To start reading about my transatlantic adventure from the beginning (highly recommended) follow this link.

With the increased wind and seas, photos of the next few days were lacking. I will try to add some visual content with stock photos and some of my own photos that were not taken at the time. In addition, my writing time was clipped to mostly short snip-its that I hope still convey the nuances of our adventure. PM 4/22/25

Day 15

Saturday, February 12, 2022, 1:50PM

SOG 6+kts

When the shit hits the fan, shit goes everywhere.

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No engine, with heavy wind, the wind generator was kicking in some amps, so we have been able to run the refrigerator, VHF and navigation lights

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Last night was hellish, 40kts of wind, 10-14ft erratic seas. Before dark we lowered the mainsail and pulled up the storm trysail. Until about 9PM we sailed with the trysail staysail combo, at that point Jens and I were called on deck, we were off watch until midnight, to drop the staysail. The plan with the increasing wind and seas was to sail through the night with just the trysail; we were getting battered.

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Soon after we started our midnight watch Jens had just strapped himself in at the wheel, and he got swamped. A direct hit with a wall of water square in his back, not only drenching him, but also pushing him forward into the wheel and across the helm seat from starboard to port. Besides being soaked, he was okay. In the immediate aftermath of this ginormous wave, Jens thought we had “gone into irons”, this is when your sails are trapped in the no-go zone, in essence stalling the boat. In reality we weren’t in irons we were in the froth of the wave that broke into our cockpit, the water was so roiled and aerated that it was causing the boat to stall. I had to shine my headlamp onto the sail to show Jens that the sail was full and fine. We were just stuck in the waves’ backwash.

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Did I mention it was a rough ride? I have been in higher seas, easily 20 feet high, on Neil and Ronel’s boat Tiger during a delivery from Bermuda to Antigua. Those waves were rollers, all in the same direction, well spaced apart and we were riding them; more fun than scary. The seas last night were much angrier, no rhythm to them, just bashing us, unsettling. 

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In the wee hours things calmed down a bit, winds 20+ kts, with 7 to 10 foot pissed off waves.

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This morning we unhooked the staysail and replaced it with the storm jib. The storm jib is a very small day-glo orange sail, with the intended use of, you guessed it, sailing in a storm or storm like conditions. To change the sail Dennis and Jens with their harness on, attached to the Jack-lines, crawled to the bow. I manned the halyard from the relative comfort of the cockpit. I lowered the staysail as they gathered it on the deck, unhooked, bagged and sent the sail back to me in the cockpit. I passed up the storm jib and we repeated the process in the opposite order; unbag, hank-on, and pull the sail up, done. This is all done with the boat pitching and yawing erratically and an occasional wave breaking on to the deck. 

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The good news is today, tonight and tomorrow morning the winds are predicted to remain reasonable. The bad news is that last night’s drama is predicted to only be a prelude to what tomorrow night through Tuesday is expected to bring us. 25kts of winds with higher gusts and 10-14 foot seas for 2 days. Argh!!!

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Jens is a galley god, during the early part of last night’s mayhem he made some rice and heated up some chicken-coconut soup.

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I haven’t showered or changed my clothes since Wednesday, Yuck!! I am planning on making that a priority later this afternoon.

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Cocktail Hour was postponed yesterday, due to foul weather.

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Food stores are still plentiful, fresh items remaining include a few apples, 3 bulbs of garlic, ½ a head of cabbage, 5lbs of potatoes, 6 tangerines and a dozen limes. With the wind generator going strong, it should keep the remaining Villa Azul vacuum sealed items fresh for a few more days. We also have a vacuum sealed pork loin that Jens is going to cook soon, weather permitting. After that we do have lots of canned and dry goods, I won’t be making any bread until at least Wednesday.

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It may be windy and cool on deck, however with the wind and sea conditions we have to keep all of the ports shut making it a musty sweatbox below deck.

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