Route to Panama 17 February 2024 –More Rock and Roll

I have to thank Jules, my wife, for allowing me to do this trip as although we are due to meet a number of times each year she is largely at home with our dog Rassy, yes named after Hallberg Rassy. It is her birthday today and (although I have spoken to her) I wanted to wish her through this blog a very happy birthday from all of us on Stormbird and I want to publicly thank her again and that I am very much looking forward to our getting together in the Galapagos.

If you recall from yesterday we were still on a northerly type course to try and avoid the effects of this system which was causing the force 7/8 winds and heavy seas. We were sailing fast despite these conditions and were doing about 187 mile days which is an average of 7.79 kts nearly 8kts an hour in quite testing conditions. Stormbird was taking it well but it is not easy for us as crew as we cannot get off and are having to effectively work (do shifts) three times a day and those shifts keep changing. Everything we do is affected by the rolling and the heel (angle) of the boat. The aim therefore of going out of our way was to try to limit this.

I assessed all the options and decided to continue the current course until 2.00am and then gybe for Panama. This would keep us out of the worst effects of the wind which would begin to die down over the next day and the waves would do the same but a bit later. Mark had suggested we continue on the course for another 100 miles but when I looked at it there did not seem to be a great benefit of the greater distance and we would get into Panama a day later. The question will be whether the wave conditions when we gybed would be settled enough to cope until it calms down.

Joyce and I were on watch from 2.00am and Keith and Jonas who were on the earlier watch helped us gybe. We have three deck lights on Stormbird, deck light 1 under the mast at the first spreader level (the bars that come out of the side of the mast), deck light 2 on the rear starboard pole and deck light 3 on the starboard pole. We out on 1 & 2 and the boat was well lit and we could see what we were doing. As described before we bring in the main sail and boom by releasing the boom preventer (this stops the boom trying to swing over to the other side should a roll or wind get behind it which if it happens could snap the boom) and winching it in and then you swap over the boom preventer to the other side. You then bring in the staysail and then change over the running backstays (rope supports for the mast when using the staysail) from one side to the other. The problem is that the running backstay you are not using has to be stored up near the mast and the other collected from the other side. This means going on deck which in rolly seas is not easy and we clip on with our safety lines to the jackstays (lines running along the deck to attach to). One we did this we could gybe, sort out the right angle for the boom on the other side and then put out the staysail on the other side. This took about 15-20 minutes and we set our course for the Panama canal. The good thing also about the course was that it was about 110 degrees off the wind and not 130 which we usually have and so a far better angle.

The wind was no different but the waves were on the port side now and generally we were riding over them although occasionally a wave would catch us on the side. The conditions were pretty similar to our previous course.. At least this time we were heading in the right direction and we could see we were heading for the port entrance some 365 nm ahead. We continued through to light which was about 6.30am and we could see the grey expanse of vast sea with long rolling breaking waves coming toward us and some just ran under us and others raised up the boat and we surfed down the waves with the speed increasing up to 12/13 kts at times. It was quite exhilarating but more rock and roll which was challenging especially with sleeping.  

Carolyn had made some oats from the night before which was great and I made a bacon sandwich for Keith and I. The morning passed with the winds remaining strong and gusts of up to 33 kts. As the day went on the wind lowered a bit to about 20-22 kts with occasional gusts of 26 kts. The sea state also began to reduce but slowly. We had wraps for lunch and spent the afternoon resting or chatting or reading. We now began to see a few more cargo ships coming towards us and assume that they must have come through the canal.

The roll became less but the wind as I write is still 18-26 kts and we are sailing along about 7- 8kts which if we can keep it up should mean we get into Panama by Monday morning. The wind is expected to die on Sunday pm so it looks like we will have to motor for the last section. We have some anticipation now of arrival but we are not there yet. However everyone is in good spirits despite the conditions which is the main thing. We all seem to get on well and help each other which is what crewing is all about. There have been no moans at supper so far on this trip.

Joyce cooked a great chicken teriyaki for supper which was warming and filling and we settled in for the night of watches. Stormbird was sailing well and the familiar creaks and groans of the boat were audible, as if second nature. Luckily the galley orchestra was silent for a change confirming the roll was not sufficient to wake it up. Hopefully we will have a good night and the moon will visit which has been very bright recently illuminating the sea and the roll of waves.      

Distance run last 24 hours 185 nm another good run and only two down on our record.

The blog will continue as we head off to Panama and beyond.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com  I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk