Day 9 – Monday 17 February.

By Cathleen Hughes.

After a night of motor sailing there was no improvement in the weather. Every ones foulies were wet, beds were wet and the saloon was like a sauna with steamy hatch windows and very humid air with a lack of ventilation. The crew needed to make a decision about which direction to travel in or to travel at all. The GRIB files showed the storm as a giant band of strong winds and high seas about 300NM in width and stretching almost to the centre of the Atlantic Ocean from the coast of North America. Our choices were as follows:

1: We could continue in a southerly direction and ride with the storm for three days until we could hopefully pull through on the other side into the high pressure with lower winds and calmer seas. This would require us to motor the whole way through to be able to beat the storm. Using three days’ worth of Diesel after already motoring for two days in total since we left Ilha Grande is not the best decision as we may need the diesel at a later stage.
2: We could hove too and wait out the storm. To hove too means to manoeuvre the boat in such a way that one can use the sails to cancel out any forward momentum, effectively stalling the boat, and only the waves and ocean currents can create motion. This would have been viable if the crew had experience with this manoeuvre on Rotary Scout but attempting it for the first time in rough seas was not a logical solution.
3: We could sail in a north easterly direction away from the storm and head towards the high which we would reach in two to three days. This just meant we would be moving in the wrong direction, further away from our final destination.

After much debate we finally came to a decision to attempt the hove too so the crew would know what to do if need be and then continue in a north easterly direction away from the storm and into the high. The hove too was almost a success but the swell made the boat rock violently which made it very uncomfortable.

After switching direction and heading north east all we could do was ride out the storm. A few crew members took advantage of the heavy rains and took fresh water showers. The rain was so strong they managed a full hair and body wash and were able to wash all the soap off again. We did our best to lift the mood in as many ways as possible. We decided that this storm was the perfect time to get some great video footage of the gigantic waves and the crew members. This decision was prompted by frequent requests for video footage of the trip as well as an adaption of a popular saying of, “This will be proof to the non-believers back home.”

Along with the daily struggles of using the heads and keeping our finger nails clean, a crew member on board Rotary Scout must learn how to be nimble. This comes in handy when the boat gives a lurch, heels over and objects begin flying across the cabin. Picture it as a simple video game. You are a player in the middle of the screen and objects fly towards you from the top of the screen. Your player can only move left or right to dodge the objects. On a boat, you would, most of the time, have the luxury of ducking or jumping. Level one would begin in the saloon where you would dodge falling foullies and the odd bag or two that fly across the cabin. Level two would be in the cockpit where you would have to dodge breaking waves and occasionally your watch partner that loses their grip opposite you. The final level would be at the chart table. There is limited space to move and when the boat heels violently to port you must stop all electronics, files and stationary from falling away fro m you. When the boat heels to starboard you must dodge all rogue fruit, spices and carving knives that fly from the galley. We are yet to discover a scoring system for this entertaining escapade.