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.

Day 17

Monday, February 14, 2022, 4:15PM

SOG 7.3kts 

I’ve been strapping myself in at the nav-station to write in this journal each day.

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The waves are mountainous! The ride is precarious! 

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A typical roller coaster is 2 minutes long, this ride has been going on since dusk Friday. 

Keep the car on the tracks, go around the corners on two wheels, crawl up and speed down the hills, don’t forget- you’re driving.

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Look at the compass. Yaw to port, turn the wheel to right. Look at the compass. Keep on track, turn the wheel 3 feet left, 5 feet right, spin back left, 6 inches right, a foot left. Look at surroundings, look at the compass. Pitch down the front of the wave, boat yaws hard to the right, wants to breach, can’t let that happen, with all your might turn the wheel hard left, boat rights it course; 3 seconds of reprieve. Sliding down the back side of the wave, feel the keel catch the water under the boat, sliding to port, turn to starboard. Wave breaks over the starboard aft quarter, cockpit fills, everything is wet. Look at the compass, stay on course. Pitch down and to the left, turn to the right. Yaw to the right, turn to the left… That’s about a minute of steering the boat, we will each steer the boat for about 6 hours each day. My hands, arms, shoulders, hips and legs ache. 

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I got soaked on the helm this morning, I am trying to dry out before doing it all over again. 

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Winds are in the upper 20’s, gusting well into the 30’s. Seas are really big, predicted 14 ft, we’ve surpassed that easily. No doubt there have been some 20 plus footers mixed in. Waves are still sporadic, it’s like you’re steering the boat through angry, frothing, 5000 sf McMansion sized moguls that are chasing after you, while they’re trying to knock you down.

Moguls and McMansions.

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Rough weather predicted through tomorrow, Tuesday. Followed by “moderate” seas and winds. 7-12 foot seas and 17-22 knot winds.

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We had a cocktail hour last night. A beer, Serrano ham, smoked gouda, smoked sablefish that Jens brought and crackers.

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Dinner was Villa Azul Tagine with Couscous.

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Finished another book, Code Thief, by Justin Anthony Conboy, don’t bother reading it, lousy plot, not well written.

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Coffee and grinds spilled throughout the galley, somehow finding their way into the refrigerator, a royal fucking mess. While being tossed around in the galley I emptied the fridge, cleaned its interior, and cleaned each item before returning it back to the fridge. The grinds got into every little crack, nook and cranny, we will be cleaning them up throughout the rest of the trip.

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