Rough crossing to Hillswick Bay

Passage Collafirth → Hillswick Bay Distance 34 nm (1 nm under engine) Duration 6 h (0.3 h of engine) Wind B0 B2 B4 B6 B8 B10 Calm Storm Comfort 🤮 🌊 We thought it would be an easy one. We had patiently waited in Collafirth for the storm to pass. The forecast still predicted gusts of 25-30kt. This was manageable, especially as most of the passage would be on a beam reach. We didn't account for the waves. As soon as we passed the headland, we encountered a confused sea with up to 3m waves, regularly breaking on deck. To make things worse, we had to scramble to the bow to rescue the kayak, which had broken free under the battering waves. I tried alone first but was thrown around. I couldn’t get enough strength to pull it back onboard, its bow already buried in the water. We hove to, holding Capsula steady in the wind. Stefano joined me and we secured the animal. We got back to the cockpit, shaken and shivering. It hit Stefano first. He turned yellow, had to lie down on the cabin floor and…