Man do I miss you guys. This South Island is big. We are about 50 km offshore and can see Mount Cooke - all covered in snow - just amaising - what a sight.
We have had quite a busy few days what with a torn main sail and no one. We have been limping along with our trysail and staysail. Our stay sail car blew appart and I will ask you to contact Lou West from Garhauer marine - they are based in Pahia - and has couried quite a bit for me. His phone number is 09 4026231 or 021 311666. What I need is a car for my ronstan 32mm track - that runs my stay sail - a grunty one but a single car. not the double that they have for the main sheets. Garhauer is usually much stronger all round than ronstan - I have phoned him before and described our vessel.
Matt and I have been working on fixing the sails ever since the wind died down at 5 am this morning - it took us nearly 11 hours but we have managed it. Hopefully it will last but we will take the main down in anything over 25kts - I think we have seen the end of this sail its really past use - should have replaced prior to setting off.
Whats with the weather - I new that southern ocean sailing was tough but this is diabolical gale followed by nothing then a new gale and so much southerly wind - where all the westerlies everyone tells me about. - unfortunately we are not in cell phone range - and i will have to wait till Matt gets up - he is for all intents and purposes unconcerns - its been such a long day for him as it was at the end of his watch that we started work. He had nothing all day and as soon as we put the main up we got the spinnaker up and the last of the wind disappeared and we go no where. Matt has cooked a lovely omelet - i couldn't eat any more then he still went on to make himself pancakes and then keeled over.
Our boat still leaks and we are quite gutted about it but i will continue to sort this out as its just going to make me crazy,
my fingers are so sore from 11 hours of stitching I can barely type. Sunstone is also in this wind hole - we have to be on our game if we think we can catch up but i am hoping too. No wind means that i have to run the engine to charge the batteries - really weired stuff as here we are with sails up going nowhere and i am running an engine in neutral - need my head read. The should let you use engines in this ocean racing stuff.
Love to all.
Dad
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