Monday 30 November - Trade Wind Sailing
The air is clean. The sky, very light blue at the horizon is deep blue overhead. White puffy clouds. The ocean has settled in a regular wave pattern after three days of Force 4 (12 kt) wind. The boat motion is rather dramatic, rolling mostly, but regular so it is easy to take. We are not sailing fast, but we made 100 miles yesterday and that is my "budget", 100 miles a day. This is easy sailing, in fact beautiful sailing. It is the part of the experience I wish I could share. Nothing around the horizon except two birds that fly by, then go far away and in ten minutes come back by. A lot of sargasso. Great fields of it. Most of it is floating just below the surface, and it has "sprouts" reaching up above the surface about an inch, like sprouts coming up out of the earth. Coveys of flying fish erupting from the water and flying off downwind. What a privilege it is to experience this.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Sunday 29 November - Tradewind Sailing
Sunday 29 November - Tradewind Sailing - 410 miles from Cape Verde Islands
"Look, over there, something in the water."
"Where?"
"Over there."
"Oh yes. I see it. What is it?"
"It looks like. . . Yes, it is. . .It is a plastic bag!"
"A plastic bag?"
"Yes. I am sure of it."
"How can that be? We are hundreds of miles from any land."
"It must have fallen off a ship. Or maybe the desert winds carried it from Africa."
"It could have drifted all the way from Portugal. Or even France. I wish we could read the writing to see what language it is."
"The markings look to be the same as from the supermarket in Tenerife."
"And it is still clean. No marine growth. That means that it has not been in the water long."
"If it came from Tenerife, and is still clean, the only way to get here is on a sailboat."
"It had to have been an accident. Nobody would deliberately throw a plastic bag overboard."
"I wonder how long it will float out here?"
"They say the plastic breaks down into very small pieces but doesn't really go away."
"It looks sortta like a Portuguese Man-O-War"
"Or just a jellyfish. . . ."
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
"Look, over there, something in the water."
"Where?"
"Over there."
"Oh yes. I see it. What is it?"
"It looks like. . . Yes, it is. . .It is a plastic bag!"
"A plastic bag?"
"Yes. I am sure of it."
"How can that be? We are hundreds of miles from any land."
"It must have fallen off a ship. Or maybe the desert winds carried it from Africa."
"It could have drifted all the way from Portugal. Or even France. I wish we could read the writing to see what language it is."
"The markings look to be the same as from the supermarket in Tenerife."
"And it is still clean. No marine growth. That means that it has not been in the water long."
"If it came from Tenerife, and is still clean, the only way to get here is on a sailboat."
"It had to have been an accident. Nobody would deliberately throw a plastic bag overboard."
"I wonder how long it will float out here?"
"They say the plastic breaks down into very small pieces but doesn't really go away."
"It looks sortta like a Portuguese Man-O-War"
"Or just a jellyfish. . . ."
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Saturday 28 November - Trade Wind Sailing
Saturday 28 November - Trade Wind Sailing
Course 270 degrees. Speed about 4.5 knots. Wind is 12 knots from north-east.
About 0600 Sterling changed the WindPilot heading one notch, or 15 degrees. At 1015 I took in the genoa sheet about 4 inches.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Course 270 degrees. Speed about 4.5 knots. Wind is 12 knots from north-east.
About 0600 Sterling changed the WindPilot heading one notch, or 15 degrees. At 1015 I took in the genoa sheet about 4 inches.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Friday, November 27, 2015
Friday 27 November - Trade Wind Sailing
Friday 27 November - Trade Wind Sailing
Course 270 degrees. Speed about 5 knots. Wind is 15 knots from north-east. Today the wind veered a little and I had to adjust the windpilot to stay on course. Sterling slept most of the day.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Course 270 degrees. Speed about 5 knots. Wind is 15 knots from north-east. Today the wind veered a little and I had to adjust the windpilot to stay on course. Sterling slept most of the day.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Thursday 26 November
Thursday 26 November - 90 miles west of Cape Verde Islands
I had a rough night. Three hours of calm with very rough seas, then the propeller shaft problems; lying in the quarter-berth with my ear two feet from the shaft, listening to it grind and clank away, then locking the shaft with ViceGrips. I awoke at 0800 feeling really groggy and with no desire for adventure. Fortunately Sterling had the boat on 270 degrees, sails set. He went to sleep and I sat there, being groggy. Four hours later I was still sitting there feeling a little better, had not touched the sail. Now it is night. All day we have not touched the sail nor the windvane. We are sailing west at about 4.5 knots in force 4 (15 knot) wind. This is trade wind sailing at its best. We could sail days, even weeks with no sail change. I hope that is the way it will be. I am not in the mood for an adventure.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
I had a rough night. Three hours of calm with very rough seas, then the propeller shaft problems; lying in the quarter-berth with my ear two feet from the shaft, listening to it grind and clank away, then locking the shaft with ViceGrips. I awoke at 0800 feeling really groggy and with no desire for adventure. Fortunately Sterling had the boat on 270 degrees, sails set. He went to sleep and I sat there, being groggy. Four hours later I was still sitting there feeling a little better, had not touched the sail. Now it is night. All day we have not touched the sail nor the windvane. We are sailing west at about 4.5 knots in force 4 (15 knot) wind. This is trade wind sailing at its best. We could sail days, even weeks with no sail change. I hope that is the way it will be. I am not in the mood for an adventure.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thanksgiving Day
Thanksgiving Day - Let us give thanks for the blessings of family, health and wealth which God has giving us.
We spent all day doing all the things that need to be done for leaving a country, and crossing an ocean. I got all the boat things done, then walked the two miles to the commercial port the check out with the officials. Very friendly, helpful and efficient. After a last water run we had a hamburger at the pontoon cafe. Literally on a float, bobbing around with all the boats. It was disorientation until getting used to it. We upped anchor just before sunset. A little later we were sailing straight west day was fading into night, and the lights of town were on the horizon. A full moon was rising over the lights of town. It was very beautiful; a final gift given to us from Cape Verde.
Both of us liked Cape Verde. The name is really Cape Verde Islands. Directly to the east, on the coast of Africa, is a cape named Cape Verde. Back in the age of exploration the Portuguese mariners discovered these islands and thought that they were close to and associated with the cape, so they called the archipelago the Cape Verde Islands, and has caused confusion ever since. This is not a European resort, like all of The Canaries is. It is a little chunk of civilized Africa. The marina is at the main port (once again these are volcanic islands with very few places suitable for a port) and a town, and all of it is just an ordinaly town, with people living their ordinary lives. An African town, with cheerfyl friendly African people, and all seemed happy to see us and say hello. And the amazing thing is that the place is so clean it is spotless. I walked down the street and would stop and take pictures to show how clean the street was , or around a park bench, or the municipal water pumping station. The official officies were clean, the beched and common areas were clean. The market was clean. The friendly, welcoming way the people greeted us and a general feeling of pride they have for their country, left both of us saying that I would like to come back and spend a few weeks.
We sailed into the sunset, about 2,000 miles to go. The wind was 20 knots from the north-west, as forecasted for the next two days, then 15 knots. Then about 20:00 the wind picked up, we partially furled the genoa, the only sail flying because the wind was coming from 135 degrees, and any mainsail blankets the genoa. I turned the watch over to Sterling and went to sleep. At 23:30 he woke me saying the wind had died and we needed to motor. Lordy it was bouncy, almost to the oint of not being able to move about the boat. The week of 20 - 35 knot winds had built up a heave seas, and suddenly the wind stopped. And we bobbed and wallowed, and hung on as tightly as we could. I started the engine, and that started three hours of constant struggle trying to get some wind in the sail to stabilize the boat. It was really tough. Then, at 0300 the wind came back, at 20 knots, 135 degrees, and we were sailing again. I don't know where the wind went for those three hours.
When I sail I let the propeller shaft spin, with the transmission in neutral. Last night I noticed a worsening of a shaft vibration, and then a metal to metal tap-tap-tap coming from the area of the propeller. Not a banging, but a tapping, almost like a screwdriver on sheet metal. I was not sleeping at all. I got up and fixed the shaft so that it would not spin, using vice-grips clamped to the shaft. When the wind dies and we want to motor I will remove the vice-grips and try it. It may be only a plastic bag over the propeller. Or a bent propeller, or the cutless bearing, or a bent drive shaft, or even a transmission problem. If I learn anything significant I will let you know.
REef Early
Bill Doar
Advent II - sailing west`
We spent all day doing all the things that need to be done for leaving a country, and crossing an ocean. I got all the boat things done, then walked the two miles to the commercial port the check out with the officials. Very friendly, helpful and efficient. After a last water run we had a hamburger at the pontoon cafe. Literally on a float, bobbing around with all the boats. It was disorientation until getting used to it. We upped anchor just before sunset. A little later we were sailing straight west day was fading into night, and the lights of town were on the horizon. A full moon was rising over the lights of town. It was very beautiful; a final gift given to us from Cape Verde.
Both of us liked Cape Verde. The name is really Cape Verde Islands. Directly to the east, on the coast of Africa, is a cape named Cape Verde. Back in the age of exploration the Portuguese mariners discovered these islands and thought that they were close to and associated with the cape, so they called the archipelago the Cape Verde Islands, and has caused confusion ever since. This is not a European resort, like all of The Canaries is. It is a little chunk of civilized Africa. The marina is at the main port (once again these are volcanic islands with very few places suitable for a port) and a town, and all of it is just an ordinaly town, with people living their ordinary lives. An African town, with cheerfyl friendly African people, and all seemed happy to see us and say hello. And the amazing thing is that the place is so clean it is spotless. I walked down the street and would stop and take pictures to show how clean the street was , or around a park bench, or the municipal water pumping station. The official officies were clean, the beched and common areas were clean. The market was clean. The friendly, welcoming way the people greeted us and a general feeling of pride they have for their country, left both of us saying that I would like to come back and spend a few weeks.
We sailed into the sunset, about 2,000 miles to go. The wind was 20 knots from the north-west, as forecasted for the next two days, then 15 knots. Then about 20:00 the wind picked up, we partially furled the genoa, the only sail flying because the wind was coming from 135 degrees, and any mainsail blankets the genoa. I turned the watch over to Sterling and went to sleep. At 23:30 he woke me saying the wind had died and we needed to motor. Lordy it was bouncy, almost to the oint of not being able to move about the boat. The week of 20 - 35 knot winds had built up a heave seas, and suddenly the wind stopped. And we bobbed and wallowed, and hung on as tightly as we could. I started the engine, and that started three hours of constant struggle trying to get some wind in the sail to stabilize the boat. It was really tough. Then, at 0300 the wind came back, at 20 knots, 135 degrees, and we were sailing again. I don't know where the wind went for those three hours.
When I sail I let the propeller shaft spin, with the transmission in neutral. Last night I noticed a worsening of a shaft vibration, and then a metal to metal tap-tap-tap coming from the area of the propeller. Not a banging, but a tapping, almost like a screwdriver on sheet metal. I was not sleeping at all. I got up and fixed the shaft so that it would not spin, using vice-grips clamped to the shaft. When the wind dies and we want to motor I will remove the vice-grips and try it. It may be only a plastic bag over the propeller. Or a bent propeller, or the cutless bearing, or a bent drive shaft, or even a transmission problem. If I learn anything significant I will let you know.
REef Early
Bill Doar
Advent II - sailing west`
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
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Tuesday, November 24, 2015
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I'm stopping here.
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Monday, November 23, 2015
Monday 23 November
Monday 23 November
In a few more hours we will end this leg of the journey; we will be in Cape Verde. It has been a straightforward passage. We set thwe sails when we left Tenerife, and for a week never changed them. The wind has been constantly at 135 degrees. When the wind strengthened we furled the genoa some, when the wind slackened we let out the genoa. lways the wind coming over my left shoulder.
Something that has impressed me is that this part of the Atlantic has almost no apparent life. Or rather that part of the Atlantic. In the past day the temperture has gotten noticeably warmer (no jacket tonignt, just two shirts) and I have seen, for the first time, birds, flying fish and sargasso. Some sort of transition has taken place, the change from the Canaries Current to the North Atlantic Equitorial Current, that will carry us across the Atlantic.
Tomorrow will be a new adventure. We are now in the sailing mode, not the visit-a-new-country mode. It may be only a one day stop, primarily for water.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
In a few more hours we will end this leg of the journey; we will be in Cape Verde. It has been a straightforward passage. We set thwe sails when we left Tenerife, and for a week never changed them. The wind has been constantly at 135 degrees. When the wind strengthened we furled the genoa some, when the wind slackened we let out the genoa. lways the wind coming over my left shoulder.
Something that has impressed me is that this part of the Atlantic has almost no apparent life. Or rather that part of the Atlantic. In the past day the temperture has gotten noticeably warmer (no jacket tonignt, just two shirts) and I have seen, for the first time, birds, flying fish and sargasso. Some sort of transition has taken place, the change from the Canaries Current to the North Atlantic Equitorial Current, that will carry us across the Atlantic.
Tomorrow will be a new adventure. We are now in the sailing mode, not the visit-a-new-country mode. It may be only a one day stop, primarily for water.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Sunday, November 22, 2015
Sunday 22 November
Sunday 22 November - 225 miles from Cape Verde
The wind has died down to 20 kts and after what we have had for the past few days it feels like a gentle breeze, and we are not being tossed around so much. We are taking it easy tonight, tomorrow will be our last day before Cape Verde.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
The wind has died down to 20 kts and after what we have had for the past few days it feels like a gentle breeze, and we are not being tossed around so much. We are taking it easy tonight, tomorrow will be our last day before Cape Verde.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Saturday 21 November - Day four
Saturday 21 November - Day four - 344 miles from Mindelo, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde
The wind speed is higher and so are the waves. The needle on the wind speed indicator centers on 30 knots, then goes up to about 35 or down to 25 as the boat rocks left and right with the waves. Rocks is not te right word - Jerks back and forth with the waves. We are riding with just about 25% genoa out giving us 5 knots for steerage. The good thing is that we are going almost downwind. Windy, the WindPilot windvane is steering, and has not been more than 10 degrees off the 135 degree mark. The huge waves come up behind us and look like they will swallow us, then the stern rises, the wave lifts us, passes under, and we settle in the deep trough between waves. At one point the waves conspired against us, and instead of passing under us the wave broke on top of us. Crash. (Big crash) I had a man-overboard retrieval device called a "Lifesling" on the port side rail. Also in the port rail is a storage bag containing the dinghy rigid seats. All that is left of the Lifesling are three velcro tabs that attached the container to the rail. The dinghy seats are still there, but two of the four attaching bolts have broken free. That was spectacular, but what is annoying is that when the wave lifts the boat to the max top of the wave, the wind blown spume from the top of the wave blows into the cockpit.
Break - New Subject: The sky is not blue but sortta white. The sun is a silver disc. The solar panels are only putting out a fraction of what they normally do. That is Sarah dirt. Because it is carried by the wind I thought it would be fine, like talcum powder. It is gritty, with discernable grains, and has an abrasive quality that it may really scratch sunglasses. It is gathering on the boat and the wind piles it up in corners, like snow. And combined with the spray the wind blows aboard the cockpit is really grubby.
And it is chilly, two shirts plus foulie chilly. But we are officially in the tropics and soon I will be complaining about it being too hot.
Maybe this wind will calm down some. I am getting bruised up.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
The wind speed is higher and so are the waves. The needle on the wind speed indicator centers on 30 knots, then goes up to about 35 or down to 25 as the boat rocks left and right with the waves. Rocks is not te right word - Jerks back and forth with the waves. We are riding with just about 25% genoa out giving us 5 knots for steerage. The good thing is that we are going almost downwind. Windy, the WindPilot windvane is steering, and has not been more than 10 degrees off the 135 degree mark. The huge waves come up behind us and look like they will swallow us, then the stern rises, the wave lifts us, passes under, and we settle in the deep trough between waves. At one point the waves conspired against us, and instead of passing under us the wave broke on top of us. Crash. (Big crash) I had a man-overboard retrieval device called a "Lifesling" on the port side rail. Also in the port rail is a storage bag containing the dinghy rigid seats. All that is left of the Lifesling are three velcro tabs that attached the container to the rail. The dinghy seats are still there, but two of the four attaching bolts have broken free. That was spectacular, but what is annoying is that when the wave lifts the boat to the max top of the wave, the wind blown spume from the top of the wave blows into the cockpit.
Break - New Subject: The sky is not blue but sortta white. The sun is a silver disc. The solar panels are only putting out a fraction of what they normally do. That is Sarah dirt. Because it is carried by the wind I thought it would be fine, like talcum powder. It is gritty, with discernable grains, and has an abrasive quality that it may really scratch sunglasses. It is gathering on the boat and the wind piles it up in corners, like snow. And combined with the spray the wind blows aboard the cockpit is really grubby.
And it is chilly, two shirts plus foulie chilly. But we are officially in the tropics and soon I will be complaining about it being too hot.
Maybe this wind will calm down some. I am getting bruised up.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Friday, November 20, 2015
Friday 20 November - The Third Day
Friday 20 November - The Third Day - Sao Vicente, Cape Verde 466 miles
This is day three of strong wind from the east and north-east. The wind speed indicator just stays at 25 knots, sometime down to 20 and sometimes up to 30. I haven't seen it oer about 32. But that is with us going with the wind at 5 knots. Whatever the velocity may be, the wind is strong, and steady, and has been blowing for three days. That is long enough for the seas to build. Very impressive. They have spread out so there is no chop involved, but my - my, they are big.They come up behind, towering over the boat, and I think - gosh - I hope it doesn't fall down on top of us. Then just when I think I am about to get really wet, the stern rises up, up, over the top, and I am looking down 20 feet into the trough between the waves. The distance down is far enough to tickle my insides. Advent doesn't seem to mind at all. She is flying only the genoa furled about 2/3 the way in, and going about 5 knots. It is not really an uncomfortable ride, but it sure is spectacular.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
This is day three of strong wind from the east and north-east. The wind speed indicator just stays at 25 knots, sometime down to 20 and sometimes up to 30. I haven't seen it oer about 32. But that is with us going with the wind at 5 knots. Whatever the velocity may be, the wind is strong, and steady, and has been blowing for three days. That is long enough for the seas to build. Very impressive. They have spread out so there is no chop involved, but my - my, they are big.They come up behind, towering over the boat, and I think - gosh - I hope it doesn't fall down on top of us. Then just when I think I am about to get really wet, the stern rises up, up, over the top, and I am looking down 20 feet into the trough between the waves. The distance down is far enough to tickle my insides. Advent doesn't seem to mind at all. She is flying only the genoa furled about 2/3 the way in, and going about 5 knots. It is not really an uncomfortable ride, but it sure is spectacular.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thursday, November 19, 2015
Thursday 19 November
Thursday 19 November - Cape Verde 588 miles
The ocean is so bleak it is picturesque. There is a picture that is most often seen in cheap restaurants. It is a sailing ship, all sails flying, sailing across a troubled, almost turbulent ocean. That is how it has been today. Wind 20 - 25 knots, waves built high by the wind, and a slate gray sky. The kind of sky you expect to produce snow. And the temperature seems to be dropping the further south we go. Today we stayed in long sleeved shirts and light jackets. The wind is coming from almost behind us so it is more-or-less pushing us along. We are not uncomfortable and Advent is relaxed, just doing her job. All is well.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
The ocean is so bleak it is picturesque. There is a picture that is most often seen in cheap restaurants. It is a sailing ship, all sails flying, sailing across a troubled, almost turbulent ocean. That is how it has been today. Wind 20 - 25 knots, waves built high by the wind, and a slate gray sky. The kind of sky you expect to produce snow. And the temperature seems to be dropping the further south we go. Today we stayed in long sleeved shirts and light jackets. The wind is coming from almost behind us so it is more-or-less pushing us along. We are not uncomfortable and Advent is relaxed, just doing her job. All is well.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Wind Force 6 Beaufort Scale
The wind speed indicator is reading in the 20's up to 30 knots. Broad reaching with wind at 135 degrees relative. No main/trisail. Only poled genoa 3/4 furled. Windy steering. Boat speed in the 5's. Very comfortable.
Wednesday 18 November
Wednesday 18 November - 723 miles from Sao Vicente
Day 1 - We are making exceptionally good progress, going in excess of 6 knots most of the time, and the seas are not really all that rough. But the seas are "dirty". Lots of random waves, big and small, coming from different directions, and the surface is "disturbed". It is a nervous ocean. The wind is dirty too. It is not really a steady breeze but more like it is spitting the wind, and from different directions. Even the air is dirty. Dirt from the Sahara blows with the wind and makes the sun a pale white and everything grimy. But we are making good progress and it is not all that uncomfortable.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Day 1 - We are making exceptionally good progress, going in excess of 6 knots most of the time, and the seas are not really all that rough. But the seas are "dirty". Lots of random waves, big and small, coming from different directions, and the surface is "disturbed". It is a nervous ocean. The wind is dirty too. It is not really a steady breeze but more like it is spitting the wind, and from different directions. Even the air is dirty. Dirt from the Sahara blows with the wind and makes the sun a pale white and everything grimy. But we are making good progress and it is not all that uncomfortable.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Tuesday 17 November - The Long Way Home
Tuesday 17 November - The Long Way Home
Sterling came to the boat about 08:30 this morning. We became acquainted, I introduced him to Advent; I think we will all be friends. We walked the mile to the supermarket, spent almost $500 on provisions, and got a taxi to take us and a mountain of food back to the boat. Sterling sorted and stowed while I made ready to get underway, we had an easy check-out with the authorities, and slipped the dock lines at 14:10. It is aout 850nm to Cape Verde.
It is now 19:45. We are about 5 miles off the southern end of Tenerife. Sterling is asleep now, in a few minutes I will wake him for his first watch at night, from 20:00 until 24:00. We are on the line (the rhumb line from Canaries to Cape Verde) sailing wing 'n wing directly before the wind, at about 6 knots. Surprisingly it is very comfortable, not rocking side to side. I think we are off to a good start. By the time we go down to Cape Verde, then across, then up to North Carolina, the trip will be about 5,000 miles. That is a long way home.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Sterling came to the boat about 08:30 this morning. We became acquainted, I introduced him to Advent; I think we will all be friends. We walked the mile to the supermarket, spent almost $500 on provisions, and got a taxi to take us and a mountain of food back to the boat. Sterling sorted and stowed while I made ready to get underway, we had an easy check-out with the authorities, and slipped the dock lines at 14:10. It is aout 850nm to Cape Verde.
It is now 19:45. We are about 5 miles off the southern end of Tenerife. Sterling is asleep now, in a few minutes I will wake him for his first watch at night, from 20:00 until 24:00. We are on the line (the rhumb line from Canaries to Cape Verde) sailing wing 'n wing directly before the wind, at about 6 knots. Surprisingly it is very comfortable, not rocking side to side. I think we are off to a good start. By the time we go down to Cape Verde, then across, then up to North Carolina, the trip will be about 5,000 miles. That is a long way home.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
William Doar is sharing their location
I'm starting my trip, follow along at my MapShare!
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Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Saturday 07November: Jean-Michel Keroulle
Until the past few days I have not seen a single boat from the US, and very few British boats. I did make some friends along the way, and
some of them knew enough English to communicate so that we could
communicate. I am continually humbled, even a little humiliated that
they can speak english and I know none of their language. I will
sometimes say that a particular person does not know enough english for
us to communicate, as if it is their fault. That embarrasses me
personally. Back at Marina San Miguel, with the golf resorts and
kiteboarding, most of the time there were no native english speakers on
any of the boats. A few days after I got there there was a French boat
tied a few boats away. I met the man on board, and he knew enough
english to communicate basic facts but we could not really communicate
comfortably. In spite of that we became friends. We took several
"trips" to the other end of the island together, and did some boat
maintenance. It was really an interesting experience for me to be upside
down in the bilge of his boat aligning the engine, and asking for a
wrench. I tried "spanner", "gripper, turner, he would hand me something
like another nut or a screwdriver, meanwhile I am holding the engine in
place with one hand wanting to tighten the nut with the other. And lordy
it was hot. Both of us were drooling sweat.
This experience is notable because, apparently he is a world class
underwater archeologist. He is singlehanding now on the way to the
Caribbean, where he has twenty-two ship wreck sites he wants to
investigate. I just wish I knew enough french to be able to be friends.
Look at his website. Maybe you will be impressed, like I am.
http://archeosousmarine.com/
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Monday, November 9, 2015
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Monday, November 2, 2015
Monday
I got here no problem, after a miserable night, looking forward to peaceful sleep. I was happily grinding rust when I became aware of some sort of horn. I looked up, and there was a man in uniform standing beside a police car, waving at me. I had not ordered a pizza so that was not it. I rowed the dinghy over, he told me politely that anchoring was not allowed. In face I didn't understand a word he said. Maybe it was something about olives, cheese and sausage. I smiled, said Grascious, went back to the boat, upped anchor, and left. I hope he enjoyed the pizzza.
I am now in a terrible anchorage with ten other boats. The bottom is rolling stones. If the wind starts blowing I will leave and sail off and on until the marina opens.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
I am now in a terrible anchorage with ten other boats. The bottom is rolling stones. If the wind starts blowing I will leave and sail off and on until the marina opens.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Saturday Morning 31 October
set at 45 degrees. Instead of going across one large roller to turn 90
degrees, the chain goes to the first roller turns 45 degrees then to the
second roller and turns another 45 degrees. When I conceived the anchor
arrangement many years ago I went to West Marine and bought two hard
plastic rollers (I even recorded the part numbers). The system worked
amazingly well. But now the rollers have worn out. And those rollers are
no longer made. Nor is anything else that would fit. I was dragging the
anchor chain over the 1/2" bolt shaft of the now completely worn out
rollers. Then another thought. I took some 1/2" stainless steel washers
of different OD size, and using hole saws cut different OD discs from a
polyethylene cutting board, and came up with a really good roller. My
prototype worked well enough to use the concept for both rollers. The
last time I anchored was with John in Lynhaven, Hampton Roads. I
haven't thought about those rollers since June. No problem, I am no
longer in a marina, but the dinghy is in the water and I can get to the
rollers from the dinghy. I forgot that I was anchored in the ocean.
True, I was in the lee of the island, but the boat is really active. I
got the tools, got in the dinghy, and got half way to the front with the
dinghy pitching, jerking and rolling, and Advent pitching, jerking and
rolling; I aborted when Advent's chine rocked up, and on the way down
came down on top of the dinghy's gunwale, almost pushing it under water.
I guess I had gotten used to excessive boat motion. It honestly caught
me by surprize.
Then another factor came into play. The weather report showed calm
Friday, but 20 knots on Saturday. I know that I am in the lee of the
island, but with the acceleration zones I wanted to find a more secure
place to go. I started looking at all anchorages within range, and found
another anchorage within a commercial harbour, just what I wanted. It is
about half way up the eastern side of Lanzarote, about three hours away.
And, I could install the new anchor rollers there.
I have been anchored in a little cove with cliffs on two sides and
resort on one side. But just a little way down the island are sandy
beaches, beautiful sandy beaches backed by desert hills and rugged
volcanic rock, high cliffs, etc. I left early enough to stop at the
beaches, anchored with the six boats already there, and rowed ashore.
This is a public park and the beach goers had not gotten there yet. The
beaches are separated by cliffs and rugged rocky outcrops, and between
the outcrops are little sandy areas big enough for a family to have
their own private beach. I made my way from beach to beach along the
rocks to the last beach, then went back over the tops of the cliffs,
high in the desert hills. I found a historical site where the first
settlers lived. They have an interesting way to inexpensively protect
historical objects. They build a concrete wall around it and put steel
bars over the top. For example they have a well. It has a wall about
four feet high, with steel bars on top. You can get close to it, you can
see it, but you can't touch it. I eventually made it back to the beach
where the dinghy was.
The beach people were arriving for a perfectly beautiful day. I went to the dinghy to push it to the water when a man
came and asked if he could ask a question, and we started talking about
who I was, where I came from, (Advent was just a little bit off the
beach and the US ensign was clearly visible) where I was going, the odd
dinghy, all about Advent, etc. And others gathered. For awhile I was the
most interesting thing on the beach. They were not British, but those I
talked with had very good English. I had no trouble at all. But I needed
to get going to check out the new anchorage, and get somewhere else if
it was not good. I liked that beach. I liked being able to anchor
there. I liked rowing ashore, and being able to walk high in the hills.
As far as a place, I enjoyed it more than any other place on this trip.
Then it was motoring up the east coast across a flat ocean for about
three hours. I found the harbour, and yep, it is a commercial port.
Things can change since the book was written, so with much trepidation I
eased along beside the cruise ship, past the cement silos, and there,
beside the container dock is a . . . I don't know what to call it. . .
an area of water about two cruise-ships long and about half a cruise
ship wide. I will call it a bay, as in a work bay, not a large body of
water. And, thanks for the blessing, it is flat calm.
I am at peace. It feels funny for the boat to not be moving. This is the stillest I have been in months. When I transmit this I will request a grib and see what the weather has in store. I don't have internet here, and really want to call you, hear your voice, and catch up. As of last night the forecast was that I would have wind today, then tomorrow I can go to where I may be able to get pay-to-use internet, then Monday back here. I am in the same harbour as the marina where I am going Tuesday. If I come back here Monday, then I am assured that I can make it to the marina Tuesday. So far I like it here. The book says that it is "gritty". I don't know if that means it is in an industrial area, or if grit blows off the cliffs. I may find out. There is a beach at the end of the "bay". (I don't know what to call it. It is rectangular about two cruise-ship's long and one-half cruise-ship wide, with a container dock on one side and cliffs on the other. So the word "bay"
is like a work bay, not Chocowinity Bay.)I will start over. There is a beach at the end of the "bay" I am anchored just a little way from it. All afternoon yesterday about 20 were having life guard training. It was really interesting. Part boot camp running here to there, part on the beach care, sometimes multiple patients, and a lot of in the water exercises, most of it with one arm held in the air. Swimming with one arm in the air. Pulling someone with one arm in the air, etc. Then, after all the life guards had left, some friendly folks came by in a dinghy from the marina. I can see the marina way down at the other end of the harbour. We talked till after dark, then they left and went to the beach. I wonder what is there? Dinghy is in the water. I will row over after awhile and go exploring.
Saturday afternoon- About noon the wind picked up and light misty rain started. We had a real ugly day with 20-30 knot winds. I really made a good call this time. I was feeling sorta silly this morning, with the beautiful weather. I don't feel at all silly now. I am really glad that I am here and not down south anchored in the open off a beach.
This is the commercial harbour, where the cruise ships land. Yesterday when I got here I had to go down beside a cruise ship to get back to the bay. Since then three more have arrived. Great big things, with eight levels of cabins above the deck line. So for awhile there were four cruise ships here. Then about thirty minutes ago great, deep horns started blasting. Three longs followed by one short. All four ships did it. Quite impressive. Then they all left! All four of them. I wonder what all those thousands of people do on Lanzarote for one day?
Sunday morning:
Up early and left my wonderful anchorage at first light, which is 08:00. It is a pretty day with some of the wind left over from the storm yeaterday. I had a beautiful sail back down the east side of the island. I am going back to where I was a few days ago to try to find wifi, and talk to Normandie on skype. It was a beautiful sail down, but man is it rolly anchored here. It must have been really bad yesterday. The boat is rolling side to side on about a three second period. Every three seconds I have to stop typing and grab the edge of the table for support. It has a dampening effect on creativity. So I will stop. I sure hope this roll stops. It is hard to do anything.
Reef Early
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
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