Still Motoring

Hi everyone,
After our recent engine troubles the last thing we needed was no wind on this passage. That's exactly what we've got, and our nerves are suffering a little. The noise level doesn't help. Must insulate the engine compartment! Happily "lazarus" the engine is performing well, although using both fuel and oil faster than I'd prefer. Plenty of both, even if we have to motor all the way to Dili. At noon today we had logged 115nm at an average of 4.6knots. We've been motoring for 20 of those hours. That's one of the longest periods under power during my 30+ years sailing. This afternoon we transferred 40 litres of fuel from the deck jerries to the main tank, refilling it and establishing a rough burn rate of 2litres/hour at 1800rpm.

Aside from the interminable motoring all's well aboard. The one advantage of motoring is abundant energy, so the drinks are cold and the computer hot. We're sailing about 1nm from the catamaran Cutting Edge and can see Kokomo V on AIS at about 10nm. A few ships visible on AIS, only one of which approached close enough for us to see her.

We're hopeful some wind will appear tomorrow, if not tonight. According to the forecast it should happen and the wind should hold in until we reach Jaco Island at the eastern tip of East Timor.

Trust all's well where you are.