Day 180

Bob's email:

Hello Everyone,

Doing much better today.  Couple of good meals and a broad reach and an escape from the worst counter current you can imagine and life is good again.

Had a period yesterday when I wasn't sure there would be two of us on the boat when we got back to the dock.  Fortunately Dad and I have been through these types of things before...but nothing like feeling like you are 16 years old again!

Anyway, I wanted to be sure to assure all those out there named Mark that Grandpa was in no way implying anything even slightly negative about the use of the name Mark for his new chair.  He would never do that!

Yesterday afternoon the furling line for the genoa chafed through again.  That didn't help the moral either.  I can't begin to describe the tensions that this boat must endure to get us across this water.  Anything that isn't run perfectly smooth is doomed.

Anyway, it calmed way down and the sea flattened last evening.  We were able to set the genoa and main full and sail close hauled on flat seas.  It was glorious.  Grandpa slept like the dead and I actually made him a hot meal.  I touched on this yesterday but the most difficult part of this voyage is getting good nutrition.  I am making a conscious effort to battle this.  Anyway, I woke Gandpa up for his evening watch with a couple of hot salami melts with fresh baked cookies for dessert.  He was barely awake when he ate them but I think they helped him a lot.  I cleaned up and hopped in bed and of course just then the wind completely died.  So it was back on deck in my underwear.  We dropped the genoa off its furler so we could do repairs in the morning and started the engine and steered back on the rhumb line for the Azores.  We used the radar to skirt around some thunderstorms that we chased throughout the night.  We also saw evidence of boats on both our port and starboard but never saw any lights or marks on AIS...seemed suspicious!

This morning we woke to lots of sunshine and continued motoring.  We had a big breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast and two cups of coffee and an orange and then had a visit by a pod of 5 dolphins (we never tire of these things).  We also passed a buoy and a high flyer (radar stick) for a long line.  So it was fisherman out sneaking around  last night.  Then we went to work on our furler(we are real tired of the furler). We tried a different approach to the furler mechanism and put a bigger diameter rope on which should be easier for Kim to pull.  We ran the genoa back up through the foil on the furler and just then the wind came up out of the south and off went the engine.  We have been sailing a perfect broad reach all afternoon of 12-15 kt winds and at this moment life couldn't get much better.  I am able to type on the computer and everything is flat as it should be.  Most days I have to keep my feet on the wall to stay wedged in to the navigation desk.

According to the weather file I downloaded yesterday I should be in calm winds and motoring so we feel blessed by the wind god today.  I transferred 10 gallons of diesel down into the tanks which gets some weight off the deck.  Grandpa has started to study how to splice these new braided ropes I think both of us would have as much luck trying to solve the rubik's cube.  Ah, as I am writing this the wind piped up to 17 kts., bet we will be reefing down tonight as we are expecting the winds to freshen.

All for now,

Dad and Grandpa

Day 179 - Cookies, Fried Eggs and Bacon

We had great fun reading todays email! I've been making Anna read them out loud for practice. She was a bit overwhelmed by the length of the note but quickly got into it. Even my Mom stopped what she was doing to listen.  As many of you know, one of the chief worries of the trip was food. Storms, freighters, limited water supply all paled in comparison to two Bobs in a boat without a cook. It is putting it mildly to say that neither like to cook. During the prep period, Grampa was quick to respond to the question "What are you going to eat?" with "nine cases of fruit pies and some beef jerky". It was funny, until you realized that if someone didn't take over provisioning, that was exactly what they would take. My stomach hurts just thinking about it. I was thrilled to hear today that they are eating. Although the broccoli apparently went over the side, cookies, fried eggs and bacon will provide the needed calories they need to make it to the Azores.

Hi Kim, Anna and Finn and everyone else!

Things have been active for us out here in the middle of the ocean.  A couple of days ago we lost our wind.  We fought to use the pole and run wing and wing for a while but we just flopped around.  Then we tried a broad reach and flopped and flopped.  Finally I gave in and started the engine.  We took the sails down to minimize the damage from all the slapping; the rolling from the swells got really bad.  Grandpa and I could barely hang on.  Eventually we regrouped and decided to raise the new storm trysail as a riding/steadying sail.  That helped a lot and we looked cool because it is bright orange.  Though it didn't stop the rolling it made it more manageable.  We set off on our way a bit north of our rhumb line because we expected a north wind to come in that night or the next morning.  I took the opportunity to bake some cookies and while enjoying them in the cockpit Grandpa jumped up and shouted you wouldn't believe what I just saw.  Apparently a dolphin jumped six feet out of the water and just missed chomping one of the cool seabirds we have been seeing so many of.  Earlier that day we had discussed how free those birds were and how amazing that they lived in a place with no predators.  Well, I stand corrected.  We figure dolphin probably tastes like chicken because it looks like that’s what they eat out here.  A few minutes later Midwatch was surrounded by dolphins. We have had numerous visits from the dolphins way out here in the middle of the Atlantic.  Grandpa got some nice video shots.  While we were on the bow watching the dolphins we could see lots of giant jellyfish, the size of beach balls, all through the water column.  Sometimes the dolphins would evade the jellyfish and sometimes they smashed them with their mouths and exploded them.  At one point we looked up and saw that we were going to hit something.  It was a white plastic lawn chair.  We hit it but don’t worry, no damage.  Grandpa says it is Kenny Chesney's chair, whoever that is.

Speaking of chairs, grandpa has been really enjoying the cockpit chair that we got him as an early father’s day gift.  He even named it.  He calls the chair ‘Mark’ and we have grown really attached to him.  The only problem is that he just kind of sits around and does nothing.  Once in a while Mark gets in the way and we have to send him down below to fend for himself in the cabin.  Mark is indispensable for naps though...he holds your head and keeps you warm.

That evening, while under engine power, I took a cockpit shower because the engine gives us hot water.  We have barely used any water so far so I decided it was well worth the splurge.  It also gave me a chance to try out our new shower assembly and I can report that it works great!  It was my evening watch and Grandpa was sound asleep down below.  Sometime during my shower the wind filled in from the north and the batteries hit full charge so it was time to pony up and get the sails back up.  I woke grandpa up and asked him if he had any opinions on getting the sails back up, etc.  That wasn't a good idea.  He was still half asleep and is generally not very excited about sail handling at night.  Anyway...I directed him to take a shower and then suit up for battle.

It was dark and raining and we were motoring at just under 5 kts into an 18 kt headwind.  The first thing we needed to do was get the storm trysail down and packed in its bag at the base of the mast.  Then we started to get the mainsail ready...but before we could raise it we had to do some boat repair.  Way back on our first night out of Beaufort, we had gone through a big thunderstorm while in the gulf stream with 35kt winds resulting in some damage.  Turns out the pins that are supposed to keep our turnbuckles from turning on the shrouds (cables that hold up the mast) were under sized and had allowed the turnbuckle to loosen.  I had found the problem that night and put a rope around the shrouds to keep it tight and that rope has been on ever since.  So we got out tools and new pins and set to retention the shroud.  We think we did a good job and I feel much better.  After that we raised the main and put in 2 tight reefs and then raised the genoa and took off.  By this time it was Grandpa's watch and he was rewarded with, and thoroughly enjoyed, the best sail of the trip; under 16-20 kt winds on a tight tack but with no waves. This was amazing so far out in the middle of the ocean.  Unfortunately those conditions were not meant to continue.  The wind and seas built all through the night.  The next morning, while drinking our coffee, I jumped up...just a few miles away was another sailboat.  We sailed near the boat for most of the day but there was no contact.  The wind and seas continued to build all day forcing us to reef the genoa again and again.  Last night it peaked with steady 25 kt winds with gusts up to 28kts.  The wind, however, was not the problem...the problem was this nasty current that we have been stuck in for over 24 hours now.  We seem to be losing anywhere from 1.25 kts to 2 kts and it is causing the boat to heel more than usual and also makes the waves a lot nastier.

Last night when I went up to relieve grandpa at midnight he was cold and miserable and when he stood up his legs gave way.  He recovered all right but he was beyond tired and freezing cold.  We have been saying all day that the north wind is just different than the other winds.  Anyway, I made it halfway through my watch and decided to creep down below to rummage for gloves or mittens.  I tried them for a while and decided that it was just too cold to stay outside.  I tried lying down on cockpit cushions on the cabin sole with full weather gear and then I thought....it's time to fire up our new heater.  Grandpa woke to a nice warm and drying cabin.  The wind and waves have dropped a bit but because we are still stuck in this awful current the motion isn't as good as it should be.  I decided grandpa needed more nourishment than we have been getting so I made him eat three fried eggs, bacon and an orange and then sent him to back to bed.  He looks better now.

We are currently:

16:35 UTC

Heading Southeast on a heading of 100 degrees true (the best angle we can muster)

36 43.446N

47 10.808W

Speeding along at close hauled at 4.5 kts.  Our boat speed is closer to 5.5kts but this counter current has us dragging through the mud.  We plan to carry on like this for as long as the wind holds.  I will download some weather gribs in a few minutes to help strategize.  In any case it looks like our daily mileage will fall far short of average for a while.

Love you and looking forward to hearing from you,

Dad and Grandpa

 

Day 177 - Mourning the loss of Big Blue

We have been following the front for so many days, it seems funny that it is now past. In looking forward, there are a few more days of light winds and then a nice steady westerly comes up and should take them most of the way to the Azores! Passageweather gives the forecast through the 4th now and we expect them to arrive on the 8th.

Our New Hampshire 'to do' list is still very long and suddenly, what seemed like a long time, is getting short. We are having lots of fun but also taking care of business, client meetings, doctor appointments, and finishing the third grade. We have had our first illness in eight months! Unfortunately, Anna is still a little under-the-weather. Hopefully all will be back to 'normal' soon.

Yesterday three of the four LaDue Cousins and a good representation from the Emanuel branch were in the Stratham Memorial Day parade!  Finn and cousin Graham represented the Farm on the "Green Machine." They did great!

Here is Bob's brief email from this morning.  -Kim

Be-calmed...crying the blues for the loss of big blue.

Current location:

36 58.704N
51 47.084W
heading 78 Degrees True
Speed 2.8kts wing and wing and flopping

Did see dolphins this morning.  Should be able to leave phone on longer because so calm.

Did make it past halfway last night!

 

Day 175 - Settling in

Although we have been warned not to expect a daily email, we anxiously await it each day. We quickly pass the message onto Grandma in New York and then Anna plots the Midwatch position on a paper chart. I continue to carefully watch passageweather and it looks like they will be getting some much calmer weather in the coming days. Hopefully they will not get too much east wind. I have been plotting their position on Google earth as well and yesterday's position put them at exactly 1,000 statute miles into their approximately 2,700 mile trip.

Hi everyone,

Well, we beat the front …we think.

We still haven't worked out the time thing (time zone) yet.  Grandpa says I missed the sign on my watch.  He is now reading Longitude and starting to whittle clock parts out of various wood scraps found around the boat.  The other problem we have is that Scott and Lisa's fancy machine ends its weather data capabilities at this longitude so it just stopped giving us info for points east of here.  Grandpa has grown very attached to the machine and thinks that because the screen is blank to the east of us that maybe that's the edge of the earth.  He says he is going to throw the anchor over to stop us.  Of-course it is almost 17,000 feet deep here so not sure it will prevent us from slipping off the edge.

Struggling to cook....been pretty rough, managed Nachos today.  Cereal has been the biggest hit but we are nearly out of milk.  Yesterday was the first day that we didn't see any boats or planes.  We did see a jet trail but Grandpa says that doesn't count. About the only thing we have seen is some type of sea bird that we will need Anna to research.  I will try and get a picture one of these days.  Oh and lots of Portuguese man o wars.

Days have been sunny and warm...nights cool and clammy.

Water is infiltrating everywhere I look.  The decks are nearly always awash so it seems to work its way in.  Not bad, but annoying nonetheless.  Days are comfortable, nights are long and uncomfortable.  No problem sleeping as we are nearly always exhausted.  Hoping a bit calmer weather in the future will allow us to live a bit more comfortably.

We think we are making good time so far.  Can't imagine if we had tried to stop in Bermuda...would have held us up a week.

Until next time,

Love Dad and Grandpa

Day 174

Todays Email:

All well here...

Just running the rhumb line to the Azores as best as can be managed.  Basically as close hauled as we can get with double reefed main and working jib.  Really a close reach.  We have been able to stay ahead of the worst winds so far and are making what we think is great time.  Hoping to scoot out under and ahead of the front tomorrow and will try to carry on with the southerlies as long as they hold for us.

Love Dad and Grandpa

Day 173 - Approaching Front

We are all thrilled at the progress being made by Midwatch and her crew. We have been carefully following the weather and trying to help them prepare for the approaching front. We will be watching passageweather tonight!

We are beginning to daydream about getting to Ireland and have been checking out cottages and car rentals. 

Bob seems to be getting into the groove with his writing, we are all enjoying his reporting!  -Kim

P.S. It was not 10 pounds of Broccoli!

Bob's Friday email:

Yesterday was a bummer for us: we blew out big blue.  Hopefully it can be repaired in the Azores or beyond but it is currently a "no can use".  We think it is probably mostly operator error combined with the fact that it is flat out delicate.  Unfortunately, we also chafed nearly through our new halyard as well.  We have spares but it is hard to lose new stuff. Mostly what we seem to do out here is break stuff and try to repair enough to carry on.  The ocean is unforgiving to man-made things period!

We have seen either one boat or one plane every day for the last three days but expect to have that end soon. We passed Bermuda last night.  We have heard them on the radio talking boats through the reefs day and night.  That radio chatter seems to have ended now. The decrease in boat traffic into Bermuda may be partly due to the pre-frontal southerlies that are hitting us now.  We have been decreasing sail area with a reef in the main around midnight and then another at 3 a.m.  After a cup of coffee this morning we dropped the genoa and raised our working jib.  This little gem is getting its first real workout and "workout it is".  We are driving as hard as we dare to the east as best we can to try and get as far out in front of the front approaching from the states.

Grandpa has been getting a real workout...I have to get him to calm down and work slower...he can be a bit of a rammer but he has been doing well.  Amazing how well he takes loud constructive criticism from his son out in the middle of the ocean.  He has developed a real appreciation for" heaving to".  I think he still thinks it’s a bit of magic so he hasn't learned to get comfortable with the fact that the boat will take care of its self and we can work without worrying too much about it, he's always looking over his shoulder like the boat is going to take off and run out from under him.  His real strength is his ability to sleep.  He hits the rack and one second later is out.  Had to turn the lights on to get him up at 3 this morning.  Kind of like what he did to us to get us up to go whitefish fishing as kids.  That reminds me...a big fat flying fish creamed the windshield last night.  Miracle it didn't break.  Grandpa got to learn "first hand" how stinky they are.

Today the wind has been increasing from the 16-20 kt range to the 20-25 kt range and the seas are building.  We are doing lots of stuff to try and prepare the boat for storm conditions with this approaching front; like putting all items not in use down below.  We even took the lures off the fishing rods so nothing can get free and get chewed up by the wind generator.  The best news of the day is that there is enough wind that we are actually charging the batteries and can use all the power we want and have excess.  We closed the through hull valve that drains the sink as we are getting sea water in the bilge from it through the bilge pump line that is plummed to it.  I need to rearrange that ASAP.  In the meantime it’s just closed.  I also secured the cookstove as we are rolling past its gimbal with a crash every few minutes.

We each took seasick medicine this morning as a preventative measure.  Probably our biggest weakness is the lack of interest in cooking.  We are trying to finish fresh foods but we don't know what to do with things like the 10 pounds of broccoli that is turning brown.  Don't tell Kim, but that might go over the side.  We have been drinking milk for our power and it has stayed good and cold so far.

Well this typing down below is starting to make me feel sick even with the medicine so I better wrap it up.

We are currently at:

            5-24-13  12:45PM (we think, not sure what time zone we are in)
            35 51.251 N
            63 10.605 W
            Heading 75 Degrees doing about 6.3 kts
            Wind is 22 kts
            Seas, 6-8 feet and building
            Double reefed main and working jib (close hauled as we can get with this jib) Sunny and upper 70's

Love you all,

Dad and Grandpa

Day 172 and a swim!

We are beginning to get into the groove with communications. Incoming texts to the boat are free but the phone has to be on to receive. We have set it up so that the phone is on from nine until noon each morning (not sure what will happen with the time change.) Bob is checking email once per day. The time intensive effort (cost) on the phone is the connecting time. Once connected, one or five emails doesn't make too much of a difference so I have been passing on information carefully but am trying not to be stingy. In Bob's email from today he urged us not to worry if he doesn't write everyday but we will still worry.

We are following an approaching front (from their rear) very carefully. If they continue to maintain their speed and don't get too far north they should not be influenced too much. It is difficult to tell right now what will happen after it goes through, likely a day or two with low winds but direction seems to be all over the place.

Bob writes:

We are great.  Great sailing!  We are relying heavily on Big Blue or "Overdrive" as grandpa calls it.

Yesterday we hove-to in light air to fix the wind generator’s tripod.  When we were done we jumped in and had a bath and then a freshwater rinse in 16,000 feet of water.

Last night a pod of dolphins visited me again around midnight.  The moon is bright and the skies have been clear so it seems almost like daylight all night long.  Grandpa scared them off with the spotlight.  You know Grandpa!

We are making power with the Honda generator again today.  Trying to spare diesel and the point of sail we are on does not allow for enough power from the wind generator to keep up with Otto.

We are trying to sail as fast as we can mostly to the east but we are forced a bit north because of wind angles.  We will pass Bermuda today and it looks like we finally got by Maine.  Feels like we are really making miles.

Day 171 - Making Repairs and Dolphins!

Bob reported in at 10:12 A.M. this morning from 34º 37.140' N and 68º 49.063' W travelling at a course of 80ºTrue and a speed of 3.7 kts. The winds were calm at 5-10 kts. They were sailing a close reach under Big Blue  (the new light weather 'reacher' sail...my vote was to name it Jack) and full main.

Bob writes:

Yesterday Grandpa and I got a lot of things repaired and worked out the arrangement for setting our new sail (Big Blue).

We sailed big blue all night and hit speeds over 7.5 kts through the water. 

We are running the Honda generator this morning but the new wind generator has gotten us three full days of sailing.  The new  wind generator is very quiet and does a great job.  We have to do an adjustment on the tripod because the 30 kt storm we were in in the gulf stream pushed it over a bit.  Fortunately we caught it before any damage was done.

We fixed the furler and luckily have enough new line so it is good again.  The dingy slid over and caused the problem which is probably what happened to us on our trip from Green Turtle.  We re-tied the dingy a better way and found that we can put a lock on the furler when it is reefed so that we can leave the line slack.  Should be a better arrangement.

A pod of eight little dolphins came to see Grandpa and I while we were working on the bow yesterday.  It was really fun.  They stayed with us for 10 minutes or so.

We are going to try and download weather today.  We see a nasty front coming and are trying to get an update.  I am projecting that we will be somewhere plus or minus 35.19 N by 61.34 W on Saturday.  Any advice from passage weather would be gladly accepted.

Two Bobs in a Boat

After nearly three, intensive, weeks at True World Marine, Bob and his Dad, Bob, set off down the ICW, around the Cape Lookout Shoals and headed east, destination, Azores. From there they will continue on to Ireland, where the kids, Judy (Bob's Mom) and I will meet them. It is very exciting, and a little scary. There were more than one set of tears shed but as we learned in the "Ice Blink" movie, you don't get the tens without going through a few zeros. We heard nothing from them yesterday but were able to convince ourselves that 'Day one', through the Gulf Stream, was probably tough enough; and that getting in touch with us was not their number one priority. We did receive our first email this morning, sent from the very expensive satellite phone which makes the HUGE monetary and time investment in the device all worth while.

Bob writes:

    " Had heavy weather and seasick so could not send out yesterday.  Dad is well. I am over being sick..didn't puke but came close. Busted the furling line again during the middle of the night. Went up to tie and there was a little dolphin riding the bow wave.  Absolutely amazing experience.  Moonlight, phosphorecense and bow light.  She was just a little one with white under side or stripe. Going to try and set big blue now."


Now that they are on their way. I will make an effort to post their position each day on the "Where is Midwatch" page.   - Kim