Coming into soundings
Amoret
Wed 29 Jul 2009 08:15
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Amoret is now (morning of Wed 29 July) in sea area
Sole and before long will be over the continental shelf in a depth of
something over 100 metres rather than the 4000 metres to which we have
been accustomed. It sounds scarily shallow! Our approach to home waters has
been marked by the addition to the ocean birds (shearwater and storm petrel) of
some off-coast species (common tern, fulmar and gannet).
Last night was fairly hideous, with SW wind mainly
of F7 but gusting to gale force and a large, short sea that frequently doused us
and filled the cockpit ankle-deep. In the small hours the wind suddenly fell to
NW F2-3, leaving us with no sail power to make a speed of more than 2 kt.
Neither was the engine an option, as headway would have been slow and miserably
uncomfortable in a short sea of 4m or so. To crown it all it was pouring with
rain outside and dripping with condensation inside. We gybed the main,
crossed the preventer over (not easy on a heaving deck in pitch darkness
and rain, poled out some genoa and sailed miserably at 1.5-2 kt until 0400 (with
the added complication of fishing boats to dodge) by which time the
seastate had moderated sufficiently for some engine. This made all the
difference, with good progress in the right direction, abundant electricity and
hands warmed by putting them over the open top hatch of the engine compartment.
With dawn the sky began to clear and, apart from a brief shower, the rain had
gone. Now it is 0800 (GMT), the sun is shining, the crew (apart from Berend who
is recently off watch and still sleeping) have a plate of scrambled eggs inside
them, and the world is transformed. Isn't it surprising the difference that a
few hours can make?
All being well, we hope to make Falmouth
(another 195M) on Friday morning. Many libations are being made to the great god
Aeolus (in charge of wind) to lay off the heavy stuff, and to Poseidon (Chief
Exec of the Sea as well as part-time earthshaker). Jokes apart, we are in mind
of the Breton fishermen's prayer quoted at the beginning of the otherwise pretty
prosaic book on our saloon shelf - Admiralty Ocean Passages for the
World:
"Oh God be good to me,
Thy sea is so wide and my ship is so
small."
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