SailBlog

Once again the bewitchig hour o 0300 gave way to thunderstorms and a gale only the gulf stream could muster up. Lightening and gusting winds to 47.8kt on the Garmin wind. three separate squall systems built seas to over 10ft..Reminiscent. Rainbows appeared as the sun broke thrugh the clouds. Unfortunately...technology fails me an the phtos I have just cant be accessed. My computer needs to have a camera attachent directly. Maybe the gopro will save the day. yahoo. I was down to just a 4x4 jib all day with winds blowing 25 steady and gusting higher, and much higher in squalls. Crazy wild. At one point with the greatest winds, the forestay just shook. Later in the day I tightened the backstay but it was violent. Once the seas got up to 10-15', I was on deck. That size of a sea has the potenital of rolling the boat part way. A wet day with torential rains with each squall line that pased. The boat is soaked inside between being soaked coming in and the 'leaks' that somehow didnt get fixed despite all the new caulk and bedding..

There is a certain trade off with gales...steady winds, no worry about the compass heading really until the seas grow to the point where they are thwarting attempts to stay on course. I had to turn off the wind farther as the super gusts would grab the boat at a 120* heading pulling her to beam We do better, especially once we are down to just a jib for sail plan, staying at 140 or so. It is a comfort zone and settles the storm when we get that far off the wind.

Earlier in the day, the few birds I saw were all solo birds...a stormy petrel and a tern...butt as soon as it started to blow 30+kts...there was a whole flock of the brown terns ( I think...I managed to leave without a good bird classification book...but I will dig out Dianne Doyles birding survey for later). They played on the seas with absolute joy and in such unison. It just reveals how one creatures challenge is anothers exhileration. I find great peace watching them and realizing the II and I too, are made for the sea and show our 'oats' when challenged with a good gale... Gonna be a little sore in the morn. The G forces on a 28' boat are wild. I have been spoiled sailing with Bob on Calypso, as I have said. It is amazing that with 25-30 kts of steady wind, II is down to just the jib or a third reef in the main and a tiny jib..Still going 5 kts. plenty fast for me. I am going to leave the sail plan as it is for now even though we could use a little more...there are more squalls and thunderstorms ahead for the night. My exprience resembles the remark on all the NOAA forecasts.."seas and winds can be twice as high in and around thunderstorms". It sure can.

Otherwise, lots of comfort food keeping me going in the sogginess and sloshing about. No sun for Celestial today. Bob did cue me as to my position. I am dead reckoning pretty well for the longitude but the variation from my due east course is hard to know with the gulf stream effect. Should b able to catch up with a good noon sight tomorrow.

Thanks to Global Marine Networks Red Port satellite wifi for my abiility to do these Blogs and have communication on board. It is great peace of mind and absolutely reliable. Solar panel is doing fabulous at keeping up with needs along with a KISS wind generator. I only use that when needed and the winds are not at gale force but when it is doing its thing, the batteries get topped right up. Cape Horn Steering vane iis always steering II though there is an art to steering the steering vane. It does a fabulous job no matter the winds as long as the boat has a balanced sail plan.

Fair winds to all those on passage...and to those dreaming of their next one. Fairest of winds and the love of the ocean Keepin On, Sailing on the Dream... one person's challenge is another one's success approaching, keepin on.

Donna