and then I’ll try to take it out (I have a spare generator). That’s fuel that won’t be available to motor through the wind hole waiting for us. Sailing and weather wise, I’m still northing, possibly up until Thursday morning, up to 40N. After that it looks as of now that I’ll be bobbing in a wind hole, as shown in the picture, or not. It’s certainly not going to be easy to punch through the last thousand miles. I’m still looking for a marina. Changabang may end up on a mooring ball in Pillar Point Harbor, which would be cheap but impractical! I may also do a one day stop in the Redwood City marina to offload all the food, gear, water, etc. Otherwise we’re still sailing upwind, banging in the waves a couple times every couple minutes or so, i.e. alive and well in the shaker. Wind has dropped so it’s slightly more comfortable, and slower! Spirits are bouncing up, a little. But seeing that every day San Francisco is still 10 days away dampens my excitement a bit.
Keep your spirits bobbing up Philippe. Just think, you could be in your same situation, dragging flotsum, worrying about your APs, dealing with more iffy equipment like a leaky hydrogenerator, AND 5 months from home instead of 10 days. You’ll be back before you know it! 🙂
Skipper, With all that you have been through, I say this is almost a post-doc course in project management. Hats off to you and wishfully see you in couple of weeks on solid ground.