Actually, it is kind of a big deal. Folks who thought that their Mal du Mer was behind them have had a shock. Once the little lull preceding the run downhill to San Francisco we locked into northerly winds in excess of 20 knots. That might not sound like much to the YC Bar experts out there but, given sufficient fetch, serious seas can result. For the last couple days it has been mostly 10-12 feet with prolonged episodes of 12-15 feet. You haven't lived until you are on watch alone in the cockpit and you experience one of those suckers coming aboard in the middle night. Sometimes when I"m standing in the cockpit looking around Cirrus will climb one of these special waves and just before she launches herself off down the face you can glance back into a 20 foot deep abyss between waves. It is even dark down there.
I may have have seen my first "rogue" wave. It was way off on the port quarter and just kept getting bigger until it was about 90 feet tall and looked like Mt. Fuji with white breaking foam on top for snow. (Computational details available on request.)
I think we managed the second of Kim's meat loafs just before the weather set in. Great stuff. Since then it has been impossible to do anything other than fill a pot with whatever comes to the top of the pile. Rice cooked in chicken soup and peas, remainder combined with more soup and then the remainder of that combined with clam chowder. Since enchiladas don't combine well We will probably have to start fresh tonight.
Typing at 30 degrees is for the birds. See you later.
Bill
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At 6/14/2010 8:36 PM (utc) our position was 37°39.45'N 133°36.97'W
Dear Kate, Kathy, Bill and Chris,
ReplyDeleteYour blog today sounds a bit like the words below. I wish they were mine. Rick
She lay hard a port, white foam meeting her rail
Her scuppers awash and full wind in her sail
Her bow cutting clean and her keel holding well
AS she ran for the wind and the rush of the swell
The snap of the jib and the flap of her main
Wind singing through ropes taunt from the strain
With rudder hard over curling wake from her stern
White slash against blue Marks the ark of her turn
Then with rudder at midship, her beam squared away
Unfurling her spinnaker, she rushed toward the quay
Well, now I’m feeling a just a little seasick after reading this! Hey, greetings to everyone! Sounds like you’re having it a little rougher than when I was there 2 years ago? Yeah. I am sending you some mental energy along with this e-mail. I am enjoying reading of your crossing. Just a few more days to land!!! Jan Saukko
ReplyDeleteNow I remember why I am too chicken to do what you do - rogue wave? abject terror!
ReplyDeleteBe safe all of you please - Double clip in.
Love
Valerie