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Free Spirit - 14th December (Peter's Blog)



Disaster! 
Worse things do happen at sea but this was pretty bad.  We lost our Parasailor sail today.  We were already in dire straits concerning our sails.  The genoa, which is the main working sail, was all but destroyed in the storm of 30th November.  Somehow we managed to put it together again adequately enough for it to continue pulling us through the water for another 10 days before she suffered further severe damage during a squall in the middle of the night on 10th December.  At this time we were in strong winds and heavy seas and it was decided to park it on the forestay until we reached our destination.  In the meantime we rigged the stay sail as a poor, but better than nothing, substitute for the genoa. This worked reasonably well.  We also flew the Parasailor whenever conditions allowed.  On 12th December a small longitudinal tear was noted on the leech of the main sail and by the next day this had extended to half a metre in length.  Then the inevitable happened the leech tore across transversely putting the whole of the sail at risk. An attempt to furl it resulted in it jamming in the in-mast furling system at the site of the tear.  It would neither come in nor out and the seas were too rough for any attempt to go up the mast to try to free it.  It was decided to leave it where it was.
This morning we awoke to moderate winds varying betwen 13 and 18 knots.  Ideal conditions for the Parasailor, which was duly launched at 0800 hrs.  The weather report, downloaded from the ARC, indicated winds of up to 27 knots during the day and this was confirmed by GRIB weather files.  In view of this information a decision was made to take down the Parasailor at 20 knots of wind, which was the situation by around 1030 hrs.  Cruelly and totally unexpectedly the plastic "snuffer" which encloses the sail to enable it to be taken down, broke in two with only a third of the sail enclosed.  "Snuffing" was now impossible and the only option was to lower the sail on its halyard.  In the process of doing this part of the sail entered the water and became trapped under the boat.  It was eventually recovered but in a severely damaged state and minus the snuffer. It seems very unlikely that anything useful can be retrieved from the wreckage.
One slightly better turn of events during the mornings drama was that the main sail freed itself from the jam.  It remains very vulnerable to further tearing but it is our only remaining effective means of wind propulsion.  Furthermore any new attempt to furl it is highly likely to result in another jam.  There are just 130 nm to go.  We just hope the main sail lasts this short distance to enable us to limp into the shelter of Rodney Bay, where we will take it down before entering the port.  Wish us luck!


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