Raritan - 12/5/18 – Day 11 – More drama

After a night of light, shifty winds, Wednesday Dec. 5th opened with cloudy skies and rain lurking behind us. After a few light douses, we were treated to a proper squall while sailing with a full main and Code 0. The wind built too quickly to shorten sail, and the sheet on the Code 0 snapped in a gust. Ian donned a harness, affixed the spinnaker halyard to it, and we hoisted him up the forestay with a new sheet. We were back on our way in no time.

After the line a squalls blew through, a new more favorable wind set in, and we sailed off again toward St. Lucia under reefed main and jib. After an uneventful afternoon of good sailing, we had a difficult night at the helm, with rain squalls, gusts into the high 20s, no stars to steer by and large, steep swell. Each of us breathed a sigh of relief upon coming off watch.

Matt