Wednesday, 24th February, 2016
Luna Quest
W. Eric Faber
Wed 24 Feb 2016 17:19
Daily run: 114 logged miles
Yesterday afternoon the rainclouds spread densely on the northern horizon, more densely than elsewhere. We were heading straight for them and as they darkened to a black curtain from west to east, there was no escape. We watched for lightning, but none flashed and there was no noise of thunder. The curtain looked impenetrable and threatening, but as our progress continued, the very centre of the curtain seemed to move ahead of us at a similar speed, so that it looked as though we would never reach it despite stray fluffy outcasts coming our way. All afternoon it seemed as though we were chasing our fate, but towards evening the curtain lost its black colour and seemed to be reabsorbing into its grey surroundings, but intense lightning now appeared to the south of us, to the very sea area we were the night before and where our companion yacht ‘Wandering Dream’ could be.
This morning at the scheduled radio time of 08.45 Steve confirmed that they had been right in the middle of it with lightning flashes all around. This sea area along the Brazilian northeast coast, where the Amazon river discharges, is one of the worst coasts for sailing we have experienced. The winds are fickle, the sea is disturbed and difficult to sail in light winds, the air is hot and humid with much electricity and the sea temperature around 25C.
Eric