Bermuda to Azores | Day 8

The first of two fronts has been bearing down on us for the last two days. We’ve seen sustained winds of 25 knots and gusts up to 35 knots. Seas have been 6-8ft with some 10fters. Breaking waves have crashed over the whole port side of the boat. We took a lot of water in the cockpit on one of them. It even went into the salon/living area below deck.

Needless to say, we have been hunkered down. It isn't easy to move around on the boat in these conditions. We’ve been trying to sleep when we can. Last night, I did manage to cook a relatively simple meal—sheet pan gnocchi with blistered cherry tomatoes, onion, red peppers, and garlic.

The water maker isn’t working. We got a big air bubble in it, trying to make water the other day, and we’ve not been able to clear it in these big seas. That means no showers until we get that fixed. We should be fine with water for drinking and cooking, but we’ll be conservative for the back half of the trip. If we can get a break in the weather and some calm seas long enough, we might be able to fix it before we get to the Azores.

We’re all tired, but in good spirits. One thing that’s struck me is how hardy we all are. This is not easy or comfortable. But we’re all in it. It reminds me that hardships don’t have to harden us, but they can and will fortify us if we allow them to.

This morning, before my night watch ended and the day was just beginning to break, I was looking at the big rolling seas and the breaking waves. The skies have been grey and cloudy. But this morning, the sun was breaking through, lighting up the clouds. with a brilliant glow, and casting its light over the foam of the breaking waves. It was beauty in the midst of all the chaos.

We have a couple of hard days behind us and a couple more ahead, but this morning reminded me that God’s mercies are new every morning.

All is well.

Day Seven Stats
Nautical Miles Sailed In The Last 24 Hours 163 (our highest mileage day yet)

Average Boat Speed 6.8 kts

Max Boat Speed 10.7 kts

GPS Coordinates 38 15.592N 45 13.198W

Miles to go 863…if you are trying to do the math, it does not add up. We cannot sail straight to our destination because of the wind angles. So we often do a series of turns (gybes and tacks) to give us better wind angles for sailing. But this means our exact miles are not always easy to calculate.