Wind and Rain

We motored through most of the night until we reached in cold front in the early hours. The wind piked up rapidly to 20kts and we were racing along under two reefs by my dawn watch. As day broke, the wind continued to build and then the torrential rain began, followed by even more wind. I had to disturb James twice for sail changes. It peaked around 35kts but then settled to 30kts northerly with building seas to match. We had several slap the hull and then dump over the doghouse.

The conditions are not 'heavy' or dangerous, but they are wet and uncomfortablle. For me, it is a choice between being soaked in the cockpit or sick down below. Croix des Gardes had also developed some interesting new drips. I had to throw out some no longer dry galley supplies and the only dry bunks are James' berth and the children's. However, the fo'c'sle is unusable due to the plunging of the bow. Even the loo roll got soaked and had to be jettisoned overboard. We've also lost a sail batten - the pocket pulled undone whilst the sail was flogging during a reef and the batten was thrashed out into the sea leaving the main somewhat noisy.

We are now 21N 72W below the Caicos islands runninng to pass between Great and Little Inagua. If conditions do not ease up, we shall look for somewhere to anchor and mop up until they do, but it will not be until daylight tomorrow as there are no suitable anchorages in Caicos without a hard slog into wind.