Additional Pictures
Getting the Spring On
Demonstrating my improvised ‘Sea Anchor’
Poppin the Cork!
Need a Shower and Bed (and a shave)
Getting the Spring On
Demonstrating my improvised ‘Sea Anchor’
Poppin the Cork!
Need a Shower and Bed (and a shave)
N50.45.44 W001.31.94
It’s raining! welcome to the Uk.
Got tied up at 2100 BST last night, a little earlier than I had expected. Greeted on the dock by a Mars-Duo’ lovely.
Very nearly cocked up the berthing, let the back slip out on the wind, first time I’ve ever really made a mistake coming in, I think it’s cause I was tired, that’s what I’m saying anyway.
Good sail coming in, I was up very early and watched myself pass the Start-Point light in Devon at 0200. Very gusty, squally and wet. But I didn’t want to reduce the sail to cope better, I wanted to make good progress as I new it was going to be a little tight getting into Lymington before dark.
So I sat in the cockpit, cold, thinking, ‘why the hell was I bringing my boat back to the UK?’ then, a little after dawn, I saw the outline of Portland Bill. The weather had improved and things began to look very rosy indeed. I had a great days sail, dead down wind all the way from west of Portland to the North channel at the Isle of White. Touching over 8kts as I passed the Bill and Purbeck.
It’d just turned slack water as I got to the Needles, a rough place to be if the waters running fast and no place to be if the waters running against you. But it was just starting to run gently with me as I rounded Hurst castle, anyone would think I’d planed it that way ;o)
Once the Boat was safely alongside at Berthon we headed back to Ma’ & Pa’s for some Champagne and Curry, what bliss. I upset father on the way back as the heating in the car fetched up the stink from my feet, but apart from that it was a lovely home coming. Thanks to Rene for coming down too and for buying the Curry.
So all in all, I feel very excellent indeed, quite quite super. Whana go again! cana, cana, cana, pleeeeaaaasssseeeeeee!
Azores – UK Stats
Days/ Hrs 14days 10.5hrs
Miles Covered 1542nm
Miles Per Day 106.78nm
Bahamas – Azores Stats
Days/ Hrs 26days 22.5hrs
Miles Covered 2854nm
Miles Per Day 105.95nm
Total Stats
Days/ Hrs 41days 9hrs
Miles Covered 4396nm
Miles Per Day 106.23nm
Coming Up Hurst Spit at the Needles
Entering Lymington River
Coming into Berthon
Rene helping me tie off
N49.26.73 W004.58.42
Heading 060T Wind, westerly F4-5 (lovely)
Strange feelings again today, Looking forward to making my final destination but at the same time sad it’s nearly all over. After all the Highs and Lows and particularly over the past week you’d think I just wanted to get off this dam boat, and to a degree you’d be right, I stink and I’d really love a plate of Steak&Kidney Pie and Chips……..and a Mars Bar, but by an equally simular token, particularly today where the sailing has been good, I’d really like to keep going.
I’m not going to of course, I’m going to stop and wash this salt out of my hair and stop my feet stinking of wet dogs and diesel, I haven’t took them out of my boots since the last time, rank! But of course I would do it again, I’d do it again tomorrow, well, after a bit of sleep. Not always been enjoyable and certainly sometimes been a bit of a handful but taken as a whole, let me at it again! I wouldn’t do it the same, I’ve learnt a lot, but I would do it, course I would. Maybe next time, having now sattified my desire to do it solo, I’d let one of you lucky folks come too. Form an orderly Q wont you ;o)
I don’t believe this feeling is uncomon in Oceans sailors, I saw a documentory on the first round the world race, in which Knox Jonsen won, and two of the competitors of that carried on going instead of crossing the finishing line. One other wrote some wierd stuff about Aliens in his logbook and promtly vanished, Donald somebody, they found his boat, and his logbook, floating off the Carribean some months later.
Anywayz, on that happy note, with a bit of luck I’ll make Lymington before dark, might have to do a bit of motor sailing to get there in time. Stats to follow.
L.
N48.18.25 W007.40.23
Wind F5-7 Heading 060T
Hard days sailing, wind has been consistantly F5-7 Very gusty and I’ve been sailing under 3reefs and some or none headsail depending on how it’s been going.
But that’s not been the big issue, the big issue has been the sea as I’ve approached the Banks. The Atlantic approaches our continental shelf and is greeted by a 3800m cliff face. The sea floor goes from 4000 to 200m in a matter of miles and the sea gets a bit choppy just then, specially it would seem if theres a near Gale blowing.
I had on one occasion, one wave break over the port bow and one over the starbord quarter simultaniously, quite mad. I’ve been thrown about the cabin all day, swinging around it like a monkey in a cage. At one point whilst sitting I was up’d and over the sallon table so quick I didn’t have time to think.
Not Nice.
Presently though I’m running downwind at about 6kts and the sea has settled. The sun has come out for the first time today just in time for it to set. Making very good progress and long may it continue.
I’m wondering if I might go to Poole town quay instead as currently it looks like I might make the needles channel just in time for dusk on Tuesday, typical! But I’ll keep this under revision and see what happens on the day.
Not long now, starting to feel a little excited ;o)
L.
N47.20.47 W011.32.40
Heading 100T Wind Gale
Tough day at the office dear?
Had a good sleep last night but was up at 0400, the wind had moderated enough to have a little sail up. Had the strangest feeling as I put my gear on, like I was getting ready for work! Sure enough it’s been a hard slog.
When I got out on deck the Hydrovanes ‘vane’ looked a bit wobbly broke and sure enough it’d ripped the tubing around a rivet. With a couple of screws, a jubilee clip, some cunning and the teak trim from around the fridge I was able to patch it up. Hopfully it’ll hold, if not, theres plenty more trim left ;o)
I think, looking at yesturdays chart, I have passed through the eye of this depresion as have managed to sail from 0400 till 1400, albeit very windy F6 plus gusts. Made good progress though. Then after two, things picked up again to F6-7 plus gusts, It seemed silly to risk the Canvas, or indeed the Rig, so dropped the sail and am running again just south of east. Have improvised a ‘sea anchor’ out of one of my empty 5gallon water jugs (like you get in offices) and a length of chain, cutting the bottom out of the jug and passing the chain through it to create a bucket with a hole in it. Reduced my speed and the Hydrovane can now keep up holding the stern to the wind. It’s more windy than the last one. I’ve got sustained 35kts and higher gusts. IF I ever cross an ocean again a sea anchor will be top of the wish list.
Well, what can I say, I’m a vetran gale sailor in just less than a week. Wonder if this leg will have any good sailing in it at all? Look out for crap conditions in Blighty over the next few days, trust me, it aint gona be nice.
Currently sat facing NW with bare poles, dragging lines to slow me down in 30kts gusting gale force trying not to go anywhere.
Hey Ho, quite comfortable, going to have a glass of wine and wait this one out.
L.
PS. Main Halyard is well off the mast ;o)
N44.57.25 W017.40.87
Wind F4-7 Heading 40-80 deg.
Continued running with just the main with 3 reefs in all day. The sea was
massive, I can’t describe it, you get to the top of one of these watery
mountains and look back down the valley toward the horizon and it quite
takes your breath away.
It’s big in a huge swell kind of way, not steep and bosterous like it was
yesturday though you do get the odd breaker over the side, one of which
broke my dinner and threw me across the cabin. It’s been squawlly too and
very gusty. Still managing to make 5kts though but a little more easterly to
keep the sea on the port quarter.
In the earlier hours the sea was very mixed up and occasionally the boat
would flip round the the sail would be backed and then I had to rush out on
deck and pull the helm hard over to help the Hydrovane get it all back.
At 10am I checked the milage for the past 24hrs, 139nm, two miles off my
best so far, did make me chuckle cause 6hrs of that I had no sails up!
Things are moderating a little now, so I hope I can get some headsail out
and turn a bit more beam onto the wind and resume a direct course. I’m
tierd, was up at 0430 again having not got my first nap in till 0000. I
don’t know what I’m getting but it’s not a lot. The gusty conditions mean
I’m over or under canvased and making a heading anywhere between 40 and
90deg and the Hydrovane can’t cope with that so I can’t leave it alone to
long. But I got a couple of naps in today, so not feeling really all that
bad. I’ve had a ‘Funk’ day today too, so been groovin on out to the Jazz
Flute.
It’s cold aswell and the squawly rain is like ice. But I have to say, I’m
happy enough, I know it’s about as far from ideal sailing as you can get but
at least I’m finally making progress, at least I’m sailing, not just
flopping along with the motor running scrapping 80miles a day. Thats not to
say I like gales, god knows if I never encountered one again I’d be pleased
as punch, but I am getting there and I’m about as far removed from Bored as
you could possibly imagine.
Just heard half a conversation on the VHF emergency channel, ‘Rescue 51’ was
calling ‘OmegaPrincess’ from what I could gather, rescue 51 was a helicopter
(thats why I could hear it) and omega princess was some kind of comercial
ship (I couldn’t hear that). They had come to the aid of a solo yachtsman
who was, for what ever reason, abandoning ship. Can’t say for certain but it
felt like they where north of here and the radio operator of rescue 51 was
slightly Scotish, thought I doubt it could be to far away even if they where
in a chopper. Hope they’ve skuttled his yacht, don’t want to come across
that in the next day or two. Seems Omega got there first so they took the
skipper on board and Rescue 51 stood 60nm off till all was well, then
‘returning to base’ very cool though I’d like to know what the problem was
as the ‘survivor’ was quite OK apparently.
Thats me, rockin and a rollin but ok.
L.