Catch up report - The wind Gods have bee3n at it again! 42 48.11N 40 17.17W

Ellatrout3
Sun 1 Jun 2014 14:16
The wind gods must have had a little smile to themselves when I said in my Thursday repot that I "expected the winds to spike up a bit" A BIT! Overnight the wind continued to blow at 18 to 20kts true but by 7.00am ships time piped up to24 to 26Kts and by 11.00am it was over 30 ktas so I went on deck and took the main down.  At 14.00 I rolled the jib up completely and went forward with storm jib and put it up.  IU was grateful it was daylight!  perversely shortly after the wind gods turn the knob down again and I went forward again to hoist the main and found a foot long split in it!
 
What to do, it was blowing 25 kts? Well from about 3pm till dusk about 8pm I attempted a repair.I carry some self adhesive sazil cloth but , of course it won't stick to wet sails so to start with I made a little nest for the torn bit in thed sail cover, stack pack to those who know, and then travelled back and forth b etween the galley and the deck with a heavy bottomed heated pan and attempted to iron it dry!It worked to some extent but the conditions were against me, having to lay over the boom when a wave hit to keep my nest dry. Anyway, I cut a piece of sail cloth, having measured carefully, and tried to effect a repair. The probglem was once you pulled the paper backing of the sail cloth in  25 kts of wind it  just flapped like a flag. I eventually got it in place with lot5s of wrinkles and folds. I looked at it and thought I've spent 3 hours on this and it will never hold!  I spent the next 2 hours till dark stichin g around my wrinkly patch.  Bear in mind all the time I am doing this I have to lay over the boom on the cabin roof to keep the repair on the lee side out of the wind and waves while 25 kts of wind blow up my jacket.
 
As it was now dark I decided to leave hoiting the sail until day mlight when calmer weather was forecast, so we drifted north under storm jib alone  we would have been better with a bit of main to help her head into the waves. The forecast calm was replaced with a promise of a vigorous low. So as soon as I got the main hoisted, repair seems to be holding, I set off south east to try and avoid the worst of the low, I was on its South east corner,  By morning I realised this wazs a poorly reasoneed strategy, I couldn't5 avoid it, and turn west to meet it. Which is how I arfrived in almost  the same place 24 hours later
 
The low was very vigourous Giving a long spell of strong wind which mbuilt up the waves and ET had to take a few heavy blows, at its hieght it was blowing 35kts true and in these winds ET will 5 to 6 klts under storm jib alone.
 
I spent all day Saturday cleaning up th3e mess, fortunately the the weather was quieter but not good drying weather.
 
It is now 11.00am Sunday morning and as you can see we arfe pinned down with 25 kts of wind taking us WNW.
 
Happy Birthday Tigtgy
 
Love Poppa/Dad/Roger