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July 1, 1999
Hawaii to Tarawa Voyage, Update #59
Day 59. Thursday 1 July 1999 0325 GMT
Wind E - 3 knots. Heading 180-215M
Latitude: 02deg 10.270N
Longitude: 179deg 14.312W
As soon as I yanked myself from the confines of the rat-hole this morning and saw from the compass needle that the wind was once again coming from the east (much better than ESE), I was convinced we were clear of the counter-current. I sort of felt it in my bones. According to the GPS however, we'd actually lost a mile east in the night. So much for bones.
But during my mid-morning 20minute break - during which I have a cup of sweet, black Tetley's tea and sometimes a half bag of M&M's - I took a GPS fix before and after my cuppa (bones still protesting the authenticity of their claims), and to my tentative joy, noticed a slight shift in position westwards. Not wanting to get my hopes up, but also keen to start making use of the slight westward wind and swell if indeed the counter-current was loosening its strangle hold, I changed course to 215M until lunch. By lunch we'd managed 3 miles west and 2 miles south in 1.5hrs. During lunch we drifted 0.4 miles west in 1hr. So it may well be that we have finally reached the southern limit of the counter-current. Fingers crossed though.
Yesterday afternoon after writing the update, I felt something bump the stern of the boat. Whatever it was then started sliding up the port side to the bow. Looking over the side I caught the tail fin of a shark disappearing around Moksha's nose. Fergal was back half a minute later for a second pass, rolling over onto his left side to once again slide his belly up the side of the boat. Most peculiar I thought, as if this was the only available scratching post in the whole Pacific. On the 4th time round, Fergal had to raise his right fin high in the air in order to get to those places that were obviously tickling him the most. On seeing an outstretched fin waving at me, I did the polite thing: give it a "High 5." So now my number one claim to fame for being out here is that I got to give Fergal Sharky a "High 5." Well, a shark anyway...
Jason Lewis,
The Moksha motor
N.B. I believe this shark has also been the source of the pedal unit occasionally locking up while I'm pedaling. Perhaps it is mistaking the spinning stainless prop for a fish? After a few seconds the pedal unit will be freed to where I can start pedaling again. I then see the shark swim ahead of the boat, make a big arc to starboard and disappear. A few minutes later the whole process will be repeated.
Posted on July 1, 1999 2:26 AM