Tuesday things started getting windier and our daily briefing from HERB foretold of worsening conditions.  By Thursday we were to be in 30 knots gusting to 35+ continuing for 48+ hours. . .  yippee...

So that's what happened.  Forget cooking, fend for yourself.  I had ditched my patch by now and even though things got REAL rough (think seas to 15'+) I never felt bad unless I tried to read down below; topsides I felt GREAT!  Course this meant I spent most of my time off watch sleeping and lying in my bunk listening to music when I wasn't taking care of chores...  By now we were all but living in our foul weather gear.  Meanwhile it's snowing back in Chicago and Larry is comfortably ensconced at home checking up on us and sending encouraging emails.  Don't worry Larry, we missed you!
Fort Lauderdale - St. Maarten   Jan/Feb 2004
We started in Fort Lauderdale (the boat sailed up from Key West after Race Week, 1st place in class thank you!) BTW LARRY, it's not good for my heart to get a message from the pilot telling me NOT to go to KEY WEST and to Call Home when I get to Fort Lauderdale!  You owe Theresa bigtime!  Across the dock from us was the restored J class SHAMROCK V, Sir Lipton's last effort at the America's Cup.  Note the titanium/copper deck hardware! Oh and see how the masthead on SO FAR only comes up to the second spreader on SHAMROCK V, never mind the super yacht HYPERION beyond.  Note the recess lighting in the boom!   Just down river was a new passenger barge, the QUEEN MARY 2.    BIG BOAT!  Ugly though.
We then had a little delay.  The riggers found some suspect rigging that needed to be replaced prior to heading offshore.  So off to Derecktor's Shipyard where the mast was pulled and put back in two days!  This also gave us a chance to fire into some other minor issues as well as gel into TEAM FIVE!
Look Boss, De MAST!!!.
Something's missing here. . . .
FINALLY we set sail Friday evening just before 8pm.  Just offshore from Lauderdale we hit the GULF STREAM.  By now we had 30 knots on our beam, light rain and rough seas.  Isn't sailing fun?  I made out pretty well, as I fell asleep right after going off watch and by the time I came back on watch we were through the Stream.  Haha.  Weather wasn't too bad for the first few days although we reefed and shook out reefs several times a day and pretty much stayed in our foulies.  I got real good at hanging up lines!  We even caught a yellowfin tuna; WAY TO GO LINDA!  Then we had a day of really light wind and motorsailed.  Alas, that was the last of nice easy cruising weather.   Notice how already the cockpit is wet; we hadn't even got into the rough stuff yet!
David on the helm, Matt and Linda with our evening dinner!  Yum!
My watch mate Latvian Linda took these pictures; below, she snuck up on me while I was dozing and listening to music.  Actually this was the only day we could lounge on deck.  The rest of the time the deck was soaked and/or pitching every which way!
Tuesday things started getting windier and our daily briefing from HERB foretold of worsening conditions.  By Thursday we were to be in 30 knots gusting to 35+ continuing for 48+ hours. . .  yippee...

So that's what happened.  Forget cooking, fend for yourself.  I had ditched my patch by now and even though things got REAL rough (think seas to 15'+) I never felt bad unless I tried to read down below; topsides I felt GREAT!  Course this meant I spent most of my time off watch sleeping and lying in my bunk listening to music when I wasn't taking care of chores...  By now we were all but living in our foul weather gear.  Meanwhile it's snowing back in Chicago and Larry is comfortably ensconced at home checking up on us and sending encouraging emails.  Don't worry Larry, we missed you!
Left Linda in full foul weather mode!  Yeah, it really was as nasty as it looks in the background.  Above just an easy slam into weather.  The wind instrument was only reading 24 knots and boat speed was 7+ knots.  Right, things finally got pretty the last day although it was still fairly breezy.  Below Cindy (Lou, think Grinch) just barely peers over the top of the racing wheel Larry installed for Race Week.  Gee, the cockpit is actually fairly dry!  Sorry, no pictures of you Ian.  Maybe next time we won't be on opposite ends of the watch schedule!
So the last day despite our best efforts at sailing fast, the wind was right on our nose and we didn't make the bridge at Simpson Bay.  We spent the night anchored out and (finally) had a good evening meal and relaxed.  Got a full night's sleep and then next morning went in, got tied up and proceeded to clean and rinse, and clean and rinse the boat.  (there was enough salt residue to cure a pig!)  Then we went out to a great French dinner in Marigot. 
Unfortunately some of us (meaning me!) had to fly home the next day and didn't get to enjoy the night life and beaches (topless or otherwise!) 
Maybe next time.