Night in Atlantic Ocean
First Day in Ocean 18/8/2014
Night in Atlantic Ocean
First Day in Ocean 18/8/2014
First failed attempt
August 10th, with 2650 liters in our tanks we opened to the ocean. With heavy fog and a big swell, we were cruising at 28 knots at 4500 rpm, burning 110 liters an hour.
After two hours the waves became rougher, forcing us to turn our bow much further south of our course. We knew the winds would reach 25 knots for the next 300 miles, but we were determined to fight hard. After all, this was also the only window of relatively good weather, since from the next day the winds would exceed 30 knots and would be strengthening for the whole week.
We had covered more than 70 miles, the waves were over three meters, and our anxiety was running high.
And suddenly the unexpected happened. The engine revolutions exceeded 6000, showing us that the propellers were slipping. Refusing to believe it, since the particular Suzuki 18.5 pitch propellers we were wearing at the time were brand new, I tried several times to plan the boat but to no avail.
For a long time we all remained sullen and silent. We knew very well that if we were to go back, there was a good chance that we would not be able to make the trip after all as the weather was getting worse from the next day and we could not afford to wait another ten days in the hope that it would improve.
A thousand thoughts went through our minds, until at some point the majority of the crew urged me to continue on our way. After all, we had several propellers with us.
I went back to the stern and my gaze was lost in the raging ocean.
We had more than 700 nautical miles to cover. My desire to continue overcame every bad thought I had, but I tried to think as coldly and strictly as possible.
I had put up with our bad luck because if the skating had happened when we had covered even 200 miles, then things would have been very different. However, with these loads, the Bravo and Revolution propellers we had in our tanks were bound to show massive amounts of slip, which would render them literally useless. But even the 21.5 Suzuki propellers would not be able to perform as they would throw us too much engine revs while they would also be in danger of skidding due to the constant ups and downs of the throttle and their great strain every time they would go up in the big waves. So we were left with only the second pair of Suzuki 18.5 pitch propellers we had as a spare, which could cope with the conditions.
So the question that tormented me was what would happen if these propellers also skated in the next three hours of sailing? No matter how hard I tried to find a satisfactory answer, I couldn't. In that case we would be in a very unpleasant position, quite far from the coast and very far from our final destination. What if we still had three pairs, but unsuitable propellers?
Clearly upset, I turned our bow 180 degrees and set course for where we had just started. No one was talking and no one was in the mood for conversation...
...keep Ribbing!
