Today's Report
May 12/10 0800 JST / 1700 local
Position:
00°44'S, 90°18'W (Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos)
A cheerful and relieved Minoru Saito called to report that the new hydraulic cylinders are now in place and working, and he should be able to clear port procedures tomorrow morning his time. After a brief practice sail and calibration adjustment he expects to leave likely before noon his time.
This was decidedly better news than yesterday morning when he called to say that the freshly installed replacement cylinders were not responding and neither, now, was the auto-pilot. It was another "oh no" moment but the timely arrival of an electrician fixed the navigation device, and after that it was a matter of adjusting the rudder connection to get the recalcitrant hydraulics going.
We've learned to be patient and not assume anything. By this time tomorrow we'll know whether everything -- boat, human, and otherwise -- have all aligned for an uneventful departure.
