13-12-07 Ships Log
Rebel T
Tim Walsh
Thu 13 Dec 2007 21:40
So here we are again. Today has been 25-30knts with gusts a bit above that,
we are flying a genoa with one reef, overnight we had 2 reefs, we have
averaged 7kts for the last 24hrs almost down the rhumline, ie direct to St
Lucia.
As I write this we have "Smoke and Oakum" blaring out of the speakers. It is
the rousing battle music from Master and Commander.
Today started with glorious dawn, which I believe Jeff is processing now
ready to post on the site.
We did have some stiff old weather this morning, Ant and jeff got it full
on. The wind went from 20 knots to 38 again in about 5 seconds, with it came
terrific rain which soaked the pair of them to the skin whilst they reefed
another roll in the sail.
Hey! thats show biz!!
The remainder of the day was about the size of the waves, they really are
something else. I don't know how to judge their size, but they are
alarming. they roll up in gangs of seven, real bully boys, the boat lifts up
and up...and up. At the top you can see for miles, but the boat sinks into
the crest and then screws round and slides pell-mell down the face a little
asquew, the sail pulls it square and we hare off down the face at anything
from 12 to 16knts. We get to the bottom , but just before we slam into the
trough, the wave overtakes us and up we go and back over the crest. This
happens about every 20 or so waves.
We have had the decks awash from both sides at once, at first it was
alarming, but now we are used to it.
When you study what actually happens, the boat sinks into the top of the
wave as it goes over its back. It sinks until it settles in solid water
about 3 feet below the white horse. This leaves us at the top of the wave,
but awash. When you are below looking out, the whole of the deck is awash
and you think youv'e just sunk!!!, the boat lurches one way or another as
the wave passes under us and up we come. The angle off horizontal that we
lurch to is only 25-30 degrees at most, so the sensation of being wrenched
over is false. But spectacular none the less.
We had a hatch open this morning and so Anthony had a wet bed and teddy,
Yes, he has had a litle teddy in his bedroom all this time!! Yes! it is
attached as a photo!.
We were also sailed paseed by a magnificent classic yacht of 130 feet. It is
bound for Martinique and left Tennerife on the 1st of Dec. It is going to
the classic race week, then will sail back to the mediteranean for the
summer season. It had a carbon wishbone rig and looked absolutely
spectacular as it passed by.
It is however, amasing that in all this ocean we should pass with a hundred
yards of each other!!. It was a happy experience, we waved at each other and
spoke over the VHF, but had this happened at night without the benefit of
visual judgment it would have been altogether different.
"Gertha 4" our comrades Simon and Andrew arrived today and CatmanDo is due
in any moment. We hope to arrive about mid day tomorrow, we go over and over
the maths, dividing 161 by 6, then 7, then 6.5 etc to work out how many
hours at what speed. In the end we will arrive between lunch and evening,
depending on our speed overnight.
Most of us are looking forward to getting there, Trevor says he wishes it
wasn't all over so soon.
I have mixed feelings....As skipper I am glad that it looks as though we
will get there without mis-hap. That cannot be so until we get there, so
part of me wants to be there. I will mean that we did the thing safely and
that to me will constitute success. So I will enjoy it better once we arrive
and can relax.
But then from the start, I suspected that the enjoyment for me would be he
project completed , part, for me, was to do it again, but perhaps the
bigger part was to have done it again. Twice can't be chance, it must be
judgment.
I find I do many things not for the enjoyment of doing them, but for the
enjoyment of having done them. Strange perhaps, but true.
We are playing Neil Young, "Unplugged" is that cool?, or what?...probably
"Or what"!!
Lunch was a success today, we had frankfurters in long crusty rolls. Well,
just the word "Frankfurter" makes everyone giggle. Well, it does on this
boat!!
The ration was two each, Trevor opted to save his second frankfurter for his
night watch? well!...I mean...come on..endless hours of giggling ensued. A
component of the crew stole Trevor's frankfurter and made it into a little
man for him. A picture is attached!!
I think that is about it, we are all having a shower tonight as we have run
the water maker for 4 hours today whilst charging the batteries. All clean
for St Lucia!!
Colette and Radka are already there so it will be great to see them again.
A few days off, then some "partying" then off for a slow boat through the
Grenadines and The Royces for New Year...but more of that later.
Tim XXX