280 miles to weather in one day
It’s Friday morning and I just got off my 04:00 to 08:00 watch with Captain Mark for our first night at sea. We have made great time heading south at a steady 12kts even though we are headed directly into a 25kt SW wind. Actually, all it takes is 2,000 HP and the willingness to burn 1,000 gallons of fuel a day. Spray or not, we don’t get a drop as nobody goes outside unless it’s absolutely necessary.
We rounded Montauk around noon yesterday and are currently between the Delaware River and the mouth of the Chesapeake. I’d guess that we will pass Cape Hatteras sometime tonight.
I haven’t been able to post since leaving Montauk as the satellite receivers weren’t properly lined up to receive the signal. However, it’s all fixed now so I can get this post up, thanks Captain Mark. Oh well, a bit of technical issues with the receiver dishes. Such is life on the open seas.
Yesterday at around 07:30, we slipped off of the dock and moved over to another spot where the fuel truck could reach us. I had to stay on the dock to catch the lines at the other dock where we took on fuel. She looked great in the early morning light. 
The fuel truck pulled up and fed her 3,000 gallons of diesel. The boat carries 15,000 gallons, about the same amount that a semi truck that services gas stations holds. The truck looked pretty small next to us. 
For the trip we will use about 3,000 gallons or 1,000 per day of fuel. Don’t worry, that includes the 100k generator too. Whew, for a moment you thought that was how much the main engines used. Nope, they only use about 900 gallons per day. The generator uses a little less than 100 gallons per day. Oh yeah, and nobody worries about water. Use all you want as their water maker puts out, well plenty.
While we were waiting the hour or more that it took to put in all that fuel, they stowed some of the last items aboard including this scooter. Up she went. 
The bridge is amazing with redundant equipment for everything. Very comfy chairs. 
And, then there is the communication equipment. That’s Captain Mark. Nice guy. Besides, he loves catboats, just like me and Brenda. Double nice. 
There are monitors everywhere to keep the crew appraised of any possible problems. This screen monitors the fuel and water tanks. 
Love the schematic to let you know exactly where in the boat something may be amiss.
The engineer, a great Aussie, gave me a tour of the engine room. We had to wear hearing protection as it’s REALLY NOISY in there. However, outside of that room, it’s very quiet and on the upper levels, you wouldn’t be able to tell that the engines are on if it were not for the low vibration. It’s so clean you could eat off of the floor. I expect that isn’t allowed as someone might leave a mess. “who left that banana peel in the bilge?”
There are monitors all over the ship but this is “command central” in the engine room. Looks like the control wall for a power plant.
The engineer says A-OK, ready for liftoff…
Amid all the high tech gear Mark has put together a simple Captain-Mark-made sling cyclometer for measuring the dewpoint. It’s funny to see such a rudimentary piece of equipment among all the other amazing gear. Aboard a yacht like this nearly everything is complex, by design and EVERYTHING has an alarm built in to keep you on your toes with the possible exception of this nifty gadget. No wait, if someone was to “sling” it and rap it against something I expect that Captain Mark would make quite a noise. 
So, how about the view from my cabin? Of course, there are blackout shades on these portholes in the cabin and head to make the cabin dark as night. They are motorized of course. 
Last but not least, there’s Hillary. It’s alarming to see her just standing there in the “media room”. How appropriate given her near constant presence in our lives these days. I have to pass her each time I head to my cabin.
Well, that’s all for now. With nearly 300 miles under our keel in a single day, that’s a lot of peddling, especially directly into the wind.
They say that “gentlemen never go to weather”. Well, those guys must not have been aboard a motoryacht.
Oh yeah, almost forgot. Steak filets, perfectly done, for dinner last night along with roasted baby potatoes (they never stood a chance) and mixed veggies. Thanks Chef. Awesome!
Of course, we do have to keep our strength up.
Time for a nap.
Tomorrow at around 7:30 we will shove off and visit the fuel dock. I am told that she burns about 1,000 gallons per day when underway. Our cruising speed is 12kts. She will make the trip about twice as fast as Pandora. She’s big, like a floating condo and a large one at that.
Perhaps more than you want to see about partially finished subs but I sort of liked the shot from this angle. She sure looks like she means business. Nice crane.
Seeing a sub under construction was neat but seeing one steaming into the harbor was even better. I think that she was the New Mexico, the sub that I encountered last summer off of Groton as I passed by. I think it’s her because I had heard from the chief of the boat, who I have been corresponding with told me that they were in town, would be out for a week or so on maneuvers and then would be back. Well, it looks like they are back and I was lucky enough to be there when she arrived. 
As she passed I was able to get a great shot of the crew on deck. I expect that there is a very well established pecking order as to who gets to ride up in the sail. They probably don’t draw straws or play rock, paper, scissors. “get down from there skipper, I won your spot fair and square”.
Big boat. Long way from the sail to the tail fin, if that’s what they call it.
How about the gunboat riding shotgun as she came into the harbor. I waved to him and he waved back. Not sure he was smiling though. Probably not allowed. I wonder why they wear camo colored uniforms. If they are trying to blend in, it’s not working even a little bit. I’d think that a nice beach pattern with a delicate cerulean blue and sand tan motif would be much more fetching.
Anyway, it’s going to be an amazing trip and I can’t wait to get underway in the morning. I was warned that I’d have to watch what I ate aboard or I’d surely gain ten pounds on the trip. After dinner tonight, I believe that the risk is real. Grilled chicken breasts with fresh tomato and shiitake mushrooms with orzo along with asparagus and well, let’s just say that it was amazing. 
And my cabin. Wow! TV too. The steward even left the drawers open so I’d know that there was a place for me to unpack. 
The bathroom is larger than mine at home. Note: I use the guest bath as Brenda doesn’t like to share. I know my place. 
And there’s even a bath tub. And I don’t have to share with anyone. I wonder how much the water sloshes in a seaway? Hmm… Better not push my luck. 
Well, I had better sign off as tomorrow is going to be an exciting day. My watch tomorrow night and every night after that, will be from 04:00 to 08:00 with the captain.
It will be interesting to see how voyaging aboard a yacht of this scale compares to Pandora. Yes, the food will likely be better. And, I am pretty confident that it will not be at all like spending time aboard with anyone wearing an eye patch.