We got through the Gulf Stream about sunrise this morning, and immediately our track went back to almost west. During the night the current carried us as high as 330 degrees; the current offset was as much as 50 degrees. We came out in just about the location we wanted and now we are on a fair course to Beaufort Inlet, with an eta of 19:00. I am looking forward o a nice easy ending to this adventure.
The major characteristic to this crossing was that , until this morning, we were hard on the wind, a really close reach, almost beating. We were sailing as close to the wind as we could and still keep up some boat speed. When he boat is sailing this close to he wind, inside the cabin everything is leaning over 20 degrees, and with the boat sailing into he waves there is a sudden, jerky, unpredictable, radical hobby-horse motion. You have to walk at an extreme angle holding on with both hands to keep from getting tossed across the cabin. Sleeping you are mashed up against he side of he bunk, and only one position is possible. Outside the cabin you have to put up with the same motion except you are seated, not trying o move around. There is constant spray with only one place that is mostly protected in which to sit. The salt spray makes everything gritty, especially between your fingers. Just like the iron men who sailed wooden ships, after awhile you just live with it. It is picturesque, the boat heeling before the breeze, spray flying, but nobody likes beating into he wind. "Gentlemen don't sail to weather". Well we had to. Except for the past few days it was mostly an uncomfortable passage. But it is finishing good, and that is what everybody remembers. The last few days has been beautiful, and to make it perfect we had a full moon. In good sailing conditions, sailing at night under a full moon is stunningly beautiful.
The entire adventure has been a blessing to me. Sailing out with Will, the America's Cup, helping Lindsay start her new life, and sailing back with Jeremiah, I give thanks.
We have had few failures on the trip. The most bothersome is he failure of he "T" key on the computer remote keyboard. I now have to go back and, using he computer itself which is up on a shelf, add in all the "Ts" that didn't print. I did not realize before now that "T" is the second most used letter in he english language.
If, after 800 nautical miles at sea, that is all I have to complain about, it was a successful trip. Thank you Jeremiah. Thank you Marian for giving him to me to share this adventure.
And thank you Normandie, for a wonderful, wonderful experience.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Monday evening. Last night at sea
Monday 18:00
The sailing has gotten better and better. This is the way I wanted it to be all the way across. We are sailing 5 kts+, on a good line, right where I want to be. We should be across the Gulf Stream tomorrow morning; tomorrow afternoon into Beaufort Inlet. If it had not been for he wind backing back around to the south we would be heading for Norfolk now. But now, we are heading home.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Tuesday 02:00 - 80 miles to Beaufort Inlet
The boat is still sailing west, Arcturus being on he bow, but GPS shows our track to be 310 degrees, a 40 degree offset due o he current of he Gulf Stream. Sailing beautifully and he ocean has calmed down some in the last hour.
BD
The sailing has gotten better and better. This is the way I wanted it to be all the way across. We are sailing 5 kts+, on a good line, right where I want to be. We should be across the Gulf Stream tomorrow morning; tomorrow afternoon into Beaufort Inlet. If it had not been for he wind backing back around to the south we would be heading for Norfolk now. But now, we are heading home.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Tuesday 02:00 - 80 miles to Beaufort Inlet
The boat is still sailing west, Arcturus being on he bow, but GPS shows our track to be 310 degrees, a 40 degree offset due o he current of he Gulf Stream. Sailing beautifully and he ocean has calmed down some in the last hour.
BD
Monday, July 10, 2017
Monday Morning 03:00
Absolutely beautiful sailing! Smooth seas, gentle wind, full moon in a clear sky, speed about 5 knots, going west exactly where we want to go. This is what gives sailing a good name. Sailing is so peaceful, sometimes, like now.
Plan to continue going west until we get to the Gulf Stream, then let it whoosh us north until we exit the west wall hopefully about the latitude of Cape Lookout. ETA Beaufort will be between late Tuesday afternoon / mid day Wednesday.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Plan to continue going west until we get to the Gulf Stream, then let it whoosh us north until we exit the west wall hopefully about the latitude of Cape Lookout. ETA Beaufort will be between late Tuesday afternoon / mid day Wednesday.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Sunday, July 9, 2017
Sunday evening
Sunday evening 205 miles from Beaufort
For awhile today the wind backed to the south enough for us to sail on a good line to Beaufort Inlet. It was glorious for a few hours. Long enough for us to decide to head for Cape Lookout, Beaufort Inlet and not go to Norfolk. That was fine until some showers came along and the wind stopped. With no wind we started the motor and continued on toward Beaufort. Now, six hours later we are still motoring to Beaufort, and will be for the next two days, or until the wind goes back to something we can sail in. The wind is back up to about 12 knots from the west and we are motoring straight into it at about 3 knots. It will be slow going. The hope is that we will be able to check in at Beaufort Wednesday morning. Whether we are sailing or motoring we still need to deal with the Gulf Stream so we are going south, now that we are motoring we are going a little south, hoping the Stream will whosh us back up to Cape Lookout.
Motor, motor, motor
Bill Doar
motor boat Advent II
For awhile today the wind backed to the south enough for us to sail on a good line to Beaufort Inlet. It was glorious for a few hours. Long enough for us to decide to head for Cape Lookout, Beaufort Inlet and not go to Norfolk. That was fine until some showers came along and the wind stopped. With no wind we started the motor and continued on toward Beaufort. Now, six hours later we are still motoring to Beaufort, and will be for the next two days, or until the wind goes back to something we can sail in. The wind is back up to about 12 knots from the west and we are motoring straight into it at about 3 knots. It will be slow going. The hope is that we will be able to check in at Beaufort Wednesday morning. Whether we are sailing or motoring we still need to deal with the Gulf Stream so we are going south, now that we are motoring we are going a little south, hoping the Stream will whosh us back up to Cape Lookout.
Motor, motor, motor
Bill Doar
motor boat Advent II
Sunday 02:00
I am astounded a the wind shift that has occurred in just one day. It seemed like forever the south-west and west wind made us have to sail to New England. And the best information I have, he GFS wind model, showed it continuing until next Wednesday. It looked that we would make a Virginia landfall, and I was wondering where would be the nest Customs and Immigration office north of there because it was not at all certain that we could even make Virginia. Then the wind shift. Now we are sailing due west or even a little south of west. In the spirit of "a picture is worth 1000 words" look at our track at share.delorme.com/Advent2 and see how we have turned, and where we may end up. When you consider the possibilities remember the big wild card, the Gulf Stream. It will sweep us to he right. Even if this wonderful wind continues there is no certainty that the Gulf Stream will not carry us out past Cape Hatteras.
The web site share.delorme.com/Advent2 gives our track as well as boat speed and direction real time every 10 minutes. Watch it for the next few days and see if we make it.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
The web site share.delorme.com/Advent2 gives our track as well as boat speed and direction real time every 10 minutes. Watch it for the next few days and see if we make it.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Prelim -Sunday 02:00
I am astounded a the wind shift that has occurred in just one day. It seemed like forever the south-west and west wind made us have to sail to New England. And the best information I have, he GFS wind model, showed it continuing until next Wednesday. It looked that we would make a Virginia landfall, and I was wondering where would be the nest Customs and Immigration office north of there because it was not at all certain that we could even make Virginia. Then the wind shift. Now we are sailing due west or even a little south of west. In the spirit of "a picture is worth 1000 words" look at our track at XXXXXXXXXXXX and see how we have turned, and where we may end up. When you consider the possibilities remember the big wild card, the Gulf Stream. It will sweep us to he right. Even if this wonderful wind continues there is no certainty that the Gulf Stream will not carry us out past Cape Hatteras.
The web site XXXXXXXXXXXX gives our track as well as boat speed and direction real time every 10 minutes. Watch it for the next few days and see if we make it.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
The web site XXXXXXXXXXXX gives our track as well as boat speed and direction real time every 10 minutes. Watch it for the next few days and see if we make it.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Saturday afternoon
The wind became steady, and we have had two days of absolutely beautiful sailing. The wind is steady about 15-20, the sky clear blue and the seas comfortable. Instead of bashing, Advent is simply rising to meet the waves and riding over.
The wind is almost steady. It has backed about 20 degrees and now, instead of sailing 300 degrees toward New Jersey we are sailing 280 degrees toward Cape Lookout, about 300 miles away. But I can not get excited about North Carolina. When we cross the Gulf Stream we will be set to the right dramatically. The Gulf Stream flows at about 3 knots. We are only going 4.5 knots so even if we have favorable wind we will quiet likely be swept past Cape Hatteras up to Virginia.
This satellite text messaging service is simply amazing, but not particularly fun. But tonight Jeremiah talked wiht his friend Chuck on the short wave radio. That was fun.
Bill Doar
s/c Adevent II
The wind is almost steady. It has backed about 20 degrees and now, instead of sailing 300 degrees toward New Jersey we are sailing 280 degrees toward Cape Lookout, about 300 miles away. But I can not get excited about North Carolina. When we cross the Gulf Stream we will be set to the right dramatically. The Gulf Stream flows at about 3 knots. We are only going 4.5 knots so even if we have favorable wind we will quiet likely be swept past Cape Hatteras up to Virginia.
This satellite text messaging service is simply amazing, but not particularly fun. But tonight Jeremiah talked wiht his friend Chuck on the short wave radio. That was fun.
Bill Doar
s/c Adevent II
Sat morning 02:00
Jeremiah rings the ship's bell sharply, rousing me from sleep to start the midnight to 04:00 watch. We are sailing close to the wind, the boat bucking off the waves, slapping down dramatically onto and into the next wave. I struggle to move around in the pounding, jerking, lurching environment, the boat heeled sharply over to stbd, making just moving around difficult, much more trying to do something that requires letting go with one hand, like putting on a shirt. I finally get my shoes on, don the safety harness, once again safely manage a cup of coffee, fumble my way up the companionway to stand in the cockpit looking forward over the dodger top.
And it is a transformation! The ocean is even with well formed waves, not rough at all. Wind about 15kts pushing against the sails. Full moon shining between the occasional clouds. Advent is moving gracefully across the ocean's surface, rising on one wave, dropping down the other side to part the next, sending spray out to the sides. The heel, so dramatic belowdecks, feels perfectly normal seeing the motion of the boat in the waves. Advent is competently doing what she does best. She seems to say, "I was made for this. I am happy." I am struck by the black and white beauty of it all. The whiteness of the full moon shimmering on the b lack ocean surface. We are here, living with turmoil and beauty at the same time. Nowhere else exists.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
And it is a transformation! The ocean is even with well formed waves, not rough at all. Wind about 15kts pushing against the sails. Full moon shining between the occasional clouds. Advent is moving gracefully across the ocean's surface, rising on one wave, dropping down the other side to part the next, sending spray out to the sides. The heel, so dramatic belowdecks, feels perfectly normal seeing the motion of the boat in the waves. Advent is competently doing what she does best. She seems to say, "I was made for this. I am happy." I am struck by the black and white beauty of it all. The whiteness of the full moon shimmering on the b lack ocean surface. We are here, living with turmoil and beauty at the same time. Nowhere else exists.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thursday, July 6, 2017
Thursday afternoon 06July
The wind forecast we use offshore is a program called GRIBS, never mind what the letters stand for. The shortwave radio is connected by a modem to the computer, and messages can be send and receive. This is the same system we use for email. I just about stretched the GRIB system to its limit, and tried to figure out what the winds were going to do for the next week. The bad news is that this south-west wind is going to persist. So we have t deal with it. The best I can tell is that we have two choices. One is too go south for two days, get down to where the wind is more from the south, then ride the south and south-west wind for probably six days back up to North Carolina, for a total of eight days. The other choice is to put the south-west wind on the port side and let it take us north of Cape Hatteras to make land somewhere up there. That should take about six days. I decided that it would be better if we headed north because it was two days shorter, even though I would not end up where I wanted to go (to Normandie). From where we were this morning Wilmington was on a bearing of 285 degrees from us. The best we have been able to sail has been about 300 degrees, so based on what we have been able to do we could not make Wilmington. A course of 300 degrees would put us north of Cape Hatteras, but the Gulf Stream would sweep us even farther to the north. But that is the plan, to not sail south, and to make land where ever the wind takes us. So I put the wind on the port side and tried sailing 300 degrees. Not only could I not sail 300 degrees, the boat was actually sailing 360, or straight to Nova Scotia! The wind had veered, and sailing straight north was not a good thing to do. So we tacked , and are now going south southwest, with the best sailing we have had since we left Bermuda.
The west wind that suddenly messed up my plans is forecasted to back around to south-west, and then we will head for Norfolk.
Other than that, it is not really uncomfortable on nboard, and we are catching up on our reading.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
The west wind that suddenly messed up my plans is forecasted to back around to south-west, and then we will head for Norfolk.
Other than that, it is not really uncomfortable on nboard, and we are catching up on our reading.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thursday 06 July 03:00
It is a beautiful night to be sailing on the open ocean. The sea is calm. wind strong enough for good sailing, Stars shining through to moon lit sky. We are sailing comfortably, Advent as clost to the wind as she is able. Track is about 285 degrees, which will take us too far north for North Carolina, but we are still headed towards the New World. Hopefully this south-west wind will back enough to give us a good course. But for tonight we will just relax and enjoy the sailing.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Wednesday, July 5, 2017
Wednesday 05July
Anout noon Wednesday
Early evening yeaterday we sailed out of the pesky thundershowers. The problem was that those showers always mess up the wind, and you never know which way to do what. Also the wind was very light, which doesn't give the boat much control. We motored most of the day just to get somewhere. Well, the showers stopped, the wind settled down, and we had a perfectly beautiful night, stars, and an almost full moon.
Try to follow me now: A modern sailboat can not sail into the wind, but can sail about 45 degrees off the wind, or you might say that it can sail 45 degrees into the wind. Hot shot new boats can sail even closer to the wind than 45 degrees. Adventis not a modern boat, and the best she can do, beating hard, is to sail 50 deggrees off the wind. And that is beating hard, heeling way over, driving into the waves, quite uncomfortable. The is called "Sailing to Weather", and "Gentlemen don't sail to weather." I decided that this will be an easy ktrip, no heroics. There will be no beating into the wind, so I we will not be rying to sail Advent's best, which is 50 degrees. The closests to the wind will be what is called a close reach, which is about 60 degrees off the wind. That means we can sail 60 degrees to the left of the wind, or 60 degrees to the right of the wind. If the wind is blowing from 240 degrees we can sail 240-60 or 180 degrees, straight south. If the wind is blowing from 240 degrees we can sail 24060, or 300 degrees to New York, adding the effect of the Gulf Stream, to Cape Cod.
Well, the gentile 12 knot wind IS blowing from 240 degrees, and veering and backing 40 degrees. We set the boqat up to sail with the wind coming from our left, a port tack, and sail at 300 degrees until we are going 320 degrees to Maine, then we tack, putting the wind coming from our right side, a starbd tack, and sail along at 320-120 or 200 degrees, a little west of straight south. We sail along for maybe an hour and, as the wind backs, the boat slowly goes from 200 to 190 to south to 170, to 160 towards Africa. So we tack again tto sail Towards Norfolk, then Baltimore, to New York. The wind is a bsolutely, exactly coming from the wron direction for where we want to go. It would be easy to sail to Newport RI, where most of the Rally to the Cup went, and it would be easy to sail towartds the Virgin Islands, but not to go th North Carolina. At noon today we are 55nm west of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Bermuda.
That is what is going on. Now a bigger picture. The Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras down to Jacksonville Florida runs in a north-east / south-west direction. (It is hard to realize that Jamaca and most of the Bahamas is west of Cape Hatteras.) Off shore of the Atlantic coast is the Gulf Stream, flowing north-east, faster than we are sailing right now. If we could be sailing straight towards Wilmington at this speed, when we got to the Gulf Stream it would sweep us out past Cape Hatteras. So the plan is to sail south enough to enter thje Gulf Stream about Florida/Geogia and let it sweep us up while we cross through it, and come out of the strong current at North Carolina. Now the best we have been able to do is get straight west of Bermuda. It will really be nice if the wind changes and we can ease south about 100 miles.
Early evening yeaterday we sailed out of the pesky thundershowers. The problem was that those showers always mess up the wind, and you never know which way to do what. Also the wind was very light, which doesn't give the boat much control. We motored most of the day just to get somewhere. Well, the showers stopped, the wind settled down, and we had a perfectly beautiful night, stars, and an almost full moon.
Try to follow me now: A modern sailboat can not sail into the wind, but can sail about 45 degrees off the wind, or you might say that it can sail 45 degrees into the wind. Hot shot new boats can sail even closer to the wind than 45 degrees. Adventis not a modern boat, and the best she can do, beating hard, is to sail 50 deggrees off the wind. And that is beating hard, heeling way over, driving into the waves, quite uncomfortable. The is called "Sailing to Weather", and "Gentlemen don't sail to weather." I decided that this will be an easy ktrip, no heroics. There will be no beating into the wind, so I we will not be rying to sail Advent's best, which is 50 degrees. The closests to the wind will be what is called a close reach, which is about 60 degrees off the wind. That means we can sail 60 degrees to the left of the wind, or 60 degrees to the right of the wind. If the wind is blowing from 240 degrees we can sail 240-60 or 180 degrees, straight south. If the wind is blowing from 240 degrees we can sail 24060, or 300 degrees to New York, adding the effect of the Gulf Stream, to Cape Cod.
Well, the gentile 12 knot wind IS blowing from 240 degrees, and veering and backing 40 degrees. We set the boqat up to sail with the wind coming from our left, a port tack, and sail at 300 degrees until we are going 320 degrees to Maine, then we tack, putting the wind coming from our right side, a starbd tack, and sail along at 320-120 or 200 degrees, a little west of straight south. We sail along for maybe an hour and, as the wind backs, the boat slowly goes from 200 to 190 to south to 170, to 160 towards Africa. So we tack again tto sail Towards Norfolk, then Baltimore, to New York. The wind is a bsolutely, exactly coming from the wron direction for where we want to go. It would be easy to sail to Newport RI, where most of the Rally to the Cup went, and it would be easy to sail towartds the Virgin Islands, but not to go th North Carolina. At noon today we are 55nm west of Gibbs Hill Lighthouse, Bermuda.
That is what is going on. Now a bigger picture. The Atlantic coast from Cape Hatteras down to Jacksonville Florida runs in a north-east / south-west direction. (It is hard to realize that Jamaca and most of the Bahamas is west of Cape Hatteras.) Off shore of the Atlantic coast is the Gulf Stream, flowing north-east, faster than we are sailing right now. If we could be sailing straight towards Wilmington at this speed, when we got to the Gulf Stream it would sweep us out past Cape Hatteras. So the plan is to sail south enough to enter thje Gulf Stream about Florida/Geogia and let it sweep us up while we cross through it, and come out of the strong current at North Carolina. Now the best we have been able to do is get straight west of Bermuda. It will really be nice if the wind changes and we can ease south about 100 miles.
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
Goodby Bermuda - For Real
Tuesday 04 July
There was no mention of American Independence in Bermuda today. I guess they don't appreciate it.
Church Sunday. Even the priest mentioned how hot it was. Of course no air conditioning; windows open and fans. They have been doing it this way in this church since 1610. Woody - It is the oldest church in the western hemisphere! I spent the rest of Sunday getting ready, again to leave. And Monday morning carrying water tow jugs at a time from the boat gasoline station back to the boat. Got everything topped off in for Jeremiah's arrival about 16:00. We went to the boat so he could see what it is like on board, then we went to the market to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. Then it was time for a quick swim, shower, and drinks on the foredeck.
The perfectness of the situation was marred by intermittent showers. Advent doesn't do rain well. The bimini over the cockpit does not provide enough shelter from rain, and below deck, when the hatches are closed is hot and humid. But showers pass. We were up and down, in and out, until an early bed.
This morning went comfortably and smoothly. We squared away the gear, deck jugs, chairs table, etc, folded the dinghy and secured it to the rail, and checked out through customs. Uneventful.
Wind is light from southwest. We want to sail towards the southwest. Don't want to sail east of south, which we would do if we then left. Don't want to sail north of west, which we would do if we turn right. So we motor into light wind and choppy seas. Uncomfortable and frustrating. Frequent showers with wind shifts all over the place. We finally get west of the island, can turn right some and are now sailing slowly approximately towards Happy Birthday United States of America.
This sloppy weather is forecasted to continue tomorrow, but with a little bit more wind. It is really wonderful when the boat is sailing. We just want more of it.
Normandie says that you can watch our progress on the internet at https://share.delorme.com/
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
There was no mention of American Independence in Bermuda today. I guess they don't appreciate it.
Church Sunday. Even the priest mentioned how hot it was. Of course no air conditioning; windows open and fans. They have been doing it this way in this church since 1610. Woody - It is the oldest church in the western hemisphere! I spent the rest of Sunday getting ready, again to leave. And Monday morning carrying water tow jugs at a time from the boat gasoline station back to the boat. Got everything topped off in for Jeremiah's arrival about 16:00. We went to the boat so he could see what it is like on board, then we went to the market to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies. Then it was time for a quick swim, shower, and drinks on the foredeck.
The perfectness of the situation was marred by intermittent showers. Advent doesn't do rain well. The bimini over the cockpit does not provide enough shelter from rain, and below deck, when the hatches are closed is hot and humid. But showers pass. We were up and down, in and out, until an early bed.
This morning went comfortably and smoothly. We squared away the gear, deck jugs, chairs table, etc, folded the dinghy and secured it to the rail, and checked out through customs. Uneventful.
Wind is light from southwest. We want to sail towards the southwest. Don't want to sail east of south, which we would do if we then left. Don't want to sail north of west, which we would do if we turn right. So we motor into light wind and choppy seas. Uncomfortable and frustrating. Frequent showers with wind shifts all over the place. We finally get west of the island, can turn right some and are now sailing slowly approximately towards Happy Birthday United States of America.
This sloppy weather is forecasted to continue tomorrow, but with a little bit more wind. It is really wonderful when the boat is sailing. We just want more of it.
Normandie says that you can watch our progress on the internet at https://share.delorme.com/
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Goodbye Bermuda- Cancel That !
The yucky weather we have been having for the past few days is forecasted to go away Thursday, and i think I will go away too. This has been a excep[tionally wonderful experience. Now it is time to go back home. I spent most of the day, between rain showers, going to get water two jugs at a time. When I got fuel and water topped off I went by the church to see Gilliam Outebridge, the lady who sails a Flicka. One of the first days Will and I were here she came driving her boat through the anchorage and I waved and called her. She told me today that it was a thrill for her, when she was driving among the exotic visiting yachts, to have someone wave and actually call her by name. You never know what little things you do may make somebody smile.
The dinghy is stowed. I will tie the deck jugs tomorrow waiting for Customs and Immigration to open. The trip back should take about six days.
Love to you all.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Several days later.
I have aboard a satellite communicator called inReach. It will send text messages both ways, and has been a game changer for keeping in touch with folks ashore. It usually only takes a few minutes to send a message and get a reply. It is just one of the many things that Normandie has put in my life. I was getting ready to go to Customs to check out when I got a message from Jeremiah Day saying that he might be able to fly out and sail back with me. All departure plans went on hold. The next day while he was sorting out details, I was did routine shipboard stuff. The dinghy was lashed to the rail so I did not go ashore. The day after that his plans were firming up to come so I assembled "Goodness", and went to catch the ferry to The Royal Dockyard.
The Royal Dockyard in English Harbour, Antigua, has fascinated me every time I get there. It is where the British Navy reworked and resupplied their Caribbean fleet. The Dockyard here is much larger, maybe five times bigger. But Captain jack Aubry never has any adventure in Bermuda. The reason is that the British were occupied with conflicts with Spain and France, and Bermuda was secured close to their colonies in America so the French and Spanish were not interested in it. As a matter of fact, Bermuda is named for the Spaniard who discovered it, Bermudez, and Spain claimed it. For a hundred years only ship-wrecked sailors lived here until they were rescued. Then the ship "Sea Venture", a resupply ship to the Jamestown colony, in a hurricane wrecked on the reef, with no loss of life. The sailors went to work building two smaller ships using lumber from the wreck of Sea Venture. Ten months later they sailed on to Jamestown, leaving two deserters, who were later pardoned. (They sailed under the command of Captain Christopher Newport. In Newport News Virginia there is a Christopher Newport Collage. I wonder where the name Newport News came from?) When news of the shipwreck and the self rescue got back to London it caused a sensation, and some say that Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" is based on the story. London then got interested in Bermuda, and two years later colonized it. Spain objected but didn't challenge, and it became de facto British. Nobody was interested because basically nothing is here. Wars were fought in the Caribbean over sugar and tobacco, but Bermuda escaped all that. All of O'Brien's stories are based on actual Naval actions, and Jack Aubry had no reason to come here.
Bermuda has great natural defenses; a reef is around 2/3 of the island, only the south side is exposed to the open ocean. There is one passage through the reef. The reefs kept enemy ships far out of canon range. After the US Revoulation Britain became concerned that the UWS would want Bermuda and started seriously fortifying it. Then after the US Un-Civil War the range of naval guns increased to the point that ships could stand off the reef and fire into the island. More fortifications. During WWI the island just bristled with forts with guns pointed in all directions. All this was successful I suppose because Bermuda has neverf been attacked. These old forts are now everywhere. Some are tourist attractions, some abandoned and overgrown, some useful structures. My favorite is on top of the hill overlooking St Georges, and all of Bermuda. It is the nerve center for controlling all vessel movement in the controlled navigation area, Bermuda Radio. I visited it on a previous visit. It is a little, classic fort, complete with mote and drawbridge. Four preserved guns, one on each corner. Inside the mote is a not very large three story building, its walls dropping straight down into the mote. Windows all around and bristling with electronics. The ever present all seeing guardian looking over us.
This weekend is a celebration of the Portuguese heritage, mostly from the Azores! I am a long way from New Bedford, but the whalers influenced the populations everywhere they went. There are stages set up with lots of open food stations and decorations. I love these celebrations for the local people, not tourists.
I keep seeing the Town Crier, a man in costume with a bell. They have a reenactment of the town dunking stool. A woman is accused, he puts her on the stool, and a group of tourists wheel the see-saw contraption to the edge of the water, let go their end, and down she goes! I later spent some time talking with the Crier and he filled me in on some history details. He is a descendant of one of the deserters who remained when the rest sailed for Jamestown. He is also the treasurer at church. With him was his "dunkee" the woman in the dunking stool, with wet hair. Their discussion was about where he was going to leave the church bulletins so she could pick them up. Small Town.
Jeremiah will arrive Monday and we will sail after that, weather permitting.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
I would rather be in a boat with a drink on the rocks,
Than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
The dinghy is stowed. I will tie the deck jugs tomorrow waiting for Customs and Immigration to open. The trip back should take about six days.
Love to you all.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Several days later.
I have aboard a satellite communicator called inReach. It will send text messages both ways, and has been a game changer for keeping in touch with folks ashore. It usually only takes a few minutes to send a message and get a reply. It is just one of the many things that Normandie has put in my life. I was getting ready to go to Customs to check out when I got a message from Jeremiah Day saying that he might be able to fly out and sail back with me. All departure plans went on hold. The next day while he was sorting out details, I was did routine shipboard stuff. The dinghy was lashed to the rail so I did not go ashore. The day after that his plans were firming up to come so I assembled "Goodness", and went to catch the ferry to The Royal Dockyard.
The Royal Dockyard in English Harbour, Antigua, has fascinated me every time I get there. It is where the British Navy reworked and resupplied their Caribbean fleet. The Dockyard here is much larger, maybe five times bigger. But Captain jack Aubry never has any adventure in Bermuda. The reason is that the British were occupied with conflicts with Spain and France, and Bermuda was secured close to their colonies in America so the French and Spanish were not interested in it. As a matter of fact, Bermuda is named for the Spaniard who discovered it, Bermudez, and Spain claimed it. For a hundred years only ship-wrecked sailors lived here until they were rescued. Then the ship "Sea Venture", a resupply ship to the Jamestown colony, in a hurricane wrecked on the reef, with no loss of life. The sailors went to work building two smaller ships using lumber from the wreck of Sea Venture. Ten months later they sailed on to Jamestown, leaving two deserters, who were later pardoned. (They sailed under the command of Captain Christopher Newport. In Newport News Virginia there is a Christopher Newport Collage. I wonder where the name Newport News came from?) When news of the shipwreck and the self rescue got back to London it caused a sensation, and some say that Shakespeare's play "The Tempest" is based on the story. London then got interested in Bermuda, and two years later colonized it. Spain objected but didn't challenge, and it became de facto British. Nobody was interested because basically nothing is here. Wars were fought in the Caribbean over sugar and tobacco, but Bermuda escaped all that. All of O'Brien's stories are based on actual Naval actions, and Jack Aubry had no reason to come here.
Bermuda has great natural defenses; a reef is around 2/3 of the island, only the south side is exposed to the open ocean. There is one passage through the reef. The reefs kept enemy ships far out of canon range. After the US Revoulation Britain became concerned that the UWS would want Bermuda and started seriously fortifying it. Then after the US Un-Civil War the range of naval guns increased to the point that ships could stand off the reef and fire into the island. More fortifications. During WWI the island just bristled with forts with guns pointed in all directions. All this was successful I suppose because Bermuda has neverf been attacked. These old forts are now everywhere. Some are tourist attractions, some abandoned and overgrown, some useful structures. My favorite is on top of the hill overlooking St Georges, and all of Bermuda. It is the nerve center for controlling all vessel movement in the controlled navigation area, Bermuda Radio. I visited it on a previous visit. It is a little, classic fort, complete with mote and drawbridge. Four preserved guns, one on each corner. Inside the mote is a not very large three story building, its walls dropping straight down into the mote. Windows all around and bristling with electronics. The ever present all seeing guardian looking over us.
This weekend is a celebration of the Portuguese heritage, mostly from the Azores! I am a long way from New Bedford, but the whalers influenced the populations everywhere they went. There are stages set up with lots of open food stations and decorations. I love these celebrations for the local people, not tourists.
I keep seeing the Town Crier, a man in costume with a bell. They have a reenactment of the town dunking stool. A woman is accused, he puts her on the stool, and a group of tourists wheel the see-saw contraption to the edge of the water, let go their end, and down she goes! I later spent some time talking with the Crier and he filled me in on some history details. He is a descendant of one of the deserters who remained when the rest sailed for Jamestown. He is also the treasurer at church. With him was his "dunkee" the woman in the dunking stool, with wet hair. Their discussion was about where he was going to leave the church bulletins so she could pick them up. Small Town.
Jeremiah will arrive Monday and we will sail after that, weather permitting.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
I would rather be in a boat with a drink on the rocks,
Than in the drink with a boat on the rocks.
Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Personnel Change
Lindsay came to me from The landing School in Maine, a mecca of sorts for boat people, where she was just finishing a program in Marine Systems. She has a boating background, and now the academic training. What she wants is to learn what it is really like, and to get out there and start doing it. She saw that she could sail back from Bermuda with me. . . . . and . . . .she caught an airplane to Bermuda and she came aboard last week. Something I really want is to pass on some of the knowledge and experience that I have gained over years on the water, and to share with someone else the adventures, big and small, that I experience. She wants to get experience, and to know what the adventure is all about. We made a good match. For the past week I have been putting her in situations where she was learning about the boat, me, the marine arts, and the boating community. She has become competent and independent in the dinghy. She is an excellent person to have on board. She is also observant, wants to learn, and comfortable to share close quarters with. She is from Minnesota, and commented once that she was shy and not an outgoing person. So she came on board. I took her to the Rally to the Cup social gatherings and encouraged her to get to know the other people here. She is not shy anymore, at least not with boat people. What she has discovered- - - is other women. That realization, and those friendships with other sailing women, has changed her goals and expectations.
Today she is with a woman crew aboard Avocation, and this evening having dinner with two other women in the fleet. And what she has realized is that she does not have to suffer the discomfort, hardship and indignities of being jammed into a small boat with a man she doesn't know, but she can be on a more comfortable boat, and in the company of an experienced woman. So Lindsay is not going to sail back to the US with me, she is following her own direction, and sailing for Antigua. Fair well and good sailing Lindsay. I have lost someone with whom I can share an adventure, but she has gained a new life.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Today she is with a woman crew aboard Avocation, and this evening having dinner with two other women in the fleet. And what she has realized is that she does not have to suffer the discomfort, hardship and indignities of being jammed into a small boat with a man she doesn't know, but she can be on a more comfortable boat, and in the company of an experienced woman. So Lindsay is not going to sail back to the US with me, she is following her own direction, and sailing for Antigua. Fair well and good sailing Lindsay. I have lost someone with whom I can share an adventure, but she has gained a new life.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Weekly catch-up Thursday 22June
Bermuda is the shape of a fish hook, with the eye at the upper right, the shank 45 degrees down to the left, the hook part curving up to the upper left where the barb would be. The capital is in the middle, the Dockyard and America's Cup Village is at the barb. Where I am, St Georges, is at the eye of the hook. All vessels large and small must enter from the sea at the opening in the reef at St Georges. All small boats, up to about 100 feet long, must go through Town Cut into St Georges Harbour, and check in. Large cruise ships enter at St Georges but go north outside the island but inside the reef to the Dockyard or Hamilton. There is a lot of boat traffic in St Georges and it all goes through the slice in the rock called Town Cut. It is so narrow the Harbour Ops stops all in and out traffic if a big boat is passing. Normandie calls this a boaty place. One day last week it was really boaty. Will and I are part of Rally to the Cup but we left early. The rest of the fleet, 35 boats, arrived Thursday. They were coming in past where we are anchored, at about five an hour. In the middle of this, all the boats in the return leg of the Marian-to-Bermuda 1,2 Race, about 30 boats, had their start in the western end of St Georges and were racing out through the cut, spinnakers flying, or flopping down into the water as the fickle wind in Town Cut would have it. So the racing boats were going out and the cruising boats coming in, and the ferries ploughing through the middle of them, the mega-yachts returning from their race, the pilot boat going and coming, local sport fishing boats, and to top it off, a J-Boat made her stately way in, spent some time in the harbour, then glided back out, pulling an inflatable dinghy of all things, a little inflatable, just like the kind I would have! For a few hours Will and I just gazed at the ever changing spectacle. You want boats? We had boats.
We figured out how to see the Anerica's Cup Races. The challenge was buying the tickets for the ferry and the event, and how to get the tickets, either a paper copy (we have no printer) or an electronic copy. I give Normandie in so many ways for making this trip successful. She had sent with us an ipad tablet, which I had no idea how to operate and Will had some knowledge. Once the Rally to the Cup folks got here we gained access to the Dinghy Club, and with their internet and wifi Will fumbled around enough, with the help of a laptop computer, so we could buy tickets, and taking the tablet with us could show the electronic copy for admission. I go into detail about all this because it was far-an-away the biggest challenge we have had to overcome. Go to americascup.com and see a picture of the village. It is really like that. Masses of people, and they were prepared for it. I think everybody in Bermuda has a part in making everything work. And I think they all have been coached at being nice. Bermuda has exceptionally nice, polite, welcoming people. Something that impressed us is how many children are there. Lots of families. Children everywhere. They have playgrounds set up for the children. Lots of food stalls, even have mist generators like large hoops you can walk through and get cool. If you look at the picture of The Village on the internet you will see that there are tow breakwaters that come to a point. On the far right is where the mega-yachts dock. On the far left is the admittance gate and security (similar to at an airport). About half way between the gate on the left and the point of the breakwaters is the grandstand. For Will's birthday Cotton gave us tickets to the grandstand for the challenge races. The America's Cup grandstand seats are sold out. Look to the right of the grandstand past things that are umbrellas, past a white square building, and there is a space (where the rocks in the water are). That is where Will and I can watch the race. The big building on the point is the official AC Building for special people, and on the outside wall facing us is a really big TV Screen. So we can look at the screen to see what you see on TV (minus the commercials) and look out and see the live action. They move the race course, and the finish line, to suit wind conditions, and the finish line is really much closer than shows in the picture. Ant that is what makes being there and seeing it live such a spectacular experience. The boats come flying across the finish line and have about 50 yards, right in front of us. to wheel about, kill their speed, and miss all the committee and press boats gathered. It is simply jaw dropping! The challenge races were close contests and heart stopping. The AC races between USA and New Zealand have not been close so far, but just the spectacle of those boats in action makes it a once in a lifetime experience. And just because NZ has won the first races doesn't mean USA is out. At the last races in San Francisco New Zealand won the first eight races. They needed one more to win The Cup. Then USA got better and better, and won the next nine races. It an't over till it's over. Normandie said that the races are televised on NBC Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 - 2:30. And I am there!
Last year Normandie bought for me a sunscreen shirt that is like long-underware top, except that, amazingly, it is cool! I wear it and a floppy hat and I am protected from the sun. I can walk through the mist generator, or wet the shirt with my water bottle, and the heat is not a problem. That is a breakthrough in comfort, and safety. All around there are water dispensing booths where you stick your bottle in and a stream of water flows, filling your bottle. I have a hip sack with water, camera and tablet, and I am ready for anything.
Yesterday evening the Rally to the Cup people had a Gosling Rum tasting event at the Dinghy Club where they put a sip of either Gold or Black Seal in a little plastic cup, and you could decide which you like best. And in case you had trouble deciding you could go back and get another sip to make sure. And then when you decided you could get some more to confirm your decision. Great get together! And then we had a display of Bermuda Gombay dancing. And that was also amazing, and totally unexpected! Wild traditional costumes, really tall feathers from their heads, wild dancing to loud drumbeat music. And it was jaw-dropping! All I can say is that I hope what is on the internet gives just a glimpse of what it was like.
On Monday Will's time here came to an end. His airplane was to leave at 3:300. At 1:30 we went to the dinghy dock and said our good byes. I get choked up just trying to write about it. It was a wonderful, absolutely priceless experience. God bless you, Will. I can not express how proud I am of you.
Tuesday I was coming back from the Dinghy Club when a man on a boat motioned me over. His dinghy gasoline was bad and he needed some fresh gasoline. No worries, I buzzed over to the gasoline station and got him 2 gallons (for $18.00) That solved his problem, and I ended up spending the evening with them. I may not get the name right, but they were members of SOS, Singles out Sailing, from somewhere in New England. Will met a woman who is crew on a Canadian boat who knew sigh language. In church, on a previous trip, I met Gillian Outerbridge, who sails a 20' Pacific Seacraft Flicka. She has it shipped to the US and singlehands it up and down the coast, all around New England, the New York lakes, etc. As it turns out she is the Church Administrator so I went by to see her today. She came motoring around the anchorage last week, I waved her over and we became reacquainted. She has written a book about her travels: Going About, a Waterway Adventure. My point is, Ladies, don't let the guys have all the fun. All it takes is saying "Yes".
Will and I were surprized at how cool the water is here. Every evening Will would jump in for a swim before his shower but I did not want the experience. Day before yesterday I dropped a thermometer in so I had a number to write about, and was surprized that it was 82 degrees! Will, you have been holding out on me! So I jumped in and splashed around a bit. (I love it.) I looked at the botom of the boat, and there are barnacles just starting. I am glad I found them before they got big enough to be hard to remove. Yesterday morning the wind was calm so I rigged the hookah air pump that has a scuba mouthpiece, so I could go under the boat and clean the bottom. What I do is take a 3M scratchy pad and rub off the barnacles, and the outer layer of anti-fouling paint that has lost its effectiveness. In doing so the paint is "refreshed", and stops future growth. I start by running six ropes from side to side under the boat. I hang on to these ropes for support, and use them to pull me down deeper under the boat. Yesterday I got the six ropes run, and got about 1/4 of the bottom refreshed. I stopped out of caution because I was exerting a lot of effort and did not want to over do it. The ropes remain in place and the hookah is set up, so when the water settled down I will go down and do some more.
The wind is down and it is not too choppy. I think I will rig the Hookah, get in the water, and have a refreshing swim.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
We figured out how to see the Anerica's Cup Races. The challenge was buying the tickets for the ferry and the event, and how to get the tickets, either a paper copy (we have no printer) or an electronic copy. I give Normandie in so many ways for making this trip successful. She had sent with us an ipad tablet, which I had no idea how to operate and Will had some knowledge. Once the Rally to the Cup folks got here we gained access to the Dinghy Club, and with their internet and wifi Will fumbled around enough, with the help of a laptop computer, so we could buy tickets, and taking the tablet with us could show the electronic copy for admission. I go into detail about all this because it was far-an-away the biggest challenge we have had to overcome. Go to americascup.com and see a picture of the village. It is really like that. Masses of people, and they were prepared for it. I think everybody in Bermuda has a part in making everything work. And I think they all have been coached at being nice. Bermuda has exceptionally nice, polite, welcoming people. Something that impressed us is how many children are there. Lots of families. Children everywhere. They have playgrounds set up for the children. Lots of food stalls, even have mist generators like large hoops you can walk through and get cool. If you look at the picture of The Village on the internet you will see that there are tow breakwaters that come to a point. On the far right is where the mega-yachts dock. On the far left is the admittance gate and security (similar to at an airport). About half way between the gate on the left and the point of the breakwaters is the grandstand. For Will's birthday Cotton gave us tickets to the grandstand for the challenge races. The America's Cup grandstand seats are sold out. Look to the right of the grandstand past things that are umbrellas, past a white square building, and there is a space (where the rocks in the water are). That is where Will and I can watch the race. The big building on the point is the official AC Building for special people, and on the outside wall facing us is a really big TV Screen. So we can look at the screen to see what you see on TV (minus the commercials) and look out and see the live action. They move the race course, and the finish line, to suit wind conditions, and the finish line is really much closer than shows in the picture. Ant that is what makes being there and seeing it live such a spectacular experience. The boats come flying across the finish line and have about 50 yards, right in front of us. to wheel about, kill their speed, and miss all the committee and press boats gathered. It is simply jaw dropping! The challenge races were close contests and heart stopping. The AC races between USA and New Zealand have not been close so far, but just the spectacle of those boats in action makes it a once in a lifetime experience. And just because NZ has won the first races doesn't mean USA is out. At the last races in San Francisco New Zealand won the first eight races. They needed one more to win The Cup. Then USA got better and better, and won the next nine races. It an't over till it's over. Normandie said that the races are televised on NBC Saturday and Sunday, 1:00 - 2:30. And I am there!
Last year Normandie bought for me a sunscreen shirt that is like long-underware top, except that, amazingly, it is cool! I wear it and a floppy hat and I am protected from the sun. I can walk through the mist generator, or wet the shirt with my water bottle, and the heat is not a problem. That is a breakthrough in comfort, and safety. All around there are water dispensing booths where you stick your bottle in and a stream of water flows, filling your bottle. I have a hip sack with water, camera and tablet, and I am ready for anything.
Yesterday evening the Rally to the Cup people had a Gosling Rum tasting event at the Dinghy Club where they put a sip of either Gold or Black Seal in a little plastic cup, and you could decide which you like best. And in case you had trouble deciding you could go back and get another sip to make sure. And then when you decided you could get some more to confirm your decision. Great get together! And then we had a display of Bermuda Gombay dancing. And that was also amazing, and totally unexpected! Wild traditional costumes, really tall feathers from their heads, wild dancing to loud drumbeat music. And it was jaw-dropping! All I can say is that I hope what is on the internet gives just a glimpse of what it was like.
On Monday Will's time here came to an end. His airplane was to leave at 3:300. At 1:30 we went to the dinghy dock and said our good byes. I get choked up just trying to write about it. It was a wonderful, absolutely priceless experience. God bless you, Will. I can not express how proud I am of you.
Tuesday I was coming back from the Dinghy Club when a man on a boat motioned me over. His dinghy gasoline was bad and he needed some fresh gasoline. No worries, I buzzed over to the gasoline station and got him 2 gallons (for $18.00) That solved his problem, and I ended up spending the evening with them. I may not get the name right, but they were members of SOS, Singles out Sailing, from somewhere in New England. Will met a woman who is crew on a Canadian boat who knew sigh language. In church, on a previous trip, I met Gillian Outerbridge, who sails a 20' Pacific Seacraft Flicka. She has it shipped to the US and singlehands it up and down the coast, all around New England, the New York lakes, etc. As it turns out she is the Church Administrator so I went by to see her today. She came motoring around the anchorage last week, I waved her over and we became reacquainted. She has written a book about her travels: Going About, a Waterway Adventure. My point is, Ladies, don't let the guys have all the fun. All it takes is saying "Yes".
Will and I were surprized at how cool the water is here. Every evening Will would jump in for a swim before his shower but I did not want the experience. Day before yesterday I dropped a thermometer in so I had a number to write about, and was surprized that it was 82 degrees! Will, you have been holding out on me! So I jumped in and splashed around a bit. (I love it.) I looked at the botom of the boat, and there are barnacles just starting. I am glad I found them before they got big enough to be hard to remove. Yesterday morning the wind was calm so I rigged the hookah air pump that has a scuba mouthpiece, so I could go under the boat and clean the bottom. What I do is take a 3M scratchy pad and rub off the barnacles, and the outer layer of anti-fouling paint that has lost its effectiveness. In doing so the paint is "refreshed", and stops future growth. I start by running six ropes from side to side under the boat. I hang on to these ropes for support, and use them to pull me down deeper under the boat. Yesterday I got the six ropes run, and got about 1/4 of the bottom refreshed. I stopped out of caution because I was exerting a lot of effort and did not want to over do it. The ropes remain in place and the hookah is set up, so when the water settled down I will go down and do some more.
The wind is down and it is not too choppy. I think I will rig the Hookah, get in the water, and have a refreshing swim.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Monday
Normandie had pre purchased ferry tickets for Sat and Sunday, and had bought us tickets for the races on Monday, but we did not have ferry tickets to get there, and as it turns out, there is no way to buy tickets except on the internet. We did not have internet to buy the tickets, and if we could buy them there was np way to print them to take them to the ferry. Things don't open here until 10:00, and while we were fumbling around going from hither to yon trying to find out how to get ferry tickets, the commuter ferry came and left. This is what we eventually determined: There are two ferrys, the regular commuter ferry that takes bus tokens, and a special ferry just for America's Cup folks. The AC ferry goes to the America's Cup Village, the commuter ferry goes to a ferry landing about a mile away, at the Dockyard. By the time we learned the rules both ferrys had come and gone. But in spite of our tribulations we had a delightful 1.5 hour bus ride out to the Village, and got there early enough to get good seats in the grandstands, directly behind the broadcast booth.
Have I mentioned a cold front? it is now an occluded front from Florida, right across Bermuda. The weather forecast calls the weather "unsettled". New Zealand needed one more win to become the challenger. The race started in about 12 knots of wind. (In 12 knots of wind the boats can go 45 mph!)And the wind started dying. By the third leg NZ was ahead, and the boats were going about 15 knots in 5 knots of wind. Then the boats were not going fast enough to stay up on the foils and they dropped down into the water. It became an old fashioned light air sailboat race, at about 3 mph. The crew was doing things like holding the "sails" out with their hands to catch that little bit of wind. I found it exciting, and lots of fun. Then there was the only disapproval I have heard since being in the delightful community, boo-ing. They stopped the race due to no wind. BOO- BOO-!
New Zealand was ahead, and the race was stopped, just like the race in 2014 when Team US won The Cup.
We milled about, enjoying the people and the experience, seems that there was rain involved in this, and then and hour or so later the wind picked back up and they started the second race. Now it is history, NZ won the race in a near perfect performance, making them the challenger to race the US Boat in the America's Cup Race. I think it will be best 5 out of 9, scheduled for the next two weekends.
The one mile walk to the commuter ferry, and a delightful ride back to St George's. On the way Will met the couple sitting beside us, delightful people from Australia, Ocean Cruising Club members, who had just bought a boat in Newport, and this was the first of their cruising the US east coast. (sailing back to US from here.)
Back to the boat and the dark 'n stormy evening, still not knowing how to buy ferry tickets.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Have I mentioned a cold front? it is now an occluded front from Florida, right across Bermuda. The weather forecast calls the weather "unsettled". New Zealand needed one more win to become the challenger. The race started in about 12 knots of wind. (In 12 knots of wind the boats can go 45 mph!)And the wind started dying. By the third leg NZ was ahead, and the boats were going about 15 knots in 5 knots of wind. Then the boats were not going fast enough to stay up on the foils and they dropped down into the water. It became an old fashioned light air sailboat race, at about 3 mph. The crew was doing things like holding the "sails" out with their hands to catch that little bit of wind. I found it exciting, and lots of fun. Then there was the only disapproval I have heard since being in the delightful community, boo-ing. They stopped the race due to no wind. BOO- BOO-!
New Zealand was ahead, and the race was stopped, just like the race in 2014 when Team US won The Cup.
We milled about, enjoying the people and the experience, seems that there was rain involved in this, and then and hour or so later the wind picked back up and they started the second race. Now it is history, NZ won the race in a near perfect performance, making them the challenger to race the US Boat in the America's Cup Race. I think it will be best 5 out of 9, scheduled for the next two weekends.
The one mile walk to the commuter ferry, and a delightful ride back to St George's. On the way Will met the couple sitting beside us, delightful people from Australia, Ocean Cruising Club members, who had just bought a boat in Newport, and this was the first of their cruising the US east coast. (sailing back to US from here.)
Back to the boat and the dark 'n stormy evening, still not knowing how to buy ferry tickets.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Sunday
Sunday morning. Rain. And wind. And we were groggy. Now I did what I should have done earlier and looked at the tickets that Normandie had accumulated for us. It was that that I realized that Normandie had bought ferry tickets for the 10:00 ferry, and it was just pulling away. No problem, the tickets only cost $5 so we will buy tickets for the 12:30 ferry. In the rain we learned that nothing can be bought on Sunday, not even bus tokens. Two soggy sailors were beginning to panic. We had grandstand tickets and no way to get there. In desperation we walked in the rain to the ferry terminal at 12:00 to see if we could get tickets. Nobody there. The ferry arrived and other soggy sailing enthusiasts started boarding, tickets in hand. We got in line, showed our 10:00 tickets to the attendant, and I could have kissed him. The ferry was not full, and he welcomed us aboard. Huge soggy sigh of relief. We settled in starboard seats, and realized that the island was on our port, and all we could see was ocean, we could not see the coastline of Bermuda as we traveled. Of course there were comments about the desirability of being POSH: port out, starboard home.
And then we saw them. J Boats. Not 1/4 mile away. Not racing but going through their paces. Hard upwind, heeling at 30 degrees, downwind with huge spinnakers. This display of beauty was worth the hardships. Look them up. J Boats. These were the boats that Sir Thomas Lipton sailed against Cornelius Vanderbilt for the America's Cup in the 30's. This is the first time all existing J Boats have ever sailed against each other. The sight was simply amazing.
We left the magnificent creations of the past in the wake of the high speed ferry, and soon we landed at The America's Cup Village, and the tension and excitement of the international spectators was strong. The races that determined the challenger had been in progress for a few weeks and it was down to two boats, Sweden and New Zealand. We were late arriving so the part of the grandstand seats sheltered from the rain was full and we sat in the dwindling rain, but the wind was still blowing, and the boats were on the course preparing for the start. And they really do look just like on TV, except in real life the speed they are going really is felt. This is a real spectacle. These boats are real, not some computer generated fantasy.
For those of you who did not see it on tv, Sweden won the first of three and New Zealand won the 2nd and 3rd. The races were close, high speed competition. Very exciting. The last race was somewhat of an exception with NZ having an ever lengthening lead. NZ was several hundred meters ahead, sailing up on the foils at 40 mph, 1/4 mile from the finish line heading for a sure victory, when a major mess -up occurred, They almost hit a buoy) and they went dead in the water. Fighting to get back up and foiling again the Sweden boat caught up to them at the finish line. The finish line is right in front of the grandstand, and the grandstand was pandemonium. New Zealand won by 1/3 boat length at 40 mph. Gosh golly.
If NZ had won all three races they would have been the challengers for the cup. But since they lost one of the races the deciding races would be run the next day, Monday.
Will and I happily got on the ferry, for a most enjoyable ride back to St Georges. On the way Will started talking with the couple beside us. The man is a geologist with a local research station. They had a lot to talk about. Small World.
Back on the boat, showers, and Dark 'n Stormy.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
And then we saw them. J Boats. Not 1/4 mile away. Not racing but going through their paces. Hard upwind, heeling at 30 degrees, downwind with huge spinnakers. This display of beauty was worth the hardships. Look them up. J Boats. These were the boats that Sir Thomas Lipton sailed against Cornelius Vanderbilt for the America's Cup in the 30's. This is the first time all existing J Boats have ever sailed against each other. The sight was simply amazing.
We left the magnificent creations of the past in the wake of the high speed ferry, and soon we landed at The America's Cup Village, and the tension and excitement of the international spectators was strong. The races that determined the challenger had been in progress for a few weeks and it was down to two boats, Sweden and New Zealand. We were late arriving so the part of the grandstand seats sheltered from the rain was full and we sat in the dwindling rain, but the wind was still blowing, and the boats were on the course preparing for the start. And they really do look just like on TV, except in real life the speed they are going really is felt. This is a real spectacle. These boats are real, not some computer generated fantasy.
For those of you who did not see it on tv, Sweden won the first of three and New Zealand won the 2nd and 3rd. The races were close, high speed competition. Very exciting. The last race was somewhat of an exception with NZ having an ever lengthening lead. NZ was several hundred meters ahead, sailing up on the foils at 40 mph, 1/4 mile from the finish line heading for a sure victory, when a major mess -up occurred, They almost hit a buoy) and they went dead in the water. Fighting to get back up and foiling again the Sweden boat caught up to them at the finish line. The finish line is right in front of the grandstand, and the grandstand was pandemonium. New Zealand won by 1/3 boat length at 40 mph. Gosh golly.
If NZ had won all three races they would have been the challengers for the cup. But since they lost one of the races the deciding races would be run the next day, Monday.
Will and I happily got on the ferry, for a most enjoyable ride back to St Georges. On the way Will started talking with the couple beside us. The man is a geologist with a local research station. They had a lot to talk about. Small World.
Back on the boat, showers, and Dark 'n Stormy.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Monday, June 12, 2017
Saturday
Part of the reason to depart when we did was because a cold front was forecasted to cross eastern US a few days behind us. sweep out about 1/3 of the way to Bermuda, stall, and dissipate as a warm front. Everything went as forecasted except that it didn't stall, it kept coming, right behind us all the way. It was the reason we had the strong winds. "Marine Synopsis - A low pressure system passing to the northwest will induce moderate to strong winds through Saturday evening while a cold front nears Bermuda. The front will stall in the vicinity, decreasing the winds and impart showers through the weekend, before dissipating on Monday. "So that front, after chasing us for a week, has caught us, and will sit on us for awhile. After five days of 20-30 knots, it is now calm, no wind, and raining.
We had wanted to arrive just at daybreak before customs opened, anchor, make the dinghy, then go to customs after we organized. Strong wind and we were making our schedule when Bermuda Radio called us and told us to delay arrival at the sea bouy until 06:00 when a cruise ship was arriving. So we slowed down, the second largest cruise ship in the world, "Festival of the Seas", arrived, and we followd her in, were directed to the Customs Dock, where we made fast to land. An hour later were anchored in Convict Bay, asleep.
Sleep, wonderful sleep. Both of us awoke about noon, groggy and fuzzy. Some straightening up, and a shower (hot water because the engine had been running.) We decided to take a bus ride from St Georges at the north east end of the island, around the fish hook shaped island to the dockyard and cup village at the north west end. When you have plenty of time, and want to see Bermuda, the bus is a great ride. If you want to get to the America's Cup Village, it takes a long time and you see a lot of Bermuda. In the middle of the ride there is a transfer to another bus route we had to figured out. A note is that there is no public service on Bermuda that you can pay for at the location of the service. You can't pay the driver; you must buy tokens at a ticket office. So far we had figured out how to buy tickets and how to transfer.
We made it to the village about the time people were leaving after the Saturday race. A few weeks ago Normandie had bought tickets to get into the village, and we had printed copies, so getting in was not an issue. The village is just like it is on TV, or when you go to Americascup.com. And the boats were there. You could see them, and once again they are just like on TV. I was totally impressed. This is the real thing. Cotton had bought for us grandstand tickets for Sunday so we knew we were coming back. Both of us were exhausted so we did not stay long, then stumbled back to the bus stop for the interminably long ride back to St Georges.
After a passage filled with weather, we had made it to Bermuda, and the America's Cup Races.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
We had wanted to arrive just at daybreak before customs opened, anchor, make the dinghy, then go to customs after we organized. Strong wind and we were making our schedule when Bermuda Radio called us and told us to delay arrival at the sea bouy until 06:00 when a cruise ship was arriving. So we slowed down, the second largest cruise ship in the world, "Festival of the Seas", arrived, and we followd her in, were directed to the Customs Dock, where we made fast to land. An hour later were anchored in Convict Bay, asleep.
Sleep, wonderful sleep. Both of us awoke about noon, groggy and fuzzy. Some straightening up, and a shower (hot water because the engine had been running.) We decided to take a bus ride from St Georges at the north east end of the island, around the fish hook shaped island to the dockyard and cup village at the north west end. When you have plenty of time, and want to see Bermuda, the bus is a great ride. If you want to get to the America's Cup Village, it takes a long time and you see a lot of Bermuda. In the middle of the ride there is a transfer to another bus route we had to figured out. A note is that there is no public service on Bermuda that you can pay for at the location of the service. You can't pay the driver; you must buy tokens at a ticket office. So far we had figured out how to buy tickets and how to transfer.
We made it to the village about the time people were leaving after the Saturday race. A few weeks ago Normandie had bought tickets to get into the village, and we had printed copies, so getting in was not an issue. The village is just like it is on TV, or when you go to Americascup.com. And the boats were there. You could see them, and once again they are just like on TV. I was totally impressed. This is the real thing. Cotton had bought for us grandstand tickets for Sunday so we knew we were coming back. Both of us were exhausted so we did not stay long, then stumbled back to the bus stop for the interminably long ride back to St Georges.
After a passage filled with weather, we had made it to Bermuda, and the America's Cup Races.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Saturday, June 10, 2017
Landfall
There is something that only poetry can describe about landfall after a a sea voyage; after the hardships, and joys of the voyage, being totally isolated and self sufficient. Your existence has been concentrated down to the boat and your shipmates, while at the same time you have experienced the wind, the sea, the stars, the universe. Now there is land, your destination. Soon you will be safe, never a certainty at sea. This voyage has been successful. I have done it one more time, never a certainty.
And then there is the lighthouse. Gibbs Hill Light stands 354 feet over the Atlantic, its rotating beam sweeping the horizon, the land, the sea. "I am here. You can trust me," it says. It memorizes me. It welcomes me. I just sit in the cockpit and watch it, swish, swish. Each time, its rotating the beam of light seems to cleanse whatever it sweeps. As if to say "Your sins are forgiven". It is very comforting to have the lighthouse beam shining out, over my head and reaching out over the ocean. This voyage has been successful. I have done it one more time, never a certainty.
And what a voyage it was. Three superlatives: The longest duration I have ever been in sustained gale or near-gale wind, the longest noon to noon distance of 167 nautical miles, and the first time I have seen Advent's speed at 9 knots. Yes, it has been windy. And wet, mostly from spray. Soon we will be in the land of ice, hot showers, and laundry-mats.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
And then there is the lighthouse. Gibbs Hill Light stands 354 feet over the Atlantic, its rotating beam sweeping the horizon, the land, the sea. "I am here. You can trust me," it says. It memorizes me. It welcomes me. I just sit in the cockpit and watch it, swish, swish. Each time, its rotating the beam of light seems to cleanse whatever it sweeps. As if to say "Your sins are forgiven". It is very comforting to have the lighthouse beam shining out, over my head and reaching out over the ocean. This voyage has been successful. I have done it one more time, never a certainty.
And what a voyage it was. Three superlatives: The longest duration I have ever been in sustained gale or near-gale wind, the longest noon to noon distance of 167 nautical miles, and the first time I have seen Advent's speed at 9 knots. Yes, it has been windy. And wet, mostly from spray. Soon we will be in the land of ice, hot showers, and laundry-mats.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Friday, June 9, 2017
Thursday Night
Friday morning 02:00
Bermuda 170nm. We should arrive Saturday morning.
When we started a cold front was forecasted to follow us out, and stall to turn into a warm front about 1/3 of the way to Bermuda. Instead of stalling that front has continued along behind us giving us the favourable but strong winds and overcast/rainy weather. What is left of that font is going to over-run us tomorrow night as a weak occluded front, and the result seems to be dying wind and probably overcast / rain. All we have seen is gray or rainy sky. Tonight the clouds are ragged. Then there was a break in the clouds, and a beautiful full moon illuminated our world. It was absolutely beautiful; the ragged clouds, the choppy seas, the boat always moving forward through the water. I love to stand in the cockpit looking forward across the boat, watching as she rolls, pitches, and parts the sea. The joy, the thrill, is worth every penny of hardship we have paid.
Dirty, wet clothes. The boat is full of dirty, wet clothes. This is only a six day passage. Some people are at sea for weeks, crossing an entire ocean. How do they do it? what do they do with all the wet clothes? We tried drying it on the weather lifelines and the spray soaks it. We tried the lee lifelines, and occasionally the lee rail buries in the water, and the resulting splash soakes it. Inside the boat is festooned with damp draperies. In two days we will be in a land blessed with laundry-mats.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Bermuda 170nm. We should arrive Saturday morning.
When we started a cold front was forecasted to follow us out, and stall to turn into a warm front about 1/3 of the way to Bermuda. Instead of stalling that front has continued along behind us giving us the favourable but strong winds and overcast/rainy weather. What is left of that font is going to over-run us tomorrow night as a weak occluded front, and the result seems to be dying wind and probably overcast / rain. All we have seen is gray or rainy sky. Tonight the clouds are ragged. Then there was a break in the clouds, and a beautiful full moon illuminated our world. It was absolutely beautiful; the ragged clouds, the choppy seas, the boat always moving forward through the water. I love to stand in the cockpit looking forward across the boat, watching as she rolls, pitches, and parts the sea. The joy, the thrill, is worth every penny of hardship we have paid.
Dirty, wet clothes. The boat is full of dirty, wet clothes. This is only a six day passage. Some people are at sea for weeks, crossing an entire ocean. How do they do it? what do they do with all the wet clothes? We tried drying it on the weather lifelines and the spray soaks it. We tried the lee lifelines, and occasionally the lee rail buries in the water, and the resulting splash soakes it. Inside the boat is festooned with damp draperies. In two days we will be in a land blessed with laundry-mats.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Monday, June 5, 2017
Monday afternoon - Wind
About 0500 our boat speed was 5.5 and the track 140 degrees. Suddenly boat speed went to 7 kts and our track to 80 degrees. The Gulf Stream off NC flows noert-wast out past Hatteras. The current helped our speed but sweeps us north. The west side of the Gulf Stream is well defined, but there is no real east side. It just blends in to the clockwise rotation around the Sargasso Sea.
Wind today is south or south-wewst at 30 to 35 knots. We are sailing under trisail and 75% furled genoa, making only about 4.5 knots to reduce pounding. This is force 7 wind, near gale. It was exciting, and sorta fun, to work the foredeck rigging the stasail jib. Wind 35 kts, waves trying to wash me off the deck. The water was warm, and I felt safer than bouncing around inside the cabin.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
20:00 - Wind still 30-35 kts. It is uncomfortable aboard, but the boat seems happy. And, thank you Normandie for getting me to bring the stasail jibs. The boat is balanced and not heeling excessively.
Wind today is south or south-wewst at 30 to 35 knots. We are sailing under trisail and 75% furled genoa, making only about 4.5 knots to reduce pounding. This is force 7 wind, near gale. It was exciting, and sorta fun, to work the foredeck rigging the stasail jib. Wind 35 kts, waves trying to wash me off the deck. The water was warm, and I felt safer than bouncing around inside the cabin.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
20:00 - Wind still 30-35 kts. It is uncomfortable aboard, but the boat seems happy. And, thank you Normandie for getting me to bring the stasail jibs. The boat is balanced and not heeling excessively.
Sunday 05June (maybe)-Corrected mapshare address
Back in February I saw a notice in the magazine Ocean Navigator, for Rally to the Cup. An organizer was gathering people who wanted to sail to Bermuda for the America's Cup competition. I looked at it wistfully, but when Normandie saw it she said, "You are already out of time getting ready. Don't pass up this opportunity." I had just about put Advent II in mothballs since spring last year, and there was alot to be done. The most important was to drop the mast and inspect the rigging. The rigging was not but about six years old but I had put about 10,000 ocean miles on it, and it was time for a going over.
I finally got enough things done and it was time to move the boat to Wilmington. I have done this trip many times. It is a special experience, and I really want to share it with others. This time I could share. John Black came down from Washington DC. Advent was tied up at the Washington (NC) waterfront, with toilet and shower privileges, so Joun spent the first night on the boat. To be honest, the trip down was rather tough. We hyad high winds. I saw 35kts ot one point.. And most of the time the wind was straight on the bow, making the boat sluggish and hard to steer. The wind blows the bow off first to the port, then to stbd. John wantede to drive the boat, so he got the hard part. After three hard days we made it to Wrightsville Beach, wher Normandie, Marjorie and Cotton were waiting for us. We bundled into thcar and went to a seafood restraunt to celebrate Cotton's birthday.
Then the frantic boat preparations began. It would have been a comfortable few days, but the primary manual b ilge pump was not working. A good . strong manual bilge pump is critical wequipment for ocean sailing. When the boat was built they started with the bilge pump, them built the rest of the boat around it. It took a full day to get it out, then two more days to repair it and re-install it. Three days behind schedule, and Son Will was to arrrive tomorrow, and we were to sail Sunday. Normandie, Will and I loaded many tru\ckloads of gear and provisions. Each load i thought that there woould not be enough space to stow it. Amazomgly, this morinig, after two more trips between the house and the boat, and Will and Normandie initionlizing the satellite comination gear, Advent II, Will and I were ready to sail.
Up anchor at straight up 1200, mnotored out Masonboro Inlet,and we were on the way to Bermuda and the America's Cup. Genoa out at the seab ouy. Sailing 110 degrees in light air on a close reach, just south of east. I want to approach Bermuda from the south, and with south wind and the Gulf Stream pushing us north, we were sailing into the wind. The new cruising trisail went up and the boat had more power. Good sailing. Wind picked up, then picked up more, and by 1800 the wind was 20-25 knots, with the boat on a close reach, bashing into the waves. Jerky, jerky, rolly, rolly, healed over with the lee gunnel awash, bashing into the waves. We were stowed, and the onbly problem we had was that the boat was healing so much to port the forward vanity sink was filling with sea water and overflowing into the boat. Noow it is the middle of the night and the wind has droppede to 15-20, and we are much more comfortable. For awhile it was very difficult to move around in the boat. The r'ambunctous movement meant we had to have four point contact (to feet on the floor and two hands hanging on). Will took the 2000-2400 watch, and while I was asleep he sailed into five ships all around us, but thanks to the Automatis Identification System (AIS) he knew the location, speed and track of them all, ande there was no problem. The wind had lessened but it is still very active on board. REally difficult typing and hard to read what I have written, so please make up fill in what doesn't make sense. In spite of the bouncy-bouncy we have been averaging 5.5 knots on a fair course to make southing. It is now after midnight and Will is asleep in the forward "cabin". All is well aboard Advent II.
This satellite communication system Normandie has been working with is called inReach. One of the features is that it puts down a trail to where we are. I think you can access it at https://share.delorme.com/Advent2
For now it is bouncy-bouncy under a nearly full moon, at 5.5 knots.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
I finally got enough things done and it was time to move the boat to Wilmington. I have done this trip many times. It is a special experience, and I really want to share it with others. This time I could share. John Black came down from Washington DC. Advent was tied up at the Washington (NC) waterfront, with toilet and shower privileges, so Joun spent the first night on the boat. To be honest, the trip down was rather tough. We hyad high winds. I saw 35kts ot one point.. And most of the time the wind was straight on the bow, making the boat sluggish and hard to steer. The wind blows the bow off first to the port, then to stbd. John wantede to drive the boat, so he got the hard part. After three hard days we made it to Wrightsville Beach, wher Normandie, Marjorie and Cotton were waiting for us. We bundled into thcar and went to a seafood restraunt to celebrate Cotton's birthday.
Then the frantic boat preparations began. It would have been a comfortable few days, but the primary manual b ilge pump was not working. A good . strong manual bilge pump is critical wequipment for ocean sailing. When the boat was built they started with the bilge pump, them built the rest of the boat around it. It took a full day to get it out, then two more days to repair it and re-install it. Three days behind schedule, and Son Will was to arrrive tomorrow, and we were to sail Sunday. Normandie, Will and I loaded many tru\ckloads of gear and provisions. Each load i thought that there woould not be enough space to stow it. Amazomgly, this morinig, after two more trips between the house and the boat, and Will and Normandie initionlizing the satellite comination gear, Advent II, Will and I were ready to sail.
Up anchor at straight up 1200, mnotored out Masonboro Inlet,and we were on the way to Bermuda and the America's Cup. Genoa out at the seab ouy. Sailing 110 degrees in light air on a close reach, just south of east. I want to approach Bermuda from the south, and with south wind and the Gulf Stream pushing us north, we were sailing into the wind. The new cruising trisail went up and the boat had more power. Good sailing. Wind picked up, then picked up more, and by 1800 the wind was 20-25 knots, with the boat on a close reach, bashing into the waves. Jerky, jerky, rolly, rolly, healed over with the lee gunnel awash, bashing into the waves. We were stowed, and the onbly problem we had was that the boat was healing so much to port the forward vanity sink was filling with sea water and overflowing into the boat. Noow it is the middle of the night and the wind has droppede to 15-20, and we are much more comfortable. For awhile it was very difficult to move around in the boat. The r'ambunctous movement meant we had to have four point contact (to feet on the floor and two hands hanging on). Will took the 2000-2400 watch, and while I was asleep he sailed into five ships all around us, but thanks to the Automatis Identification System (AIS) he knew the location, speed and track of them all, ande there was no problem. The wind had lessened but it is still very active on board. REally difficult typing and hard to read what I have written, so please make up fill in what doesn't make sense. In spite of the bouncy-bouncy we have been averaging 5.5 knots on a fair course to make southing. It is now after midnight and Will is asleep in the forward "cabin". All is well aboard Advent II.
This satellite communication system Normandie has been working with is called inReach. One of the features is that it puts down a trail to where we are. I think you can access it at https://share.delorme.com/Advent2
For now it is bouncy-bouncy under a nearly full moon, at 5.5 knots.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Sunday 05June (maybe)
Back in February I saw a notice in the magazine Ocean Navigator, for Rally to the Cup. An organizer was gathering people who wanted to sail to Bermuda for the America's Cup competition. I looked at it wistfully, but when Normandie saw it she said, "You are already out of time getting ready. Don't pass up this opportunity." I had just about put Advent II in mothballs since spring last year, and there was alot to be done. The most important was to drop the mast and inspect the rigging. The rigging was not but about six years old but I had put about 10,000 ocean miles on it, and it was time for a going over.
I finally got enough things done and it was time to move the boat to Wilmington. I have done this trip many times. It is a special experience, and I really want to share it with others. This time I could share. John Black came down from Washington DC. Advent was tied up at the Washington (NC) waterfront, with toilet and shower privileges, so Joun spent the first night on the boat. To be honest, the trip down was rather tough. We hyad high winds. I saw 35kts ot one point.. And most of the time the wind was straight on the bow, making the boat sluggish and hard to steer. The wind blows the bow off first to the port, then to stbd. John wantede to drive the boat, so he got the hard part. After three hard days we made it to Wrightsville Beach, wher Normandie, Marjorie and Cotton were waiting for us. We bundled into thcar and went to a seafood restraunt to celebrate Cotton's birthday.
Then the frantic boat preparations began. It would have been a comfortable few days, but the primary manual b ilge pump was not working. A good . strong manual bilge pump is critical wequipment for ocean sailing. When the boat was built they started with the bilge pump, them built the rest of the boat around it. It took a full day to get it out, then two more days to repair it and re-install it. Three days behind schedule, and Son Will was to arrrive tomorrow, and we were to sail Sunday. Normandie, Will and I loaded many tru\ckloads of gear and provisions. Each load i thought that there woould not be enough space to stow it. Amazomgly, this morinig, after two more trips between the house and the boat, and Will and Normandie initionlizing the satellite comination gear, Advent II, Will and I were ready to sail.
Up anchor at straight up 1200, mnotored out Masonboro Inlet,and we were on the way to Bermuda and the America's Cup. Genoa out at the seab ouy. Sailing 110 degrees in light air on a close reach, just south of east. I want to approach Bermuda from the south, and with south wind and the Gulf Stream pushing us north, we were sailing into the wind. The new cruising trisail went up and the boat had more power. Good sailing. Wind picked up, then picked up more, and by 1800 the wind was 20-25 knots, with the boat on a close reach, bashing into the waves. Jerky, jerky, rolly, rolly, healed over with the lee gunnel awash, bashing into the waves. We were stowed, and the onbly problem we had was that the boat was healing so much to port the forward vanity sink was filling with sea water and overflowing into the boat. Noow it is the middle of the night and the wind has droppede to 15-20, and we are much more comfortable. For awhile it was very difficult to move around in the boat. The r'ambunctous movement meant we had to have four point contact (to feet on the floor and two hands hanging on). Will took the 2000-2400 watch, and while I was asleep he sailed into five ships all around us, but thanks to the Automatis Identification System (AIS) he knew the location, speed and track of them all, ande there was no problem. The wind had lessened but it is still very active on board. REally difficult typing and hard to read what I have written, so please make up fill in what doesn't make sense. In spite of the bouncy-bouncy we have been averaging 5.5 knots on a fair course to make southing. It is now after midnight and Will is asleep in the forward "cabin". All is well aboard Advent II.
This satellite communication system Normandie has been working with is called inReach. One of the features is that it puts down a trail to where we are. I think you can access it at http://delorme/adventtwo.(Normandie please correct the address for me. My piece of paper is stowed up front where Will is sleeping)
For now it is bouncy-bouncy under a nearly full moon, at 5.5 knots.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
I finally got enough things done and it was time to move the boat to Wilmington. I have done this trip many times. It is a special experience, and I really want to share it with others. This time I could share. John Black came down from Washington DC. Advent was tied up at the Washington (NC) waterfront, with toilet and shower privileges, so Joun spent the first night on the boat. To be honest, the trip down was rather tough. We hyad high winds. I saw 35kts ot one point.. And most of the time the wind was straight on the bow, making the boat sluggish and hard to steer. The wind blows the bow off first to the port, then to stbd. John wantede to drive the boat, so he got the hard part. After three hard days we made it to Wrightsville Beach, wher Normandie, Marjorie and Cotton were waiting for us. We bundled into thcar and went to a seafood restraunt to celebrate Cotton's birthday.
Then the frantic boat preparations began. It would have been a comfortable few days, but the primary manual b ilge pump was not working. A good . strong manual bilge pump is critical wequipment for ocean sailing. When the boat was built they started with the bilge pump, them built the rest of the boat around it. It took a full day to get it out, then two more days to repair it and re-install it. Three days behind schedule, and Son Will was to arrrive tomorrow, and we were to sail Sunday. Normandie, Will and I loaded many tru\ckloads of gear and provisions. Each load i thought that there woould not be enough space to stow it. Amazomgly, this morinig, after two more trips between the house and the boat, and Will and Normandie initionlizing the satellite comination gear, Advent II, Will and I were ready to sail.
Up anchor at straight up 1200, mnotored out Masonboro Inlet,and we were on the way to Bermuda and the America's Cup. Genoa out at the seab ouy. Sailing 110 degrees in light air on a close reach, just south of east. I want to approach Bermuda from the south, and with south wind and the Gulf Stream pushing us north, we were sailing into the wind. The new cruising trisail went up and the boat had more power. Good sailing. Wind picked up, then picked up more, and by 1800 the wind was 20-25 knots, with the boat on a close reach, bashing into the waves. Jerky, jerky, rolly, rolly, healed over with the lee gunnel awash, bashing into the waves. We were stowed, and the onbly problem we had was that the boat was healing so much to port the forward vanity sink was filling with sea water and overflowing into the boat. Noow it is the middle of the night and the wind has droppede to 15-20, and we are much more comfortable. For awhile it was very difficult to move around in the boat. The r'ambunctous movement meant we had to have four point contact (to feet on the floor and two hands hanging on). Will took the 2000-2400 watch, and while I was asleep he sailed into five ships all around us, but thanks to the Automatis Identification System (AIS) he knew the location, speed and track of them all, ande there was no problem. The wind had lessened but it is still very active on board. REally difficult typing and hard to read what I have written, so please make up fill in what doesn't make sense. In spite of the bouncy-bouncy we have been averaging 5.5 knots on a fair course to make southing. It is now after midnight and Will is asleep in the forward "cabin". All is well aboard Advent II.
This satellite communication system Normandie has been working with is called inReach. One of the features is that it puts down a trail to where we are. I think you can access it at http://delorme/adventtwo.(Normandie please correct the address for me. My piece of paper is stowed up front where Will is sleeping)
For now it is bouncy-bouncy under a nearly full moon, at 5.5 knots.
Bill Doar
s/v Advent II
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Cake Delivery In Kanpur
Do you want Cake Delivery In Kanpur or Any City of India ? If yes then we are available 24*7 For Taking order for Cake Delivery.
Giftcarry is one the most affordable and reliable online portal for Flower , Cake and Gift Delivery In India. It has online delivery services in all cities of India.
Best benefit of Delivering cake to your friend, family or wife with Giftcarry is that you will get 25% Flat OFF (default discount without coupon ) on all products which is best price affordable price in market.
You can order Flower,Cake and any Gift item for Birth day , Anniversary or any occassion you celebrate.
We do mid night delivery and also we provide Photo cakes also.
It delivers Flowers, Cakes and Gifts within 3-4 hours of payment. You can easily palce order on its website which is user friendly and easy to orer.
It also accept payment via Paytm, Paypal, Payumoney and any debit card or credit card of India.
We believe in serving customers at best possible ways. Customer is everything for us.We respect their needs and always try to provide available for them.
Give one chance to serve and We will make sure that you get Happy.
For Order Cake Delivery In Kanpur and any kind of information related to prodiucts or pricing you can
Sunday, January 8, 2017
Bing Coupon 100$
Speakmeme.com is offering Bing Coupon $100 for new ad accounts of Bing.You can save $100 in Bing Ads.
In 2017 we have great saving offer for your PPC on bing. You can target those customers which you can not do via adwords and facebook ads.
- This promotional code works in new accounts.
- You can use one coupon per account.
- Expiry is in June 2017
- This voucher works worldwide.
- You need to add valid payment method to redeem this coupon.
- You do not need to spend any amount to get this credit.
- Coupon price is $10 each
For more details about this offer contact me skype id speakmeme
email ceo@speakmeme.com
You can pay us via skrill / Paypal / Bitcoin / Perfectmoney
- 24 hours support
- 100% replacement
- 100% assistance in guidance in adding promo code.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)