Weekend in the Atlantic
Escapada
Andreas Haas
Sun 29 Nov 2009 03:21
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22.35.25N 032.59.61W
Wind from the E-NE at 20-25 knots and 2-3 meter high
waves are tossing ESCAPADA from side to side in a constant rolling
motion. On our sixth day at sea, it is
already difficult to remember what
it is like without the earth moving under your feet. The constant sway makes
washing, walking, cooking and eating quite challenging.
When you hear someone yell WAVE!!
you brace yourself wherever you are in anticipation and prepare to experience
the powerful surging force throwing the boat off
to the side. As the autopilot or
the Helmsman corrects to course you feel a surge in the
opposite direction. Trying to rest in these conditions
is a creative process. Simply
lying in a bunk is like a roller
coaster tossing you from side to side. To avoid this, we used our bags and spare
sails in the cabins to create little niches just wide enough
to lay in. Once you are in your
hole, it's just like rolling in your baby's
arms with the earth continuing to move.
In the typical seafaring tradition, no one has shaved
since leaving Las Palmas and we will not do so until our
arrival and finishing our well deserved
welcome Rum
Punch(es) on the Caribbean island
of St. Lucia. After a week, we are already starting to look quite
rough like Pirates of the Caribbean. The only
thing on our minds
is finding lost treasure,
drinking a bottle of Rum and getting home to our
women! Tanned, bearded,
fit, strong and ready to come
home having conquered the Atlantic
with stories to tell and pictures to show.
FOUR BUOYS IN A BOAT
   
THE GOOD
THE BAD
THE UGLY
THE HAPPY
Under the threat of being yelled at and deprived of food
and water by the Captain if we don't go fast enough, the crew have
strenuously maintained a consistent
average speed of just under 8 knots SOG and so we are determined to
make it to St. Lucia in about 12 more days when we will throw the Captain
overboard and go
drink beer.. We've traveled
over 180 nautical miles in the last 24 hours leaving us only
1727 left to go. Almost one-third of our journey is
already completed.
As a usual routine of maintenance on ESCAPADA, we do a
daily rig check. This involves checking everything that can wear out, go
bad or break creating danger and
ruining our happy days in paradise.
Anytime multiple tons of weight exerted by waves
and wind constantly beat the boat, safety is foremost on the Skipper's
mind.
   "MOSES
THE RIGGER" READY TO
WORK REPAIRING
THE
MAINSAIL
CHECKING LINES FOR CHAFE
It's late in the night. The first squalling rain just
passed and it is quiet again. Time to get in my niche and sleep to the lullaby
of the rolling waves and singing wind.
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