Day 38

From Peter Ver Ploeg:

We left Manteo this morning charging along on the last gasps of the gale that passed through yesterday. With a double reef in the main, we were still making seven and a half knots!

The day began with all canvas set and snapping, but very quickly we realized that this was not the prudent choice. Time to reduce sail. This was the first time Pete and I had attempted to reef the mainsail and in hindsight, we probably should have taken a few practice runs in calm weather. With Pete manning the tiller, I crouched forward on the heaving deck amidst the howling frenzy of wind whipped lines and sail, doggedly trying to figure out what went where and in what order. The wind was roaring, the waves were crashing, lines were smacking me in the face and body and Pete couldn't hear what I was shouting. The result were a few false starts and some missed communication, some frustration, and of course, a healthy dose of colorful and creative language. The whole ordeal took quite a bit longer than it should have and it was with a sigh of a relief that finally I climbed back down to join Pete in the cockpit. The first reef was in.

It was then that Pete and I, admiring our handiwork, noticed a tear starting to spread from one of the grommets where the sail is tied to the boom. This discovery was followed by an eruption of colorful and creative language loud enough to be heard above the wind. I raced back to the mast to drop the sail down to the next reef point and the whole process was repeated. This time, however, slightly faster and more smoothly.

As evening approached the wind dropped. Afraid to shake out the reefs for fear that the tear would spread, we crawled the last couple miles in to Hatteras, NC at a measly three knots. The town seemed to have shut down for the Winter. Not much to do, or see, within walking distance so we went to bed early.