We've been going well over 24 hours from Cristobal, and since before dark last night, we've been reduced to a painfully slow four knots. Alan estimates the wind speed at 35 knots. It's as rough as we've had it anywhere. Certainly you can see white foam breaking loose from the crests, and rolling down the waves, which is an indication that what's blowing out there is no light breeze.

As the wind strength increases on Thursday, the character of the waves changes. We've probably been in bigger seas - these waves are mere twenty footers - but they're angry. The first really big breaking wave is quite beautiful, awesome. I see what I think to be a white cloud coming into view at the windscreen. It's the breaking crest of the wave, and just underneath it is enough translucence in the water to see a spectacular deep blue. Terrifying power and awesome beauty all in one.

But as we ride up this, and the thousands that follow, lurching painfully from side to side, we realise that this is no twelve hour tropical storm. This is the big depression we've been following - albeit third hand - which started in Newfoundland and which has now arrived in the Caribbean. Whilst we'd hoped to arrive in Jamaica today, it seems the best we can hope for at the moment is Monday.

We ride up most of the waves, but every so often we pound straight into one, either head on, or taking it on the beam. The tube around the bow quivers up and down like an enormous jelly, sending huge vibrations pulsating right through the boat. The wind is coming at us from the east, and it's pushing us sideways at two and a half knots. So at the moment, it looks as though it will be easier to let it take us to the west end of Jamaica, and then pass along the north coast to our refuelling stop at Port Antonio.

What's most depressing is that we set off on a relatively short hop, one that should be completed in under two days, and we could end up taking five. There's nothing we can do except plod on slowly at this pitiful speed. Morale has hit rock bottom once again, as we realise that our plans to get back across the Atlantic in the next couple of weeks have once more been set back.

The consolation, so we're told, is that the passage between Jamaica and Florida should be clear. But I think I'll believe that one when I see it.

Clive Tully

Copyright Clive Tully ©2002
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