Life at an angle
Purple Mist
Skipper: Kate Cope
Wed 26 Jun 2019 10:01
The boat is trucking along with 1 reef in the main and the reefed J2 =J3. The wind is forecast to be 30kts+ by 4pm so we are ready for up the 3 reefs in the main and to switch to the J4 .
I’m currently lying in my cabin wedged up against the side wall as it’s one of the few comfy places you don’t need effort to brace yourself . It’s fairly noisy and bouncy. Along with a lot of sloshing of water there is a constant low rumble and then every now and again there is a huge bang as she launches and flies off a wave. Then a big splash as water hits the coach roof and drenched the helm. This banging we will be keeping to a minimum as I really don’t like to think the stresses it puts on the boat . I’m reliably told it’s fine by those in the know but I rather like my new boat so I’m trying to be a bit kind to her.
Other than cling on tight and progressively make the sails smaller there is not too much else to do . George the Autopilot is steering well and doesn’t mind getting soaked by waves. On the other hand I’m a bit fed up of being damp all the time and looking forward to drying out.
I’ve not downloaded where we are yet today I the rankings. I was sad to hear fellow Sunfast Je Vole has retired. Last I saw we were 6th in class and 9th on Line Honours. We still have Polished Manx on Ais along with a load of fishing vessels.
Last night I heard Falmouth coastguard in the radio for the first time which was a warning touch.
Finally an update on the stars. Thanks to Tessa and Andy for suggesting some stars to locate.i think I managed to find the so called Summer triangle of Deneb, Vega and Altair. The star that we thought was Venus we think now is Altair. I also found Ursa Minor which is a little plough near Polaris , similar shape to the Normal plough Ursa Major. I was ready to branch out into Arcturus and Spica but it was too cloudy last night and so they kept disappearing on me. It was good fun though trying to steer the boat, go fast , avoid fishing vessels, identify stars and keep track of Polished Manx. Good job I can multitask.
