Bermuda to Azores – Day 10

Time: 05/30/2008 1200 UTC

Lat: 38 deg 42' N

Lon: 44 deg 37' W

Heading: 93 M

Speed: 7 kt

Wind: WSW 15 kt

Seas: 4-6 ft

Weather:  Partly cloudy / rain and cool, 55 deg F.

 

Yesterday evening, we were averaging over 9 knots for several hours.  It doesn't seem possible, I've never had Severance sailing so fast for such a sustained period.  Nine knots is thrilling, surfing down waves running the chute when you shouldn't be, fast.  It's not average.  Yet here we were.  We put some sail away at night, double reefed the main and had about an 80 genny unfurled.

 

We're still booking; the current has come around again, so we're doing 8 knots through water minus a knot due to current.  We're running the whole headsail, but have left the double-reef in the main to keep from getting rounded.  We're getting rocked by these waves while running with the wind.  I think they're stacking against the current, and are a little more brutal because of it.

 

One rogue wave was particularly messy.  Kelly was preparing a tuna salad (greens, carrot, celery, seared tuna, balsamic dressing).  He had all of the ingredients out in the galley in front of him, plus his cocktail (warm rum, squeeze of lime – we're out of ice).  With the knife in his right hand, a frightened carrot in his left, he was braced firmly against the nav. station.   With this bracing, you lean three feet into the galley, and are very solid through 45 degrees of heel.  If the boat heels more than that, you're over-center and need to grab a handhold to stay righted.  Severance rounded on a wave and easily surpassed 45 degrees.  I saw the steel blade of the knife, still gripped in Kelly's hand, flail across the cabin, followed by a barrage of carrots and a wave of rum.  Kelly was tossed against the port settee.  This would normally be a nice padded landing, but the cushions are removed to make it a wider sea berth.  He hit hard, and it knocked the wind out of him.  No broken ribs, but he'll be sore the next couple of days.

 

This afternoon, the weather cleared a bit and we got some sun.   We sat in the cockpit and ate our salads, talked about Flores, and noted that we're close enough for the GPS to display time remaining to destination.  Given our high average speeds, it's unrealistically low at 97 hours, but we are well past the halfway point.  I don't think we're turning around.