Bermuda again.....maybe

[jen1722terry]

Hey Captain Jim!

Jenn and I have been tracking your weather and it looks good for several days. I (Terry) have only sailed to Bermuda once, 40 years ago, but I do recall that traversing the Gulf Stream was a weird experience.

We're looking forward to more photos of your bold, single-handed sail to one of the world's finest destinations.

Be safe, happy and dry

Jenn and Terry

[John Stone]

Anybody heard from Jim? He departed for Bermuda on 10 June, 8 days ago. We should hear from him any day.

[Jim Walsh]

Here I am....back at home. What?
I left at noon on the 10th to catch the tide past Montauk Pt. in sunshine and a 22 knot breeze. Just a great start. By 9:00pm the breeze had kicked up to 30k (I had reduced my Yankee to facilitate a lazy man's sail reduction) but it was time to get a reef in the main. While forward I figured I'd put the second reef in and shake it out when conditions improved. I was doing just under 6k in complete comfort.
Throughout the night the stars disappeared and the winds continued to increase. None of which had been forecast, mind you. By morning it was in the low to mid thirties but the seas were regular and the Monitor does all the work at the helm, I'm just the foredeck crew. This went on all day. It continued the following day but the water temp increased by 20 degrees indicating the Gulf Stream. The seas had built up but were regular with lots of spray and the hull got slapped occasionally. The wind continued to increase. I reduced my headsails to a comfortable level and all along I've been close reaching at close to 5 knots and up to 5 and a half knots while staying relatively comfortable inside.
The wind was now steady in the mid 30's and topping out just over 40k. It continued to build and the seas were commensurate. I'm now sailing with my double reefed main and a partial staysail. I occasionally have a scrap of the Yankee unfurled when the wind cooperates.
Now I'm into day four. More of the same. All day. No moderation, just a gradual increase, mid to high 40's. I had a wave top slap my starboard aft quarter, and sweep over the cockpit (I was sitting on the starboard side under the dodger) and it shot under the dodger on the port side popping a hole in the Isinglass and unsnapped the dodger on the port side. I figured it was torn but it wasn't. I just snapped it back in place. Nothing I could do about my new "porthole".
By 5:00 in the evening I was back in the cockpit eying the rig for the evening and making certain all looked well for the night. It was then that I came to the conclusion that I do this for the challenge and for fun, but I haven't had any "fun" for the last four days. I rounded up and tacked toward home.
It took me another four days to make it home. Three days of similar weather, not a bit of blue sky or sunshine for a solid week, and sunshine and calm winds on the eighth day.
I don't regret making the trip at all but I was looking forward to generally fair weather with some challenging weather along the way. I'll retrieve my logbook and report back with the actual mileage figures and some positions but I logged on the order of 800 nautical miles in what I would describe more as an endurance test than a cruise.

[John Stone]

Jim
Glad you are OK and Orion is in good shape with nothing broken. That alone is a testament to your skill and seamanship. Well done. Sounds like a very rough passage. Interesting how in 2016 we still get surprised by vicious weather even within the normally but not always accurate three day weather forecast window.

Look forward to learning more about your observations and conclusions.

John

[Capt Hook]

Jim, glad you're safe and survived to sail another day.

[DAHedley]

Welcome home Jim. glad your made it back safe.

[Steve Laume]

That sounds like you got a pretty prolonged spanking. Rough conditions early on are bad but continuously bad weather is worse. Glad you made it home alright and at lest got a chance to log some serious ocean mileage but it sure didn't sound like fun. Steve.

[robryan]

Jim:

when I answered your E-mail last night on another matter I did not realize you were back home. I had not been on the forum for a few days and did not check your progress after page 2. I still thought you were on the way to Bermuda. Sorry for you bad weather but glad you are ok. very hard I imagine to make the decision to turn around. As someone said you got some more experience that will help you another day. and some more sea miles.

I am sure you will try it again before too long. you give a lot of good answers to fellow sailors, it sure help new people like me. thanks

[jen1722terry]

Hey Jim,

We owe you a belated congrats on your successful journey. And it was very, very successful, for ship and crew returned home safely, the only thing that really matters.

As all of us go through our lives we are often faced with decision points: to pause or plunge ahead; to reflect or act. The wisest ones know when it's time to turn back.

Welcome home, and we hope to hook up as we cruise down the New England coast later in the summer.

Jenn and Terry