Day 35 - June 26, 2019 - Click image for larger view
From my Predictwind post:
Azores High - Engine Show Time!
Wed Jun 26 2019 02:40:00 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time)
I knew it would come sooner or later, the Azores High! It's a high pressure weather system that hangs out in this area. Very low to no winds. Around 0400 the Monitor wind vane could no longer hold a course no matter how much I talked to it.
Glad now that I went ahead and changed the alternator out yesterday. I have about 70 gallons of diesel saved up for this section. Normally the old Perkins 4.108 burns around 0.5 gal per hr at 4 knots (1500 rpm) in flat calm. There is a few knot head wind here that will push that number down a bit. Time will tell. It's all up to King Neptune!
A second Predictwind post:
Repaired Leak! Liberta Boom contact on VHF
Wed Jun 26 2019 15:43:00 GMT-0500 (Central Daylight Time)
Found the root cause of the leak. It's complex but the basic problem was one of 4 hydraulic autopilot mounting bolts close to the hull loosened and wore a tiny hole in the hull. 3 hours of work and no more leak!
Just made contact on vhf with the 1st sailing vessel "Liberta Boom" since Bermuda. They were 7 miles distant heading to the Azores also. 205867510 mmsi for any on ship tracking sites. Good to talk with another sailor out here even if it was a bad connection.
Motoring a bit south of east in very light 3 knot wind out of the east to avoid some counter currents due east 50 or so miles ahead.
The leak was below all of this. Note the access plate lower right.
Couldn't see what I was doing. Used my smallest camera with a flash to view the small space.
I temporilarrly packed the corner wedge area with butyl rubber until the leak stopped. I would do a permanent repair on a non moving boat later in port. While in this area I tightened up all the bolts and applied loctite thread locker. My fingertips would not reach so I glued the nut on a paint stirring stick corner getting it started, finally tightening with an open end wrench. No more leak!
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