Wednesday, 22 July, 2015

Luna Quest
W. Eric Faber
Wed 22 Jul 2015 01:12
Noon Position: 19.34S 153.17E

Daily run: 135 logged miles

Yesterday afternoon the ESE winds reached gale force sending Luna Quest on a wild run west with a minimum of Genoa out. Squall after squall brought rain and unpredictable winds often turning Luna Quest south. Huge seas would come running up on the boat’s port quarter, but in a squalll they would come beam on. A very wet experience. In the evening the wind abated and became more ENE bringing with it sustained torrential rain. We should have jibed, but given the pitch black conditions, the wild seas and the pouring rain, we remained inside and let the boat be taken more south. Instead of a steered course of 260, the Hydrovane took us on a 220 course. We tried to catch some sleep, exhausted as we were, but by 3am, the wind having further abated and the rain stopped, we jibed. The swell rolled the boat violently and the little bit genoa out would bang from time to time. We let it be and hoped for the best. Morning light seemed ages away. The seas continued to calm with the abating wind and the banging stopped. By 6am when it was still dark, but not pitch black and the wind having abated further to around 15 knots, we hoisted the mainsail on the port side and boomed out the Genoa to starboard. All morning we have been running goose winged with the occasional big bang of of sail as Luna Quest rolls off a swell wave. We have 190 miles to go to the pass in the Great Barrier Reef, which at our current speed will make for a night entry tomorrow…

Eric