Friday update
Seafeverofcrinan
Sat 16 Jun 2018 05:07
Sorry we didn’t include a lat long yesterday as we leave this til sending, and it got forgotten. Suffice it to say we are making roaring progress at about 20% quicker than expected due to strong winds. We passed Bear Island this morning, I was awoken from my sleep around 11 am and I have to say it was a bit underwhelming ...a distant outline of a craggy island, but at least I have seen it. All the work I did on anchorages may be useful on the way home!
The wind has been increasing all day with an average of 25 knots (force 6) and plenty of gusts of at least 30 knots (force 7) so we are getting enough exercise with 6 hours helming a day each. We are on a broad reach now which is easier than earlier this morning when it was a close reach and the waves seemed much bigger.
We have had lots of fulmars around us, and a stray swift like bird with a russet head took shelter on board for a while, perching down below on the shelf and then under the coach roof. He looked tired and bedraggled but eventually flew off.
Food, though I say it myself, has continued good, with porridge for breakfast, eggy bread for elevenses and yellow cauliflower lentil soup for lunch. I’ll have a kip now but hopefully the chick pea dal and rice will do for dinner. Galley work is challenging in these conditions but luckily I had done some prep and the pressure cooker is excellent. Peter always manages to finish up the leftovers.
2200 (Lizzie)
Drama on board has increased significantly since last writing. Wind picked up, sea state turned horrible (technical term?) and the horizon (best cure for seasickness) disappeared. Lizzie managed 20 minutes if her watch before getting scared and going back to bed. Peter and Dad took turns fighting the elements while Mum assured Lizzie that the boat would probably not capsize…
Unfortunately Dad got caught by a wave and landed with his back on the corner of the stern locker so had to retire. Mum took over and Lizzie managed to pull herself together enough to find some ibuprofen and read a few medical manuals, all of which offered the very useful advice of calling 999. Luckily he seemed to recover somewhat.
Conditions have improved slightly but still feel pretty bad from here. Mum and Peter are being heroes on deck while Dad and Lizzie feel sorry for themselves down below.
2300 (Mum/ Virginia)
Lizzie has just taken over from me and I’m warming up in her bed. She cooked us dinner (dal and rice) and administered to Dad, even filling in an accident form, as prescribed by Lorna and the Wilderness medical course I did. Steering was challenging for a while but it’s moderated enough now to be manageable. Patrick has had a drug induced sleep (cocodamol not tramadol) and seems to be recovering slightly. I’ll try again for that kip mentioned earlier which didn’t quite happen.
76:24.3 N 15:18.8 E at 0700 June 16 th
20 M off the coast of Sorkapland sadly can’t see it, planning to head for landfall in Bellsund