Blog Entry 27 - Thirtieth Oct 2008

CURRENT POSITION:                        18 20 S – 171 06 E

SPEED:                                                7.0 KTS

BEARING:                                                281T

Hi Folks,

We are heading towards Port Villa in Vanuatu with a following sea off our port quarter which causes us to rock and roll a little but it is in the right direction.  We have isolated the leaking hydraulic steering pump and we are running under autopilot, which does a better job than you can hand steer anyway.  All is well we will make contact again on arrival in Port Villa.

Love to all,

Jack.

 

FROM SCOTT’S DIARY:

Things got pretty real last night; this occurred to me as I hung by the grip of my hands from the table in the wheelhouse and noticed the ocean that was about one foot from coming into contact with our side windows.  Roger came running up the stairs with his shins all knocked about saying that he had been thrown form his bunk into the bathroom with the bulkhead collecting his legs on the way through.  We both looked at each other in shock and listened to a faint yet stern voice coming from the saloon “We are running an unnecessary risk here boys, turn her away from it” Jack said. We agreed and now that Brian had collected his expensive gyro binoculars from the bottom of the stair well he helped us change course to starboard.  Shortly after this we all recognised the need for sleep after the rodeo style positions had not allowed us to get any the night preceding.   Brian went down to his bunk to find a thick red waterfall sheeting down across the doorway to the master cabin.  Oil leak! He cried and as I went for a bucket and the thick and thirsty paper towel he started opening hatches and shutting off hydraulic valves to the main helm.  We had never used the main helm the entire trip because steering from the fly bridge gives a much better perspective when docking but whilst changing course in a hurry we went straight for the wheel in the pilot house causing a build up of pressure and a burst seal.  All is well now but I thought you would all like to hear this little passage from my personal log.  Fun times at sea.

Missing everybody,

Scotty.