May 26 1220 GMT 3816N 4005W Wind SW 13kts Sunny Seas 4ft Beam reach full main and jib at 6.5kts
Like the Phantom's dinghy we are gliding over the Atlantic stage, and we could be having a June day out on the Long Island Sound -except that we cannot see any land. Yesterday we hit a couple of bugs. And about time too: we had been bug-free for 13 sailing days!
First, the Autopilot went on strike. So we hand steered while we waited for Jay Fiddler-Kay, the maintenance guy, to show up. He fiddled with the wires to the drive's computer brain box, and nothing happened. He fiddled with the power on and off; he called in Jay Sparky-Kay with his volt meter and they fiddled with more switches on and off; and nothing happened. So they went down to the pub for a beer, and while they were away, JFK read the manual! And watched the Autopilot trying to start, and made a lucky guess: he went bravely amongst the buttons and pressed here and there to disengage from the autopilot the speed wheel (that sits down on the hull and measures the boat's speed through the water). Hey Presto!
Then the modem would not come online to send out these updates. More fiddling! No luck there, though: so no update yesterday. Sitting here typing this and hoping that the dear lovely little modem will work today. If you are reading this, it did.
And meantime the sailing continues to be smooth and quite fast, but we do expect to slow a bit as the wind lessens: so we will probably not make Lajes Harbour on Flores until Thursday.
And today is The Celebration for Bob's BIG birthday: Nancy has baked a Brownie Cake and we have some fun planned!
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.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Saturday, May 24, 2014
(no subject)
Sat Maqy 24 1105 GMT: 3712N 4610W Wind S 18kts; Sunny; Seas 5ft COG 75 7.8kts broad beam reach, under full Jib and Main
And for the non-sailors: those words '7.8kts broad beam reach' mean: a dream sail! The low pressure areas have cleared out of the way as forecast, and we have perfect conditions. The crew are showered. The boat has been cleaned too; and for dinner this evening we have more Wahoo. The Admiral is sleeping, and with wind and waves astern, the boat is quite stable. The decks are dry and so the main hatch is cracked to air out the boat.
After these first wonderful one and a half legs of our crossing, surely on the third and final leg up to Falmouth we will encounter some less benign weather. But meanwhile, we are enjoying the day and living in this moment: and thoughts of things to come are focused on, for example, finding 'sardinhas assada' (sp?) for lunch in the Azores.
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
And for the non-sailors: those words '7.8kts broad beam reach' mean: a dream sail! The low pressure areas have cleared out of the way as forecast, and we have perfect conditions. The crew are showered. The boat has been cleaned too; and for dinner this evening we have more Wahoo. The Admiral is sleeping, and with wind and waves astern, the boat is quite stable. The decks are dry and so the main hatch is cracked to air out the boat.
After these first wonderful one and a half legs of our crossing, surely on the third and final leg up to Falmouth we will encounter some less benign weather. But meanwhile, we are enjoying the day and living in this moment: and thoughts of things to come are focused on, for example, finding 'sardinhas assada' (sp?) for lunch in the Azores.
John and Nancy, with Bob and Dave
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
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
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