39:28:37N 34:31:72W

Boatannie
Thu 31 May 2012 16:42
The baro started to fall at 0300hrs (LT) on 28th May and read 1018. The wind was F4 WNW..At 0300hrs on the 30th May the baro stood at 996 and the wind was F8 W, by which time we thought we were in the "heavy weather" phase of our passage.However, we were wrong, that came next. The baro continued dropping now at the rate of 1Mb per hour. The commentaries in the log read "it feels cold", "Many large breaking waves", "Gusting now F10", "Windex not reporting above 60 knots of wind." "Several gusts of 60 knots +".
By 0300 (LT) 31st May (24 hoours later) we were out the other side. The baro was at 1004 and the wind NW F6-7.
We emerged unscathed, save for a few bruises, "Annie" appeared not to notice and as for the storm itself? Well, it was truly magnificent; I have never seen anything so majestic and powerful. Besides the pure white of the breaking waves on top of the dark sea there were bands of turquoise,bright and translucent that wouold linger after the wave itself had passed. We had several around us and think it may be due to extreme aeration. At other times the waves rose up to amazing proportions, quite awe-inspiring. Then it blew so hard for a while the waves flattened and we could have been in the desert in a sand storm, except this was grains of water flying off the "dunes".
We none of us have seen anything like it and feel relived that it is now behind us.
Slight change of plan, we're now heading for Horta - 279 miles to go. All well!