Blowing hard, Confused Seas and Queasy Stomachs

TravelingLight
Randall B Griepp
Wed 8 May 2013 04:09

27:24.719N 64:28.821W

Tuesday  May 7, 2013  11:30 pm

Blowing hard, Confused Seas and Queasy  Stomachs

The wind picked up just before dawn and gradually increased through the day. Southeast wind blowing hard 20-25 knots giving Traveling Light a thrilling ride. Time to make up for lost distance in the previous days’ light airs and lazy seas. Unfortunately the wind comes with a price, waves and swells. We are having a hell of a time trying to stand upright in the boat. The swells and the waves are coming from different directions and making the seas “confused”. The inside of the boat feels like being in the inside of a washing machine and that makes our semicircular canals really confused. We both got quite queasy this morning doing chores down below and decided not to do them for a while. The galley is a mess after my attempt to prepare dinner and I am not any better for that wasted effort. We put the second reef in the Mail Sail and rolled up the Jib 40% getting ready for the night. The seas seem to be moderating and the rolling feels little less or maybe I am getting used to it. The wind is still blowing hard and we are making 10- 14 knots with shortened sails. The GPS shows 298 miles left to Bermuda  and it calculates that it will take 34 hours and some minutes to get there if this wind holds…