FROM 1-25. Blowing a (super) gale

Oct 19, 2005 - 1010hrs UTC │Clench-Inducing Sequences V

1010hrs 19 Oct 2005 UTC 40’41”S 008’38”E Ref 457

0845 – went to bed and couldn’t sleep and the nasties went through pussy cat like and we’re back in the sun for a bit. no sleep for the wicked – we put the poles on and now we’re twinned with the 4 + 5.

i don’t intend this to become a litany of difficult and ultimately boring sail changes – i’m trying to put together a typical day for yez all. at 0900, i do the daily fix and work out the days run so here goes – water temp below 10 degrees.

db 105, 5126 freo, 6157 secape, gps 114 so we wiggled around a bit as expected, day 60, 50 to sec. sunrise now around 0430 utc which is a good sign. generator still going – it seems not to work any more below about 5 knots – friction i suppose.

birds all around – not as many, but two or three medium sized albatrosses. i think we are too far north for the wonderful wanderers but we may get lucky. lets see whether africa is out there…it wasn’t – will have to wait till this evening.

here we go again. wind back to 35, ssw, 4 + 5 off and stowed, 2 storm jibs poled out. big swell from sw with cross swell – cant pick it. rain squalls, intermittent sunshine, alternate diamonds and dirty washing in the machine.

1100 – wind now steady 40+ kt – big seas building behind – berri behaving but quite a wild scary ride – have a 3 minute film of it – hope it works. can feel big surging rushes as we take off down waves. spume and froth racing past the kitchen window – must be back in the bus shelter. still no usable contact today with africa sailmail – very very frustrating – i know there are 10 messages waiting for us – will satcom this if no go tonight. back to mushroom soup and vera brittain – sitting wedged on the cabin floor in a piece of foam.

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