Final Day, 11, June 3, 2008

I’m happy to report that tonight avalanche is tied to the dock in Jamestown!   The beautiful sail I reported at 0400 ended at 0630 when we reached Newport, where we tied up to wait for Customs & Immigration.  The officer was late, but we made good use of the time, first with the huge breakfast we had been looking forward to.  (Anything we eat I don’t have to carry to the refrigerator at home.)  Then everyone pitched in to clean the boat.  All 6 of us worked until 1130 and made a major dent in getting rid of the salt.  The deck and hull look sparkling clean, and the interior has been wiped down and polished.  The adage “Many hands make light work.” couldn’t be more apt.  It was another example of teamwork.  After a quick lunch everyone dispersed for home.

I will write a summary of the trip, incidentals and whatever comes to mind sometime within the next week or so.  Please keep checking the web site, and please send us your comments.

All the best from the now disbanded crew of avalanche.

I’ve written about our daily life, weather (which dictates our life), squalls, injuries, adventures, food, fishing and fun aboard avalanche as we voyaged 1600+ miles, but I haven’t finished the story. So here goes.

Once we got here at 0215 on Sunday morning we all went to bed or back to bed until after sunrise. We had all grown accustomed to operating on 6 hours off watch and then getting up, so we didn’t sleep in. We were pretty much up and about having coffee at 0800. We had a full day ahead of us and we wanted to get the work done. The first step was to launch the dinghy. We carry it in davits above the swim platform when we’re underway. Then the dinghy engine had to be lifted out of the sail locker forward and attached to the dinghy. Fortunately on avalanche we have spinnaker halyards and electric winches, so lifting the engine is a matter of careful aiming and manipulating as the halyard carries the load.

Once the dinghy was functional, the crew showered, fed and presentable, we headed to immigration to check in. Unfortunately this year that process was unnecessarily unpleasant. Normally when checking into a country only the captain may go ashore, while the crew is quarantined aboard with the yellow flag flying. Last year because of the World Cup cricket games in the Caribbean many island nations, Antigua among them, tightened their security measures. The primary change had been that every crew member had to appear at immigration in person. For that reason all 5 of us trooped over to immigration together. Well, the immigration officer on duty was on a power trip, because he read Jake the riot act about not leaving the crew quarantined on board. Jake explained that he had tried to radio immigration to learn this year’s requirements (they don’t moniter the radio). We had tried our cell phones, but Leo’s battery was dead (he’d forgotten his charger) and our’s was out of money (pay as you go). We had gotten advice from another captain on the radio that the entire crew was required to appear. Properly chastised we quietly and obediently filled out our forms. (Which we had to personally sign. So, if we had stayed on board as required, Jake would have had to pick up forms, bring them to us on the boat for signature, then return to immigration.) It was very interesting that when the supervisor came into the office power trip guy became pleasant and ingratiating. Our crime was no longer severe, but easily overlooked. In the end we were all allowed to enter Antigua.

Once officially entered we switched from the quarantine flag to the Antiguan courtesy flag and went to work. When we are offshore there is salt everywhere. Despite the fact that we go through squalls and have fresh water rinses, the bulk of the water out there is salty. Because we are all on deck and below deck, we all go through galley cabinets while making meals, we’re all at the nav desk on the computer or making log entries, and we all go into our staterooms and heads we are carrying salt on our clothing and body into the interior of the boat. Any salt left will attract moisture followed by mildew, and in 80+ degree heat that would be an unpleasant situation. So the priority is to rid the boat of the salt. We attacked the salt in 2 teams: boys outside, girls inside. The guys washed with joy, rinsed and dried everything above the waterline. Kim and I used vinegar and water on every surface inside the boat. Then, of course, heads had to be cleaned. The galley was really quite clean, after all we’d cleaned the oven after the Thanksgiving stuffing fiasco.

Once the salt was gone we all began our holiday. Leo went home. Kim, Ben, Jake and I went snorkeling over at “Nudie Beach” hunting for lobsters. Although we didn’t find any lobsters (much to Ben’s disappointment) we were pleased to see that the reef is growing again. Jake,Ben and Kim tried a little longer at Bishop’s Reef with continued lack of success. After a quick shower we headed to the museum and park at Dockyard, the historical site of Lord Nelson’s battlement, lookouts, dock and ship services, and housing. There we had a quick drink at the inn, which is part of the park before heading out for a wonderful celebration dinner that wasn’t prepared by any of us!

The next day Ben and Kim and I climbed the trail from Pigeon Beach in Falmouth Harbour to English Harbour and Dockyard. We had a nice hike, some good exercise, Ben got some great photos (some of which are posted on the web site), and we did a little touristy shopping. A good time was had by all, but, alas, the vacation was over and Ben and Kim headed for the airport. Jake and I felt deserted!

Since the crew left Jake and I have spent the last 10 days getting the boat put back into cruising condition. Anything that is extraneous to sailing the boat is stowed away while we deliver. Things like placemats, platters, the food processor, deck cushions, swim fins, the grill, the awning and dive gear are all packed away. (After all, when someone is standing at a 15 degree angle trying to keep the salad parts on the cutting board, while bumping through waves and checking the radar for squalls, how can you expect them to sort past 3 platters looking for the salad bowl?) Once we get here I have to pull those things out and stow away safety gear like jacklines, weather cloths, the ditch bag, duvets, life jackets, tethers and what seems like a big pile of other stuff, even a saw for cutting the rig apart if necessary! We’ve gotten the job done. The boat is in fine shape.

Today we brought her into the Catamaran Club Marina, where Leo will check on her daily while we are gone and take care of a couple of minor repairs. Bringing the boat into the Cat Club is always exciting and never for the faint of heart. Both Jake and I heave a big sigh of relief when she’s safely tied up. We had Leo on board to help as well as a neighboring yachtsman to help with lines. The goal was to bring avalanche in past the bows of about 20 boats to our assigned spot. Once there we were to line up with our stern to the dock and back into a spot 21′ wide. Easy, right? Not exactly. Add 25 knots of wind from the quarter (which wants to blow the bow away), realize our boat is 16′3″ wide and we have 18″ fenders on each side. That is over 19′. Meanwhile the water just off the bows of all these boats is only about 6′ deep, so you can’t bail out away from the dock. The spot we are assigned is always in about 7-8′ of water, we draw 6′ with the board up, but with the board up Jake says steering avalanche is like steering a log. It is a very nerve racking experience. Jake gets us to the spot and turns the bow away. When we’re oppositie the center of the hole I drop the anchor and let out chain as Jake backs. At that point Jake has to try to steer his log into the hole. This time he got it in really well. There was one adjustment when a gust of wind pushed the bow off course, but he was able to go forward, we could check the bow with the anchor and after that he got it straight in slick as a whistle. Looked effortless. However, we all had our fingers crossed that the wind wouldn’t blow the bow off course, that we don’t hit either of the expensive boats on each side, that the anchor chain will allow the boat to reach the dock and that the line handlers will get the lines to the dock. Sigh of relief, job well done. We put the passarelle across and hooked up the power cord and we’re home for the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow we head back to the frozen north for Christmas and a few days before returning to avalanche for a real vacation time in the Caribbean. Please continue to check our web site because we will be adding to it in the new year as we head out–we’re thinking south toward Dominica and Martinique this year.

Meanwhile happy holidays from the crew of avalanche, Jake & Marnie

May 10, 2007

Antigua to St. Martin

Hi Everybody!

The adventure begins. This is the first leg of our 9th trip sailing Avalanche from Antigua to Jamestown, and the first time we have taken this route of exploration. Today we’re heading 95 miles to Ile Fourchue, an island off St. Barths, where we’ll anchor overnight before proceeding to St. Martin in the morning. We’ll leave Monday from St. Martin, sailing offshore about 3 days to the Turks and Caicos. As I mentioned in our pre-departure email, we plan to spend about 2 weeks exploring and sightseeing there and in the Bahamas before jumping into the Gulf Stream to ride up the U.S. coast

I’d like to introduce our crew. We’ll have 3 in addition to Jake and me. Bill Elvey, from Rhode Island, known as Electric Bill, has made 2 previous trips with us and has played a big role in various refit projects. He’s an electrician, a computer geek, a diesel mechanic, and has spent many years cruising the Bahamas—he’ll be our guide. Leo Bontiff is a Dominican who has settled in Antigua and works for the boatyard that takes such good care of our boat in Antigua when we’re not there. He has a lot of experience with the various systems on our boat and is as flexible as Gumby, so he will be a big help if we have to make any repairs; but this is his first delivery on any boat, so he will be learning a lot. Leo will sail with us as far as Nassau, where he has an appointment with the consulate to apply for a U.S. visa. Depending on the outcome of that appointment, he will either accompany us for the entire trip or return to Antigua. James Brooks rounds out the crew. James is an Australian, who is circumnavigating in his own boat, but stopped off temporarily in Antigua about 4 years ago. James has made 2 trips north with us and is very valuable as a sailor and a mechanic. He will join us in St. Martin on Sunday.

The highlight of our sail from Antigua to St. Martin was the small tuna that Leo caught. We enjoyed tuna sashimi as an appetizer while underway and again before dinner the next day in St. Martin.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers reading this from the crew of Avalanche in St. Martin.

May 14, 2007

St. Martin to Turks & Caicos Day 1

Hi Everybody!

Now we’re really off on our great adventure! Jake, Bill, Leo and I got to St. Martin Friday afternoon in time to buy a few boat parts at the marine supply store and load up on beverages. Saturday we bought produce and dairy products to complete our provisioning and headed for Grand Case, a wonderful bay renowned for its mouth-watering and expensive restaurants. We swam and cooled off in the crystal clear warm water (about 80 degrees). Then (ignoring the expensive restaurants) we had a wonderful meal of BBQ ribs on the beach with beer, coleslaw and more. The ribs are so good that we bought extra to freeze for our trip! Sunday James arrived and our crew was complete.

Since then we’ve put up the weather cloths along the life lines to protect us from spray, we’ve tied 10 gallons of water to the life raft just in case. We installed the jack lines so we can hook in when we move about the boat, and we replaced the large awning with a smaller sailing awning to provide shade in the cockpit while underway. Jake checked us out of St. Martin with immigration and we pulled down our French courtesy flag. We put the dinghy engine in the sail locker and hoisted the dinghy, pulled the anchor and were underway at 11:00. It’s extremely hot: 93 degrees below deck and 100 in the cockpit. Fortunately we can put on our swimsuits and a harness and sit in the water on the back deck to cool off. I think we’ll be doing that a lot!

Every year we have a fishing contest. This year the teams are Jake and Leo fishing on the starboard side, and Bill and James with gear on the port side. Because not every fisherman is up at all times to tend his lines, any fish caught on the port side is scored for Bill and James and any fish caught on the starboard pole is a score for Jake and Leo, regardless of who reels the fish in. Within less than 3 hours of our departure we had 2 Mahi Mahi’s on. Leo and Jake were on watch and able to land a huge Mahi on the starboard side, but unfortunately the port Mahi got away. So at this point the score is J&L 1, fish 1, B&J 0.

I’ll try to email daily with our adventures while we’re underway.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche at 18.28 N latitude, 63.39 W longitude.

May 15, 2007

St. Martin to Turks & Caicos, Day 2

Hello Everybody!

We’ve had quite a day! The excitement began just before lunch when we had a fish on. I heard the engine throttled back so I headed on deck to see what was up; but before I got there we had a Man Overboard siren going off. At that point everybody ran for the deck. Fortunately the MOB was a false alarm, which sometimes happens when an MOB watch gets splashed. It took several annoying seconds to get it turned off.

Meanwhile we all got a glimpse of Jake & Leo’s sailfish! Jake had a hit on the starboard line and saw about a 200-pound sailfish tail walking. As he grabbed the rod the fish quickly stripped line from the reel, which began to smell and feel hot. Jake was incredibly impressed by such a magnificent fish. However, he was hoping the fish would throw the hook because we certainly can’t land a fish of that size, and eventually that’s what happened. I think all of us got a look at the fish, but we didn’t get a photo. It was an incredible creature and we were happy that we didn’t harm it. The score is now J&L 1, fish 2, B&J 0. It appears our lures really work. Lunch followed: pan-fried Mahi sandwiches prepared by Leo with hints from Jake. Last night’s dinner was sautéed Mahi seasoned with lime juice by James. That Mahi has been a delicious addition to our menu.

Our next event occurred as the wind came up to about 12-13 knots, enough to start rolling out sails. When the sailing awning is in place it is difficult to see the mast as the mainsail is unfurled, and unfortunately today that caused a major problem. The entire upper half of the main didn’t come out, but got wedged in the slot in the mast. The lower half of the main was out and filling. It was a really ugly situation. We had all hands on deck as James went up the mast to pull the sail out as much as he could while Jake rolled the furler in to tighten the roll and out to let the sail out, all the while keeping some tension on the outhaul. It took an hour and James had to go up the mast twice, but we got the main out and full. New rule: the sailing awning is only for motoring, not for sailing!

We’ve been sailing about 65 miles off and parallel to the coast of San Juan all day in water 20,000 feet deep! That’s almost 4 miles deep. At this point we’re almost north of the eastern end of Hispaniola. We should reach the Turks & Caicos early Thursday morning.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche at 20.39 N latitude, 68.14 W longitude.

May 17, 2007

St. Martin to Turks & Caicos, Days 3 &4

Hi Everybody,

It’s Thursday night and we’re safely anchored up in Providenciales, shortened to Provo, one of the Caicos Islands. So far I can tell you that the color of the water is incredible—like nothing I’ve ever seen.

Yesterday we had clouds and overcast, capped by a two-hour squall, which pretty much spoiled our day. Today was more gray skies and lumpy seas until about noon when we began to see the low outlines of the Caicos Islands. About the same time we began to see patches of blue sky. As the weather improved so did our view of Provo. We could see miles of sandy beaches, many resorts and even more construction. But the most amazing thing is that we were motoring about 2-3 miles off shore and were still off soundings. That means the water was so deep that the fathometer couldn’t pick up the bottom! Within those 2 miles we came through a coral reef into an area less than 10 feet deep and at some points only 7/10ths of a foot under our 6-foot keel! The water is so clear we can see the bottom, the anchor, the chain, and even sand dollars. And it’s a really pretty greeny turquoise blue. (Under a partly overcast and very hazy sky.)

We can’t wait to explore tomorrow. We have to finish checking in with customs and then we’ll find out what Provo has to offer. The water promises to be a beautiful color under a sunny sky, and the coral reefs provide marvelous snorkeling and diving. And who knows what else there is to discover. We expect to be here 3-4 days before moving on to the Bahamas. I’ll write again when we leave and report on our adventures here.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche 21.47 N latitude, 72.13 W longitude

Wish you were here.

May 21, 2007

Vacation in the Turks & Caicos

Hello Everybody!

The Caicos Islands are beautiful! They are low lying limestone islands surrounded by lots of reefs with long stretches of fine white sand beach. The water inside the reefs is very shallow, in many places less than the 6′ Avalanche requires. Yet just a couple of miles offshore we’re off soundings. It’s an amazing place. In the bright sunshine we can see the bottom and identify the reefs and coral heads under water that is the most glorious azure color. I wish I had a big 64-color box of Binney & Smith Crayolas so I could identify the blues we are seeing.

While we were in Provo we rented a car to do a little exploring. The building projects are massive, with development after development along the beaches: condos, resorts, huge private compounds, as well as more modest homes. Along several parts of the coast they have cut canals into the developments: homes with a concrete dock and a boat ramp sit right on the canal. The prices are astronomical–$250,000 for a 1-bedroom condo, many millions for a house with land. The roads are excellent, except where there has been heavy truck traffic—into the port and into construction areas. We found a grocery store that rivals any we have at home (except they were out of Coke). There is a golf course, but otherwise the recreation opportunities seem to bewater-related: para-sailing, water-skiing, sailing, snorkeling and diving, and fishing. Provo is definitely a lovely place to visit.

Yesterday we left Provo, checked out with customs, and headed to West Caicos, another island. We have been able to tie to a dive buoy during the day and have moved onto the Caicos Banks at night to anchor in 15-20′ of water. The diving is excellent! We were a couple of boat lengths from a wall that went down, down, down, into dark blue oblivion. Jake and I had 4 terrific dives at 75-90′ on the wall: lots of sponges, corals, Nassau Groupers, Queen and French angelfish, a hawksbill turtle, a spotted eagle ray, to name only the most outstanding specimens. James had had trouble equalizing his ears, but for our 4th dive he was able to join us. We showed him the anchor that had gotten stuck in a crevasse many, many years ago and he was able to view the edge of the wall. Meanwhile Leo and Bill snorkeled all around the boat. The guys all went into 2 caves along the shore, and today went to shore twice for a bit of exploring. It has been a delightful vacation!

Tomorrow we’ll be up at 5:30 for a 6 am departure for Georgetown in the Bahamas. We think it will take about 30 hours, so we’ll get there around noon on Wednesday when the light is good for entering the harbor and shallow water. We have to check in to the Bahamas in Georgetown (and we’d like to replenish our Coke supply), but don’t plan to stay there. We have to be in Nassau on Monday 5/28, so we’ll be able to do a bit of exploring as we work our way north from Georgetown to Nassau.

Leo has pointed out how much later the sun sets here. We are approximately 250 miles north and 450 miles west of Antigua where the sun sets pretty much 30 minutes either side of 6:30 pm year round. Leo finds it astonishing that we still have daylight and twilight at 7:30 and almost 8 pm.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche about to depart the Turks and Caicos.

May 23, 2007

Turks & Caicos to Georgetown, Bahamas

Hi Everybody!

Today is proverb day: “A poor dress rehearsal portends a great performance.” “Into every life a little rain must fall.” “Plans are made to be changed.” “Life is what happens when you have plans.” “A day late, a dollar short.” Take your choice or choose them all, because they all fit.

As planned and described to you, we were all up yesterday at 5:30. We had the coffee made, the course plotted, the instruments on, the deck lights ablaze, and the anchor ready to pull—but the engine wouldn’t start. Immediately everything except drinking coffee was put on hold as the men began troubleshooting the problem. We certainly had the right crew: Bill is a diesel mechanic, James has had to take apart and put together his diesel under all kinds of conditions in all kinds of isolated locations, Leo has lots of experience working with diesel mechanics, and Jake reasons out everything. They immediately identified salt water in the engine oil. (The id was made by tasting the watery residue.) Fortunately, because the engine hadn’t turned over, the water was confined to its own layer below the oil at the bottom of the engine, and we were able to pump it out. We removed about 2 gallons; probably half water and half oil, and replaced it with 5 quarts of oil. At that point we were able to start and run the engine.

Next came torrential rain. We wouldn’t have wanted to be out in that weather anyway. And then the search for the source of the water began. Logic said water had to come in through the exhaust, so they began dismantling the exhaust line starting at the engine. They started with the brand new vented loop and found the gasket was malformed and the diaphragm had even been glued in one place, and the line might have been partially obstructed. They reworked the gasket and changed the hose dripping into the bilge. Then they cleaned out the sea strainer. Next came the attack on the water lock, a part in the exhaust line that will collect water to prevent it from reaching the engine. What they discovered surprised everybody. The water lock had been installed on its side instead of vertically. That meant that water could collect and rise a mere 3″ before flowing toward the engine. Now that it is installed correctly, the water will have to rise 9-10 inches before it can flow toward the engine. We think we’ve solved the problem, but we plan to be very suspicious of every detail related to the engine cooling system.

Just after we reassembled the vented loop we decided to head 10 miles across the Caicos Banks to Sapadillo Bay on Provo, thinking we could buy a new vented loop and additional oil, since we had used our reserve. Crossing the banks was like running across a lake. The water was only 12-15′ deep across a huge expanse. There were no seas and the waves were minimal. Quite an experience! Unfortunately we were only able to get rid of our garbage and buy 5 gallons of oil from a refinery. No vented loop.

While we were there we had a visit from 2 delightful traveling salespeople! Two cute blonde girls, 10 and almost 12, rowed out in their dinghy to sell us necklaces. We bought 3 necklaces (James is wearing his), and enjoyed talking to the girls. Their family of 7 is from Texas and they have been in Provo for 2 years. The girls were earning money for airfare for a visit home. Their best week had been about $300, which included about $100 from the crew of Eric Clapton’s yacht. He was on board, but not at the time when they visited.

Today started well, we motor sailed in partly sunny weather until about 2 pm, when the weather deteriorated. Since then we’ve had lots of squalls and rolly swells. We’re making progress, though. Our current position is 23.04 N latitude, 74.12 W longitude. We have 99 of our 246 miles still to go. We had the fishing poles out after we left the Turks and Caicos boundary waters, but didn’t catch anything before they were rolled up for the squalls. So the score still stands, J&L 1, fish 2, B&J 0.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

May 27, 2007

Georgetown to Nassau, Bahamas Day 1

Hello Everybody!

Forgive us for our 3 days of silence. We have been held hostage by the weather. We reached Great Exuma Island mid morning on the 24th in 30-35 knot winds and big seas. With the breaking seas we had a difficult time identifying and motoring into the cut on the leeward shore for Elizabeth Harbour and Georgetown, but we were “saved” by a nice local named Elvis, who came out in his boat and led us between the reefs. The wind continued to blast away, but once we were 4-5 miles inside the protection of the land we were no longer affected by the seas. Unfortunately the town of Georgetown was on the lee shore of the harbor, so the trip to customs in the dinghy was a wet one.

It’s interesting to note that the rules at immigration have changed this winter. Formerly only the captain went ashore, while the crew waited on the boat for clearance. Now the entire crew must appear in person to sign immigration forms. Apparently this change is connected with the Cricket World Cup being played in the Caribbean this year. As a penalty because of this new rule, Jake made one wet ride into customs while we hosed the saltwater off the decks, and then we all made a second trip, barely clearing in before their 5 pm closing.

The next 2 days we spent at anchor in Elizabeth Harbour along with a couple dozen other boats, which had been waiting as long as 2 weeks for a weather window. Apparently this is the worst weather the Bahamas has had at this time of year in memory. Normally the weather in May is sunny and clear with winds 15-20. This year a weather system has been stationary over the island for weeks. Gradually on Friday we had peeks of sunlight and Saturday we actually had blue and sunny skies; and gradually the wind began to drop. We did a little exploring along the beaches, hiked up a couple of hills to see the wild water crashing onto the island, had delicious ribs on the beach for lunch, and finally got to see the real color of the water! In the sunlight the colors jump out: beautiful turquoise water over white sand, with reefs and coral heads showing up clearly. We even watched a ray swim along close to shore in 3-4′ of water.

Today we were up at first light (6 am) to head out. We had a good route on the computer following our inbound track to get out the channel to the cut, but wanted good light to see the reefs along the way. We’re now headed for Nassau via Eleuthera Island. Today’s leg is 87 miles off soundings until we anchor up in the lee of Eleuthera. Tomorrow we have another 50 miles to get to Nassau. The first half will be off soundings. Then we go through a cut and onto the Bahamas Banks. There the water is shallow and as we cross a 4-mile stretch called Middle Ground we will have to watch for and avoid coral heads. We are currently sailing with most of the main and the staysail in

20-25 knots just forward of the beam under bright sunny skies. There is one big black cloud off the beam in the distance, but it doesn’t show up on radar. We hope we can sneak out in front of it.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

23.47 N latitude, 75.50 W longitude

May 30, 2007

Georgetown to Nassau, Day 2, and beyond!

Hi Everybody!

I must say this Bahamas sailing is not for the weak of heart! After we left Georgetown we had a wonderful day of sailing to Eleuthera. The winds were 20-25 knots aft of the beam so we were able to sail with main and staysail the entire way, and we even had some sunshine. Once we were under the lee of Cat Island the seas quieted somewhat and we had a wonderful ride. As we approached Eleuthera we had a large ship on the horizon—the Queen Mary 2. She had just pulled up anchor from the area we were headed for. Amazing to see the QM2 here since we frequently see her out the window at home when she visits Newport. We reached Eleuthera in plenty of daylight, so we went fishing. Leo reeled in a small tuna on the J&L side. Score: J&L 2, fish 2, B&J 0.

As the sun dropped toward the horizon we figured it was time to anchor—and the adventures began. We motored up toward the island avoiding any coral heads and dropped the anchor in a nice sandy spot about 15′ deep. Unfortunately the sand was only about 2 inches deep over bedrock, so we dragged. No problem, try again, and again, and again. After about the 4th attempt, Jake put on his snorkel and jumped in the water. He swam to a likely looking spot and we dropped the anchor again (practically on top of him). Once again we dragged, so he found us another spot, no luck. Finally we tried his 3rd handpicked location and the anchor held. Jake dove down to check the holding and reported the anchor was stuck in about 2 inches and holding. We let out every bit of chain and Bill and Leo stood anchor watch sleeping in the cockpit. We figured that if the anchor dragged again the boat’s motion would wake us before we hit the lee shore 25 miles away. When we got up at 5am for our next adventure, we found the anchor had held perfectly.

To get to Nassau we had a quick sail for 25 miles off soundings to a cut between 2 cays, which took us up on the banks. We had our lines out the entire way, but didn’t get a strike until we were within 3 miles of the cut (and shallow water requiring careful GPS and visual navigation). We had a Mahi on each pole. James reeled one fish in, while Leo fought the larger one. Jake gaffed James’s fish, almost lost him overboard, made a mad grab and recovered him. Then as he was tying a rope through the gills the fish slid off the deck and back into the water—gone. Darn! Next Leo brought his Mahi to the boat and Jake made the gaff and secured the fish. Meanwhile Bill was driving the boat, keeping it on course in the strong current pushing us toward the cut and the shallows. Eventually we had to head back out to deep water while we got the fish under control. Score: J&L 3, fish 2, B&J 1. (B&J caught their fish even if we didn’t get to eat it.) As you can imagine, we have had tuna sashimi, and Mahi for lunches and dinners. Monday night Leo made fish water with steaks and meat from the head of the Mahi. It was a lovely broth with potatoes, cabbage, plantains and Mahi.

Once we got onto the banks our 25-mile sail into Nassau was over the most beautiful blue water. Once again I wish I had that box of crayolas (maybe the box of 128). We could see the bottom the entire way and had to pick out coral heads as we went over Middle Ground. That was very easy in the sunshine because they look dark black. You just steer around them. Our trip over the banks took about 4 hours under Yankee alone. The mainsail furler motor refused to operate that day, so we couldn’t roll out the main.

Nassau looks like a very diverse place. As we came into the channel we admired huge homes along the waterfront, some with private protected anchorages, and most with large yachts out front. We could easily identify the resort Atlantis on the horizon. The Nassau channel has a shoal in the middle of it and a fast moving current, so we had to be careful. It was difficult to get to the dock (twice, because we had to fuel before tying up for the night) because of that current and the wind pushing us on the dock. Oh, we wish we had a bow thruster.

Tuesday was a workday. Jake and Leo were off to the U.S. embassy at 6 am to be prompt for Leo’s 8 am appointment. They returned to the boat exultant. Leo was granted a 30-day visa to continue the delivery with us and have an opportunity to see a few things in the U.S. They just had to pick up the visa and Leo’s passport at 2:30 in the afternoon. Meanwhile we dug out the spare mainsail furler motor and Bill and James installed it. Jake and Leo changed the oil on the generator and Bill and James changed the main engine oil. I spent the morning in the Laundromat. At 3 pm we had all hands back aboard and had to get Avalanche off the dock against the wind and tide. It was tough to do, but we managed by dropping the dinghy in the water so it wouldn’t be scraped off the davits by the pilings. Additionally, James took a leeboard from one of the double beds and pushed the bow out from the forward piling. We use creativity in place of a bow thruster.

And now we’re back at sea. After we left Nassau’s shallow waters we motored about 4 miles and were once again off soundings for 53 miles. And then back on the banks for another 60 miles. We had a swell while we were in deep water that made cooking our Mahi dinner exciting; then as we entered the banks the seas calmed and the ride is terrific. These drastic changes in water depths are absolutely astounding to me. We’re currently seeing 8-16′ of water under our keel. Amazing!

Once we leave the banks again around 8 am, we’ll head for the Gulf Stream and its strong current, which will give us a good push toward Charleston, S.C. and a date with U.S. Customs and Immigration.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche

25.47 N Latitude, 78.47 W Longitude

May 31, 2007

U.S. waters Florida to Charleston, S.C.

Hi Everybody!

This is the second day of our 390 mile race up the east coast of the U.S. from the Bahamas-Florida coast to Charleston. The only remarkable thing about the trip is all the boat traffic between Florida and the Bahamas and the radio traffic that goes along with it. Once we got into the Gulf Stream we recorded speeds over the ground of 9+ knots regularly and 10+ with a breeze. This morning we had a nice moderate easterly breeze and were having a lovely sail with whomper, staysail and main. Unfortunately that breeze dropped so we have just had to start the engine. We’re now making 11+ knots!

There really hasn’t been much to report. Yesterday the guys had a fish on, but lost it, making the score J&L 3, fish 3, B&J 1. And just now Leo has reeled in another beautiful Mahi!, bringing the score to J&L 4, fish 3, B&J 1. The Mahi put up quite a fight for a good 10 minutes. It practically wore Leo out. We have frozen it and plan to serve it to Grandma Jacobsen Saturday night. (Good thing we caught it, because we have just finished off the last of our Mahi: a lovely lunch of Mahi sandwiches prepared by Leo.)

It currently looks as if we’ll be in Charleston before dawn to check in with Customs and Immigration. Electric Bill will leave us there to fly back to R.I. and work. The rest of us will go right back out to sea heading 108 miles to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where we’ll spend the weekend with Jake’s mom, and rendezvous with Ben and Nikki, who will be heading home from a wedding in Georgia. Peter Vaiciulis, a frequent member of our crew and Jake’s usual fishing contest opponent will meet us in Myrtle Beach on June 4th for a June 5th departure for Jamestown. Watch the fishing scores after that. Peter is a worthy adversary and a wily fisherman who always has some secret weapon.

We plan to plot a course through New York City harbor so Leo and James can get a glimpse of the city from the water. Then we’ll head up Long Island Sound and into Narragansett Bay.

I won’t write again until we leave Myrtle Beach for Jamestown.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

30.36 N Latitude, 79.49 W Longitude

June 5, 2007

Myrtle Beach, S.C. to Jamestown, R.I. Day 1

Hello Everybody!

We’re underway again after 4 days of family fun in Myrtle Beach.

We had a beautiful overnight sail from Charleston (where we saw lots of dolphins in the harbor). We had to time our arrival at the Little River Inlet to the Intracoastal Waterway for first light, because we needed to see the day markers to run the channel. It was a beautiful hazy starry night with a full moon and a light breeze and we were slipping along at about 6 knots (more or less depending on the time requirement). Our timing was perfect. We got there at dawn as the fishing boats were coming out. The channel at the inlet was well marked and easy to follow all the way. It was really fun to see the golf courses along the ICW, the marinas, restaurants and bait stores. There were lots of condo complexes and some wonderful homes. It’s a part of the world we didn’t have any experience with. Lots of people take their boats north and south through the ICW in the spring and fall, but we can’t do that because our mast is 84′ high, and the bridges are either 65′ or 69′. Jake had previously checked out a great marina (ocean side of the first bridge), so we knew where to go and how to get in. We just had to wait for them to open at 8 am.

Once we got the boat squared away and the crew got a little rest, we rented a car and headed off to see Jake’s Mom. We quickly developed a pattern: Jake and I spent our time with his Mom, and James and Leo took the rental car and went exploring, and then each night we all had dinner together with Mom before returning to the boat for the night. Ben and Nikki arrived for dinner on Sunday after a wedding in Georgia, and then left on Monday morning. Peter Vaiciulis arrived on Monday to continue the trip with us. With the changing mix of people and the various activities each day we all had plenty to talk about over the dinner table.

Today we left the marina about noon and retraced our route back to the Atlantic. We had some big swells right on the beam for 6 or 7 hours, and that made for a really rough ride, but the winds have decreased and we were able to change course for a better ride. At the moment we’re motor sailing.

The guys are all looking forward to fishing tomorrow. There has been some debate as to whether the fishing contest will begin again or simply take up with the score J&L 4, fish 3, P&J 1. I’ll let you know what they decide…and what they catch! Peter has a hankering for yellow fin tuna for dinner tomorrow night.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

33.29 N Latitude, 77.19 W Longitude

June 6, 2007

Myrtle Beach S.C. to Jamestown, R.I. Day 2

Hello Everybody!

We’ve had weather! And that’s the good news and the bad news! Yesterday we had seas beam on, followed by very confused lumpy seas on our quarter, and we were hating it. The comfort level was about zero! We rolled and bounced, it was impossible to lie still in our bunks, stuff went flying. However, sometime this morning all that changed. The seas smoothed out, the wind cooperated and we went sailing. We’ve had lovely blue skies and bright sunshine—a really beautiful day. At the moment the wind is shifting and we’ll have to adapt to it. We have about 425 miles to Jamestown, and we’d like to get there before the next weather system arrives on Saturday.

The guys decided that we have a new fishing tournament. And we have a new leader. I told you yesterday that Peter was wishing for tuna for dinner. Unfortunately he had to settle for Mahi, but it was fresh and delicious. And the score is P&J 1, J&L 0, fish 0.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

35.12 N Latitude, 74.29 W Longitude

June 7, 2007

Myrtle Beach S.C. to Jamestown, R.I. Day 3

Hello Everybody!

Before I tell you today’s story, let me remind you that our day never really begins or ends. As you know, we sail around the clock and we all share the watches, so 2 people are always up running the boat, while the other 3 are off. And stuff happens day or night.

Today’s events began last night at midnight when I got up for my watch. I noticed in the logbook that the bilge pump had been running more frequently than normal, so I pulled up a floorboard to have a look. I found salt water leaking out of the engine’s cooling system at a rate somewhere between a drip and a stream. James, who was just going off watch, tightened the hose clamps without much success. We made a date for 6 am when James, Leo and Jake would all be up and could repair the problem. And that’s just what they did! James could reach into the tight space to remove the hose, cut off a portion that was malformed and reattach it. Fortunately Leo is as flexible as Gumby and could tighten the hose clamps.

Naturally the first order of business even at that hour had been getting the fishing lines in the water. So while they were drinking coffee and planning their repair it wasn’t surprising that they had a strike. What was surprising was the approximately 175 pound Blue Marlin on the end of the line! He jumped about 3 times and the reel got hot before that fish got away with Peter’s lure: score 1 for the fish. The day began with great promise! The next fish was a Mahi that Jake got to the boat. However, Peter lost the fish during the gaffing process, but scored it for Jake and Leo anyway. Score 1 for J&L. When I got up just before 10, Peter was catching a Mahi on his line, and Leo found its mate swimming at the transom of the boat as he reeled in his line, so he jigged for it. The bull Mahi took the lure. It was probably the fastest catch we’ve ever had. Current score: P&J 2, fish 1, J&L 2. About 45 minutes later Jake reeled in a Mahi, and less than an hour after that Leo pulled up a Wahoo, while Jake lost another Mahi on Peter’s line. Updated score: P&J 2, fish 2, J&L 4. With 4 fish boated Peter had spent the entire morning cleaning fish! A couple of times we were dragging fish or fish heads behind the boat until Peter could get caught up. It’s a good thing we have a big freezer!

We all had a break from fishing and fish cleaning for lunch (Mahi sandwiches), which was just as we exited the Gulf Stream. We had considered stopping for swim call, but when the water temp dropped from 80 to 72 degrees and the color changed from pretty blue to gray/green, we lost interest. As we had lunch Leo spotted a whale slap the surface with his tail. Gradually we could all make out the large body on the surface, but it didn’t spout or sound while we had it in sight, so we couldn’t identify it. The wind and seas were calm most of the day and that gave us the opportunity to see the wildlife that we would otherwise miss in the waves. We saw a turtle, then a pair of dolphin, followed by 4 separate pods of dolphin. Three of those pods were undoubtedly fishing: they were moving very purposefully in a line, unlike the 4th pod that was leaping and frolicking. One pod was definitely Atlantic spotted dolphin. We also spotted a log, several plastic items and 4 or 5 chunks of Styrofoam. It is so amazing to see the Atlantic Ocean so tranquil, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to see the creatures that inhabit it!

Around 5 pm the fish began hitting again. James caught, cleaned and cooked for dinner his first fish of the trip: a Mahi. Peter also caught a Mahi and we lost 2 Mahi. Total score for this segment of the

trip: J&L 5, P&J 3, fish 4.

We were making over 9 knots when we were in the Gulf Stream, and again in a warm eddy north of the stream. Tomorrow we’ll get up onto the Continental Shelf, where we have seen most of our wildlife on previous trips. We’ll also cross the Hudson Canyon. The fishermen have high hopes!

All the best from the fishing fools on Avalanche.

38.35 N Latitude, 72.48 W Longitude

June 10, 2007

Myrtle Beach, S.C. to Jamestown, R.I. Day 4

We’re home!

Hello Everybody!

We made it! We got to the mooring in Jamestown at midnight June 8th.

Friday, our last day at sea, had its high points and its low points. Without question the least pleasant aspect was the fog! About 5 am we went from a bright and clear starry night to fog all around. Much of the time we could see barely 100′ from the boat, but at the warmest part of the day we had 2+ miles of visibility. Fog really spoils a day because someone has to sit at the radar screen constantly looking for contacts, while someone else has to be on deck peering into the fog for anything. It’s also generally damp, clammy and cold. While those things were true on Friday, there was one positive: no one else seemed to be out there in the fog with us. Additionally, because we could only see about 100′, we really concentrated on what was within that range. We saw wonderful sea life. First were a couple pods of dolphin which checked us out, followed by 3 separate sightings of swordfish and 2 sharks. We also sighted Styrofoam coffee cups, plastic containers, and several mylar balloons.

Please, everybody, don’t buy mylar balloons. Or, if you must, dispose of them in the garbage. They get loose, deflate, land in the water and turtles mistake them for jellyfish. Ingesting balloons will kill turtles.

During this time we had 3 fish on. Jake caught a bluefish about 50 miles from shore, and then Peter had a huge fish on. We never saw it because it broke Pete’s line, kept the lure and escaped. Perhaps it was a blue fin tuna?! And finally Peter caught a bluefish. Final fishing score: J&L 6, P&J 4, fish 5. And lots of fish in our bellys.

The last event on the wildlife tour was another shark birthing, or migration, or convention. We saw hundreds of small sharks (about 24″) long, for about 10-15 minutes as we motored (the math makes that 1-2 miles) about 2-3 miles south of Block Island. We had seen that the spring of 2002 when we had very calm water and great visibility. Unlike this year, that time we also saw several full grown sharks and noticed an odor like burning ski wax.

Thank you all for joining us on this year’s trip north. It was definitely educational as we explored new locations. We think the Turks & Caicos and the Bahamas are both areas we’d like to explore again when we have lots of time. Unfortunately this time we had some weather issues and time constraints that kept us from making the most of those cruising grounds.

If you’d like to respond, please email us at marnie8@cox.net.

Meanwhile, all the best from the crew of Avalanche.

[Show as slideshow]

November 18, 2006 Day 1

Hello Everybody and welcome aboard Avalanche!

This is our 9th annual voyage aboard Avalanche from Jamestown to Antigua, our 18th ocean voyage of over 1,000 nautical miles! and we look forward to sharing our experiences with you. This year we have a crew of five: Jake, Marnie and Ben Jacobsen and Peter Vaiciulis, all of whom have made the trip together many times: Jake and I have made them all, and Peter and Ben have each made about half of them. Our fifth on this trip is Dolph Gabeler, a friend we’ve gotten to know through his work at North Sails tirelessly repairing our various sails. Ben’s schedule only allows him to sail as far as Bermuda, so from Bermuda to Antigua we will be four. The trip is about 1600 nautical miles: 635 from Newport to Bermuda and 900-1000 from Bermuda to Antigua. We should get to Bermuda in 3 and a half days, then another 5 to 6 will see us in Antigua. Our fastest trip was 9 days, but in the fall we usually have to hold in Bermuda a day or two for weather. (Hardly the briar patch.)

It had long been our goal to leave on Saturday, the 18th, and as Jake talked with Herb, or weather prognosticator, that seemed a viable plan: we would wait for the front that had swept up the eastern seaboard to pass and the seas to lie down, then head out–about dawn on Saturday morning. On Friday at 4 pm when Jake talked to Herb the plan changed to an immediate departure, if not sooner. What had been a sedate, organized and satisfying final prep became a Chinese fire drill! Those final chores (shopping for fresh produce, dairy and baked goods; packing the final bag of personal gear; transferring prepared meals from home freezer to boat freezer; closing up the condo: prying one crew member away from work), which we had planned to leisurely complete through the evening were raced through in what we thought was record time: in less than 5 hours we accomplished what was planned for 8-10 hours. We untied the dock lines just before 9 pm and headed out. The first order of business was to immediately set our watches forward to Bermuda and Antigua time, which had the added benefit of extending our evening daylight. Then we went to work stowing all the groceries and frozen meals, making up bunks, unpacking clothing, and motoring the boat out of the bay. Within an hour things were under control, with all the lose stuff stowed, the boat on course for the Gulf Stream and Bermuda and the off watch crew bedded down for some rest. The ride out of the mouth of the bay and just off the coast was quite rolly and bumpy in the aftermath of the front, but that became less problematic with time.

We had a clear dark sky, the crescent moon didn’t rise until almost dawn, and the temperature was in the low 50’s, with the light breeze from astern. We were really quite comfortable in our parkas, hats and gloves watching the entertainment. Mother Nature began her show during the night. For openers, Peter and Dolph had a wondrous meteor shower; Peter quit counting at 38. Then, just before dawn, a pod of 15-20 dolphins came to play around the boat. The phosphorescence in the water as they swooped in close to the boat, then under it, then leaped and frolicked was like fairy dust or stars. It was wonderful to see. Just after dawn we were visited by another pod of 15-25 dolphin that frolicked and played for a good half hour entertaining us. They jumped in the air, and then ducked under the boat. They sped away and came flying and leaping back. They were bright and shiny and looked brand new. While the dolphins were playing, I spotted a humpback whale blowing several hundred yards off the port side. Then he breached and made a huge splash landing back in the water. As he leisurely swam away from us he spouted several more times, breached at least twice more and then waved his huge fin at us. What a treat! Just as we were exclaiming about how lucky we were to see all this wildlife, yet another pod of dolphin came in from the starboard side–50-75 of them, coming in waves of 15-20 at a time, leaping, smiling, frolicking. And all before 10 am! Additionally, during that time we came within a half mile of a 128′ tug, saw lights just over the horizon (perhaps a cruise ship), tracked a boat about 5 miles away, identified 2 fishing boats, and saw 3 high flyers.
Just another routine day at sea!

When Jake talked to Herb at 4 pm, we had only covered 143 miles (which we thought was excellent, because it gives us over 200 miles for 24 hours), but Herb was disappointed. He wanted us to have another 60 miles under our belt. If he could have seen our Chinese fire drill, he would have been impressed, not disappointed. The reason Herb hoped we had gotten further is that there is a potential storm brewing off the southern U.S. coast, which we don’t want to tangle with. So we have the throttle down, we’re motoring straight to Bermuda as fast as we can. Depending on when the storm begins moving and the direction it takes we might beat it to Bermuda, or we might spend our last 8 hours beating in 25 knots. We’re voting for the former scenario. We should get there Tuesday morning, and during the daylight for a change.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche, hoping your Saturday was as exciting as ours.
38.44 N Latitude 69.54 W Longitude

November 19, 2006 Day 2

Hello Everybody!

Last night we were enjoying a relatively benign Gulf Stream crossing: the water was 78 degrees, so we were comfortable on deck in 65-degree air temp. It was overcast and we were rolling, but that didn’t put a damper on our story telling. Then, about 3 am, the bilge pump light came on, and came on again and stayed on too long. I went below to check and found that it had pumped 261 seconds, so I pulled up the floorboards to find the problem. It was pretty easy to identify as fresh water since a hose from the water pump was spraying water everywhere. (That’s the good news, if it’s fresh water it was already on board and is just moving to a new location. It won’t sink us.) When I picked up the floorboard the engine noise magnified enough to rouse Jake from his bunk. He came on the scene as I was turning off the water pump. He managed to put his hand directly on the leak in his first attempt to locate it, and as he was calling for tools, Peter appeared to help. (It really is loud when the engine is running and the floorboards are up!) Dolph kept watch on deck and kept us heading for Bermuda while Jake and Peter got the leak repaired and I stood by to fetch tools. Ben heard the commotion, rightly figured that if we didn’t call him, we didn’t need him and rolled over to go back to sleep. With the leaky fresh water situation under control, Dolph and Peter went to bed; Jake came on watch with me. And we had more water. Just a light drizzle, but we had to layer up with foul weather gear. When I was off watch and sleeping I heard commotion and noise, as Peter, Dolph and Jake had to cope with the fresh water system pressure tank, a casualty of the night’s leak. I followed Ben’s example from the night before and rolled over to go back to sleep!

Our day was bright, sunny, and warm. We were on deck in shorts and t-shirts, Peter and Jake were putting the finishing touches on the pressure tank when Jake’s fishing line went wild. Fish on! Ben grabbed it and started reeling it in, calling for the fighting belt. We all gathered to watch and help. As Ben cranked and cranked and the fish came closer we were flabbergasted to see a White Marlin! Ben got it to the boat, Jake gaffed it, and Pete arrived to help drag it onto the swimming platform. Ben had caught a 7-foot, 35-40 pound white Marlin on Jake’s side of the boat. Peter bled it and filleted it and Jake and Ben cooked it up for lunch. What a treat that was! We are planning to have more for dinner tomorrow night. All the guys took baths and showers on the swimming platform at 36.58N latitude. That beats last year’s record at 36.18 N latitude for getting in the water the furthest north.

We have not had a chance to sail yet. We are motor sailing with the wind directly behind us and too light to make sailing worthwhile, especially with a chance of a storm approaching. So we motor on. We have just completed our engineering for the day, which included making water, running the freezer, and normally charging the batteries, but with the engine running, charging is not necessary.

We hope all is well with everyone.

Our current position is 290 miles Northwest of Bermuda. If all goes well we will be there before noon on Tuesday.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

November 20, 2006 Day 3

Hello Everybody,

It appears this is my year to get wet! When Peter awakened me last night and was heading off to bed, he mentioned a dark cloud following us and the possibility of rain later. In no more than a minute, when I climbed the ladder to the deck to join Dolph, he was asking if I had brought my foul weather gear because it was raining and he needed to get his. After he and I were both suited up we sat in the rain for an hour or so telling stories. By the time Jake came on deck the rain was gone and the stars were out (but my socks and shoes were really soggy).

I awoke this morning to blue sky and sunshine, and the guys all on deck in shorts and t-shirts with the fishing lines over the side. They have 2 rods and 3 hand lines on bungees. The lines on the port side are “Jake’s”; those to starboard are “Peter’s”. Jake has a couple of new lures from the boat show, but nothing unique. Peter’s rigs look like he’s gone pro. He has multicolored line, 3 hooks on one line, and what looks like a small tuna for a lure. He appears to be serious about winning the contest this year! For those of you who are new to our journal this year, the fishing contest is an annual event. Peter and Jake choose sides of the boat and put their individual gear there. After that it’s really a team effort because everyone pitches in to catch the fish, since Peter and Jake are not always on deck when a fish strikes. Any fish caught on Jake’s side (port this year) scores for Jake, any fish caught on Peter’s side (starboard) scores for Peter, and fish are scored if they get away.

The first event of the day was a fish on Peter’s line. Dolph reeled in a brilliantly colored small Mahi Mahi. Now the fact that Jake lost the gaff yesterday when we were boating the Marlin made it a bit more challenging for Peter to grab the fish on the swim platform, but he was up to the task. Peter quickly filleted the fish and Jake began prepping it for fish sandwiches. It wasn’t my turn to cook, so I stood watch on deck, while Peter, Dolph and Ben went down for naps. What I watched was a huge ugly black cloud that stretched from horizon to horizon behind us. I grabbed my foul weather gear, put the hatch board in to keep the rain out of the boat, and had my second fresh water shower in 24 hours as the black cloud caught us. Gradually we worked our way out from under the cloud and we had sunshine again when the entire group reconvened in the cockpit for excellent fresh Mahi Mahi sandwiches. Just as we were biting into our (rather messy) sandwiches, a fish hit Jake’s line. Ben leapt up and began reeling, while Dolph strapped the fighting belt around Ben’s waist. Then Dolph began reeling in one of Peter’s lines to get it out of the way, only to discover there was a second Mahi Mahi on it. Two fish on, no gaff, 3 hand lines in the water–oh boy! Ben got his fish in to Peter on the swim platform and strapped the fighting belt around Dolph’s waist. Then it got really interesting. Peter’s 3 lines were intertwined. Ben and Dolph had to pull the multicolored line (looks very colorful snarled on the cockpit cushions) in by hand, only to discover that the 2nd Mahi was long gone. Jake thought Peter’s line looked like a tangled fishing net that had washed ashore. At this point the score is fish 1, Peter 1, Jake 2. (And, personally, I think Ben should have points for catching our first Marlin.)

After the double Mahi Mahi adventure the weather settled down a bit. We finally have a decent wind direction and velocity to put up sails! Until this point we’ve just been a glorified motorboat. Now we’re barreling along straight toward Bermuda making over 9 knots over the bottom. It looks as if we should get to the outer buoys at Bermuda about sunrise tomorrow. We’ve actually made reasonably good time this trip. We made 143 miles from the time we left Jamestown until 4 pm Saturday, then 186 miles until 4 pm Sunday despite stopping to catch the Marlin, and 186 miles today including catching 2 and releasing 1 Mahi Mahi. Only 125 miles to go to the sea buoy.

Tonight Dolph is marinating Marlin for dinner; we’ve had fish sandwiches twice for lunch, meatloaf sandwiches for lunch; lasagna and scallops fettuccini for dinner: and fresh chocolate chip cookies thanks to Nikki. We’re eating very well.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche looking forward to landfall in Bermuda.
34.01 W Latitude 65.58 N Longitude

November 21, 2006 Day 4

Hello Everybody,

We’re here! We arrived in Bermuda about 8 this morning! It never fails to amaze me that we can untie the dock lines in Jamestown, sail away from land, and 3 days later, find and sail into Bermuda. Despite multiple trips the sheer magnitude of the feat and the excitement of the approach never fail to amaze me. The trip took 2 hours less than 3 and a half days. I hope I’ll have a chance to check our previous trips so I can tell you where that stands in the record books.

When we arrived Bermuda Radio directed us to the cruise ship dock so we could walk over to Customs to check in. After that we circled near the fuel dock for 2 hours waiting for two other sailboats to fuel before we could get a turn. The irony of the situation was priceless. The only wind we had from a direction and of a strength we could have sailed in since we left Jamestown came up while we were at the dock replacing the fuel we used because we couldn’t sail. That very wind made getting off the dock an adventure: we launched the dinghy and Dolph was our tug, pulling the bow off the wall; while Peter and Ben guided and pushed the aft quarter and kept our fenders between the cement wall and the hull. Jake drove and I held my breath! Having made it off the fuel dock, we had the anchor down, the deck cleared up and leftover lasagna in the oven for lunch by 12:30, when the rain began!

We had a quiet afternoon in the rain: Jake and Ben went to town for an Internet card and a bottle of rum and came back with ice cream! Peter sharpened knives and Dolph and I had naps. We all showered and freshened up.

When Jake talked to Herb, Herb reported that the storm I mentioned earlier is still stationary off Florida. He suggests that we’ll be stuck here in the briar patch until the end of the week. So it looks as if we’ll have an opportunity to explore, do some shopping, read, and relax. In addition, Jake and Peter will undoubtedly check out their fresh water leak repair, and Dolph has brought his canvas repair kit and has already referred to some maintenance he’d like to do. Ben heads back to Rhode Island tomorrow. (Amazing, he’ll travel the distance it took us 3 days 10 hours to do in only 2 hours and 45 minutes!)

I’ll write again when we know what our weather window looks like and daily once we’re underway.

Happy Thanksgiving from the crew of Avalanche. (Don’t worry about us, our turkey day menu includes: turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberry relish, pumpkin bread, and apple crisp!)
32.22 N latitude, 64.41 W longitude

November 22, 2006 Day 5

Hello Everybody!

We’re back at sea. Last night we had 4″ of rain in the dinghy, but this morning it was merely drizzly and overcast. The wind and downpours had disappeared. We looked at the various forecasts available to us here and figured we should leave while we could. There isn’t any wind to speak of, and the seas are still very rolly, but we’ll start getting south before the next weather maker arrives. We hope Herb will approve. (A little later) Herb would have liked us to stay put until after lunch tomorrow, but since we’re already out here advised us to head south and west of south in any thunderstorms. He says there will be plenty of weather for “easting” toward Antigua later.

We had a nice time in Bermuda. We’re always on a pretty short leash because we have to be on board to talk to Herb at 3:40, and ready to depart immediately thereafter if conditions allow. We had 3 nights of good sleep: had a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings; and a second meal of leftovers–we even had apple crisp and ice cream! We made our annual trek up to Bermuda Radio with a case of Heineken, a tradition since our first trip south when we were in terrible weather and on a communication schedule every 4 hours with them. Once again we had a tour of their incredible facility and state of the art communications system; and we enjoyed their view over the island and water around it. Yesterday we took the ferry to Hamilton via Dockyard. It was a wonderful view of the exterior of the island inside the reef, of Dockyard, of the area we raced Etchells in 10 years ago, and the new and changing waterfront in Hamilton. We sampled Bermuda fish chowder, bought fishing gear and quick took a taxi back to St. Georges so we wouldn’t miss Herb!

We left St. Georges about 2:45 this afternoon, and by 3:30 Peter had caught a tunny tuna. So we’re having sashimi tonight before our chicken chili dinner. The score now stands at Jake 2, Peter 2, fish 1.

Just as Herb came on the radio we learned we had shot ourselves in the foot! Peter and Jake had repaired that fresh water hose leak on the way to Bermuda, and then tweaked it while we were at anchor. Unfortunately they tweaked the hose a little too close to an alternator belt, and the hose developed a leak. It was pretty easy to find, and we had a perfect piece of hose to replace it. Just an hour on their bellies over the bilge in the rolly seas and we were back in business.

Now we’re about to have dinner. Then Jake and I will be up from 6 to midnight, Dolph and Peter from midnight to 6 am, then Jake and I have 6 to noon and Dolph and Peter get the afternoon. Pretty simple schedule.

A note to our readers. We wanted to send our email to everyone instead of having Ben forward it, but we have learned that just isn’t possible. It turns out that there are so many spam busters and virus protectors that easily a third of your addresses were rejected. Worse: once rejected, the ISP notified us again every time we went on line to send or receive. We just can’t cope with all the transmissions. Therefore, we will send directly to Ben, Jake’s Mom and mine, Dolph’s and Peter’s wives (one each). Ben will forward to the rest of the list as he has done in the past.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche

32.12 N latitude 64.35 W longitude

November 23, 2006 Day 6

Hello Everybody!

Last night after I had written we had a strange event while we had dinner. A flying fish hit Dolph in the chest, and then slid across the cushions behind Jake, who picked it up and threw it overboard. Less than an hour later another flying fish landed on the hatch right beside Jake, and this morning we found a third dead on deck near the hatch. The fish are jumping right on board! Dolph did report a strike on Jake’s line this afternoon, but when he reeled it in there was nothing on the lure. The score remains Jake 2, Peter 2, fish 1.

The subject most on our minds has been the weather. Particularly for me, since I seem to attract the rain, and I’m getting tired of suiting up in foul weather gear every watch! It’s hot, heavy, and my knees just don’t bend very well when they’re so encumbered. Thanks to Herb we missed the real rain and thunderstorms last night. We could see some lightning way off to the east, but it didn’t bother us. We just had some sprinkles and wet cockpit cushions. Sunrise this morning was particularly colorful. To the west we had a dozen shades of blue, from pale gray blue to bright blue sky blue to deep dark blue, plus several shades in between and silver clouds for contrast. To the east were shades of white and gray. A paint manufacturer could have had a wonderful palette as a sales tool with that sky! Even color blind Jake could see it! We had some sun during the day and now we have a sky that contains more and more stars along with a crescent moon. We have altered course toward Antigua now that the front is angling away from us toward the southeast and we can see the clouds associated with it in the distance. It’s moving at 10 knots, while we’re making 8 knots, so it should stay ahead of us!

For those of you who are new readers, I should introduce Herb Hilgenberg, who is a very important member of our crew. He is a meteorologist, who puts together forecasts for voyaging sailors like us. He began his hobby when he lived in Bermuda and has continued since retirement from his home in Toronto. Jake and Ben and I visited Herb and his wife Brigitte several years ago and were most impressed by Herb’s commitment to the safety and well being of us sailors at sea. He spends hours every day going over all the forecasts and models available to him, and then formulates his own forecast. Every day he comes on the single sideband radio at 2:50 EST and calls the roll of boats that have checked in. He then proceeds to talk to each boat, receiving weather conditions at each boat’s location, then giving a detailed 3-day forecast for each boat based on his forecasts and tied to that boat’s destination and anticipated speed. It is a formidable job, especially when there are storms and people out in them. You can see from our emails that our days revolve around Herb. We couldn’t make these trips without him.

We hope you are all enjoying a happy holiday weekend. All the best from the crew of Avalanche.
28.30 N latitude 64.27 W longitude

November 24, 2006 Day 7

Hello Everybody!

I guess we should call this a fishing trip! I wrote yesterday about the 3 flying fish. Just when we were all up at midnight to change watches I noticed a bit of spray and shined my flashlight around. Yep! Another flying fish on the cockpit floor just forward of the console. And this morning I found scales on the davits near the back porch light–probably another casualty. The problem is that flying fish are really slippery and hard to pick up to throw back, plus they leave scales everywhere, and they smell really fishy!

About the same time we had a close encounter with another yacht. We had been roughly paralleling and very slowly converging with another boat all night and finally just before midnight, when he was between 2 and 3 miles away, decided to alter course to be certain we would avoid him. Probably he was heading for the Virgin Islands, which are further west than our course. It always astonishes me when we see another boat like ourselves. The ocean is so vast, but the routes from port to port are heavily used, so I suppose I really shouldn’t be surprised.

Today has been a fisherman’s dream! We’ve had 5 fish on! About 7:30 this morning Jake’s line started running out. I pulled back the throttle while he grabbed the rod. He reeled a nice Mahi Mahi in as I readied the gaff and harness. Then he handed me the rod to bring the fish to the boat so he could gaff it. Mission accomplished, fresh Mahi sandwiches for lunch. Shortly after we had let the lines back out there was another strike on Jake’s line. He grabbed the rod and began reeling, but the fish made a run for the boat faster than Jake could reel. The fish outsmarted Jake and shook the hook. At lunch we all discussed the fishing, mentioning that fish generally hit early in the morning or just when Herb is on the air. And that’s what happened. I was napping; Herb was beginning his broadcast when the boat stopped. Once on deck I found Dolph reeling in a big fish on Jake’s line. Peter had been showering on the swim platform, so he was already harnessed, but had to quickly put his clothes on before he gaffed our second white marlin! This one was probably 5′ to Ben’s 7′ fish. This is the first year we have ever caught billfish, and now we’ve got two! (For the record, the guys at the fishing tackle store in Bermuda told us these are probably long billed spearfish, not white marlin–there are some distinguishing stripes.) After the lines were put back out, the guys encouraged me to shower on the swim platform. (They all already had showered and were nicely cooled off.) I was tempted to sit in the water and enjoy it before showering, but decided to be quick instead because I figured the odds were good that there would be more fish at that time of day, and I didn’t want to be in the way when the gaffing and filleting began. I had barely climbed back on deck and taken off the harness when Jake had a strike on his line immediately followed by a strike on Peter’s line. They were both Mahi Mahi’s. Jake boated his, but Dolph lost the one on Peter’s line. That makes the score Jake 5, Peter 2, fish 3.

We had a gorgeous hot day today: bright hot sunshine, 86 degrees in the shade, 10-12 knots of breeze from dead behind us, so we are still motoring. In an effort to fight the heat, we put up the small awning to give us some shade in the cockpit and help cool the boat somewhat, and everyone sat on the swim platform and showered to cool off. We all had naps, did some reading, made a few phone calls while the Globalstar phone had reception. (I don’t know why the hero in Clive Cussler’s novels always gets through on his Globalstar, while our reception is always spotty.)

We need to find some wind. It appears that it will arrive Tuesday about the time we run out of fuel. We have fuel to make about 800 miles, but we need to sail for 200 miles–about one day. Herb suggested that we slow down and go fishing and let the wind catch up to us. While we are being somewhat conservative with the fuel, we aren’t worried yet, but we will consider Herb’s advice tomorrow if the wind does not fill in. It looks like the predicted winds will allow us to roll out the sails for the last couple days into Antigua. And, since we go too fast when sailing to catch fish, we’ll just catch fish now, sail later.

All the best from the fishing fools on Avalanche.

November 25, 2007 Day 8

Hello Everybody!

The fishing continues. Score today Jake 5, Peter 3, fish 3. Dolph and Peter caught a Mahi Mahi on Peter’s line.

Today’s weather wasn’t bright and sunny, but it was warm. We began to catch up to the front and its heavy dark clouds. Fortunately, the worst those clouds have provided during the day were a few sprinkles (and not on my watch!). Herb warned us that we might have squalls and unsettled conditions overnight; until just now it’s been a beautiful night with a moon and stars here and there, but now the radar shows rain 16 miles dead ahead. Apparently tomorrow should be another beautiful sunny day on the water.

Today the wind has finally moved far enough forward for us to sail. We’ve had 12-20 knots of wind and as it crept forward we rolled out more and more sail and throttled the engine back to conserve fuel. By 5 am Peter and Dolph had throttled back to 1600 rpms and rolled out the yankee. By 9 am Jake and I had exchanged the yankee for the whomper and rolled out the mainsail and had throttled back to 1500 rpms. At lunchtime the engine was at 1400 rpms, and by 1 pm it was off. Unfortunately that was just as we were closing in on the black clouds of the front, so we changed down from the whomper to the yankee. But the good news is that we are finally sailing!

We’re looking forward to a fine sunny day tomorrow, with a bath on the swim platform where the water is 83 degrees!

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

22.39 N latitude 62.49 W longitude

November 26, 2006 Day 9

Hello Everybody!

I was weary and uninspired last night when I wrote, and just didn’t feel creative enough to try to describe what it’s like out here. I’ll give it a shot now. Keep in mind that we have been motoring almost the entire distance from Jamestown until yesterday when we were gradually able to add sail and finally turn off the engine.

At that point we were also catching the front, which had an erratic forward movement ahead of us: staying ahead, then slowing so we caught it, moving on again. As a result, yesterday, all night and this morning we’ve had some sort of clouds from horizon to horizon. Sometimes they look dark and dense, other areas are thin and let stars through, still other sections hold rain, there is even a bit of blue sky.

For the last 16-18 hours we’ve had terrific winds: at first 15-20, increasing overnight and now to 20-30, all aft of the beam, with accompanying 5-8 foot waves. The result of those conditions is a terrific ride! We are flying down waves at speeds over the ground of 8 and 9 knots. Avalanche was built for this kind of sailing; her hull shape keeps her bow from burying, so we fly along over the waves without taking water on deck. The sense of speed on deck is exhilarating. During the day we see dark blue water with frothy white caps 360 degrees to the edge of the horizon, a great empty seascape. Close to the boat the waves break and we can see the turquoise color as we slice through them. Nighttime is a different story. Because it’s dark we don’t see anything in the distance, we only see the waves near the boat as we slice through them and they race past. When the moon is visible we have a long clear patch of moonlight, which allows us a very narrow window to view what is out there. As a result of a diminished sense of sight and lack of reference points, our speed during the dark hours seems magnified. The sound of the rushing waves is enhanced. (Jake compares it to driving in a tunnel, when you lose the sense of your environment. Think about driving along with the tunnel lights and your headlights, then imagine turning off all the lights! ) The ride below is quite the opposite of the exhilarating ride in the cockpit. It is quiet (thankfully so without the engine running) and calm. The boat heels at about 15 degrees, so when we’re sitting or standing or walking we’re always holding on or braced. Additionally, when the boat careens into or off of a wave the boat will lurch. In our bunks the ride is delightful. We can’t even tell there is any wind at all. A good example is Peter and Dolph, who came up late morning dressed in swim trunks with their towels looking for a bath thinking the wind had died. Actually it was blowing 20-25, we were flying, and Jake and I were wearing our harnesses because of the squally aspect of the wind!

Because we have been sailing so fast, there has been no fishing today. However, tomorrow we will be coming up the wall along Barbuda during the daylight and Peter and Jake have been plotting their tactics. (Right now they are in the cockpit putting new line on the reels.) The water will go from over 3000 feet deep to less than 50 feet. It’s along that wall that fish feed, and Jake and Peter want to catch some of them–particularly tuna! In the past we have frequently gone through that area in the dark, so we couldn’t fish, but generally we have caught a Wahoo or two as we go past Barbuda and into Antigua.

Herb tells us our weather will be more of the same overnight, but we might have sun tomorrow. The computer is predicting we’ll get into Antigua tomorrow after dark. The actual time will really depend on how fast we go, which depends on 2 factors: how much wind we have and how many times we stop for fish.

All the best from the crew of Avalanche.

20.08 N latitude 62.07 W longitude

November 27, 2006 Day 10

Hello Everybody!

We made it! This is a quick note to tell you all that we have arrived in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. We had the anchor down at 7:30 pm. We’re all showering and preparing dinner and looking forward to a whole night’s sleep. Tomorrow will be a very busy day because everything on the boat inside and out has to be washed down and rinsed with fresh water to get the salt out. Dolph flies out on Friday, Peter on Saturday, so I probably won’t write the final installment until Saturday or Sunday, but I will write it. We did have some adventures with the weather and constant squalls, plus a few airlocks at inopportune times. And the final fishing contest score is Peter 3, Jake 5, fish 3. Details to follow (eventually).

All the best from the crew of Avalanche, successfully at anchor!

17.00 N latitude 61.46 W longitude

November 29, 2006 The last day

Hello Everybody!

I did warn you that it would take me a few days to get back to the computer to relate the adventures of our final day at sea, but even I didn’t think it would take more than a week! We have been very busy since we arrived in Antigua. Peter and Dolph were an incredible help getting the boat and all the gear cleaned up and put away. Having two extra sets of hands cut the time by much more than half. Our last day at sea was full of adventures, and the first one began just before midnight. Jake and I had been on watch for 6 hours, sailing through and around squalls the entire time. It was weather we had been seeing all day: small areas of dark clouds with very localized rain, and no apparent changes in the wind. Each time we watched a squall miss us either visually or on the radar we gave a sigh of relief because we hadn’t gotten wet. The wind velocity fluctuated between 22 and 28 knots from our quarter, so we were sailing beautifully with Yankee, staysail and a reduced main. I was having trouble staying awake, so I went below to the computer to check the navigation: course, arrival time, water depths–anything to keep me awake. I had put the kettle on for Peter and Dolph’s coffee, and Peter had roused early. It was time to wake Dolph. Pete and I were chatting at the nav table when all hell broke loose! Jake was alone on deck, tethered to the backstay, watching with relief as yet another squall passed by without drenching him, when about 50 yards to windward he saw furious white water as a huge wind gust (he guesses 40-60 knots) hit first the water and then the boat. Jake grabbed the auto pilot control and put it on standby. With that the boat broached and rounded up toward the wind and the gust was gone. Jake easily hand steered the boat back on course. Peter went flying up on deck to see what he could do. Dolph had to extricate himself from his lee cloth and get out of his bunk (fortunately he hadn’t been thrown out). I turned off the stove and walked through the boat looking for anything damaged or out of place. Everything was fine below. Jake reported that 2-3 feet of the boom had been dragging in the water, but it was securely prevented, so it didn’t do any damage. (Only the next morning in the daylight did we discover that we’d lost a bath towel from the leeward rail and the leeward water jug tied to our life raft.) Excitement over, Peter and Dolph took up the watch and Jake and I went to bed.

At 6 am the guys reported that they had had an uneventful night, still seeing and missing rainsqualls (Peter and Dolph never did have any rain on their watches). We were sailing in the same conditions as overnight and the preceding day: 22-28 knots, 6-8 foot seas, but the wind direction was creeping forward. Now we had the wind off our beam, even occasionally forward of the beam as we neared Barbuda and the fishing grounds. Unfortunately, and to the great disappointment of all, the fishing contest was canceled. All that preparation and strategy for naught! Given the wind direction and velocity and sea conditions, together with our boat speed, there was no way we could catch a fish, much less reel it in and land it. We were just going too fast. As the day progressed we began to feel additional effects of our broach. The first demonstrated symptom was from the freezer: it had such a severe airlock that Jake gave up trying to bleed it, figuring we’d run it later at anchor in Antigua. The next event was a toilet that wouldn’t flush and instead filled up with contents from the holding tank. The toilet couldn’t flush because we had run the port water tank dry. We re-primed the water pump and cleaned up that mess. I took a nap, the guys all bathed and showered and when I awoke they informed me that the 125 gallons of water in the starboard tank wouldn’t give us enough pressure to prime the water pump again–no bathing for me. When we turned the SE corner of Antigua for the final 10-mile run into Falmouth Harbour, we rolled up sails and started the engine. Because we had had an overheating problem with the engine last May heading into Bermuda, Jake was very cautious this year when restarting it–and it was a darned good thing, too! We had exhaust water, but not enough. The alarm sounded and we shut down the engine. Jake and Peter checked the strainer, removed and checked the impellor. There was nothing impeding the cooling water flow, but the flow was negligible. Another airlock?! It’s the only thing we can think. When Jake and Peter removed the impeller the second time and opened the sea strainer they were finally able to get a significant water flow. And we were fine. Engine ran, water flowed. We all joined Dolph on deck, where he had been peacefully steering downwind under staysail alone, to watch the lights of Antigua as we came into Falmouth Harbour. We found the navigation buoys with no problem under the lights of a 5-masted square-rigged cruise ship and dropped anchor at Pigeon Beach.

The summary of the fishing contest is 5 fish on Peter’s side: 4 Mahi Mahi (2 of which were lost), 1 tuna, for a total of 3 for Peter. On Jake’s side we had 6 hits: 2 long billed spearfish, 3 Mahi Mahi and one unidentified fish (lost) for a total of 5 for Jake. We had 4 hits north of Bermuda: 3 Mahi Mahi and one long billed spearfish. The other 7 hits were south of Bermuda, and 5 were on November 26th!

We’d like to pay tribute to our crew: Peter Vaiciulis, fine cook, super mechanic, dedicated fisherman, great friend; Dolph Gabeler, also a fine and very tidy cook, sailor par excellence, novice but eager fisherman; Ben Jacobsen, nimble sailor, fine photographer, and accomplished bill fisherman; and Herb Hilgenberg, expert meteorologist; also to Ofa and Dari and Nikki, who were willing to send their husbands off with us. Without all of them this trip wouldn’t have been possible!

Until May, when we make our return delivery to Rhode Island, best wishes from the crew of Avalanche in Antigua.