Sailing the Good Life

Pulpit to Nantucket
“Are these toilets salt water or fresh. I’d like to put some in my boat” Last night at cocktail hour Moby was researching the toilets on the boat. He wants to change his out to electric flush. “The specs say they are fresh ……you say they are salt“s “ Take a drink from one then you’ll know.”
Up at 6 and set main at the mooring. We were on our way down W. Penobscot River by 7. Within a couple of hours we were headed out into the Gulf of Maine on our way direct to Nantucket.
Doug had agreed to keep track and report us overdue if we hadn’t arrived within 36 hours. All three of us got positive weather forecasts so it looked like it was going to be a slow and easy trip with 5-15K winds from the south…dead into it.
Taking two hour shifts on the helm it started off very comfortably. Reading books up on the foredeck in the beanbag chairs and an occasional nap. Around 3pm it looked like we were going to get some winds building and we might be able to increase our SOG ( speed over ground).
Within 2 hours the winds had built to 18-22K. A little more than a gentle boost in hull speed. What’s up with the those forecasts. We are now heading dead into strong winds and building seas. We’re 50 miles off the coast with no place to run and hide.
First watch began at 8pm LBW. The winds now were 18-25 gusting 30. We double reefed the sails before the watch while underway. This seemed to be the right power for the boat as it was handling everything well given the 6-8’ waves. Our SOG was dropping as fast as the barometer. It was apparent that we were in for a long night.

Each watch was not producing any encouraging results.
We need a new strategy. Decided to alter course toward Gloucester. Closer to land, off the wind so we could make better SOG. Our hull speed went up from 3.2K to 7. Doesn’t sound like much but to us it was like being at Indy.

The night was completely dark so we had changed our two gps so that on displayed radar with orientation course up and the other with chart oriented North up. We were able to keep track of what was going on around us pretty well.

Exhaustion is a big enemy. You don’t make good judgements when you are too tired. The two hour watches were right for us as any longer you got too tired. It was two hours of concentration.

You would think that it would be difficult to get to sleep with a diesel engine under your pillow and the boat bouncing around like a cork in the ocean. Not to mention that continuous banging of the waves against the hulls. It took minutes to get to sleep and we had to wake each other up for our watches.

Neither of us were concerned about being in any danger but I was concerned about when I would get my next good night’s sleep. It could be days at this rate. However, at some point the weather would change and things would get back to normal.