The Fun Never Ends

The Fun Never Ends

There is a stupendous crashing and slamming as if the mast has somehow come unhinged and is pounding away at the deckhouse. It is pitch black, raining, blowing 32 knots and up until a few moments ago, we were sailing 20 degrees up from a dead run at 6 and 7 knots in 12-15′ wind waves mixed in with a 6′ northwest and 4′ southwest swell. Conditions are, shall we say, interesting.

Looking out the companionway and expecting the worst, I see the Monitor air blade pulsing rhythmically with the swell and the control lines a hopeless snarl on the port cockpit locker. Forgetting the sounds coming from up forward for a moment, it’s clear what has happened. The monitor control lines have parted, probably chafed through, where I never ever thought they would.

Dressed and harnessed as quick as I can, I am on deck cursing my luck, the fates, the weather, waves, clouds, and the rope manufacturer. I get the Solent tamed, the boat hove to, and begin to untangle and then de-rig the monitor. It looks to me that the core failed first. Impossible says I. Looking closer and then examining the other lines, sure enough the cover, though worn, is intact but I can feel the core is stranding. I feel only slightly better knowing why the daily inspections never caught this one.

After putting the lines on the drum backwards and sending Seaburban on a super-charged close reach that has bounding over the swell and crash landing on the backside of the waves, all is back in order and we are once again on our intended course none the worse for wear.

Down here, the fun never ends.

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https://bit.ly/svseaburban