LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 18:
Friday, February 17, 2000
0620 Sunrise. Today is my deceased daughter Jennifer' s birthday. She would be 31
today. Seems like it was just yesterday that she was a petite infant and I was
holding her in my arms. How fast the years do go by!

0700 Lord's Prayer is underway from Barbados to Granada. My course to next waypoint
(off the SE coast of Granada) is 241T; distance is 133 NM. Total route length
to Prickly Bay, where I intend to clear through customs, is 143 NM.

0740 Hauled out the dual jib on the two whisker poles. Secured the engine. The wind
is SSE 8-10 kts. Forward speed is about 4.5 kts under sail.

0800 As the boat starts rolling in the seas I start getting repeated "rudder response
failure" signals from the autopilot. I shift to wind vane steering and since the wind is
light, I pull off the hatch over the engine compartment to see if  I can identify the problem.
I do not believe that there is any problem with the rudder angle sensor. It appears to be
securely in place. The thrust-platform for the steering actuator is another story, however.
When the piston pushes one way the platform moves the other and vice versa. Clearly this
could be why the rudder angle sometimes does not change when there is a rudder command
delivered and an associated adjustment in the piston. The thrust-platform is made of stainless
steel, which is bolted to the adjacent bulkhead. There is a stainless backing plate on the other
side of the bulkhead and on inspection, I can see it rocking back and forth as the piston
actuates in response to rudder commands. I get down in the engine space to see if I can
tighten the bolts that hold the platform in place. I am able to take several turns on each of the
bolts. This helps reduce the movement of the platform but it does not eliminate it. I try testing
the autopilot. Its behavior is improved but there is still an occasional "rudder response failure"
signal. The failure signals seem to occur when a very small rudder adjustment command is
initiated - one that is enough to move the thrust platform but not enough to change the position
of the rudder. I think I have probably done about as much as I can to improve the autopilot's
performance with what I have available here. The final solution will probably have to come in
the spring when the boat is back at Generation III Boat yard in Cambridge where the platform
can be stiffened enough to eliminate the movement.

1100 The wind strengthens to about 22 kts and with a bang the starboard whisker
pole collapses. A quick inspection reveals everything on the pole intact except
for the "plastic" cleat that is used for securing the extension control line. The outboard
horn on this cleat has sheared off. This is the second one of these cleats that has failed
in this manner on this pole in the past two years. Since the wind has veered some, I am
now sailing closer to it than when I first spread the wings of the dual jib today. I decide
to get the poles down. I roll the jib up, stow the poles, start the engine, turn the boat into
the wind, set the autopilot to hold her thus, hoist the mainsail, bear off to course, haul the jib
out to starboard, and secure the engine. The boat is now on a beam reach. Wind strength
is varying all over the place - anywhere from 9 to 22 kts. The direction keeps changing as
well. I have shifted steering back to the wind vane.

1200 In the cockpit I slice up a Barbados pineapple that I bought yesterday. It
is REALLY tasty. It is even better than the "golden" pineapples from Hawaii. I wish
I had picked up two or three of these!

1300 The wind is back behind me again so I roll up the jib, rig the whisker poles
, and then spread the wings of the jib.

1400 The wind has gone light; it is too light for the Monitor wind vane to control heading
going down wind with the mainsail up - and when I engage the autopilot it continues every
now and then to give a "rudder response failure" signal. Whenever it does this it goes stupid
and stops steering. The wind is light enough that I am able to drop the mainsail going down
wind - which I do. With the wings of the jib spread on the poles, I turn steering over to the
wind vane and it handles it.

1430 The wind picks up to 12-14 kts and I go below for a 2 hr nap.

1808 Sunset

2000 The wind is up to 20 kts trying to push the boat above her 7 kt hull speed.
The GPS is showing speeds variable 6-9 kts. The result of pushing the boat like
this is a substantially increased amount of yawing and associated rolling - all
of which in the Atlantic swells makes for something less than a comfy ride. The
way the wind has been today, though, I am going to wait a bit before reducing the
sail area to see if the wind strength is going to hold or if this is just a s
hort period of stronger wind.

2030 The wind is back to about 15 kts.

2240 Another loud crash on deck. I flip on the spreader light, although it is hardly
needed with the light of a nearly full moon. It is the carbon fiber pole again.
It is down on deck having separated from the mast. It is still made fast to
the starboard jib sheet, though, and so it is being jabbed about as the jib flogs.
I don my harness and tether, snap myself to the jack-line, and go forward. I
disconnect the pole from the sheet and from the topping lift. I stow the pole in
the chocks on the starboard life rail stanchions. I discover I am missing a shroud
roller off the starboard upper shroud. The end fitting for the carbon-fiber
pole is still attached on the mast car. I examine it and I examine the fitting
that is still within the pole - the one that accommodates the extension line control.
What has happened, is the two fittings have been pulled apart with the fastenings
that hold them together being ripped from the inside sleeve of the end fitting.
This is the same type thing that happened last summer to this pole except
that it is a different joint that failed this time. I think I can repair this damage,
whereas last summer I had to send the pole back to Forespar in California.
Forespar was real nice about it - they did a warranty repair and told me that
the pole had been assembled improperly at manufacture; they were surprised it had
lasted as long as it had. I reef down the dual jib a bit and relax the port sheet
with the remaining pole on it. I come in slightly with the starboard jib sheet.
These actions help to damp the yawing. The boat is directly before the wind
and the dual jib is staying full with just the single pole out to port.

2330 Position: 12-23N 060-55W. I expect to arrive Granada in the morning.
END OF LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 18


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