Hilo, HI, 9-Nov-2019 — One evening, while we rigged a spinnaker aboard a T-Bird sailing out of Dorchester Harbor in Boston, I confessed to the skipper of the vessel that I was not very physically brave. I could see his face, and he looked at me dumbfounded and said “you sail a T-bird from New York to Boston? If that’s not brave I don’t know what is.”
Continue reading “Bravery, Preparation and Sailing”Category: By John
Life on a Caro Babbo passage, but first…
Hilo, HI 7-nov-2019 — I think I may have redeveloped a caffeine addiction. By 2009, I was up to twelve espresso a day, and then quit, cold turkey. It took two years before I no longer got that heavy dentist’s x-Ray blanket feeling from no caffeine.
Continue reading “Life on a Caro Babbo passage, but first…”The ocean as background
17-oct-2019, 24° 06.53N 138° 27.58W — I think to make this work, this being sailing across large bodies of water, the ocean and the weather must become the background to life… the canvas upon which life is lived, rather that the central uncertainty upon which life hangs.
We have been offshore a total of nineteen days so far this trip.
The first seven days, the segment from neah bay to bodega bay, are a grayed-out trauma, from which we gleaned our readiness and preparation to go offshore. I think time ashore will let us recover that memory.
On this leg we have enough time and continuity that we less fear we will die, than our navigation choices well unduly lengthen the trip. Yet, we are not living life in the context of the trip. The trip is first and foremost in our life. Continue reading “The ocean as background”
It will be night soon
15-oct-2019, 24° 39.75N 135° 28.78W — We’re about halfway there. In ten days we should arrive in Hilo. Stronger winds of the trades will push us wing and wing across the last one thousand miles and there.
The Predict Wind software we have been using for routing takes us on a dog leg keeping us on a broad reach, while our friend and guardian, Ray Penson has lobbied for the typical run-before-the-tradewinds route. Jennifer wants to try that, so we are changing our course southward to join the trades in the next three days or so.
Jennifer and I have been talking about whether we’d ever do this again. I’d put together a ten-year plan to sail through the canal and up into the great lakes before jumping over into Europe. Continue reading “It will be night soon”
Night time and watches
Three weeks or so ago – To the left when heading from Catalina to San Diego is continual early morning. Just beyond the thickened marine layer Los Angeles’ false morning promises an end of the inky moonless night. The dark impenetrable cloud south of Los Angeles is no cloud at all, it is lightless Pendleton marine base.
The artificial morning returns with San Diego’s north county, culminating with the city itself.
The dark night waters are busy with military activity.
From more than twenty miles away, we could see a very white glow on the horizon: tankers, warships and lighters gathered together. As Caro Babbo approached, the group disbanded. Continue reading “Night time and watches”
700 miles from land
11-oct-2019 – In the moment I am fine. The waves roll under us, the weather routing software keeps us away from strong winds and big seas, and above all our guardian angel Ray Penson watches over us.
But those words, 700 miles from land terrify me. Last night we saw a ship on AIS one hundred miles from us, but those are probably the nearest human beings.
Things break and we recover. I fret about things that could break that we can’t recover from. Continue reading “700 miles from land”
Do you have Hawaiian boat insurance you can recommend?
We just learned that Boat US (GEICO) will not cover us in Hawaii and we must have liability insurance.
Do you have anyone to recommend?
Natalie, Unintended consequences, Law? and someplace everyone has heard of.
Catalina, CA, 26-SEP-2019 — ”I met these two Swedish men on the island who said to me, ‘We’re looking for a woman named Natalie who runs these adventure races,’ ” said the woman that Jennifer and I first saw walking up the winding dirt road from Two Harbors to the cliff overlook where we all stood.
We said to her, ”And that would be you?”
Continue reading “Natalie, Unintended consequences, Law? and someplace everyone has heard of.”Where we are now and some perspective.
Two weeks ago:
29-AUG-2019 – Today is the first day Jennifer and I are not sea sick and scared. Overcoming being frightened is just a matter of realizing that we can do this. We have trained, practiced and prepared. It is very little different than coastal sailing other than there is no heading in when we’re tired of this.
Other differences of note are a single point of sail (leaving the sails untouched) for more than 24 hours at a time. We’ve gotten used to large rollers with waves atop them, and found that on starless, moonless lights the only orientation one has are the instruments.
Continue reading “Where we are now and some perspective.”Quick Note
Aquatic Park, NPS, San Francisco, 5-SEP-2019 – A quick note to let everyone know we’re okay.
We arrived in San Fran, Tuesday afternoon after a night Bodega Bay, resting.
I have a few posts to make and much to write.
As beginners, we did fine. We learned a tremendous amount, which has changed our thinking on a number of things.
Jennifer found it a terrifying experience and is rethinking everything. This will have a large effect on our forward plans. We are (or seem to be) resolved to sail down to San Diego.
The experience for me was very interesting. It is important to trust the equipment and the boat that so much time, effort, money and thought was put into. It will work.
Continue reading “Quick Note”