Wed 12th July
Brief log today - I'm way behind my sleep-time!
The good news from today's wiring efforts, having had to disconnect ALL the other instruments from the autopilot 'brains' yesterday, was - success! I was able to power up the instrument circuit separately fairly easily.. although it took a time, especially trying to make sure the circuit was grounded properly. So I have log, speed, depth and wind info (but not direction, since fluxgate compass is wired into autopilot). So far tonight, radar is OK - but time will tell..
Discovered a couple of lovely pink grapefruit that had got hidden away - what a bonus!
Cleared the usual tiny- to good-sized flying fish from deck in daylight. Fairly overcast much of the day - but warm (26C). Seas still a good size - boat slewed about fairly regularly.
Got the spinnaker up after my wiring efforts - should have done so earlier, but too busy. Wind has frequently veered more into the East, making course-keeping much more difficult. Also, got very light over the afternoon, but increased, as often it seems to, after nightfall.
Bill, my rival on 'Ergo', found his forestay chainplate was broken today - he's been practising his macrame tying it down every which way in the hope it will last until Sat when he should cross the line - after me, I hasten to add...!! But he'll beat me on adjusted time - no way I can get ahead of him by more than 12hrs now.
At 9pm PDT: position 22 56N, 153 00W; DTF 364n.ml. Distance run over 24hrs (to 0845): 161n.ml
Jeanne
"Nereida"