What a Gal!
Salsa af Stavsnas
Ellinor Ristoff Staffan Ehde
Wed 12 Dec 2012 22:24
Last night was the first night that our sleep
cycles and watch got totally messed up.
It all started with two squalls that passed on both
sides of the boat and I smiled and thanked mother fortune.
Next I see on radar is not a squall but a wall, an
entire front.
So i keep the genua reefed after being prepared for
the squalls and decide to start the engine to keep us moving.
There is hardly no wind in front of the front. The
propulsion does not create any movement of the boat and I wake up
Ellinor.
She drives and I check the aft of the boat and
realize that our problem child Hydrowane wind rudder is messing up itself in the
waves. Has nothing to do with the engine but is an important issue for the
boat.
We have to get the rudder off again! Now in
darkness and big waves pounding on the boat. The weather front moving
closer.
I get harness and life west (old fasion, already
ready), and get down and manage to get the rudder off, it feels like working in
an elevator running in a waterfall.
Up we go and the propeller problem remains,
we put reverse gear and then forward, it works!
Then the front came, and it came hard! Gale winds
up to 39 knots and it rained, and rained, and rained!
To make a long night short, Ellinors comment was
good this morning: - everything was under control, but I need some
sleep.
If you look at the tracker and see a funny track
from last night, going south for a while, it's us, running with the
gale.
According to the weather forecast our area will
have a nasty weather pattern building up tomorrow, so we are going as fast as
possible south west. There will be a big thunder and lightning show for whomever
wants to be here.
The kids have been extremely helpful today, taking
care of themselfes when we have tried to catch up our sleep.
The boat is nice and clean and all the salt is
gone...
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