An osprey standing watch at sunset.
Good morning everyone. We had an especially vigorous low pressure system blow through Maine last nite. We hunkered down near Castine with the rest of the fleet while winds blew 25 knots steady and gusted well into the 30s all night long. And as usually happens the tide is turning and a new weather pattern is setting in for the day. Clearing skies and NW winds should dominate the weather scenario for the day. It is clearing to the west’ard as I type.
“Constant vigilance is the price of safety.” And vigilant we were through the night responding to every twitch of the anchor chain, every gust of wind. Of course prior planning positively prevents poor performance so there really wasn’t much we needed to do but watch for anything out of the ordinary. We had 250′ feet of chain payed out and good stout anchor in the mud. Deck chairs had been battened down. Topsails had especially tight furls and a few extra gaskets were put around the headsails. Nothing is worse than trying to secure things after the blow has started. With Mary Day’s high bows she tends to hunt back and forth at anchor on these windy nights. The sound of the anchor chain rubbing the bobchains as we stretched back in the gusts made for very little sleep in the fo’c’s’l. But as they say, there will be plenty of time to sleep in November or when we’re dead, whichever comes first.
Have a great day. Be well. Do good.
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