We left Myrtle Beach with warm clothes on, but it’s wasn’t nearly as bad as a New England departure.  I stood watch with Dad for my first two hours, then Leo for my second two.  We motorsailed for the first day, then shut off the motor (unless we needed it for fishing) for the rest of the trip enjoying some nice sailing.  The fishing was almost the highlight of the trip though with 5 fish caught, 2 tuna then 3 mahi including our massive ~80lb beast at the end.   That was a team effort to catch!  Once we got to the Bahamas I only had ~24 hours for playing before I had to fly home.  We went to the dive shop immediately to get spears since they’re legal and we’ve never used them.  Then we went immediately into the water where Pete got 5 fish and I got a lobster (and one fish that got in the way!).  Pete Leo and I then went off to shoot the sunset that night before an amazing dinner on the boat.  The boys also joined me on a sunrise shoot (those images will come later as they require a bit more attention when processing) the next morning which was a blast.  Then one more snorkel (and another lobster!) in the morning and I was off to the airport.  I’ll be back with my family in ~2 short weeks though, which should be amazing.

Enjoy the shots!

[Show as slideshow]

Hello Everybody,

We have had a very busy day!  It began just after 0900 when the U.S. line began to run out really fast.  Fish on.  Chris grabbed the rod as Leo yelled for him not to tighten the drag.  Chris’s response was that he hadn’t and couldn’t tighten the drag.  The fish took so much line so quickly that the reel was a big mess of snarled line–useless.  With the boat slowed down and the W.I. line reeled in, Leo harnessed up and jumped down to the back deck. He took the line in his hand and began pulling it in, just as he had done when he helped his grandfather fish.  By then Jake had arrived on deck and taken the wheel, so Chris harnessed up and jumped onto the back deck too. As Leo pulled line in, Chris coiled it up.  Both guys were careful to stay clear of the line and be ready to let it go if the fish took off. Fortunately he didn’t take off and Leo was able to steadily pull the line in.  When the fish got near the boat Chris gaffed him beautifully on the first try (there wouldn’t have been a second chance) and together they lifted a 40 pound yellow fin tuna onto the back deck!    What a beautiful fish!  I got a lot of the fight and the gaffing on film, as well as photos of the snarled reel and the fish and fishermen.  The W.I. line went back out, but never got a bite.  The International Fishing Contest score is U.S. 6, W.I. 1, fish 2.  We all hope that the W.I. team will have some good luck tomorrow as we come up on the continental shelf.  We always see lots of life there, perhaps we can catch something.  As you might guess from the title, we had tuna stir-fried for lunch, sashimi as an appetizer, and seared tuna for dinner.  Today Chris did the honors as fish chef.

While we were catching and cleaning the fish we were also transiting the Gulf Stream.  The chart we had been using for the location of the Gulf Stream was inaccurate, so we came into the stream earlier than anticipated. Once our attention was directed away from the fish and back to our navigation, Jake figured out what was happening so we could use the current to our advantage instead of fighting it.  We had continued sunshine and warm weather with the water temperature about 81 until mid afternoon when we were released from the stream.  The water temp dropped to 75 degrees and the visibility dropped to about 9 miles while the humidity increased.  We have had winds <10 knots and small seas.  It was a pretty benign crossing.  We’ll probably continue motoring until tomorrow noon or so when the wind should fill in from the SW and give us a good ride home.  The computer is predicting arrival at 1800 if we can hold 9 knots of boat speed, which will be very unlikely.  For every bit of boat speed we lose, we’ll be in later. So it’s probably safe to say that we’ll definitely be in before daybreak on Thursday.

In addition to the tuna and the Gulf Stream, we have been busy watching the wildlife.  Jake and Chris saw a whale, possibly two, probably humpbacks.  We have all seen pilot whales.  We’ve had at least 3 pods in the vicinity through the day.  They don’t frolic or jump, so we just see dorsal fins and broad backs.  We’ve also had dolphin in the distance.

Meanwhile, this will probably be the coldest night of the trip, so I’ve gotten the blankets out for everybody’s bed, and I’ve gotten out the winter jackets.  Leo and Kenmore are layering up with fleece, long underwear, gloves,hats and jackets–all of it borrowed because they don’t have any need for it at home.  Ashley has sailed far afield, so he has cold weather clothing.  At this point he is wishing it were colder to rationalize all the space in his bag he had to use for something he’ll only wear one night.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping it won’t be too cold, hoping we won’t have fog, hoping we see lots of life on the continental shelf, hoping the W.I. will catch some fish tomorrow, and looking forward to making landfall in Jamestown.

Hello Everybody!

At the moment everyone is grateful to be on the level!  We have very light wind with big swells that push us along.  We’ve been motorsailing since about dawn, and as the wind dropped, our angle lessened.  I have found that a 10 degree angle of heel is really quite acceptable.  I could do almost everything without much trouble,  but flat is just great!  We’ve had another beautiful warm sunny day.  Temperatures in the 80′s and low 90′s in the sun. Tonight the air temperature and water temperature are both about 3-4 degrees warmer than last night, and without the wind the night watch should be more comfortable.  The increase in temperature is due in part to a meander coming off the Gulf Stream that has warm water and foul current.  We had a close encounter with it, but we think we have escaped.  We should get to the Gulf Stream tomorrow.

Yesterday and today we have seen some wildlife, but unfortunately no fish, so the International Fishing Contest score remains the same.  Last night after I had posted the blog we had 8-10 dolphins playing in our bow wave. Ashley went to the bow to see them and reported that the phosphorescence around them looked like torpedo tubes as they swam through the water. Later, Kenmore and Leo reported that they had seen dolphins earlier in the day.  Today we’ve seen pilot whales.  At first we saw about 3 off in the distance, later we saw probably 8-10 also in the distance, but they surfaced frequently so we had a good look.  We also had some dolphin come toward us, but they seemed to become distracted (perhaps they were feeding) and never approached the boat.

We have appreciated the longer daylight.  When we left Antigua sunset was at about 6:15, approaching Bermuda it was approaching 7:00, and tonight it was almost 8:00 when the sun set.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping for a quick ride through the Gulf Stream.

Hello Everybody,

Yesterday after the guys turned in the scooters and the bet was paid at the bar (in the end, Kenmore and Leo shared the drinks, paid for by Jake, Chris and Ashley), we got the boat ready to leave Bermuda.  Jake checked us out at customs, the guys stowed the dinghy motor and pulled the dinghy up in the davits.  Jake set up our course and brought down weather information and Gulf Stream currents from the internet.  Everyone was busy on his computer making last minute contact with family and friends.  We had wahoo for dinner and enjoyed a level night’s sleep.

We were all up at 0530 and had the anchor up before 0600.  We motored out past the reefs and have been sailing ever since.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get exactly the predicted wind, so we are back on our ear, heeling 15-20 degrees heading straight to Jamestown.  That’s actually the good news (it just doesn’t feel like it), because we have 16 knots of breeze.  We just wish it were a bit more from the east, so we didn’t have to be close hauled yet again.  We have glorious weather,  bright blue skies, sunshine, 75 degrees now after dark, but high 80′s during the day.  Tonight we have stars and a beautiful evening.  The seas are comfortable  It’s still shorts and bare feet weather during the day, but the guys are layering up after dark. Vests, long sleeves and long pants are making an appearance.  It’s beautiful weather to be offshore!

The International Fishing Contest had a bit of a setback today.  The crank handle broke off the W.I. team’s reel on Friday as we arrived at Bermuda. The U.S. team didn’t want an unfair advantage by fishing their side while the other side sat out with broken equipment, so repairs had to be made quickly.  Wishing for a metal shop with a drill press and vise, Chris and Leo managed to make the repair, with Leo holding the handle in vise grips while Chris drilled and tapped the handle for a new fastener.  The repaired handle was in place before lunch and the lines were out.  Unfortunately the fish didn’t take note, so the score remains U.S. 5, W.I. 1, fish 2.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping for a quick trip to Jamestown, with continued fine weather and good wind.

Hello Everybody,

We are all feeling much better!  Standing on our ears for 4+ days took a toll.  Although the sailing was fun:  Ashley did a fine job earning us extra speed and weather distance and  Kenmore learned a lot about steering, the never ending extra work of moving about and hanging on was plain hard work. No one complained at the time, but everyone has remarked about what a relief it is to be flat!

After we cleaned up the boat and had dinner last night the young men went ashore, while Jake and I went to bed.  The guys had a good time and Jake and I caught up on our sleep.  After brunch this morning all the guys rented scooters and headed for Hamilton and points further afield.  I stayed on the boat for some quiet time without 5 men around to do my thing.

We all met at the end of the day to pay off the bet.  Problem is, we still don’t know exactly what the payoff is.  As we all sat at the bar drinking our Sam Adams (from the tap) and 1 Guinness, Leo and Kenmore admitted that they had been in cahoots, and wanted to share the prize.  So Jake, Chris and Ashley bought a drink for the boys, and each of them bought half a drink for the other.  And I had a beer, too, although I wasn’t included in the bet. Somehow once the dust settles and the fog lifts I have to figure out who owes whom what and why.

It looks like a reasonable weather forecast, so Kenmore has set his alarm for 0530 tomorrow.  We hope to be off the anchor and through Town Cut at 0600.

(Forgive me for not posting last night.  I didn’t have the appropriate internet connections.)

All the best from the crew of avalanche, looking forward to a quick ride and lots of fish between Bermuda and Jamestown.

Hello Everybody,

I wish I could tell you who won, but it is rather unclear.  To continue yesterday’s tale:  Kenmore was up at 0500 to check the GPS and the horizon:, then he got up at 0530, fixed a cup of coffee, pulled on foul weather gear and sat on deck scanning the horizon (despite the fact that he had finished his last watch at 0200).  At 0800 Kenmore came on watch, and continued scanning the horizon.  Unfortunately it was our first overcast day with limited visibility.  Even the radar didn’t find the island until 16 miles. We had squall after squall from 0600 onward until Bermuda was sighted.  Leo honked the horn 4 times for the 4 people who had to buy drinks: Jake, Chris, Ashley and ?????.  That’s where the mystery comes in.  Who buys that 4th drink, and for whom.  Apparently there was a conspiracy among the “back room boys”.   So the rest of us aren’t sure who won, and who is buying that 4th drink. We’ll let you know after we’ve been to the bar.

News on the Official International Fishing Contest.  As we closed on Bermuda, Kenmore was a huge help to the U.S. team, landing a small Amber Jack.  Leo cleaned it, Kenmore seasoned it, and he plans to cook it up for breakfast tomorrow, head, eyes and all.  The current score is U.S. 5, W.I 1, fish 2.

We got into Bermuda about 1400 (our time) 1500 Bermuda DST.  By the time we cleared customs, bought gas and got to anchor it was 1700.  We washed the salt off the deck, took showers, went to town for ice, and had a rum and dinner.  We began to appreciate civilization again.  The guys all pulled out computers or iPhones and contacted important people, we collected our email, and generally reconnected with the real world.   We are all very grateful to be level again.  I took a photo of our inclinometer this morning when it read 20 degrees.  If I can, I’ll post it as evidence.  It is so hard to brush your teeth, put on your underwear or foul weather gear, use the toilet, put 2 items on racks in the oven, even walk around below decks when heeling 20 degrees.  As I said yesterday, the only easy places are sitting or in your bunk.

We don’t really know what to expect regarding our stay in Bermuda.  We would like to have 2 days off to ragain our equilibrium after four and a half days on our ear, but we have to work with whatever the weather has in store.  If possible, we’ll leave Monday.  We’ll be in contact with Herb for his advice as to the best weather window, and will act on that.  We will post something every day, so keep on checking up on us.  (Besides, you will definitely want to know how the bet comes out in the end.)

All the best from avalanche, grateful for a level anchorage and a good night’s sleep and perhaps a day of fun in the sun.

Hello Everybody, Happy Birthday Herb!

The most entertainment today has revolved around THE BET.  Chris came up with the idea that the first person to sight Bermuda will get a drink from all the others.  Kenmore is extremely competitive, so he, together with Leo, is plotting how to see land first.  He has figured the distance and the speed, so he’s guessing when we will arrive at the sea buoy.  He has questioned other members of the crew to get an idea of the distance we will be from the island when it first becomes visible.  He isn’t divulging his calculations about the time when land will be sighted, but he is checking watch schedules to determine whether it will be his watch or Leo’s. Otherwise I think he plans to set his alarm so he is on deck at the appropriate hour.  Kenmore’s plans are cause for much merriment and laughter, but additional fun is had describing chores or important navigation lessons that could cause him to be below deck at the moment of sighting.  At dinner Ashley offered to raffle off his watch (which could be at an opportune time to sight Bermuda first) for a mere $20.  Unfortunately he had no takers.  The computer tells us that we should be at the sea buoy about 1400 our time (1500 Bermuda daylight saving time), so when I write tomorrow night I’ll be able to report on the winner of the bet.

We’ve all been giving Ashley great credit for being such a wonderful driver. He can coax an extra half a knot of speed or sail 3-5 degrees closer to the mark than the autopilot can, and believe me, we have really appreciated that skill these last few days.  This leg of the trip has seemed endless and not only because of the worry about fuel. We have been close hauled on a starboard tack since 1000 on Monday, when we were about 359 miles from Antigua.  That’s three and a half days and 500 miles (and we still have a day and 137 miles to go)!  Most of those miles we have had sails up, either motor sailing or sailing,  heeling 10-15 degrees.  Trying to do anything beyond sleeping or sitting is hard work and really wears the crew down. For the record, the only other time we have had to sail close hauled on a delivery was for a mere 125 miles, also sailing north into Bermuda.

On a brighter side we have never heard so much laughter aboard.  The guys on watch chat, tell stories and jokes and laugh.  The “back room boys”, Kenmore and Leo, who are sharing the aft stateroom, are scheming at the moment, planning the first sighting of Bermuda; but normally it sounds like a slumber party as they carry on.  Last night I heard hilarious laughter as Kenmore watched a comedy on his computer.  Lunch and dinner time often last an hour or more as everyone pokes fun, makes jokes and generally enjoys each other.  Another piece of good news is that the total crew rain time so far is only 65 minutes, and none of it has fallen on Leo (or me).

All the best from the crew of avalanche, looking forward to the first sighting of Bermuda, followed by landfall.

P.S.  The official score of the International Fishing Contest remains U.S. 4,W.I. 1, fish 2

Hello Everybody,

About the only news here is that the weather is changing very gradually. The water temperature has dropped to 76 degrees and the night time temperature is about the same.  With the north wind of 10-15 knots (for which we are grateful!) it is chilly on deck, especially at night.  The watch has begun layering up:  long pants, a vest over the t-shirt, sweatshirts after dark, and this evening foul weather gear because we’ve had a couple of squalls.

The north wind is allowing us to sail and conserve fuel, but we are only able to sail directly at Bermuda when we get occasional wind shifts from the NE.  Ashley is a superb helmsman and has been doing a terrific job of hand steering us closer to Bermuda whenever he is on watch.  Herb predicts that we will find the wind shifting more to the NE and E in the next couple of days, which will give us a fine wind angle and more comfortable ride.  (The boat is heeling 10-15 degrees, so everything we do takes extra effort.)

Leo just interrupted me to show me a flying fish that flew onto the deck over the transom.  It was a good 8″ long, and each “wing” was about 6″.  Leo is so comfortable handling fish that he plucked the fish off the deck, showed it off to me and got it back into the ocean before it died.  And now he wants to count it as a catch for the W.I. side.  I don’t think so.  The score remains U.S. 4, W.I. 1, fish 2.

Meanwhile everyone is having a good time.  There is a lot of chatter and laughter on deck day and night as the various crew members get to know each other.  It is still warm enough for everyone to shower on the back deck, although Ashley did put his shower off for a bit today saying “I can’t take a shower now, it’s raining, I’ll get wet.”  The only other notable fact is that tonight is the first night that we havenit had fish for dinner.  (We did have mahi-salad sandwiches for lunch, though.)

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping this crazy wind will allow us to get to Bermuda soon.

Hello Everybody,

About the only news today is the score of the International Fishing Contest. After lunch came the cry “Fish On”.  All hands raced on deck hoping the fish was on the W.I. side and wondering what it would be.  Sad to say, it was on the U.S. side, but the West Indian lads did a fine job of reeling it in.  A very large barracuda!  Leo, who handled it on the back deck and released it, reported it weighed a good 25 pounds.  Although it was slightly shorter than the wahoo, it weighed more.  We don’t eat barracuda because they are normally reef fish and could carry ciguatera, which causes neurological issues that none of us wants to consider.  But there isn’t a reef within hundreds of miles of here.  Are barracuda pelagic fish?  The current score is U.S. 4, W.I. 1, fish 2.

Getting to Bermuda continues to be a persistent problem.  We now have some wind, 10 knots, but it is right on the nose.  Either we have to tack 45 or more degrees away from Bermuda to sail or motor directly at Bermuda at less than optimal speed (and fuel burn) because of the wind and waves.  We are constantly considering our options and either sailing or motoring, depending on what seems the best choice for the conditions.  We need to make the best use of our fuel.  At the moment we are sailing as we try to use the best option, making progress without burning fuel.

Aside from our wind dilemma, the weather has been great.  Sunny warm days, a light breeze to keep us cool, water still warm enough to bathe in, and very little rain.  (We’ve had about 5 minutes of spitting rain once or twice.)

All the best from the crew of avalanche, wishing the wind would cooperate.

Hello Everybody,

Today the big question is what to do with all the fish?  We had kingfish (purchased from a fisherman before leaving Antigua) for dinner Saturday night, kingfish salad sandwiches Sunday for lunch, seared tuna for Sunday dinner, wahoo for dinner tonight, and mahi is on the menu tomorrow night.  I managed to squeeze half the wahoo into the freezer, but couldn’t find room in either the fridge or freezer for the mahi head that the guys wanted to keep for fish water.  The problem (a nice one, I admit) is that with all the fish we haven’t eaten any of the meals filling the fridge and freezer, so we’re not making room for fish.  Such a dilemma.

Now for the update on the International Fishing Contest:  at 7:30 there was a knock on Jake’s and my cabin door.  The question was “Do you want the skin left on the Wahoo or removed?”  Kenmore and Leo had caught a Wahoo on the U.S. side and, unfortunately, lost a Wahoo on the W.I. side.  Later in the day a Mahi was reeled in on the U.S. side.  So the score is U.S. 3, W.I. 1, fish 2.  The flags look great–4 per side:  to starboard:  U.S. flag, tuna flag, wahoo flag, mahi flag, to port:  Dominican flag, Antiguan flag, Bequia whale flag, tuna flag.  The W.I. team tells me that now the flags are even they will begin fishing in ernest.  My problem is what to do with all this fish?

Meanwhile the wind has filled in ever so slightly.  We’ve had about 10 knots since mid morninig when we turned off the engine.  We’ve been babying the boat along, first with the whomper and then the yankee when the wind angle became too close.  Ashley spent a couple of hours steering during his off watch time simply because it was fun to wring every bit of speed out of the wind.  He had us going over 6 knots in 9 knots of breeze.  Wow.  This wind might hold through tomorrow before shifting to NE, which will allow us to tack and head straight for Bermuda (and Jamestown).  At this point we have probably found the sailing miles we need to get to Bermuda motoring. (It is now 545 miles directly upwind.)   We will keep sailing as long as possible.  It just means our trip is slower and therefore will take longer.  But we have plenty of food!

Chris and Leo reported that the sea was so glassy calm last night that they could see the stars reflected on the water!  And they saw a cruise ship lit up on the horizon that was so far off that neither the radar nor the AIS picked it up.  Today we put up the sailing awning and opened up the dodger, so we could have a slight breeze and shade in the cockpit. It was a great relief from yesterday’s heat.  I have noticed that the water temperature is dropping.  It was 83 when we left Antigua and tonight is 79.

All the best from the crew of avalanche, hoping the W.I. team will catch fish, but wondering where to put them.