Approaching the Philippines. Compiled from the captain’s messages sent via satellite tracker
Morning of 16 October:
“We sailed into a storm; it’s blowing 35+. The guys steered heroically through the night, but I woke up every fifteen minutes or so when the jib backed over. I hope nothing has broken. Waiting for the wind to strengthen.
Afternoon:
The heater exhaust pipe (which comes out at coachroof level) has already gone underwater about five times. The rain is horizontal; the drops hurt when they hit your body. We’re helping Iron Felix from inside. This evening we’ll heave to for twenty-four hours.
Three solar panels are out of action, the sprayhood is torn, its hoops are bent; we’re lying under bare poles, and setting the mizzen is out of the question. Artyom and I barely managed to furl the jib.
I’m dealing with a flood in the galley. The hold is dry, the sails are more or less intact. Water is pouring in through every window in the saloon, the aft cabin, and the crew quarters. Through the companionway hatch too. We can’t even air the boat—the sprayhood is torn. Being hove to is extremely uncomfortable. Without the mizzen, there’s no stabilisation.
The wind is shifting, but the waves can’t keep up with it. They’re coming from different directions. The leeward side is often submerged halfway up the saloon windows. One panel was torn off, the second was broken, and the wires were ripped from the third. The piece of coral from the aft head smashed against the wall. AIS is on, both receiving and transmitting.
I expect the second quarter of the cyclone to strengthen; it’ll blow from the south, against the waves. The mizzen may be too much. It’s dangerous for the mast: two shrouds have been repaired. I plan to remain hove to until tomorrow evening. After that, the wind should gradually become more favourable.
Morning of 17 October
Wind 20; we’re on a port-tack close reach, COG 220. I’ve set the sails and restored the second solar panel.
18 October
Expected arrival date at the Philippine port of Subic: 20 October. Fatigue and sleep deprivation have built up. I’m steering through the squalls. Rain and thunderstorms; I’m constantly adjusting the sails.”
A note from the first mate:
As you may remember, the yacht left Vladivostok without her scheduled maintenance. We had decided to leave the yacht in Korea
(the previous post with details is here),
which is common practice among Vladivostok yachtsmen. After the storm in the Sea of Japan, the crew were refused permission to make an emergency stop in Korea.
The mainsail is torn, as are three shrouds (replaced with Dyneema). The masthead shroud on the mainmast is unravelling. Replacing it with emergency rigging is impossible in this weather. There are traces of water in the transmission. The engine can only be started from the hold with a screwdriver (we tested it the day before the storm so we could use it to enter port, but that isn’t the main issue right now). Typhoon season had come to an end; this one arrived rather late. And, incidentally, it isn’t as strong as they usually are. A typhoon is a hurricane—that is, a tropical cyclone capable of developing into a hurricane. This one only developed into a storm, and by the time you read this post it will already be approaching the coast of China, where it should lose strength.
Follow Lady Mary:
On the “Route” tab of our website, there is a track on the second map. It is recorded in real time by a Rockstar Iridium 360 tracker. Go to the Route tab on our website, travely-family.com. The map takes a couple of minutes to load.
And we had a celebration yesterday too
And on 17 October, the captain and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary. As you can see, we celebrated it rather exotically this year. Husband in a storm, wife working on a book and sitting anxiously in front of the monitor. But we’re still together, even if we’re not side by side. May that closeness only grow stronger—for us and for you too. )
Friends, thank you for your support in the comments! Even a typhoon is easier to endure with you. And enormous thanks to Yuri K., Natalia D., Anna K., and Vladimir K. for supporting the expedition—or were those wedding-anniversary presents?—by transferring money to the ship’s fund via
https://sobe.ru/na/travelyfamily
You’re part of our crew now too! We’ll add it to the budget for solar panels and rigging for our dear little Lady Mary. )
Hugs! PEACE to everyone!”} frontend. This is likely a translation of the original text, with some nautical terms. Need ensure complete, paragraph structure. Check