The
Return Trans-At
15th Update
Miami
Arrived at "Miamarina"-Bayside, Miami at 3.30am on Wednesday (3rd April).
Jim and Jess left us here and flew home. We spent a nice week here … which
included seeing the "Volvo Ocean Race" boats … then tried to move on to
Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday (10th April) but the engine died on departure.
Got a tow back to the same marina and organized an engine job. Moved to
"Jones Boat Yard" … another tow … further up the river on Saturday (13th
April).
Got the old engine out and prepped for the new one. We spent a weekend
with Ronan's "Auntie Carmel". Carmel and Norberto were very kind in helping
us out and showing us "Their Town". We lived a "Semi-Normal" life here
for four weeks in total while getting the engine replaced, although I
had planned on being in the Azores by now.
Thursday (2nd May)
New engine fitted and running … just some final adjustments and sea trials
tomorrow and we should be good for stocking up on food for the trip. "Murphy's
Law" states not so. Ronan is all out of time at this stage … and told
me he may have to fly home if we don't get moving soon. I told him we
should be gone very soon … he gave me another week, but by Monday (6th
May) he had to go and the boat still wasn't quite ready. James, on "Scudamore"
(a fellow ARC boat), was departing the next day (Tuesday 7th May) from
St. Marten so Ronan flew down and joined him. Alone now … but confident
I would get new crew and all would be well … I left "Jones Boat Yard"
three days later (Friday 10th May), only to venture back as far as "Bayside
Marina" to rest for the weekend and hopefully get crew … somewhere!?!?
Spent the weekend there in turmoil … what should I do??? "Should I stay,
or should go? … If I stay there will be trouble! … If I go there could
be double! So come on and let me know … Should I stay or should I go?"
16th Update
Miami to West Palm Beach Monday (13th May)
I sailed away, "Single-Handed", headed for Bermuda, in the hope to meet
the other boats on the "Return ARC" (who were departing 22nd May) and
maybe steal … I mean borrow … some crew. The first day and night went
well, flying along, with the "Gulf Stream" behind me, rounding the Bahamas
and on-route for Bermuda. The second day out I got becalmed and that night
got hit with some nasty weather … some 160 miles out of Miami and 70 miles
from nearest land, Great Bahama.
Things started to go wrong while being becalmed … I started my new motor,
with great confidence, but found that under pressure she was taking air
through the fuel lines and dying. While drifting around that evening,
as the sun went down, I became surrounded by "Lightning Clouds" … so much
so that I seriously thought I would be hit. I disconnected my lap-top
and satellite phone, just incase everything else got fried, at least I
would have some independent navigation and communication devices left.
When the wind did pick up (about 10pm) … it swung right round, on the
nose … I beat into it for a few hours with 2nd reef in the main and full
genoa. Then about midnight I was watching the wind speed increase from
15 to 20 knots … and thinking I may have to reef further if it continues
to increase … it went right up to 30 knots, and then some. Oh F-k!!! Quick
action needed!!! "All Hands On Deck", I thought to myself, knowing I'm
the only one on-board.
I ran up on deck put in the 3rd (deep) reef in the main, rolled away half
the genny, to keep her balanced and turned away from the wind to minimize
it's effect on me. I thought it would blow out in a couple of hours …
it didn't. Surfing down the waves at 10 knots, I realized I was loosing
ground fast. A quick check on the charts to see where was a clear run
… should I loose nav-gear due to lightning. Compass course of 270 looks
good (due west). It blew all night, reaching 40knots, until 8.30am next
morning. I then decided I had enough, after three days "Solo", I was exhausted.
I kept going west, to reach the US coast once again. This time I thought
"West Palm Beach" would be as good as any to stop and re-think.
4.15am Thursday morning (16th May)
I tied up at "Riviera Beach Marina". Thursday I slept all day. Then spent
the weekend trying to recruit new crew. After a few possibilities, Monday
I was recommended to ask Clark Motter if he was interested. As he was
there prepping the boat he built himself to solo navigate the Atlantic,
it seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to do it "Double-Handed"
first. As he was an experienced sailor I took him on-board
. We spent the next week there waiting for the wind to swing back to it's
usual South-Easterly direction … as the wind against the gulf stream causes
some nasty seas, "Elephants" as the locals call them, or "Haystacks" as
Clark from Michigan calls them. The weather window I was looking for kept
getting delayed day by day. I had itchy feet and had to get away from
"Pete's Manatee Club" (the Marina Bar) soon. Don't get me wrong, there
was a very nice atmosphere there and I was accepted well, but I had to
get home. Also "Hurricane Season" officially starts here on the 1st June
… fast approaching … and I don't want to experience that.
17th Update
West Palm Beach to Bermuda Finally departed "Riviera Beach Marina"
Tuesday (28th May) at 3pm local time (8pm
BST). I hope the Hurricanes aren't early. We left to cross "The Stream"
with the wind against us and it. Not the preferred way but the winds were
light enough. We stayed on the western edge of the stream until later
that night when the seas seemed to abate a little. A bit of a bumpy ride
but a successful crossing, then stayed on the eastern edge for the next
day, to gain a bit of speed from it. With light winds from varying directions
it meant "Motor Sailing" … this remained the same pretty much all the
way. There was one night the wind picked up behind us and we sailed through
the night at about 8 knots … delighted to shut down the motor. Even with
my "Brand New" motor, cleaned-out fuel tank, flushed fuel lines and all
new filters … would you believe it … half way into the 900 mile passage
… still problems. The diesel I got, either in Miami or Palm Beach, was
filthy and clogged up the filter preventing fuel flow. Cleaned it all
out and "On With The Show". Otherwise the passage was "Plain Sailing"
(so to speak). A strange sighting … a small land bird, like a Robin but
with a yellow coloring instead of red on his neck, landed on my boat …
flew into the forward cabin and then left again. Some hours later he appeared
again. Not what you'd expect 500 miles from the coastline. We arrived
at "St George's Harbor", east end of the island, at 5.45am (Bermuda Time)
on Tuesday (4th June).
Waited 'til 8am to clear customs and immigration then tied up at the "Town
Quay" about 9am. Chatted with some boats on the radio there … they called
themselves "The NARC" (Non ARC boats). They suggested Saturday was a good
day to leave and they would all leave together … cool … another flotilla,
well for the start at least. The usual socializing went on … later that
night, who walks into the "Waterfront Bar" but my friend Sarah (of Sarah
and Chris couple) who I met in St. Thomas (US VI's). It was great to see
a familiar face … she was on a yacht bound for Spain but got waylaid here
for two weeks due to her Skipper breaking his ankle. We had quite a few
drinks, over the next few days, as we reminisced about St. Thomas, life
and the world in general.
Wednesday morning (5th June)
we were met by Claire, a local lady who I had met at Christmas dinner
in Antigua. Claire was very helpful and brought us on a tour of the Island
(or the Rock, as she calls it), introduced us to some Irish friends she
had there and brought us to the Marine Supplies shop for whatever I needed.
The guy I spoke to on the VHF (I forget his name, Mike, I think), on arrival,
seemed to be organizing everybody and even had a Fuel Truck come down
to the quay for us, so we didn't have to pay twice the price at the pumps.
Well done and thanks. Refueling on Saturday (8th June) took all day, as
there were so many boats, and we finally departed Bermuda at 4.45pm (Bermuda
time). I called "Bermuda Harbor Radio" on the VHF to announce our departure
and say goodbye to our new friends there, which included Sean from Cork,
one of two Irish radio operators there
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