Ella Hibbert and the Yeva have left Icelandic waters and are now very roughly halfway between Iceland and the east coast of Greenland, heading southward to pass Greenland's Cape Farewell (Favel). However, she's currently in 35 to 40-knot winds, with waves up to 16 feet. She's had to battle these brutal storm conditions overnight and throughout today as she proceeds south, steering by hand because the hydrovane and autopilot can’t cope with the conditions.
There’s nowhere to hide at sea. The Yeva has to just sail through whatever conditions are thrown at her and when bad weather is forecast, all Hibbert can do is just prepare herself and the boat as much as possible. She’s reportedly well rested and has easy-to-eat food at hand.
The wind is expected to drop overnight to a more manageable 15-20 knots and to take a more northerly direction, which will make for more comfortable sailing. The swell will also follow suit in the early hours of the morning.
The choice of route from here to the Cape will be critical, not only because of the ice flowing down the eastern coast of Greenland but also the currents which affect the sea state and create the turbulent waves. Yeva is currently sailing along the edge of a west-flowing current which is helping to pull her down towards the Cape. Further south, the currents will eddy in all directions, which will throw up a confused sea with no rhythm to the waves and will throw the ship around like a cork.
Scary stuff. Best wishes to Captain Hibbert and the Yeva!
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