Stormy weather
Oriole
Sat 15 Dec 2007 21:35
Deshaies, Guadaloupe. 16:18.46N
61:47.86W
The honeymoon is over and the gentle motor-sailing
to Bequia is a distant memory. From Bequia north we have had nothing below
20 knots and the seas have been getting gradually bigger and the number of boats
foolish enough to be out there has dwindled to a trickle. From Martinique
to Dominica the seas were enormous and the wind never dropped from 25-28 knots
with higher gusts, and Oriole seemed to resemble a submarine at times.
We didn't see much sun yesterday until
we were in the lee of Guadaloupe.
Yesterday the French forecasters in Martinique were
describing the seas as 'dangereuse' with winds up to 40 knots in squalls.
However the maternal instinct to see her
offspring has not until today been diminished and we set off again from
Dominica to Guadaloupe. We had some spectacular rainsqualls but the seas in the
relatively sheltered water remained benign and the 40 knots did not
materialise.
There was no shortage of wind in the
lee of Guadaloupe and the sea sparkled.
Last night in the shelter of Deshaies it
never stopped raining and the wind has been blowing constantly at 30
knots for most of the day. The rain has been due to a little local
disturbance, but the wind is being generated by high pressure just to the north
of us - typical of the winter weather pattern but just a little earlier and more
violent than usual. This evening we have a clear blue sky, but it is
still blowing old boots and we are staying right here inspite of any maternal
instincts until the wind moderates and the seas go down a bit for the sail to
Antigua. Incidently we have not been ashore since we left Trinidad last
Sunday!
The new computer (centre stage) is
getting a day off from navigational duties and is on communications and
photograhpy.