Diesel bugs eradicated – Geoff Holt to depart in 2 hours
by Harriet Courage 22 Dec 2009 12:17 GMT
Geoff Holt’s enforced stop-over at the Cape Verde Islands has been a frustrating two delay in his Atlantic crossing but he is about to get underway again in two hours time. The problems Impossible Dream was experiencing were due to diesel bugs (a micro-organism which grows in diesel when there is water in the fuel). Both engines have been stripped and fully serviced by a local engineer and are now clear of the sludge that had built up.
Geoff received a warm welcome at the marina and has even managed to get the wind vane fixed by a local Raymarine dealer so he departs the Cape Verde Islands in excellent spirits and with a fully functioning boat.
The boat is now fully decked out for Christmas and a frozen chicken has been put on board ready for Christmas day. Geoff comments, “I will be sad to be spending Christmas away from wife Elaine and son Tim but I am excited about the prospect of eating a Christmas lunch in the middle of the Atlantic ocean! I am certainly not missing the horrible weather that has hit the UK and Susana has decorated the boat so we are starting to feel a little more festive.”
With 2,300 miles still to go and unseasonably light winds, progress is going to be slow. For a full update read Geoff’s latest blog at www.geoffholt.com