Day 5 March 30, 2018, 1000 local, 1700 Zulu
Here we are awaiting the anticipated Pacific North East trade winds and they are a no show. The milk run has evaporated from the weather system and doesn’t anticipate another show until next week sometime. We have set a course to run a little more southwesterly as light air to our immediate north and south would not do us much good for our journey. We are running a little West by Southwest as that is our best point of sail with the light winds. We were flying a full main set to a starboard tack (the left side) and the Jib is poled out on a port tack (the right side). Some would call it wing on wing so to speak. We just call it, “Works for now to move Dazzler westward.”
Statistical Data
Location 17°15N/113°35W Course 229°T Speed 5.9 knots (motoring making water) Wind 6 knots Sea state 2-3’ swells Clouds 40% BAR 1016.5 Distance traveled 90 NM Distance from Punta Mita 555 Distance to Hiva Oa 2205 Crews mode Not awake yet! But, fantastic otherwise.
Last night we made our shortest distance covered in a 24 hour period. The winds were so light, “How light were they?” They were so light that a heard of turtles passed us. Ha ha ha. Really they did! They were so light the main was flogging back and forth with the small swell and the jolt of the main would send a shutter throughout Dazzler preventing restful sleep. So, we decided to drop the main and just run with the poled out Jib. Sometimes making one knot sometimes making 3.5 knots. Oh, you might be asking what a knot is. Well it’s something you used to tie your shoe laces with. Anymore it seams like Velcro is used to forego teaching kids how to tie their shoe laces. I guess it’s easier to shuffle the kids off to school where they can learn more important things like rap, the metric system so you can weigh out your stash, dodge bullets and things like that. I’m glad we are out here, because I don’t know what the hell is going on back in the states.
Seriously a knot is a measurement of speed and is used by mariners. One knot is equal to 1.1508 statute miles per hour. There that is your science, math and physics lesson for the day. You are now overachievers. Take an extra long coffee break.
Surprisingly enough we made decent mileage yesterday and into last night given the very light winds. This morning will be interesting as we have decided to break out the washing machine, Ha ha, wringer, and clothes line to wash our first load of laundry underway. You are probably wondering where we store a washing machine onboard Dazzler. Well, the tub is a heavy duty Home Depot bucket, the agitator is a special tool that looks like an oversized plunger. It’s head is made from high impact plastic and it has baffles inside to help push water through the fabric. The motor drive is good old fashioned elbow grease. For you youngsters that don’t know what elbow grease is I’d tell you to look it up in your Funken Wagenal (spelling), but you probably don’t know what that is either. It’s okay, you can use Google or I’ll tell you it is physical labor. You got no special sensors to tell you when the load is off balance or you didn’t add any fabric softener. No on or off switch. Just good old fashioned work. By the way there is plenty of that onboard as well. Jilly was just saying yesterday that she should have read the cruise ship brochure more carefully as she thought there was a continental buffet every morning on the poop deck. Sorry, wrong ship dear.
With the light winds gently pulling us to the west we are settling into the fact that our journey may take a few more days than originally thought. It will mostly depend on when the trade winds show up again. Until then it’s one nautical mile at a time. Yes it is slow, but where do we have to be. No freeway traffic to sit in, no crap to listen to from the news networks and no lines. Freedom and lots of water and sky!
That’s it for today’s dose of what’s happening on Dazzler. Until next time, keep the sun on the decks and the water on the outside.
Captain Dan, Star Date something something signing off.
PS All content of this post is meant to be factual with humorous under and overtones and not to be taken seriously at all. So laugh out loud and smile. It is not the intent of the crew or management of Dazzler to be responsible for any time outs or those not being able to find their safe space when returning to reality. When I was growing up we had a place and it was usually the bedroom that you were sent to to wait for your dad to get home from work or think about what you had done. Take a deep breath, it’s going to be okay. Now go get that cocktail. Cheers!ers –
Dazzler's Watch 