Set sail Wednesday 27th June, docked Friday 6th July. Here is a synopsis of the trip that I
wrote up shortly after our return :
A voyage of contrasts - delight and frustration, joie de vivre and exhaustion,
rain and sun, calms and storms most certainly not in a teacup; indeed, it was a
sailing voyage.
The great egret perching as a figurehead on the bow pulpit as we ran down the St.
John's River - good omen or bad, it was certainly a beautiful farewell.
The rich azure depths of the Gulf Stream, whisking us along at 4.5 kts. with not a
breath of wind ruffling the surface - time for crew bathing call. Inspection of the
bottom during this revealed that the zinc had dropped off...
Our stowaway, the delightful little green tree frog; not many trees in the deep blue
ocean, unfortunately...
Spectacular son-et-lumiere show - and not from those pale earth-bound fireworks of man.
After earlier encounters, lightning at sea no longer holds any fear, but the
leading-edge squalls of a thunderstorm are a concern, and the calms within are a pain.
After a long night of thunderstorms, squalls and calms, dawn comes again to slake our
primeval yearning for light in the face of Nature's terrors.
Warm Eddy never bothered to turn up, but his contrary brother Cold sneaked in and
we couldn't shake him - 1.5 kts against us for several hundred miles. Further info.
to be supplied...
The whisker pole? Don't mention the $&*#@ whisker pole; if I never have to think
about that *&^#%$ whisker ^%$#@&* pole again, I'll die a happy man. Our
jury-rigged boat hook, all two pounds and US$20 worth of it lashed to a shroud,
served fine on occasion...
Anybody who thinks the NWS's Perfect Paul is acceptable should listen to him on SSB
two hundred miles off shore; failing that, stick a finger in your ear, wiggle it
around and go "whissh whissh whee whee whish" while listening at home...
Close to exhaustion, we deployed the sea anchor and "went below to rest" - which
proved hysterically optimistic given the 15-foot waves hitting us perpendicular
to the wind...
The fountain of sewage erupting from the over-full, over-pressured holding
tank - probably a low spot, but rounding out the role of the utility bucket -
puke, pee and now poop (not to mention washing-up)...
Delectable gourmand fare prepared mainly by a vegetarian at an average of 27.5
degrees heel - five-can-scran particularly memorable - but then it's never difficult
to feed a sailor, once he's got over the heaves...
Repaired the autohelm 4 times, eventually with a piece of that 7/64 hex key I had
never found a use for previously. Then we ripped the stupid thing off and threw it
in the v-berth. Real sailors don't use autopilots...
Four hundred miles of trolling a silvery lure between 0 and 9 kts., and not a single
bite - until it disappeared altogether.
The beautiful flight of the shearwater, the thrill, undiminished by familiarity, of
being a plaything for dolphins and whales, the puzzlement of the frantically feeding
bonito ignoring our lure...
US Navy ship 04 turning left (sic) 20 degrees to give way; thanks for the chat and the
weather forecast, chaps. Also talked to cruise ship Carnival Victory, who confirmed
our radar image and happily detailed our observed course and speed as well.
The helpful Coasties at Woods Hole who contacted shore for us to reassure family that
we were on our way, just a little delayed. Added bonus that they told the wind entirely
wrong, and we did indeed have a lovely run up Buzzards Bay through the midday fog
instead of beating into a nor-easter.
Sitting becalmed off Scituate for hours in the moonlight, then Minott lighthouse in the
early morning mist, the setting moon juxtaposed and a piping wind rising to sail us into
Boston - a classic return.
Arriving at the new home berth with food, fuel and water to spare rounding off the sense
of achievement; the ladies on the dock to greet us - we were in the rhythm of the sea
and the wind, and ready to go on, but it was good to be back.
Packing up back on land, I cut my forehead on the car because it didn't sway when it was
supposed to; like I said - in the rhythm...
Log, observations, photos and video to be organised and Webbed at some later date,
'cos I know the world is yearning for yet another of those interminable "What we did on
our passage" pages...