Rain, Rain, Rain
23 January 2012
by Zia
We tucked into Caleta Mari½ccia and got rain, rain and more rain for the three nights and days we stayed there. It rained softly, swiftly. It poured down and sideways and all ways. Rain came from the east and from the west, and then the north. Sometimes big fat individual drops drummed on Hekla's hull, sometimes drops gathered to crash and crescendo in waves of roaring sound. Brief bits of blue sky appeared only to be chased away by the next bout of water falling from the persistent clouds. Fierce gusts rocked Hekla swinging her like a yoyo between her anchor bridles in front and her two shore ties in back. The trees she was tied to bent and groaned under the strain. I saw the inside steering wheel make a sharp turn and heard a loud groan. Sven found the slack anchor line wrapped around our starboard rudder. We all worked together and using the boat hook Sven untangled her. No dip in the frigid water today for any one. We tightened the slack on both lines. The barometer dropped to 988, the lowest we've seen it here so far. The rocky edge seemed too close to our thin skin. Inside the windows dripped with our breathing. We caught up on some chores, watched a few movies, played lots of UNO, and listened to the whistle whine of the wind and the many sounds water makes as it hits home. Sven noticed some bright red mini lobster like critters swimming in the velvety green water. Then we noticed a few more, and more until there was a red cloud swimming far in front of Hekla and along her port side clear to her stern. We caught and released a couple only wanting a closer look, not dinner, although crawfish gumbo did cross my mind. This morning we are untying shorelines and raising anchor for Caleta Diablo where a stepped waterfall with lake await us. I'll let you know how it is.