Yesterday was the last day in a series of very challenging conditions, moderate winds over highly variable seas slamming us from the rear had made for a very lumpy ride through a string of wicked storms. Our collective lack of experience in open ocean weather had positioned us as the victim in all of our interactions with boat-hunting storm cells. It was time to turn the tables on these terrifying columns of gray death and rain.
While the rest of the crew slept yesterday afternoon, Steve T., Ty, and Adam decided it was time to do something stupid. We had heard that if you get in front of one of these monster storm cells and zig-zag back and forth in a taunting manner, you can get a huge bump in speed as you ride the squalls that they throw off. If you find a storm heading in the direction you want to go, it can be ridden indefinitely.
If Travis were on deck he surely would have 86'ed this idea as soon as it was suggested. The boat had its brand-new monster kite up so we made an agreement to drop the sail as soon as things were looking like they were going to get expensive.
We were surrounded by storms in all directions, so it wasn't hard to find one heading toward us. As the boat got within about a mile of the front storm the winds kicked up and the storm sprayed our faces with light rain in otherwise clear blue skies. It was beginning to seem like it might be a stupid idea but we had already committed to it and none of us were going to be the one that pulled the plug. We zigged our sails into the wind and the boat took off, well upwind of our previous course. We rode the storm for about an hour and we kicked back into it several times as we reached too far ahead of it. We got a huge bump to the south without having to slog through trailing seas.
Travis slept through all of this so please don't tell him about it. We will laugh about it over Mai Tais on Maui. Until then, zip it.
As dinner approached the wind kicked up and the waves died down. We had some of the best sailing of the trip that evening as the boat took off like a shot. After days of rough nights and long days in scorching sun and heavy downpours, the team was exhausted but highly enthusiastic to get their hands on the wheel.
The sunset after dinner was one of the best I've ever seen. It bathed the boat and surrounding clouds in a rich deep orange-red. The surrounding storm cells had rainbows nested on their crowns and looked much less terrifying.
Without thinking about it, we have retired our foul weather gear in favor of shorts and t-shirts, even on night-shift as the temperatures stay well in the high twenties and the evening fills the sails with warm breeze. Last night's night-shift (Jason, Darin, and Steve C.) was treated to a show by some local wildlife. Around midnight, as the boat hummed along at full bore, at least fifty tiny dolphins (much smaller than the ones we see back home) jumped and bobbed along beside the boat doing all sorts of jumps and flips. It was a great night for sailing!
Today's wind has been less than ideal (pretty much zip). However the sun is out, we have a freezer full of fresh tuna, and our laundry has been piling up. The boys are enjoying a well-earned day of rest, baking in sun and swimming in a part of the ocean that is so clear and blue it truly defies words.
In addition to rest, today is Mid-Trip Mail Day! Prior to our departure Ty prompted the loved ones of those aboard to write a letter for them to open at the half-way mark. The crew opened their letters together on the back deck and read in silence that quickly erupted into a choir of laughs and awwww's. Needless to say, we all feel very loved and miss everyone at home dearly.
From what we have heard, the whole fleet is stuck in zero wind and we are not sure how long this lull will last. The forecast seems to indicate it will push through until tomorrow so we will be well rested as we dive into the second half of this epic journey.
To occupy ourselves (and keep from going insane) while we drift around we have started to create some lists. The first is a tally of sea garbage that we have driven past or has floated by us. Here it is:
" Buckets (dozens of them)
" Red light bulbs
" VHS Cassette Cases
" Shampoo bottles
" Japanese glass floats
" Milk crates
" Fishing netting and floats (dozens)
In addition to our lists, we have started to put together some business ideas to recoup the cost of the trip. The first of which is a CD compilation of our favorite shower music that we have been putting on to make the shower-ee feel uncomfortable while showering on the back deck in front of the group. We are titling this highly provocative mix "From Our Shower to Yours" and we will be selling it off of the back of the boat at Marinas around the Pacific Northwest. The playlist is as follows:
Justin Timberlake - Sexy Back
Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
Def Leopard - Pour Some Sugar on Me
ABBA - Dancing Queen
Prince - When Doves Cry
Montel Jordan - This is How We Do It
Plus Many More…
Expect a Christmas album to follow in November.
We definitely missed the 200 mile mark on the odometer today but it was a great rest day to get all of our laundry sorted out. The boat is looking a lot more like a gypsy caravan than a thoroughbred racing machine with our laundry littered all over the rig but a dedicated laundry day was well overdue!
Missing you all like crazy,
The boys on Turnagain
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