Daily Report #33
Friday, 7 July 2023
Dear All.
Today is a sweet day. This is the day when the sun is shining, the storm has subsided and we can catch our breath again. Also the day when we decided to take a good look at the tiller. We did that with great satisfaction. Of the five bolts we put in, 1 was broken off and 1 was a little bent. We have reassembled the tiller with a few minor changes and new bolts so that the load is better distributed between the bolts which should result in zero broken bolts. All in all, the tiller performed well in the stormy conditions.
We have been recognized as an excellent service station for tillers in the Indian Ocean for our good work in this area. Sometime in October we will be invited to receive this title. The drink will probably flow freely and many sea sailors will have to be taken away to recover from their great enthusiasm elsewhere. I'll be one of them I'm afraid.
Since we started the journey we have achieved an average speed of 5.4 knots. If we continue to calculate this, we will arrive at Reunion on the 17th. That seems plausible. Yesterday I already told about the deception we experienced with the Navionics card we exchanged. 'Plotter says no' well, today the plotter said YES! And so we now have all the maps needed to sail South Africa and enter Reunion. One less worry. And the result of preparation. We are now bumping further towards La France and yet again experience enormous restless seas and a heavy shower here and there. In short; on-off, spend sail - take in sail, etc. A calm sea with a knot or half wind? I can.
Grt T and M
