0833utc 50/11S 126/55E 9 knots, storm jib, course 095T, gale still blowing, big, big seas still running. Can’t tell windspeed as our wind instruments have become erratic, but think in 35-45 knot range now, down from last night, when squalls again to 55 knots regularly came through. The last 5 days are a blur, one low after another after another after another, and not quick ones of a few hours, but 18 hours 20 hours long. In the middle of last night’s maelstrom, I went forward to lash the two furlers, thinking that if one of those came loose, either with broken line or otherwise, that would be the end of that sail. With great caution, crawled from the mast, thinking of Yann, and made the lashings, and got back to the cockpit safely and relieved.

Rested a bit in the port leeward bunk, being very cautious of my bandage over my left eyebrow gash, and not wanting that to come apart and start bleeding again. Among a multitude of big waves that knocked the boat over, we had one monster, with items flying across the cabin that are still lost. The pilot was doing its best on compass, with the wind instruments out, it couldn’t steer on true wind angle, the norm for a run like this.

Spoke with Jonny Malbon on Artemis again this morning, he’d had a gigantic sea almost come aboard. I look forward very much to these telephone conversations with a brother in arms.

The breeze should be dropping in about 5-6 hours, we’ll see, but caution is the first order of the day aboard Great American III.