Bare poling, for the nautically challenged,is an extreme form of sailing in high winds, where you take down all sail, lash everything that can be lashed, sort your halyards and deck, stow everything that can become a lethal weapon down below and hoon off downwind as fast or as slowly as you think is safe, either hand steering or in the control of a wind vane autopilot. The problem is to keep the boat going slowly enough so that it doesn't take off from the tops of huge breaking waves and surf down them with a bow wave that's still rising as it passes the cockpit. Stomach churning stuff, because it's what happens at the bottom of the wave that governs your comfort level for the rest of your life.
Carla - glad you're safe - Carolyn and Andrew - yep!, everyone else - g'day and thanks for your messages - lovely to have His Onner back on the job.
Toes - mine are not complaining, cos they've got their cosy Sitka Slippers (brown Bering Sea fisho's wellies) to keep them dry. Not always warm, but so far dry. But then there haven't been 800 submarine foredeck sail changes this time. While I really don't like furlers, they do have some advantages!
Lots more but I must get into party gear and go on watch.
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