Day 13 Noon Position 16:48.186N 48:26.540W
SeaTrek
Bill and Judy Stellin
Thu 13 Dec 2007 16:50
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We continue to be rocked by rain squalls. All last
night, and all today. In fact for the last several days, these little rain
cells pop up and bedevil us.
We are sore, battered and bruised just about
everywhere. It is like being on a bucking bronco and getting bucked off
every 10 minutes, day after day.
Who ever said this is a milk run is nuts. This is
the hardest sailing for the longest sustained time we've ever done. Winds
have never been less than 20 knots and most of the time they are 25 knots with
gust to 35. This means innumerable sail combination changes.
Each little rain squall requires powering down for the
inevitable gust and then powering up for the lull.
It isn't just a matter of sail trim, it means
rolling up the genoa, reefing the main, unrolling the genoa, shaking out the
reef, changing the pole from the port to starboard side of the boat etc.
Most of the time these changes can take at least half an hour.
We have heard of at least 2 ARC boats that have been abandoned for various reasons and one of them is drifting right along our track. Chances are probably one in a million we will see it. Got to make this one short because the squalls are upon us
again and I have to be on deck.
Alls well aboard.
2035 non stop miles on the log and 648 more to go.
Our best 24 hour run 0800 to 0800 was 182 miles today. At
least these conditions are proving to be fast.
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