L'Eau Commotion Westabout

9:00pm Tuesday 21st August 2018 ( UTC+12 )
Heeding Martin’s warning about the approaching area of red on the weather chart I had L’ Eau Commotion well snugged down with the small jib and double reefed main but I was a bit smug myself thinking I’m in the area of careless island cruising. The forecast average wind was about right at 28 knots but what I should have considered but didn’t was the intense squalls that can be associated with such a trough. We were prancing along when the squall hit and I tried to veer away with the WindPilot but it, and the main rudder, were overpowered with much shaking of the sails, mast and rig. On with the harness and bear away then furl the jib and back on course but not before the Port running backstay shook itself out of the mast. Not a real problem in itself but a reminder to be extra conservative in these conditions. It was at about this forecast position when I was sailing Katherine Ann in a prior attempt that I had calculated I would run out of Scotch Fingers and I must have said it once too often as an old friend Michael Stefanous said leave it to me. And with that I was presented with ONE YEARS supply of this essential commodity! Well that year has come and gone and here I am in that same forecast position fidgety and fingerless. What doleful yarn am I to spin him next time?