Thursday, March 12, 2015

We’ve sailed 2000 miles so far!

- and can someone turn down this wind already?!?

We have so far sailed 2048 miles according to our chart-plotter trip log - which I think deserves a little celebration. The other day we commented on how differently we sail this boat now, and how much we have learned in the last few months especially compared to our Florida marina days. Just getting off the dock used to be a blood pressure raising experience.

So let’s celebrate these 2000 miles and we are already looking forward to see where the next 1000 miles take us! Can’t wait.

In another news, what is up with this WIND!?! We have been buffeted by a consistent wind for two weeks now, staying above 20 knots and seems like rising. Yesterday was 30. It’s actually not that much fun to sail in this stuff as everything gets harder, the boat is under more stress and going against the wind plainly just sucks (and we have to be going against the wind a lot seems like). 
We are longing for 18 knot winds with 4 - 6 ft waves - oh those were the good old days of sailing. Now it’s more like 6 - 9 ft waves coming so closely together that sometimes our boat is riding two waves at the same time, and the wind just howling!


Today we sailed at 12.9 knots of speed! - with only our reefed main sail out. How does it feel? The wave picked up our boat about 10 feet in the air and then acceleration started. Your stomach tightens and you try to swallow a few times on empty in the hopes to push it back down as the autopilot instantly turns rudder about 18 degrees to try and keep the boat from turning sideway. Each ride only lasts a few seconds, but it sure produces some adrenalin in your blood! So, no thank you I would like to stay below 10 knots of speed in this boat!


What are we up to now? Studying a lot of math and diving different places. My GoPro camera died (I seem to be unlucky with cameras lately - I ordered another one though), and my Olympus is only rated to 45 or 50 feet and goes crazy when we go diving below 50 feet, but here are a few pictures (I think these are from diving “The Playground” off of Jost Van Dyke in BVI.
Next on our diving itinerary is to check out the “Painted Wall” and of course the most famous dive site of BVI - The R.M.S Rhone wreck!

p.s. pictures will have to wait as the internet is too slow to upload them now.


No comments:

Post a Comment