31 29.437 N 68 59.128W
November 23, 2008

Good Morning Everybody!

Let’s talk about numbers!  Number of days out of Jamestown:4; number of days we’ve had to wear foul weather gear and winter layers: 4;number of miles traveled: 640; number of miles to go to Antigua: 935.

Wind velocity Wed, Thurs & Friday until 4PM:  20-35 knots; wind velocity as low hit Friday afternoon: 52 knots; highest wind velocity recorded:  60 knots; highest constant velocity 55 knots; length of regular intervals over 50 knots:  5 min;  fastest speed  over ground with postage stamp mainsail recorded:   12.2 knots; length of time average wind velocity exceeded 45 knots: 12 hours.

Number of waves that broke onto boat and filled cockpit:  20;  number of waves that have broken onto boat and filled cockpit in all 20 previous trips combined:  3; number of photographs taken of waves:  we’ll let you know; number of waves surfed with postage stamp mainsail:  hundreds; average wave height: 15′; wave height resulting from harmonic interference:  25′;  height of waves in the middle of the night:  higher than the eye can see!  Number of times boom was in the water:  4.

Number of weather cloths torn asunder:  1; number of stanchions bent or broken:2;  number of autopilot remotes drowned: 1;  number of soaking wet sox with no where to dry: 24;  number of times wet sox had to be put back on:  10;  number of drenched and redrenched men:4;  number of soaked women:1.  (I wasn’t about to go out there.) Number of showers taken as yet:  0!

Don’t you wish you were here?

Number of pods of dolphin seen on first watch out of Jamestown:3;  number of flying fish:  30;  number of purple finches on board:  1;  number of hours Pierre lost to seasickness:  36;  number of stugeron tablets (anti-seasickness medication) ingested by crew:45.

Number of people needed to diagnose, supervise and repair issues with heads and head holding tanks:  6, number with crossed legs:  4.  Number of paper towels needed for clean up:  whole roll;  number of times white bucket has been disinfected:  3.

As for the fishing contest, stay tuned.  We haven’t set up the rods yet.  Number of rods that flew out of the rod holder:  1.

That should give you an idea of why you haven’t heard much from us. We’ve been having a wild time out here.  Additionally, unfortunately, number of blogs missent to the wrong site: 2.

All the best from the adventurous, if slightly aromatic crew, of Avalanche.