BVI to Beaufort

BVI to Beaufort

Saturday, May 18

Stowing everything, filling and stowing spare tanks
Propane and DC Refrigeration!
Stopping for a swim south of Jost Van Dyke, boat hoves to well
Laurie and Grant trying different combos of gravol to avoid a suppository/latex glove treatment
Pull top reef out of main only to find 30” tear at 2^nd reef – is sail worn out or did we rip it trying to raise it with a reef in?
We go back to 3^rd reef while Laurie thinks
We go a little slower until morning
Watches are in teams and long
Can’t get propane or DC refrigerator to work - $150.00 paid to Alfred seems to have been a waste

Sunday, May 19

Night watches, moon glistening off backs of waves in long silky lines, watching the waves approach through the patio door as you sit in comfort in the salon, listening to CDs
3 stands at sewing sail, herringbone stitch, using harness as support – very tiring
Going through beef brought from home – eat it or throw it - cannot keep frig cold enough in this heat
Headed along top of Bahamas until 7:50 PM – then get good weather window from Herb on Ham Radio and switch course to Hatteras
Collision course in dark prior to shift change with US warship #64 – we had to call them and turn on radar – they appeared not to notice us!

Monday, May 20

Cobalt blue water
Last stand at sewing – sore shoulders
Attempt at patching sail
“Mother of invention” – I finally use some Aquaseal, wetsuit repair goop, over the stitches – looks good, and flexible
Grant takes on organized night watches – 2 hours – will try
Hamburgers “economic” cooked extra
Bread going bad while we watch
Able to write – start to get caught up in journal
Played hearts – the game is new to Grant, and he obsesses, with practice games on computer
Solo watches are different

We rigged Gennaker for first time – works great and provides extra knot and means much over time – boys marvel at extra flexibility provided by 17 foot wide bow - no whisker pole on board, and none required
I cut up meat and veggies for tomorrow’s spaghetti

Tuesday, May 21

Flying fish enters front window at 1 AM, Doug’s watch - really surprises him
No one calls for my early watch and I sleep until 7:30, getting my first long sleep of the trip – feeling great
We are cautious with Main Sail, trying it only when speed no longer above 6 knots, however, looks good.
Spaghetti a success, with lots of careful planning and execution – good for 2 plus days
While repairing chafing at bow pulley - stop/sit on bow and watch boat. Interesting pattern – bows start high at top of overtaking wave, new wave lifts stern, boat roars down, bows down, wave overtakes and is crushed as boat squats on crest - source of banging under salon table
No ships
I take to whipping lines - keeps me busy as there a lot of ends in cockpit
Doug has brought Bernard Moitissier's book "The Long Way" It is a great read, filling in gaps regarding the original Golden Globe around the world race

Wednesday, May 22

Up during Grant’s watch to take down Gennaker and reset others
3 AM watch – damp, hazy, quiet
Wing on Wing – Auto helm
Heat lightning all around us, and we remember we are in Bermuda Triangle
Wind still from stern
Slept in
Approached low trough forecasted by Herb, with wind change, on nose and violent
Supper nausea
On duty at 10:00, wind has decreased substantially
Motoring through low wind

Thursday, May 23

Hearing more from Herb on Ham Radio re storm coming Sun/Mon, expected to track like Hurricane Mitchell
We motor, then sail, then motor
Wind clocks to North we expect it to clock further to N.E. but it does not happen
2^nd spaghetti dinner. I feel good enough for a rum and 2 wine
Doug runs out of beer - we wonder how he will cope
Good sailing in brisk wind
Some better sailing on my watch when I took it off Auto - playing the waves seems to increase speed

Friday, May 24

Hand steering wakes Doug for watch
Gave up sailing at 1:30 local, motored until around 8:30
Cracked off main, headed 312° True west of track
Late night visitor ship comes up to stern, veers off to port.
Throughout trip, Doug and John have fixed or figured out numerous mechanical and electronic problems. Wind instruments began working after yesterday’s heavy rain. Today we reconnected devices to allow vane steering by auto helm
First full day w/o either sickness or Gravol
Starting through myriad of manuals
Space station visible 2^nd night
Full moon, no clouds, spectacular sunset.
Green flash, a strange change in the solar sunset at sea…seen by John
Analysis of personalities interesting
Doug still out of beer...not happy
Pants on for evening watch - definitely getting north
Motored into night
Closed patio door to keep inside of boat warmer

Saturday, May 25

Sill calm at daybreak
Motor until midnight
Minimum amount of fuel saved for coastal approach
Definitely heading for Beaufort
Up mast in AM to check antenna, see parting port shroud instead!!
Major part of day spent rigging port shroud twinned parting shroud with the nylon 1” hawser - way too springy, and I cannot find a way to connect it without interfering with mainsail track
Although we leave hawser up, we are mostly relying on boom topping lift, retied to stern cleat, port side
Tuna casserole – Doug
Full moon – pretty
2 rum 2 wine – jocular
Tried fishing again, with bait…no luck
1 water pump gone, running on spare

Sunday, May 26

Wind not much – 3.5 knots under sail
Doug joins me on watch
John joins us at dawn
Stress of situation obvious in crew – no wind, storm approaching, low fuel
7 hours of radio – coast guard relay – surely fun for Mississauga Maritime Net Team, but tiring
Motored for 3 plus hours, low speed
Morning brings a sighting of a sailboat off in distance
Hoping for fuel, we send off a flare. Communication comes 10 minutes later, when he sees us after passing us
Ship is “Jolly Man”, a 65 foot Spronk Cat, (cattlemaran) running on gas, not diesel, heading from USVI to summer in NY City
Wind stays away but we use it with 3 knots mid-day, 5 plus knots ~8 PM, back up to 6 knots only at 1:30 AM
Little traffic

Monday, May 27

1-3:00 watch – slow, quiet, no traffic
Low winds until mid afternoon
Fighting Gulf Stream
Game of hearts
Another slow day
Short Wave to Bob Barnes in New Brunswick for assistance finding rigging repair location
Even 35 miles out, contrary currents – especially with low boat speed
9:00 watch – moon up at 10:00

Tuesday, May 28

5:00 watch
Wind, what little there was, clocked around to starboard beam, struggled with sail change – back to jib
Speed 2 knots
Wind rises only as we enter channel to Beaufort, and we douse sails with last minute in Little Channel to Beaufort docks
Effort by Barnes falls short – no fittings, no wires, no help!
Great disillusion in value of Ham radio connection
Rushing around – Find West Marine and they do not carry the wire nor any fittings for wire greater than 1/4"!
Some good meals, some good leads, too much to drink and bed – calls to home