Carib 1500

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Latitude 30 deg 20 min N, 70 deg 20 min W; 400 miles SE of Cape Hatteras, 200 miles SW of Bermuda and 700 miles from BVI; wind NE 30 to 35 kts; seas 12 ft; 3 reefs in the main; 70 % of our small jib; surfing 9 to 10 kts. We have come through several squalls tonight and there is lightning all around; its 5 AM; black; the wind is fairly steady, the seas are building. At our last radio check the previous night at 7, several boats had reported waterspouts and all had reported squalls and lightning. However the boat feels good, fast and stable, like it is on rails. George, our autohelm, has us going straight as an arrow, click, click, two inches of helm to port, click, click, two inches of helm to starboard…is he suppose to be able to do this? None of us could replicate his performance… no horizon, confused breaking seas… yet steady as a rock. We’re tired. We have been experiencing squalls for two days now and at night they are quite troubling as you can’t see them coming. Ok, time for a break, let’s heave to until daybreak. Sheet in the jib and main and tack the boat. All is now quiet, we are moving sideways at about 1.5 knots and the tension of a crash and burn in the middle of the Atlantic has gone away.

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Photos

Later that morning
Surfing 10+ knots, no main, 2/3 jib