Stanley to South Georgia Island: 13 Nov. 2008

Southern Ocean: hard and cold Short report today. The last 24 hours have seen everything; as we prepared and waited for this low pressure system, my tension subconsciously tightened. By first light we started seeing the swing, and then during the morning the wind began to build, two reefs, then three, and then four ... wind speeds started to get too high for the full Yankee No3 and staysail, and they had to be partially furled. Still stonking along at 10 knots; the visibility was bad, the snow came in horizontal flurries, and we soldiered on waiting for the worst. As skipper, I look at many different things when making any decision: the seas, the winds, the predicted future conditions; but I also am are keenly aware as to the condition and strength of myself, the crew and the people we have onboard. With the winds howling, I decide it was time to stop. The ice is too close and the only remote island group prior to South Georgia a little too close if we push on in the last daylight. So we hove-to until early daybreak (about 4 am) and then we'll re-evaluate tomorrow and the conditions. ~ Stephen