Mutiny on board

Today started like an ordinary day on the Loop.  I was on the Adams Creek Canal, in Newport, NC. The sun was starting to peek through the clouds, a welcome site after the cloudy day we spent traveling the day before. As I was getting fuel, Carl (someone I meet the night before and drank a few beers with, more on this later) mentioned that it was supposed to get pretty windy today.  Yes I saw that on the forecast.  He said it can get pretty choppy out on Pamlico Sound.  I thought hey we were outside from Jacksonville to Beaufort and then again from the South Carolina border to Cape Fear, she handled that pretty good so I'll good.   So off I went on my merry way.
Twelve miles later, we got to the first leg of the Pamlico Sound.  The forecast was like most forecast, they missed it.  The forecast was for winds 10-15 gusting to 22-25.  Keeping an eye on the wind indicator, I never saw less than 20 and saw 29 at one extended gust.  The wind was driving the waves and for this first part of the trip, the waves were at about a 45 degree angle to the course. This is I believe what caused the mutiny.
For most of the trip Otto (autopilot) and I have shared piloting duties, well actually he does most of the piloting, and I just give a nudge on the buttons here and there.  It has been great having him help with the piloting chores.  But today in the quartering seas, he would not react quick enough (at least to suit me).  A wave would hit us from the rear quarter and we would slide sideways a bit, that would cause the boat to roll back and forth.  I grabbed the wheel and "thought if you want something done right you have to do it yourself".  So I ended up steering the boat myself for most of the day. I guess I didn't realize that Lesson Plan would get back at me for yelling at Otto.  She made a mess of the cabin.

Lessons Learned:
1.  Always prepare the cabin for a bumpy ride.  I thought we aren't going out on the ocean today, no need in stowing things away, WRONG.

2.  Always have your sails ready to roll out.  I could have had a much smoother ride if I could have rolled out the head sail.