Friday 19th February: Voyage part two.
Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Fri 19 Feb 2016 18:49
The second part of our voyage had begun well with a fine afternoon becoming a misty but moonlit evening and we were swishing along on a reach doing about 6.5 Knots under full sail.In all very nice conditions.
But at around 3am it began to get awfully dark and then lightning began and the heavens opened. The wind stayed light but coming in gusts from all directions so we put the jibs away and the engine on and just motored slowly SSW. The inside of a thunderstorm at sea is pitchy black between the lightning flashes and the flashes just scary. James turned on the radar and we could see the rain and the extent of the storm as it happened, most interesting. After two hours, it now being the start of James's watch, the rain stopped and we restored full sail.
The following morning we dried out and settled into the routine, coffee, breakfast and the walk round the decks to inspect all the fittings, ropes etc. Fiona was sitting writing her diary on the back deck as we merrily bowled along in a force 4 SE wind and it was idyllic sailing again.
But behind us was a black cloud. 10 minutes later it took up the whole of the horizon behind us and then there was a sudden gust of cool air. That was all the warning that we got - the anemometer started rising from 10 knots, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35 at which point we no longer had time to look. By now it was a full gale and we had to leap to the controls. It took both of us to reef the main (3 reefs) and put away the yankee while hand steering since the electric auto helm couldn't cope. But this time the wind, although stronger, was always from the NE so in the right direction at least and we could bear away down wind to ease the pressure on the roller-furling and so get the yankee in. We continued hand steering for the next hour or so until it moderated to a F6.
What we had not fully appreciated at night is the lack of visibility due to the rain. It sheets down. It hurts actually on bare flesh (we find being mostly undressed the best way to cope in rain). The suddenness of the arrival of tropical squalls is mentioned in all sailing manuals but has to be experienced first hand to really appreciate.
The rain and wind went on for the best part of two and a half hours then the wind died down to the prevailing SE F3 - 4 it had been but leaving a very confused sea and we are now rolling about in a slop. We are therefore currently motor-sailing our way SSW at around 4.5 knots which is fine and charges the batteries etc so isn't a problem. We suppose that this alternation of good sailing weather and squalls will continue for some time yet, maybe another 24-48 hrs. We've done nearly 1200 miles of the 2100 or so, so are a bit more than half way. The next waypoint is 8° 30'S, 30° W and is about 400 miles away. All in all we've had a very good passage so far.