10 December 2008

10-Dec-2008 Noon Position

Atlantic Crossing Day #3
26'04.8N/18'34.2W
North Atlantic Ocean

  • 119 nm last 24 hours
  • 217 nm from Grand Canary
  • 2437 nm to Barbados
  • Winds NE 15-25 knots
  • Seas NE 6-8 feet
Rock and Roll!! We still have the winds right off the stern. We have been having gusts to 25 knots giving us a wild ride, rolling all over.

It is still cold here and we are hoping to get warmer soon. We are in pants, 2 shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets.

Just a few ships overnight, and two large fishing boats passing us. We did have a Spanish Search and Rescue plane buzz over us yesterday then headed off over the horizon.

A bit of drama today. The Ample Power DC Genset we bought new before departing The States has self destructed yet again. This has given us more issues then any other item on the 'Piper. This is the second ocean crossing where this has happened. This time all the bearings that hold the hand crank opposite the flywheel vanished, causing oil to spray yet again all over the engine room. If you are every considering purchasing anything from Ample Power, then think again.

We are looking at our options on what to do. So far the piper is not drawing much power sailing along. If for the next 5 days things stay charged, and we top off the batteries with the engine, then we should be golden. If so, then we will keep on going. If it looks like we are going to be having power issues, then we will pull into the Cape Verde Islands to try to repair this. We would feel more confidant having the genset running in case we have any issues with the engine on the crossing.

Better go, as the more I type, the more juice we are sucking off the batteries.

More in 24,
Tom and Amy

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