days seven, eight, nine, ten - waiting out the wind

day seven

Up at 6:45, cold north wind and very strong gusts.  Mist blows across the creek.   Had gotten up in the early morning hours to slip on another pair of thermals from the clothes duffel, wished I had tucked them in the bivy with me the night before in case I needed them.  Slip on clothes, wool sweater and the dry suit in the morning.  Make hot chocolate to go with breakfast and think of my backpacker friend who had suggested I have hot chocolate and tea on board.  

So much rain the night before my sleeping bag got wet, spread it out to dry.  Read, nap, watch out the back of the boom tent as the gusts come and SPARTINA slides port and starboard.  I turn on the GPS to make sure the anchor is holding.  It is.  1:45 undo the starboard side of the tent, start the outboard and raise the anchor to reset it more in the middle of the creek.  It holds well there.  More reading and then catching up on my log book.  Chicken and dumplings for dinner, filling and perfect for a cold windy day.

day eight

Sleep late, until 8:00.  Almost unheard of on SPARTINA but I'm not going anywhere.   Light overcast with hints of blue.  Hot chocolate with breakfast, wearing thermals, sweater and dry suit.  Less wind but still strong gusts.  The sun makes an appearance at 9:30.  Get out my solar panel to charge the phone.  I check the apps to see that I'm right on the edge of 30 mph winds with higher gusts.  

Late morning getting warmer.  Noon strip off the dry suit and thermals.  Blue skies in the afternoon.  Read, nap.  Strong gusts at 3:00 and getting stronger.  Spaghetti for dinner.  Read until 8:00.

day nine

Very gusty through the early morning hours, hard to sleep at times as SPARTINA shudders and bounces in the wind.  Temperatures in the 50s.  Grey overcast and getting cooler.   Dry suit, thermals, hot chocolate with breakfast.  10:00 a cormorant surfaces behind SPARTINA, an osprey flies overhead.  Weather radio talks of a storm stalled off the mid-Atlantic coast.  A friend sends me a photograph of a house falling into the ocean forty miles or so east of me.  Fewer gusts midday.  Stronger gusts in the late afternoon, almost constant blasts of wind.  Chili Mac for dinner.  The wind howls into the night.

day ten

Wake late, almost 7:00.  Sunny at first but light overcast moves in.  Hot chocolate with breakfast, tea early afternoon.  Still gusty but not as strong.  Enough light to charge my phone so I can read the news, check the weather and check in with the family.  

 

Glad to have plenty of reading materials.  I read about Antarctic explorers and think maybe I don't have it so bad.  2:00 light overcast.  Rain comes and goes.  Less wind in afternoon.  Surprised to see how quickly the day goes.  Evening strong gusts arrive, the sound of the wind more bothersome than the rocking boat and shaking tent.  Creamy mushroom pasta for dinner.