Yes at seventy years of age he is pulling up his anchor like a real man and getting his hands dirty – rather him than me!
The early departure also meant there was still some tide running and while I made every effort to sail out of Aveiro, the fisherman sitting on my starboard side soon got bored of looking at me sailing on the spot despite my log saying I was doing over 3 knots. With the engine on we made our exit and being in a lazy mood I decided to continue on just the headsail.
The sea state was quite choppy and the wind gave me just over 6 knots of speed with the Hydrovane doing all the work of keeping us on course (240’ from Aviero entrance). Niels and Bruce were some 2 miles in front but I was determined to remain in ‘cruisng mode’.
I took the time to make some sandwiches and coffee and anything else to keep me from getting too involved with the boat. I have made a resolution to take a leaf out of Niels book and not ‘work’ too hard on passage.
Just after dark the following comes over the radio on channel sixteen:
‘Station calling Doris, this is motor yacht Doris on channel 16 over.’
Hmn.. Is someone being funny or pretending to be me? Did I hear that correctly?
I respond with:
‘Station calling yacht Doris, this is sailing yacht Doris (yes I know I should be ‘motor yacht’ but I prefer ‘sailing yacht’ to avoid confusion with commercial shipping which is commonly ‘motor vessel’) receiving on channel sixteen – over.
Nothing. A while later I hear:
Fishing vessel in position a.b.c x.y.z with an amber flashing light and shining a spot light on motor yacht Doris, this is motor yacht Doris on channel sixteen – over.
Long story short, ‘Doris’ called me up a little later and we had an amusing conversation.
‘Sailing Yacht Doris of Brighton this is motor yacht Doris of Poole, are you receiving over? Turns out they are ‘Doris of Poole’ on delivery from Mallorca to the UK.
I was still making decent progress using only the genoa head sail but Niels and Bruce had pulled away further and I thought it was time to make up some ground and get the main sail out. What a disaster that was, the battens got caught in the lazy jack lines in the dark and the boom was swinging like it was possessed in the swell, despite being pulled in quite tight. I had to go forward, clipped in I should add, to re-lower the sail.
I couldn’t handle defeat and after another hour tried again. The fishing boat about 3 miles from me must have wondered what the hell was going on with me having to use a torch to time the pulls on the halyard with the swell and swings of the boom while keeping the boat head to wind. Finally after much shouting and cursing it was up. Memo to self, I need to arrange some way of (re)moving the lazy jacks while at sea, something else to sort out.
By the time I had the main sail up the wind had died almost completely and the swell was causing the sails to back every few waves resulting in a loud ‘bang’ of the canvas inflating. Despite the extra wear on the sails, ropes and rigging the noise quickly makes you furious with anger and frustration. I wish I hadn’t bothered putting the damn main sail up now!
With Niels & Bruce just out of sight in the distance and not being able to sail a decent course I had to resort to using the motor for an hour or so. While the trip had started so well, it had become a real chore especially having to man the helm due to a lack of any auto pilot under motor and I felt really tired despite having about half of a seventy mile passage still to complete.
Another absolute nightmare is the lazy head sail sheets getting caught around the dinghy, I really do not want to tow it, especially when I’m heading into a marina, so it’s the best of a bad job I guess. In all I had to leave the cockpit and go forward on a rolling deck about ten times throughout the night. I figure if I play this game often enough it’s only a matter of time before I go over the guard rails and then the fun begins!
Eventually I found myself falling asleep while standing at the wheel. The same fishing boat that had haunted me all night was at about 250’ and my course of 180’ south kept him on my starboard side. However, several times I awoke to find him dead ahead as for some reason each time I nodded off I turned to the right – weird! Assuming the fishermen aboard were keeping watch (which is doubtful), they would have to assume I was either really lost or pissed!
At this stage there was no other option, I had to get the boat sailing again however slowly and get the Hydrovane steering to try and get some sleep using the faithful kitchen egg timer. This achieved I went below in the warm for fifteen minutes at a time. Me and everything outside of the boat was completely saturated with dew and this should have been an indicator of the conditions to come.
Eventually we reached the approach with very little wind and the thickest fog I’ve ever sailed in. The fog horn could be heard as we got closer and my main worry was that a fast moving fishing boat could appear out of nowhere and run straight through me!
I found Bruce (by luck) in the fog and followed suite getting fenders and ropes ready, I also removed the Hydrovane rudder. It would have been nice to find Niels at this stage as Kairos is fitted with a radar, something Bruce and I do not have the luxury of. Not wanting to leave the helm for too long in the fog, the cockpit was full of ropes I simply didn’t want to spend time tidying. Using the wonderful thing that is GPS I made my way toward the entrance. After nearly ‘T Boning’ a tiny open fishing boat just outside the entrance, I found Bruce just coming into his berth and Niels already ashore. I was allocated the outside hammer head and soon tied up without incident – amen!
The harbour master ‘Captain Mike’ is a real character. He’s been to Madeira and across the pond over thirty times and it’s his way or the highway! Niels got reprimanded for shouting to me as I was coming into berth - ‘there’s only one harbour master here!’
Niels and I were ‘processed’ together. Ships paperwork and passport and journey information was demanded by customs, immigration and the marina.
Immediately Bruce and Niels were discussing laundry and showers etc, but I was completely shattered. While only seventy miles long, this trip had killed me. I managed to post some words & pics for you avid readers and then passed out. Before falling asleep I had the worst case of cramp of my life in both legs and a pounding headache. I guess these are the symptoms of dehydration, so much for my attempts to ‘take it easy’.
I did manage to take a shower and get my laundry done (peer pressure) later in the evening, but it was hard work and I felt like a zombie.
All in all this was not an enjoyable sail compared to others of late and I’m sure it’s the first time I have had to resort to shouting at the boat (she understands I’m telling you!). Just as you think you are starting to get the hang of this sailing lark, you have to think again.
Anyways, I’m still alive and in a new place so not all bad…
Just after dark the following comes over the radio on channel sixteen:
‘Station calling Doris, this is motor yacht Doris on channel 16 over.’
Hmn.. Is someone being funny or pretending to be me? Did I hear that correctly?
I respond with:
‘Station calling yacht Doris, this is sailing yacht Doris (yes I know I should be ‘motor yacht’ but I prefer ‘sailing yacht’ to avoid confusion with commercial shipping which is commonly ‘motor vessel’) receiving on channel sixteen – over.
Nothing. A while later I hear:
Fishing vessel in position a.b.c x.y.z with an amber flashing light and shining a spot light on motor yacht Doris, this is motor yacht Doris on channel sixteen – over.
Long story short, ‘Doris’ called me up a little later and we had an amusing conversation.
‘Sailing Yacht Doris of Brighton this is motor yacht Doris of Poole, are you receiving over? Turns out they are ‘Doris of Poole’ on delivery from Mallorca to the UK.
I was still making decent progress using only the genoa head sail but Niels and Bruce had pulled away further and I thought it was time to make up some ground and get the main sail out. What a disaster that was, the battens got caught in the lazy jack lines in the dark and the boom was swinging like it was possessed in the swell, despite being pulled in quite tight. I had to go forward, clipped in I should add, to re-lower the sail.
I couldn’t handle defeat and after another hour tried again. The fishing boat about 3 miles from me must have wondered what the hell was going on with me having to use a torch to time the pulls on the halyard with the swell and swings of the boom while keeping the boat head to wind. Finally after much shouting and cursing it was up. Memo to self, I need to arrange some way of (re)moving the lazy jacks while at sea, something else to sort out.
By the time I had the main sail up the wind had died almost completely and the swell was causing the sails to back every few waves resulting in a loud ‘bang’ of the canvas inflating. Despite the extra wear on the sails, ropes and rigging the noise quickly makes you furious with anger and frustration. I wish I hadn’t bothered putting the damn main sail up now!
With Niels & Bruce just out of sight in the distance and not being able to sail a decent course I had to resort to using the motor for an hour or so. While the trip had started so well, it had become a real chore especially having to man the helm due to a lack of any auto pilot under motor and I felt really tired despite having about half of a seventy mile passage still to complete.
Another absolute nightmare is the lazy head sail sheets getting caught around the dinghy, I really do not want to tow it, especially when I’m heading into a marina, so it’s the best of a bad job I guess. In all I had to leave the cockpit and go forward on a rolling deck about ten times throughout the night. I figure if I play this game often enough it’s only a matter of time before I go over the guard rails and then the fun begins!
Eventually I found myself falling asleep while standing at the wheel. The same fishing boat that had haunted me all night was at about 250’ and my course of 180’ south kept him on my starboard side. However, several times I awoke to find him dead ahead as for some reason each time I nodded off I turned to the right – weird! Assuming the fishermen aboard were keeping watch (which is doubtful), they would have to assume I was either really lost or pissed!
At this stage there was no other option, I had to get the boat sailing again however slowly and get the Hydrovane steering to try and get some sleep using the faithful kitchen egg timer. This achieved I went below in the warm for fifteen minutes at a time. Me and everything outside of the boat was completely saturated with dew and this should have been an indicator of the conditions to come.
Eventually we reached the approach with very little wind and the thickest fog I’ve ever sailed in. The fog horn could be heard as we got closer and my main worry was that a fast moving fishing boat could appear out of nowhere and run straight through me!
I found Bruce (by luck) in the fog and followed suite getting fenders and ropes ready, I also removed the Hydrovane rudder. It would have been nice to find Niels at this stage as Kairos is fitted with a radar, something Bruce and I do not have the luxury of. Not wanting to leave the helm for too long in the fog, the cockpit was full of ropes I simply didn’t want to spend time tidying. Using the wonderful thing that is GPS I made my way toward the entrance. After nearly ‘T Boning’ a tiny open fishing boat just outside the entrance, I found Bruce just coming into his berth and Niels already ashore. I was allocated the outside hammer head and soon tied up without incident – amen!
The harbour master ‘Captain Mike’ is a real character. He’s been to Madeira and across the pond over thirty times and it’s his way or the highway! Niels got reprimanded for shouting to me as I was coming into berth - ‘there’s only one harbour master here!’
Niels and I were ‘processed’ together. Ships paperwork and passport and journey information was demanded by customs, immigration and the marina.
Immediately Bruce and Niels were discussing laundry and showers etc, but I was completely shattered. While only seventy miles long, this trip had killed me. I managed to post some words & pics for you avid readers and then passed out. Before falling asleep I had the worst case of cramp of my life in both legs and a pounding headache. I guess these are the symptoms of dehydration, so much for my attempts to ‘take it easy’.
I did manage to take a shower and get my laundry done (peer pressure) later in the evening, but it was hard work and I felt like a zombie.
All in all this was not an enjoyable sail compared to others of late and I’m sure it’s the first time I have had to resort to shouting at the boat (she understands I’m telling you!). Just as you think you are starting to get the hang of this sailing lark, you have to think again.
Anyways, I’m still alive and in a new place so not all bad…
8 comments:
Nice dolphin pic!
I have to question whether you do this for fun, this isn't the first time I've read a blog entry and thought "f**k that!".
Speak soon dude, sorry I couldn't chat more this morning - remind me to fill you in when we next chat!
Oh and could someone else please try and post before me at some point, I'm starting to feel like a self-concious stalker (if that isn't an oxymoron)!
It sounds bad simply because I must be doing it all wrong. Its a learning curve I guess.
Also, I am looking forward to the open ocean where there are not so many other trawlers, ferries, fishing pots, tankers...
Still its always a 'buzz' to arrive somewhere new and thats why we keep going. Either that or we're just mad!
Posts have gone real quiet I think its only you Crutey who reads this rubbish now ... Talk soon.
Nah others are reading dude, I know of 2 people who read it, they are just too shy to post! AND I read out your dafter antics to my office so that's another 12 people right there!!!!!
Crap... that's 3 comments I've made to 1 blog entry. Time to get a life I thinks!
Hi Boo, I just wanted to assure you that I am an avid reader of your blog so keep up the good work!
actually, if you could post everyday it would be even better :)
It sounds really tiring at the moment but i'm sure it's worth it.
How long before you start the big crossing ? as i was considering catching up with you before that.
Francois
Don't worry, there are lots of us reading your posts. Time to invest in a deck light, I think. Saves messing around with touches.
Hi all ... Yeah I know there are a few ppl out there reading, most being too shy to post.
The 'Sitemeter' makes for some interesting stats in terms of who and where.
Hi Rach, was wondering when you were gonna say 'Hi'. Stu says you are addicted!
Francois - Plan is spend about 1 or 2 more weeks in Portugal (Peniche, Cascais, Sesimbra and then Sines). From there its 500nm to Madeira, stay for about 2 weeks. Then on to the Canaries, hopefully via the Selvagen island.
Atlantic crossing probably toward the end of December I reckon.
Conundrum, I know this name from another board? Anyways, welcome aboard. I do have a deck light but it only really shows up the foredeck. The main problem is the lazy jacks in swell at night, mine go 3/4 to the top of a largish rig. Still its all practice I guess.
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