Hi guys

Our persistence at fishing has paid dividends this morning with a 14 kg barracuda been landed so it was fish and chips for lunch with sushi to look forward to for tonight with a... you guessed it... fish braai.

However that's not all we have just finished a half hour fight after hooking a massive marlin which we managed to bring almost to the boat . It was a fantastic sight tail walking and when it finally got away we discovered that it had broken two of the treble hooks on the repala lure. At one stage it was dragging us backward 20 tons and all at 1.5 knots!

Wind has been light but constant most of the late morning and afternoon and some progress is been made. 822 nm to Rio as I type this. We see that the first yacht has arrived and we hope to make it this week as well.
 

Chris is going to fill in the rest of the blog for today so here's Chris...

Ist mate Chris Darby

Woke at 6am for the daily position report after a full night’s sleep, as I finally exercised my galley duty rights.  Hot Ice continued to drift through a glassy sea, large cumulus nimbus clouds set against the pale blue sky lined the horizon.  The occasional ripple on the water raised hopes of some much needed wind, and threatened to wake the lethargic crew from their slumber. The monotony soon came to end as we snagged our second fish of the trip, a sizable Barracuda large enough for at least two meals amongst the eight of us. Fortunately, by late morning the wind finally picked up to a steady 5-6kts out of the northeast, and the asymmetrical was raised in earnest; Hot Ice quickly speeding up to a steady 3.5-4kts.

Shortly after a tasty fish and chips lunch our fishing luck continued as we hooked a massive 150kg Marlin.  We carefully manoeuvred the stern of the boat towards Rio, hoping our new found friend would tow us through the light air and towards our  destination.  Unfortunately, after 30 minutes, Hot Ice’s 20+ tons proved too big a burden and he promptly jumped the hook....perhaps he also had second thoughts on the true intentions of eight hungry crew members.

I’ve crossed many an ocean, but this is my first ocean race.  Despite the relatively benign sailing conditions, this has probably been the most interesting and exciting crossings I’ve done.  Racing adds a whole new dimension to ocean sailing.  Chutes flying nearly 24hrs a day demand constant attention, daily position reports send the heart racing as we eagerly compare yesterday’s runs, and many an hour gets spent poring over weather files as we plot our tactics and strategy in hopes of finding the quickest route across the southern Atlantic.  It’s an incredibly fun and exhilarating way to cross an ocean.

With just over 800nm to the finish line, still in first place and a sizable lead on handicap over our nearest competitors, we’re certainly in an excellent position to do well.  But with a good 6-7 days still left and little wind in the immediate forecast, anything could happen.  No doubt the competition will do everything they can in the coming days to overcome their deficit and claim victory in Rio.  It should certainly be an exciting finish!

A few days of repairs and R&R culminating in a late night at Durban’s hottest night club, Sasha’s, with world renowned big wave surfer ‘Twiggy’Baker, and Hot Ice was ready for another jaunt up the coast. We cast off into a fresh southwesterly as light faded over the Durban metropolis, the new crew eager to get up to Inhaca Island as quickly as possible. The mainsail was soon set to port and a heavily reefed headsail poled to starboard as we shot into the night averaging between 6-7kts.

Morning found Hot Ice just off Richard’s Bay having made superb progress overnight, a 2.5-3kt counter current pushing us quickly up the coast.  Our nice southwesterly soon abated and the engine was grudgingly turned on in earnest to supplement our rapidly falling speeds.

Tiaan and Arthur battled against cigarette depravation, deciding before leaving Durban to quit smoking (and forcing the issue by not taking any cigarettes).  Tiaan soon took up smoking our tea to supplement his addiction.  Both now in a state of perturbed unrest and, for better or worse, have confined themselves to their respective cabins.

By late afternoon, the wind had swung around to the northeast forcing us to beat back and forth, making painfully slow progress.  Every time we tacked offshore the vicious Agulhas current would grab us and suck us back south.  A late evening watch put us not more than three miles further up the coast after 2 long hours of beating; Cape Vidal still on the horizon, none the closer; certainly not very good for morale. In desperation, the engine was switched on, jib dropped, and we hugged the coastline, keeping the yacht between the 15 and 20 meter contours in a desperate attempt to get out of the current, all crew mindful of the moon lit beach only a few cables away.

Fortunately, the wind slowly abated throughout the following morning, veering just enough for Hot Ice to lay a course up the coast.  Fishing boats abounded, but, unfortunately, the reel stayed quiet, the other fishing gurus apparently stealing all of our coveted fish; as we continued to hug the coastline staying just outside the breakers.

Light winds dominated the day, and the crew took to sunbathing and exercising on the foredeck as we slowly made our way north; our rendezvous with Kathryn Wednesday evening now in doubt with the dismal progress over the last 24 hours.

An unseemly gybe just after sunset took out our pulpit, the preventer bending it into a most interesting shape after it was apparently set incorrectly hours earlier.  After a few frantic moments, the main was reset to port, preventer rerun and the boat put further up on the wind to avert a similar catastrophe; the crew now quite alert to avoid another lapse in concentration.

The wind picked up overnight and Hot Ice began averaging 8kts over the ground, aided by a 1-2kt counter current, our ETA on Maputo now quickly falling.  By next morning we found ourselves crossing Barra Sul into Maputo Bay with 25-30kts on the beam.

We bashed our way down the long, narrow channel, Kavi’s interesting selection of music playing havoc with the skipper’s nerves; the strange background noises remarkably similar to engine alarms, grinding gears, and other unseemly sounds.

We tied up in Hot Ice’s familiar berth and quickly cleared immigration, Kathryn soon joining us having just flown in from Cape Town, fully recovered from her long ordeal weeks early, as the crew turned in early after an exhausting previous 24 hours.
Port formalities were finished by mid morning the next day, and a quick look at the weather showed an untimely front hitting the region Sunday afternoon, followed by another shortly thereafter.  With the yacht pressed to get back to Cape Town by the 8th of December any delay in returning now would almost certainly put us overdue; forcing us to postpone our much anticipated exploration of Inhaca Island for another day.

After a Thanksgiving feast (in spirit) at Clube Naval, we slipped lines and headed back to sea, all aboard quite disheartened at not being able to spend a few promised days at idyllic Inhaca Island.  A light, warm breeze from the east and ebbing tide helped us out of Maputo Bay as we crossed the bar shortly after midnight under a beautiful star filled sky, motor-sailing into the night.

A few strikes on the fishing reel in the early morning hours set expectation high that the crew would land their first fish since leaving Cape Town.  Unfortunately, none stayed on the line long enough to be reeled in.

A quick dip in the warm Indian Ocean followed by a flame seared bourvous roll provided a needed boost to the crew’s spirits.  Soon the wind picked up out of the east-northeast, Hot Ice heeling over nicely, quickly up to 5.5kts as we fought the last remnants of a counter-current running up the Mozambique coast.

Baked chicken with vegetables and potatoes for dinner marinated in half a bottle of olive oil (good thing I bought an extra bottle before leaving!).

The fishing reel continued to buzz the next day, a fish striking the line nearly every hour.  But, the rubbery taste of the lures are apparently not to the fishes’ liking as they are quickly spit out before the hooks properly set.  Hopefully our luck will change and fresh fish will be on the braai before the day is out.

Twenty-five knots from behind, two reefs in the main with the headsail poled to starboard, Vooleenda (???) blaring from the cockpit speakers, under a partly cloudy sky, the yacht making a steady 9-10kts over the ground, made for some exhilarating sailing.  The crew rotated the helm every hour, vying for the best speed over ground (…all on course so I’m told); Kavi earned top honors with 13.3kts.  Our current ETA in Durban puts us in just after midnight, well before the approaching front hits the region.

Kathryn cooked roasted potatoes with spinach, feta, vegetables, and bacon—a most tasty combination—as Hot Ice continued to race towards Durban now a mere 50nm away.

Soon the lights of Durban came over the horizon and we pulled into port just after 0400, having taken no more than 52 hours from Maputo. No sooner had we secured the lines, when the southwesterly came roaring through, winds quickly reaching 25+kts in the marina.  We couldn’t have timed our arrival any better.

The early morning found Hot Ice just a few miles south of Richard’s Bay having made superb progress overnight despite the unpredictable conditions.  Full sails—main, jib, and staysail—were set into a warm northeaster as Hot Ice slowly began tacking back and forth through turquoise water and passed white sand beaches.  A beautiful day for a sail to be sure!

Unfortunately, by late morning the wind had picked up to 25kts and Hot Ice began pounding into the developing swell, the crew settling in for another long, hard day of beating up the South African coast.  Pieter, unfortunately, succumbed to his chronic seasickness despite taking all precautions, and John came down with a nasty cold, leaving Hot Ice down two crew members.

A rapidly approaching dark band of clouds engulfed us just before sunset and we soon found ourselves in the middle of a lightening show just as impressive as the night before.  Menacing bolts of light struck randomly around the yacht, the flashes lighting up the darkening sky, as we nervously listened to Ron’s antidotes on what can happen when a yacht gets struck by lightning—loss of all electronics, blown ball bearing, holes through hull….  The wind quickly backed 180 degrees and we found ourselves finally pointed in the right direction, making a steady 5.5-6kts up the coast.

After four days of repairs in Durban and a bit of much needed rest, the water tank was filled, diesel topped off, and provisions stowed (the skipper making sure there were enough Honey Nut Cheerios and curry powder to last the remainder of the trip); Hot Ice was ready to go once again now bound for Tulear, Madagascar.  With a newly installed watermaker, Satellite Phone, and recalibrated electrical system, Hot Ice was finally back up to its old standard, all set for another Indian Ocean adventure.

We cleared the breakwater just past three in the afternoon under a partly cloudy sky and a light southerly wind and aimed the boat northward up the Mozambique Channel, carefully picking our way though the busy anchorage, the crew quickly forced to find their sea legs in the chaotic swell; Pieter, fortunately, showing no immediate signs of his past struggles with seasickness.

An incredible lightening show lit up the night sky over the northern suburbs of Durban; a nearly continuous string of bolts striking the ground; as we watched almost surrealistically under a star filled sky, contentedly out of any real danger.

Variable winds dominated the night, the result no doubt of the nearby thunderstorms.  It seemed just as the sails were set to a particular wind, conditions would change and the crew would scramble on deck once again.

By dawn the wind had swung around to the southeast, allowing Hot Ice to finally make steady progress to Durban.  The skies eventually cleared, the wind slowly abating throughout the afternoon; the calm conditions finally giving everyone a day off to relax, read, and catch up on sleep.

The skipper spent the better part of the day trying to think of something wrong with the engine, convinced it was about to break. Several chapters of Nigel Calder’s Marine Diesel Engines later and numerous tests and checks on the engine showed it to be in perfectly working order………...for now.

Beer in hand, boerewors on the braai, Cold Play’s ‘XYZ’ blaring through the speakers, the stunning green hills of the Transkei coast passing to port under a perfect partly cloudy sky; the frustrations, difficulties, and stresses of the last week fading into a distant memory; life’s suddenly not so bad.  Finally!!!

John woke Ron in the early hours telling him to hurry on deck with his foul weather gear on.  Ron dutifully complied struggling while the yacht pitched and rolled, only to find John in his P.J.s reading a book.  Not perhaps the best way to make friends…

By mid morning the wind had picked up out of the northeast, and Hot Ice struggled to make way against a 30kt headwind and the Agulhas current.  Unable to motor into the wind and swell, we tacked back and forth across the current, making a dismal and frustrating 1.5kts headway up the coast; the crew becoming quite familiar with a particular beach.

The night brought much of the same.  Attempts to use the engine to assist again met with limited success as Hot Ice simply slammed into the oncoming swell going nowhere.

The skipper and Ron spent their dog watch trying everything they could think of in the pouring rain to make headway.  Yet after three long, maddening hours we were only a few miles further up the coast.  John came on watch at 0430 and pointed down at the chartplotter’s chaotic circular tracks of our previous three hours efforts, asking ‘What’s this?’  For which I could only respond with an impolite "goodnight!"  and promptly retired to my cabin. 

Winds overnight reached 45kts; Hot Ice blasting along eastward, downwind at a comfortable 8kts under a triple reefed main and heavily reefed headsail, finally distancing ourselves from the South African coast.  An attempt to send the previous day’s blog was unsuccessful, the Sat Phone suddenly not working once again despite being re-serviced only days earlier; leaving us quite frustrated.

A lull and partly cloudy skies at first light suggested that perhaps the storm had passed, the prolonged gale force winds predicted having been overstated.  Unfortunately, dark clouds on the western horizon indicated perhaps that the worst was yet to come.

Sure enough by mid morning the wind started climbing once again, peaking at a sustained 57kts by early afternoon, the seas quickly building to six meters.

A quick check on Kathryn showed her to be in a much worse state and quite dehydrated.  Unable to keep down any fluids left her weak and extremely lethargic.  Concern quickly grew that she would not be able to recover and get over her sickness, and that she may need medical assistance in the near future.  With the yacht heading offshore and out of the range of any immediate help, the decision was made to divert to East London to seek medical treatment.

Numerous attempts to contact Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban radio went unanswered, leaving a grim sense of complete isolation. Finally a ‘PAN PAN Medico’ on the HF radio altered everyone to our difficulties, Port Elizabeth Radio suddenly awake with concern.  An hourly check-in with our position and Kathryn’s status ensued through the night; the call on the radio of ‘Hot Ice, Hot Ice…’ quickly becoming a familiar and welcome voice.

A hectic night followed, Hot Ice getting thrown about the ocean, as if in a washing machine, as we crossed the Agulhas current with an opposing 35-40kt wind that never abated as we’d hoped.  The crew rotated the helm every 30min, blisters quickly forming from their struggles to keep the yacht under control in the pitch darkness.

Dawn brought East London into sight, port control quickly contacting us on VHF Channel 16 to coordinate Kathryn’s retrieval.  Shortly after Kathryn was safely plucked by the NSRI; a much relieved and exhausted crew pulled Hot Ice alongside Latimer’s landing, glad that the long night was finally over and anxious for some much needed and deserved sleep.

The jib was poled to starboard at first light and Hot Ice took off, maintaining a steady 8.4kts as we bisected the Agulhas Current on course for the Southern Ocean in the slowly increasing westerly winds.

In attempt to recharge our diminishing house batteries, the alternators on the generator abruptly stopped working for no apparent reason.  Considering the generator has been completely rebuilt and new alternators installed, it is a most perplexing problem.  Unfortunately, repeated attempts to diagnose it made little headway, and we will now have to charge the batteries solely with the engine; a most fuel inefficient alterative.

By early afternoon the winds had picked up to a steady 30kts, gusting 40kts, the crew doing a fantastic job negotiating the large 5m southwesterly swells.  French Toast with bacon and eggs was in order and John delivered spectacularly despite the incredibly difficult cooking conditions.  It’s always nice to have a well prepared meal in such trying conditions.

Ron seems to have finally found his sea legs, suffering no more signs of seasickness, but, unfortunately, Kathryn and Pieter are still quite ill.  They’re doing a great job making the most of it, but one can only hope  the calm conditions predicted in the upcoming days will give them a chance to recover and get used to the rolling motion of the yacht.

The noon day stats were as follows…

Position: 34º 58’.4 S 024 º 13’.3 E
Distance Made Good to Mauritius: ???
Distance Logged: ???

Evening found Hot Ice struggling against a 3kt Agulhas current as we pointed the yacht due east, the wind and sea having died down remarkably.