17 March 2011
We are now well on our way into the North Atlantic, passed the 1000nm mark, and crossed the mouth of the mighty Amazon River. One hundred and sixty miles wide it takes twenty four hours to cross. It is advised to give it a clearance of 100nm to avoid all the debris and tree trunks that come spilling out into the sea. We were 220nm offshore so there were no concerns of coming into contact with anything. Last night was a very wet and windy night. When David does his morning rigging check he finds forty nine flying fish strewn about the deck, an all time record.
Basia continues to limp towards Grenada. Mike's repair appears to be holding up well but another small leak has been discovered however the bilge pumps and a sponge and bucket keep the water ingress under control. The convoy are Eowyn, Tucanon and Basia, with Jeannius and Ariane to rendezvous with them tomorrow for a fuel transfer. We know how difficult it is to sail in a convoy having done so to get through the Gulf of Aden in 2007. All the yachts have different sailing characteristics and to keep within one nautical mile of each other is harder than one might imagine. It is stressful and requires intense concentration and these two factors undoubtedly tire the crew. What a warm welcome they will all receive when they reach dry land.
At 2pm in the afternoon we went through another weather system. The forces that govern the ITCZ vented their spleens against us one last time in other words, Neptune, Aeolus and Zeus combined forces and 'threw the book at us'. The wind howled straight out of the northwest, rain lashed, the sea kicked up rough. We could sail only due west towards the coast or due north further out to sea, so we opted for the latter. With a double reefed main and a scrap of headsail sheeted in tight we pounded the waves hard on the wind. Spume flew over the decks and waves came crashing over the windscreen. Thank goodness for the solid spray hood. Up went the cockpit screen once more and we huddled behind it feeling mighty sorry for ourselves. We looked at each other and said, "This is another place we will not come back to," all thoughts of sailing a South Atlantic circuit carried away with our voices in the wind.
The whole second half of this rally we have had pretty terrible weather. Not what we came sailing for. All I can think about now is getting above the ITCZ and out of this wretched weather. It lasts for four hours finally blowing itself out as we settle down for the night. I think of poor Basia. This is just the kind of thing they do not need and it is inevitably heading their way. Yes, they are a catamaran and yes, they have the added advantage of two engines but we are being buffeted about in our immensely strong boat in a very rough sea and at can at least make sail. But they have the wonderful support of the other yachts and if ever there was a reason for joining a cruising rally then this must surely be a perfect example......
Susan Mackay