Life on board - Day 12

The last couple of days we had very consistent conditions. Fairly steady winds, usually in the 15 to 18 knot range with gradual increases to the low 20s.  Things were so predicable we decided on Friday night to not reef the main and go with full main and jib.  This kept our speed up all night long and allowed us to have our fastest 24 hour run at 190 nautical miles, a 7.9 knot average.

The cold weather is definitely gone! Everyone is down to bare feet, t-shirts and shorts, day and night.  We do our best to stay under the bimini for the shade since the direct sun is BRUTAL. Most of the crew is lounging about reading books or resting.  Chris and I take turns steering the boat.  This gives Otto the autopilot a break, and we like doing it as well.

As of last night, life on board has become a bit challenging.  We have good size swells, 10 plus feet, but also a cross swell which really bounces the boat around.  It causes us to roll quite violently at times and makes the sails slap and bang about.  On top of that it is very warm inside the boat.

The wind has also became a lot more variable.   We cruise along with 15 to 18 knot winds, and then suddenly it jumps into the mid to high 20’s.  It may not sound like a big change, but its nearly a 50% increase in speed and the forces on the boat really jump. It makes it hard for Otto the autopilot to navigate the wind and the swells, and sometimes he overcorrects and causes the boat to swing even more. Last night just after dinner we got hit by a 30 knot gust, out of nowhere, Otto just gave up and shut off.  This is quite alarming to say the least.  Fortunately I was there to grab the steering wheel.  We still had a full main up, and made the decision to reef.  We had not reefed the night before and we agreed as a crew we would try a full main again to keep our speed up.  After the 30 knot gust, David asked me what they would do if that happened to them on night watch, and the autopilot just shut off.  It would not be good.  So we decided to reef again.

The crew has learned the reefing maneuver well, but this was our first time doing it at night.  It definitely makes things a bit more challenging.  Of course it is dark, but we can’t turn on a bunch of lights, because then the helmsman, Chris, can’t see a thing.  So we have to be careful when using light and keeping it out of Chris’s face.  We got the reef in, it just took a few minutes longer than normal….

So we are looking for a change of pace at the ITCZ.  Not sure it will be better, but it will be different.

The crew continues to be in good spirits, despite having difficulties getting good sleep.  It’s a bit like trying to sleep on a roller coaster while your sweating hot.  Good times! When you are awake you get a great core work out, always bracing for the next big roll of the boat.

One thing is for sure, this is a BIG ocean!  We are still over 1,000 miles from the nearest land.  You just can’t appreciate the size and magnificence of the ocean flying over it going 600 knots at 35,000 feet.