Ditch Bag? What is THAT??
TideChaser Followers                November 25, 2014 Day 6

 This day started with the excitement of catching our first fish in the Gulf of Mexico as you all read in our last news home. Well the excitement didn’t end. With no land in site and 130 Nautical miles to go the seas were getting rougher and rougher. Our speed, 7-8.4kts, was excellent because of the high winds just pushing us along. That should put us in Tampa by noon on Wednesday if all goes well.

The problem was the wind kept building and that caused the waves to get bigger and bigger each moment we sailed on. The rain was coming down here and there. It became a constant pounding of the waves that eventually got to be 6 to 7 feet high crashing either over the bow through our trampolines and smashing into our bedroom windows, which leak by the way, or coming over the portside and just pushing us with a mighty force into the wave swelling on the other side. Oh Yes it was quite scary. Still no real eating.  Until lunch when the guys wanted a hot meal. That was an experience as well. The boat is bouncing to and fro, I’m filling two pots with water, thank goodness the stove rocks with the movement of the boat, well most of the time anyway. I braved the famous boxed macaroni and cheese and 4 hotdogs. Quick and hot. Chris did not eat these seas were taking a toll on her. She may have been trying to sleep at this point. Me? I was careful about eating as well. I was still getting that queasy feeling from time to time.

On and on the pounding of the wave throwing our little TideChaser here and there. Sometimes it even felt like we were surfing across the waves as it lifted us from the bow and pushed us along the top from a wave at our stern. This meant staying inside and watching movies, playing Uno, and I think this was the first time in my life I ever got to the 10^th level of Phase Ten, a card game and for me sleeping whenever I could. Anything to occupy our minds. No other boats anywhere! We are 8o miles offshore heading to Tampa.

The night came early with the stormy weather. I don’t like the night. It feels ten times rougher; every sound is magnified to make me think she is coming apart. I can hear the water splashing into my bedroom window and filling up the shelf under it. Almost every towel has been used and reused by this time. Ok. Ok. So this is how it went until about 8:30pm. I come out of my cabin and see Walt and Gary talking. The next thing I know Gary is cleaning out a waterproof bag. I said “Hey what’s going on, what’s the matter?” One of them said ”Oh nothing really but we are going to put together a ditch bag just in case.” “What is a ditch bag? What do you mean?” I asked. “You know just things we need if we have to leave the boat and go in the dingy or life raft” Gary said. YIKES! Ok Ok deep breath! So we did and kept it in the corner of the galley by the door.

Back to our 2 hours on and 4 hours to sleep schedule. This was one of the longest nights of my life. Lots of Praying, watching out for other boats in our path and trying to write this story.  When morning came we were all so happy the winds slowing and we could see land. Sweet, sweet Tampa here we come. We got into the intercostal waterway there and headed for Marina Jacks in Sarasota, Fl. All I can say is Thank You God. What an adventure. Hot Showers, hot food; do laundry……Oh MY in Sarasota.

Love  Juls