After publishing the last post this morning, we bravely decided to take the lead as 'that' boat. However, the reality was much harsher than anticipated, with winds exceeding 30 knots most of the time and waves even bigger than our recent 'worst ever' experience last Thursday. Thankfully, Maud, nearly 100 years old, handled it remarkably well, thanks to Noah's skilled helming. Nevertheless, it was far from pleasant.
To make matters worse, the forecast turned out to be completely inaccurate, and conditions only deteriorated throughout the day instead of improving. Brighton is notorious for its challenging entry, even in less turbulent weather, let alone with a high force 6.
As we approached Brighton marina, we encountered a treacherous wave that made Noah and I fear colliding with the breakwater. Noah attempted to turn the bow using the starboard engine in reverse and the port engine at full throttle, but the response was minimal (the wheel was already hard over). I suggested, and Noah had likely already considered, our last option: going FULL throttle on both engines and hoping for the best. Miraculously, we managed to power our way out of danger and avoid crashing into the breakwater. Needless to say, we felt immense relief once safely tied up. Wilson seemed relatively unfased today, perhaps because he's too short to see out the window.
Tomorrow, our destination is Cowes, and we'll embark on the next leg of our journey with cautious optimism.
