BATTLING THE INDIAN OCEAN
15 September 2011 | On the way to RODRIGUEZ
david
Another day is closing toward night as I make my way across this confoundedly confused Indian Ocean. Today brought high winds that hovered near 30 knots all day. Again, I balanced between going faster (less banging, get there sooner) but risking broaching - thats when the boat gets out of control down a face of a wave and suddenly swerves. It's that swerve that has been the undoing of some sailors. So again, I have, because of the increased wave size and wind today, put out another warp, a long line towed behind, to act as a brake in case she starts to take off down the face of these immense swells. Additionally, because I have a rotating wing mast, I have 'detuned' it so that its not acting like a sail but instead allowing the wind simply past it. I have turned slightly north to lessen the side swipping incidents and will return south when things calm. I pray for better conditions tomorrow-yesterday's weather forecast indicates such.