SAILING DIARY

Rolling along at 10 kts

A good hand once said that you learn more about a vessel in the first week of a long passage than you do in a year of weekend sailing. Wise words underlined for us these last days, and before us by Keith and the guys who made the legendary delivery bringing Kialoa up from Lagos to the Hamble (a tale worth hearing over a beer or two).

What have we learnt so far? For one, heavy weather downwind steering is a negotiation between the helmsperson and Kialoa with few advantages in the hands of the steerer. Helm makes a suggestion as to proposed path, if the old girl agrees, life is good, the path is clear, the sun shines. If the suggestion is made too forcefully, or Kialoa differs in her choice of course, all hell breaks loose. An indignant roll ensues, a shaking of the metaphorical head, both rails in turn touch the tide, there are loud sounds of clanking and crashing from every conceivable storage space and yells of complaint are heard from the galley. And we try not to do that again. Sympathy, soft hands and the right sail combination definitely pay dividends.

Sounds are important during the first days and weeks on a passage. Important and sleep disturbing. At first every sound is unusual and requires investigation. As time passes and familiarity grows, only the discordant or new that need be tracked down. And then of course we gybe, tack or the conditions change and the listening watch begins again, learning the new sounds of that particular point of sail. One diligent and sleep deprived watch spent a full two hours of off-watch stuffing socks, tea towels, sponges, and packs of baby wipes, into drawers and storage spaces and using duct tape in an at least partially successful mission to mute the chorus.

Winds were light once out of the Solent, we motored and motor-sailed for much of the first two days until the north-easters kicked in. Since then we have had solid breezes from the north building into the 30-35 knot near gale conditions last night.

The yawl rig allows a multitude of sail combinations, reacting to sea state, wind strength and angle. An example: early on our traverse of Biscay we had jib, staysail, main, mizzen staysail and mizzen flying, rolling along at 10 kts in 12-15 kts of breeze, an unstressed autopilot whirring away and The Specials at full bore, “Too much, too young”. Doesn’t get much better.

Of course sometimes it gets worse. Working downwind in the dark, 35+ knots of wind, with just a reefed main, we were on course, making 9 knots and comfortable (again that yawl rig, the main mast is set forward so a well reefed main reacts well downwind). A lapse of concentration, an inadvertent crash gybe and we took out one of the mainsheet traveller winches, the port checkstay and did some damage to the mainsail. The main was quickly dropped into lazy jacks and on our way we went, setting only a staysail and reefed mizzen, caution prevailing until we could assess damage in the daylight.

A safe sail combination slower and much less comfortable in the huge seaway, nonetheless allowing us to make progress in the right direction. Daylight, a rig check, falling winds and we’re away again, full main, jib, staysail and a reefed mizzen pressing south. Plenty for everyone to do when you have two masts…

Paddy.