Friday December 4th, 2015
The wind!
Sailors tend to comment (complain) about the wind a lot. We complain about the speed, direction and gusts. It affects you at anchor, on the beach and bounding about in the dinghy. So what is the perfect wind speed for the Georgetown area? Yesterday we approached calm conditions and I complained about that.
When it blows 25 to 30 and gusts 40 that is too much wind regardless of the direction. When there is no wind or it is light and variable that is not enough wind. Too much wind and the anchor is straining, dinghy travel is unlikely and or wet and shore excursions are curtailed. Too little wind and the temperature gets up; on the boat, ashore and everywhere. It seems that the wind also keeps the bugs away or blows them to hell which is secretly what I hope. The perfect wind also varies depending on your plans, travel or anchoring. For Fracas, sailing the perfect wind would be 10-15 just ahead of the beam. This perfect sailing wind would stay just ahead of the beam for the duration of my trip regardless of which way the boat is going.
At anchor, perfection here would be 12 to 14 gusting 16 from the ENE or about 060 to 065ºm. This perfect wind provides the best protection for the popular anchorages here, keeps the boat cool, the wind generator producing ( a little ) and dinghy travel is possible albeit a little wet and bumpy. Those cruisers with gen sets and A/C would likely have a different opinion about perfection as it relates to the wind.
The part for the friggin freezer
The thermostat/controller for the freezer continues to languish in Nassau. It arrived there two weeks ago today. I can almost see Nassau from here. In order to get something here you use an agent. In this case I used Forbes enterprises and specifically Naaman Forbes shown here. Several factors are at work: Naaman only receives UPS packages on Tuesday and Thursday, Naaman is seldom at his store (even though the sign says 9am to 5pm). To that he says “I try to be here around 11 and 2.” and that’s what he means. He might be there for a half hour centered on those two periods. He will never be there between 11:30 and 2:00 because his lunch is far more important than my freezer controller. Yesterday I spoke with him on the phone. He said he would check at the boat for my part and I said I would be right in and meet him at his store. I guess his visit to the boat got too close to his lunch period and he just went there instead of to see me. Everyone says this is the Bahamian way and it is the one thing here that gets my panties in a bunch…Sister Mary Francis…tabernac.
My next parts or shipments will go through Reggie Air…at least they gave me a proper instruction sheet on how to deal with shipping to Georgetown.
