Bawean to Kumai, Kalimantan
Gaviota
Wed 12 Oct 2016 07:55
002:44.58S 111:43.87
We
motored out of Bawean at first light and immediately got the mainsail up –
there was a nice sailing wind blowing so out went the genoa and we got off to a
great start sailing a nice reach at 7 knots.
We could see black clouds ahead but thought it would just be a rainy
squall which we would pass through quickly – not to be! I had read reports of sorcerers and magicians
living on Bawean and I think they may have been casting their spells to try and
make us stay!!!!!! As we neared the
ever growing black cloud bank the wind increased, the sea was being whipped up
into standing waves and the wind got stronger.
Gaviota lent over and as the wind increased to 20-30 knots we reduced
the genoa. We were hurtling along at 8+
knots and we put a reef in the mainsail.
The wind went from North East to North West and the seas built up. We tacked as we were being blown way off
course and had to beat into very nasty seas.
The waves piled over the bow and were dropping straight into the
cockpit, you had to duck each time a wave crashed in and we were soaked. During all this I realised we had left the 2
cowels (which should let air into the boat) at the front turned the wrong way
so they were facing the onslaught of green water which was crashing over the
bow. I could see water cascading into
the front cabin but there was nothing we could do as brave Gaviota lurched over
each new wave. This was more than a
minor squall and had not been mentioned on the weather forecast we had got the
day before. Where had it come from with
such ferocity that it had missed being spotted by satellite????
This
relentless barrage of salt water and wind continued for what seemed like the
whole day then started to ease a little as evening came. We were both exhausted but by 9.00pm Syd managed to get a couple of hours sleep as
things had started to calm down. By
1.00am the wind had died and the motor went on as we were way off course.
We had a
casualty the Turin Shroud was now ripped beyond repair and was a potential
hazard as it could get itself wrapped around something and cause a lot of
damage – there was no choice it had to come down – it had done it’s final
sail!!!!!
