Running in front of the wind and rolling in the following seas
If yesterday was rainy, today snow fell.
The heeling to starboard has become a difficult rolling. During the day, the wind has turned to more of a southerly. From then on, sailing the following winds and seas, there she rolls and rolls.
Howling squalls pass by with their stronger gusts, sleet, snow as we ride the backside of a Low Pressure System that sweeps over the north of the Scotia Sea.
The seas are steep, the following swell is crossed by some long northwesterly swell.
Wind, seas, showers and steering a course towards South Georgia, it all makes for keeping a good steering, requiring concentration and focusing to keep the ship going as straight as possible.
Hours of snowfall have left behind a “white rig” and the heavy wet snow blankets decks and yards with a considerable layer. It was time to do something about it, we must get rid of this extra weight we carry. Fire pump starts and the decks are washed with sea water, most of the snow is washed off.
Snow, slush, ice aboard, a hindrance to the good sailing that happens often on these cold waters, still south of the Polar Front and in the latitudes of the so called Furious 50’s.
Snow, slush, ice, yet another added difficulty to the struggles of Worsley, Shackleton, Crean, Tim McCarthy, Vincent and McNeish while traversing on their small boat James Caird these wild and icy waters from Elephant island to South Georgia:
We found the boat riding deep in the water, and liable to capsize, the ice on her being so thick and heavy. Something had to be done quickly. We took it in turns to creep out with an axe and chop the ice off. What a job! The boat leapt and kicked like a mule. She was covered 15 inches deep in a casing of ice with slush all over where the last sea was freezing. First you chopped a hand-hold, then a knee-hold and then chopped off ice hastily while a sea washed over you. After five minutes, you slid back into shelter and the next man took over.
Frank Woosley. Shackleton’s Boat Journey. Frank Woosley. From: Shackleton’s Boat Journey. The Story of the James Caird. Harding Mc Gregor Dunnet
Despite the heavy rolling, water constantly washing over the main deck, snow covering the ship, downwind sailing and passing squalls, still a good progress was made today. 105nm in straight line, 125 actually sailed including the change of course when the wind starts to blow from the aft.
