Big Water

Heavy weather overnight and for the day to come. The numbers don't really mean much. What do 35 knot winds with 30 foot seas feel like? The numbers felt a lot bigger on the way up than they do on the way down.

I was organizing "stuff" in preparation for a few hours of sleep last night when the hand of God reached out to smite us: a wave smashed into the side of the hull like a giant fist.

Thankfully we all happened to be well braced for the impact. We've learned to live in a state of expecting the boat to lurch in unexpected ways. Moving about the boat involves: plan, anticipate, brace, step, brace, reach, hang on, wait, reach, arrive, brace. Given the athletics and care involved in getting around, it wasn't too surprising that no one was hurt.

What was impressive was the degree to which luggage and other various objects were turned into projectiles. A large pile of bags, including a two hundred pound behemoth that Kay left last year, had been carefully wedged and tied into the recesses of the aft berth. The pile had withstood two weeks of pitching and rolling, but last night launched itself across the room with murderous intent. The bags and gear landed en mass on the very spot where I would be asleep a few minutes later. As they say: timing is everything.

We have been told to expect more of the same for the next 24 hours and then conditions should become more comfortable. Amen to that.