Or as one of my crew quipped – Beltana had its own Shakespearean
reenactment last night – to the script of The Tempest!
We were having a lovely sail (skipper tucked up in bed), Two reefs in the
main – gennie poled out but with a few furling wraps already taken in – 14-16
knots, moving along at 6-7 knots. The night is black, and I mean black –
really black – full clouds, no moon struggling through, no stars for the last
three nights, the sea is black and you cant pick a horizon, even with the
instrument lights on you cannot see the deck up front, or the sails, I mean
everything was black.
First a rainny bit hit and the boys wondered whether any other weather
change would hit, didn’t have to wonder long..... the wind then escalated to 20
odd knots and then gusted up further, skippers instruction were to take a good
furl of the gennie if the wind became over 22 knots, so they started to furl
away, well too much sail got away and as well as furling the sail wrapped itself
around at the top ini the strong wind, so we had a bit of a wine glass effect
and it seemed like all hell broke loose with gusty winds and genoa not fully
under control. By now everyone is on deck and the rail lashes down and the
wind howls through the rigging (slight exaggeration here by me but the prose
sounds great – it really was not that strong), the skipper struggles up on
deck after awaking from sleep in just board shorts and life jacket, we cant furl
and we cant unfurl from the cockpit, we struggle to keep the boat heading down
wind to shield the genoa from most of the wind, skipper goes to foredeck to have
closer look with the deck lights now burning and finds the sail has wrapped
tight over the sheets that have been wrapped around the bottom part of the
gennie while furling.
We wait
We wait a little longer thinking what to do
The wind abates down to 16 knots
Johnny come to the foredeck to help
Call for slack and pull the sheets down a bit but they jam
We get the boat hook out of the forepeak
Johnny get up on the first rail of the pulpit (we are all clipped on with
our harness to the jack lines of course)
Skipper holds onto him
Can’t quite reach
Johnny goes to top of pulpit and wants to climb the sail/forestay (a born
climber can’t help himself)
Skipper says no, but hangs onto his leg pressing against the sail
Johnny reaches the sail wrap and is able to lever and flick it around the
stay
We then can pull on the sheets and they come free
Before you know it the sail unwraps
The cockpit crew pull the sheets free and then quickly furl the genoa
properly
All is well
Breath a sigh of relieve
Wait a while (short)
Start engine, head into wind a bit
Reef the main to the third reefing point
off wind again
settle
Boat speed down to 4.5 knots
Still raining lots
we settle further
Two crew down for kip
Staysail out for a bit more umph
lovely sailing again except for the rain (yuk)
Skipper back to bed for an hour until his watch starts
All good rest of night......
Morning come slowly
boat survey – no damage
Shake out a reef for daylight running
Pole out the gennie again
Boat speed back up to 8 knots
St Lucia here we come
Day Fifteen starts