Day 22

Lowena
Michael & Amanda Dyer
Sun 9 Dec 2007 13:32
465NM to go. It still feels a long way especially as the last 24 hrs
have been a trial. Last night the squalls crept up to 30 knots and the
sheet on the flying yankee chaffed through at 0100-great. Mike & Adam
had to go forward and roll the thing up. We continued with one foresail
until light. In the meantime the seas have built up to horrible
proportions again. So comfort is not on the menu. We put the staysail
out again until this afternoon when we were making 3.5 knots. After
repairing the sheet, the second yankee is out again and we are making
good progress at 6.8 knots. Today is overcast and raining, so spirits
are not too high especially as everything is making a bid for the floor.
It is difficult to describe what it's like but I'll try, Wherever you
are you can't relax as you have to presuppose where you will be the next
instant, before you are, otherwise you too will end up on the floor. So
every chore is quite tiring. Lying down, you have to wedge yourself in
to stop from rolling around too much, sleep is for when you are totally
exhausted.