Bay of Bengal - Day 1
Jackamy
Paul & Derry Harper
Mon 3 Jan 2011 14:08
|
07:44.085N 095:42.747E
Monday 3rd January
We eventually left the anchorage around
10:30, and would you believe it we sailed out. With 15-20 knots from the east,
right behind us we had the downwind rig set and we were flying along doing
between 8 and 9 knots. Expecting it to die any minute as it had done with boats
who left the previous day we were pleasantly surprised when it didn't. The seas
picked up and we had a swell making us rock from side to side but we were still
maintaining high speeds. If it stayed like this we'd be in for a quick crossing.
We began picking our way through the boats who had left earlier in the day,
Aspen, Enchantress and Sol Maria and we were joking that we'd be in within a few
days, but still we expected to lose the wind and have to resort the
engine. As the day progressed our speed did reduce to 7 and 8 knots but we were
still happy, or as happy as can be when you're rolling all over the
place.
  Zipping along with the twin
headsails and main
Night time came and as usual the seas
appeared to increase in size, in actual fact we think it's just the darkness
makes you lose your senses and it appears worse than it is. The dark night did
however bring some big clouds, some with rain and others just with squally winds
but unfortunately there was no moon, so we couldn't see a thing other than Blue
Magic and Sol Maria's lights a few miles behind us.
It was a night with very little sleep. The
main must have been in and out about 6 times, the poles were changed from port
to starboard and back again, the boom was out and then it was in again, the wind
was shifting from south to north to east, it disappeared completely as we sat in
the centre of a storm and then some squalls were bringing 35 knots of
wind. We were on our toes all night! It was around 3 am when Paul said 'enough
is enough, the sails stay as they are, if the wind changes so be it, it'll be
dealt with in the morning'. He needed sleep and could not spend the entire night
changing the rig every half an hour.
|