DAY 16 - Rollercoaster

Ugcxatlantic
Sat 6 Dec 2008 11:41
15:19.40N 44:17.80W
Early morning Day 16.
Finally, it seems that we have made it through this massive low
pressure area with the unstable conditions, regards to both wind strength and
its direction. We have been working the squalls for two days and nights and
heavens sluices have allowed for the rain to just pour down. However, this
last night we again saw the stars on the sky and the moon also reappeared
(in fact it was 4-5 days ago but covered by a carpet of dark clouds). We
took during the previous 24 hours 200-250 mm of rain.
Fortunately, last night we could only enjoy the light orchestra of the
intensive thunder and lightening in the far distance (flashing every 2-3
seconds like we were enveloped in 2 nights back) but now we sail away and
put a distance to it. A relief.
It's warm, it has been impossible to get anything dry - everyone is
constantly damp, and everything you sit or lie on is damp too. Cooking turns the
place underdeck into a steam room - sleeping is difficult, also because of
the bumpy waves and sideways rolling, but we catch up sleep when there is a
chance to (the writer had a nap last afternoon at the helm - on
duty. Thanks, autopilot). The genova was down and we had to accept the wind from
straight behind unless we would be too much out of target course. It turned
the yacht into a rollercoaster. The previous night we gathered all on
deck from 4 am to help with sail trimming, reefing and soforth. Couldn't
sleep anyway. Extended coffee break.
Despite our enclosed environment, the team members are
pretty happy although the last 5-6 days have been frustrating working hard
with the squalls in between the lazy hours. Many thoughts have
been through our minds, - will we miss our flight return date and
rejoining families before Xmas, why did we volunteer for this mission, and when
will it end...?
We have now received positive weather reports from this weekend onwards.
Light breeze in a favorable direction, assumed to pick up
strength from Sunday/Monday and we look forward to the last week,
should hopefully be a rally to the final line in French Martinique. We
have all accepted that we have to spend another week and a day or
two at sea. By falling south, as we have been doing lately, we prepare for a
tactically better angle to the (anticipated) wind direction the last 1000 miles.
We passed this psychologically important milestone last night 3 am while
the new moon, looking like a lazy hammock, went to rest in the sea,
west ahead of us.
At this moment the sun is arising up from the horizon. Today is the day to
put all clothes out for sun drying; bed clothes, T-shirts, sweaters,
underwear, you name it.
Our log last two days is slightly improving (considering no fuel
compensation) though we are far away from the original scheduled daily rate
(optimistically 150 nm):
Day 15 expected 116 nm
Day 14 112 nm
Current actual: 1822 nm
Previous:
Day 13 103 nm
Day 12 118 nm
Day 11 103 nm
Day 10 118 nm
Day 9 113 nm
Day 8 117 nm
Day 7 127 nm
Day 6 118 nm
Day 5 150 nm
Day 4 137 nm
Day 3 100 nm
Day 2 120 nm
Day 1 170 nm
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