Location: Underway to the Azores
After a long period of motoring through glassy seas and sunny skies, hoping and praying for the wind to fill our sails, we had become complacent. Laundry hanging hatches open and lee cloths not in use were a lesson waiting to be learned at the turn of the weather.
Watch team two was welcomed to our 0800-1200 watch with a downpour. Four hours filled with Claire and Cate winning Mt Rushmore, Santana’s storytelling and assigning new names for each other, all while the sky unleashed her waterworks on us, left us wet, cold, and exhausted but still with plenty of excitement when a pod of dolphins paid us a visit!
The conditions warranted a lunch down below, and the crew was warmed from the rain by Lillie’s homemade tomato soup and grilled cheese, bringing a homey feeling onboard as the challenge for the next few days crept upon us.
After lunch, we headed up on deck to raise sails. Mother nature had granted our wishes for more wind and did not hold back. As a frontal depression was headed for us, we began to feel her wrath with winds creeping up to 30 knots, gusting 40s, and swell building to 2 meters throughout the afternoon.
As the evening approached and the storm continued to build, we were all being reminded of what we were here to do. Cross an ocean. From clipping in at all times to crawling around deck, new safety procedures came into play with this weather. As the daylight faded, the heaviest of the storm settled in and sent us to bed for a sleepless night for all amongst the storm.