Heading 150T Speed 7.6K Wind SW@17K.
Hello everyone. I'm slowly getting settled in. It has been a rough couple of
days and that is why you haven't heard from me much.
After clearing the Straits, the winds came up to 30 to 40K from the west and
I beat into them hard to gain some sea room. The seas were a mess and in
short order I was as green as the sea.
Then one of the fuel tanks dislodged from it's mounting. I quickly braced it
in place to ride out the starboard tack. I would have to be on port tack to
get it back in place.
Yesterday the winds went to almost nil and I worked on the fuel tank. After
many trys and hours of work, I got it back into place and firmly secured
using stainless steel banding material to band it to it's mounting brackets.
A couple extra bands were added for insurance.
Yesterday afternoon was the first time that I was able to keep any food
down. And just in time. With all the exertion and the cold, I was becoming
exhausted and weak
The weather is now rainy and foggy with a very pleasant SW wind and with a
few meals and a good rest, I feel much better, about 80%.
The weather pattern is a puzzle. There is a stationary high pressure area
south of me that is hugging the coast. It has been there for days.
Originally I had expected it to move eastward and I would pass to the west
of it. Now another is approaching it from the west. So I have opted to hug
the coast and hopefully slip down it's east side. That will also put me in a
better position for Britt (a sailing and now flying friend from California)
to fly out and get some photos of the boat from the air. Hopefully there
will also be some wind.
That's it for now. I hope these messages are getting through to you.
Skipper John
