Fri May 23 17.21 GMT 14.21 Ship's Time 3638N 4844W Wind S 16 COG 080 7.5kts Sunny
Even casual readers will recall (well, it was written only this very morning!) that the water is cool - 66F. And so it is doubtful there will be anyone answering the swim call - not at least among Dave, Bob and me. Might Nancy? No way! Even though she was belowdecks just now when Dave, Bob and I spotted a shark fin just eight feet off our port side! Not that a shark sighting would be a problem for Nancy: it's just that the water is too cold. Right? Anyhow, in hundreds of days at sea, that was a first for us. If the shark had been just a dozen yards further away, then we would not have seen the fin amongst the waves.
Why is an offshore passage like a camel? It has a hump. Halfway is 'Hump Day' and in an hour's time we will be at our declared halfway point of 48 degrees 35 minutes West of Greenwich, London (sorry Froggies, but London IS the centre of the world!). Hump Day is a tradition with us, brought aboard 'Larking About' by John Parker: and so we will have a single drink aboard this otherwise dry offshore boat this afternoon, and toast 'Adventuress', 'Larking About', John Parker, and all the brave ocean swimmers among us who have scoffed at the notion of sharks!
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
In 2014 Adventuress sailed to Europe. She made landfall in Muxia Spain; then England. After cruising the English South Coast, and the Channel Islands, she wintered at Woodbridge, England. The next three summers we cruised England, Holland, Norway, Denmark, France, Spain, Portugal, and Gibraltar. For the foreseeable future Adventuress will sail in Europe. UPDATE: it's October 2021 and we are sailing her back to the USA: Transat passage will be Nov/Dec: expect to be in Florida end of January.
Friday, May 23, 2014
Humpback Shark?
Fri May 23 17.21 GMT 14.21 Ship's Time 3638N 4844W Wind S 16 COG 080 7.5kts Sunny
Even casual readers will recall (well, it was written only this very morning!) that the water is cool - 66F. And so it is doubtful there will be anyone answering the swim call - not at least among Dave, Bob and me. Might Nancy? No way! Even though she was belowdecks just now when Dave, Bob and I spotted a shark fin just eight feet off our port side! Not that a shark sighting would be a problem for Nancy: it's just that the water is too cold. Right? Anyhow, in hundreds of days at sea, that was a first for us. If the shark had been just a dozen yards further away, then we would not have seen the fin amongst the waves.
Why is an offshore passage like a camel? It has a hump. Halfway is 'Hump Day' and in an hour's time we will be at our declared halfway point of 48 degrees 35 minutes West of Greenwich, London (sorry Froggies, but London IS the centre of the world!). Hump Day is a tradition with us, brought aboard 'Larking About' by John Parker: and so we will have a single drink aboard this otherwise dry offshore boat this afternoon, and toast 'Adventuress', 'Larking About', John Parker, and all the brave ocean swimmers among us who have scoffed at the notion of sharks!
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
Even casual readers will recall (well, it was written only this very morning!) that the water is cool - 66F. And so it is doubtful there will be anyone answering the swim call - not at least among Dave, Bob and me. Might Nancy? No way! Even though she was belowdecks just now when Dave, Bob and I spotted a shark fin just eight feet off our port side! Not that a shark sighting would be a problem for Nancy: it's just that the water is too cold. Right? Anyhow, in hundreds of days at sea, that was a first for us. If the shark had been just a dozen yards further away, then we would not have seen the fin amongst the waves.
Why is an offshore passage like a camel? It has a hump. Halfway is 'Hump Day' and in an hour's time we will be at our declared halfway point of 48 degrees 35 minutes West of Greenwich, London (sorry Froggies, but London IS the centre of the world!). Hump Day is a tradition with us, brought aboard 'Larking About' by John Parker: and so we will have a single drink aboard this otherwise dry offshore boat this afternoon, and toast 'Adventuress', 'Larking About', John Parker, and all the brave ocean swimmers among us who have scoffed at the notion of sharks!
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
Swim anyone?
Fri May 23 1025 GMT Winds SSW 16 Sunny Seas 3ft COG 080 7.2kts Full Jib and Main Wind just aft the beam
Here we are Mid Atlantic with Newfoundland about 607nm to port. At 1800 GMT we will be half way to the Azores, some 900nm away. We are looking at a dream forecast of south winds for the next four days, and if that happens then we will be in Flores drinking Vinho Verde by middle of next week.
The boat is going well and the crew are fit, well fed and, by dinner tonight, will be freshly showered and shaved. Will Nancy be ready to heave-to this afternoon and go for a celebration half-way swim? Hmmm...with the ocean at 66F I somehow doubt it.
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
Here we are Mid Atlantic with Newfoundland about 607nm to port. At 1800 GMT we will be half way to the Azores, some 900nm away. We are looking at a dream forecast of south winds for the next four days, and if that happens then we will be in Flores drinking Vinho Verde by middle of next week.
The boat is going well and the crew are fit, well fed and, by dinner tonight, will be freshly showered and shaved. Will Nancy be ready to heave-to this afternoon and go for a celebration half-way swim? Hmmm...with the ocean at 66F I somehow doubt it.
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Hope, Reality, Beauty and Wahwhatsit
1050 Bermuda Time May 21 3641N 5446W Wind S 15kts COG 95 SOG 7.5kts Seas 3ft Cloudy/Rain
In hopes of a record 24 hours I went to bed at 0200 after we had covered 64nm in 8 hours, under reefed sails. Next thing I knew it was 5.45am and I awoke to the reefs being unfurled as we were caught in the middle of a large rainstorm that stole our wind. Oh well, that's sailing.
We are well positioned to enjoy mainly southerly winds for quite a few days. We just connected via SSB with Chris Parker our offshore weather man (who is onshore in Florida) and he confirmed what our weather charts, downloaded also via SSB, are forecasting. Our little ship is sailing beautifully and, even though only one of us is matching her grace and looks, we other three chaps are having a darn good sail! Who needs a razor out here, anyway?
Dave is busy right now in the galley making a Wahoo concoction out of the extra fish cooked last night; so we will relish a Hornbach Wahwhatsit Salad for lunch.
We are a third of the way over to the Azores, and will have a superb trip if the last two thirds are similar.
John and Nancy, with Dave and Bob
In hopes of a record 24 hours I went to bed at 0200 after we had covered 64nm in 8 hours, under reefed sails. Next thing I knew it was 5.45am and I awoke to the reefs being unfurled as we were caught in the middle of a large rainstorm that stole our wind. Oh well, that's sailing.
We are well positioned to enjoy mainly southerly winds for quite a few days. We just connected via SSB with Chris Parker our offshore weather man (who is onshore in Florida) and he confirmed what our weather charts, downloaded also via SSB, are forecasting. Our little ship is sailing beautifully and, even though only one of us is matching her grace and looks, we other three chaps are having a darn good sail! Who needs a razor out here, anyway?
Dave is busy right now in the galley making a Wahoo concoction out of the extra fish cooked last night; so we will relish a Hornbach Wahwhatsit Salad for lunch.
We are a third of the way over to the Azores, and will have a superb trip if the last two thirds are similar.
John and Nancy, with Dave and Bob
"No Whining...
...only Larking About" says the sign hanging in the galley. So we will not complain about the lack of useful wind: the fact is, we still made about 85nm Easting in the last 24h, and have only just now given up trying to sail, and turned on the motor.
Thurs May 22 0630 Berm Time, 0930 GMT, 36010N 5258W Wind W 8kts Seas 2ft Sunny
For some reason the skipper has been stingy with spending diesel: maybe he is miserly, or just hates the thought of being a stink-potter. Anyway, we have a lovely morning for a motor boat ride, and the Offwatch are still sound asleep despite the noise of the engine. And we do have a lot of fuel left: so far we have used 7 gallons out of 190 total: might use another 7 today, though. We would try the gennaker sail, but experience (confirmed just two days ago) tells us that it will not work in light airs with any sort of swell running: the top of the mast - about 59ft 8in. above the water - moves some eight feet side to side in the swell we have, and that is enough to mess up the set of the sail.
All on Adventuress is shipshape, and the crew are in good form. Bob has been his usual happy self, and his old "Newfie" jokes are new at least to Dave!
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
Thurs May 22 0630 Berm Time, 0930 GMT, 36010N 5258W Wind W 8kts Seas 2ft Sunny
For some reason the skipper has been stingy with spending diesel: maybe he is miserly, or just hates the thought of being a stink-potter. Anyway, we have a lovely morning for a motor boat ride, and the Offwatch are still sound asleep despite the noise of the engine. And we do have a lot of fuel left: so far we have used 7 gallons out of 190 total: might use another 7 today, though. We would try the gennaker sail, but experience (confirmed just two days ago) tells us that it will not work in light airs with any sort of swell running: the top of the mast - about 59ft 8in. above the water - moves some eight feet side to side in the swell we have, and that is enough to mess up the set of the sail.
All on Adventuress is shipshape, and the crew are in good form. Bob has been his usual happy self, and his old "Newfie" jokes are new at least to Dave!
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Rogues to Gentlemen
Mon May 19 16.45 GMT 13.45 Berm 3452N 5948W Winds SSW 14. Seas 6ft Mainly sunny Quite cool Course 060T @ 7.2kts
If gentlemen never sail to weather, then since we left The Virgins we have been rogues, rascals and scallywags. But now, behold! For the first time we are sailing downwind! And 'tis a lovely feeling: the boat glides over, rather than slices through, the water; and with her soft rocking it is near impossible to stay awake! Unlike this morning, when we were wallowing around in light winds but still with a jostling sea state: not pretty with the sails slatting and the rigging banging; but it lasted only about 6 hours before the wind backed from N to W to SW. At 1100 when the wind freshened and moved some 30 degrees, we jibed from a course of NNW over to ENE.
The forecast now is excellent: we are supposed to keep these winds for a while as we sail at 060T up to 36N - should be there tomorrow afternoon. Then as the low which is about 600nm N East of us moves NE we should see South winds for several days: which means a beam reach on starboard tack, in warmer winds.
The sightings are few: a 200ft motoryacht came past us last night, and a freighter passed us 10 miles to the North, both bound for Gibraltar. In spite of the slowdown this morning waiting for the wind change, the first 48 hrs saw us cover 302nm. Our secret guesses as to when we will reach Flores are written and sealed in a Ziploc, and the the boat and crew are all happy.
Gentle Lady Nancy, with Gents John, Bob and Dave.
Tues May 20 10.30 Berm Time 3545N 5730W Wind W 6kts Seas 3ft Sunny and motoring to charge batteries and find useful wind (we hope).
Had good sailing until 8am then wind died. We just tried the Gennaker sail, but combination of waves and not enough wind would not allow it to set. So we are put-putting and charging batteries.
If gentlemen never sail to weather, then since we left The Virgins we have been rogues, rascals and scallywags. But now, behold! For the first time we are sailing downwind! And 'tis a lovely feeling: the boat glides over, rather than slices through, the water; and with her soft rocking it is near impossible to stay awake! Unlike this morning, when we were wallowing around in light winds but still with a jostling sea state: not pretty with the sails slatting and the rigging banging; but it lasted only about 6 hours before the wind backed from N to W to SW. At 1100 when the wind freshened and moved some 30 degrees, we jibed from a course of NNW over to ENE.
The forecast now is excellent: we are supposed to keep these winds for a while as we sail at 060T up to 36N - should be there tomorrow afternoon. Then as the low which is about 600nm N East of us moves NE we should see South winds for several days: which means a beam reach on starboard tack, in warmer winds.
The sightings are few: a 200ft motoryacht came past us last night, and a freighter passed us 10 miles to the North, both bound for Gibraltar. In spite of the slowdown this morning waiting for the wind change, the first 48 hrs saw us cover 302nm. Our secret guesses as to when we will reach Flores are written and sealed in a Ziploc, and the the boat and crew are all happy.
Gentle Lady Nancy, with Gents John, Bob and Dave.
Tues May 20 10.30 Berm Time 3545N 5730W Wind W 6kts Seas 3ft Sunny and motoring to charge batteries and find useful wind (we hope).
Had good sailing until 8am then wind died. We just tried the Gennaker sail, but combination of waves and not enough wind would not allow it to set. So we are put-putting and charging batteries.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Speedy Start
Sunday May 18 12.40 UTC: Ship' time (Bermuda)09.40 3250N 62.15W winds N 15 Partly Sunny 7+kts COG 065T
The half dozen boats that left yesterday morning before our departure at 13.30 are all now astern! After 5 hours we caught up with the first one - a Swiss flagged Amel 53 - at 18.05 and three hours later his light was barely visible astern. Adventuress is a speedster and we continue to be surprised how well she sails in 10 to 12 kts of breeze. During the night we passed four other boats - variety unknown. Now we have a bit more wind, and so far we certainly timed our departure just right. Looks like we will see the winds continue to veer N to NW to WNW and on those we will head up some more to reach 36 or 37 degrees N. Then the forecast is for a switch to SW. No big winds are in the forecast, and we may be able to fly our big "balloon" gennaker if the seas are not too bumpy to upset the sail.
The SSB is working well and we just downloaded wx "grib" files for tomorrow and Tuesday: we picked up a strong signal to a shoreside station 'VE1YZ' 953nm north of us in St Margaret's Bay Nova Scotia.
Nancy made us an outstanding Lanco Meat Loaf for dinner on Friday our last night in port; so we devoured meatloaf sandwiches for lunch yesterday: and for dinner the Wahoo came with a glaze of apricot mayonnaise butter with sauteed garlic shallots and onion. Two feasts in one day out on the ocean! Tonight will be the traditional first night Coq au Vin, which got bumped out by the Wahoo.
We are not yet fishing - not much room in the freezer with all that Wahoo in it.
Best from four happy sailors: Nancy and John with Bob and Dave
The half dozen boats that left yesterday morning before our departure at 13.30 are all now astern! After 5 hours we caught up with the first one - a Swiss flagged Amel 53 - at 18.05 and three hours later his light was barely visible astern. Adventuress is a speedster and we continue to be surprised how well she sails in 10 to 12 kts of breeze. During the night we passed four other boats - variety unknown. Now we have a bit more wind, and so far we certainly timed our departure just right. Looks like we will see the winds continue to veer N to NW to WNW and on those we will head up some more to reach 36 or 37 degrees N. Then the forecast is for a switch to SW. No big winds are in the forecast, and we may be able to fly our big "balloon" gennaker if the seas are not too bumpy to upset the sail.
The SSB is working well and we just downloaded wx "grib" files for tomorrow and Tuesday: we picked up a strong signal to a shoreside station 'VE1YZ' 953nm north of us in St Margaret's Bay Nova Scotia.
Nancy made us an outstanding Lanco Meat Loaf for dinner on Friday our last night in port; so we devoured meatloaf sandwiches for lunch yesterday: and for dinner the Wahoo came with a glaze of apricot mayonnaise butter with sauteed garlic shallots and onion. Two feasts in one day out on the ocean! Tonight will be the traditional first night Coq au Vin, which got bumped out by the Wahoo.
We are not yet fishing - not much room in the freezer with all that Wahoo in it.
Best from four happy sailors: Nancy and John with Bob and Dave
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