Orion is in Bermuda again

[Jim Walsh]

Just a short note for now. Decent weather and all gear intact. The trip from Noank to St. George’s took five days and twenty one hours. My personal best. This is my fifth singlehanded run down here. Since arrival the winds have been 21 to 29 knots which precluded a dinghy trip ashore. I was finally able to move closer to shore and out of the wind this morning so I can begin to enjoy the amenities. Will provide updates when able.
The Cape Dory 31 is an eminently seaworthy cruiser.

[mgphl52]

Well done, Captain! Enjoy your stay!

[John Ring]

Congrats again Jim, well done.
I watched Sam Holmes' live stream from Bermuda on YouTube this week, and wondered if that was Orion at anchor in the background.
Unfortunately we won't be able to meet up for wahoo tacos in St George's, as the Marion-Bermuda race has been cancelled & Tiara is staying local.
Best,
John Ring & Crew,
CD36 Tiara

Link to Sam Holmes video: https://youtu.be/Jr2NdDmcdCM

[John Stone]

Outstanding Jim. That’s a tough voyage that takes a lot of sailing skill and superb decision making to pull off without incident or drama.

Enjoy the warm clear blue water and relaxed atmosphere of being on the boat in Bermuda. I’m green with envy.

[gonesail]

Congrats to Orion and crew. What a great accomplishment

[Jim Walsh]

Thanks everyone. Speaking of Sam Holmes check this photo out. I just gave him a lift from the dinghy dock to his CD28 Pickled Herring. He’s leaving for the Azores in a few minutes. You can see Orion and Pickled Herring in the background.
John Ring, I’m dining at the Wahoo Grill AGAIN this evening.....wahoo tacos here I come.

[jbenagh]

Jim, well done! Enjoy that beautiful water and the lovely surroundings. Sounds like a great crossing. Good thing you beat Bill!
Jeff

[fmueller]

Impressive Jim ...

Safe passage home ....

Fred

[Jim Walsh]

Today has been a day of rain. It was nice to have the salt washed off the boat, finally. I only recall one brief shower one day before I made port. The shower may have lasted 30 seconds and was of no consequence. Orion has been covered in salt since departing Noank. It looked like a light covering a frost in the bright sunshine.
Once the boat had been thoroughly rinsed I erected the rain fly over my forward hatch. It allows me to keep the hatch open for ventilation as long as there’s not too much wind associated with the rain. Once the cockpit had been thoroughly rinsed I erected my cockpit canopy also. It was actually a pleasant experience having to pump the water out of the dinghy.
I’ve attached a couple quick photos I took between showers. In the first one you can see the convict bay Anchorage and how few cruising boats are anchored there. In the background is my buddies Beneteau 423, and in the foreground is a Dufour 40 which I have met here every time I have visited Bermuda. They spend their winters in the Caribbean, they stop in Bermuda for a few days, and proceed to Newport as their homebase for the summer. In the second photo you can see the rain fly which I erected over my forward hatch.

[John Stone]

Great update. Thanks for sharing the pictures. It’s a real luxury if you can keep the forward hatch open in a good rain. We have a special built forward deck cover designed just for that purpose. It works well but it could still be a bit wider. The key is to get the front edge past the cabin top and both sides beyond the cabin top as well so driving rain doesn’t bounce up off the cabin top and get blown through the open deck hatch.

Keep those reports and pictures coming.

[Jim Walsh]

Today has started out as a day of moderate breezes. No whitecaps in the harbor...yay. Last night was the quietest night since arrival.
Last evening, between showers, I snuck ashore to a new mom and pop restaurant right on the water, Munchies. I tried the fried chicken wing dinner. It was out of this world. The chicken is coated in “island” spices and it was fried to perfection, not a hint of grease. Same goes with the fries. KFC wouldn’t stand a chance if they were next door.
The Bermuda government has declared that masks are no longer mandatory unless in a business or in a group of 100 or more people starting Sunday. That is a vast improvement as it is very uncomfortable wearing a mask here with the heat and humidity levels.
I just received an email from the Bermuda government informing me I am scheduled for my third Covid test since arrival. That means a one hour bus ride into Hamilton Saturday afternoon, one way. I may just have to treat myself to ice cream while in town!

[John Stone]

That sounds great Jim. The chicken sounds fabulous. Can you share some info on your voyage down from LIS? Did you get much sleep? Much ship traffic? What was your sail combination? How did the monitor perform? Did you fish?

[Jim Walsh]

Orion returned safely to her home port on 6/30 at 7:30am.
I powered through “the cut” to exit St. George’s harbor at 10:30am on 6/24 and set my course for the Mills Breaker buoy. Once I rounded that my next mark was Kitchen Shoals. Once beyond the shoals I still headed northwest for a couple miles (conservative sailors live to tell sea stories) before heading 330°M at a SOG of 5.3K in 13 to 18K easterly winds. The seas were running 4 to 6ft and I had one reef in the main and a full yankee. I had tried setting the staysail but it was harming the efficiency of the yankee and causing me to dip my lee rail. When I fully furled it my rail was no longer being dipped AND my speed increased. A cutter rig comes into its own when offshore and, purists be forewarned, roller furling on both my headsails makes sail changes a breeze….

I will post some highlights of the trip down, and back, shortly to maintain continuity.

[John Stone]

A cutter rig comes into its own when offshore and, purists be forewarned, roller furling on both my headsails makes sail changes a breeze….

Well yeah. But what's the fun in that?!

Looking forward to the rest of the story. It sounds like you really had a splendid voyage home.

[Jim Walsh]

6/5 Saturday. Based on the favorable weather forecast for the next few days and the opportunity to take advantage of the ebbing tide through The Race I left my slip at 9:20am. Within a half mile the fog had closed in around me but I had 50 to 100 yard visibility. I kept my radar on since commercial shipping and subs pass through The Race on a regular basis. At 11:30 am I shut the engine down and I was under full sail in 15K SW winds. The fog just got thicker as I approached Montauk Point. My course was 150°M and the wind had increased to 15.5K, my SOG was up to 7.2K….nice to have the tide in your favor. I had made banana bread the day before I left so lunch was an easy decision.
Saw some whale activity off in the distance to the east of me….I prefer it when they keep their distance.
By 9:00pm the fog had lifted enough to give me two mile visibility, my course was 160 to 170°M in 23K SW winds. I put a reef in the main and furled my staysail…..then put a second reef in the main. With a full yankee and a double reefed main in 4 ft. seas I was making 5.5 to 6K. The Monitor had been at the helm….with no complaints…..since 11:30am. Life is good…..looking forward to leaving the continental shelf in my wake so I don’t have to contend with the draggers. Tonight will be a long night watching for shipping and fishermen. I set my alarm for 20 minutes and managed to get some sleep but the first night being relatively close inshore requires frequent situational awareness.
I noticed a few stars peeking through the fog which is a good sign of clearing.