After a good night’s sleep I resolved to try bleeding the Diesel again; maybe, being tired and frustrated, I had not been thorough enough yesterday. As usual, Lene assisted with the careful pouring while I pumped madly away of the little lever behind the engine that I can feel with my thumb but not see. This time no discomfort because the engine was not hot. And it worked! We let it run an hour to charge the refrigerator. So the ice blocks were only helpful, not crucial and no mechanic is needed for now.
Two of the boats in the Sunday morning race near us in Northport Bay with the four towers in the background.
Also, I checked out the autopilot and the new part for which I’d paid $50 (including shipping) had failed. The grooved shiny brass pin had fallen out of the plastic piece! Another tube of 5200 was sacrificed and when cured it will hopefully be the last time we get the error message AURORELSE. But while it cured, today’s 4.5 hour passage was all hand steering and gave me an appreciation for what it was like in the old days. We are soft and cannot steer as strait as Auto.sail trimming gives way to the necessity of keeping a hand on the wheel and an eye on the heading.
Lene took the helm quite a bit and made tea when off watch.
After we had turned south to enter the breakwaters guarding Port Jeff the heavens opened up for a sudden brief torrential downpour. Alphie Girl was caught in the cockpit and told us with a stentorian voice that she did not like the large cold drops that hit her. Lene took her below; I stayed at the helm. The wind was not strong but everything was wet and cold. When I handled the snubber line that was wet from the seawater, it’s warmth caused me to realize how very cold it had become. I recalled a night here with Capt. Jim, maybe 25 years ago, when on anchor we watched a big ugly storm bear down on us from across The Sound. But in the end the cell parted and passed on both sides of us; like the Israelites in the Red Sea, we remained dry shod.
We are secure on our snubbed anchor against projected 8 to 10 knots from the SE Sunday night. I read of deadly flash floods in nearby Rockland county; that is one weather hazard that we do not face afloat. Massive sudden downpours merely raise the sea level beneath us. And I was pleased to note that the close hauled sailing the last two days have not reopened the leak at the mast boot; the dampness within was caused by the drying of what had got soaked without.
Our invitation to share food and get to know the other boaters on the cruise was adjourned until tomorrow night in Mattituck when drier weather is promised, which is the last night we will be with them before heading for further horizons.
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