May 2016

It’s Tuesday afternoon and we are moving along well, motorsailing on a close reach at a bit over 8kts. We could probably sail but the seas are very lumpy with true wind of only about 13kts and I want to keep moving.

The waves have been larger than the wind would suggest as a strong squall came through mid-morning, bringing with it a 90 degree wind shift and winds peaking in the mid 30s.  It was very large cell and took hours to pass so the waves built up to quite impressively, and quickly.   The sky was incredibly dark and ominous looking so we had a reasonable amount of warning.   Oddly, we didn’t get any rain, just a LOT of wind.

The winds were from the northeast and in order to try to minimize our deviation from our intended track and to not overwhelm the boat, we stayed in the Gulf Stream longer than we probably should have.  Generally, we would leave the Stream shortly after Hatteras and head toward the tip of Long Island, about a 10 degree course change to the west.  However, when the squall hit, we opted to turn east to stay in the Stream.  That turned out not to be a particularly good idea as with a better than two knot current opposing the wind, the waves built quickly and were alarmingly large and breaking.

At the peak of the wind, a wave hit the side of the boat, cascaded across the deck and quite a bit of water ended up washing into the back of the cockpit.  The water washed across the deck with the force of a fire hose.  Some water was forced under the seals in the deck hatches.  It was the first time that has happened.  However, there was just so much water that I suppose it shouldn’t be a surprise that some found its way down below.  I made a note to replace the gaskets.  The “to do” list gets longer.

However, the biggest mess was caused by water that leaked through the zipper in the opening at the front of the dodger, where quite a bit of water came through and ended up splashing down the companionway.  Actually, there wasn’t all that much water but what ended up on the cabin sole will certainly leave a good amount of salt in its wake.   I think that I’ll design a plexiglass “storm window” that can be affixed to the front of the dodger to eliminate that problem in the future.

I don’t want to think about what would happen if the zipper window in the front of the dodger were to fail as the amount of water that hit it today was pretty amazing.   With a plumb bow and the boat moving along fairly fast, a lot of water finds its way on deck so it’s only a matter of time until we really get hit by a big wave that will overwhelm the vinyl window.  What a mess that would be.   For an “anal” guy like me, that much salt down below would be quite distressing.

While Pandora is in quite good shape, the number of “to do’s” that are piling up is a bit overwhelming.  And don’t forget that I have to find time to remodel two bathrooms this summer.  Yes, Brenda, I remember.  And yes, I want the new baths too.

As I write this we are about 300 miles from home and I expect to round Montauk sometime on Thursday afternoon.  I really don’t know what sort of winds we will have or if we will be able to sail but if the wind we have today is any indication, we should be there sooner, perhaps as early as Thursday morning.   That would be great as I’d much prefer to arrive at the Club in Essex during daylight. I guess we will see.

The tide in eastern LI Sound is flooding (coming in) until early evening on Thursday so if we are able to carry the tide up the CT River, that would save us a lot of time.  It’s too early to say as the difference in our arrival time, with even a single knot difference in speed, can be many hours after such a long run.

Just a moment ago, actually within about a quarter of a mile of distance, we left the Gulf Stream with the water temperature going up about 15 degrees.   It’s remarkable to see just how quickly that happened.   The water color went from a deep blue to grey and the seas flattened out.  It’s amzaging that after a thousand miles the “wall” of the Stream is still so well defined.

It’s quite amazing how quickly things deteriorated earlier today when the wind picked up opposing the current in the Gulf Stream.  It went from an easy motor sail to really nasty in short order with water flying all over the place.   The good news is that things settled down in just a few hours once the wind dropped back to the mid-teens and we left the unsettled conditions of the Gulf Stream.  As we have been within the Stream since shortly after leaving Ft Pierce on Saturday, it feels nice to have more settled conditions.

We were visited last evening by a pod of pilot whales that came right up to the boat, not ten feet away.   I only got a glimpse of them but they were quite large, perhaps 15-20′ long.  They look like really big black dolphins.  What a sight.  Sorry, no pictures.  We have also seen quite a few dolphins, not many very close to the boat however.

Well, I am pleased that things have settled down now and hope that we won’t be hit by any more squalls but it’s nice to know that we can handle them, even when things get really “sporty”.

Happily, it seems that the crew has gotten their “sea legs” so no sickness in spite of the bumpy conditions, especially earlier today.  Well, not sporty for the moment anyway.

I guess that’s about it for now.  I am sure looking forward to being home.  1,000 miles of ocean sailing is a lot and I am ready for dry land.   For sure, it’s going to be a bit of a job to get Pandora cleaned up after a long ocean passage.

Well, we will be home soon and, with a bit of luck, that will be sometime Thursday, perhaps early Thursday.

Yes, I am ready, really ready, to be home with Brenda.

It’s Monday morning and our third day at sea and we are about 75 miles south of Cape Hatteras, the halfway point on our trip to CT. Sea conditions are calm and there is about 15kts of wind which is unfortunately, directly behind us. This means that our apparent wind, the wind speed minus our forward speed with the wind, is less than 10kts, not enough to sail.

We have been getting a good push from the Gulf Stream, up until a few hours ago as it appears that we are a bit west of the best current. A while ago another sailboat called me to ask if we knew where the center of the stream was as he too had lost the “push” and was hoping to determine if it was east or west of his position. Fortunately, I was able to contact a northbound tanker that was about 10 miles east of us who was getting a good push north. Armed with that that information we are now heading east to his general position with the hope of regaining a positive current.

We will know when we are in the Stream again as our SOG, speed over the ground, will pick up and be faster than our speed through the water. We should also see the sea temperature go up about 10 degrees as the GS is considerably warmer than the surrounding water. The “wall” of the Stream in this latitude is fairly pronounced so we should know when we are back in within a mile or two. We should also notice that the sea color is a deep blue and the surface will be a bit more confused.

Having said that, I have had trouble staying in the GS this far north as the Stream spreads out from a more well defined area further south in Florida. As we head north the Stream begins to veer east and spreads out to include many eddies and back currents. In that area, north of Hatteras, it can be frustrating to manage all of the complexities of the Stream.

And, in the “comfort” department, both Chris and Dave began feeling better yesterday afternoon as the swell and chop settled down in the Stream. I expect that they are also feeling better, as most do, after a few days at sea, regardless of conditions.

Unfortunately, that “adjustment” doesn’t carry over to the next passage and those who are susceptible to “mal de mare” must endure a few days of discomfort each time they head to sea.

Fortunately, I have never been particularly susceptible to motion sickness so it’s hard for me to relate to what it must be like, however after 40+ years of sailing with Brenda I do know that it sucks, big time. As she is inclined to say, “the only sure cure for seasickness is to sit under an apple tree”. Yes, I expect that’s a cure but it’s tough to fine afloat. Actually, that’s her point exactly.

When Chris was talking about his tendency to get sick on the first day or so at sea, he remarked that when he’s really feeling badly he “fears that he’s going to die” but after a while and a few trips to the rail, it gets worse and he then is ” afraid that he won’t”. Nope, that doesn’t sound fun at all.

So, now that the crew is back in shape and have regained their “sea legs” the galley is back in full swing. Beginning this morning we had eggs, a smell that would have sent them to the rail yesterday. Today, better. So, with reasonably calm seas in the forecast for the rest of the trip, we should be in good shape.

I spoke again with Chris Parker, the weather router, today and he predicts that the weather for the rest of the week should support our run north without our having to stop along the way. That’s good as I am certainly anxious to be home again and it’s been quite a while since Brenda and closed up the house a few days before Christmas.

Speaking of home, we were visited here on Pandora yesterday by a little guy that clearly had strayed a bit from his home and landed aboard. Unlike some visitors on past trips, this guy only stayed for an hour or so and then flew off.

I do wonder what happens to these little guys when the leave Pandora to make a run the 75 miles to shore. More to the point, what happens to the ones that don’t find a boat to land on? And, how do they know which way to go toward shore when they leave after a rest? Hmm…

Anyway, we continue to head home, slowly if surely. Did I mention that I am looking forward to being home with Brenda? Thought so.

It’s Sunday mid-morning and we are barreling along at double digit speeds over the bottom in the Gulf Stream nearly 200 miles from our departure point in Ft Pierce and about 350 miles from Cape Hatteras.  After that point, we will exit the Gulf Stream and head the final 400 miles to Montauk and home up the CT River.

It’s been windier than Chris Parker had predicted and until the early hours of this morning we were motorsailing into a very confused Gulf Stream with 5-7′ waves that hit us about every 4 seconds.  With about 15-20kts of wind opposing the current, it made for quite a ride.  (Not in a good way)

Actually, it was rough enough that it was tough to get around the boat and spray was flying everywhere with a near constant stream of water heading down the decks.

Actually, the water running everywhere was a good thing as it conveniently washed away the “effluent” from Chris and Dave who spent much of the evening and overnight hours “feeding the fish.”

Fortunately, I wasn’t sick so I was able to stand extra watch and let them lay down, one on the leeward cockpit bench and the other on the cockpit sole.   It wasn’t a lot of fun for them, I am sure.

When it comes to seasickness, it’s not a matter of “I don’t get sick;” it’s more a matter of when.  It has been said that if you haven’t been seasick, you haven’t spent enough time at sea.  And, last night it was plenty rough indeed.

The good news is that it has smoothed out somewhat and we are now off of Georgia, about 100 miles from the coast and making our way north with the Gulf Stream, making between 9-11kts over the bottom.  Pandora’s romping along at as much as 8.5kts through the water with about 15kts of wind on the beam so it’s quite a ride.

There is more wind than we had expected, which is good, so we are making better time.

Of course, with about 2/3 of the distance yet to go, there is plenty of time for us to run into adverse conditions so it’s hard to say when we will be home.   However, baring a need to stop and wait for weather, I am guessing that we will be home sometime on Thursday or perhaps early Friday.

For now, I hope that the wind holds so we can keep moving and hope that crew is able to say vertical as we make our way north.   It’s certainly true that if you haven’t been seasick than you, well you just haven’t been sick yet.  So far, so good for me on this trip and I think that Chris and Dave are on the mend.  Fingers crossed that the worse is behind us.

Setting aside the fact that I am not a huge fan of passage making, the fact that it’s Mother’s day and I am out here instead with my Mother and Brenda is a bummer.    I guess I’ll have to make it up to them when I get home.

And, that’s my report…

It’s Friday midday and Pandora is making her way, SLOWLY, up the Intra Coastal Waterway, ICW, on our way to Ft Pierce FL where we hope to jump out to begin our big jump to CT and home.

My crew, Dave and Chris, arrived on Wednesday evening and dodged the raindrops to join me aboard Pandora.  That day it rained hard, much of the day, as the cold front came through Florida, bringing much appreciated lower humidity and significantly cooler temperatures.

However, the winds that accompanied the front did make me nervous that Pandora might drag her anchor in the not-so-great holding of Middle River.  Or, to put a fine point on it, because of the not-so-great “anchoring hygine” of a certain large ketch that also makes it’s home there.  I have seen him move around the harbor, in big winds, more than once and with the passage of the front on Wednesday, he did not disappoint, having to re-anchor several times, as he dragged about menacingly.  Amazingly, he was aboard when this happened.  What a novelty.

I guess that problem, along with the rest of us, will go away after July 1^st, when the harbor is closed, perhaps permanently, to anchoring.  I wrote about this in my last post at length, so I won’t repeat myself except to say that the whole issue of anchoring restrictions in southern FL is very unfortunate.  Well, enough of that for now.

Besides, that problem won’t have much of a near-term effect on Pandora for the next two years, at least, as we plan on being in the eastern Caribbean for two seasons.

For now my focus is on getting back to CT, the upcoming SSCA three day event, the SSCA Summer Solstice Gam, that I am planning for June.  I’ll also be remodeling two bathrooms and a laundry room (Important that I get these done, for the continued health of my four decade marriage), perhaps a cruise to Maine and some projects on Pandora, etc., etc,…    Did I mention that the lawn will need cutting too?

Well, you get the picture.  Lot’s happening and so little time.

Anyway, I spoke to Chris Parker, the weather router, this morning and it looks like we can make a run for CT on Saturday as the north winds are falling out at some point around that time.  However, behind the front is well, there’s not much wind, so we will be doing a lot of motoring.   The good news is that Pandora carries 150 gallons of fuel in three tanks.  However, I have not tested that to see exactly how much I can actually burn in each tank before the level of fuel gets too low to be brought up by the pickup tubes.   However, with the additional 20 gallons that I carry in cans, I should be able to motor all the way without a fill-up.   And, hopefully, we will be able to sail at least part of the way.  Fingers crossed.

I expect to get an update from Chris in the morning again to determine if we should leave first thing or wait till later to make a “run for it”.   He has also mentioned that another cold front, perhaps a weak one, that is expected to exit the coast around Wednesday.  However, that’s a long way off and details could change.  And, to complicate the picture, there will be very light winds behind the most recent front so we will likely find ourselves motoring for days on end as we make the run north.  Keeping in the current of the Gulf Stream much of the way will be a big advantage as it will give us a 2-3 kt boost in speed until we exit the Stream north of Cape Hatteras.

It’s great to have someone to talk to about weather as keeping on touch of such an important topic that changes day to day, makes for much more pleasant passages.

Oh, before I sign off.  I have mentioned in prior posts that I continue to be struck by a bit of “culture shock” now that I am back in the States after two months in Cuba where life is so different.  Of course, I love living here in the “land of opportunity”.

I was again reminded of the stark contrast between our countries as we made our way past one of the largest megayacht yards on the East Coast, the Rybovich Yard near Palm Beach.

But before I show some of these amazing yachts, how about a reminder about what a private “yacht” looks like in Cuba.Perhaps not the largest one in the yard but huge. Or, to put it another way.  Huge, huger and hugest.His and hers?  So hard to choose.  No wait, the one on the left must be “his” as it has a large, er… crane sticking upon the bow.  Yes, of course.It is Mother’s day in a few days.  All wrapped up.  “Honey, I got you something nice…” And, certainly the “belle of the ball”.   Venus, designed by Phillip Stark the famous designer, for Steve Jobs.  Two HUGE egos working with each other.  That must have been interesting.  Unfortunately, Jobs didn’t live to see it launched.  His widow and family use it now days.  It was reported to cost $100M to build.   Want to learn more?  Click here…  That yard has perhaps one of the largest concentrations of “toys” belonging to the .001% gang just about anywhere.  Something to aspire to.  Not really, but something to dream about for sure.

And, if you want to get out on the water there’s always the Grand Celebration cruise ship moored nearby.And, if you don’t have as much $$ as you want you can always eat your weight at the buffet table and become part of the “superweight set”.    No wait, how about training to become the “heavy weight champion of the world”?  “Stop it right now Bob, that’s not funny!!  Well, not that funny.”

OK.   And, speaking of the super wealthy, and I am very unfortunately not one of them, I do have to worry about what Pandora costs so I always want to be sure that I am able to stretch my “boating kitty” as far as possible.  So, with that in mind, I shopped a bit for fuel today and was able to find it for $2.15 a gallon, a lot cheaper than it was down near Palm Beach and the “superyacht set” where it was around $3.00, a savings of nearly $100.  Good deal and that’s nearly 1/10 of a “boat dollar”!  Such a deal!

Palm Beach prices or not, fuel is a lot cheaper than in Cuba where it was the equivalent of about $5 a gallon and REALLY high in sulfur.  The sulfur content was so high that the fuel has a brown tint and smelled strongly of sulfur.    I understand that sulfur is actually good for the engine as it adds extra lubrication even though it smokes a bit more.   In the U.S., fuel is very low in sulfur due to environmental concerns.  Cuba doesn’t seem to be particularly focused on that and the air quality in the cities reflects that.

Soon we will be in Ft Pierce and will put the final touches on Pandora to get her ready to head offshore.  And, depending on the evolving weather forecast, we will head offshore on Friday or Saturday to begin our run north.   With a cold front due to arrive later next week, it’s at best a guess as to when we will round Montauk and enter Long Island Sound.   I’d guess around a week or perhaps a bit less and we should be there.

So, don’t forget that you can follow along to keep track of our progress by clicking  here or “where in the world is Pandora” on the home page.  We post our position every four hours while we are underway.

Wish us luck.  Details to come, as always.