More beating against strong winds 42 49.2N: 35 02.5W
Ellatrout3
Tue 27 May 2014 19:36
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The weather still dominates my life, I know I keep
going on about it. I just looked back through the log and forgetting the first
10 days I have had winds of between 18 and 30 knots across the deck from the
west continuously for a week, and it has brought a lot of water across the deck
with it too! As we were on port tack this mornining I was able bale
out water from the bilges (can't get to it on starboard) you have to get
her leaning so the water runs to the starboard side to get to it through
one of the hatches. It's a hands and knees, bucket and sponge job. And as
I write it is absolutely throwing it down with rain, really torrential tropical
rain. ...............I'm back now; just had to drop everything and get my b oots
and waterproofs on because that rain brought a squall of wind. By the time I got
on deck she was well pressed over with her rail in the water, we were going
nicely with about 18 - 20 kots of wind, suddenly it was blowing 28 -30knots. It
has settled back to about 24kts now but I've kept my boots and trousers
on.
That's what I mean about this weather, it's
unrelenting and I culd really do with a bit of sun to get us dried out.
The whole boat is wet through, the sea has not come in butnevertheless
everything is wet.I'm getting short of dry clothing and my sleeping bag
could do with an airing, it is dry...............ish. Well we used to say
when we were racing Ella Trout II that "heaven is a damp sleeping bag"
which is true if you are desparately tired. My sleeping is not bad today as I
was only up once last night.
The one thing that is interesting in this weather
is the birds, they might be shearwaters, I'm not squre, they have long pointy
wings grey on top and white underneath and they glide very close to the surface
of the sea in the troughs of the waves; very skillful!
Hopefully sqomething better to report
tomorrow
Poppa/Dad/Roger
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