Day 36
leeonsea
Lee Price
Wed 2 Jul 2008 18:02
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N45.45.95 W015.01.76
Heading 060T
I can't tell you what the wind speed has been
today, it's all over, veering, backing, up and down. I can do nothing right. I
didn't manage the headsail last night and just carried on with 3 reefs in the
main.
This morning about 0600 I tried a little
headsail but the seas were still big and every time I scewed down the back of a
wave it knocked the wind out of it and the whole rig shuddered. Then there are
the squawls, you can do nothing but sit them out with shardes of icey rain
coming into the cockpit.
Later I tried again, things are moderating slowly,
I got the 2nd reef in, then the first and I had a bit of headsail out again but
still the seas all over the place and so is the wind. I've got the
directional stability of a 2 wheeled tricycle. No mater what I've done, within
minutes it's wrong. I stood it from about 11 till 3 and made a good 6kts,
fighting for it all the way, but it's bloody cold out there and in the end I got
fed up and pulled it away again. It's been in and out so many times and I
can't seem to get it right enough that I can leave it alone for any
time.
Now, presently, I've tried again and touch wood
things are holding ok with just a tiny bit out. We'll see, the seas moderated a
little more too which has helped though the occasional rogue is still coming
hard over the beam and getting everything very wet.
I did think earlier that this is when you really
want a proper suite of sails instead of one big rolled up one. At least then I
could set the storm or working jib and it would hopefully deal a little better
than the Headsail which when you only have a little out, you can't get any
shape to or get it in tight.
I suppose under normal circumstances though you
wouldn't go sailing in this, so for 99% of the time a roller headsail is
fine. In fact, this is the only day in 36 sailing days when I've had wind that
was below gale force and still not been able to use it properly.
Couple of decent sailing weather days wouldn't go a
miss. Maybe tomorrow when this sea has settled a bit and with luck the wind has
become more steady, though you know the way it goes, it'll be just that
only it'll have veered to the NE.
L.
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