The gale which brought us winds of 40kts, gusting up to 55kts lasted three days. On the second day the lower st'board shroud broke. We had to tack the boat to release the pressure on the mast.
When the wind abated, we set to make our repairs. Luckily the boat was well equipped with spares and tools, and so we managed to make full repairs. After 6 days hanging-on, due to the gale and then due to the broken shroud, we set the boat sailing again.
To our despair the wind was getting weaker every day. And soon enough it died off completely, leaving us totally becalmed. The Pacific turned into a placid pond. Even the South Pacific rollers subsided. I had never seen so calm a sea. It reminded me of the absolutely flat waters of the Rio Negro. We had albatrosses sitting around us, waiting for breeze. All they did was keep starring at us, strange visitors.
It was now that the neglect of our underwater body was charging its toll. The voyage was already taking much longer than planned. Our average speed over the voyage was 3 kts! Water and food rations were low. We decided to ration. Crew morale was at a low point.
Instead of calming the crew and communicationg about our options the captain escaped his responsibility. He increased his psychologic pressure on the crewmembers.
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