0930hrs 01 Oct 2005 UTC 23’00”S 025’58”W Ref 401
DB:127, 8568 gps 127 42/68
Following my last note, it got worse. And worse. 3 very wet, gyrating sailchanges from the 3 to the 4 to the 5 with a reef each then drop the main altogether. We have just put it back up with three reefs. The wind went to 40 kts and stayed there, with 4 metre swells from everywhere -really confused lumpy sea, Berri really crashing about, impossible to do anything like cook, read, chop the dried fruit – raining hard and I haven’t slept for 24 hours because I feel every crash and shudder. Wind back to 35 + but manageable. This wasn’t in the guide book or on the last grib I pulled in, but it is getting us south and east. About another ten days before we can catch a downwind ride, perhaps three down to Henry.
And three more hours before I get to try to sleep again. The boat feels much better – for the moment. This has been changing so fast that we could get anything or nothing in the next couple of hours.
Laura,Marietta, Flop and Conor – did you get my email about the RORC dinner? I’ll assume you did not or are not interested if I don’t hear from you in the next week. Please at least acknowledge the email if you got it – I don’t know nothing out here.