ABJECT TERROR

Saturday 3rd July

Location: Monsterrat to Guadeloupe.

OK, so up at 4:45am thanks to the obnoxiously loud music from the bar, coupled with the rocking and rolling in the bay, it was not a great night! I couldn't wait to leave the bay. I crashed and banged around in the galley while clearing up, making as much noise as possible hoping to raise Bob and Edi. It turns out Edi didn’t sleep well either, but nether the less he stayed in bed while Bob and I weighed anchor at 6:30 and headed back out into the open ocean.
Our planned route to Guadeloupe involved sailing down the East side of Monsterrat. OH if only I had known what was in store! As we headed out around the north tip of the island we encountered 20-foot seas, and 20 – 25 knots of wind. Daisy crashed through the waves, up and down like a fairground ride with a wheel missing. I sat drenched, shaking and frozen with fear, curled up under the dodger squeezing the life out of the cushion, as the huge wave’s covered the entire 56 feet of the boat filling the cockpit with water. I was seriously wondering if this was the day I was going to meet my maker. There are no words to describe my fear and panic. Never having professed to being a sailor, I would have paid almost any price to be air lifted off Daisy. I will never understand people who do this for fun? I can only assume them to be quite mad.
Everyone I know tells me I will get used to it, and even learn to enjoy it, but I’m almost 4 years into this yachting life style and I’m as terrified today as I ever was. I wonder all the time when and if it will it ever change?
I do love it when we’re at anchor, or on a mooring, I love seeing all these incredible places, I know I’m privileged to experience all these wonderful things that most people can only dream about, but the price I’m paying to do it has to be questioned!
Meanwhile I have a couple of days respite as we’re in beautiful Guadeloupe. After lunch Edi and I played Yahtzee then took a lazy nap. Now we’re about to head ashore for the evening, to have dinner out, giving me an evening off… I'm having lobster for dinner tonight!