{"id":9214,"date":"2018-10-30T14:47:48","date_gmt":"2018-10-30T19:47:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=9214"},"modified":"2018-10-30T14:47:48","modified_gmt":"2018-10-30T19:47:48","slug":"if-i-were-heading-south","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=9214","title":{"rendered":"If I were heading south…"},"content":{"rendered":"

If I was heading south this winter, I’d be in Hampton VA with the others that are participating in the Salty Dawg Rally<\/a> to the Caribbean.\u00a0 And, I’d be preparing Pandora for the 1,500 mile run, with the other boats, to head out around November 3rd, or at least as soon as there is a decent weather window.<\/p>\n

A complicating factor in all of this is a late season hurricane Oscar that, until a few days ago, was heading right toward Bermuda and the east coast.\u00a0 The forecast always had him veering to the NE but seeing a hurricane headed our way, temporarily or otherwise is always unnerving, to say the least.\u00a0 Watching a storm that’s heading our way, even one with plenty of time to consider what will happen, does give one pause for thought.\u00a0 Here’s Oscar’s track as of Tuesday morning.\u00a0 Two days ago, the track was to the WNW.\u00a0\u00a0\"\"However, that’s not my problem as I am not heading south.\u00a0 \u00a0Actually, while I am still unhappy about that, I am beginning to see that being home for the winter will help me focus on things that somehow haven’t gotten done here since moving to CT over six years ago.<\/p>\n

Besides, with all this extra time on my hands, I will be able to work double time to figure out what to write about in this blog.\u00a0 I also hope to be able to give a few more talks about our travels, something that I really enjoy, and that seems to be coming together too.<\/p>\n

Additionally, I have put on a two to three day event in Essex for the last 6 years, in June and had decided to cancel that out of simple fatigue for 2019 but now that I am home for the winter (Did I mention that wasn’t heading south this season?) I have decided that perhaps we do need one more year of the event.<\/p>\n

I’ll be doing that in June along with the Seven Seas Cruising Association<\/a> and will also involve the Salty Dawg Sailing Association (I sit on the board) as well as the Ocean Cruising Club<\/a>.\u00a0 I joined that group last winter.<\/p>\n

The “new” idea for the event, and it’s not my original idea, is to do a sort of “open boat” weekend, where folks from other local yacht clubs could sign up to visit boats that are set up for blue water sailing and are attending the event to see, first hand, what’s involved in getting a boat ready for blue water passages.<\/p>\n

In addition, the publisher of Blue Water Sailing Magazine has agreed to run a round table discussion that day to explore the topic with “those who do it”.<\/p>\n

Of course, I also plan on taking another run at arranging a search and rescue (SAR) demonstration in the river by the USCG, chopper and all.\u00a0 \u00a0For the last two years I have gotten approval for a demo but they were called off at the last minute by weather etc.\u00a0 \u00a0So, wish me luck, as I apply again.\u00a0 Perhaps three will be the charm.<\/p>\n

I did get them to show up with a cutter last spring and that was really interesting.\u00a0\"\"When I was in Hampton VA two years ago, the USCG staged a SAR demo and it was totally awesome.\u00a0 \u00a0This particular chopper was their “100th anniversary edition”, yellow instead of the traditional white and orange.\u00a0\"\"I wrote about that amazing experience in this post<\/a>.\u00a0 After that day I said “I want one of those” and begin petitioning the USCG to do an event like that at the Essex Yacht Club.\u00a0 \u00a0Wish me luck and mark your calendar, June 2019.\u00a0 Exact date to come.<\/p>\n

Of course, when you think about the USCG you may also think about terrible weather and folks getting into all sorts of trouble afloat.\u00a0 \u00a0Actually, it’s not the “big kids”, sailors like us that do what we can to be fully prepared when we head to sea, that take the bulk of the energy from the Coast Guard.\u00a0 It’s the day-sailors and folks on paddle boards that are their “best customers”.\u00a0 \u00a0However, when I head out to sea I can’t help but think about what will happen if…<\/p>\n

And, when I am more than 350 miles from shore I always take a deep breath as that’s the limit of how far a chopper can go to rescue you if things turn bad.\u00a0 Of course, on a run south to Antigua, being 350 miles from shore is, well, it’s for most of the time.<\/p>\n

The Volvo Ocean Race<\/a> goes through some pretty nasty stuff as they slog their way around the world, especially as the make their way through the Southern Ocean.\u00a0 \u00a0I learned that each boat has a drone aboard.\u00a0 \u00a0Awesome!<\/p>\n

This video is really amazing.\u00a0 Perhaps even more amazing is that the drone can keep up with the boat in all that wind.\u00a0 \u00a0Listen at the “yahoo” from the crew at the beginning of this short two minute video and watch,at the end, as the helmsman catches the returning drone with his free hand while steering the boat.\u00a0 These guys, and they are mostly guys, are nuts…\u00a0 Oh yeah, they are way out of chopper range, for nearly all of the trip.