August 2000 - Bluewater, Part 2
8/7/2000 - Day 7
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 48° 58"N, 129° 37" W, heading: 097T, speed: 6 kt, wind: 25-30 kt NNW, swell: 8' W, cloudcover: 50%, barometer: 1018, change of destination...
[Sara] Began my watch at 0300 with fairly steady winds of 13-16 knots. Jenny P moving at 5-6 knots. At approximately 0330, winds suddenly increased to 25 knots. Had a gust of 30 knots and looked at the GPS to see us surfing on our rail at 8 knots! I opened my mouth to wake Michael up sleeping in the settee a few feet from me; just then I looked over and noticed the stanchion with our self-steering blocks had been ripped right off the rail and the wheel was free to flounder. I really yelled at Michael to get up then, and as he stumbled around getting his shoes, jacket and harness on, I rushed out of the companionway to grab the wheel and try to get us back on course. I could barely turn the wheel as the pressure was so hard on the rudder and only succeeded in back winding the main and jib, and effectively hoving-to. Our speed dropped from 6.5 to 0.2 knots, however we were heeled over in the opposite direction about 35 degrees. I locked the wheel down and we stayed in this position while Michael went forward to drop the jib and raise the staysail. All was havoc as the wind roared past us in the dark; with our spreader lights on it felt like we were on a sound stage. At least our wind generator was working away well at this point.
Our next major constraint was the pressure on our back-winded main being held by the preventer from jibing. We had no idea how long it would hold with the preventer's relatively small shackles, and the boom wanting to jibe badly. After much struggle with our reefing lines, Michael got the main down to the first reef points and I had finally succeeded in letting the preventer line out so the main was more on the port and most of the pressure was off the device. We now had to get the main back up a little to get it straightened out and so had to get the boat in the wind. I struggled with the wheel once more, only succeeding to point the boat in every direction except into the wind, meanwhile the boom and staysail flogging back and forth madly.
Michael yells to turn on the engine and we check for stray lines and praying I haven't missed any, start the Yanmar for the first time in over four days. It jumps to life and I'm finally able to steer the boat to the wind. Michael cranks up the main and stumbles back to the cockpit. Exhausted and exhilarated, we set the Autohelm steering and sit back to catch our breath. Michael reports that many of our jib's hank grommets have ripped from the sail and it is probably useless for the rest of the trip.
We can't relax yet however, as the Monitor's rudder is still thrashing in the water and must be pulled up. Of course, the line attached to do this has separated from the rudder and Michael must practically hang upside down off the stern pulpit to pull it up with the boat pole. He succeeds and we can relax at last, back on our easterly course, now moving 4.5 knots, much more comfortable in the 20 knot breeze.
Depressed, dumbfounded and dazed, we inventory our growing selection of failed gear: our stanchion, whisker pole, self-destructing jib, maybe our Monitor after the thrashing it'd just gotten. The winds only got over 25 knots for a few seconds and look at what had happened. We asked if our poor Jenny P could take a steady gale of 30-40 knots which we could likely run into off California, and our answer was not of certainty this time. Like a giant nautical Ouija board, we noticed Jenny P was heading 100T, the exact heading for the opening of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Seattle, approximately 300 miles away.
So, with her sparkling red heels clicking, we let Jenny P keep on her course towards home.
