3rd position report
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Tue 12 Jun 2007 04:23
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Cocos Keeling to Saloman,
Chagos
3rd position report
8:12S 83:03E
0900hrs 12th June
Well if any readers were misguided enough to envy
us you can think again. After my last report things changed. The sky
went grey, the wind variable in strength and in direction. The rain just
fell out of the sky in a way that the average Australian farmer can only dream
about. First we had a big shock when out of the gloom on this supposedly
empty bit of the ocean a large tanker crossed our bows less than a mile
off. A very polite Indian type voice asked on the radio if we were
alright '...as the weather is very nasty'. We were running before about 25
knots at the time. He was plugging into it sending huge waves almost back
to his bridge. We assured him we were. He was bound for
Brisbane. After a miserable night we then received a forecast from the
French centre in Mauritius telling us of a low to the north of us but it was not
due to produce much wind. Late cyclones were not mentioned.
However the wind rose and rose and the barometer
plummeted and with two reefs and a rolled genoa we were doing constantly over 10
knots. We rolled away the genoa and unfortunately managed to tear the
mainsail while lowering it. The motion was very large and erratic.
With just the staysail we surfed off at up to 8 knots but feeling much more
comfortable. At least the boat was. We shall I just say were not
feeling constipated. Thank goodness the French were right and after about
eight hours the barometer showed signs of rising and the wind slowly fell
away. We tried sailing with just the genoa but the motion was awful so
with one of us propping the other we managed to put sticky patches on both sides
of the rip in the main and as I write it has been up all night. Last night
we were so tired we just left the boat to her own devices most of the time and
watched on radar as rain shower after rain shower came up behind us. We
hardly noticed the half way point in this passage which we had been looking
forward to celebrating with some good food and a little good wine.
The above is a very shortened version of the last
60 odd hours. As I write the sun has peeked through the grey matter
although it does not look as if it will stay long. The sweat is running
off me and onto the computer and we are doing about six knots with a lot of
banging and clattering from the mast and sails. We need to do just 6.5 to
save a night at sea in four (?) five nights time.
We do not ask nor expect sympathy as it is our
choice that we are here. What I can say is that it will take more than
wild horses to drag either of us anywhere near the parts of the world that have
convergence zones again. I will end up with a quote form Rod Heikell who
is the author of 'the Indian Ocean Cruising guide'. ...the effect on
moral of the crew when sailing in a convergence zone should not be
underestimated..'
Cheers
David
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