It's going to be a slog.
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Sun 19 Jun 2011 08:32
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Sunday 19 June 1207 Local Time 0807
UTC
24:00.98S 049:49.96E
The GRIB forecast has been failrly accurate, though
in general and as normal gradient winds are a little stronger than the GRIB from
time to time. There were also heavy and large squalls all through the
night.
We have been close reaching in 20 - 25 knots
for the last 18 hours. The wind is just now starting to back slightly as
forecast but our boat speed just increases, currently doing 9.5 knots and
the apparent wind moves forward so it still feels like a close
reach!
To the south of Madagascar there is a big weather
system passing through and its south westerly winds and the prevailing
conditions to the south have driven a big
souwesterly sea all the way to where we are. That means we are constantly taking
big waves over the bow and the deck is getting scrubbed by one big exploding
white water roller after another. Sometimes these are rolling right over the
coach roof leaving only the sprayhood tp protect the cockpit. Nevertheless
Rhiann Marie seems for now to be able to drive through them and our speeds are
keeping up. A bit like white water rafting really...... We have a
heavily reefed jib and a reefed main eased well out.
Sleep is hard to find but the wind conditions look lighter tomorrow so if the seas to the
south of Madagascar have settled a little then maybe......
Taking some rest below while Craig is in the
cockpit is new for me in these conditions. Having done so many miles on Rhiann
Marie I am finely tuned to every noise and movement and even if I am sleeping I
wake at the slightest unusual noise. Like someone else sheeting in or easing
out. A rattle or some such thing in the wrong place, a queer motion. This makes
it difficult for Craig as every time he trims sail or some such thing, a shout
from below comes - "everything all right".
Another feature of this honing of the senses and
the tuning of me to the boat over the thousands of miles, is the judgement of
speed. You may find this hard to believe but lying down in the cckpit with my
eyes closed I can judge the speed of the boat - nine times out of ten to within
0.1 or 0.2 decimal points of a knot! Strange.
Sitting here at the chart table watching the waves
break over the bows and the raging torrent of white water rolling down the
leeward deck immediately out side my window is impressive - however at this
angle more than a little uncomfortable for the back!
Monday & Tuesday bring us the challege of
trying to thread our way between the first deep low coming our way and the big
turbulent seas to the south of Madagascar.
It's going to be a slog but hey ho!
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