May 27, 2011, Day 6
32.22 W longitude, 64.41 W lattitude Bermuda
Total miles from Antigua 1001 miles
Total miles close hauled, heeling at 15-20 degrees:  641!

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.

May 26, 2011 Day 5
29.37 N lattitude, 64.31 W longitude
153 miles today
137 miles to Bermuda
859  miles since leaving Antigua

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

May 25, 2011, Day 4
27.14 N lattitude, 63.51 W longitude
131 miles
294 miles to Bermuda

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.

May 24, 2011 Day 3
25.23 N lattitude, 62.32 W longitude
146 miles over the bottom
128 miles made good toward Bermuda

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.

May 23, 2011 Day 2
23.15 N lattitude, 62.30 W longitude
169 miles over the ground
158 miles made good toward Bermuda

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.