Found it!

The storm, I mean. Actually, it turned out to be more of a gale where I was.

Around 8 pm, the winds finally started to pick up into the mid-high 20s. Having fully prepared (I thought), there was nothing to do but to stay below, sleep a bit, and watch the wind and boat speed. As it turns out, I only saw a maximum of 39kts, and this was a gust. Mostly, the wind was in the 32-36kt range. I had some good surfs down wave fronts (I think I recall 14.5kts) but, overall, I was mildly undercanvassed. Instead of 9.5kts sustained speed, I probably averaged more like 8.5. Couldve done that on Blue Hill Bay. Oh, well. Better safe than sorry.

To make matters worse (progress-wise), the 30+ kt winds were basically done by midnight. I watched the wind strength slowly decline (though its never a smooth curve) until about 1:30 am. Then I decided the worst was past, got up on deck and dropped the storm jib, raised the cruising jib, and unleashed the mainsail from the boom. That kept me going for an hour or so, then the wind fell below 10kts (as forecast) and we wallowed around doing 4kts or less in the big, confused seas left over by the gale.

We did the washing machine thing (where the waves dominate the heel and forward motion of the boat, resulting in pitching, yawing and heeling back and forth) until I grew tired of the routine and turned on the engine to motorsail. That got us up to 5.5kts made good (fighting an adverse current here approaching the Continental Shelf) and turned off (mostly) the washing machine.

Now I have to focus on strategic fuel use. Right now, the true wind is less than 6kts and Im facing adverse current, so it makes sense to motor. As soon as the TWS hits 7kts, though, Im going back to sail power alone. Yesterdays forecast said Id see 10-15 kts today (starting maybe noon?), but sometime tonight itll die back down and, worse, move directly aft. That means the apparent wind in which I sail will be pitiful. More motoring will be necessary, pretty much all the way to Camden. (Unless I want to bob around out here for another 12-24 hours, which I do not!)

So any hopes I had of getting to Camden on Tuesday evening now seem pretty much out the window. Im focused on making Wednesday, first thing, a reality without running too low on fuel (I will need a bit to enter Camden Harbor and come alongside at Lyman-Morse. And, just as with a car (only worse), its never clear exactly how much fuel is left. The gauge is a good guide, but other factorslike whether Resolute is heelingchanges the equation.) fingers crossed.

Lastly, I think I wrote last time about dressing a bit more warmly. I decided to go for it last night after getting drenched (rain, not sea spray) on the foredeck. Let me back up… A few days ago, I noticed that I had left a port open in the aft port cabin. No biggie, it faces inward and water rarely comes in. I closed it and felt around-damp, but not wet. I now realize two things: when the waves were crashing over the boat and flowing into the cockpit, a bunch of this sea water found its way to that protected port; and a further bunch of that water was accumulated in my two sea bags (you know, for storage of dry clothing). Bottom line, my dry clothes are in that middle zone between dripping wet and damp. The quick-dry stuff will be usable. But the insulated, warmer stuff probably wont dry nowthe days of sun and 70F have given way to clouds, drizzle and somewhere in the 50s. Oh, well.

Time to shake out those mainsail reefs and get ready to sail again…