Day 8 to FP - The Irie Feeling?

:lat=-8.75:lon=-104.71:
Time: 2300UTC, COG 250T, SOG 7.0kts, Distance Remaining: 1958nm

The Irie feeling is missing these days on Irie. Irie means "It´s all good",
life is great! It is a reggae term, "Feeling irie, mon!" Not always the
appropriate name for our boat and we have joked with friends that we should
have a "Not" sign aboard, to hang in front of the boat name when necessary.
We would have it up for sure right now, but it would only blow away or get
swamped by waves, or both. The question "Why do people do this trip?" has
entered our heads a few times, lately.
The waves (swell) have been coming from three directions, on our side, with
wind chop on top of them. They collide underneath Irie, creating a lot of
terrifying sounds and abrupt movements. The boat is constantly swinging,
pitching, bucking, banging into the waves, She sways from left to right,
lifts up, goes down. We basically can't do anything useful onboard. It took
the better part of the day to write this blog.
Mark and I have only been gone one week, but we are exhausted from lack of
sleep, especially at night when we need it most. The banging of the boat,
the jerking. We are jetted up in the air, to land with a smack, crash, back
onto the water. Naps are not very successful either. The hulls are noisily
streaming through the water next to our head. Then we are attacked from
underneath, waves being machine guns or explosives: crack, bang, kaboum!
Once in a while there is a huge one! It sends a shiver throughout our house,
the whole vessel vibrates and flexes. Maybe this is how a waterbed feels
like? When someone shakes it heavily? I compare the motions more to a
mechanical bull, or a real one at a rodeo. It also reminds me of laying on
an air mattress or one of those air-filled castles at children's parties,
while someone is walking and jumping around me. And then there were the
squalls (local bad weather systems) this afternoon. They turned the swell
into massive towers, sending waves crashing over the bow and side into the
cockpit. Everything, including us, was soaking wet with salt water. It
leaked into the bathroom through the vent as well. Did I mention we forgot
to close the door? It will be a fun night…
On a positive note, Irie is flying along at 7-8 knots. She is performing
beautifully speed wise. Over the last 24 hours, we sailed 170 miles, a
personal record. Her extra weight from provisioning in Panama makes her a
bit more sluggish through the water and less quick to react with the waves.
This contributes to the banging and smashing. It might be uncomfortable and
rough, but at least we won't starve. Unless it is too uncomfortable and
rough to dig up some food, prepare it and eat it…