Tropics No More

Position 19 d 44.75 m N 136 d 16.75 m E  Actually the tropics don't disappear until 22.5 degrees North but for us we hit a cold line at 19 degrees.  Both of us were bundled up tightly last night.  This morning the weather is breaking a little the winds are reasonable the waves are still 4-6 feet with the occasional big one still swooping through to wet us down.

Anyway today we are 11 miles from our half way point.  That doesn't necessarily mean we will get there in the same time from now but maybe?  There is another depression just north west of us so we are sort of threading the needle.

The other big event today is in this vast big ocean we had to be the ones to snag a rope.  It was a piece of one inch about 50 foot long and we snagged it some time during the night while we were running the engine to charge the batteries.  Luckily it snagged between the prop and the rudder.  Our first indication was when we shut the engine down the packing gland was leaking very badly and filling the bilges.  I ripped up the floor to look at the packing gland and once I massaged it back into place (we have a dripless submarine seal that needs replacing)it seemed to stop and the prop quit spinning.  After another few minutes the prop began spinning again.  This usually indicates its fouled and that means jumping overboard with a knife.  I already mentioned we were cold right!  Anyway with the closest land over 4000 metres away and straight down jump I did.  The water was actually only a little cold and the visibility was great.  But don't forget those waves after about a half hour of cutting and slashing and dodging a boat trying to hammer me to death we got it free.  we kept the part that melted around the prop zinc to take a picture of later.  The rest I am sad to say was just cut away hopefully no one else picks it up.  but we had no way to retrieve it.  

Cheers

9:30 Chamorro Standard Time