Sailing From Rockport TX to Gulfport MS... Still

By the third day the wind had finally picked up was now moving at a steady 18 knots; we were heeled over far to the left and easily doing seven knots with no motoring! Yay! The waves had increased to 4-5’ but we were prepared for them. Everything from wind speed and wave height was finally just as forecasted, and it really seemed like the perfect sailing day, in my book!

I was enjoying myself, perching in the captain’s chair watching the waves. They really were something to behold as they crashed here and there and our boat rocked and rolled and dipped down into the troughs. The dolphins from the morning before were gone and did not return until just before sunset. For most of the day, I saw no dolphins, no birds, and not even another boat. So, I simply held my seat as best I could, watched the waves, and sang Christmas carols. No one could hear me, and they were the only songs whose words I could still remember without having the benefit of being able to listen to the accompanying music.

I say no one could hear me, and it’s true, although Chris was dead asleep in his usual spot in the cockpit. He was so exhausted that later when I urgently had to use the head, repeatedly shouting his name would not rouse him and I had to resort to shaking him awake.

The longer I sat with nothing to do the more I began to think that not being able to safely leave my seat wouldn’t be so bad if we hadn’t already been in choppy waters for the last 30 hours. That it wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t dehydrated from purposely not drinking water so I wouldn’t have to risk life and limb trying to pee. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the waves weren’t out to get me. I believe they were.

I was looking at the toe rail on the port side deck dip down into the water thinking “Ooh, that’s cool!” Then I turned to look over the starboard side just as a wave crashed over the side and slapped me in the face saying, “No, it’s not fool!” This dousing continued to occur two or three times per hour for the rest of the day. Chris was mostly protected by the Bimini, but when it splashed his legs, he woke just long enough to glare at me as if this whole thing was my doing, then he curled up in a ball and promptly resumed sleeping.

The waves were relentless. Even when my bladder forced me to go below to use the head, the waves came crashing through the closed hatch in the bedroom, dumping a bucketful of water on my head. Unbelievable! I’m telling you, the waves were out to get me!

I felt like this was a test of my commitment to stay joyful no matter what the circumstances. Guess what, I Failed! The waves rocking the boat and everything in the cockpit being wet, I could handle. But by nightfall everything in the boat that was on the floor (or had fallen on the floor) was thoroughly drenched. More than one hatch was leaking. These were hatches that were dry even through days on end of rains, but I guess the force of the waves pounding on them was different. And then there were the few that we had not properly latched or forgot to close. As a result, the bedding in both cabins were soaked, the couches damp and there was no dry place to lay my weary head. The temperature gauge registered 76 degrees and 98% humidity, inside the boat! It was the end of the day, and our vessel was a soggy, smelly disgusting mess; we had that in common! Plus, I was physically exhausted. Being tossed about and just trying to sit that long while heeled over had taken its toll. I wanted to be joyous, but I was not. I would have gladly abandoned ship had the opportunity existed. I was wet, tired and felt sorry for myself. Chris adjusted the sails so that we were not leaning over quite so much and helped me get down the stairs. I took a hot shower, no easy feat even sitting down. Btw, who thought teak is a good idea for shower floors and shower seats? It’s like trying to clean yourself while sitting sidewise on a see-saw draped over with a slip and slide.

I usually try to conserve water with short showers while underway but this time I didn’t care. I took my time, I even I washed my hair…twice! I dried myself with the last clean dry towel to be found on the boat. I put on clean pajamas. Chris tracked down a dry blanket that had escaped the water intrusion by being folded up and put away. We laid it over a woven-plastic beach mat that I used to cover the damp sofa cushion, and I slept on top of that. Pretty well too.

I do have this fear that while I am sleeping Chris is going to fall overboard and I won’t even realize it until I wake up and find him gone. So, every few hours I would rouse myself long enough to yell up to the cockpit, “Are you ok?” and he would yell back, “Yeah, I’m okay”. Then I would go back to sleep. I felt bad that he had to do night duty alone but there was nothing I could do. I was exhausted.

Last time we almost lost the microwave had stuff falling out of the cabinets as they slid open and shut as the boat rose and fell with the waves. This was our solution in preparation for the expected 5' waves.

The water was sloshing around the cockpit as waves came over the starboard side. Later I would find a similar situation in the aft cabin and head.