On Rain Squalls

I have had six rain squalls dump their load on me already today.

I am the second day out from Jamaica headed to Panama. My course is 200 degrees, which is 20 degrees East of due South. Panama lies about 400 miles away. At my speed, 7.5 knots, that's another 3 overnights.

The pillow like tops of these clouds only hint at what their dark bases carry. A few miles to the East, they are lined up as if in a race, a race across the Atlantic, from Africa, where these "Trades" originate.

You can't outrun them, not at 7.5 knots. You have to prepare and wait until they hit then dump their load on you. This is proceeded by a strong increase in wind. From the constant 12 -15 knots coming out of the East, the winds before these squalls increase to 22 - 25 knots, and a change in direction depending on how far they are north or south of the line to the Easterly Trades.

If you are caught un-prepared, they can knock the sails down and you heel (the boat leans away from the wind pressure) excessively. I have developed my own way of preparing for the 'hit'.

I am sailing with the second reef in the main. That brings the main sail down to about where the smaller head sail, the 'stay sail', tops out. I also have the bigger head sail, the 'Jib', rolled all the way out. That gives the boat a good 'pull' from the constant trade winds.

When a squall is about to hit, I will quickly roll up the jib and turn the boat a little into the wind until the rains come, then turn back. Eventually everything returns to normal and I head back towards Panama and roll out the jib again.

Another squall is approaching, so I better tend to business.