I woke up this morning remembering I departed Beaufort NC for the Virgin Islands one year ago today. And what a great voyage it was--it took 12 days and 1338 nautical miles of sailing to arrive at Jost van Dyke, BVI on 15 December. I reefed 11 times, made 20 sail changes, sighed seven ships, tacked five times, and gybed three times.
While I think the engine install project is a worthwhile modification to the boat I also realize had I not undertaken it I would likely be at sea headed SE again right now. There are lots of people that would love to make such a voyage but for all kinds of reasons are not able to do so. I feel lucky to be able to make it work.
Some readers may recall I was lucky to make the trip at all. We had a very close call with Hurricane Florence that savaged NC and our marina just two months earlier. We detailed that ordeal in the Oct/Nov 2019 issue of BoatUS magazine.
So, in the sprit of remembering a great voyage, and to share it with those that might not know what it’s like to singlehand offshore, I thought I would post selected extracts from the log each day for the next 12 days. A conclusion to be drawn from reading the log, and perhaps this thread as well, is that while the offshore voyage SE can be bumpy it requires only a sound boat, a modicum of sailing skill, and a reasonable degree of judgment. Essentially, almost anyone can do it.
3 Dec 2018
0530: Rowed Gayle ashore and returned to the FR. Hauled Sweet Pea up and inverted her on the cabin top and lashed her down. Chris Parker told me the day before I have a short window to cross the Gulf Stream before another low pressure system arrives. It was a race to complete last minute provisioning. Gayle spent the night on board. We were up till 0200 stowing provisions and making the boat ready for sea.
0700: Weighed anchor and used the outboard to motor past the end of the dock to wave bye to Gayle.
0720: Shut off outboard. Raised main and W jib off USCG station Moorehead City, NC.
0745: Sailed out the Beaufort Inlet. SW wind 10-12 kts. On the Ebb Tide. Overcast. 58F. Beating on starboard tack. Just squeaked past "R18."
0930: Sailed past the Bight/Cape Lookout.
0945: Hailed he USCG Cutter "Cochise" to confirm my AIS transmitting.
1000: "Fed the Fish": Anxious, lack of sleep I think. Sailing 6.8 kts on heading 160 magnetic. Windvane steering perfectly.
1200: Hoisted stays'l. 15 kts wind SW. The sun is out.
1300: Changed course to 140 magnetic. Sun gone. Swell 4'-6'.
1400: Crossed bow of MV Vietis Harrier. South bound. 326' cargo ship. CPA was .5 nm.
1540: Crossed the stern of the MV Horizon Highway. CPA 1 nm. Never responded to my VHF hail.
1620: Lit the kerosene navigation lamps. Two south bound ships passed astern.
1810: Wind getting lighter and from WNW. Broad run. Dropped Stays'l as it was blocking the jib. In the Gulf Stream. Warm out.
2200: Dropped the main. Too much slatting though wind still 15-18 kts. Mostly broad reach/run.
0115: Windvane servo blade popped off. Sargasso weed. Course 135 deg magnetic.
0300: Stars out. Beautiful. Across the Gulf Stream. Air much cooler. Threw up again. What's up with that?
0600: Windvane servo blade popped off again. Lot's of Sargasso. Took blade off and tightened shock cord. Reinstalled. Threw up again.
Made 140 NM in 22 hours.
One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
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John Stone
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One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
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Last edited by John Stone on Dec 21st, '19, 22:39, edited 2 times in total.
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
4 Dec 18 (Tuesday)
This turned out to be a tough day--the toughest of the passage. I couldn't seem to shake the mal de mare. Light to no wind. Lots of rolling around. I had not been offshore for over two years and had sailed very little with the boat being on the hard for a year (repainted the topsides) and then a series of projects--installing the LED interior lights, new primary and secondary ST winches, etc. My muscles and balance were no longer acclimatized to being offshore. I knew it might take some time. It's not all fun and games....
-0800: Sent our GPS coord to Chris Parker via SPOT at 0700. Ran the long wire up the back stay and listened to Chris Parker at 0730. Reception on the Sony 7600 GRSW was loud and clear.
-1240: Drinking Gatorade and eating some apple sauce. Sunny and 72F. Lot's of rolling in light air due to the left over swell from the low pressure system that rolled off the east coast north of us two days earlier. Another one is on it's way.
-1400: I raised a double reefed main to steady the boat but the rolling and slatting was t0o hard on the sail. Wind still WNW so we are sailing downwind in an ugly slop with light air to boot. A bad combination.
-1620: I lit the navigation lamps. It gets dark early in the winter.
-1700: Raised a double reefed main (since it is flat and slats less) and poled out the jib. Sailing wing and wing. Making maybe 3 kts.
-1730: I managed to take a bird bath and crawled into my bunk. I am exhausted. I have not got my sea legs. It takes about a week to adapt to the motion and strengthen muscles that have laid dormant while ashore for the last two years. I know it will pass.
-2000: Dropped the main. Too much slatting. Sailing with poled out working jib.
-0300: Not sleeping well. Wind shift. Now on a beam reach. I still have the pole out. Too dark and I'm too tired to take it down. Course 145 degrees magnetic.
-0500: Ate part of a banana and drank some Gatorade.
-0645: I took the pole down. Sailing up wind with jib only. Sent the GPS coordinates to Chris Parker. Waiting for his weather report at 0730.
Last 24 hours run: 80 nm.
This turned out to be a tough day--the toughest of the passage. I couldn't seem to shake the mal de mare. Light to no wind. Lots of rolling around. I had not been offshore for over two years and had sailed very little with the boat being on the hard for a year (repainted the topsides) and then a series of projects--installing the LED interior lights, new primary and secondary ST winches, etc. My muscles and balance were no longer acclimatized to being offshore. I knew it might take some time. It's not all fun and games....
-0800: Sent our GPS coord to Chris Parker via SPOT at 0700. Ran the long wire up the back stay and listened to Chris Parker at 0730. Reception on the Sony 7600 GRSW was loud and clear.
-1240: Drinking Gatorade and eating some apple sauce. Sunny and 72F. Lot's of rolling in light air due to the left over swell from the low pressure system that rolled off the east coast north of us two days earlier. Another one is on it's way.
-1400: I raised a double reefed main to steady the boat but the rolling and slatting was t0o hard on the sail. Wind still WNW so we are sailing downwind in an ugly slop with light air to boot. A bad combination.
-1620: I lit the navigation lamps. It gets dark early in the winter.
-1700: Raised a double reefed main (since it is flat and slats less) and poled out the jib. Sailing wing and wing. Making maybe 3 kts.
-1730: I managed to take a bird bath and crawled into my bunk. I am exhausted. I have not got my sea legs. It takes about a week to adapt to the motion and strengthen muscles that have laid dormant while ashore for the last two years. I know it will pass.
-2000: Dropped the main. Too much slatting. Sailing with poled out working jib.
-0300: Not sleeping well. Wind shift. Now on a beam reach. I still have the pole out. Too dark and I'm too tired to take it down. Course 145 degrees magnetic.
-0500: Ate part of a banana and drank some Gatorade.
-0645: I took the pole down. Sailing up wind with jib only. Sent the GPS coordinates to Chris Parker. Waiting for his weather report at 0730.
Last 24 hours run: 80 nm.
Last edited by John Stone on Dec 5th, '19, 14:33, edited 1 time in total.
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
5 Dec 19 (Wednesday)
Day three turned out to be a wild day. The wind built over the day to 35-40 kts. We were running as we had westerly winds due to a LP system rolling off the east coast north of us. I could feel I was getting weak. I finally gave in and took a scopolamine capsule.
-0800: Chris Parker calling for wind to build to 35 kts this afternoon and through the night, then dropping off to 18-20 gusting 30 kts. Sky is cloudy. Looks squally. Sea is lumpy.
-0940: Set up second set of snatch block for the stays'l so I could run the sheets outside the cap shrouds. Removed the anchor chain from the anchor and stowed it. Installed chain pipe cap. Left anchor on roller but tied it in. Still queezy and no desire to eat. Gave in and took 50 mg of Scopolamine.
(ed. Scopolamine is a powerful prescription anti motion drug. I don't like the patches because you can't moderate the dose. I have my doctor write me a prescription and then have capsules made up by a compounding mail order pharmacy. We carry them just in case. You have to be very careful with Scopolamine as it can interact with other drugs and can cause hallucinations in some people. It gives me weird crazy dreams....). When I take it, I stretch the dose out as far as possible.
-1045: Wind 18-20 kts SW. On starboard tack broad reaching with just the working jib. 7 Kts. Partly sunny.
-1200: Crossed bow of MV Giant Slotta. 948' bound for Panama. Talked with watch officer on hand held VHF. CPA 2 NM.
-1210: Dropped working jib and hoisted stays'l. Main lashed into gallows.
-1230: AIS alarm. Three ships meet in in the Atlantic. CPA for all three less than 2.7 NM--SV Far Reach, MV Atlantic Breeze, and MV Giant Slotta.
-1530: Scopolamine must be working. Ate some ramen. Awesome!
-1550: Lit the lanterns early in anticipation of gale this evening.
-1610: Wind increasing along with seas. Double reefed stays'l only. Wind gusting 40 kts. Breaking seas. Running mostly dead downwind.
-1630: Boat tracking downwind perfectly.
-1650: Steering 120 magnetic is safest. Putting wind and seas just a bit on the starboard quarter.
-1745: Went on deck and secured frapping halyard. turns out windvane servo popped off. Got it reengaged and back on track.
-2210: It's pitch black outside. Wind sounds furious. Occasional wind shifts. FR is attacking waves at different angles. Much leaping about and some wave slapping. But inside is OK. Have not been pooped. Fell asleep in port pilot bunk for 90 minutes. Took scopolamine at 2000. The wind is supposed to drop after midnight. I would call this a gale.
-0330: Crazy night. Went on deck in foulies and harness. Set up second runner (ed. running backstay). We were sailing 180 magnetic. Gybed stays' to get us back to 130 degrees magnetic.
-0600: Wind moderated about 0500. Current pos is 30.32'N/75.5'W. Made 150 nm in last 24 hours!
Days run: 150 NM
Day three turned out to be a wild day. The wind built over the day to 35-40 kts. We were running as we had westerly winds due to a LP system rolling off the east coast north of us. I could feel I was getting weak. I finally gave in and took a scopolamine capsule.
-0800: Chris Parker calling for wind to build to 35 kts this afternoon and through the night, then dropping off to 18-20 gusting 30 kts. Sky is cloudy. Looks squally. Sea is lumpy.
-0940: Set up second set of snatch block for the stays'l so I could run the sheets outside the cap shrouds. Removed the anchor chain from the anchor and stowed it. Installed chain pipe cap. Left anchor on roller but tied it in. Still queezy and no desire to eat. Gave in and took 50 mg of Scopolamine.
(ed. Scopolamine is a powerful prescription anti motion drug. I don't like the patches because you can't moderate the dose. I have my doctor write me a prescription and then have capsules made up by a compounding mail order pharmacy. We carry them just in case. You have to be very careful with Scopolamine as it can interact with other drugs and can cause hallucinations in some people. It gives me weird crazy dreams....). When I take it, I stretch the dose out as far as possible.
-1045: Wind 18-20 kts SW. On starboard tack broad reaching with just the working jib. 7 Kts. Partly sunny.
-1200: Crossed bow of MV Giant Slotta. 948' bound for Panama. Talked with watch officer on hand held VHF. CPA 2 NM.
-1210: Dropped working jib and hoisted stays'l. Main lashed into gallows.
-1230: AIS alarm. Three ships meet in in the Atlantic. CPA for all three less than 2.7 NM--SV Far Reach, MV Atlantic Breeze, and MV Giant Slotta.
-1530: Scopolamine must be working. Ate some ramen. Awesome!
-1550: Lit the lanterns early in anticipation of gale this evening.
-1610: Wind increasing along with seas. Double reefed stays'l only. Wind gusting 40 kts. Breaking seas. Running mostly dead downwind.
-1630: Boat tracking downwind perfectly.
-1650: Steering 120 magnetic is safest. Putting wind and seas just a bit on the starboard quarter.
-1745: Went on deck and secured frapping halyard. turns out windvane servo popped off. Got it reengaged and back on track.
-2210: It's pitch black outside. Wind sounds furious. Occasional wind shifts. FR is attacking waves at different angles. Much leaping about and some wave slapping. But inside is OK. Have not been pooped. Fell asleep in port pilot bunk for 90 minutes. Took scopolamine at 2000. The wind is supposed to drop after midnight. I would call this a gale.
-0330: Crazy night. Went on deck in foulies and harness. Set up second runner (ed. running backstay). We were sailing 180 magnetic. Gybed stays' to get us back to 130 degrees magnetic.
-0600: Wind moderated about 0500. Current pos is 30.32'N/75.5'W. Made 150 nm in last 24 hours!
Days run: 150 NM
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
6 Dec 18 (Thursday) Day 4
The gale from the day before blew itself out and day four was dealing with the aftermath of light air and the left over big swell. It can be tough sailing when the wind is light but the seas are still running large. Finally, by Thursday evening I got passed being sea-sick. The first couple days were ugly but it was all down hill after day 4.
-0730: Listened to Chris Parker on 8037 kz. Says good weather for the next few days. There is a big US east coast storm developing over the weekend. He said if I can get 400nm behind me and out towards 26N/68W I won't see much of it. I took another scopolamine. I can eat but I'm still queasy. Dropped stays'. Raised working jib. Speed 4.5-6 kts.
-1200: I should pole out jib and raise the main but don't feel up to it. Plus, the main will just slat. It's difficult sailing in light air on a sloppy swell as the boat moving over the swell just shakes the air out of the sails.
- 1330: Partly Cloudy. Seas still 6-8'. Wind N-NW. Raised double reefed main (ed. the double reefed main is flat so it does not slat as bad as a full main). Working jib is up too. FR balanced nicely. Beam to broad reach. Making 6.7 kts. Sat in the cockpit for 30 minutes just taking in the sights.
-1510: Laying in bunk. Hungry but queasy. Need to eat. Got up and scrambled an egg. Ate 1/4 apple.
-1650: Nav lamps lit: Wind light from NNW. Clouds on the western horizon. Will see what they bring. Drank 1/2 glass of water. Still queasy but keeping it down. May try for oatmeal in the morning.
-2000: Laying in the starboard pilot bunk. Very calm out. Suddenly very hungry. Got up and cooked 1/2 lb hamburger in the skillet. Fried thin slices of potatoes with it. Ate it all. Delicious! Then, shook out 2nd reef. Beating in 6-8 kts of wind. Very dark out. Some luffing and slatting but still moving. Need to make some distance and gain separation form Sunday storm.
-0140: Sound asleep. Slatting sails woke me. Went on deck. Very calm. Breeze perceptible but random. The Far Reach is pointed in the right direction and is moving. Might have a favorable current. Supposed to be light wind for next 24 hours.
-0520: No wind. Dropped main.
-0610: Some wind from S.E. Swell from the north. Raised the main. Making 4-5 kts but heading is 167 deg magnetic and we need to go about 135 degrees. Let's see what happens. Dawn. Lots of clouds. Air temp 68F.
0645. Pos 29.28N/71.06W. Only made 75 miles in last 24 hours. Becalmed almost 12 hours.
24 hour run: 75 NM.
The gale from the day before blew itself out and day four was dealing with the aftermath of light air and the left over big swell. It can be tough sailing when the wind is light but the seas are still running large. Finally, by Thursday evening I got passed being sea-sick. The first couple days were ugly but it was all down hill after day 4.
-0730: Listened to Chris Parker on 8037 kz. Says good weather for the next few days. There is a big US east coast storm developing over the weekend. He said if I can get 400nm behind me and out towards 26N/68W I won't see much of it. I took another scopolamine. I can eat but I'm still queasy. Dropped stays'. Raised working jib. Speed 4.5-6 kts.
-1200: I should pole out jib and raise the main but don't feel up to it. Plus, the main will just slat. It's difficult sailing in light air on a sloppy swell as the boat moving over the swell just shakes the air out of the sails.
- 1330: Partly Cloudy. Seas still 6-8'. Wind N-NW. Raised double reefed main (ed. the double reefed main is flat so it does not slat as bad as a full main). Working jib is up too. FR balanced nicely. Beam to broad reach. Making 6.7 kts. Sat in the cockpit for 30 minutes just taking in the sights.
-1510: Laying in bunk. Hungry but queasy. Need to eat. Got up and scrambled an egg. Ate 1/4 apple.
-1650: Nav lamps lit: Wind light from NNW. Clouds on the western horizon. Will see what they bring. Drank 1/2 glass of water. Still queasy but keeping it down. May try for oatmeal in the morning.
-2000: Laying in the starboard pilot bunk. Very calm out. Suddenly very hungry. Got up and cooked 1/2 lb hamburger in the skillet. Fried thin slices of potatoes with it. Ate it all. Delicious! Then, shook out 2nd reef. Beating in 6-8 kts of wind. Very dark out. Some luffing and slatting but still moving. Need to make some distance and gain separation form Sunday storm.
-0140: Sound asleep. Slatting sails woke me. Went on deck. Very calm. Breeze perceptible but random. The Far Reach is pointed in the right direction and is moving. Might have a favorable current. Supposed to be light wind for next 24 hours.
-0520: No wind. Dropped main.
-0610: Some wind from S.E. Swell from the north. Raised the main. Making 4-5 kts but heading is 167 deg magnetic and we need to go about 135 degrees. Let's see what happens. Dawn. Lots of clouds. Air temp 68F.
0645. Pos 29.28N/71.06W. Only made 75 miles in last 24 hours. Becalmed almost 12 hours.
24 hour run: 75 NM.
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
7 Dec 19 (Friday) Day 5
After a slow start, Day 5 turned out to be a good day of sailing. I wanted to continue to gain as much separation from the US coast as possible to avoid a major LP coming off SE coast. I was feeling much better and happily eating again.
-0715: Wind filling in from N-NE, 12 Kts. Close hauled port tack. Making 5 Kts.
-0800: Listened to Chris Parker on 8137 Mhz. He discussed strategy for the Far Reach for a long time. Said work towards 25N/68W over next 2-3 days. When winds go SE, sail east. Looks like contrary winds ahead.
-0830: Ate last burger. Cooked in skillet with potatoes as before. Delicious. Ate some raisins, drank can of pineapple juice. Washed SS wire splices (ed standing rigging) down with fresh weather.
-0900: Decent sailing. Reefed main, stays', working jib. Making 5 Kts. Wind NE at 10 kts.
-1000: Dropped main and sewed on leather chafing guard just above shackle. Raised main. Wind coming in fits and spurts. Seems to be shifting to the east. Arrgghh!
-1100: Becalmed for last 20 min but breeze is back up. Wind is shifty, variable, random. Sailing 200 deg to 135 deg.
-1345: Spent an hour sorting FR out. No wind, then wind fromm three directions. Got her going on 150 deg magnetic. Making 5 Kts.
-1405: AIS went off. MV Tia Marta, 591' cargo ship with CPA of 1.5 NM. Crossed our stern. Spoke to Captain. He wished us "bon voyage."
-1608: A nice NNE breeze. 12-15 Kts. Beating port tack on 100 deg magnetic! How long will it hold?
-1640: Lanterns lit. Breeze 15 Kts and holding from NNE! Speed 5.5-6.7 Kts. Course 115 deg magnetic.
-1730: Ate supper. Two scrambled eggs with 4 pieces of precooked bacon. Very tasty.
-1740: Lots of clouds. Sunset 30 min ago. Course 120 Deg magnetic. Speed about 5.5. Kts. Close hauled port tack. Full main with working jib.... Parker forecasted winds to east then SE then S over next several days. None of those are good. All require tacking and will extend the miles that must be covered to get to the BVI.
-1800: Sent SPOT. Pos 28.54N/70.43W. 460 miles from Cape Lookout but we have sailed 590 NM.
-1905: So far the wind is holding. We are tearing along . Course 125-135 deg Mag. May it hold as long as possible.
-1920: Windvane self steering servo blade tripped. Probably Sargasso.
-2150: While conducting 360 degree visual scan I spotted a ship outside the alarm range I had set for the AIS. She was MV Vanetioko, 919' hazmat cargo ship with 131' beam! That's a big ship! Spoke to ship. They could see us on AIS and radar.
-2200: Even though I tucked reef in mains'l at 2020 we are still tearing along making 8 Kts. Dropped the traveler down to leeward. I may take in another reef. Course is 135 deg mag. I can tell the seas are bigger but not excessive. Heeling 15-25 degrees. All sounds and motions are magnified at night.
-2330: Heeling too much and too long. Put on foulies, harness, headlamp and tucked in 2nd reef in mains'l. Still making over 7 Kts in gust. Motion seems less frenetic.
-0300: Wind holding. Course 125 deg magnetic. Speed 6-7 Kts. Stars out. Gorgeous. Air temp cool...maybe mid-low 60s.
-0645: Made hot chocolate. Rigged up HF antenna.
24 hour run: 127 NM.
After a slow start, Day 5 turned out to be a good day of sailing. I wanted to continue to gain as much separation from the US coast as possible to avoid a major LP coming off SE coast. I was feeling much better and happily eating again.
-0715: Wind filling in from N-NE, 12 Kts. Close hauled port tack. Making 5 Kts.
-0800: Listened to Chris Parker on 8137 Mhz. He discussed strategy for the Far Reach for a long time. Said work towards 25N/68W over next 2-3 days. When winds go SE, sail east. Looks like contrary winds ahead.
-0830: Ate last burger. Cooked in skillet with potatoes as before. Delicious. Ate some raisins, drank can of pineapple juice. Washed SS wire splices (ed standing rigging) down with fresh weather.
-0900: Decent sailing. Reefed main, stays', working jib. Making 5 Kts. Wind NE at 10 kts.
-1000: Dropped main and sewed on leather chafing guard just above shackle. Raised main. Wind coming in fits and spurts. Seems to be shifting to the east. Arrgghh!
-1100: Becalmed for last 20 min but breeze is back up. Wind is shifty, variable, random. Sailing 200 deg to 135 deg.
-1345: Spent an hour sorting FR out. No wind, then wind fromm three directions. Got her going on 150 deg magnetic. Making 5 Kts.
-1405: AIS went off. MV Tia Marta, 591' cargo ship with CPA of 1.5 NM. Crossed our stern. Spoke to Captain. He wished us "bon voyage."
-1608: A nice NNE breeze. 12-15 Kts. Beating port tack on 100 deg magnetic! How long will it hold?
-1640: Lanterns lit. Breeze 15 Kts and holding from NNE! Speed 5.5-6.7 Kts. Course 115 deg magnetic.
-1730: Ate supper. Two scrambled eggs with 4 pieces of precooked bacon. Very tasty.
-1740: Lots of clouds. Sunset 30 min ago. Course 120 Deg magnetic. Speed about 5.5. Kts. Close hauled port tack. Full main with working jib.... Parker forecasted winds to east then SE then S over next several days. None of those are good. All require tacking and will extend the miles that must be covered to get to the BVI.
-1800: Sent SPOT. Pos 28.54N/70.43W. 460 miles from Cape Lookout but we have sailed 590 NM.
-1905: So far the wind is holding. We are tearing along . Course 125-135 deg Mag. May it hold as long as possible.
-1920: Windvane self steering servo blade tripped. Probably Sargasso.
-2150: While conducting 360 degree visual scan I spotted a ship outside the alarm range I had set for the AIS. She was MV Vanetioko, 919' hazmat cargo ship with 131' beam! That's a big ship! Spoke to ship. They could see us on AIS and radar.
-2200: Even though I tucked reef in mains'l at 2020 we are still tearing along making 8 Kts. Dropped the traveler down to leeward. I may take in another reef. Course is 135 deg mag. I can tell the seas are bigger but not excessive. Heeling 15-25 degrees. All sounds and motions are magnified at night.
-2330: Heeling too much and too long. Put on foulies, harness, headlamp and tucked in 2nd reef in mains'l. Still making over 7 Kts in gust. Motion seems less frenetic.
-0300: Wind holding. Course 125 deg magnetic. Speed 6-7 Kts. Stars out. Gorgeous. Air temp cool...maybe mid-low 60s.
-0645: Made hot chocolate. Rigged up HF antenna.
24 hour run: 127 NM.
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
8 Dec 2018 (Sat) Day 6
A typical upwind day at sea. Not horrible but not exactly comfortable or delightful like downwind sailing in the trade winds. I spent a lot time stretched out on the settee or pilot berth either napping or reading. I typically scan the horizon every 20 min when I am awake. Otherwise, I rely on the AIS to warn me of ships or other sailing craft. I spent a fair amount of time matching sails to wind and sea conditions. Lot's of reefing...back and forth. I like to keep the boat heeled about 20 degrees--definitely her fastest heeling angle sailing up-wind. But, I have found sometimes it's best to reef the main when the wind is light if the swell is big because a full main tends to slam and slat--it's just too hard on the sails and the rig. So, I reef down and protect the rig and sails. And without an engine, there is no turning on the iron genny and motoring in the lighter air. I always enjoy the light stuff though it can be a bit frustrating. That must sound kind of weird--I can't really explain it. Light wind has it's own special magic. Day 6 also saw the solar panel fail to charge. It was a simple fix but I did not sort it out till I arrived in the BVI.
Anyway, let's see what the log book says....
-0700: Sent SPOT. Pos 28°02'N/69°40'W.
-0800: Chris Parker says winds going east through Sun morning then clocking to S. "Sail south west then tack east when winds shift. Expects winds to back Wednesday and Thursday to N and NE. Then sail for the BVI." Pretty simple.
-0850: Partly cloudy. High cirrus with cumulous to NE and strato cumulous to SW. Winds 12-14 Kts. Air temp 70°F.Shook the second reef out. Beating. Port tack. Working jib and single reefed main.
-0927: MV CMB Medoc 771' cargo ship bound for Finland crossed our bow. CPA 1.5 NM.
-1400: Shook out first reef. Port tack. Close reach. Winds NE 12-14 Kts. Speed about 6 Kts. Easy swell. Course 160°. Solar panel appears to not be charging. removed plug in deck, cleaned connectors. GVS-5 indicates rapid charging taking place but BVM 700 monitor says almost no amperage going into batter. Battery at 90 percent. Shut the AIS off except when sleeping. (ed. The wire connected to the deck plug had loosened. But, I did not sort that out till I arrived in the BVI. I sailed the rest of the way to the BVI without a way to charge the battery. No real issues. It's a great advantage to keep the boat simple. I did not need electrical power to run any critical systems.
-1535: Cooked white rice and mixed in kippers. Ate it with stone ground crackers. Wind picking up to about 14-16 Kts.
-1620: Nav lamps lit. Found a cup of water in the bilge. It was brown water like the Neuse river. I think it's coming in through the rudder post packing gland.
-1730: Definitely sailing into/under the frontal trough Parker described in his wx forecast. Lots of dark looking strato-cumulous clouds. Looks like rain.
-1800: Sent SPOT. 27°12'N/69°W. Port tack. Beam reach. Seas moderately mild. Averaging 6.5 Kts.
-1840: A few stars peeking through the dark overhead clouds. Nonetheless, it's dark as hell outside. The Far Reach is gamely reaching along on 165° ag making 7 Kts. Wind is ENE.
-2130: Wind increasing. Laid in the cockpit in my foulies. We are ripping along. More stars out. Tucked single reef in mains'l.
-0224: Short frantic chop has developed. Stars still out. Wind clocking towards ESE. Course 180° mag. Port tack. Very close reach.
-0630: Sun's up. Blue sky. Wind ESE at 15-18 Kts. Seas moderate but since we are on close reach the motion is sharp. Hull slap and some crashing on to wave though mild. Deck is wet. Cockpit soaked. Heading 180° mag. Speed 6-7 Kts.
24 hour run: 142 NM
A typical upwind day at sea. Not horrible but not exactly comfortable or delightful like downwind sailing in the trade winds. I spent a lot time stretched out on the settee or pilot berth either napping or reading. I typically scan the horizon every 20 min when I am awake. Otherwise, I rely on the AIS to warn me of ships or other sailing craft. I spent a fair amount of time matching sails to wind and sea conditions. Lot's of reefing...back and forth. I like to keep the boat heeled about 20 degrees--definitely her fastest heeling angle sailing up-wind. But, I have found sometimes it's best to reef the main when the wind is light if the swell is big because a full main tends to slam and slat--it's just too hard on the sails and the rig. So, I reef down and protect the rig and sails. And without an engine, there is no turning on the iron genny and motoring in the lighter air. I always enjoy the light stuff though it can be a bit frustrating. That must sound kind of weird--I can't really explain it. Light wind has it's own special magic. Day 6 also saw the solar panel fail to charge. It was a simple fix but I did not sort it out till I arrived in the BVI.
Anyway, let's see what the log book says....
-0700: Sent SPOT. Pos 28°02'N/69°40'W.
-0800: Chris Parker says winds going east through Sun morning then clocking to S. "Sail south west then tack east when winds shift. Expects winds to back Wednesday and Thursday to N and NE. Then sail for the BVI." Pretty simple.
-0850: Partly cloudy. High cirrus with cumulous to NE and strato cumulous to SW. Winds 12-14 Kts. Air temp 70°F.Shook the second reef out. Beating. Port tack. Working jib and single reefed main.
-0927: MV CMB Medoc 771' cargo ship bound for Finland crossed our bow. CPA 1.5 NM.
-1400: Shook out first reef. Port tack. Close reach. Winds NE 12-14 Kts. Speed about 6 Kts. Easy swell. Course 160°. Solar panel appears to not be charging. removed plug in deck, cleaned connectors. GVS-5 indicates rapid charging taking place but BVM 700 monitor says almost no amperage going into batter. Battery at 90 percent. Shut the AIS off except when sleeping. (ed. The wire connected to the deck plug had loosened. But, I did not sort that out till I arrived in the BVI. I sailed the rest of the way to the BVI without a way to charge the battery. No real issues. It's a great advantage to keep the boat simple. I did not need electrical power to run any critical systems.
-1535: Cooked white rice and mixed in kippers. Ate it with stone ground crackers. Wind picking up to about 14-16 Kts.
-1620: Nav lamps lit. Found a cup of water in the bilge. It was brown water like the Neuse river. I think it's coming in through the rudder post packing gland.
-1730: Definitely sailing into/under the frontal trough Parker described in his wx forecast. Lots of dark looking strato-cumulous clouds. Looks like rain.
-1800: Sent SPOT. 27°12'N/69°W. Port tack. Beam reach. Seas moderately mild. Averaging 6.5 Kts.
-1840: A few stars peeking through the dark overhead clouds. Nonetheless, it's dark as hell outside. The Far Reach is gamely reaching along on 165° ag making 7 Kts. Wind is ENE.
-2130: Wind increasing. Laid in the cockpit in my foulies. We are ripping along. More stars out. Tucked single reef in mains'l.
-0224: Short frantic chop has developed. Stars still out. Wind clocking towards ESE. Course 180° mag. Port tack. Very close reach.
-0630: Sun's up. Blue sky. Wind ESE at 15-18 Kts. Seas moderate but since we are on close reach the motion is sharp. Hull slap and some crashing on to wave though mild. Deck is wet. Cockpit soaked. Heading 180° mag. Speed 6-7 Kts.
24 hour run: 142 NM
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
9 Dec 2019 (Sunday) Day 7
On Day 7 the wind began to clock round to the SE which meant I had to sail south and eventually a bit to the SSW—not where I wanted to go but not enough of a wind shift to tack. Finally, in the early evening the wind shifted and I tacked back to the east.
Day 7 is best described as your average upwind beating and close-reach bash in moderate wind and seas. Not comfortable but not horrible. Just something to be endured to get to the prize. I think it’s important to appreciate the beauty and joy of such an adventure while you are in the moment. I have lived long enough to know that eventually most anything difficult comes to an end. It seems like a missed opportunity to hate the struggle then look back on it when it’s over and think well that was not so bad. And later you forget it was ever a struggle at all and you only remember "it was great." After a career as a Marine infantryman I am well trained to endure misery. As a result I am usually able to enjoy the struggle while it's happening. I am a big believer in “we do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” For me, hard is what makes it rewarding. On to the logbook.
-0700: (ed. No Chris Parker wx forecast on Sundays.) Tucked second reef in mains'l. Sell increasing but reasonable. Course 160°-190°. The swell is pushing the FR around as she close reaches into E-SE breeze. Sailing into/under a long layer of cumulous stratus clouds. Sunlight is intermittent.
-0740: Current pos 25°48'N/68°37'W.
-0835: Spent last 1.5 hours getting the FR configured under double reefed main and stays'l. Ran off to west so I could more easily drop working jib behind the main. Then, dragged it over to port side and tied to lifelines in anticipation of tacking later tonight or tomorrow morning. Hoisted stays'l. Used a bigger block for aft running backstay. Course 160°mag. Speed 5 Kts. Wind 20 gusting 25 Kts. Seas moderate but choppy. Helm nicely balanced. Cape Horn windvane performing perfectly.
-1142: Cockpit inundated with spray. Keep sticking my head up through companionway for "look 'round" every 20 min. Blue sky, sunny, lots of white horses. Chugging along heeled 15-20 degrees. Some hull slap. Mostly laying in bunk or on settee. Reading Six Frigates by Ian Toll, which I am enjoying very much.
-1300: Wind beginning to veer to ESE. Our course is about 190°mag. When the best we can do is about 225° we will tack and close reach to east.
-1620: Lit nav lights.
-1723: About 1440 I saw a squall line approaching from the south. I decided to tack away. Then, the working jib, lashed to the lifelines, was filled with water and getting sucked over the port rail. I took care of that. We slipped passed the squall so I tacked back. I noticed the stays'l halyard had a wrap around he forestay, so we ran down wind, dropped the stays'l, fixed wrap, rehoisted sail, and starting beating back up wind. I had foulies on but was soaked anyway. Spent another hour or so sorting out changes to the runner blocks, cockpit lines, and sat back and enjoyed the ride.
-1930: Wind 180°. Tacked over on to starboard tack. New course about 110-120°mag. Speed 5 Kts. Wind maybe down a bit. A little pounding into the remaining seas formed by former east wind.
-2130: Stars out.
-2400: Wind south 15-20 Kts. Choppy seas. Starboard tack. Course about 120°mag. Double reefed main and stays'l.
-0500: Slept well. Sky clear. Dawn. Winds down to 15 Kts.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Rigged HF antenna. Current pos 25°40'N/67°53'W.
24 hour run: 110NM.
On Day 7 the wind began to clock round to the SE which meant I had to sail south and eventually a bit to the SSW—not where I wanted to go but not enough of a wind shift to tack. Finally, in the early evening the wind shifted and I tacked back to the east.
Day 7 is best described as your average upwind beating and close-reach bash in moderate wind and seas. Not comfortable but not horrible. Just something to be endured to get to the prize. I think it’s important to appreciate the beauty and joy of such an adventure while you are in the moment. I have lived long enough to know that eventually most anything difficult comes to an end. It seems like a missed opportunity to hate the struggle then look back on it when it’s over and think well that was not so bad. And later you forget it was ever a struggle at all and you only remember "it was great." After a career as a Marine infantryman I am well trained to endure misery. As a result I am usually able to enjoy the struggle while it's happening. I am a big believer in “we do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard.” For me, hard is what makes it rewarding. On to the logbook.
-0700: (ed. No Chris Parker wx forecast on Sundays.) Tucked second reef in mains'l. Sell increasing but reasonable. Course 160°-190°. The swell is pushing the FR around as she close reaches into E-SE breeze. Sailing into/under a long layer of cumulous stratus clouds. Sunlight is intermittent.
-0740: Current pos 25°48'N/68°37'W.
-0835: Spent last 1.5 hours getting the FR configured under double reefed main and stays'l. Ran off to west so I could more easily drop working jib behind the main. Then, dragged it over to port side and tied to lifelines in anticipation of tacking later tonight or tomorrow morning. Hoisted stays'l. Used a bigger block for aft running backstay. Course 160°mag. Speed 5 Kts. Wind 20 gusting 25 Kts. Seas moderate but choppy. Helm nicely balanced. Cape Horn windvane performing perfectly.
-1142: Cockpit inundated with spray. Keep sticking my head up through companionway for "look 'round" every 20 min. Blue sky, sunny, lots of white horses. Chugging along heeled 15-20 degrees. Some hull slap. Mostly laying in bunk or on settee. Reading Six Frigates by Ian Toll, which I am enjoying very much.
-1300: Wind beginning to veer to ESE. Our course is about 190°mag. When the best we can do is about 225° we will tack and close reach to east.
-1620: Lit nav lights.
-1723: About 1440 I saw a squall line approaching from the south. I decided to tack away. Then, the working jib, lashed to the lifelines, was filled with water and getting sucked over the port rail. I took care of that. We slipped passed the squall so I tacked back. I noticed the stays'l halyard had a wrap around he forestay, so we ran down wind, dropped the stays'l, fixed wrap, rehoisted sail, and starting beating back up wind. I had foulies on but was soaked anyway. Spent another hour or so sorting out changes to the runner blocks, cockpit lines, and sat back and enjoyed the ride.
-1930: Wind 180°. Tacked over on to starboard tack. New course about 110-120°mag. Speed 5 Kts. Wind maybe down a bit. A little pounding into the remaining seas formed by former east wind.
-2130: Stars out.
-2400: Wind south 15-20 Kts. Choppy seas. Starboard tack. Course about 120°mag. Double reefed main and stays'l.
-0500: Slept well. Sky clear. Dawn. Winds down to 15 Kts.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Rigged HF antenna. Current pos 25°40'N/67°53'W.
24 hour run: 110NM.
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John Stone
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
10 Dec 2018 (Monday) Day 8
Day 7 was more of the same. Spent a lot of time working the fine line between having enough sail to power up-wind through the offshore swells vs being uncomfortable and stressing the boat and rig. For those that have not sailed in such conditions rest assured it can be very dynamic. The harder you push the boat the more force is generated on the boat, rig and the crew. It's a balance to get it right. The only other high light of the day was spotting and maneuver around a waterspout just before dark. On to the logbook....
-0700: Chris Parker says "go east young man." Plan is to get as far east as possible in next few days. SE trades kick in around 23°N. (ed. I want to be as far east as possible by the time I hit the trades as the winds and seas are higher and sailing up wind is more difficult.) Current south wind will veer NW-NE but might be light for good sailing.
-1000: Chugging along at 5 Kts. Close hauled to very close reach. Double reefed main and stay'l. With stays'l lead outboard and steering 50-55° attack angle she does fine. If I run sheets to leads on deck, inboard of shrouds, she doesn't have enough power with just stays'l to punch through the seas though we are sailing a closer angle.
-1300: Experimenting . Dropped stays'l, raised working jib. Wind 20 Kts. She powered up immediately. 7.2-7.8 Kts. Sailing 15° higher angle. But, she is heeled 20-25 degrees. Not real comfortable in the bigger seas though she is quiet inside. May go back to stays'l after awhile.
-1650: Nav lamps lit. Dark clouds ahead. Very grey black cumulus. A line of them. Saw waterspout at about 11 o'clock. Sheeted in hard. I think I can slip past.
-1750: All's well. No excess wind associated with the dark clouds. Wind down to about 15-gusting 18 Kts. Moving well.
-1800: SPOT sent. Position 24°14'N/66°41'W
-0156: Wind out of south at 15-18 Kts. Seas choppy. Stars out. Some cumulus. FR making 6.5 Kts course 120°mag. Starboard tack. Working jib with double reefed mains'l.
-0545: Toured the deck. Everything looks ship-shape. Lots of cumulus clouds all pink form "Dawn's rosy fingers".
-0600: Antenna rigged. SPOT sent. Pos 23°52'N/65°25'. Wind has begun to shift to SE. Current course about 095° mag.
24 hour run: 138 NM
Day 7 was more of the same. Spent a lot of time working the fine line between having enough sail to power up-wind through the offshore swells vs being uncomfortable and stressing the boat and rig. For those that have not sailed in such conditions rest assured it can be very dynamic. The harder you push the boat the more force is generated on the boat, rig and the crew. It's a balance to get it right. The only other high light of the day was spotting and maneuver around a waterspout just before dark. On to the logbook....
-0700: Chris Parker says "go east young man." Plan is to get as far east as possible in next few days. SE trades kick in around 23°N. (ed. I want to be as far east as possible by the time I hit the trades as the winds and seas are higher and sailing up wind is more difficult.) Current south wind will veer NW-NE but might be light for good sailing.
-1000: Chugging along at 5 Kts. Close hauled to very close reach. Double reefed main and stay'l. With stays'l lead outboard and steering 50-55° attack angle she does fine. If I run sheets to leads on deck, inboard of shrouds, she doesn't have enough power with just stays'l to punch through the seas though we are sailing a closer angle.
-1300: Experimenting . Dropped stays'l, raised working jib. Wind 20 Kts. She powered up immediately. 7.2-7.8 Kts. Sailing 15° higher angle. But, she is heeled 20-25 degrees. Not real comfortable in the bigger seas though she is quiet inside. May go back to stays'l after awhile.
-1650: Nav lamps lit. Dark clouds ahead. Very grey black cumulus. A line of them. Saw waterspout at about 11 o'clock. Sheeted in hard. I think I can slip past.
-1750: All's well. No excess wind associated with the dark clouds. Wind down to about 15-gusting 18 Kts. Moving well.
-1800: SPOT sent. Position 24°14'N/66°41'W
-0156: Wind out of south at 15-18 Kts. Seas choppy. Stars out. Some cumulus. FR making 6.5 Kts course 120°mag. Starboard tack. Working jib with double reefed mains'l.
-0545: Toured the deck. Everything looks ship-shape. Lots of cumulus clouds all pink form "Dawn's rosy fingers".
-0600: Antenna rigged. SPOT sent. Pos 23°52'N/65°25'. Wind has begun to shift to SE. Current course about 095° mag.
24 hour run: 138 NM
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John Stone
- Posts: 3623
- Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
11 Dec 2018 (Tuesday) Day 9
Day 9 was spent working to the east. The general strategy for getting to the eastern Caribbean is to get out to about 64°W, or even a bit further, if possible, before you turn south. Close reaching in the trades is hard enough but beating into the Christmas winds (30-35 Kts and 12-14' seas) in a small boat...forget about it. The big rig on the FR really proved itself in the light to moderate winds as evidenced by 135 NM beating upwind. We had made 138 the day before. All that while sailing conservatively. If I were double handing we could easily make 150 NM a day in similar conditions.
-0700: Listened to Chris Parker. His assistant was broadcasting. He suggested we motor east when the winds got light the next day--how can I do that without an engine? He did not know our destination..."or wherever you are going." A totally different demeanor than Chris. (ed. But of course it was my decision to have a receive only capability--so somewhat "my plan, my problem.) Not a major issue, just annoying.
-0845: Wind has shifted SSE. Best we can do is about 085°mag. But we are footing just a bit off close hauled making 6.5 Kts. I'd like to get another 100-120 NM east before heading south.
-1330: Winds SSE 15 Kts. Seas dropping a bit. Sunny with cumulus. Inside air temp 84F. Single reefed main with working jib. Continuing to sail east. Close hauled.
For lunch I scrambled two eggs and fried three pieces of bacon. In 9 days of sailing I have eaten five eggs, two bowls of rice with kippers, and the two burgers. I have snacked on apples, a few crackers and cheese, two bowls of ramen. I have lost maybe 8 pounds. I have had no coffee since the morning of day one. I feel pretty well, just not had much appetite. I have not been sea-sick since about midnight on Day 2.
Pulled out paper charts of USVI, BVI, and Sint Maarten. I'd like to make landfall in either BVI or Sint Maarten. Pros and cons for both. Will see how the ride south with the trade winds develops.
-1510: Wind SSE and down to 10-12 kts. Seas 2-4 feet. Heading 120° mag. Shook reef out of main. Close hauled with working jib.
-1715: Nav lamps lit. Had to replace wick in both lamps. (ed. wicks were several years old)
-1725: Wind seems to be up little bit. Might tuck in a reef. Grey cumulus all around. Looks a little menacing...but I don't think there is anything there. I'll keep a close eye on it.
-1800: SPOT sent. Pos 23°46'N/64°14'W. We made 70 miles upwind in 12 hours!
-1845: Tucked in a single reef but then decided to add one more. But FR felt sluggish so I shook one out. 6 Kts. Wind is supposed to drop tonight and stay light and variable for next two days. Then, we should see the trade winds.
-2335: Awoke from a dead sleep to find the FR rolling quietly. Turns out the servo blade on the windvane popped off...probably due to the sargasso. Course back to 115°mag. Speed 6.5 Kts. Close hauled port tack.
-0100. Double reefed main and working jib.
-0220: Excessive heeling/slamming. Tacked over without releasing main or jib--let them backwind. Released jib halyard. Dropped right to the foredeck. Perfect. Secured jib and hoisted stays'l. Let the boat come round 360° and resumed course, about 100°mag. Speed 5.5-6.2 Kts. Motion 10 times better. Totally dark on deck. Scary. Exhausted but pleased by how well the sail reduction went. Who needs a jib furler, LOL.
-0600: Rigged HF Antenna. Sent SPOT. Pos 23°39'N/63°03W.
24 hour run: 135 NM.
Day 9 was spent working to the east. The general strategy for getting to the eastern Caribbean is to get out to about 64°W, or even a bit further, if possible, before you turn south. Close reaching in the trades is hard enough but beating into the Christmas winds (30-35 Kts and 12-14' seas) in a small boat...forget about it. The big rig on the FR really proved itself in the light to moderate winds as evidenced by 135 NM beating upwind. We had made 138 the day before. All that while sailing conservatively. If I were double handing we could easily make 150 NM a day in similar conditions.
-0700: Listened to Chris Parker. His assistant was broadcasting. He suggested we motor east when the winds got light the next day--how can I do that without an engine? He did not know our destination..."or wherever you are going." A totally different demeanor than Chris. (ed. But of course it was my decision to have a receive only capability--so somewhat "my plan, my problem.) Not a major issue, just annoying.
-0845: Wind has shifted SSE. Best we can do is about 085°mag. But we are footing just a bit off close hauled making 6.5 Kts. I'd like to get another 100-120 NM east before heading south.
-1330: Winds SSE 15 Kts. Seas dropping a bit. Sunny with cumulus. Inside air temp 84F. Single reefed main with working jib. Continuing to sail east. Close hauled.
For lunch I scrambled two eggs and fried three pieces of bacon. In 9 days of sailing I have eaten five eggs, two bowls of rice with kippers, and the two burgers. I have snacked on apples, a few crackers and cheese, two bowls of ramen. I have lost maybe 8 pounds. I have had no coffee since the morning of day one. I feel pretty well, just not had much appetite. I have not been sea-sick since about midnight on Day 2.
Pulled out paper charts of USVI, BVI, and Sint Maarten. I'd like to make landfall in either BVI or Sint Maarten. Pros and cons for both. Will see how the ride south with the trade winds develops.
-1510: Wind SSE and down to 10-12 kts. Seas 2-4 feet. Heading 120° mag. Shook reef out of main. Close hauled with working jib.
-1715: Nav lamps lit. Had to replace wick in both lamps. (ed. wicks were several years old)
-1725: Wind seems to be up little bit. Might tuck in a reef. Grey cumulus all around. Looks a little menacing...but I don't think there is anything there. I'll keep a close eye on it.
-1800: SPOT sent. Pos 23°46'N/64°14'W. We made 70 miles upwind in 12 hours!
-1845: Tucked in a single reef but then decided to add one more. But FR felt sluggish so I shook one out. 6 Kts. Wind is supposed to drop tonight and stay light and variable for next two days. Then, we should see the trade winds.
-2335: Awoke from a dead sleep to find the FR rolling quietly. Turns out the servo blade on the windvane popped off...probably due to the sargasso. Course back to 115°mag. Speed 6.5 Kts. Close hauled port tack.
-0100. Double reefed main and working jib.
-0220: Excessive heeling/slamming. Tacked over without releasing main or jib--let them backwind. Released jib halyard. Dropped right to the foredeck. Perfect. Secured jib and hoisted stays'l. Let the boat come round 360° and resumed course, about 100°mag. Speed 5.5-6.2 Kts. Motion 10 times better. Totally dark on deck. Scary. Exhausted but pleased by how well the sail reduction went. Who needs a jib furler, LOL.
-0600: Rigged HF Antenna. Sent SPOT. Pos 23°39'N/63°03W.
24 hour run: 135 NM.
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John Stone
- Posts: 3623
- Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
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Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
12 Dec 2018 (Wed) Day 10.
-0700: Chris Parker's assistant broadcasting but failed to provide a forecast for the Far Reach. I listened all the way through the Eastern Caribbean forecast and on into the Bahama forecast. I sent another SPOT and he finally provided it during the Bahama forecast. Once again, he suggested I motor today...very annoying. (ed. After I made it to the BVI I called and talked to the assistant. I was friendly of course because I am thankful for the great service Chris provides. And, he could just as easily said we don't work with a "SPOT only send in the blind forecast." But I did want to mention that if they are going to offer the service they need to get the boat capabilities right and have a system to remember to forecast for a SPOT only client. They agreed. I have high praise for Parker's Marine Wx forecasts. I may very well need to go with a satellite text service using something like a Garmin explorer mini or an Iridium Go to ensure I can get the forecast. But, I loath the thought of adding complications to the boat to interfere with my Zen time at sea. Yes. I want it both ways...just saying. LOL.)
0820: Series of rain squalls. 25 Kts. Good rain to wash down the Far Reach.
-0830: The wind has left the area. Just like that. We are rolling in a left over sea without wind.
-1345: Spent the morning and most of the day in the cockpit hand steering and working sail trim. Slowly got the FR moving along. We get 15 Kts of wind for three minutes then in five seconds we get three Kts of wind.
-1530: Wind ESE 10-12 Kts.
-1645: In the process of lighting nav lamps and installing on their mounts...the burner pot, burner, and chimney fell out of the bottom of the stern lamp, which I had a firm grip on, and into the Atlantic. It was my own damn fault. I watched it sink down in a flat calm till it disappeared from view. We are over the "Nares Plain." Depth is 19,200'. I marked it on the chart in case Bob Ballard wants to recover it. Made a temporary stern light with a "Luci-Light" stuck in the aft dorade cowl. Will have Gayle send me a spare burner assembly.
-1800: Sent SPOT. Pos 23°16'N/62°29'W.
-1900: AIS went off indicating a 39' sailboat crossing our bow 1.3 NM away with CPA of .38 miles. No name listed on the AIS. Flat calm. I located them in the dark with my Stiner binos. A catamaran. Sails up. Engine on. Interior lights on. I hit them with the super bright spot light. No response. I hailed them on my handheld VHF. No answer. Passed right by a couple hundred yards away. The were headed to Sint Maarten or the VI. My AIS was transmitting. Engineless, I had no maneuverability. Lucky for me they missed us.
-2040: Still dead calm. Dropped the mains'l. Drifting. Modified stern lamp with a stick-on AAA battery powered LED light placed inside the lamp. Works well.
-2100: Very dark out. Not a breath of air. Dropped main and jib to avoid slatting sails. Raised Stays'l and sheet it flat with both sheets, one from each side. FR Rolling waiting for the promised trade winds. I'm going to sleep.
-0100: Breeze very light. Just starting to fill...if it will only last. Sailing port tack about 210°mag. Speed 4.5 Kts. Seas almost flat. Stars are out and gorgeous. What fantastic sailing. I hear the bow wave otherwise it’s dead quiet out. Like magic. If I had an engine I would miss this whole experience.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Pos. 23°18'N/62°17'W. Winds 10 Kts ESE. Seas calm. Cumulus and squally clouds all around. Blue sky overhead. Close reach. 6.8 Kts.
24 hour run: 100 NM.
-0700: Chris Parker's assistant broadcasting but failed to provide a forecast for the Far Reach. I listened all the way through the Eastern Caribbean forecast and on into the Bahama forecast. I sent another SPOT and he finally provided it during the Bahama forecast. Once again, he suggested I motor today...very annoying. (ed. After I made it to the BVI I called and talked to the assistant. I was friendly of course because I am thankful for the great service Chris provides. And, he could just as easily said we don't work with a "SPOT only send in the blind forecast." But I did want to mention that if they are going to offer the service they need to get the boat capabilities right and have a system to remember to forecast for a SPOT only client. They agreed. I have high praise for Parker's Marine Wx forecasts. I may very well need to go with a satellite text service using something like a Garmin explorer mini or an Iridium Go to ensure I can get the forecast. But, I loath the thought of adding complications to the boat to interfere with my Zen time at sea. Yes. I want it both ways...just saying. LOL.)
0820: Series of rain squalls. 25 Kts. Good rain to wash down the Far Reach.
-0830: The wind has left the area. Just like that. We are rolling in a left over sea without wind.
-1345: Spent the morning and most of the day in the cockpit hand steering and working sail trim. Slowly got the FR moving along. We get 15 Kts of wind for three minutes then in five seconds we get three Kts of wind.
-1530: Wind ESE 10-12 Kts.
-1645: In the process of lighting nav lamps and installing on their mounts...the burner pot, burner, and chimney fell out of the bottom of the stern lamp, which I had a firm grip on, and into the Atlantic. It was my own damn fault. I watched it sink down in a flat calm till it disappeared from view. We are over the "Nares Plain." Depth is 19,200'. I marked it on the chart in case Bob Ballard wants to recover it. Made a temporary stern light with a "Luci-Light" stuck in the aft dorade cowl. Will have Gayle send me a spare burner assembly.
-1800: Sent SPOT. Pos 23°16'N/62°29'W.
-1900: AIS went off indicating a 39' sailboat crossing our bow 1.3 NM away with CPA of .38 miles. No name listed on the AIS. Flat calm. I located them in the dark with my Stiner binos. A catamaran. Sails up. Engine on. Interior lights on. I hit them with the super bright spot light. No response. I hailed them on my handheld VHF. No answer. Passed right by a couple hundred yards away. The were headed to Sint Maarten or the VI. My AIS was transmitting. Engineless, I had no maneuverability. Lucky for me they missed us.
-2040: Still dead calm. Dropped the mains'l. Drifting. Modified stern lamp with a stick-on AAA battery powered LED light placed inside the lamp. Works well.
-2100: Very dark out. Not a breath of air. Dropped main and jib to avoid slatting sails. Raised Stays'l and sheet it flat with both sheets, one from each side. FR Rolling waiting for the promised trade winds. I'm going to sleep.
-0100: Breeze very light. Just starting to fill...if it will only last. Sailing port tack about 210°mag. Speed 4.5 Kts. Seas almost flat. Stars are out and gorgeous. What fantastic sailing. I hear the bow wave otherwise it’s dead quiet out. Like magic. If I had an engine I would miss this whole experience.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Pos. 23°18'N/62°17'W. Winds 10 Kts ESE. Seas calm. Cumulus and squally clouds all around. Blue sky overhead. Close reach. 6.8 Kts.
24 hour run: 100 NM.
-
John Stone
- Posts: 3623
- Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
- Location: S/V Far Reach: CD 36 #61 www.farreachvoayges.net www.farreachvoyages.com
Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
13 Dec 2018 (Thursday) Day 11
After a couple of days of light winds, and a flat calm the day before, I finally reached the blessed trade winds. While much of the year they blow around 15 kts, in December they increase dramatically. As such, they are often called the Christmas Winds or sometimes just reinforced trades. My last trip down to the islands in December 2015 they blew 25-35 Kts for the last five days of our passage generating seas that were every bit of 12-14’ with some bigger ones on occasion. With wind and seas that big it is very difficult sail up wind in a 36’ boat. And when you can, it’s hard on the boat and the crew. That’s why it is so important to gain easting early in the voyage, before you get to the trades which are typical found about 24-26°N. That way, you can reach down to the islands, vice beat. And now, in December 2018 I was far enough east that I began to have thoughts I might be able to close reach to Sint Maarten for our landfall. That would put me upwind of the BVI. As Jack Aubrey would say, I’d have the weather gauge. Alas, Aeolus had different plans for us. Let’s see what the logbook has to say….
-0730: Chris Parker’s assistant forgot our forecast again. I had to wait till the end of the Bahamas forecast and then only after I sent the SPOT three times! HF reception was unusually weak because Parker’s antenna was reoriented away from my location. So, I only heard the basics—“Increasing trade winds through Sat Night.”
-1045: Wind east at 17-18 Kts. Sunny. Warm. Seas increasing but sill moderate. Worked all the navigation plans: one for BVI and one for Sint Maarten. Dug out charts for both. Determined way points and lat/longs for compass headings, etc.
-1200: Ate two scrambled eggs and the last of the packaged precooked bacon that I started at beginning of the trip. I bet I have lost 10 lbs so far.
-1450: The Far Reach is ripping along on a on port tack reach with main and working jib. Speed has been constantly 6.5-7.5 Kts since this morning. We have made 57 NM since 0600. That’s averaging about 7.1 Kts for almost 8 straight hours. We are in the trade winds. So, the wind will remain at least where it is. Forecasted to increase a bit by Saturday morning then climb into the upper 20 Kt to low 30 Kts range. I’ll reef at some point but right now the boat is pretty comfortable. Almost no wave or hull slap. Cockpit is dry. We could pass Sombrero Light in the Anegada Passage by 2000 tomorrow night at this speed! I’ll put a reef in before dark, maybe even two reefs. If we make Sombrero Light by 0300 Saturday we should still make it to Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten by mid afternoon, provided we don’t have to tack to get there.
-1710: Nav lamps lit. Single reef tucked in mains’l. FR still making 7 Kts. I worry about squalls as they are hard to see at night. Usually they have a lot of rain and more wind but sometimes just a bit more wind. I’ll watch for a while to see what seems best. I’d like to get to Simpson Bay before the 30 Kt trades arrive Sat, but I also don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. I can see a few rain squalls to the SW.
-1805: Spot sent. Pos 21°34’N/62°40W. We have made 77 NM in 12 hours.
-1915: As much as I hated to do it, It was time to slow the boat down. Tucked 2nd reef in mains’l. At night, every noise as well as the motion, is amplified. This is especially true inside the boat. On deck, it all seems less frenetic. Interesting what the dark does to your psyche.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Pos 20°32’N/62°56W. Seas increasing. 8-10’ on the beam. Uncomfortable. Switched to smaller aluminum wind vane blade for the Cape Horn. Seems to be working well.
Last 24 hour run: 144 NM.
After a couple of days of light winds, and a flat calm the day before, I finally reached the blessed trade winds. While much of the year they blow around 15 kts, in December they increase dramatically. As such, they are often called the Christmas Winds or sometimes just reinforced trades. My last trip down to the islands in December 2015 they blew 25-35 Kts for the last five days of our passage generating seas that were every bit of 12-14’ with some bigger ones on occasion. With wind and seas that big it is very difficult sail up wind in a 36’ boat. And when you can, it’s hard on the boat and the crew. That’s why it is so important to gain easting early in the voyage, before you get to the trades which are typical found about 24-26°N. That way, you can reach down to the islands, vice beat. And now, in December 2018 I was far enough east that I began to have thoughts I might be able to close reach to Sint Maarten for our landfall. That would put me upwind of the BVI. As Jack Aubrey would say, I’d have the weather gauge. Alas, Aeolus had different plans for us. Let’s see what the logbook has to say….
-0730: Chris Parker’s assistant forgot our forecast again. I had to wait till the end of the Bahamas forecast and then only after I sent the SPOT three times! HF reception was unusually weak because Parker’s antenna was reoriented away from my location. So, I only heard the basics—“Increasing trade winds through Sat Night.”
-1045: Wind east at 17-18 Kts. Sunny. Warm. Seas increasing but sill moderate. Worked all the navigation plans: one for BVI and one for Sint Maarten. Dug out charts for both. Determined way points and lat/longs for compass headings, etc.
-1200: Ate two scrambled eggs and the last of the packaged precooked bacon that I started at beginning of the trip. I bet I have lost 10 lbs so far.
-1450: The Far Reach is ripping along on a on port tack reach with main and working jib. Speed has been constantly 6.5-7.5 Kts since this morning. We have made 57 NM since 0600. That’s averaging about 7.1 Kts for almost 8 straight hours. We are in the trade winds. So, the wind will remain at least where it is. Forecasted to increase a bit by Saturday morning then climb into the upper 20 Kt to low 30 Kts range. I’ll reef at some point but right now the boat is pretty comfortable. Almost no wave or hull slap. Cockpit is dry. We could pass Sombrero Light in the Anegada Passage by 2000 tomorrow night at this speed! I’ll put a reef in before dark, maybe even two reefs. If we make Sombrero Light by 0300 Saturday we should still make it to Simpson Bay, Sint Maarten by mid afternoon, provided we don’t have to tack to get there.
-1710: Nav lamps lit. Single reef tucked in mains’l. FR still making 7 Kts. I worry about squalls as they are hard to see at night. Usually they have a lot of rain and more wind but sometimes just a bit more wind. I’ll watch for a while to see what seems best. I’d like to get to Simpson Bay before the 30 Kt trades arrive Sat, but I also don’t want to take any unnecessary risks. I can see a few rain squalls to the SW.
-1805: Spot sent. Pos 21°34’N/62°40W. We have made 77 NM in 12 hours.
-1915: As much as I hated to do it, It was time to slow the boat down. Tucked 2nd reef in mains’l. At night, every noise as well as the motion, is amplified. This is especially true inside the boat. On deck, it all seems less frenetic. Interesting what the dark does to your psyche.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Pos 20°32’N/62°56W. Seas increasing. 8-10’ on the beam. Uncomfortable. Switched to smaller aluminum wind vane blade for the Cape Horn. Seems to be working well.
Last 24 hour run: 144 NM.
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John Stone
- Posts: 3623
- Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
- Location: S/V Far Reach: CD 36 #61 www.farreachvoayges.net www.farreachvoyages.com
Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
14 Dec 2018 (Friday) Day 12
Day 12 was the last full day at sea. Because we had made so much easting we had a good chance of land fall in Sint Maarten. Arrival there would provide me more options about where we could sail next. Sint Maarten is about 100 NM ENE of Saint Thomas and about 76 NM east of Virgin Gorda, BVI. But it's normally a tough sail from anywhere in the VI to Sint Maarten. No doubt about it. In fact, very few people sail it because it normally requires a miserable beat dead upwind into 20-30 Kts and anywhere from 6-10’ seas during the winter time. Most sailors wait for the occasional calm to settle over the Virgin Island then quickly motor to Sint Maarten on a glassy Atlantic.
My last trip to the Caribbean in 2015-2016 we sailed it almost the whole way on a single tack from St. Thomas. We had an unusual but magical 15 Kt NNE wind and we dashed off from St Thomas and had a great sail. We did not have to tack until we were about 10 NM from Sony Maarten. It was an amazing overnight sail. In the Caribbean you might talk to 100 sailors before you find one that has actually sailed from the VI to Sint Maarten. So, the thought of sailing there directly from NC was tantalizing. But, sometimes the Trades can be very vexing. And so they would be on 14-15 Dec 2018....
From the Log:
-0800: Chris Parker forecasting this morning and forgot to cover the Far Reach. I sent three SPOT messages. Finally, when he was done with the Bahamas report he remembered and then forecast for us. Good thing I listened all the wall till then...almost two hours of weather forecasts while I ate breakfast and puttered around the boat. He said the Trades would increase and then veer from 090° to 110°. I simple can't lay it so it would be a beat with a couple tacks thrown in and possibly require us to heave-to during the night in the Anegada Passage. So, with that important info I realize that while getting to Sint Maarten might be doable it would be punishing. I would have a very hard time beating through the Anegada Passage and into Simpson Bay in 30+ Kts of winds and the steep seas that would develop in the shallower water.
-0830: I turned the Far Reach to the SW and a broad reach. We will head to the BVI. Will cross over the north bank of the BVI just west of Anegada Island. As soon as I turned the boat to her new course of 225°T she settled right down. Very comfortable and quiet. I opened a couple portlights. She is rolling a bit as you would expect with 10'-12' quartering seas.
Before I turned, I dropped the mains'l and locked the boom into the gallows. We are broad reaching under stays'l alone. Very civilized 5.6 Kts.
I'm disappointed I could not make Sint Maarten but it was the right decision not to push that hard in building wind and seas. And, arriving in the BVI is not exactly like "2nd place." Besides, it was my original intended destination.
-0845: Doing a little math I should be in Jost van Dyke by 1400 tomorrow.
-1400: Slow going. Hoisted the double reefed main for a while to increase speed. But the waves were slewing us around. The vane disengaged a few times due to the abundant Sargasso weed--I have never seen so much in the water. So, I struck the main and now we are back to the stays'l only. Reasonably comfortable but not fast. Avg maybe 4.5-5 Kts. Not sure we will make JVD tomorrow at this speed. I have a back up plan to anchor under the palms on the west end of JVD. That might be kinda neat. Can't clear customs there though. Will see where we are in the morning. I am going to have to see what we can do about the vane disengaging due to Sargasso. Some kind of modification may be necessary.
-1620: Crossing over the Puerto Rican Trench. There is 24,370 feet of
water under us right now!
-1700: Nav lamps lit. Squalls on the horizon 360°. This could be a long night.
-1742: Our speed has increased. Perhaps we are in the west setting "North Equatorial Current." It runs east to west along the north side of the BVI and Puerto Rico.
-2400: Rain squalls. Wind SE at 20 Kts. Speed about 4.5 Kts.
-0247: Pos 19°09'N/64°07'W. Speed 5-6 Kts. Passed through two more rain squalls. Course about 230°mag. Very dark out. Still sailing a reach with only the stays'l.
-0545: 14 NM N of Anegada. Rain showers. Saw a rainbow off to port.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Pos 18°59'N/64°21'W.
-0655: Wind increasing a bit. 20 Kts. Raised double reefed main. Changed course to BVI. On a reach. Speed 6.5 Kts.
-0700: LAND HO! Spotted Virgin Peak on Virgin Gorda at 190°mag.
Last 24 hour run: 122 NM.
Day 12 was the last full day at sea. Because we had made so much easting we had a good chance of land fall in Sint Maarten. Arrival there would provide me more options about where we could sail next. Sint Maarten is about 100 NM ENE of Saint Thomas and about 76 NM east of Virgin Gorda, BVI. But it's normally a tough sail from anywhere in the VI to Sint Maarten. No doubt about it. In fact, very few people sail it because it normally requires a miserable beat dead upwind into 20-30 Kts and anywhere from 6-10’ seas during the winter time. Most sailors wait for the occasional calm to settle over the Virgin Island then quickly motor to Sint Maarten on a glassy Atlantic.
My last trip to the Caribbean in 2015-2016 we sailed it almost the whole way on a single tack from St. Thomas. We had an unusual but magical 15 Kt NNE wind and we dashed off from St Thomas and had a great sail. We did not have to tack until we were about 10 NM from Sony Maarten. It was an amazing overnight sail. In the Caribbean you might talk to 100 sailors before you find one that has actually sailed from the VI to Sint Maarten. So, the thought of sailing there directly from NC was tantalizing. But, sometimes the Trades can be very vexing. And so they would be on 14-15 Dec 2018....
From the Log:
-0800: Chris Parker forecasting this morning and forgot to cover the Far Reach. I sent three SPOT messages. Finally, when he was done with the Bahamas report he remembered and then forecast for us. Good thing I listened all the wall till then...almost two hours of weather forecasts while I ate breakfast and puttered around the boat. He said the Trades would increase and then veer from 090° to 110°. I simple can't lay it so it would be a beat with a couple tacks thrown in and possibly require us to heave-to during the night in the Anegada Passage. So, with that important info I realize that while getting to Sint Maarten might be doable it would be punishing. I would have a very hard time beating through the Anegada Passage and into Simpson Bay in 30+ Kts of winds and the steep seas that would develop in the shallower water.
-0830: I turned the Far Reach to the SW and a broad reach. We will head to the BVI. Will cross over the north bank of the BVI just west of Anegada Island. As soon as I turned the boat to her new course of 225°T she settled right down. Very comfortable and quiet. I opened a couple portlights. She is rolling a bit as you would expect with 10'-12' quartering seas.
Before I turned, I dropped the mains'l and locked the boom into the gallows. We are broad reaching under stays'l alone. Very civilized 5.6 Kts.
I'm disappointed I could not make Sint Maarten but it was the right decision not to push that hard in building wind and seas. And, arriving in the BVI is not exactly like "2nd place." Besides, it was my original intended destination.
-0845: Doing a little math I should be in Jost van Dyke by 1400 tomorrow.
-1400: Slow going. Hoisted the double reefed main for a while to increase speed. But the waves were slewing us around. The vane disengaged a few times due to the abundant Sargasso weed--I have never seen so much in the water. So, I struck the main and now we are back to the stays'l only. Reasonably comfortable but not fast. Avg maybe 4.5-5 Kts. Not sure we will make JVD tomorrow at this speed. I have a back up plan to anchor under the palms on the west end of JVD. That might be kinda neat. Can't clear customs there though. Will see where we are in the morning. I am going to have to see what we can do about the vane disengaging due to Sargasso. Some kind of modification may be necessary.
-1620: Crossing over the Puerto Rican Trench. There is 24,370 feet of
water under us right now!
-1700: Nav lamps lit. Squalls on the horizon 360°. This could be a long night.
-1742: Our speed has increased. Perhaps we are in the west setting "North Equatorial Current." It runs east to west along the north side of the BVI and Puerto Rico.
-2400: Rain squalls. Wind SE at 20 Kts. Speed about 4.5 Kts.
-0247: Pos 19°09'N/64°07'W. Speed 5-6 Kts. Passed through two more rain squalls. Course about 230°mag. Very dark out. Still sailing a reach with only the stays'l.
-0545: 14 NM N of Anegada. Rain showers. Saw a rainbow off to port.
-0600: Sent SPOT. Pos 18°59'N/64°21'W.
-0655: Wind increasing a bit. 20 Kts. Raised double reefed main. Changed course to BVI. On a reach. Speed 6.5 Kts.
-0700: LAND HO! Spotted Virgin Peak on Virgin Gorda at 190°mag.
Last 24 hour run: 122 NM.
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John Stone
- Posts: 3623
- Joined: Oct 6th, '08, 07:30
- Location: S/V Far Reach: CD 36 #61 www.farreachvoayges.net www.farreachvoyages.com
Re: One Year Ago: From the SV Far Reach Log Book
15 December 2018 (Saturday) Day 13
The last day at sea. I spotted Virgin Peak on Virgin Gorda at 0700. What a fantastic sight. Unmistakable. A wonderful experience after 12 days at sea. Just as lovely, exciting, and rewarding as the first time I made landfall here on Christmas Day 2015. There is simply no way to describe the satisfaction of a successful landfall after many days at sea. A timeless experience. I bet it's just as memorable for us today as for those that went before us: Odysseus to Drake, Slocum to Moitessier, and all those before, between, and since.
And that takes me to the real purpose of this long 13 day forum thread--to encourage all those who desire to make a long ocean voyage but feel it is beyond their skill set or perhaps too intimidating to contemplate. All I can say is pish-posh. After four such voyages I can state with honesty and candor--ocean sailing is not difficult, per se. As you can see from the logbook, it is after all just sailing. Same as anywhere, just over longer distances and with more motion. True, you need some basic skills to operate and maintain your boat. Not rocket science. Yes, your boat needs to be reasonably strong and reliable. You need to be able to reef easily. You need to be able to maneuver your boat safely, especially tack and gybe without drama. You need a reliable auto-pilot or windvane self steering. You also need to be able to manage your fear. Fear is not to be taken lightly. It reminds us to pay attention. But, as is often the case, it is mostly in our head. When I feel fear I ask myself what exactly is causing it--then I figure out away to mitigate the danger that is at the source of the fear. But, the most important ingredient is you need to be able to make sound reasonable decisions--not necessarily about sailing specifically, but about life in general. If you are the kind of person that can generally navigate life without crisis after crisis as a result of your own bad decision-making then you very likely can make the right kinds of decisions to sail across an ocean. No equipment or safety gear can make decisions for you. If you can face a given situation, determine the options available, then choose a reasonable executable way ahead, then I believe you have the most important skill one can have to successfully sail offshore.
Buy all the safety equipment and gizmos you want. But understand they are not necessary. In fact I strongly believe the more stuff you add, the more you impede your ability to make the passage. First, they suck all your money from your pocket to someone else's pocket (purchase price and installation and maintenance cost). Hemorrhaging money is stressful. Second, they steal your precious time requiring you to invest in learning how to operate and maintain said stuff. The longer it takes to cast-off the harder it is to keep the vision alive. Third, they complicate your boat by giving you more stuff to break, get in your way, or take up valuable space. Last, unnecessary equipment serves as a barrier between you and your boat and the boat and the environment and lessens the poetry of the experience...for me anyway. Having said that, it is not wrong to have such equipment. Who am I to say what one should or should not have on one's boat, after all I spent a lot of time and effort to make the Far Reach the boat I desired. But, if the end result is you don't contemplate the voyage or don't make the voyage when you dream of it, rethink your approach. You don't need a lifetime of sailing skill. You don't need the "perfect" boat pictured on magazine covers or YouTube videos. I suggest, less is more. Keep it simple. Focus on the basics of sailing. Invest in a strong simple boat of reasonable size. Two people can make an epic voyage on a boat of about 10,000 lb displacement...a CD 30 for example. I think the Far Reach at 36' and 16,000 lbs is a wonderful size for two people but, a big boat is not necessary for a big adventure.
I've enjoyed going through my log book and reliving what I consider a great voyage. I can't wait to get back out there. Anyway, let's wrap it up by taking one last look at the final logbook entry:
Day 13
-0715: Sunny. East wind. 18-20 Kts. The AIS alarm sounded. The SV Stat Amsterdam. A square rigged ship the AIS says is 256' long! Can just make her out in the binos off the port bow. Hull down. Abut 6 NM away. I tried to shoot a picture through the binos but there is too much motion. A fantastic sight. Looking through the binos she looks like the French frigate Acheron as depicted in Aubrey's spyglass in the movie Master and Commander. What a sight! Alas, I have no long 9s to take up the chase!
-0820: The water is changing color from dark deep blue to a lighter blue-green as the water gets shallower. The chart says it's about 50 fathoms (ed. 300') deep.
-0824: I can make out Tortola. I can't make out Anegada though which is off to the SE. It's low, unlike the other islands. Very dangerous.
-0833: Pos 18°47N/64°29W. About 4.6 NM WNW of West End Anegada. Pretty soon we will be in the led of Anegada so the water should smooth out. No big swells but choppy instead.
-0848: I can now see the palm trees on the west end of Anegada. Directly east off the port beam.
-0858: The swells are pretty much nonexistent now. Just a 20 Kt wind-chop. Sailing a fast beam reach with a double reef mains'l and a stays'l. The Cape Horn Windvane has a firm hand on the tiller...it's working perfectly. (ed. I have some fantastic GoPro video of the landfall.)
-1030: East trade wind. 20 gusting 25 Kts. Beam reach. Staying with double reefed main and stays'l. Speed 7 kts.
-1500: Anchored in Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke, British Virgin Islands. 1,338 NM sailed in 12 days, 6 hours, 15 min.
9 hour run: 40 NM.
The last day at sea. I spotted Virgin Peak on Virgin Gorda at 0700. What a fantastic sight. Unmistakable. A wonderful experience after 12 days at sea. Just as lovely, exciting, and rewarding as the first time I made landfall here on Christmas Day 2015. There is simply no way to describe the satisfaction of a successful landfall after many days at sea. A timeless experience. I bet it's just as memorable for us today as for those that went before us: Odysseus to Drake, Slocum to Moitessier, and all those before, between, and since.
And that takes me to the real purpose of this long 13 day forum thread--to encourage all those who desire to make a long ocean voyage but feel it is beyond their skill set or perhaps too intimidating to contemplate. All I can say is pish-posh. After four such voyages I can state with honesty and candor--ocean sailing is not difficult, per se. As you can see from the logbook, it is after all just sailing. Same as anywhere, just over longer distances and with more motion. True, you need some basic skills to operate and maintain your boat. Not rocket science. Yes, your boat needs to be reasonably strong and reliable. You need to be able to reef easily. You need to be able to maneuver your boat safely, especially tack and gybe without drama. You need a reliable auto-pilot or windvane self steering. You also need to be able to manage your fear. Fear is not to be taken lightly. It reminds us to pay attention. But, as is often the case, it is mostly in our head. When I feel fear I ask myself what exactly is causing it--then I figure out away to mitigate the danger that is at the source of the fear. But, the most important ingredient is you need to be able to make sound reasonable decisions--not necessarily about sailing specifically, but about life in general. If you are the kind of person that can generally navigate life without crisis after crisis as a result of your own bad decision-making then you very likely can make the right kinds of decisions to sail across an ocean. No equipment or safety gear can make decisions for you. If you can face a given situation, determine the options available, then choose a reasonable executable way ahead, then I believe you have the most important skill one can have to successfully sail offshore.
Buy all the safety equipment and gizmos you want. But understand they are not necessary. In fact I strongly believe the more stuff you add, the more you impede your ability to make the passage. First, they suck all your money from your pocket to someone else's pocket (purchase price and installation and maintenance cost). Hemorrhaging money is stressful. Second, they steal your precious time requiring you to invest in learning how to operate and maintain said stuff. The longer it takes to cast-off the harder it is to keep the vision alive. Third, they complicate your boat by giving you more stuff to break, get in your way, or take up valuable space. Last, unnecessary equipment serves as a barrier between you and your boat and the boat and the environment and lessens the poetry of the experience...for me anyway. Having said that, it is not wrong to have such equipment. Who am I to say what one should or should not have on one's boat, after all I spent a lot of time and effort to make the Far Reach the boat I desired. But, if the end result is you don't contemplate the voyage or don't make the voyage when you dream of it, rethink your approach. You don't need a lifetime of sailing skill. You don't need the "perfect" boat pictured on magazine covers or YouTube videos. I suggest, less is more. Keep it simple. Focus on the basics of sailing. Invest in a strong simple boat of reasonable size. Two people can make an epic voyage on a boat of about 10,000 lb displacement...a CD 30 for example. I think the Far Reach at 36' and 16,000 lbs is a wonderful size for two people but, a big boat is not necessary for a big adventure.
I've enjoyed going through my log book and reliving what I consider a great voyage. I can't wait to get back out there. Anyway, let's wrap it up by taking one last look at the final logbook entry:
Day 13
-0715: Sunny. East wind. 18-20 Kts. The AIS alarm sounded. The SV Stat Amsterdam. A square rigged ship the AIS says is 256' long! Can just make her out in the binos off the port bow. Hull down. Abut 6 NM away. I tried to shoot a picture through the binos but there is too much motion. A fantastic sight. Looking through the binos she looks like the French frigate Acheron as depicted in Aubrey's spyglass in the movie Master and Commander. What a sight! Alas, I have no long 9s to take up the chase!
-0820: The water is changing color from dark deep blue to a lighter blue-green as the water gets shallower. The chart says it's about 50 fathoms (ed. 300') deep.
-0824: I can make out Tortola. I can't make out Anegada though which is off to the SE. It's low, unlike the other islands. Very dangerous.
-0833: Pos 18°47N/64°29W. About 4.6 NM WNW of West End Anegada. Pretty soon we will be in the led of Anegada so the water should smooth out. No big swells but choppy instead.
-0848: I can now see the palm trees on the west end of Anegada. Directly east off the port beam.
-0858: The swells are pretty much nonexistent now. Just a 20 Kt wind-chop. Sailing a fast beam reach with a double reef mains'l and a stays'l. The Cape Horn Windvane has a firm hand on the tiller...it's working perfectly. (ed. I have some fantastic GoPro video of the landfall.)
-1030: East trade wind. 20 gusting 25 Kts. Beam reach. Staying with double reefed main and stays'l. Speed 7 kts.
-1500: Anchored in Great Harbor, Jost van Dyke, British Virgin Islands. 1,338 NM sailed in 12 days, 6 hours, 15 min.
9 hour run: 40 NM.
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