Overnight, the sea was filled with big swells. Sunsets handled them all very well. As the wind started to clock back towards the NW and W, we were able to set our sails and surf those swells with few changes throughout the night. There were a couple squalls with wind gusts in the 30s & 40s, but they were short lived. During those periods, Sunsets just FLEW down the rhumb line like a rocket ship. You could hear and feel the power from down below. Up in the cockpit, everyone (except Fogger, of course) wore their life vests & harnesses and latched onto the jacklines (the safety lines that run up and down the length of the boat), just in case.
With the pitching of the boat and the incredible speed (she is rarely below 10knots) as well as a few mishaps, making coffee has become a two-person job. One person holds the pot and the melita filter with the coffee and the other person pours the boiling water. You can't do both yourselves because you need one free hand to steady yourself. Even adding the cream and sugar to your coffee cup is a challenge. You can't set the cup down to tear open the sugar or open the cream; otherwise your cup will tip over and spill coffee everywhere. You can't hold the pot and pour the water into it or the filter full of web coffee grinds will go everywhere when you let go to balance yourself after a particularly big wave. (Both of these examples are from recent personal experience.) But we all know how important coffee is, so we accept the challenge boldly and without reservation. (NO COFFEE, WHAT? THERE'D BE MUTINY, I TELL YOU!!)
The rolly-polly waves always put me to sleep. I just love being in a bunk and feeling the boat move around me. Since we have been pitching side to side, Howard and I have taken to sleeping across the width of our bunk instead of head at the top. That way we can have our heads on the UP side of the slant and brace our bodies against the wall of the cabin. Unfortunately, as you fall asleep, you forget to do the bracing thing. I walked into the cabin to find Howard fast asleep and sliding back and forth across the mattress. The boat would pitch to the right, and he would slide to the right. The boat would pitch to the left, and he would slide to the left. Within a short time, all of the sheets and blankets were scrunched up into a pile in the corner of the bunk. I'm convinced that there's not point in remaking the bed until we get to Tortola.
The weather report says the winds are supposed to die off today and into the weekend. But right now, we are getting 20-30knt winds on our beam and we are SCREAMING down the rhumb line to the finish. Unfortunately, this wind is not expected to keep up, but for the last hour it has been a spectacular ride with an absolutely gorgeous blue sky dotted with beautiful puffy clouds. We just surfed down a wave and hit 15knots of speed!! YEE-HA!! You don't get that every day. Unless I wait around for a few minutes and HERE WE GO AGAIN!!! Whew this is great!!
My only complaint is that it's HOT down below. Guess I'll just have to go sit in the cockpit and enjoy the sun and breeze. Ahhhh.
Gotta go-- looks like George may have just snagged another Mahi Mahi!!!
Kelly
aboard s/v Sunsets
N23-16 / W66040
