39’23.1S 041’30.7W course 165′ speed 3,7
Our course has once again been directed South and we are closing in on the Roaring Forties, after that we will hit the Furies Fifties. Names that speak to the imagination. Big square rigged ships, foam bustling up on the front of the bow, with a bone in their mouth as they say and heeling over until the water streams through the scabbards. And in the early hours of today, we may well have looked like that! Winds were picking up as predicted by the various weather forecasts and we were waiting for it, as we were under small rig (reeved mizzen, forestaysail and storm jib) riding the waves. Most of the day we had a force 6 on the beaufort scale, and we were able to keep a course due to the Falkland Islands most of the time.
During the previous evening we saw water was running low and the watermaker would not run if we kept on heading into the waves, so we choose a Southerly course for a few hours, until the wind decreased and it became too light to keep going down wind. So up to the wind we came. And still we were waiting for the front to come and pass. There were massive showers, as one associated with the closing in of a front. During the night the barometer was dropping rapidly, 1011hp at 20:00, 1007 at 00:00, 1003 at 04:00 and 999 at 06:00. And as we were waiting, in the rain, the wind started to pick up around 05:30… We were heading 250′, then 210′ and then it hit, force 7 gusting 8, grey sky, horizontal rain and howling winds, 190′ and running with the wind.
The photo was taken just before the real bad weather found us
Downstairs Myrthe and Thomas were making porridge, so when they came back outside the wind and its force were a bit of a surprise. Porridge is ready, they said cheerfully as Russell and I looked at each other, “you hungry?” “nah”. The rest of the watch did go downstairs to have a bowl of warm porridge and get out of the rain for 15 min, while Myrthe took the helm. Without flinching she jumped on it and while sitting behind the steering wheel she looked like it was a normal day at the office. Riding 4 meter waves with 10 knots, just another day at the office.
Our jib was doing a nervous little dance in the front as we headed too much downwind and sometimes a little too much to the wind.. But every time a gust hit, it straitened out and was doing the work of 100 working horses! Shudders went through the whole ship as wind gusted a little harder, the mizzen gave a little moan and I was looking for the clear patches in the skies that I was expecting after the passage of the front.
An hour and a half later we saw them, lighter sky, just to our starboard! And as it began, so did it end. We sailed out of the grey sky, the rain stopped, the wind dropped to a force 6 and we laughed out of surprise and happiness that it was done.
And now, we are under reeved mizzen, reeved main, forstaysail and storm jib, making slow headway somewhere East of South. The wind is still very fickle after disappearing for an hour or so and then returning from the South West instead of the North North West we had in the frontal passage. The sun is shining though, and so we are all drying our socks, hats and gloves for the next rainy night.
All is well on board, Jet
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Go Myrthe!! As usual, making gale-force sailing looking like a piece of actual cake. I’m missing the Tecla and the waves and the wind and the PORRIDGE (oh, the porridge). With love from Amsterdam, Steph.