Times continue to be hard, continued. 39 14.3N: 53 11.0W sailed 2423 to 833
Ellatrout3
Fri 13 Jun 2014 19:14
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Wednesday 11th continued,
You probably realised I hadn't finish and something
had come up. It had: it was 10.30 local time and I thought I'd get the
blog off early but while I was writing I realised the wind was easing
sufficient to let the No.3 reef out. Unfortunately as I raised the
mainsail I noticed a rip in the sail by the No.3 reef point. I spent the
next two hours tied to mast sowing a repair that I hope will get me to
Newport.
A note for the sailors
My position in last nights gale was at the end of a
large eddy in the Gulf Stream 53W. It was 22.30 local time and I was
on starboard tack heading SW doing 4knots through the water and 6.5 over the
ground. The eddy was gradually swinging me from west to SW to south. So I
decided to tack back onto port and hopefully head somewhere near NW. NO!
the best heading I could get was NE AND only 1knot over the
ground!. I messed about for a bit, bear in mind its blowing 28 to 30
knots. So not wanting to be taken south and then possibly SE I sat it out
and crept very slowly NE and waited for the wind to change. It did at 05.30 and
I tacked back to a westerly heading.
Not surprising then that the sail was ripped the
following morning?
It was rough all day Thursday and, already tired
from the night before, I had no time to pick up my blog. However one good thing;
at 17.00 the wind swung round to the north and I had my first free sail, I
didn't have to beat against it! It blew all night at 18 knots and we headed
west,great! It was a beautiful moonlit night and the sea sparkled.
What a difference from the night before. It never ceases to amaze me how
the mood of the sea changes, and how quickly, those huge waves had smoothed
out so we were rolling along, not slamming into them.
Which reminds me; I was very sorry to hear from
Andy that he was giving up because of the slamming. Last night the slams
were violent and alarming. There are three types of slam for Ella
Trout:
Andy will have been experiencing all this in his
boat and I have every simpathy for him and quite understand his
feelings.
On that sad note I'll finish.
Love Poppa/Dad/Roger
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