Hello from Avalanche!
As we like to say, we have accomplished the most difficult part of the trip!
That is preparing the boat, chasing all the details and casting off the dock
lines. This morning, according to plan, we untied the dock lines at 10:30,
which wasn’t bad considering the customs officer came into work 1? hours
late, thereby delaying our checkout.
Our weather forecasts early in the week did not call for much wind, so it
looked like we would have to motor most of the 950 miles to Bermuda.
Nevertheless, ever hopeful, we motored for the first hour and a half around
the south end of Antigua with high hopes. And, indeed, there was more wind
this morning than predicted and we are sailing straight at Bermuda at 8.5
knots in winds of 13-14 knots. We are enjoying a lovely sail with the
Whomper, the staysail, and the full main.
As Jake was talking to Herb and I was enjoying a salt water bath on the back
deck to cool off, we had our first of what we hope will be many fishing
evolutions. The drag on Peter’s reel went crazy and we all scrambled to
respond: furl the Whomper to slow the boat down, reel in the second line
and get me out of the pool, while Peter reeled in a nice barracuda.
Unfortunately we can’t eat barracuda here, but Leo skillfully slipped the
gaff into the gill of the fish, unhooked it and released it. So at this
point, the score is Peter 1, Jake 0, Fish 0. (Jake has not caught a fish
since Block Island last September!) As for me, I have always had a nagging
worry about the guys catching a fish while I was having a bath, because the
back deck is where all the action takes place. I had to quickly scramble up
the steps and over the rail and hand the harness over to Leo so he could
climb down to the back deck to gaff the fish, wearing the wet harness that I
had just removed.
We have a super crew on this trip. It is composed of Jake and me, Peter
Vaiciulis, Leo Bontiff, Jeff Frazer, and Pete Largess. Peter has done many
trips with us and it is always delightful to have him on board. He is very
familiar with the boat and the sailing, is a wonderful cook, and usually a
good loser in the fishing contest. (Except for times like last fall, when
he beat Jake soundly.) You may remember that Peter cut his finger on that
trip; and we had to return to Bermuda so Peter could get medical attention
and eventually fly home. His finger has healed nicely in large part thanks
to Kim Hapgood, the crewmember who did such a great job closing the wound
with the steri-strips. Peter’s scar looks as good as if a surgeon had done
the work.
Leo has helped us by looking after the boat in Antigua for the last three
seasons, made last year’s trip north, and this year’s trip south. Leo has
really made a difference in the condition of the boat, is a terrific friend,
a great fisherman (his first job was fishing off Dominica with his
grandfather), and even a super cook. He is looking forward to his third
visit to the USA, where he will spend a week with us upon arrival and a week
in New York with a friend before he returns to Antigua. We were really
lucky last fall when Leo got a 10 year visa. He is even thinking about
joining us for a vacation in the U.S. this summer.
Jeff Frazer is delivering on the boat for the first time, but this is by no
means his first time on the boat. Jeff is in the marine electronic
business and has installed and serviced most of avalanche’s electronics.
Additionally, he has done many deliveries on other vessels, so he is no
rookie! Unfortunately Jeff was in a terrible auto accident last fall and we
almost lost him. But the really good news is that he is back, better than
ever and a real treat to have on board.
Pete Largess is from Jamestown. He has raced with Ben and Jake on Tuesday
nights for the last 3 years. He also sailed for his high school and
college. This is his first trip offshore and he is eagerly trying to soak up
all the new things he has to learn about offshore voyaging. (And there is a
lot to learn, just ask him.)
A crew of this size allows us to have much more rest than our usual crew of
5. After every night watch, each crew is off for 8 hours. After every day
watch, we are off for 6 hours. Each of us takes turns cooking and cleaning
up the galley. Tonight Jeff is cooking dinner and Leo will have the clean
up duties. We are having Mahi Mahi, which we bought in Antigua from the
local charter boat operator who had a good day on Thursday. We had it for
dinner on Thursday, lunch on Friday, and again tonight. Each meal received
rave reviews from the diners.
So we are off. With winds we didn’t expect, a flat sea, and lovely weather.
As Jake and Leo like to say “We’d rather be lucky than good!” We will try
to add to the blog on a daily basis, so please stay tuned for our adventures
on avalanche.
All the best from the crew of avalanche, already 170 miles north of
Falmouth Harbor, Antigua.
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