Quiet Day
May 26, 2010 Day 5
28 39.3N 63 20.2W

Hello Everybody!

The first item tonight is to wish Herb Hilgenberg a Happy Birthday! Herb is our weather guru in Toronto with whom we wish we could talk daily via SSB. Unfortunately we are all totally frustrated because Herb can’t hear us, and we can only occasionally hear parts of what he says to other boats. We’ve been checking every connection on our SSB and will send someone up the mast to check those connections once we get into Bermuda. We hope we can solve the problem because we really miss Herb’s presence over the airways each day. Herb, we’re sorry you missed hearing our off key rendition of Happy Birthday and we hope you have a great birthday dinner!

On the sailing front–there hasn’t been any. Nor has there been any wind. So we have been motoring and motoring, yesterday with a foul current of about 1.5 knots against us, which frustrated the heck out of the whole crew. We had made 188 miles for the second dayat 4 pm yesterday, but at 4 pm today it was only 161 miles (darned foul current). We have 223 miles to go to Bermuda, but fuel only until tomorrow mid day sometime. When we get to 30 gallons we’ll have to sail in whatever wind comes our way. We are hopeful that a southwest wind of 10-15 might come along tonight or tomorrow to stretch the fuel. On Friday reports are that we’ll have up to 20 knots from the ENE to carry us into Bermuda. Wish us a nice breeze to go sailing.

While we’ve been motoring the crew has been finding ways to entertain themselves. Everyone has been reading. Jake finished his book, I’m working on my fourth, Brian has finished CHARM SCHOOL and now Leo is reading it. Dave has finished at least 2 books and we’ve all delved into magazines. Ruleo is reading something on his computer while listening to his music. No fish were caught, but the West Indian team had a fine tuna dinner preceded by sashimi, while the engineers ate the side dishes. Brian is teaching both Leo and Ruleo marlin spike seamanship, which involves bits of line and extremely complicated knots. Dave and Jake have taught Ruleo how to play cribbage, so if we don’t get any wind there may be a tournament.

The water temperature has dropped from 85 degrees in Antigua to 76 degrees today. And, fortunately for me, the galley temp was in the low 80′s, down from yesterday’s 101 when I prepared dinner. There is a lot of moisture in the air, so we don’t have great visibility (4 miles this afternoon) and it’s clammy on deck at night. Ruleo has pulled out his long sleeved shirt already and both Ruleo and Leo head for the hot chocolate at night.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, once again wishing for some wind to fill the sails and keep up some speed once we have to turn off the engine.

Be Careful What You Wish For!
May 25, 2010 Day 4
26 08.2N 62 31.3W

Hello Everybody!

It looks as if we got what we wished for! The squalls disappeared last night–along with the wind. (We definitely need to be more specific about our wishes.) We’ve been motoring in leftover swells under an unrelenting sun. We put up our motoring awning to provide some relief, but it was 101 degrees in the salon when I started preparing dinner. Unfortunately the forecast doesn’t show much wind until Friday, about the time we should reach Bermuda. So, once again, we’re sweating the fuel situation.

On a brighter note, we got part of another wish–that one for fish. Dave reeled in a chubby Little Tunny Tuna, about 3 feet long and 15-20 pounds right in the middle of lunch! Unfortunately for the West Indian team it was on the engineers’ side of the boat, so they get another score: 3 to 0. The funny thing is that the engineers haven’t eaten the fish. It seems we have a fish catching team and a fish eating team. Tonight the eating team enjoyed tuna sashimi, tomorrow night it will be more sashimi and grilled tuna as a main course.

Other items of interest are the hard hat and 5 gallon bucket that floated by plus several Portuguese Men O’War. Yesterday we saw 2 sailing vessels, the first a 3 master about 5 miles off heading on a reciprocal course, and the second a sloop probably heading for the Med.

All the best from the crew of avalanche enjoying an unremarkable day, wishing that we’ll get just the right amount of wind to allow our fuel to get us to Bermuda.

Not Only Rain, Sun too
May 24, 2010 Day 3
23 38.7N 61 23.0W

Hello Everybody,

We’ve sailed and motored 188 miles today, 447 from Antigua with 562 miles before we get to Bermuda.

Last night and most of the day today it was rainy with frequent squalls. I practically threw the deck crew’s BLT’s at them at noon so they could inhale lunch before the next cloudburst hit. After talking to Herb we altered course and as a result we got some relief with a couple glimpses of blue sky, and this evening we somehow avoided an imminent squall. We now find ourselves under a clear sky with a bright moon and stars. Unfortunately, the wind has dropped and we have to motor. We’re really hoping most of the wet weather is behind us.

Last night during one of our big squalls with heavy rain we saw something really strange. Dave and Brian spotted lights about 5 miles ahead and to port. Ruleo and I were below checking the radar, but could see only heavy rain. We couldn’t find a radar contact. The AIS (which receives signals from all ships above a certain size–and our ship would have qualified) showed nothing. Our calls on the VHF were not answered. Dave and Brian concluded that it must have been a military ship–they can block radar and I suppose they can omit an AIS signal. While they were watching, the ship seemed to explode. There was a great white light and Dave and Brian said they could feel a concussion afterward. They really thought the ship had been hit by lightning. Then there was a second and a third great white explosion from the ship. Could they have been shooting? Later, when he had a better view Dave reported that he thought the lights were those of a sub.

Today’s big event wasn’t that strange, in fact it was downright ordinary, but the choreography made us very proud. After a particularly big roll in seas accompanying a squall the motor on the pump for the freezer burned up. We heard an odd and unusual noise, so we spent 5 minutes identifying it as the pump. Then we all went into action: Dave began removing the pump, Ruleo and I dove under the heavily packed forward bunk to bring out the replacement pump, and Ruleo helped Dave install it. About 45 minutes start to finish and the freezer was running again! What a team!

The guys did have at least one fishing line out today, but didn’t catch anything, and for part of the time it was a good thing. The squalls and rolly seas would not have made the back deck a good place to either land or clean a fish! So after three days it’s stll the engineers 2, the West Indians 0.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping that Herb’s advice remains valid this evening and tomorrow! And hoping the West Indian team catches some fish.

Squalls

May 23, 2010 Day 2

20 28.2N 61 15.4W

Hello Everybody,

I had planned to say this has been an ordinary day at sea: sun, clouds, motoring, sailing, motorsailing, making water, bathing on the back deck, reading, napping, fishing, sweating. Nothing to make the day noteworthy.

It has now become noteworthy by virtue of the ugly rain squalls all around us. For the last 3 hours the crew on deck has had the opportunity to roll sails in, roll sails out, motor through squalls, sail afterward. Unfortunately it looks as if that will be the situation into the evening. The radar shows squalls all around us.

We have sailed 229 miles from Antigua, 164 miles in the 24 hour period between our 4 pm talks with Herb. Unfortunately we haven’t even had a strike on the fishing lines.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping tomorrow will be a sunny sailing/fishing day.

Coffee, no croissants!

May 22, 2010 Day 1

18 11.3 N 62 06.7 W

Hello Everybody,

We left Antigua this morning about 9:30; later than planned, but it was raining buckets so we waited for a lull.  Fortunately for us the rain cloud seemed to be over Falmouth Harbour.  Once we left the harbor and sailed away from the island we had sunny skies!

We aimed the boat toward St. Maarten for croissants and ribs on the beach Sunday, but when Herb came on the SSB with his forecast at 4:00 pm and gave us the all clear to go directly to Bermuda, we altered course. By 8:00pm we had gone 75 miles. So we’ll have plenty of coffee on Sunday, but no croissants.

This year the engineers, Dave & Brian, decided to challenge Jake and the West Indians (that would be Leo and Ruleo).  There was some thought that, given the talent of the threesome, this would be a very uneven contest.  However, those thoughts fled with the 2 fish caught on the engineers’ side. The first fish was a small Mahi Mahi, that the guys got to the boat and released because it was small.  The second was a wonderful blue Marlin, about 75 pounds!  Dave got to the rod first and did a fantastic job reeling the fish in. I think it took a good 15 minutes of fighting.  When we got him to the boat it was obvious that this was a beautiful specimen that had to be released. Leo taught us to hold the bill and keep the fish lying in the water so it struggles less and it’s possible to get the hook out. Ruleo held the bill, Leo got the hook out and Brian and I took photos while Dave caught his breath.  (Jake had been on the back deck in his harness and swimsuit preparing for a bath when the fish struck the line, so he supervised.) Leo likes to say that this boat is not =93catch and release, but catch and filet.  Today, however, it was the former.

Otherwise it was a good day for everyone to become acquainted with the boat and sails. We had a good view of Montserrat and Redonda, Nevis was barely visible through haze.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping that we will have as pleasant a day tomorrow as today, and that the West Indian fishing team will catch some fish.