Day 5 - A few hours reaching
Bonkers
Donald Macdonald
Sat 24 Jun 2023 16:59
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Position: 46.03N 15.47W
Early evening yesterday wind dropped, black spinnaker
went up. Anticipated would be up all night. How wrong! 90 minutes later the wind
built to 20 knots and some more ominous clouds around, black spinnaker came
down. Wind shifted so got to do some reaching wind 130 degree true wind angle.
Got some 1 hour naps in all good. I thought I was just laying in my bunk awake
after the alarm went off, no I was dreaming this because all of a sudden to my
conscious the boat was healing and the wind very loud and autopilot alarms
going off (it was 0300), jumped from the bunk shoes on jacket collected and
head torch to get a reef in, it was blowing 30 knots. Whilst getting reef in
heard another alarm, that was the real one to wake me from one hour nap, I must
have only been a few minutes off waking me anyway. Within 5 minutes wind
back down to steady 18 knots, being proper pitch black (no light
pollution), no idea what the clouds are giving clues about.
By daylight the wind had backed again so back to 165
degrees downwind sailing with the jib poled out 18-20 knots most of the time.
During the night could hear a single note like a guitar string being plucked.
Initially thought it was just my imagination at work. Put a torch around the
deck nothing obvious of rigging collapsing, as rod wires would not get a clue
anyway. In the morning noticed the topping lift was not on boom end and halyard
around rigging and the undone shackle banging infrequently the adjacent rigging.
Phantom guitar player found and put securely on mast.
A bit of woman's work done today, gave the heads a
clean, vacuumed the carpet, put cleaner on charge as have good sun to run the
inverter, cleaned the dishes, could not do the ironing as no washing done, plus
do lack an onboard iron, hooray. No ships or yachts seen in over 24 hours so
yachts must be over 8 miles away as that is the furthest AIS detects them and
ships must be further as some can detect 30 miles away.
From yesterday's ration pack had a good stodgy cinnamon
cake slice. Dinner from same pack will be chicken, sausage and beans, with warm
baguette, lump of cheese followed by pineapple slices in juice.
School Boy error just made. Harold lost it in 23 knots,
put shoes and jacket on, by time on deck all sorted. Stayed at back watching
what was going on, wind stayed around 25 knots and were surfing some big waves.
Harold in those conditions without a reference outside the boat due low flat
cloud and with TWA 165 I would have caused an accidental gybe and not have
enough stability to get the wheel turned, most impressed with Harold Snr. As
look like wind was staying needed to put a reef in. Furled poled out jib so
could harden up to about 60 apparent wind so main would come down off the
spreaders. Now the error a big wave well 2 came over the deck very wet shorts
will need to find another pair of trousers. At night I always put on wet weather
trousers as I cannot see the weather. Liked to think will live and learn but
suspect will take that risk again in the future.
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