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20
March 2001 Doldrums, the Pacific Ocean
Okay, maybe it's time for me to admit to myself that I'm in(side) Doldrums and I
might follow it southwest(erly)(/westward)? For days I haven't had winds
exceeding 2 knots and my batteries are close to being run down, my wind
generator only starts at about(/around) 3˝ knots and it hasn't been rotating
yet. I have put the small solar cell I was given by Oliver into use, but I don't
think that it helps a whole lot. At least I can't see it on the voltmeter.
For how long time I'm (going to be) stuck here, I don't know. I won't say that
I'm tired of it. It's a "life of idleness", but today I have actually lost 12
miles. I have been drifting backwards since yesterday noon and that is F......
irritating to see(/watch).
I have about 15 litres of gas left and the water is totally level(/plane) so I
could just start the engine (if I wanted to, edit). But how much helpl would
that turn out to be? Still, I want to save it for later if I'm still (just)
drifting when I eventually get a little closer to the Galapagos Islands. Then it
could be dangerous if I haven't got any more gas to either get to shore or steer
clear of a coast. And so far I haven't lost my courage.
Actually I'm still enjoying it. It's a very different experience than sailing in
the Atlantic. That the Pacific has got the name it has is very(/incredibly)
appropriate(/suitable) (In Danish literally the Calm Ocean, edit). I
believe(/think) that all (of) this drifting is(/has to be) good for the runes
(???). I have never had so many, as I have seen today.
21 March 2001
It is 12.35 a.m. and I have just started the GPS to see how it has gone. I have
covered(/travelled) 570 miles and there's 509 miles back to Panama. Still no
wind, but I have just set sail and can manage to hold 1.2 miles/hour and my
windpilot is (doing the) steering excellent(ly), I'm close-hauled(?) and my
course 180 degrees. I have to keep a course of 242 degrees on(/for) the
Galapagos Islands, but I still believe that I'm going to find more wind if I can
only get in a southerly direction, as long as I don't end (up) in Ecuador first.
Now it's time for me to get to bed. The good(/nice) thing about sailing this
silently(/calmly) is that you're sleeping like a rock, getting gently rocked to
sleep.
22 March 2001
I woke up around 2 a.m. because I could hear my wind generator was going(/on). I
had to take down the sails shortly after lying down, since (now) there wasn't
any wind any longer. But now there's a good wind blowing, presumably around 3˝
and 5 knots (when) in gusts(/basts) of wind and I quickly set sail and course
straight for the Galapagos Islands and went to bed again.
When I woke up at around 8.30 a.m., I was still travelling at 4 knots heading
for the Galapagos Islands. If I'm lucky, I'm now out of Doldrums and (it looks
as if) I can be at the Galapagos Islands in three or four days('). There's still
another 276 miles t go. I have travelled 680 miles since leaving Panama. I'm
looking forward to seeing Nat there. They have probably went(/travelled) by
engine most of the(ir) way (here, edit).
I haven't caught a whole lot of fish since Panama, actually only three - and
then my squid. (And it's not that I haven't tried, edit). I have been
experimenting like mad with everything I have got, but they just don't
bite(/take the bait)?
I must say that I'm cheap to run when I'm sailing. I just eat(/stick to eating)
rice and (oat)meal(/groats) and then fish when I'm lucky. And the "worst" thing
is that I still love rice. I never miss eating meat. When I gorge myself I open
up a can of vegetables and toss it in with the rice. |