The sailor’s sailor dreaming of faraway horizons. (Centkiewicz)

My Yacht log 2006.10.05-10

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2006.10.10. At 17:30 Áron moored in Syracuse

Voice report: 2006.10.08

Pictures of Syracuse

Short videos from Syracuse

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10.05 (12^th day)

Radioed on 14.290MHz with Gyuri and Kálmán in the morning.

Then after the morning rain, I started on the repairs. Glued the radar reflector. (Some advised me to buy a new one, but I put so much effort into it already…)

Plus, applied caulk to the side window and to the forward compartment. Also last night fixed the rudder mount so that it will not fall out anymore.

Bought fuel with some difficulty, because of the siesta between 12:00 and 16:00 hours… Around noon I talked with Bogi too…My main problem is the warped fitting on the boom and 2 bolts that fell out. They can’t be put back unless I disassemble the mast. Franco replaced them with rivets and straightened out the warping in the shop. Departing wasn’t very simple, I had to wait at least 1.5 hours for Katarin to return my ship’s registration.

Departed at 17:30, just as the rain was coming down real heavy, but who cares: the main thing is that the winds are from the north! By dawn the wind was so strong that I was butterflying at 6 knots toward Otranto. At 2:30 the going is so unstable that I lower the mainsail (even so my speed is still over 4 knots). Around 5 in the morning I dozed off as usual. (Made 50nm until the morning).

10.06 (13^th day) 09:00 (41-11N; 016-43.6E)

A pleasant morning, sailing with northerly Bf.2-3 on 131. I’m taking pictures and video in the morning, the daily routines have already formed in the ship.

Steered the ship all day.

New Carina records:

Max. Speed 7.6 knots

24 hour distance: 115nm (92nm on course).

Because of this I’m not cooking, washing or cleaning today…Lowered the mainsail in the evening for a more comfortable night, but even so we made 5.5 knots.

10.07 (14^th day) 07:00 pos.: (40-18.5N; 018-28.1E)

Dozed off at dawn so I am feeling well now. Ahead of us: the Ionian Sea!!

Galloped all day, Carina did well again today. (True, I was at the tiller all day.)

Unfortunately it rained at times and everything got wet again. Butterfly, then following wind in the afternoon. The wind has diminished around the evening. My Father’s SMS weather forecast proved to be completely true. (North Bf.4-5).

Ship traffic wasn’t heavy so I could sleep well.

Cooked a fine pasta in the evening (with fish and onions), the noodles’ cooking time was 4 minutes.

Note: my foul weather gear is getting moldy. The life-vest is coming apart, I’ll have to sew it next port.

10.08 (15^th day)

Had following winds again this morning. True, I lowered the mainsail and sailed with jib only. When it’s Bf.5, I’d rather not overload the ship, even this way we were doing 4.2 knots.

Cooked some cuscus in the morning beefed up with some onions and meat and it tasted very good. (Cuscus was ready in 5 minutes!)

By noon I couldn’t hold a stable course with the following wind, but later the wind

has weakened. Unfortunately a wave splashed into the cabin once, but did no damage… Ran the engine for an hour in the afternoon to charge batteries.

Around 6 in the evening a very frightening local thunderstorm approached. Quickly lowered all sails, sailing with a storm jib only. Afterwards there was lighting and rain all night around me, but no more local storms caught up with us. (The wind was from the north and we escaped from the storm toward the west.)

Turned cold by night, I donned nearly all my clothes yet even so I was cold. (The wind was cold as well).

10.09 (16^th day) 08:00 (38-24.6N; 016-34.8E)

Pleasant morning. My cabin is full of mosquitoes. Started to clean up but it became too great a task. My foul weather gear got torn last night, I had to sew it. The log hasn’t been working since last night, no problem, I am navigating by the GPS anyway. I think the battery needs to be replaced, will do it sometimes.

After 8 in the morning received some weather faxes, then listened to ch.68.

The weather outlook isn’t too good. (They’re forecasting Bf.7.)

After 9 I radioed with Gyuri and Tóni (HA0LG) and heard someone from
Switzerland, but only very weakly. We switched from 14.290MHz to 7.088MHz then to 7.155MHz, where we could talk well. (Report 5,9).

In the morning I sewed my foul weather gear and lifejacket, then went to swim. There was some problem with the log’s sensor because I spun it while bathing

and it became operational again. The rain was about to fall all day, but it only rained a little around evening. At dawn one of the tiller’s bolts got loose and fell out, by the time I noticed I couldn’t find it. Luckily I had a 17mm spare, though not acid resistant. Have to procure one next port. I don’t understand why it keeps getting loose, will have to figure out something to keep it securely in place.

Water: I’m still drinking the water from Koper and it’s perfectly palatable. True, I had to empty a 15 liter flask because it was undrinkable. I thought I should’ve rinsed it better.

Vegetable bed: I shall keep it in the cabin from now on. It keeps getting filled with water and then muddies everything up.

10.10 (17^th day)

I am feeling small and fragile here, in the middle of the sea. But not about the ship, and that’s more essential!

Decided to call in Sicily, I’ve never been there. Syracuse is the most likeable town this region. This morning I banged my elbow into the tiller so clumsily, that it’s still hurts. (It didn’t crack).

Cleaned up the ship in the morning and put things in order, while admiring the sight of Etna. Cooked organic wheat for lunch and fried some pulverized fashirt

(pork hamburger/tr.) to go with it. It was a very tasty lunch, the best so far!

I swam after the usual siesta. It was slightly more complicated this time, because I didn’t want to slow down the ship. Paid out a security line after the ship (10m), and lowered myself with another line into the water from the bow. This way I didn’t affect the 3 - 4 knot speed too much.

Docked in Syracuse at 17:30 in the evening. It wasn’t easy because they sent me back out of the private harbor at first. Finally a kid let me tie up next to the fishing boats. All this took place in a small harbor in force 4 - 5 winds. It didn’t go smoothly…Again, unable to take a shower and to charge my battery L

The town is very beautiful and it’s good to be here!

I left Koper (Slovenia) 17 days ago and sailed 970 nautical miles so far.

My duties for tonight and tomorrow:

1. Mainsail sewing

2. Caulking

3. Finding bolt for the tiller and securing it well

4. Checking everything, (mainly the seals)

Tomorrow I shall continue as planned!

(translated by Laszlo AA7UY)