Thursday, May 14, 2009

Tale of Two Watches

It was the best of watches, followed by the worst of watches.  The evening started off with a star strewn sky with no ambient light disturbing the dazzling show.  Jay watched the moon rise shortly after 11 pm.  All were mesmerized by the cloudless sky and the brilliant show of stars.  There was so little wind that we started the engine.  When DT got off watch at 6 am, she noted some building clouds to the east.  Ten minutes later, Jay, the new watch captain,  was slammed with winds in the 30's and pouring rain.  His light weather foulies were inadequate and water seeped through his clothing. The seas rose and began smashing into the boat and soaking everything in sight.  Water even made its way below and soaked two of the bunks.  The contrast was startling.  We went from wishing that the sailing would continue forever to counting the seconds before we reach land.
 
It is 1605 and we are reporting in form 29 42.324N  64 07.621W.  We are approximately 165 miles from Bermuda.  We are running on a combination of sail and motor.  The main has two reefs and we have the staysail up.  The seas remain rough, but the wind has abated to around 20 knots.  A shift of wind to the northeast has slowed our progress to our destination.  There is a slight current to running to the west.  The only safe position in the cabin is either prone on a bunk or hanging on to the railings.  Needless to say, food consumption has been minimal.  The sun is shining now, and the clouds are gone. We hope that the waves will follow the example of the clouds and disappear.  Stay tuned.  Team Welcome.

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