Gazel Rebel
L’orage
L’orage a fait tomber sur nous toute la pluie du ciel… tout comme le dit la chanson nous avons essuyé des trombes d’eau la nuit dernière. Une énorme masse nuageuse a brassé le tour d’horizon, le sens du vent, parsemé le tout de beaux éclairs blancs et roses et arrosé sans compter les trois matelots de la gazelle.
L’un d’eux, le plus futé, a fait tremper une chaîne – appelée “Pogotonnerre” – à l’avant pour assurer une continuité électrique en cas de foudre. C’est donc bien protégés que nous avons traversé la lessiveuse. Au petit matin la pluie a cessé et le bleu tropical était de mise. Toutes les conditions étaient réunies pour faire sécher nos habits imbibés.
Est-ce le farniente pour autant ? Que nenni ! Voici les sargasses qui flottant au gré du courant viennent se prendre dans la quille et les safrans et freiner Gazel Rebel. Grâce à d’habiles marches arrières Damien a réussi à libérer le bateau de ces rets.
Avec 6 noeuds de vent et sous code Zéro nous avançons à 3 noeuds en attendant le retour de l’alizé.
Om
Antonio: What a night!
The spinnaker down in the afternoon yesterday with the main and code 0, reaching. Good.
Then main and jib, 60 degrees apparent wind from South. and then a lot of it!!
One reef and half the jib we went like crazy for hours, dodging squalls then taking them because they were all over us. Never less than 25 knots all night and 30 35 for the most. We did sail on windvane mode with a 60 degrees angle or less.
With Christian we did set between ourselves a strategy for any change of sail or direction and we sail through the night in heavy conditions.
The young ones did get a free night; it would have been too much for them alone but they did help here and there. Everyone well and happy.
We are now 155 miles from Martinique with a light south west (!!!!) motorsailing. Hopefully the wind will shift in the afternoon…
Making water now, decks cleaned, digging in the freezer for the meat for tonight. No damage to the boat, sails in good order. I wouldn’t mind a good sleep in the afternoon but I’ve got a good shower on deck with salt water.!!
Sailing is great!
Kristine
Counting miles
Contrary to forecasts and red skies, duty started at 4am with 10 following hours of action.
Squalls, storm on the nose and complete silence, all mixed up. The rest of the day was spent encouraging the screen showing wind speed to turn up the numbers. Apart from that, we primarily use our energy on cheering for miles, streams and hours to pass. To do this we have a special system to count both each hour and each day how many plus and minuses we have. I don’t remember why or what it means, but I’m sure we go faster!
We got great news today from Rally Control, but with great news follows great (speed) responsibility. Or was it… Anyway, there are going to be two more parties and a salsa night! It is said to be folklore and creole-music, and I am of course super duper excited!
Now enjoying the moon hours with José Saramago as company. La vie est belle.
Seven Seas Adventure
The longest night
Last night was definitely the longest night of our passage for me. But to start with, yesterday was the record day for squalls. I didn’t count them but there were at least eleven from morning to dawn. Just before sunset we were heading towards a large dark cloud with its base into the sea, the typical squall cloud. As we approached the cloud, for the first time in the passage, we decided to go around it. Two hours later, rain pouring down, wind creeping up and the worst, thunderstorms far on the horizon.
I went to sleep but I woke up two hours later, when the lightning and thunder got closer to the boat despite our efforts to avoid the weather. The next two hours, we had lightning and thunders all over. Left, right and on top of us. Some discharging in the sea, fortunately far away. Nothing to do, but wait and wait.
Another small sailing yacht was struggling, mostly like we did, a few miles away. When the lightning and rain eased, we started the radar, just to discover that we were surrounded by heavy rain.
I tried all night to avoid the heavy weather by changing course, speeding up, then slowing down but it seemed that whatever I did, the storm did the same. So I gave up and waited. I started the radar every 15 minutes, and finally in the morning, the rain dissipated and although cloudy the weather settled.
We’re now sailing nicely, in the sunshine and only have less than 300 miles to go. We start dreaming of what we would like to have when we arrive: iced drinks, frappucino, piña colada, an “entrecôte, à point” (remember we’re heading towards a French island), a bottle of cold Solo Quinta (my favourite Romanian wine, a surprisingly good wine) and so on…
I’m still tired after last night when I didn’t sleep at all so I’ll get back to dreaming of the pleasures at arrival. But I know very well: it’s not over until the boat is tied to the dock in Martinique.
www.sevenseasadventure.net/blog/
Hapa Na Sasa
Tweets:
Sehr ereignisreicher u spannender Tag, heute morgen ein Mega Squall mit 35kn und apokalyptischem Regen, aber nervenaufreibend war heute
…Inzwischen steht der Genacker wieder bei leichtem Wind, wir werden wachsam sein u wuenschen uns ein Squall freie Nacht.
…Nachmittag die totale Flaute mit 1kn Gegenstrom aus dem Nichts, noch ueber 400sm to go,unser Diesel wuerde nur f 100sn reichen.
You can see the position of the boats on the tracking map. The weather forecast is here
