N34:59:496 W51:48:962
Boat miles:- 709
Miles to go:- 1135
All along the waterline
The dogged crew
kept watch
Cresting waves were
approaching
Some squalls
and showers too.
Outside in the cold distance
A ragged wind began to howl
More cresting waves were
approaching
And a Shearwater or two?
(apologies to Bob)
Well we were told by the weather folks that we were
in rough weather for the next 24 hours and could expect big winds, showers and
squalls etc. As if we needed anymore. And we did. It got to the point, after 4
hissing sids deposited water all over me in the cockpit in less than 4 minutes
that we decided too heave to to get some rest, drink some hot chocolate and wait
for daylight - it was pitch black and we couldn't see the genoa at all. This
sort of worked in that the motion of the boat calmed down and we could get some
sleep. By first light the wind and sea had calmed somewhat so off we went once
more, heading east. Midnight at the heave-to - needed to get that one
in1
We were greeted a little later by a pod of small
grey spotted dolphins which is always a pleasant sight to lift the spirits. We
are sailing but hitting a lot of waves thrown up by last nights winds of up to
29 knots, so its noisy, not very quick and we are bouncing around all over the
place, but Vanessa is doing her stuff very well, thankfully. Things should calm
down a bit later today.......well, we are a little sceptical it must be said.
Things are beginning to dry out as we have a little sunshine at present. It
seems like Andromeda is gavotting today, though
she was pirouetting the other day according to Susan.
We are a little intrigued by the Shearwaters. We
invariably see two, rarely three, at a time wheeling and skimming the waves
whereever we are - but are they the same two or are we simply moving from one
area of the sea used for food hunting by one pair to another used by another?
Could one of them be the one that crash landed on us a while ago?
Curious.
Good news though - we completed over a third of the
trip now........
Andrew & Susan
S/V Andromeda
a.k.a. Dances with Waves