The calm of the new front is a distant memory as wind, wave and rain have pounded the boat for 12 hours now. Sails or now fully reefed, Genoa furled and Staysail out with winds blowing 28 to 30 and gusting to 35. 600 miles offshore now and the Bahamas well behind the beam. Calmer coastal waters and modest seas are a fading memory with the boat heavily healed in 8-12 foot seas.

Overnight watch is all but quiet and a much longer 24 hours since the front passed. Untethered is performing well and I’m gaining confidence in her with each passing hour. With sails reefed, the higher winds and seas slow our progress east and updated forecast suggest a couple of rough days ahead. It’s work now to move about the boat and “loving the peace” of the open ocean seems a crazy concept right now. At this point in any ocean transit the love of offshore changes to what must be a love of adventure. The sudden gusts of wind to 35knts, and every bow crash’ at the bottom of the large swell, has all of us checking sails, surveying the deck and rigging and mentally reviewing potential adjustments to ease forces and flatten the hull some. Hoping this is the low point in the passage and crew grabs sleep and food as we can…but little of either at this stage.