For the Dot Watchers

For anyone wondering why there was a 73 mile lag between dots today, the administrator of iBoat warned me about this. He said, don't panic if they drop off the map. There is an area in the middle of the Atlantic that is not well covered by their satellites (too far north to be the Bermuda Triangle). I notice it this morning when I checked at 9:00am and the last dot was posted at 2:00am. Looks like they are back on the map now (for the time being).

Why So Quiet?

For those of you eagerly awaiting Eric’s next chapter of the adventures of Severance, you are going to have to settle for a poor substitute (me). As I mentioned earlier they are having problems with getting and sending their emails. Eric is continuing to write the blogs, but they are stuck in his outbasket for the time being.

They spent a lot of time trying to work through the email issue, not so much because of their commitment to our entertainment, but because without the internet they are unable to get current weather information.

They have now resorted to plan B …. which again, would be me. I have been sending their daily positions to the ARC committee, getting the data from our ever friendly iBoat transponder. I am also reading them the daily weather reports from the ARC Commander, which often runs to 2 pages, so it is a lot for them to scribble down.

Scott told me how to get weather maps from NOOA in a “grib” format which is the file format that supports weather maps. It allows me to download a forecast for 7 days out and see wind patterns and frontal boundaries and walk through them in a time sequence to show where they are going and how they are going to affect the winds. I have been studying them diligently and comparing them to the ARC weather reports and to Severance’s coordinates.

So, for those of you who wonder why Severance is heading north of the fleet, there is a very big front that runs NE to SW that is going to hit the fleet later today, in fact some of them are probably in it now. This will be a whopper, on the order of what they came through going to Bermuda. They are predicting sustained winds in the 35-45 kts at the worst, with gusts over 50.

Working on a weather report from last Friday, the crew believed that if they stayed behind the front by heading more north than east they could avoid it until it dissipates by sometime Monday afternoon. They also hoped to come into the Azores above the ‘Azores High’, a high pressure system similar to the Bermuda High where the winds die down to nothing and the boat stops moving and they sit hot and tired and bored while Robyn and I wait for them in our posh resort in the Azores drinking rum punches and flirting with the cabana boys.

On the trip so far, weather has been good. They started out in high winds and were making an unbelievable 7kts on a reefed main and the storm jib. The winds have slowed now, but the boat does well on light air and they are still able to maintain 4-5 kts boat speed.

Kelly caught a 20 lb tuna and they had sashimi last night with ginger soy sauce and wasabi. Life is good!

Waving Good-Bye to Severance

Here is a picture of Kelly’s nieces and nephew on the Virginia shore waving good-bye to their uncle and the rest of the crew as Severance leaves Bermuda for the Azores on May 21. Did you see them Kelly?

Who is Severance?

Thought I'd fill in while the guys are working out their satellite email issues.

With all the activity and last minute work on Severance, one thing that has not been on this blog is a good picture of our beloved boat.

I'd hoped for a beautiful, classical shot of them leaving Treasure Island under sail, but the closest we could get was from the breakwall of Maderia Beach with the construction barges for the new bridge effectively blocked any view of them.

So today while checking the crew email I discovered these pictures of the new and improved Severance that were sent to the insurance company. Thought those of you who do not know her, and those of you who have not seen her since her radical reconstruction and face lift, might enjoy these pictures.

a reflection on gravity

Doing anything running with the wind in a large following sea is an excercise in balance, strength and patience. Everything takes longer than it should. I timed a couple of mundane tasks. It took me 11 minutes to brush my teeth. Just getting from the cockpit to the V-berth is like running the gauntlet. You never know which way the boat will pitch, and to what degree. You may reach for a handhold and miss. Nothing is soft to land on.

Carrying out a task while running with stacked waves on a small sailboat is, I imagine, the opposite of working in outer space. In space, there is no gravity. When you place something somewhere (self included), it stays there, regardless of where it is. On this boat, gravity is dynamic and chaotic; it is constantly and randomly changing in magnitude and direction. When you place something down on a sailboat, it will shortly be someplace else far less convenient, often doing damage to the object, the boat or yourself. If you slip or lose your balance, your body will quickly find which way is down for the moment.

So when I set out to make a cup of coffee during my night watch, it took me 39 minutes. After filling the tea kettle, I discovered the stove was out of fuel. Refueling the stove canisters involves soaking the wick with fuel alcohol. The wick only accepts the smallest flux of fuel; rejected fuel escapes everywhere, a situation you want to avoid in the cabin of a sailboat. But first, I had a tea kettle to find a secure place for. I lashed it to the sink. Next, I removed the alcohol from its cubby. With a turkey baster, I patiently delivered fuel to the canister. Easy enough when gravity is constant. But to compound things, the turkey baster doesn't fit in the canister, so I pressed it tightly against the can opening and maintained a vacuum with the bulb while I inverted the can. Whew, it worked. No spillage. Fifteen minutes later, I believe there is enough fuel to boil my kettle. Next, I lashed the kettle to the stove with a clever web of wire my father has crafted. This process continued, every item I grabbed I had to secure, every two minutes I lost my footing and got tossed across the cabin.

In the end, it was a damn fine cup of coffee, enjoyed while sailing through a moonlit sea, the spray from following waves leaving phosphorescence in the cockpit.

Bermuda to Azores: Day 1 and 2

Time: 0212 5/22/08 UTC
Lat: 32deg. 25'
Lon: 64deg. 28'
Heading: 105 M
Speed: 7 kt
Temp: 60 F
BP: 1016
Wind: WSW 15-25 knots
Sea: 6-10 ft, following

Well, we're in it again. Rolling seas, running with the waves, no way to get comfortable but we're moving the boat.

We left Bermuda about six hours later than we intended, but Severance was in much better shape for it. Our goal for this leg: no major projects underway. While in Bermuda, we had both the headsail and mainsail repaired, fixed a regulator/alternator/charging issue, riveted the boom vang mount, replaced ceiling panels and interior trim, sealed a leaking shower, resolved our watermaker issue...fortunately, I lost our project list (it filled two pages) or I'd go on.

While in Bermuda, we did have a chance to do some snorkeling on the west coast. Spotted a couple of conch, puffer fish, parrot fish, grouper, a crab, and assorted coral and reef fish while swimming along a coastal reef on the north end of the island. We also visited the beach where my father vacationed as an 11 year-old kid and discovered there are more beautiful places than Detroit. It was neat to be there with him, visiting a memory that had a significant influence on this trip happening. Bermuda is a pretty cool place - I'd recommend sailing there.

Checking out of customs without Wiley was nearly eventful. "There are only three of you departing? But there were four of you when you arrived!" Kelly replied, "Riley said that Wiley just had to turn his paperwork in at the airport and we're all set." This isn't true. Riley, the customs official who granted us entry (I couldn't believe Kelly remembered his name), told Wiley that he needed to return his paperwork the following day.

"Oh, it's just like Riley to mess up something like that. I'll have to talk to him when he gets in. You guys are all set, have a safe passage to the Azores." Well played, Kel.

A quick call to Bermuda Radio for permission to exit the town cut, and we're off. An hour later, and it feels like we're rocking in the same seas that carried us so swiftly to Bermuda. Broad reach, fast, but we're getting tossed left and right.

The night was rough. We'd gotten soft spending a week on land, and people were having trouble sleeping. Except when I was on watch, then it was tough keeping my eyes open.

This afternoon we were radioed by a passing freighter. We discussed the weather, our destinations, the names of our vessels; small-talk, like we'd awkwardly found ourselves trapped in an elevator. As we were only a day from Bermuda, it didn't occur to me until an hour later that we could be the first vessel he's encountered after several days at sea, and he was just looking for someone new to chat with.

Today is my mother's and my grandfather's birthday. We called them from the satellite phone to wish them both a happy birthday. My mother was walking Harpo, the family dog. My grandparents had the Casses, longtime close friends, over for dinner. Life goes on while we're at sea. It's nice hearing about it.

My father, Kelly and I spent an hour or so discussing our course. There are several converging pressure systems making for some erratic wind patterns, and we're trying to pick our way through with enough wind in the right direction. But not too much wind. A nice 15-knot beam reach in a settling sea, maybe some sunshine - too much to ask for? We'll see.

Bermuda

We're ready to push off for the Azores and I'm regretting we didn't have more time here.

Bermuda changed both my brother (Lewis) and my life when we vacationed here at 45 years ago.

It was our first taste of a semi-tropical environment where we could snorkel, fish and walk miles of beaches.

Lewis ended up in the Cook Islands fairly early on in life and I finally migrated to a tropical climate.

Yesterday, I went back to the beaches we were at years back, this time with Eric.

Tremendous experience...I knew I would get back here at some point and it was very special to be here with my son.

Anyway, we're off for the Azores.

Hopefully the task list will continue to wind down and we won't experience too many more things that require us to tear things apart underway.

Then maybe I will have time to add some posts to this blog (thanks Eric for carrying the load).

Appreciate all the support we're getting from all over...on to the Azores!

Thanks Wiley!!!

As we're preparing to depart Bermuda in the next hour or so, I just had to take the time to thank Wiley for all his contributions on this voyage.

I can't imagine how I ever would have gotten the boat (even) near ready if Wiley hadn't put a months work into her.

His enthusiasm for the project, the voyage and anything related to sailing is enormous.

We're all saddened that he can't complete the trans-Atlantic cross with us and will drink a toast to him when we reach the UK.

Thanks Wiley and I know we will sail together again down the road!

Goodbye, Wiley

Wiley flew home on Sunday. He could no longer continue on with us. It's very sad, Wiley has so much passion for sailing and he worked so hard to help my father prepare Severance for this journey, and his contributions as crew are irreplaceable. He brought inspiring enthusiasm, fearlessness on the foredeck, and sailing knowledge and experience that was damn impressive for a young punk.
The night before he left, Kelly, Wiley, my father and I were in the cabin drinking "Dark and Stormies" (ginger beer and local rum), listening to The Band and reminiscing about our shared past. I had met him for the first time two weeks prior, but those two weeks were spent within 34 feet of him without many other options to socialize. You get to know someone pretty quickly in those circumstances; I learned that Wiley is a hell of a sailor and a great friend.
Later that night, my father was asleep in the quarterberth while the three of us hung out on the foredeck. I don't know who started it, but Severance started slowly listing side-to-side. It wasn't long before Wiley and Kelly were each swinging on a shroud, and I was standing on the bow pulpit grabbing the forestay. We had her swinging 60 degrees port-to-starboard, tied to her pier in a dead-calm marina. We couldn't wake my father. Now, without Wiley, we don't stand a chance.
We'll miss you, buddy. You're on this boat in our hearts.

Ocean Sails

For the most part, we didn't suffer much damage from this first passage. We did, however, damage both the headsail and main. When we were surprised by a squall and broached, our genoa luffed violently, separating the sunbrella from the sail (sunbrella is a sail cover stitched into the sail - when the sail is stowed by wrapping it around the forestay, the fabric cover protects it from the sun). The sail wasn't damaged, but the cover needs to be reattached before it worsens.

We tore the mainsail in two places along the luff. The first tear happened when the sail caught on a tack reef hook while being raised. The second tear was from overtightening a reef. It's a single-line reefing system, and I don't think the kinks are worked out. In order to get the leech tight enough, we accidentally reefed the tack below the mast.

Fortunately, there's a sail loft within sight of our slip. I called Ocean Sails first thing in the morning and spoke with Paul. Paul was pretty busy, he was getting a lot of business from the weather we've had, but he said he would see what he could do to get us going in time for the rally.

View from atop the mast of St. George's Harbor. Ocean Sails is the orange building on the right.

We folded up the main and genny, dropped them in the dinghy, and Wiley motored over while Kelly and I walked. The sails filled the dinghy, there was only room for one.

The sail loft is really cool. It's this beautiful old stucco building with polished wood floors, a high ceiling, and a lot of floor space. There are a couple of pits where sailmakers can stand and be working at the level of the floor. The bay window overlooks the harbor, through which a steady breeze of ocean air blows.

Here they're working on our genoa. The navy border is the sailcover, it's the only surface exposed when the sail is furled. Our main is to the right, rolled up like a tortilla.

They keep a parrot, who picked up my name from something Kelly had said, and called me out. We chatted a bit, but it devolved into him mimicing dog barks and meows, and me idiotically listing all the things parrots are supposed to say after I was no longer amused by pet sounds.

I get it. You sound like a dog. Clever.

Hopefully, the sails will be ready to go before we are. There's a low pressure system moving in, and we will have similar heavy winds to the first part of our trip if we don't leave early this week. We'll be prepared to deal with that weather if it occurs, but it gets uncomfortable pitching in heavy seas day after day. Waiting out the front isn't a great option, as it will be followed by very calm winds. We'd rather go uncomfortably fast than comfortably dead in the water (not literal - sailing expression meaning insufficient winds to move the boat).

Kelly filleting the wahoo!

Running with the cruising chute

Kelly and Wiley folding the storm sail



























fresh lime, orange, and the last of the tequilla































Moving at 7 knots, Bermuda in sight

Day 7: Arrive in Bermuda

Bermuda Finish Time: 17:47.37, 15 May 2008


I'm sitting at the upper deck of the St. Georges Dinghy and Sports Club, overlooking the bay. The weather is beautiful, 70 degrees with a cool breeze, mostly sunny and best of all, dry.
The passage was remarkably smooth given the weather we encountered. We suffered minor damage to the headsail sailcover, and two tears on the mainsail luff, but otherwise Severance arrived unscathed.

Our last day sailing, the winds calmed to 15-20 knots and the seas subsided to 12 feet. We were able to retire the storm jib, and run a full main and genoa. The wind clocked to northerly, Severance stopped rolling so feverishly, and we had a pleasant sail to the southwest corner of Bermuda.

After rounding the corner, we sailed north for about 10 miles to the entrance to St. Georges. The wind was on the nose, so we got into "race mode" for the finish.
Races often finish to windward, or upwind. This involves tacking back and forth, because it's not possible to sail directly into the wind. With the sails close-hauled, we were sailing 50 degrees off the wind apparent on the port tack, and 20 degrees off the wind to starboard. Perhaps our wind indicator isn't calibrated after all.

The boat felt well-powered with the 150 genoa. We were at a comfortable heel, with the toerail constantly in the water given the reduced waterline. It felt good to be on an upwind tack, after 6 straight days of running and reaching.

Scott steering upwind

Bermuda receives a lot of boat traffic, and these boats are making major passages. Any vessel here has traveled at least 1000 miles of open ocean. Because of this, Bermuda Harbor Radio keeps track of every vessel visiting the island, as well as information about the brand and capacity of any life rafts aboard, type of emergency transponder, number of crew, and assorted other details. They are incredibly helpful in navigating the channels, and coordinate the comings and goings of massive cruise ships.

We radioed Bermuda Harbor when we sighted land. They requested that we radio again when we reached "town cut", a channel that's roughly the size of a cruise ship. It is in your best interest to confirm that the cut is clear before entering: it's like riding a bicycle across a 1-way bridge and encountering a semi-truck going the opposite direction.

We arrived at the cut, radioed Bermuda Harbor for permission to enter, and sailed through the cut to the customs dock. Customs was uneventful. They confiscated our flare gun, and we left for our slip at the dinghy and sports club.

Docking at the club was stressful. It was a stern-in affair between two boats, necessitating a y-turn among a lot of expensive boats. Add current and a moderate breeze, and it's a little more involved than backing up a uhaul trailer. This was the most nervous I'd been on the trip. My father pulled it off with aplomb, hiding his anxiety and projecting confidence.

enroute to customs



I almost fell on my ass when I first stepped on land. I can still feel the hard ground swaying beneath my feet. It's a nice reminder of what we'd accomplished, how our bodies have adapted to our environment with lingering affects.

Today we're straightening up the boat, then heading to town to see what Bermuda is like.

Day 6: St. Augustine to Bermuda

5/13/2008 0930 UTC
Position: 31 deg. 46.1' N, 67 deg. 9.1' W
Heading: 79 deg. M
COG: 79 deg. M

Winds: W 30-40 kt, gusting to 50 kt
Seas: 15-20 ft. swells from the West

Temp: 69 deg.
BP: 1009 mb

Notes:

Well, as it turns out it was a good thing we had the storm jib out. We were running with a 2nd reef in the main and the storm sail around 2am, when we decided to jibe for a more direct route. We realized then how hard it was blowing, and decided to pull down the main. When you're sailing dead downwind, you only feel the apparent wind speed, and can lose track of how powerful the winds are. They were blowing 30 knots without our realizing it.

We sent Kelly up on deck to bring the main into the lazyjacks. Sail ties in teeth, feet pinned against the toerail, Kelly heroically darted across the foredeck and secured the main (he asked that I emphasize the heroism). He saved all our lives again.

With just the storm jib out, we were surfing down the faces of 15 foot waves clocking 10+ knots, and cruising at 6-7 knots in the troughs. We hit 13 knots on one particularly steep wave.

The storm sail is about the size of a full size bedsheet, made of really tough canvas and constructed to withstand the strongest winds.. This small headsail was enough to keep Severance moving at hull speed, the winds were so stiff.

All night we pitched and rolled in the waves, sleeping was difficult. The watch was probably the most comfortable, because you could see what was happening. In the cabin, you just hear noises and get tossed against the leecloth sporadically. After one particularly loud crash, Wiley and I both lept out of our berths and into the cockpit. "What was that?!? Is everything ok?" Kelly, on watch, didn't know what we were talking about.

While on watch, waves would periodically crash over the stern as we'd surf down and stick in the trough, speckling the cockpit with glowing green phosphorescent algae. I turned off all the instruments and lights for a bit to watch the stars (don't tell the cap'n). The sky was clear with the milky way in full display.

When dawn broke, we realized the full size of the waves that had been tossing us all night. Some were breaking their crests, leaving a seafoam pools that looked calm conpared to their peaked neighors. Kelly has been the only person who can reliably anticipate which waves will surf well, and which will drench the cockpit. If he ducks, we follow.

Scott radioed a russian container ship and confirmed that the captain could neither sight us nor see us on radar. This was disconcerting - his vessel was clearly visible to us. This was the first boat we've seen since the day we left.

The barometer has started rising again. I believe the cold front has passed, and we've seen the worst of the storms. Bermuda is a day away.

We do receive all of the comments to the blog, so please keep commenting, and thanks for your interest.

Severance leaving St. Augustine

The crew just before leaving the dock on Thursday: Eric, Kelly, Scott, Wiley

Photograph by Jim & Liz Roberts

Day 5 - St. Augustine to Bermuda

5/12/2008 1200 UTC
Position: 31 deg. 36.1' N, 69 deg. 33.8' W
Heading: 95 deg. M
COG: 110 deg. M

Winds: W 20-30 kt
Seas: 12-14 ft. swells from the West

Temp: 76 deg.
BP: 1007 mb

Notes:

The increased winds and seas have continued through the day. The forecast predicted a large gale with winds up to 50 knots and seas of 20 feet. We mounted the saddle for the drogue, deployed the storm sail, and waited. The worst we've seen so far is 35 knot gusts and 12-14 foot seas. We're running with the wind and getting rolled and lifted by the waves, but it hasn't been uncomfortable. The sky has been clear, waves impressively large.

I still haven't gotten used to looking to stern and seeing a wave over my head, then looking a moment later and it's 20' down to the trough. The boat has been handling it really well. It has some tendancy to round up coming down the wave, which is why our COG and heading differ so substantially. But overall, with the right sail plan the boat has felt really stable and controllable. I think the increased waterline is helping!

We've been conservative with sail until we're sure the worst is behind us. The storm sail prevents us from running the genoa, so we've been bouncing around between full main, single and double-reef.

For dinner, Scott's cooking a pasta dish he's being rather secretive about. Smells like pork roast from the oven. We're all a little anxious to see what he's come up with this time. He's had to work exclusively from a pressure cooker and oven bread pans, as the frying pan has still not been found. He's an impressive improviser with food.

Day 4 - St. Augustine to Bermuda

5/11/2008 1200 UTC
Position: 31 deg. 8.9' N, 72 deg. 31.2' W
Heading: 85 deg. M
COG: 90 deg. M

Winds: W 15-20 kt
Seas: 8-10 ft. swells from the West

Temp: 80 deg.
BP: 1010 mb

Notes:

Today we tore the boat apart again. Problems with the electrical charging system, but we think we have it figured out. It's a sailboat, so we don't need power, but creature comforts like refrigeration, autopilot and radar are appreciated.

In the afternoon, we launched the cruising chute. 7 knots, surfing to 9-10 in 8 foot seas. We pulled the chute when we saw squalls approaching from the west, double-reefed the main, furled half the genny, and waited. The squall passed mostly to the north; we saw winds around 20 knots, but we escaped the brunt of it.

We had dinner, Scott made a pork stew in the pressure cooker that was phenomenal. He was pissed that we all polluted it with hot sauce. Brownies for dessert. Scott has cooked every meal. No one is complaining.

After dinner, we spotted another squall approaching from the west. Wiley and I geared up in our foulies, furled half the genoa and double-reefed the main. Soon, there was lightning to the north, west and south, rain coming down hard. Visibility reduced to 500 yards, it felt like a movie set, no concept of scale on the 10 foot waves we were riding.

But, the gale winds never materialized. 15 knots gusting 20. We were under-canvassed for the squall, so we let more sail out. Wiley and I were disappointed given our preparation. We needn't have been.

An hour later, while sharing the last can of beer, we got knocked down by a 30 knot gust, full genoa, single reef on the main. Didn't see it coming. We were taken up, and were rolled by a following wave. Spreaders in the water, gear crashing in the cabin, the last drops of beer spilled in the cockpit. We muscled in the headsail and double-reefed the main. An ominous cluster of blue and white balloons shot past our bow, skipping over the sea at 20 knots. Children on a cruise line somewhere were likely frightened and upset.

Later we let out five feet of headsail, and sailed that way through the night. Winds were steady 20-30 knots, gusts over 35. Our speed hit 13 knots at one point. The waves kept getting bigger. Barometer has been falling rapidly.

During my night shift, I saw flying fish skipping across the stern light.

It has been a great trip so far. We're averaging over 6 knots, should have strong and favorable winds all the way to Bermuda by Wednesday.

Day 3 - St. Augustine to Bermuda

5/10/2008 1200 UTC
Position: 30 deg. xx N, 74 deg. xx W
Heading: 88 deg. M
COG: 93 deg. M

Winds: WSW 15 kt
Seas: 8-10 ft. swells from the West

Temp: 79 deg.
BP: 1016 mb

Notes:

Friday night we were flying! 15-20 kt winds, broad reach, surfing big swells. We hit 12 knots on several occasions surfing down the backs of large waves. Dinner was outstanding, we baked the wahoo, roasted potatoes, corn, mixed greens. Took showers, spirits were high, the diesel mess forgotten. It felt like a carnival cruise. Saturday, we spent the day trying to diagnose issues with the desalinater. The pump is de-priming as the through-hull fitting comes out of the water in swells. We'll have to deal with it in Bermuda for the crossing to the Azores, but we have plenty of fresh water to reach Bermuda.

I've never been in a boat this far from land before. The water is this saphire blue, unlike any blue I've seen in nature. We haven't seen another vessel since we crossed the gulf stream.

The auto-pilot has been solid. We've been wing-on-wing all day doing seven knots, surfing 9 knots down the swells. The auto-pilot has only gybed once. Very grateful not to have to hand-steer to maintain this course.

We've had incredibly favorable conditions so far, making great time to Bermuda. Hoping Tomorrow doesn't involve tearing the boat apart again.

Day 2 - St. Augustine to Bermuda

5/9/2008 1200 UTC
Position: 30 deg 25.3" N, 77 deg 33.3" W
Heading: 85 deg.
COG: 90 deg.

Winds: SSW 15kt
Seas: 8-10 ft swells from the south
Current: ?

Temp: 80 deg, sunny
BP: 1017 mb

Notes:

Thursday night, Scott challenged a couple of warships for right of way. At one point, warship
94 requested we state our intentions immediately. Or else implied. Later, we encounter
another Navy vessel that was on collision course but unresponsive to radio. The captain
finally stated we could hold our course after we tacked. Scott was audibly upset.
Later that evening, we were hit by a gale. One rogue wave crashed over the stern, dousing
Kelly and Wiley and leaving standing water in the cockpit. Double-reef on the main, very
little headsail. The night watch was tough, as Kelly, Wiley and I had stayed up until 5am
getting the boat ready. Scott was rested and aware.

Friday, fair sailing, we're surfing waves all day, averaging 7 or 8 knots.

Dealt with a leaky jerrycan of diesel. Cleanup took 2 hours, emptying and scrubbing of
everything in the lazarette. Everyone is anxious to get the boat situated so we can spend more
time sailing than working. But, the sailing has been pretty ideal.

Figured out our comm. problems with satellite e-mail and weather. Tech support is pretty poor
in the middle of the atlantic.

There is a cold front passing well north of us, we believe it shouldn't affect us dramatically,
but we're expecting strong winds.

Day 1 - St. Augustine to Bermuda

5/8/2008 1200 UTC
Position: 29 deg 58.17' N, 80 deg 42.3'W
Heading: 85 M
COG: 82 M

Winds: S 15kt
Seas: 5 ft, stacked, confused (gulf stream)
Current: est. 4kt N

temp: 75F
BP: 1019.5 mb

Notes:

After 6 frantic days in St. Augustine completing last-minute projects, we cast off at 1050 Eastern for an 1100 bridge opening. The race committee allowed a self-start at 1200, as only two boats were leaving from St. Augustine, with the remainder of the fleet leaving from Antigua. The Lost Unicorn had a faster start, because they crossed the line east of the official mark. We didn't protest.

The winds were southerly and moderate, allowing for a fast reach to the gulf stream. Within an hour, Kelly had caught a fish: a 30 lb wahoo. Although we were trolling a line, we hadn't really thought through our approach to landing and killing one. It was a bloody affair. I think we'll make less of a mess with the next one.

After two hours, the Lost Unicorn was no longer visible behind us.

What's Been Happening?

Thought I’d fill you all in on what’s been happening these last couple weeks. The guys have been far too busy to keep up with the blog.

Wiley, Jack, Rachel, Kelly & Scott took off from our house on Treasure Island at 7pm Saturday April 26. (Rachel is the good looking one – she only made it as far as the fuel dock!)

Since there were so many new systems on the boat and this was the first shakedown cruise, it was no surprise that a lot of things shook out. While they were still close enough to get some of the land crew down there, they put in at Marco Island to regroup. Michael and Ronnie drove down to help them out.

After sailing only two days on the boat the crew recognized the need for organization and off-loaded a number of things that no longer seemed so critical given the space constraints of a 34 foot boat with 4 people. They removed everything from the boat and reloaded it, documenting where everything was stowed. This turned out to be the first of many such exercises that continued whenever they touched land.

Michael & Ronnie helped deal with the issues and then returned to Treasure Island. Jack also left at that time. The crew did one more repacking and then they shoved off for the Keys.

They stopped in the Keys at Sombrero Reef for a leisurely lunch and an afternoon of snorkeling. See Kelly’s great movies.

Then they headed to St. Augustine. Those who watched their progress on the satellite tracking site could see that the going was tough. The wind was on the nose and the waves were against them so even motoring was slow. Those of us who were meeting them in St. Augustine decided that there was no hurry to get there, they would be lucky to get in before Saturday evening.

They surprised us and got there at noon Saturday May 3rd. This was the same day that Eric was arriving from Portland to join the crew. I drove up with Ronnie. Wiley’s mom, Susan, and his sister Allie, and his grandmother “Grammy” and Nancy, her friend from Wisconsin, were all there to say good-bye, as were Jan and Rachel. Wiley gets the prize for having the biggest fan club (they must like him)! Michael and his family drove up to mix a little family vacation with helping Scott handle some last minute electronic issues. I had fun with Michelle and the boys, playing miniature golf and eating ice cream.

Michael reviewed all the systems with Eric who was assigned the job of Ship’s Engineer. Kelly was named Chief Navigator and Wiley is the Sailing Master, he rules the sails, the winches, and the foredeck. (I won't mention going up the mast, since his mother might be reading this!)

Kelly parents, Jim & Liz arrived Sunday afternoon from Virginia and stayed until Severance left, which was invaluable since they did a lot of running around picking up supplies and provisioning. Scott is not shy about putting anyone to work and they are good workers. Good job on the drogue cones, Liz.

The crew finished up a number of projects in St Augustine including an unplanned install of a new water heater. Anyone who knows Scott knows that he thrives under pressure. (Anyone who knows me knows that I do not. I'm glad I was on the other side of the state.) Along with all the projects, they unloaded and repacked the ship several more times.

Wed. May 7, the day before leaving, a friend of ours from Michigan, Jim Sexton, flew down to say good bye. Jim and his wife Pat are planning on meeting Scott in Greece in the fall. Friends Mark & Susan Okkerse also drove down from Jeckell Island to see them off. Wed night while Eric & Kelly were installing a new water heater, Scott, Wiley, Jim, Mark, & Susan went to the Yacht Club reception for the ARC boats. There were only two boats leaving from St. Augustine, so it was a small reception. The mayor of St. Augustine gave a welcoming speech, which was a nice touch. As usual, the Severance crew was the last to leave the party.

Next day no one on the dock believed that they would make it by the 1:00 starting time. The boat was once again completely unloaded and spread over the dock. Eric & Kelly had finished installing the water heater at 4am Thursday morning. Somehow they got the boat repacked and off the dock and barely made the noon bridge opening.

I got one phone call before they were out of cell phone range. Now I’m watching the dots move as you all are. They obviously have had very favorable winds, plus a little help from the Gulf Stream because they are moving faster than the boat is capable of.

When they left they had still not worked out the satellite internet piece, but I am happy to say that tonight at 5pm est I received my first email communication from the satellite system, so all is well with the world.

Stay tuned and perhaps next time you will hear directly from them.

Barracuda

By popular demand I am adding another video from the snorkeling trip. Kelly was underwater and Wiley was chumming the fish with Sugar Pops. Apparently they like junk food! Does Kelly seem a little nervous about that barracuda that is watching over his shoulder?

Snorkeling in the Florida Keys

Check out this video from the trip to St. Augustine. Photography by Kelly.