So I think I have sufficiently recovered from yesterday's traumatic events to tell you all about it... We were taking it in turns driving for two hours at a time- a bit of a relentless experience, to say the least, in 40-45 knots of wind. Anyway I was on deck and helming- and we are hooning along over these enormous great waves, coming from all angles, a really big confused sea, as you can imagine, was testing my patience... anyway, heard the roar of the next wave behind as it broke and braced myself at the tiller for the tumble of crashing wave behind us. It lifted us up and as we started to slew round I counteracted with the helm- for a split second there was a little bit more resistance than I had expected- but enough for me to think 'Crikey, I hope we haven't hit anything!!' Went back to concentrating driving over that particular wave, just then our stern was picked up by the wave, but something didn't sit right in my brain- we were being lifted out of the water at the stern at a greater speed and steeper angle than the surrounding seaway. I glanced around to confront possibly the most scary thing ever!!!- our stern was resting on the nose of the most enourmous bluey grey whale, wider than Berri, who's back was fully out of the water and him and us are zooming through this wave together... As most people know, I am not a big fan of getting close to animals, let alone, big animals, and my word you don't get much bigger or closer than this- Berri's cockpit isn't exactly big and I could almost have reached out and touched him... being a cool, calm and collected sort of individual, I screamed!!! and screamed!!! fortunately it was blood curdling enough for the whale to make a hasty retreat backwards and unfortunately for Big A, think I frightened the living daylights out of him- he looked about as white as I probably looked when he opened the flap at the top stormboard to see what on earth was going on!!!
I don't think we drove over him, I think he just caught up with us down the wave, and nudged us by mistake, I just hope he wasn't hurt!! I am really, really sorry Mr Whale if I hurt you- please don't be angry. I can't help but think about Pat's angry whale story and I would hate to have a big whale out there out to get me!! I have never seen anything quite like that though and hope never to again!!!!
Things calming down outside all the time now and getting close to Tuk- wooo-hooo!!! Canadian waters!!! yippee!!!
Still hand steering as Ray has had a nervous breakdown- we're to close to the pole for him, he likes the tropics and had a tantrum, hopefully we'll coax him out of it towards the Atlantic, with promises of going south!!!
Lots of love
McQ
xxx
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