Matt here Thursday December 11
It's been a long time because there's been nothing to write about. I've opened this blog window five or six times over the last few days, began to write but nothing has come out. I've finally got something to write about! It also turns out that this is my "three months on the boat day" as I arrived on the 11th of September. I can't believe it's been that long, and I can't believe it's almost over! Anyways...
It was 5.15am and the sun was just starting to light the morning overcast skies. We'd had some wind for a few hours and we had been motor sailing towards the island of Sumbawa. Pete and I were having another one of our incredibly useless but hilarious conversations, this one was about Cartman in a coma, singing the stupid song that goes along with yet another South Park episode. The waves were beginning to build and the decks were becoming saturated with the crashing waves. I looked below and
saw Fi emerge from the v-berth, hair wet and face tired. She explained that she had left her hatch open a few inches to cool the air in the sauna-like cabin. One of the aforementioned waves had crashed over the bow, soaking Fi and her berth. She came up to join in the "conversation". Almost immediately upon her arrival the winds decided to pick up and I felt a few sprinkles of the rain storm which I had failed to notice. Within seconds the wind had increased to an apparent speed of just over
25 knots, which is close to the highest I've seen. Fi had just snuck below to get Cress when the rain kicked in with full force. Pete wouldn't have any of it and quickly scurried below to seek refuge from the torrential downpour...and to get me a raincoat which was EVENTUALLY delivered! The wind picked up, the waves grew larger and choppier, and the helm incredibly difficult to hold in position. The boat began to take control, I began to shiver from the cold rain...and this is when the 30 seconds
of genuine fear kicked in!
I'm going to pause here for a second to explain a conversation (or friendly argument) that Cress and I have been having over the last few weeks-slash-months. Once or twice over the last three months I've noticed that the toe rail has dipped in the water as we were heeled over. Cress didn't believe me and said it hadn't happened, and gave me that "you're crazy" look as he explained the physics of it all. Well today I definitely saw this happen and more!
The boat began to heel like I'd never seen it heel before! Not only were the toe rails in the water but the teak decks themselves! I was sitting (or standing as it seemed) on the windward side looking straight down into the raging water below, the horizontal rain piercing my eyes making it near impossible to see the instruments as I fought the helm to keep the boat on course and afloat! For about thirty seconds I feared the boat was going to flip, capsize and submerge us all! My heart was pounding
and my mind racing through several solutions to keep the boat from heeling more into the water. I thought about letting the main out to depower the boat but again the lack of a third arm made this seem like a highly unlikely and impossible task. I thought of bearing off the wind to flatten the boat, which I found out afterwards makes the boat heel even more! Luckily enough for me and just as I had run out of ideas the wind subsided and the boat began to level out. The rain stopped and my heart
beat returned to a normal rate. It wasn't that bad after all and I wasn't the only one suffering! After the rain had completely stopped, a ghostly looking Pete peered through the companion way asking if it was safe to come up. He mentioned that fresh air would be a godsend as all of the color had left his face and he looked like he had just drunk a few bowls of Kava! After several minutes the color resurfaced and Pete was looking as good as new. He also assured us that the puddle in the nav
station where he had been sitting was caused by the rain...I'm not sure I believe him since all the hatches were closed and the companion way completely covered. Ah well, who am I to judge?
Now I'm sitting in the puddle at the nav station sipping on a coffee. The wind has left us once again and the engine will be turned on shortly after we tack and continue on our way towards Bali! The active route center says we've got 2 days and 3 minutes to go...but that changes every second or so. We'll get there eventually and that's all that matters!
Talk soon, Matt
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