So.....24 hours on and we are still stuck approx 600 miles from Greenland, 400 miles from Iceland and 500 miles from Ireland.
50 mph winds direct from the west make it a very uncomfortable experience. So much so that our famous 'Jordan's Drogue' which was used on North of Disko I was deployed last night at about 9pm. This 100m of rope with about 150 little parachutes attached. The whole thing is tied off the aft and hugely stabilises the boat. As the giant swell rolls through all tension is taken up by the drogue lines. They creak and groan under the strain until the wave passes....and then the next wave arrives and so on.
Watch system has changed as we are going nowhere and it is now 1 hour on alone and 5 hours off. This is a watch to make sure nothing goes wrong with the Drogue.
Now, although the Drogue steadies the boat a bit we are still being tossed about the place and being smashed with waves over the deck. These one hour watches became known as 'The Death Watch' by Claire on the last expedition. Basically all hatches are closed and you go out on deck on you own while everyone else sleeps. Appropriate name....I was on my 2am one last night, winds howling and shrieking through the rigging. I was sitting on the deck of the cockpit when a giant wave smashed over the entire cockpit soaking me from head to toe. This has happened to all of us at this stage.
Nothing we can do but bob around at the mercy of the weather gods.
Adam has the flu which has possibly now being passed to Jamie.....oh the fun of an Ocean crossing!