North Atlantic 3

Friday 15th May 2009 (Afternoon)

I kept heading East all day with the highlights being Cannelloni for evening meal (leftovers) and doing the washing up off the back of the boat, something I always find a little surreal. It's been quite overcast today meaning I spent more time above decks where its cooler listening to music, reflecting and watching the 'scenery' go by.

Speaking of scenery, yet again the Atlantic seems to be completely devoid of life. I have only seen sea birds that often come to visit, flying fish (a few on deck) and lots of yellow floating sea weed. Not one Dolphin!

As the evening wore on, the North Atlantic joke line opened up for business once again with Mr Crute sending me endless entertainment. I also got a few messages from James and Medi, who were off to throw themselves around the dance floor of the Mad Moongoose - ah Good Times!

No mention of Ben or Freya? Has Otahi left yet? Who are the crew etc?

For some reason despite being tired, I wasn't comfortable going to sleep as it got dark, the wind had got up to 20kn+ and the seas got steeper. I found myself remaining in the cockpit thinking about and writing notes to myself about 'the next boat' while 'keeping an eye on things'.

One thing I have noticed is that despite Doris being a fast boat, any swell (even small stuff) that's short and / or steep means she reaches a top speed of around 4kn where life becomes unbearable, meaning I am always slowing her down and my daily mileages reflect this accordingly, all being around the 100nm miles per day. Doris can easily manage 6-8kn with the winds I have had over the last week (15-20kn) and I should be doing around 140nm per day as an absolute minimum. As long as I didn't need to eat, sleep, wore ear defenders and could keep the mast standing.

Anyway, where Doris is light (corky) and rides on top of the water and waves, she launches headlong into the next on coming wave face, which is the equivalent of going over the handle bars of a bike or through the windscreen of a car. This means that my next boat must be heavy enough to 'plough' through the swell without lifting. A heavy displacement boat combined with a powerful (low aspect) rig, Gaff I'm thinking.

We all know that a bigger boat is a faster, more comfortable boat, that's common sense, but the next boat needs to be big and heavy enough for long ocean passages but also convenient to easily Single Hand, shallow draught for those sneaky anchorages and not cost a fortune to maintain or in marina fees when required. Therein lies the conundrum. My list of notes is growing and I should know exactly what I want before I reach the UK, only to find that unless I build it myself I'm not going to find it.


Saturday 16th May 2009

I finally got a few hours sleep but 'woke up' feeling very tired on Saturday morning. Last night was cold and it was a strange feeling to have cold feet again, something I haven't had since last year? I actually had to get in the sleeping bag which is surprising as I am not 'that' far away from the Caribbean and it's so hot during the day!

Anyway, tea and biscuits, shake out the reefs then back to bed for a few hours. 1200utc position N24 26.96 W57 47.11 with 97nm covered. Now what to eat? I have to eat the potatoes as they are reaching the end of their useful lives so Ham & Chips it was. Oh my god, old potatoes are the secret to perfect chips! I have enough peeled for tonight as well. I followed main course with the remaining chocolate pudding from yesterday and as is tradition washed it all down with a huge mug of tea.

A quick phone call to the parents let them know that their misguided son is both alive and eating well somewhere in the North Atlantic - 'Hi Mum!'

Then its back to bed for another few hours, keeping regular watches of course!

A few hours later the sails flapped, 'here we go' I thought, my first becalming. Nothing for it than to make use of the time wisely as I sat down on the white ceramic with my copy of 'Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus'. Which could easily be called Men are from Mars, Women are Psychotic!

I haven't completed this little gem yet but have read enough to give a 'review'. Now, from a male (it's the only one I have) perspective its worth reading for the comedy factor alone! However, there are a lot of truths in what the man says and time after time you reflect back to relationships gone by saying to yourself 'ah yes, she used to do that'.

I always equate knowledge to power and I therefore, have to give this book a two thumbs up 'must read' for a number of reasons. Firstly, read it, make some strategic notes including page numbers. Even better, make your 'other half' read it! Then once a month you can at least pull the 'Ol Pink Ticket Cave Routine'.

"I love you darling I really do, but unfortunately I am in the 'pulling away process of my rubber band phase' and really need to be 'in my cave' (or in scores lapdance club 'wif ma homiez') for a while. But don't worry 'I will be back' (eventually). Grab yer coat and make like a shepherd!"

Even if you are currently single, read it anyway. Women love this stuff and it's perfect material for dropping in your 'Pick Up Routines'. Besides the drought won't last forever! (Book Review Over)

After less than 15 minutes, the wind filled back in making my reading uncomfortable and it was back to 5kn+ heading NE on the flattest ocean I have seen since leaving. OK it's not flat but the swell is so long. When you are picked up by the swell you can look across a huge blue bowl of water about 1nm wide - amazing!

The wind is however fading slowly and at 1900utc I've got 12kn (apparent) on the gauge. I just need to keep moving today as tomorrow I will (hopefully) find the 'Fair Winds' of the depression I have been chasing.


Sunday 17th May 2009

Well last night was pretty uneventful meaning I got another good nights sleep. Just before it got light (0700utc) I was woken to the sound of the boom banging against the mainsheet. Dead calm with the wind gauge saying 3kn of wind, apparently circling round and around the mast head. The jib was sliding side to side on its traveller and the mainsheet flapping shaking the entire mast. I stood there struggling to come up with a sensible solution, being that seconds ago I was snuggled up asleep in a sleeping bag. To make matters worse the nights have been getting darker and darker and it's really horrible not being able to see a horizon as the boat moves around under your feet in the dark.

I hauled in the jib and sheeted the mainsail as tight as a drum but still it kept flapping. I was just about to reef it right down and go back to bed when the wind gauge registered 5kn for more than a few seconds. Over with the wheel and get the mainsail 'full of wind' on a close reach, we start to make a little speed. The apparent wind rises to 6kn, then 7kn. I let out the jib again 9kn, 10kn at around 4kn of boat speed, come on baby keep going! I have to get into this depression and at least get some lift from it into the westerly winds so if I can keep moving all the better. It's nice to drift back of to sleep feeling the sails pulling in the right direction and I have to be honest, I've been lucky not have been becalmed so far..

The opposite happened literally as the sun was beginning to rise, I was woken to the sound of an unhappy jib, grumbling away. We were going quite fast and the jib was luffing hard and the wind was starting to howl through the rigging. Up on deck the wind gauge was reading 18kn and climbing. Straining my eyes in the dark I could just make out a very low huge black cloud ahead. Squall!

So, how many reefs one or two, the golden rule - if you considered two you probably need two. Ease the wheel to windward, let out the mainsheet and haul in the 2nd reef, except the reefing line has got caught around the genoa pole mast ring. Crap, I have to go forward to free it, which means back down below to put on a life jacket for the safety line. By now the wind is about 22kn and I am out on the foredeck freeing the reefing line. All reefed down and back underway and it occurs to me that a life jacket is pretty useless to a Single Hander. If I go overboard who is going to find me out here?

Assuming the sharks leave anything (assuming there are sharks, I haven't seen any), it will only get found when I wash up on some beach somewhere. Also, I am at my most vulnerable when I have to react to something quickly (such as a squall) straight from waking up when I am not quite as logical or coordinated as I could be. Before any smart ass says 'but you should reef for the squalls at night' - if I did, I wouldn't have moved in the last 12 hours!

I need to get myself a really comfortable light weight safety harness that I can just leave on at all times including when sleeping. I only ever wear the life jacket for the functionality of the safety line anyway. Usually there is no problem as after dark I am permanently clipped in regardless of leaving the cockpit, it's only when sleeping.

Anyway, through the night the seas have been building from the north indicating that the depression up there is causing a bit of a stir. The pressure has been dropping steadily (4mb since yesterday) and the wind has started to back meaning I must be getting closer to it.

Sitting in the cockpit with a morning coffee I watch the 2-3m walls of water coming towards me lined up nicely to the horizon. On the occasional larger wave I can almost hear someone shout 'outside set'! The sea birds love it, swooping into the waves and just touching the wave faces with their wing tips every few seconds like a perfect tube ride.

Despite the bigger seas Doris is making 6kn+ almost on a beam reach now with an approximate heading of 50T degrees. My 1200utc position is N25 14.03 W56 03.54 with 111nm covered, the best 24 hours yet. Now the winds are freeing up I should see better distances covered - I hope.

The time now is 22:45utc and its just getting dark and I remember why I didn't particularly like the crossing over. The beam seas have made life a familiar nightmare all day with me and everything else in the boat thrown from side to side. It takes monumental concentration and organisation as item after item vanishes across the galley, it's amazing I haven't been as sick as a dog!

My reward for bearing this nightmare, an average speed of 6kn+ , if I can get through the night without killing myself (or the laptop), then tomorrows 24 hour run should be the best yet.

I did see another yacht today about 1nm on my port side but he was running more down wind than me and we soon parted company. Leftover tuna pasta soon then some sleep and see what the night brings.


Monday 18th May 2009

Not a lot actually. My trusty egg (sleep) timer finally broke on me and it was a case of emergency repairs using good ol SuperGlue and its working again, thank God! I never did get round to buying a spare timer (idiot!). Still I can always use my phone as an alarm if needed, but it's a real hassle resetting the time every half hour when you are already more asleep than awake.

The atmospheric pressure has not moved in the last 24 hours and it was therefore no surprise when the wind went light on me during the night. I have had to keep it on (slightly above) the beam to keep moving. The 'Great Circle Route' dictates I maintain a direction of around 54T degrees (for the next 300nm or so) which is not to far off a beam reach so that's fine. I am actually quite impressed that I am currently only 143nm off course, although, that figure will get bigger again if I have to keep sailing north into the wind to keep her moving.

The seas have gone right down through the night to about a 1m swell but so have the winds dropped to around 5-10kn so it's a 'catch 22' really. I think I would rather suffer the rolling than be stationary! I am currently doing 5kn in a direction of 35-40T degrees, so at least I am still making progress in vaguely the right direction, which if continues through out the day should lead me to stronger winds.

1200utc position N26 29.95 W54 12.35 with 131nm covered. Only 1469nm to go to the Azores.