For those of you messing down the back...., we left a week late to avoid a nasty weather system packing strong gale force southerly winds. The main concern was the rapid reversal of wind direction that the front would bring to one of the fastest currents of the oceans. We have to cross this current - The Agulhas- to sail into Durban. When wind and current are in the same direction it's a happy sleigh ride. When they disagree with each other its more like surfing Mavericks but in a boat and boats don't cartwheel that well.
Leaving on Sunday meant we would still sail through the front but not in the Agulhas current and she would have vented most of her rage by the time we met her. Monday night was the ETA of the front but she arrived early. I was snoozing below when I heard the radio crackle on, another boat was calling a boat ahead of the fleet asking them what they were experiencing. Next I heard "The gates of hell"!! That got my attention.
On with the rain jackets, life jackets and engine. Genoa away, stay sail out hanker chief main. BRING IT ON!!! The wind shifted from 40 degrees to 270, and man did the sky's darken with low black menacing clouds and the rain started to hammer down. The kamikaze in me was a tad disappointed with the wind strength though. It never topped 30 knots- HO HUM :(.
We sail into the Agulhas today and pass Madagascar. The lads are knitting 😊!!! I'm enjoying a great book called Educated and our man with the cam ( Andrew), is busy making his passage video for you guys to enjoy.
That's all for now from the Indian ocean.
Mary
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