Halfway to Paradise
12 December 2011 | Canaries to Grenada
Rodney
We crossed the halfway point today on our way to setting another great 24 hour run - 192 miles in the last 24 hours with 1300 miles to go. Our new territory has brought other obstacles to the table- squalls! Unfortunately squalls only come at night and bring 40 knot winds and driving rain. Since squalls rotate opposite of the prevailing wind you get some really fun wind shifts that go full circle as they pass.
We have been traveling at 8 to 12 knots for the last two days, and I have to tell you it is not natural. We have the constant vibration of surfing with the sound roaring waves all around us. Eric caught the mother of all waves this morning. Jamie and George were in their bunks forward and I was making coffee. Before we went over the falls I could hear the sound of a freight train approaching us from behind. Then the boat was thrown straight up in the air and we tipped forward as if to jump off the high dive. The boat felt like it was free falling straight down, down, down into the abyss, that is, until we hit the wave in front of us. The jolt felt like we had collided with a Greek fishing boat as we plowed through the wave and it broke over the cabin top. I guess this is how catamaran's pitch pole I thought. Needless to say I got a few grounds in the Peets coffee this morning. George and Jamie likened the experience to walking on walls.
Eric brought a very cool HD video camera that has a fisheye lens on the trip. It is the kind of camera that you can strap to the back of a race car or on your helmet. So far he has taken some spectacular footage of us surfing our way to the Caribbean. Some of the best shots are from the bow before we surf down a wave. We will get RJ to edit the video and post it to Utube when we get back. Maybe Warren Miller will pick it up? I can see the title now Into liquid with three engineers and the accountant ...