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Monday 18th October
Well, we set off yesterday. 7knot winds, gennaker up sailing nicely. Two hours later, no wind, the ocean was like glass.
Do we turn back and try again tomorrow? The weatherman said 10knots during the day increasing to 20 in the evening. So we turned on the motor and kept going. Two hours later here was the 10knot winds. Beautiful, half a meter swell, 10knot winds (in the right direction).
By evening we had reached Port Clinton (almost half way) a large bay and inlet. The ocean coming from deep water to shallow and wind against tide made it very choppy. The one and a half meter swell was now coming on the side of us and the wind dropped to 5knots.
There wasn’t enough wind to keep the sails open, so should we try to find shelter in Port Clinton which is very shallow, or motor on. After eight hours of motoring the wind finally came back.
Problem, we were an hour from anchoring at Keppel Island and there was lightning coming across from the coast with a lot of wet stuff. There wasn’t much we could do. Keep on going.
The morning light suddenly turned dark. The rain started followed by the light show. Sue was anxious to say the least, as the lightning was striking very close. Lightning and thunder almost simultaneous. The wind was sustained at 70km with a few peeks of 78. After half an hour (which Lydia slept through most of it) the show was over, the sky cleared and we could see Keppel. Thunderstorms on land are nerve wracking, as are ones when you’re on a boat at anchor, but it’s a whole new level when you’re in the middle of one at sea and the only tall mast (or as Sue calls it, lightning conductor) in sight!
By the time we had anchored it was blue sky and a slight breeze. We all had a late breakfast and went to bed. Waking at lunchtime to still a blue sky we could hear thunder in the distance. Batten down the hatches, it’s another thunder and lightning storm heading our way.
This storm came and went. Not as intense as this mornings but it had its moments. Once again Lydia slept through it all. We are hoping tonight is a little more sedate.
NB. Boats that get hit by lightning usually lose all their electric items, navigation instruments, auto pilot, lights, phones, tablets, engine alternators, starters and batteries, rendering the boat inoperable . Then the lightning finds its way out of the boat blowing a hole or two through the hull fittings.