can we help
+44(0)1983 296060
+1 757-788-8872
tell me moreJoin a rally

Menu

Windleblo - Day Twenty



First there was Pollux. The 8.5 meter Pogo had broken her mast more than 600 miles from St. Lucia and was requesting nearby yachts to deliver any available diesel so she could continue on her way.

Then, there was Koa. The catamaran had a 20 in crack near her propeller shaft and was taking on water. A rope had caught in the shaft during the night, causing the leak. Bilge pumps were keeping up, barely, with 480 miles to go.

And finally, Texel. The 35 meter Classic Schooner had a fire in her engine room and needed assistance just 100 miles from St. Lucia.

We woke up today to find these ARC Fleet Advisories in our SSB email inbox. The news, plus a look out the porthole at the rough seas, did not augur well for the day. By day's end, our premonitions were borne out. We are now sailing along happily again, but for an hour or so, things were not good.

We had been wrestling with several passing squalls all morning. The standard procedure is to furl the headsail, jib to a port tack and sail out of the squall's path.

That's the theory anyway. In practice, the squall often overtakes the boat, bringing stinging rain and gale force winds. Once these hit, all you can do is reduce sail and ride it out on a broad reach until it passes by and the winds diminish.

We were in the midst of reckoning with one of these beasts when the headsail furling line parted. Suddenly, our huge genoa was flogging uncontrollably. It was all hands on deck time. With Joules on the helm, John, Coach and I went forward and managed to bring the sail to the deck. We lashed it to the lifelines and returned to the cockpit to lick our wounds.

Later inspection revealed that a plastic piece inside the furler had broken, causing the line to release. We are now sailing with a staysail and deeply reefed main as the winds have risen to a steady 25 to 30 knots with gusts to 38 knots.

It looks like the ARC 2013, while coming in like a lamb, may yet go out like a lion.

Only 250 nautical miles to go.


Previous | Next