Lazy Sunday afternoon
Beoga's Madventure
Henry and Marina Lupton
Sun 29 Nov 2009 18:45
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An odd night. Beautiful to start, lotsof moonlight,
nice wind, poled out genoa and full main.
I snoozed before my watch which was uneventful,
then Marina joined for hers. While on the helm I noticed that our COG (course
over the ground) was about 100 degrees and our heading (direction we were
travelling) was 260 degrees. This means we were sailing west but the boat and
the water we were in was going east. I thought it was a lectric glitch when
Marina popped up from the chart table asking if there was anything weird. The
chart plotter which shows our position on the electronic chart also has an arrow
for wind and tide. If its very windy the wind arrow is bigger etc. She was
looking at a huge tide arow going against us! We put it down to a gps error as
the gps on the radio was showing a different postion. Its easier to have a eason
in your head.
A while later we got half gybed- half because we
have a rope that prevents the boom from fully swinging across the boat. When the
roll stopped we wuz stuk. Pole stuck into the wind and stopped dead in the
water. There is a method called heaving to, which is used to stop the boat
for comfort if you want to rest or do stuff. This is a new version on me. And
could i get out of it. Eventually got it to swing around and get back on track.
No doubt about it there are lifetimes of learning in this
sport.
Rainy night with a few showers here and there.
Nothing major TG. I got slapped by a cheeky wave which drenched me,
changed clothers ( ok me shorts and tee shirt) and then got damp from rain.
Felt like home!! kinda....
Joan got a nice gush from the stern this morning
but has dried out nicely.
Fingers crossed for the row of freshly washed
knickers on the aft rail at the moment. Cant be many other boats racing with
cushions on deck and washing on the line.......
Usual morning fun and games. We furled up the
genoa. Dropped the main to check the halyard for wear , batten (looked bunched
at one place) and the point where the top spreader pushes against the mainsail.
All was well. Many boats put foam on the spreaders to ease the pressure on the
sail. I couldnt figure out why I was unable to find pipe insulation in the
Canaries- forgot their pipes dont freeze. So we dont have chaafe
prevention so far so good.
We were stuggling to make our preferred point of
sail which is pretty much dead downwind so we just put up the spinnaker on its
own. Took it down a couple of hours later and the chaafe protection/
sanding/splicing all seemed ok- for now. Its back up since noon and will bloody
well be down by night fall cos its like a washing machine here. Its very
forgiving direction wise but its like being on an out of control surfboard in
the gusts. AS i type (on my back in the aft cabin legs braced against the
cockpit well) its sluicing its way down a wave.
Will likely hoist the main and poled out genoa
tonight but the surf down the wave means the wind direction shift dramatically
and off you go. Disneyland might be interested in this particular type of
movement.
Cormac discovered the cookie jar. He thought it was
to last the duration and has now been told its just week 1 treats. He cant help
himself. Unlike myself his appetite increases at sea, my eases off - I thought.
Only one splice repair today. It is sunday
afterall. All at sea longer than we have ever been before. We started this time
(well I dont know what our local time is now as Marina will be chaninging
it again ) last week.Lara counted through her diary to find it is about 11
weeks since we left the docks in Galway. Joan Cormac and Marina were busy
stocking up at the Southampton boat show that weekend. All a bit of a frenzy
since - time flies.
Very hot earlier today and a strong glare but
clouds building now. Hopefully we wont run into too much of the wet stuff later.
No company for ages now. Dermot and Marina thought they saw a light briefly last
night. We were particularly vigilant early this morning as we had a report of an
abandoned fishing vessel in this area by a boat ahead of us. It was right in our
path but we found nothing. Where is everyone??
Few birds and flying fish again today, mostly have
our heads stuck in books so we may be missing lots. If we need to see whats
ahead of us we just look sideways and the boat obligingy wheels around giving
you a 180 degree panaroma at speed. All very convenient unless you
are trying to cook or clean or even stay on your seat which Cormac discovered
when he had his hands full of goodies as the rollercoaster set in. With no
hands free to hold on and his bum comfortably on a bunch of cushions he was sent
into freefall to the cockpit sole. No damage although he may have dropped a
couple of sweets.
Just heard a little shriek from above, sounds like
the almost dry knickers might have had a little salt water rinse. More
chaafe me thinks-glad they arent mine.
Space and stowage is always an issue for a longish
trip. We have enough room but getting to the places and having stuff convenient
to hand is not really possible. Marina got a bunch of handy square baskets for
each of us. plan was to velcro them to the aft cabin walls but Beoga has other
ideas and promptly pushed them onto the leeward crew members on night one. They
are all up in the forward cabin now, I notice mine (since I travel so light) is
now full of bowls and tomatoes- Christy never had to contend with that sort of
thing I tell ya. If this rolling keeps up there will be a row of pink boxers on
the aft rail pretty soon.
Sleeping here is Beoga-like too. We have cloths
(damn- big roll nearly upended me- marina just shot by in the window in
front of me ) that tie up to the walls on ropes to keep you in the berth.
The are called lee cloths technically but Dermot now has us in the nasty habit
of calling them loin cloths. I hope we dont let it slip when we get ashore.
Anyway you get tied up in your loin cloth in the main cabin to stop you falling
about in this type of sea. We have them in the aft cabin too but its less
important as you have a partner to catch you when the boat rolls from side to
side.
Right I better go get this off and collect the
weather and see if we are in for more of the same. It actually eased to about
13kts for a half hour earlier, steady downwind sunny conditions like it said on
the tin. Back to the 20kt rock and roll now though.
Position is 21:04 3N 35:45.1W
Love to all back home. Hope its drying up
some.
Beoga, listening on 16.
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