Over the Bounding Main

(April 19, 2014)

I have decided I should date these as they do not always get sent the day I write them.

OK! We are on our second day of being underway to Ecuador and we are still flying along. It is really amazing. We are famous for drifting along with no winds at 2 knots. This trip we have been over five knots most of the time, with sustained periods of eight and even nine knots! That is faster than our hull speed of 7 or so knots, which is supposed to be as fast as we can go. But what is happening here is that we are sailing along with favorable currents. Mike did this on purpose, setting our course based on an analysis of the prevailing currents. There can be a problem on this route that if you stay too close to the Colombian coast, you end up fighting a strong contrary current, and it makes it a bitch to get to Ecuador at that point. We had every intention of staying off shore until it was time to loop hard east and then catch that current when you want it, even though heading off shore adds a lot of sea miles. So this plan has been going great. There have even been times when the seas were too confused to allow the sails to hold their wind due to the rocking of the boat from side to side due to those confused seas, and we were still heading at least four knots in the right direction.

The confused seas were cause for some great discomfort, however. The constant back and forth and side to side were jolting at best. Then all of a sudden, just as I had gone to bed, a surprisingly large wave smacked the boat on the starboard side, sending a shower of water into the boat. We had not closed the window, so it was our fault, but who would have guessed? The strength of the spurt went across the inside of the boat and got one side of our pillows all wet. OK, no big deal. I went back to bed. Then another wave sends water in over the hatch that is right above my head. It got both the pillows more wet, so I closed it and laid back down and tried to sleep. THen a third wave, this time on the port side of the boat, sends a big splash of water through the window on that side - the final blow. I got completely soaked. Yes, I know we should have closed everything after we took the first wave. But it gets hot and stuffy in the cabin if it has to be all closed up. But I just had to laugh - what else can you do? I found a reasonably dry spot and finally got some sleep, but it was hard with all the rocking and rolling. Had I been seasick I would have slept like a rock, but I don't get seasick any more. And we have really learned the difference between the miserably uncomfortable and actual danger. I may not like it when the boat gets slammed around by the waves, but Magda Jean can take it and then some. It has been a great trip so far and we are not really sure why, other than experience, I guess. We know how to deal with things much more effectively than in the past, and are not so afraid to just try something and see if it works.

Anyway, I should end this before I start to babble. IF anyone wants to find me on a map, I am at 06 degrees, 31 minutes, and 605 seconds of latitude north, and 081 degrees, 17 minutes, and 714 seconds longitude west. At least for now! I will write more later, lets hope it is more of the same!

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