Atlantic Ocean Day 2 Noon Position 21:07.790N 66:44.065W
SeaTrek
Bill and Judy Stellin
Sat 3 May 2008 19:30
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This is one wet and miserable ride. Day one was
beautiful. Winds of 10-15 kts on a beam reach. Sea were 1-3 ft. Today, it
has been one squall after another with winds regularly between 20-30 kts and
mountainous seas. To make it worse, there is a very large swell from the
north from some left over storm hundreds of miles from here, and then there are
the wind waves from our present weather coming out of the east. When the
two collide with us, all hell breaks loose.
Luckily, nothing has broken on the boat or on
us.
One good thing is that we are making very good time.
After 31 elapsed hours, we've come 235 miles. Our noon to noon distance
was a very good 185 miles. Our average speed is 7.5 kts although that
will drop because we've slowed the boat down due to breaking seas
that hit us on the beam like a Mack. The elusive 200 miler for one day is
still lurking out there.
Because of the conditions, which are really shi--y, it
looks like we will skirt the Bahamas and then try to ride the Gulf Stream up the
East Coast.
The weather is supposed to improve and have winds out of
the ESE, but not before Monday. In the meantime, it will probably be
isolated thunderstorms, winds in the 20's with a little north in them.
Bad. From what people tell us, this has been the worst weather
in the Caribbean anyone can ever remember. One more nail in its coffin as
far as I am concerned.
Judy and I have not had much sleep because the boat needs
so much sail handling attention. We've gone from a full main and genoa to
every combination of reef that exists for two sails. In these winds, it is
back-breaking work and it has been constant.
We try to rest off watch, but it is always
interrupted because of a sail change or because the boat is rolling so much and
it is so noisy, it is impossible to sleep
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