Losing Track of the Dot - a Note from Home

I've noticed that the transponder has been skipping a few hours, which reminded me of the satellite coverage map that iBoatTrack gave me when we started this journey. I dug up the map they gave me and took a look. Good thing Rhonda didn't know that they would be outside of satellite tracking range or she might not have let Danny go!




You can see on this coverage map that after they leave the Cape Verde Islands they will be out of range for the rest of the crossing. I know that our knowing exactly where they are does not make them any safer, but it makes me feel better.

The plan is for Scott & Armando to meet up with Danny in Praia, which is the main city in the Cape Verde Islands. It is the only city that has a Brazilian Consulate and Danny & Scott need a visa to enter Brazil. Danny will arrive in Praia tonight. Scott and Armando were supposed to be there to meet him, but they are running a little late due to the trouble getting out of Gilbralter.

Severance will leave the Cape Verdes as soon as they get the visas. Armando thinks they should be able to get it same day, which would be Monday, March 2. They will provision and then leave as soon as possible because Scott and Danny will have hot dates waiting for them in Brazil. (I imagine that Armando does also!!!).

Rhonda and I will meet them in Fortaleza, Armando's home town. We are also hoping that Madeline, the good friend that Scott and Armando made in Plymoth, will come also. She was all set to come, but is trying to decide now that it turns out they only plan on staying in Brazil for a week. It's a long way to go for a week.

Rhonda and I both have our flights. I will arrive Saturday March 28 and leave April 5. Rhonda arrives on Sunday, March 29 and will stay until April 20th. Danny plans to jump ship in Fortaleza and he and Rhonda will spend some time exploring Brazil, including a boat trip down the Amazon.

Scott assures us they will be there before we arrive. He'd better be there! He can pull that "We've got no plans and we're sticking to them" with Danny and Jim, but with me - he'd better have a plan and stick to it!!

Canaries

No time for a proper post, but I know if I don't write something now it won't get done...

Anyway, we reached the Canaries. Beautiful weather, sunshine, people on the beach, fantastic places here (we've been on two of the islands).

We're leaving in a few hours for the Verdes and will pick up Danny McJannet for the leg to Brazil.

I have a funny Armando story to relate (I feel Ok as I've ratted myself out on many of my dumber moments).

Anyway, we cruising along (flying actually, 20 knots dead downwind) wing on wing (main on one side, whisker pole on the other holding the genny out on the other side).

Armando had the worst of the night shift (wonder how that happened...don't recall even flipping a coin on that one) and our batteries were getting low, he didn't want to start the engine and wake me (kind guy that his is, which is why I shouldn't tell this story), so he comes below and flips the breaker for the fridge.

He returns to the cockpit and the wind starts to shift, which is really weird as it has been blowing in the same direction for days (and it always blows that way in this part of the world), and it continues to shift, which has him starting to make some sail adjustments and then it totally shifts, comes around on the nose and folds the whisker pole (the ultimate fate of all poles).

About this time it dawns on him that the autopilot has "failed", the wind didn't shift, the boat turned around!!!!

So, he gets us back on course and then realizes that the autopilot didn't just go nuts on it's own, but he had flipped the breaker off when he turned off the fridge (it is the next one up)....he'd "fat fingered it!.

Anyway, the next day I got all my tools out and was able to cut off the section of the pole that had folded (it is an extending pole) and there was plenty of pole left to extend, so some cutting, drilling and a refit of the pole end and I was back in business....pretty smug and proud of myself!!!!

All that was left to do was to put a big ribbon on the bent piece and tie it to Armando's cabin door, a present from Santa! He doesn't admit it, but when I do something like a total rebuild of a pole at sea he has to reevaluate his opinion of the old sailing fool he's had to put up with for so many sea miles!!!

P.S. While I sit here nursing a beer Armando is drinking coke, I lost him last night somewhere on the street during the Carnival float parade and he didn't make it back to the boat until quite early, something about sleeping in a park...apparently he's not able to keep pace with his captain when it comes to imbibing fine Cuban rum....I can't wait to get him to sea today and see how rolling around on a downwind run helps his condition!!!

Gibraltar Misc

Morrisons grocery store, just like the UK (not meant as flattery) apparently they actually ship horrid British food out of that country! We moved our boat to a Spanish marina 2 days before departure just so we could provision...

Talking to a guy that has lived there for 40 years, said it was the worst winter since he's been there, figures it is on a 50 year cycle....recurring theme of the trip...

We were tied up along a wall with some decent protection. Boats on the inside were subject to a swell that lifted and dropped their boat ends around 4', really tough to get on and off and worse to live like that, in a supposed protected harbor to boot!

I have yet to chronicle my French canal experiences, some of which resulted in scrapes and bruises to the boat and my ego. I met a sailor here that was doing (many) of the canals alone, he would put on his autopilot as he approached a lock and get things squared away. As he was on the bow making preparations, charging down the canal at 6 knots with his autopilot engaged, the self steerer decided to make a 90 degree turn to starboard, within 20 feet (as he scrambled back to the cockpit) the boat had driven itself up a low concrete wall and put a huge hole in his bow. I plan to get the rest of the story when I see him in the Canaries, but suffice to say I felt a bit better about my experiences after that chat...

Gibraltar was the 1st time, since leaving the UK in November, that we met other sailors! People to share stories with, commiserate over boat problems, talk about where we've been and where we're going. Actually being part of a community (weird cause sailors are non-joiner independent types). Different from our journeys so far, I think we're starting to fit into the bigger picture and becoming part of the flow (except that we're really talking about the stragglers, everyone now is in the Carib planning to depart for hurricane season just as we plan to arrive).

We're so close to being out of the Med we can taste it! You can see Africa from here. Hope springs eternal. Soon we'll be headed towards the Equator, nothing but high barometric pressure, warmer water, current going our way, winds the same....you can see it from here!

Gibraltar Arrival

Pics to follow.....

Our last Spanish port was just 35NM from Gibraltar, but we were pinned down for a day waiting for some minimum reduction in the wind strength (which of course was coming directly from the Straits of Gibraltar).

The decision to leave that port into building winds (projected to reach 25) was made based on the projection over the next week....nothing better for days and some options get out of Gibraltar if we could just make it that far.

Our fuel situation wasn't ideal, both tanks showing about ½ and the marina we stayed in only sold gas.

¼ mile back there was a marina that sold diesel, but (being a man) I never backtrack, plus there were other marinas along the coast we could stop and refuel at.

The wind was just off the nose, so we motor sailed (main up) and I debated whether to stop for fuel or not...I decided against it as I wanted to reach Gibraltar in good daylight.

I think you can probably see where this is going....

As we got within 10 miles of the Rock, the winds continued to build, until they topped out at what we later learned was 50NMPH.

Which slowed us to a crawl and made me start to think about just how much fuel I had.

The fuel equation is not just how many gallons one has in a tank, it is how many gallons are required to keep the fuel line submerged, given things like sloshing (JTR builds fine tanks and these are well baffled, but there is only so much baffling can do) and the angle of heel of the boat (the main tank likes the boat heeled to port).

I was contemplating switching from the aux tank, which is smaller and less affected by heel and yaw, and was watching the gauge closely, it was reading ¼ so I knew I was pushing it a bit.

A short primer on diesels for the uninitiated....running out of fuel introduces air into the system, which requires a procedure called “bleeding”, not that big a deal, unless one is trying to enter one of the busiest ports in the world in 50 knot winds and high sea conditions.

Ok....I think you've all guessed that the engine (of course) sucked in some air, sputtered and my switch to the main tank was a day late and a dollar short.

We hadn't rounded the point into the harbour (even though we'd been very close for several hours) so we now fell off the wind, gave up the fight and started sailing through the scores of anchored ships trying to stay out of the winds and waves just to the East of the big Rock.

We put out some genoa for better control and I decided to sail up as close to the Rock's cliff as possible, which should have put me in calm, protected waters.

However, as I looked along the shore I was trying to tack up to I saw the water equivalent of “dust devils” swirls of winds that pick water up from a flat spot where the winds whipped the water and foam out....really cool thing to see except for the circumstances.

When we got as close to the Windward shore as possible the water was calm, but somehow the SW winds, which should have been blocked by the 1000' cliff, actually were blowing right out of the North and right down the rock beach!

Wow, and island with more than one windward side, that's a new one to me, but then again I seem to discover things like that.

Time to furl the headsail and drop the hook...except that the headsail took three turns and the furler jammed!

Damn, throw the hook anyway and we can sort it all out at anchor.

The anchor held (1st thing that went our way) and we figured out the furling problem (spinnaker halyard tied in the wrong spot so the top furling gear hooked on it of course).

Next, down the main, set the anchor drag alarm, take a few deep breaths and crack open a cold one!

We're still being buffeted by strong gusts and it turned out a flailing genoa sheet (that had gone out as far as the stopper knot allowed it) managed to shatter the large starboard section of “glass” (actually a stiff plastic that must have been extra hard due to the extreme cold temperature at the time....I did mention it was colder than Hell didn't I?).

Time for a plan.

1st things 1st, transfer the remaining fuel in the main tank to the smaller aux tank (where it would pose no potential for sucking air as the boat rocked).

Easy deal, except that I never put in any tank to tank transfer capabilities, so off with the inspection port and in with a pump hose for transfer to our (empty of course) spare diesel container, then the transfer to a smaller jug and into the aux tank.

We pulled about 8 gallons out of the main tank, so the aux tank was almost full...no problemo with that anymore.

Bled the diesel (at which I now rank as an expert) and let it run for 1 hour to ensure all the air was purged, which of course it never is and you inevitably experience some residual effects often at inconvenient times.

The wind continued to howl and I was resolved to wait for a respite or for the sun to come back in 12 hours before attempting the point rounding and bashing up the harbor.

However, the wind decided to clock and our windward shore became a lee shore (meaning if our anchor dragged we'd be on the rocks), so that “helped” me make the decision to complete the journey.

Pitch black, dozens of anchored ships, some ship traffic and the wind on the nose as we rounded the point and went up the harbor (I still can't figure out how a place can have winds from so many directions simultaneously.

Anyway, as we approached the marina suggested by my pilot guide we were lit up by a police boat that informed us that marina was now closed, but gave us a name of an open one and, within an hour, we were tied up alongside a cement pier....destination achieved!!!

I sometimes marvel at how easy I can make all this stuff seem!

Laziness and Procrastination - Sometimes the Best Strategy

Last night we gave up the battle to get to Gibraltar and proceeded to a nearby marina.

Which, it turned out, had no berths (a 1st since we are so out of season this just hasn't been an issue), so we worked our way back out through the surf line (yep....less than 50 yards from the beach and big breaking waves) and went 2NM to the next marina.

Today was supposed to be more of the same, strong winds on the nose and large waves, which means burning fuel and bashing against it at 3-4 knots (basically, we could walk out of the Med faster).

I gave it some thought and just didn't have a great feeling about things, so I decided to park it here for the day.

The rain and overcast skies helped the decision, but also a look out the hatch at waves sending spray over a 15' sea wall reinforced the thought of bagging it for today (or more...).

So, late in the afternoon (when the rain abated) we clamber off the boat and do the look for internet bit and end up in a nice bar.

Watching TV (but only being able to catch the images) showed that Gibraltar got nailed today, the marinas were a mess, flooding had wrecked part of the town, etc., etc.

Wow, sometimes not being where you really think you want to be works out in your favor!

Gibraltar is a "mere" 35nm from here, but it may as well be on the moon the way things are going.

We may poke our nose out of the marina tomorrow, or may not, but I'm really glad I took the lazy route today!

The Med reminds me of the Roach Motel commercials, "You can check in but can't check out!"

We'll be out of it, maybe later than sooner, but Severance will prevail!!!

P.S. I just finished a book about Shackleton's adventures (Google him)...makes one feel like a real whimp when we're whining about bashing around in Med in relative comfort and plugging in a heater most nights in a marina

Latest on The Plan

Here the latest version.

Basically 6500 miles and 4 months, requiring an avg of 55nm per day.

Given some long legs we should be able to “earn” days to enjoy things in some of the really great spots that are coming up.

Loosely.....(all NM are approx as with everything else!)
Depart Gibraltar Feb 8th for Casablanca (assuming my insurance covers Morocco) 300NM
Depart Casablanca Feb 13th for Canaries 425NM
Depart Canaries Feb 20th for Verdes 800NM
Depart Verdes for Fortaleza, Brazil March 5th 3000NM
Depart Fortaleza April 5th for Trinidad 1600NM
Depart Trinidad April 25th for Key West 1500NM

I don't yet know anything about the crossing to Brazil, my books only cover the typical North of the equator trade wind route, so that's a blank slate right now (I know people do it though).

Armando and I both need visas for the Verde islands, plus I need a visa for Brazil and he needs one for the US....which really complicates things and could involve some sitting around, or skipping someplace or illegal landings.

But all these places are the best spots, the proverbial icing on the cake, the great destinations of sailing that we all hope to get to “someday”.

Now....we just need to get the hell out of the Med (which seems to have become the motto of Severance)!!!!!

“Passenger Pigeon” or More?

We're working our way down the coast of Spain (and I mean working as the wind and waves are conspiring against us and we're hugging the shore as close as is “safe” given the total state of darkness) and I'm being tossed around in my bunk (somehow Armando always seems to be on watch for the worst of it) and then take over at some point under only rainy, cold conditions.

Dawn arrives (one would think Sun, but apparently it isn't a requirement) and I'm on watch when a bird descends from the heavens and takes a spot behind the wheel!

Immediately I think of what Lori Wickman would think (she's one of the “bless their heart” women that keeps me in their prayers) and take a few snapshots.

When Armando awakes, I point out the bird (who appears to be steering and may actually be...after all, maybe Lori is more tuned in to those things than I am!).

And, Armando points his hands skyward and says (something like) “Thank God, we finally have an intelligent and competent captain at the wheel!” and I break out laughing (as the sign of a good humored person is to be able to take a joke at their expense).

I'm almost in tears and look over at Armando, who does a great job of “pretending” to have made a serious comment, what a comedian, only a highly skilled humorist can hold back the laughter at their own best jokes and he's just holding a stone face.

I'm thinking, these Brazilians have the most incredible sense of “dry” humor, even besting the Brits.

Then the bird flies off, Armando plays it to the hilt, gets a tear in his eye and returns below to sleep.

Balearic Island of Ibiza to Spain

Leaving a Marina
Coast of Spain
Natural Rock Formation

The next step involved making the 50NM (minimum) jump to Cabo de le Nao....I use the word “minimum” as land falls away to the Southwest very quickly, so if you can't make that point you end sailing merrily down the coast basically forever.

Of course, the wind was blowing a typical 20+ from the NW (too close to being on the nose to sail), but we were able to motorsail (mainsail up for some help) and bash our way through the steep waves for 12 hours to just catch the heaThere is a shipping separation zone off the point, which we managed to cross the NE bound lane with no problem, but some math on getting (slowly) across the SW lane with the speed and progress of a downbound tanker would have put us squarely in the middle of that lane entrance (I was staying just outside the zone) which would have put the captain of that ship in charge of deciding which side to cross us on.

I like to be the one making that decision (I hate looking at the bow of a ship traveling at 18 knots when I'm slugging it out against the winds and waves at 4)...so I took a hard right and burned 20 minutes to sail past him and then ducked behind his stern.

Which turned out to be a good move as 2 other freighters came from the North and passed far ahead of us.

We hit land at 10:30 pm (literally as I clunked the keel and had to back off a reef in what I thought was an open beach area marked as a good anchorage on my pilot guide...so much for that drawing!).

From there we've been able to work our way (mostly motorsailing) against high winds by hugging the coastline.

At one of our stops the marina manager told us he'd been blown out of a boat (same storm from my earlier blog post with all the boats on the beach) by 120kmph winds when he went out to chase down a boat that had broken free from its mooring.

He told me his theory was that boats come to the Med to sink...relating a story about a “successful” 5 year round the world cruise by someone that lost their boat off Barcelona.

I told him I didn't want to hear any more stories!

On this leg there's been 1 severe low pressure center that has given us fits (they come charging in from the Atlantic, dissipate a bit if they go over the mainland but typically just come full bore through the gap at Gibraltar causing gale force winds in various directions as they move into the Med).

We've managed now to work our way to a NW “corner” were we'll be able to work down the coast to Gibraltar, our next (and main) destination before we get into the Atlantic and head South for Casablanca (and beyond!)