Crossing the Stream

February 10, 2019

Day 129

Noon Position: 47 33S  164 57E

Course(t)/Speed(kts): E 6

Wind(t/tws): NNE 23 – 29

Sea(t/ft): NNE 12-14+

Sky: Rain

10ths Cloud Cover: 10

Bar(mb): 1000+

Cabin Temp(f): 61

Water Temp(f): 54

Relative Humidity(%): 90

Sail: Working Jib “four” reefs, Main, two reefs, reaching.

Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 89

Miles since departure: 17,851

Avg. Miles/Day: 138

Days since Cape Horn: 72

Miles since Cape Horn: 10,211

Avg. Miles/Day: 142

Longitude Degrees Made Good (degrees minutes): 2 11

Total Longitude Made Good Since Cape Horn (degrees minutes): 232 26

No photos again. Same reason as yesterday.

Overnight I “hove to” with main only just to slow down. The forecast called for heavy N winds right off New Zealand’s south coast to extend out another day, and I was suddenly way ahead of schedule.

In the morning, the time seemed right. I made sail and began to drive Mo through the stream.

—

From my notes to a friend afterwards…

Well, that was a rough go.

Some of the steepest, maddest seas I’ve seen. Not ocean swell, but mean coastal stuff, except they were huge, 15-20 feet high with wide valleys; crests leaping into the air. Mo thrown around really hard. She was pushed to the windows once or twice only, but there were some breaking seas that missed us that could have been serious business.

I almost never wear my harness IN the cockpit (only other time was the Hobart approach); I did last night. Several times when inside the cabin I’d go weightless when Mo dropped off a wave. Very fast, hard falls. How a boat can take this kind of punishment…wow.

It was right to slow down. Can’t imagine crossing that blow at its height.

When first diving into that northerly stream, I had 25 – 30 NxW to NNW; nice fast wind a bit forward of the beam, though very rough. Small genoa, triple reefed main. But heavy rain all day, and when the rain cell moved over us, wind went to 15 and backed to NWxW and even W; seas stood right up. Would stay like this for several hours AND until I launched more sail, at which point, back to 30 – 35 within five minutes. Rush on deck to reef. Fooled me two of three times.

Had 35 and 40 knots as a last hurrah just before midnight when we were only 20 miles W of The Snares. Was just coming into shallow water…and it was preternaturally dark. Serious concern we might be thrown down or rolled. Wind tailed off soon after. Started sleeping at 1am. By 2am genoa slatting; 11 knots of wind from the NE; Mo heading S and straight at The Snares, easily remedied.

By dawn, calm.

Unfortunately, now I am in the wind shadow of South Island; plus there’s no serious wind till end of week.

The temptation to pull into Invercargill is not small. I can smell the lamb roast!