{"id":2109,"date":"2025-10-28T03:20:05","date_gmt":"2025-10-28T03:20:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/aegir-ran.com\/?p=2109"},"modified":"2025-10-28T03:51:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-28T03:51:38","slug":"check-in-october-28-2025-330-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aegir-ran.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/28\/check-in-october-28-2025-330-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"Check-in October 28 2025; 3:30 UTC"},"content":{"rendered":"
Current Position: 27 32.522\u2019S 34 58.481\u2019E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 6.1; COG: 313 (HDG 330 and 1.2 kt current 180); TWS: 23; TWD: 190; P (6:00): 1015.7; P (12:00): 1016.5; P (18:00): 1016.7; P (24:00): 1020.1; Distance to Waypoint (Richards Bay): 168; Total Miles Sailed: 15250 nm; Engine Hours: 301; Estimate Fuel: 21 +15+50;
\nComments: While I wait for the wind to veer and while the sea is calm, I am trying to sort out why the running lights no longer work. I pulled the main circuit breaker panel and as I suspected there are two leads attached to the breaker, one presumably going forward and the other aft. The breaker is good and there is current going to both wires. It seems highly unlikely the wire is broken between the circuit breaker and the lamps since it is heavy gauge marine-quality wiring. It is more likely the bulbs are burned out. This would be surprising because I switched out the incidence bulbs with LEDs, but the next step is to check the voltage at the bulb. The stern light is easiest to get to. The voltage at the stern white lamp is just 4.4V, not enough to light the lamp. There is no evidence of corrosion. This cannot be a general problem because all the electronic and other DC devices are working. There must be a voltage drop along the wire. A short on one of the wires could impact both wires. I noticed the problem began when the mount for the ensign flag pole broke off, leaving two holes in the top of the stern now pulpit through which the wire for running light passes. My guess is water has gotten in there and has shorted out the wire. To get to it will require emptying the stern locker, the cover of which is blocked by the tiller. I\u2019m afraid this problem will only be resolved at anchor. I have confirmed that the wire to the stern light runs through the tubing that has holes in it. The wire may need to be replaced. I have some onboard and it should be easy enough to pull new wire while at port. At 6:30 the wind and boat speed went to zero. I was only 14 nm from 37e, so I set a course for RBay (272) and turned on the engine to make best use of the 1.1 kt current while I have it. I was making almost 6 kt. It occurred to me there may be an easy way to confirm the problem with the running lights. If I break the circuit to the stern light, the bow lights should work. I could remove the bulb from the stern, but the circuit may not be broken if there is a shirt between the breaker and the bulb. I will need to disconnect the wire at the circuit breaker. Unfortunately, I do not know which is which. I will try to figure that out and check the red\/green lights on the bow tonight. There is a good chance I will arrive at RBay after dark on Wednesday, so I want to make sure I am seen. A dozen dolphins showed up at 7:00. I watched them from the bow for about 30m while they played chicken with Aegir-Ran. They had unusual markings \u2026 a lighter grey tuxedo. Apparently today is the day for electrical problems. I flipped the switch to transfer fuel to the day tank and the pump did not come on. My first thought was my fuel pump had failed. I have already had one fail and this is my backup. Fortunately I checked the voltage and it wasn\u2019t getting power. I traced the problem to an automatic switch that I don\u2019t actually use, so I rewired and bypassed it and the pump is working again. It would not be the end of the world. I have 50 gal of diesel in Jerry cans on the deck and I have an emergency portal in the day tank for just this sort of problem. In fact, I used it just outside Tahiti when the first pump failed. But, this reminds me that I need to get another one sent to Cape Town. By 10:30 dolphins were back, this time leaping in the air two and sometime trhree abreast. Also back was some evidence of wind, as suggested by the slight heel to starboard (with the expected change in direction), ripples on the surface of the water, full sails, and a 0.3 kt gain in SOG. Still not enough to sail, but a positive development. I opened up the the breaker panel again with the intent of separating the running light circuits but found the wires are not in separate terminals. There is not enough free wire to cut them to install a terminal, so I would need to splice in new wire. I decided to wait until I am at the dock to fix the problem. While in there, I write down the Blue Sea System model number (34-109A) for the main breaker (which has a broken handle and needs to be replaced. I made more water today and tested the TDS, which I found to be 470, about half of what it has been. Apparently by running the system for so long (maybe 10h and 25 gal) the past few days, I have flushed the membranes out. It is still twice what is ideal, but the water is drinkable. It is 12:30 and I have made 37 nm on since I started motoring 6h ago, an average of 6.5. Normally at 1,800 rpm I make about 4.8 kt. The extra speed comes from the sails and current (1.1 kt). By motoring 8h or so, I should skip the doldrums and save the better part of a day sailing. The wind speed is still only 2 kt. I am thinking in 2h or so I may be into some wind. It is 13:00 and I just downloaded a new forecasts that says low single digits until 20:00. It also has me an extra 25 nm out of my way to find that wind. The forecast is also completely different for the endgame, with the wind coming from the NNE, completely the opposite direction forecasted a few hours ago. Clearly I cannot trust the forecast, so I am going to continue on the rhumb line and tack at the end if necessary. Also, I believe I can motor to the wind in a couple if hours and avoid the 25 nm detour. The forecast definitely has one thing right \u2026 I only have 2 kt wind and the surface of the water is glassy. At 15:00, 2h later, the wind was still less than 2 kt. A good part of the day I spent in the cockpit reading Tristan Gooley\u2019s book \u201cHow to Read Water.\u201d The water around me today was glassy smooth and there were virtually no swell or waves of any kind, except when there was a puff of air, which created ripples that I was able to see from some distance. It is 16:30 and after a cloudless m, windless day, there is a bank of clouts ahead and a breeze is beginning to blow. I can see where the wind is and I will be there soon. It is 17:00 and I have 6.5 kt wind from 220. I can probably only make 4.5 kt in with that including h to e current. I need 10 kt wind. Sunset should be about 17:52. It is 17:39, cloudy, and quite dark. I am now seeing sustained winds of 10i shut the engine off. kt from 210. The boat is making 5.6 kt I am going to put a reef in the main before it gets dark. The wind suddenly went from 68 to 14-16. The reef is in and the boat is doing over 6 kt with the help of a 0.5 kt wind in a close haul. 228 nm to go to RBay. At 21:30 I found myself sailing against a 0.7 kt current and doing only 3.5 kt SOG. By midnight the current was with me again and I was doing over 5 kt. 30m later two vessels passed, a tanker 2 nm off my bow and a cargo ship 8 nm off my stern. I was beginning to enter a costal shipping lane. By 1:00 it was blowing constantly in the mid-20s and the bust was overpowered. It took 45m to furl half the Yankee after rounding up and put the second reef in the main and secure a second reefing line while rounding down. The old furling line I used as a second reefing line is shredded after only a week and after using it just a few times. It has to last until I get to RBay \u2026 don\u2019t really have anything to replace it with. While all this was going on a tanker passed a couple of miles ahead of me. I am surprised he didn\u2019t radio to ask my intentions as I spun the boat in circles to depower the sails. The boat is going over 6 kt with half the Yankee, the storm staysail, and the double-reefed main in a close haul. It is 2:00 and I have 185 nm to go in the next 36h or so (to arrive mid-afternoon). The incredible thing is I am going 6.4 kt against a 1.7 kt current. I downloaded a fresh GRIB. As I suspected, the earlier winds also means I will loose wind by the end of the passage. I also downloaded the currents and confirmed there are more favorable currents E, so I adjusted my course to 300 to pick them up. This larger TWA is making for a somewhat more comfortable ride as the gusts are approaching 30. I made 127 nm on towards RBay in the past 24h. To arrive in the middle of the afternoon tomorrow, I need to average 168\/32=5.25 kt. I sailed a total of 15399-15250=149 (149\/23=6.48 avg). I just downloaded a fresh GRIB and the recommendation is that I continue E until 10:00 (5h) to pick up a favorable current. Given the wind is still in the mid-20s, I am going to take that advice to not only pick up the current but make the ride more bearable.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Current Position: 27 32.522\u2019S 34 58.481\u2019E; Timezone: UTC+2; SOG: 6.1; COG: 313 (HDG 330 and 1.2 kt current 180); TWS: 23; TWD: 190; P (6:00): 1015.7; P (12:00): 1016.5; P (18:00): 1016.7; P (24:00): 1020.1; Distance to Waypoint (Richards Bay): 168; Total Miles Sailed: 15250 nm; Engine Hours: 301; Estimate Fuel: 21 +15+50; Comments: While … <\/p>\n

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