I may have
confused the SITREPs (SITREP 17 accompanies this one) but this has been nothing
like as confusing as the weather!
During the last
24 hours, we have been through the longest and hardest deluge of persistent rain
that any of us have ever experienced, accompanied by the longest and most vivid
lightning show that any of us have ever experienced. During these storms, the
winds have randomly switched direction, boxing the compass as they did so, and
varied in strength from less than five to gusts of more than 40 knots. At
various points thunder has accompanied the almost continuous lightning.
Throughout it all, the crew have remained calm, cheerful and enthusiastic, and
Cleone has dealt with it imperturbably. The storm, (or was it a continuous series
of squalls?) started at about noon yesterday. In the first hour, the Log records
a massive deluge of rain, a series of wind-shifts and yet another sail-change.
We then ran under a reefed genoa and reefed mizzen for a bit, taking the mizzen
down shortly thereafter and running before the wind under a scrap of genoa.
Throughout the night the deluge continued with dazzling flashes of lightning
illuminating the clouds. Luckily most of the lightning was from cloud to cloud,
but occasionally we could see strikes in the sea, accompanied by rolling
thunder. We measured the distance of the lightning strikes by counting the
seconds (the Skipper counts pink-elephants to measure seconds; 7 pink-elephants
indicate a mile between the flash of lightning and the crash of thunder). The
nearest strike and instantaneous clap of thunder hit the sea not far astern of
Cleone; that did startle the Port Watch! By 7 am, 4am
Cleone time, the rain had stopped. We continued to sail with the shifting winds,
making about 5 knots along the Rhumb Line and resorting to the engine during
lulls. We were accompanied by heavy clouds to north and south of us, still lit
by lightning.
By dawn, 10am in
UK, the rain started to die away. But squalls still threatened, and
sail-changing continued. Not long before noon, Kaya and the Skipper were on
watch preparing to hand over to Francesca-the-mate and Louisa of the Port Watch.
The skipper was at the chart-table when it became apparent that yet again the
wind was freshening. An up-haul parted with a ping, and he shot into the cockpit
before calling all hands. Almost immediately, if not sooner, the Port Watch were
on deck. Nobody could have failed to be impressed by the skilful energy of
Francesca and Louisa as in a very short time they wrestled Cleone's heavy
mainsail down the mast. The wind was gusting to 40 knots and Cleone was pitching
and rolling in the swell and a short choppy sea. Even when the sail is down, the
top of the mainsail is 8 or 9 feet above deck-level. Grabbing the halyard involves climbing part-way up
the mast, and this must be done to secure and then truss the sail to the boom.
All this was done smoothly and quickly; the job was over within minutes and
comparative peace resumed. Kaya helped, skilfully tending the lines in the
cockpit, whilst the skipper stood awestruck and thankful whilst he struggled
with the wheel to keep Cleone on course.
In retrospect,
we have been slightly perplexed by the forecasts covering the period during
which these events took place. The line of intense stormy squalls (or the
squally storm) seemed to be moving from north to south across our track. We took
ten hours to traverse it, so it must have been fifty or sixty miles long.
Today's forecast, issued at 7am UK time, acknowledges the existence and
persistence of squalls in our area and squalls were foretold yesterday. But none
mention the intensity and persistence of the rain or the possibility of endless
electrical activity. Perhaps these events may not be possible to
predict?
The crew handled
all of this with equanimity and great spirit. The Skipper was very proud of
them, and all of you who know them may be too.
We are all well,
and thirstily counting down the miles to the first Rum Punches which await our
arrival at Rodney Bay.
With very best
wishes and love to you all,
James,
Francesca, Louisa and Kaya
Yacht
Cleone
At
sea
Position at
1200UTC on13 Dec 2024:
N16deg23min
W053deg57min