!!
We are on September 11, 2023. Of our lord and maker of all things. The first thing is to send our condolences to the victims of the earthquake in Morocco 🇲🇦. The truth is that anywhere life can be truncated and the risk is everywhere, in the middle of the ocean 1 mile from the arrival or on land where for many years the land was quiet … Another reason to continue giving cane! And live it to the fullest day by day.
Sailing in harsh seas
We are 400 miles from Cook Bay, entrance to the Beagle Channel. The ship and we are taking a real beating. We have been more than 10 days between mountains of sea, heavy rains and tremendous speeds. It is no longer uncommon to reach 14 knots, the other day we reached 19.6 knots of speed. It’s also amazing how we relativize things. Having 30 knots and waves of 5 meters is normal. Well, don’t be complacent; At any time this can get worse.
Crew Status
The crew is very good and efficient, together we run the boat with good mastery. Paula as you know is a professional and contributes a lot, Mattia is evolving in an impressive way and I do what I can… A wave has just fallen on us that the boom touched the water 💦. The poor boat is holding up very well although things are breaking. The Yankee (the bow sail) seems to come from war, it has girones, pennants, holes everywhere but it still holds.
Technical Challenges
The ratchet driza broke days ago. I prepared one of fortune but I do not want to use it unless it is indispensable. Today the lazy (set of ropes that make a cradle for the mainsail) was broken as soon as we enter the canals I fix it. The water treatment plant started to fail has a pressure leak. Well and some more things that I have written down in a tremendous list … The temperature is already very low (the heating works great); When we go out to do maneuvers your fingers freeze and it costs a lot to do things with your hands.
Unique Experience
Still we are very happy. A navigation of this magnitude is not done by anyone (we have not yet seen any ships); Right now we have 30 knots, we sail at 10 knots in absolute darkness only the white of the breaks of the waves that do not stop whipping us is perceived. Heh, heh. This is a bit of a masochistic… Well, there is also the sense of overcoming to come to sail voluntarily through the harshest seas in the world …
Night Maneuvers
Today we have fought twice with the tangon. This is a maneuver that has a lot of work. You have to lower the tangon that weighs a lot and measures about 9 meters; You have to release it and pass it behind the ratchet stay and the baby stay. All this with waves of 4 meters and gusts of the boat or surfed (one day you will fall into the sea). Well it’s already night, I’m on duty, aware of the angle and speed of the wind; When a downpour arrives you have to go aft and change course. So far so good.
Last Details
Well I don’t warm your head anymore. I send you the position in case you want to approach.
- S 51 34 . 598
- W 79 25,562
- Heading 110
- Speed 9 knots
- Wind 30 knots from 275.
- Cold, a lot (we don’t have a thermometer)
My birthday is in October… I could also use another barometer.
Optimistic conclusion
PS. I think we will arrive in Ushuaia on the 15th to AFASyN; If someone is in the area and wants to celebrate with us the arrival will be well received. Alegría Marineros. My dream is your dream or ours but we will continue to give it. How sad about Morocco 🇲🇦.
