September 27, 2001
1 minute reading time
A Bumpy Ride
Email from Ian Moore co-navigator on board Illbruck, current leader of the Volvo Ocean Race sent at 11:00 today.
Email from Ian Moore co-navigator on board Illbruck, current leader of the Volvo Ocean Race sent at 11:00 today.
I won’t name and shame the hardened veterans who lost their lunch but I think everyone will be happier when the front comes through and we get to bear away a bit.
People were not the only things that took a pasting. We had that sinking feeling for a while when the sewing machine came loose from its stowage on a particularly savage wave and severed the standpipe from one of the seacocks.
Thankfully it severed the pipe just above the waterline but every time we dropped off a wave we had a miniature Trevi Fountain in the forepeak. Waffler (Stu Bettany), our resident rigger come plumber, was able to rebuild it in typical Kiwi “she’ll be right” bodge it fashion.
Yesterday evening we sailed through the mini Transat fleet, which is spread out west of (Cape) Finisterre. If we thought we were having a tough time it’s quite humbling to think those guys are out here on there own in 6.5m boats. We got quite close to a boat that looked like the leader and we shone a torch to see if it was anyone we knew but there didn’t seem to be anybody on deck. I guess he was having a quick nap. Scary.
All is well aboard illbruck