Parked
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Wed 2 Dec 2009 07:26
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I was devastated tonight when I finally
conceded to switch on the ngine for a few hours when our spinaker finally hung
limply around the forestay for a couple of hours. We used the time to go for a
swim over the side and get a game of scrabble played but by 1800 ships time (we
are now on Antigua time) we put on the engine. We now have 8 knots of wind
again but will need 10+ before i will revert to sail. It has made our (extremely
enjoyable) but frustrating crossing all the more so when we have been looking
each day at the weather the ARC have been getting and we had already worked out
that this would be one of their fastet crossings - Oh well what goes around
comes around! We will have our day. This thing really is all about expectation
management as I had at all times told everyone 18 days, but secretly was
expecting 15 days. I am happy that our strategy was right given our
departure day but the early forecast winds did not materialise. We got
below 16 looking for them! Of course looking at the forecast wall to wall 20
knot NE for the next week I am considering making a U turn or parking till
they arrive so we can share some of the fun. We should get a bit on Thursday....
Oh well if I get everyone safely across and has enjoyed the passage I will
have met priority number one - so far so good, and our 11 straight 200 mile plus
days are a small consolation.
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