The Chinese Water Torture Begins

07/13/02

    Last night was the most miserable night I have spent on this trip, and one of the most miserable of my life.  The weather wasn’t worse than  any other weather we have had.  The winds were 18-20 knots and we were sailing close-hauled.  The wave direction and the heel angle combined to make for a very punishing ride.  When I attempted to go to sleep, I was faced with a heaving bunk on the high side of the boat.  As I lay down, my face was smashed into the lee cloth.  Every time we crashed over a wave, which was several times a minute, it was as though an invisible hand took the back of my head and ground my face harder into  the lee cloth.  Turning the other direction did not help either, as then my entire body was resting precariously in the lee cloth, the gravity was too strong for me to stay in my bunk. 

    And then the drip started. 

    It was not a steady drip, maybe one or two a minute that fell from under the portlight onto the back of my leg, but for an insanely uncomfortable person trying to sleep it was like Chinese water torture.  I took one of my precious pillows and put it over my legs so not to feel the drip.  Soon it was time to begin my watch anyway.

    The situation on watch was not much better, as it was a major effort just to sit at the table, and a real chore to climb up the companionway and look around,  I had to be careful to time my look so I did not get a face full of spray.

    When watch was over, I went back to my bunk, and wiped up the water that had dripped on the foot.  I then struggled into my bunk.  It was literally an uphill battle just to climb in.  I would get in the bunk, stand with my feet on the compression post in the middle of the cabin, fasten the lee cloth, then roll my legs into the bunk. 

    It was then I found that my best pillow, on which I had been resting my head, was completely soaked.  I gave it to David to store over the pilot berth, and mopped up the remaining water.  I was now faced with leaks from both ends.  I took my third pillow, the only one that is still dry, and curled into a fetal position in my bunk,  so that I was clear of both leaks.  Of course, all this time the boat was still heaving over the waves, mushing my body into the lee cloth.  Occasionally we would encounter a bigger wave than average, which would give me a particularly lively body slam.  I managed to get a little sleep somehow. 

    The next morning, at the end of my 0400-0600 watch, I decided to take a Stugeron.  It seemed to help me sleep a little, but did not really make me feel any less queasy.

    Later in the morning Eric decided to reef the sail, as the winds showed no sign of abating from 18-20 knots.  This helped the motion of the boat, but not much.  It was the steep waves that were really killing us.  As of now I am going to try to rest a little more before my watch starts at 1400, but I don’t expect to be too successful.  On a positive note, if we keep up this pace we will be in Tenerife Monday afternoon.