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Board Not Fun 1010UTC 0610est A woman named Donna Lange is sail solo around the world on Inspired Insanity, my Southern Cross 28-foot sloop. Here is her report from Apr 16, 2007, sailing right in the teeth of a major blow. Monday madness hugs!!! update: As I said, Alls well that ends well...I am safe and sound...yet I have had a historically rough night. The storm escalated to tropical storm height..I was just in awe as the storm did not go through but just intensified and intensified. It was a brilliant ride and I was truly soaking up the whole magnificence. I had been on deck from the very beginning of the stronger winds around 2000UTC, but it went too far...It was after the Commander weather router's suggested 0400UTC, when the storm should pass and turn west, that it began to deepen...Finally to where I was barepoled and working with the steering vane, struggling to steer a course with each stronger gust that came. the godsend was that it was warm. I was soaked for hours..We had taken many 'hits', the norm for growing seas, engulfed stern, I had a bucket to help to bail the cockpit, often literally filled above the seats. The down below floor was being flooded with water with each of these full hits as the outer lockers still manage to lift with that much water and it pours in. It was around 0600 that we took more than a hit. A huge wave broke completely over the port stern quarter, turned us fully on our side, I was literally holding my breathe fully underwater, holding onto the dodger frame with all my life. It was only a few seconds and II righted herself. Another wave crashed into the stern.. It was time to stop... and get secured. With so much wind and having been unsuccessful with hoving to, I didn't want to chance trying to raise the main and do the hove to dance. So I turned to the sea anchor and got her rigged to go. but unfortunately, i wasn't thorough in my set up and once the parachute inflated, the force on the line was tremendous,the line managed to get snarled as it paid out despite my attempts. I should have wrapped it around the winch so I had control of the force of the water in the chute...I dare say, the line out was only a small amount of the 150' line. I had secured the bitter end. But once the chute was out, there was no way to add a line. I did use a cinch knot on the line and was able to free up the tension on the cleat but still found the knot too tight and the cinch let go..I had rigged a bridle but was not able to use the extension rope as I say. Realizing that the shorter rhode seemed to be working, I let it go. The lines were strewn. The dodger flapping in the wind as the whole bottom edge had come apart and could no longer be secured. I am concerned that with all the forces on the steering vane with my attempts to 'help her', I may have damaged the mechanism that transfers the energy from the vane to the inner quadrant. That will be a big question when I get going this morn. Once I had the anchor set, I headed below. Exhausted from 10 hours on deck, dealing with the conditions... the boat was a shambles. I had not really thought about what the essential knock down, or capsize had done below. All the big stuff was secure but every little bit that was in any other thing, was all over. It was quite funny to see where things landed. There was so much force, it flung powdered milk across the whole boat and onto the ceiling handrail. There is milk powder every where. But no harm done. An hour later, all the bits and pieces were in some home. And I was getting out of my soaked clothes. Drinking a hot tea. And still just quiet inwardly. I had been through the whole night. I just kept moving and doing what needed to be done.. I have resisted questioning my judgment, and beating myself up for being so persistent towards wanting to go home...The storm intensity was not expected by the routers either, at least not for the length of time...they suggested gusts to 70kn but not sustained winds that high. And I am sure they were that high. They are still screaming at nearly 50 and the seas 25 feet, but not really breaking. But the other factor is the cold. With the shift to west wind, the temp dropped drastically to nearer the 55*mark and is nearly 50* this morning. It will be a different day out there today. I am procrastinating only long enough to do the log, yet as I speak a huge gust just came up that is still in the 50+ maybe 60kn range. It is wild...I may not be able to get underway. I need to get the anchor retrieved if I can. I will need to sail or drive up onto it as the line I normally used for a trip line managed to not be with it..It is formidable out there. Once moving it may be better, but I am not sure I can even fly sail... 04/17/07 |