Wow!
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Headed out of Colon for San Andres at 10:00, Thursday November 29th
How many times did we say? We should have gone with David & Georgina. We landed on our side several times. The last 2 times helped make our decision to return to Colon. The return was horible but we knew it would be. We didn't know how bad it might get continuing north. After looking at the weatherfax, Jerry said he thought that Olga was headed into the Caribbean. Whether that influenced our weather is hard to say. When we left Colon the moon and stars were bright. That lasted until we passed through the ships We hit squall after squall with accompanying winds that fluctuated from 20-45 was our highest gust, but boats or the people on them do not like gusts. The clouds certainly opened up on us. Grace was the most ready ever, but things flew through the air that have never moved before. Baby Jesus from the creche ended up on the nav table after being stored in the back of the bookshelves. My new net system seemed to contain everything, but somehow he slipped through. Maybe there's a message there.
The computer stayed staunchly in its place, but after the last hit I sat at the nav table to constantly monitor the radar and the computer which we keep closed during rough weather, but it decided it had had enough and locked us out of our chart system. It gave us a blank screen with a red line and coordinates which were great for getting us back through the ships.
We could not see the green light on the breakwater.Fortunately a cargo ship was headed for the canal or that's what we thought so we followed him thinking he knew where he was going. We might have ended up in Balboa, but daybreak brought us safely into Colon which is experiencing 20-30 knot winds in the anchorage. The swells on the ocean last night were the biggest Jerry has ever seen so you know I was quite awestruck.
This morning my arms are sore from trying to hangon; it was a night of making constantly sure you umbilical corn was attacked in a safe place and nothing from the refrigerator could tempt you into trying to get to it.========radio to radio email processed by SailMail
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- November 29, 2001