Day 225 Moderate Gale

Our position at 0800 is S26º59 X E171º38.
The Beaufort scale defines the wind speed as a force 7 or moderate gale when it reaches 28 to 33 knots. Last night the sea lost its organized pattern and became a bedlam of short wind driven waves as the approaching high-pressure system pushed the wind speed above 30 knots. The effect inside the boat is impressive and very uncomfortable, particularly in the galley. We find ourselves feeling a bit like a James Bond martini – shaken but not stirred.
We cannot deploy the jib in these winds so we sail with a double-reefed main and the staysail. In this configuration, we only proceed at about 2 knots and must head S/SW with the wind 60º off the bow. With the engine assisting, the speed goes up to 4 knots and we can head a bit more southward but the bumpiness increases markedly.
Also the weather continues to be colder so that sitting in the cockpit means long pants, fleece, foul weather gear and socks.
Conversation is limited and it is too rough for cards or dominos so everyone is either buried in a book or napping. The sound of the wind and the sea, and sometimes the engine, is the only thing heard. I think everyone is girded against the movement of the boat and hoping either the weather calms down a bit or the next 4 days pass faster than the normal 96 hours. Let’s get there already!