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logbooks of the week
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2003-11-27
Hi there,
The weather is starting to change, and I’ll soon be coming around, as the wind will be ...
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2003-11-26
Hi there,
The days go by and nothing much changes in these fairly variable SE trade winds. I eve...
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2003-11-25
Hi there,
While doing my tour of the deck this morning, I found a huge flying fish 32 cm long. I...
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2003-11-24
Hi there,
Everyday, I have a lucky dip into a watertight crate to take out one of the many cuddly...
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2003-11-23
Hi there,
Since crossing the Equator at 11 minutes past 5 CET on Friday night, everything has bee...
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2003-11-21
Hi there,
Although I’m getting very close to the Equator now, and should cross it tonight, for th...
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Logbook of 2003-11-27 |
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Hi there,
The weather is starting to change, and I’ll soon be coming around, as the wind will be coming from the north, and following Pierre Lasnier’s advice, I’ll continue to hug the Brazilian coast in order to get as far west as possible.
Last night, I passed close to an enormous oil platform. We can see that between the town of Vitoria on the Brazilian coast and the island of Trinidad out at sea, the ocean bottom is like a mountain, as the depth varies from 4,300 m to 50m or even above 158 m, where it goes above the surface (which is the summit of the island of Trinidad). In all these folds, it isn’t surprising to find oil, and there are a lot of boats going up and down the Brazilian coast looking for it.
Yesterday for a while, I suffered from a lack of wind and took advantage of that to lower the mainsail and check everything. No abnormalities to announce...so everything is fine!
See you tomorrow,
JL VDH
A day with Marius, the little dog from the IME sailors in Champhol.
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Logbook of 2003-11-26 |
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Hi there,
The days go by and nothing much changes in these fairly variable SE trade winds. I even got myself into a becalmed area yesterday just after a large cloud went by. But I am continuing to go down, and as dusk falls, I can listen to some local radio stations. Unfortunately, I cannot understand them... I’m looking forward to reaching Uruguay, as I find Spanish a little less difficult!
Today, I shall be eating my last piece of bread from Les Sables d'Olonne. After three weeks, it is a little tough, but still very good, and I regret not bringing more than six of them. I still have some fresh produce left: potatoes, onions, carrots, apples, grapefruit and especially, plenty of oranges.
I’ve finished reading «Moon Valley», the Jack London novel and am just going to make a start on «Eleven minutes», a book by the Brazilian, Paulo Coelho. The cover notes say that it begins in Rio De Janeiro... It’s just the right moment!
See you tomorrow,
JL VDH
A day with Michèle and Olivier’s two cuddly toys, which are hugging each other.
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Logbook of 2003-11-25 |
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Hi there,
While doing my tour of the deck this morning, I found a huge flying fish 32 cm long. It looked like a big mackerel, and it will be going in the pot, even if it has to be cut up to fit in it!
It will be accompanied with some real potatoes and I’ll have a glass of white Jongieux with it. I couldn’t stop myself from sending you a photo of the creature, which is bigger than my plate!
Relating to that, I’d just like to say that from time to time I shall be sending those, who are on my mailing list a photo or even a video and that a radio report is recorded every Tuesday and Friday. So don’ t just read my news. Take a look at the website from time to time!
At the moment, the wind is behaving very strangely. It is changing in force from 8 knots to 20 knots, and also a little in direction, so Adrien’s speed is very irregular. Moreover, these variations force me to make a lot of adjustments. But you get used to it and we are making some headway!
See you tomorrow.
JL VDH
A day with Celine’s cuddly toy with horns from Auray.
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Logbook of 2003-11-24 |
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Hi there,
Everyday, I have a lucky dip into a watertight crate to take out one of the many cuddly toys, which are accompanying me. Today, it was quite astonishing! It was a real model of a cuddly little cat sleeping in his basket. It was so realistic that I almost kept quiet so as not to wake him up! Besides that, he has a lot of other advantages: he doesn’t eat, he doesn’t smell, and he doesn’t claw everything in sight...
Adrien isn’t giving me too much work at the moment, apart from a few adjustments to the mainsail and the genoese (the wind has gone down and the genoese has replaced the solent).
I’ve just started to read a long novel by Jack London that I love: "Moon Valley".
There wasn’t a sign of life around me last night and I slept for 4 hours in a row for the first time. Usually, I wake up at least every two hours.
In short, life is great at the moment!
Until tomorrow,
JL VDH
A day with Sebastien’s pussycat.
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Logbook of 2003-11-23 |
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Hi there,
Since crossing the Equator at 11 minutes past 5 CET on Friday night, everything has been going well!
I have picked up the fine SE trade winds. With my ballast tanks filled with 3 tonnes of water, I should manage at least 250 miles per day without any problem, especially when the wind gradually comes around to the East. For the time being, I am sailing upwind but not too close-hauled, with the solent and the mainsail raised.
I have carried out some minor repairs. I managed to find the tiny fuel leak in the portside Volvo engine. It was just a screw, (which had worked loose because of the vibrations, I suppose) that needed tightening up a bit. Then, I patched up the mainsail, where it had been rubbing on the reefing point.
I’m keeping an eye on anything that rubs and frays all the time. Last night wasn’t the quietest of nights, as I was sailing along with a cargo ship on either side of me, and they were both on the same course as me and were hardly making any faster headway. I had them within sight for a large part of the night. Now they have moved off and I’m going to have a little nap!
Until tomorrow,
JL VDH
Weekend in honour of Pauline, Chloé and Raphaëlle’s teddy bear.
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Logbook of 2003-11-21 |
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Hi there,
Although I’m getting very close to the Equator now, and should cross it tonight, for the moment I’m still in the Doldrums, which seem to have been going on forever, since I had my first squall at 9°N. But I’m not going to start complaining, although I have had lots of work to do and adjustments to make.
But I’ve hardly ever lost the wind, and my average speed is holding up well in this area, which can be difficult to go through. I hope I’m currently going through what will be one of my final squalls and that the wind will come around after that to the SE.
Since yesterday, there have already been southeasterly waves, so the wind can’t be far off...
In any case, I’ll be happy to be in the Southern Hemisphere with a day and a half lead over Philippe Monnet and one day ahead of my attempt from last year.
See you tomorrow,
JL VDH
Day in honour of "BIG EARS" Alice’s cuddly toy.
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