Hazel: Wet & Wild Wednesday

Today was nothing short of a tempestuous thrill ride. If the rain wasn’t slapping your face like a rogue loofah, or worse, a Milwaukee sander, the wind was busy whipping up whitecaps and rolling waves with theatrical flair. We clocked a steady 27 to 32 knots, and despite the river’s serpentine twists, the wind somehow managed to stay stubbornly on the nose. Go figure.

Progress was slow. Painfully slow. In contrast to past days when we reveled in current-assisted speed records, today felt like nature’s equalizer. For hours, we crawled along at less than 3.5 knots. At one point, Hazel performed a bare pole round-up, a maneuver sailors will recognize as the moment when the wind is so fierce, you can’t turn into it. Instead, you’re forced into a full 360 to realign and hold course. It was dramatic. It was humbling. It was wet.

Photos? Few and far between. We weren’t about to sacrifice our phones.

Hazel, as always, demanded her daily TLC. Once we dropped anchor, we ran through our end-of-day checklist:

• Check oil

• Top off coolant

• Inspect fuel filters

• Examine belts

• Double-check the bilge

• Run the bilge pump

  
  

And dare we say it, though we hesitate to tempt fate, Hazel’s Yanmar/Kubota 55 HP engine has been flawless. Not a hiccup.

Tonight, the wind still howls across her deck, rattling anything not lashed down. But tomorrow promises sunshine. We haven’t seen the sun in three days, and we’re more than ready to trade soggy socks and windburn for a little warmth and light.

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This lock and dam marks the confluence where the Arkansas River spills into the Mississippi, one of the few tributaries we’ve encountered since seeing the Illinois River.

This cloud is a perfect snapshot of the kind of weather we endured all day. It may look innocent enough, but it brought hours of misery to Hazel and her crew, relentless wind, driving rain, and a mood to match.

Peter at the helm, suited up in Red Wing workwear! He’s wearing an FR rainsuit originally designed for the oil and gas industry, but it turns out it doubles beautifully as a sailing dry suit. Warm, dry, and ready for anything the river throws at us. Big thanks to RWSC for gear that goes the distance.

I know the waves look wimpy in the photo, but trust me, they weren’t. Capturing their true size and power is nearly impossible unless you’re on the boat, feeling it firsthand. It’s one of those “you had to be there” moments. Thankfully, as the photo shows, we ended this tumultuous day with good food and a bit of calm. A well-earned reward.