Stormy Weather
22°56'42" N 91°10'42" W
[07:30] [Wednesday, December 20, 2006]
Wind! After nearly two whole days of motoring, a front came racing over Sol Searcher last night, and we ended up with stronger weather than we'd bargained for. Having already reefed the mainsail for our expected 15 kts wind, the team unfurled the headsail to catch all the wind we could and regain our speed.
Suffice it to say we were very much unprepared for 22-25 kts gusts that tended to rock the boat at a rather uncomfortable heel. Nervous, tired and blindly crashing through moonless, building waters, we found ourselves in a position allowing only for the barest amount of sleep.
The Captain and Igor spent the better part of the night balancing the boat, beating against the wind in an effort just to make it to daylight, when reefing the main further would be safe.
One realizes as the trip progresses you cannot have a proper notion of how vast and monstrous, terrifying and powerful, beautiful and compelling blue water is until you've been there -- at which point you realize expectations would never do justice to the ocean.
