Once again I have the wonderful privilige to be out on the big blue.
Mission is to get to the Oakland Boatshow on time. The boat we are
sailing is a Leopard 44, and we will have to focus all the time to sail
as fast and as safe as possible if we want any chance to make the
boatshow. From Cape Town to Panama non-stop, a run of about 6500nm.Hoe
to crack that in 30 days or so. We can more or less determine how long
that should take us. The unknown factors are how long it will take us to
get through the Panama Canal, and then how long it will take us to get
up to San Francisco.
I am also fortunate enough to have very experienced sailors on board.
Myself we named the " Flying Dutchman ", Thibault whom I have done two
very tough deliveries before is now the " French Rocket ", and as 1st
Mate Stuart, the " Scary Scotchman ". Thibault flew in from France a few
days ago, and as a team we are going to give it our best shot.
Our team in Cape Town made huge efforts to get us out as early as
possible, and they did so in great fashion. Good to have the best team
in the world behind you. Our departure on Wednesday was abandoned an
hour or two out of Cape Town. We just passed Robben Island when I
decided to check my laptop......and it wouldn't boot. Start it and off
it goes, start again, and off it goes. I phoned Cape Town and made it
back in time to purchase a new laptop, have the data from my old one
transferred to the new one, and had to wait till the next day for Imtech
to load skyfile on my new laptop. Skyfile is the program we use to send
and receive emails via satphone. Thursday afternoon late all was set to
depart again, and at about 7pm we casted off. There was still an hour or
so daylight left, and wonderful to have radar on board. We had to dodge
a few ships on our way out, with an aggressive blow from behind, the
wind gusting up to 53kts. Once we were on our way I decided to send my
crew to bed and took watch from 7pm till midnight. Just to make sure we
are clear of any obstruction on our way out. Our watches are four hours
per day and three hour night watches.
We have a genikar as well. A genikar is a huge sail we fly when the wind
is not too strong, and a fantastic sail to make good miles. For stronger
winds we have an extra headsail. We use this sail in unison with our
genoa to create a safe twin headsail configuration that will spill some
wind if a strong gust or squall come through. On board we also have
1200ltrs of diesel to keep up the pace should we encounter some quiet
spells. As weather guru I once again have the honor of having my mom
sending me updated weather gribfiles every few days. She has been doing
it for many years, and at 75 years old this year, she rocks. Thanks Mom.
Currently our position is 32*31'S/16*13'E at 17h40 SA time. Our COG is
295*T or said in another way, we are sailing in a north westerly
direction. More west, expecting the wind to back a bit. Wind is a
steady 15kts South Westerly and on a close reach we are doing 7.5 to 8
kts. Full genoa and first reef in the main, not a cloud in the sky here
by us, good current, sailing smooth and fast enough for now. Total
distance we have to cover is just over 10 000nm.
We haven't cooked a meal yet, first finishing our bread and cold meats
on board. We normally do this for the first day or two at sea while our
sealegs settle. I'm not prone to seasickness and glad to see my crew are
also not to bleak in this department. Hope you have a nice weekend, and
will post our experiences out here as often as I can. Lots of miles
still to go, lots of fun ahead and lots of challenges.
Take care
Friday, January 31, 2014
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
First crossing on a Leopard 44
We left Cape Town just over a week ago. What a pleasure to be on a Leopard
44. I have crossed oceans in the Leopard 38,39,40,43,46,48 and the
Leopard 58, and for some reason never did a 44. What a well balanced boat
she is, a unique character as all the Leopards are. I sailed one from Cape
Town to Durban in 2009. Really well appointed catamaran, excellent usage
of space and spacious living areas. We are having lots of fun taking her
through all types of conditions, or rather she taking us through it all,
safely and securely, building huge confidence in her abilities. And like
the other Leopards she is really easy to sail. One person can set the
sails without a spilling a drop of sweat, due to electric winches and well
placed winches, sheets and lines. There is a reason why the Leopards are
one of the top selling catamarans in the world, or rather, there are many.
Into slight headwinds and 3m swells we started, taking it gently and
getting our sealegs tested early on in the journey. The wind started
backing as predicted and soon the northwesterlies turned into westerlies
before she faded three days out. We got completely becalmed, the sea
turning into a huge shining mirror with not even a ripple on the surface.
The sun was out and we were out in our shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the
great weather. That night we ran into thick fog, with visibilty down to 10
meters max.
Eerie, scary situation, in a busy shipping lane and fishing boats
around. All we could do was give our position on the VHF every 15
minutes,, the direction which we were moving in and the speed we
maintained. A few ships altered course for us. First Mate Malcolm
contrived a radar reflector from heavy duty aluminium foil which he
mounted on the helming station. It was a deadly situation. No ways we
would have time to take avertive action should we see a ship coming
straight at us. Strange that such danger can lurk in such extreme calm and
serene conditions. We had our epirb ready in case we were taken out. We
reckoned that if we wear life jackets it will just take longer to die in
this cold grey water, it will just prolong our suffering, and hence we did
not wear them.
I have weathered some seriously scary storms out here, but none compares
to this sitting duck scenario. In a storm it is one on one, you are given
a change to fight for your life. Sailors of old did not learn to swim for
this very reason. In a stormy sea nobody can fight and win should you fall
overboard, and swimming will just prolong the inevitable. Nowadays though
there are personal epirbs, self inflating life jackets you can wear all
the time, and if the water is not too cold and you have a sharp crew on
board, the changes of finding a person that fell overboard, day or night,
is much better than years ago. Death we do not fear, but freezing to death
is not our idea of dying pleasantly out here. The fog moved in at about
8pm and only lifted at 10am the next morning. We did not speak much during
this period, as our thoughts were far away.
But we lived to tell the tale, and no sailing school or establishment or
book for that matter will tell you to use your VHF in such conditions. Or
how to stay calm, and how to keep your crew calm. Under any and all
conditions. Out here we deal with real situations, not theoretical
situations. I stand to be corrected on this, and will be pleasantly
surprised if I am proven wrong. No amount of theory can substitute
experience. There is always room for improvement though.
As the fog lifted the wind softly started building from the south. We
could now let out our headsail to assist the motor. The next day we
turned the motor off and at last we were doing what we love doing most,
sailing. we have now been sailing on the trot for four days, and our
weather prospects looks good for another few days. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena on Saturday the 10th of August. We will spend a day or two there
and then the long run to the Caribbean.
We are having regular visits from various species of dolphins which is
always a great blessing. Came up for watch one morning and on my steps a
seabird was sitting. my crew informed me that he flew in but they do not
want to disturb him, suspecting he may be injured. Creatures out here are
not scared of humans. I folded my hands around the bird's body and softly
placed him on the table outside. He spread his wings and the breeze from
behind lifted him, and off he went. Made a few circles around the boat and
dissapeared into the blue horizon. What an awesome blessing it was, leaving
one elated yet humble.
If you secretly think that sailing is an escape from reality, then you are
wrong. It depends ofcourse what you consider reality to be. In the most
universal sense of the word, we are not escaping reality at all, but
moving closer to it all the time. You think that what you see daily on tv
is reality and you are right. There is a much bigger reality though,
beyond life and death, and this is the reality we experience out here. An
eternal, infinite reality. Hope to share some glimpses of it.
44. I have crossed oceans in the Leopard 38,39,40,43,46,48 and the
Leopard 58, and for some reason never did a 44. What a well balanced boat
she is, a unique character as all the Leopards are. I sailed one from Cape
Town to Durban in 2009. Really well appointed catamaran, excellent usage
of space and spacious living areas. We are having lots of fun taking her
through all types of conditions, or rather she taking us through it all,
safely and securely, building huge confidence in her abilities. And like
the other Leopards she is really easy to sail. One person can set the
sails without a spilling a drop of sweat, due to electric winches and well
placed winches, sheets and lines. There is a reason why the Leopards are
one of the top selling catamarans in the world, or rather, there are many.
Into slight headwinds and 3m swells we started, taking it gently and
getting our sealegs tested early on in the journey. The wind started
backing as predicted and soon the northwesterlies turned into westerlies
before she faded three days out. We got completely becalmed, the sea
turning into a huge shining mirror with not even a ripple on the surface.
The sun was out and we were out in our shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the
great weather. That night we ran into thick fog, with visibilty down to 10
meters max.
Eerie, scary situation, in a busy shipping lane and fishing boats
around. All we could do was give our position on the VHF every 15
minutes,, the direction which we were moving in and the speed we
maintained. A few ships altered course for us. First Mate Malcolm
contrived a radar reflector from heavy duty aluminium foil which he
mounted on the helming station. It was a deadly situation. No ways we
would have time to take avertive action should we see a ship coming
straight at us. Strange that such danger can lurk in such extreme calm and
serene conditions. We had our epirb ready in case we were taken out. We
reckoned that if we wear life jackets it will just take longer to die in
this cold grey water, it will just prolong our suffering, and hence we did
not wear them.
I have weathered some seriously scary storms out here, but none compares
to this sitting duck scenario. In a storm it is one on one, you are given
a change to fight for your life. Sailors of old did not learn to swim for
this very reason. In a stormy sea nobody can fight and win should you fall
overboard, and swimming will just prolong the inevitable. Nowadays though
there are personal epirbs, self inflating life jackets you can wear all
the time, and if the water is not too cold and you have a sharp crew on
board, the changes of finding a person that fell overboard, day or night,
is much better than years ago. Death we do not fear, but freezing to death
is not our idea of dying pleasantly out here. The fog moved in at about
8pm and only lifted at 10am the next morning. We did not speak much during
this period, as our thoughts were far away.
But we lived to tell the tale, and no sailing school or establishment or
book for that matter will tell you to use your VHF in such conditions. Or
how to stay calm, and how to keep your crew calm. Under any and all
conditions. Out here we deal with real situations, not theoretical
situations. I stand to be corrected on this, and will be pleasantly
surprised if I am proven wrong. No amount of theory can substitute
experience. There is always room for improvement though.
As the fog lifted the wind softly started building from the south. We
could now let out our headsail to assist the motor. The next day we
turned the motor off and at last we were doing what we love doing most,
sailing. we have now been sailing on the trot for four days, and our
weather prospects looks good for another few days. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena on Saturday the 10th of August. We will spend a day or two there
and then the long run to the Caribbean.
We are having regular visits from various species of dolphins which is
always a great blessing. Came up for watch one morning and on my steps a
seabird was sitting. my crew informed me that he flew in but they do not
want to disturb him, suspecting he may be injured. Creatures out here are
not scared of humans. I folded my hands around the bird's body and softly
placed him on the table outside. He spread his wings and the breeze from
behind lifted him, and off he went. Made a few circles around the boat and
dissapeared into the blue horizon. What an awesome blessing it was, leaving
one elated yet humble.
If you secretly think that sailing is an escape from reality, then you are
wrong. It depends ofcourse what you consider reality to be. In the most
universal sense of the word, we are not escaping reality at all, but
moving closer to it all the time. You think that what you see daily on tv
is reality and you are right. There is a much bigger reality though,
beyond life and death, and this is the reality we experience out here. An
eternal, infinite reality. Hope to share some glimpses of it.
First crossing on a Leopard 44
We left Cape Town just over a week ago. What a pleasure to be on a Leopard
44. I have crossed oceans in the Leopard 38,39,40,43,46,48 and the
Leopard 58, and for some reason never did a 44. What a well balanced boat
she is, a unique character as all the Leopards are. I sailed one from Cape
Town to Durban in 2009. Really well appointed catamaran, excellent usage
of space and spacious living areas. We are having lots of fun taking her
through all types of conditions, or rather she taking us through it all,
safely and securely, building huge confidence in her abilities. And like
the other Leopards she is really easy to sail. One person can set the
sails without a spilling a drop of sweat, due to electric winches and well
placed winches, sheets and lines. There is a reason why the Leopards are
one of the top selling catamarans in the world, or rather, there are many.
Into slight headwinds and 3m swells we started, taking it gently and
getting our sealegs tested early on in the journey. The wind started
backing as predicted and soon the northwesterlies turned into westerlies
before she faded three days out. We got completely becalmed, the sea
turning into a huge shining mirror with not even a ripple on the surface.
The sun was out and we were out in our shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the
great weather. That night we ran into thick fog, with visibilty down to 10
meters max.
Eerie, scary situation, in a busy shipping lane and fishing boats
around. All we could do was give our position on the VHF every 15
minutes,, the direction which we were moving in and the speed we
maintained. A few ships altered course for us. First Mate Malcolm
contrived a radar reflector from heavy duty aluminium foil which he
mounted on the helming station. It was a deadly situation. No ways we
would have time to take avertive action should we see a ship coming
straight at us. Strange that such danger can lurk in such extreme calm and
serene conditions. We had our epirb ready in case we were taken out. We
reckoned that if we wear life jackets it will just take longer to die in
this cold grey water, it will just prolong our suffering, and hence we did
not wear them.
I have weathered some seriously scary storms out here, but none compares
to this sitting duck scenario. In a storm it is one on one, you are given
a change to fight for your life. Sailors of old did not learn to swim for
this very reason. In a stormy sea nobody can fight and win should you fall
overboard, and swimming will just prolong the inevitable. Nowadays though
there are personal epirbs, self inflating life jackets you can wear all
the time, and if the water is not too cold and you have a sharp crew on
board, the changes of finding a person that fell overboard, day or night,
is much better than years ago. Death we do not fear, but freezing to death
is not our idea of dying pleasantly out here. The fog moved in at about
8pm and only lifted at 10am the next morning. We did not speak much during
this period, as our thoughts were far away.
But we lived to tell the tale, and no sailing school or establishment or
book for that matter will tell you to use your VHF in such conditions. Or
how to stay calm, and how to keep your crew calm. Under any and all
conditions. Out here we deal with real situations, not theoretical
situations. I stand to be corrected on this, and will be pleasantly
surprised if I am proven wrong. No amount of theory can substitute
experience. There is always room for improvement though.
As the fog lifted the wind softly started building from the south. We
could now let out our headsail to assist the motor. The next day we
turned the motor off and at last we were doing what we love doing most,
sailing. we have now been sailing on the trot for four days, and our
weather prospects looks good for another few days. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena on Saturday the 10th of August. We will spend a day or two there
and then the long run to the Caribbean.
We are having regular visits from various species of dolphins which is
always a great blessing. Came up for watch one morning and on my steps a
seabird was sitting. my crew informed me that he flew in but they do not
want to disturb him, suspecting he may be injured. Creatures out here are
not scared of humans. I folded my hands around the bird's body and softly
placed him on the table outside. He spread his wings and the breeze from
behind lifted him, and off he went. Made a few circles around the boat and
dissapeared into the blue horizon. What an awesome blessing it was, leaving
one elated yet humble.
If you secretly think that sailing is an escape from reality, then you are
wrong. It depends ofcourse what you consider reality to be. In the most
universal sense of the word, we are not escaping reality at all, but
moving closer to it all the time. You think that what you see daily on tv
is reality and you are right. There is a much bigger reality though,
beyond life and death, and this is the reality we experience out here. An
eternal, infinite reality. Hope to share some glimpses of it.
44. I have crossed oceans in the Leopard 38,39,40,43,46,48 and the
Leopard 58, and for some reason never did a 44. What a well balanced boat
she is, a unique character as all the Leopards are. I sailed one from Cape
Town to Durban in 2009. Really well appointed catamaran, excellent usage
of space and spacious living areas. We are having lots of fun taking her
through all types of conditions, or rather she taking us through it all,
safely and securely, building huge confidence in her abilities. And like
the other Leopards she is really easy to sail. One person can set the
sails without a spilling a drop of sweat, due to electric winches and well
placed winches, sheets and lines. There is a reason why the Leopards are
one of the top selling catamarans in the world, or rather, there are many.
Into slight headwinds and 3m swells we started, taking it gently and
getting our sealegs tested early on in the journey. The wind started
backing as predicted and soon the northwesterlies turned into westerlies
before she faded three days out. We got completely becalmed, the sea
turning into a huge shining mirror with not even a ripple on the surface.
The sun was out and we were out in our shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the
great weather. That night we ran into thick fog, with visibilty down to 10
meters max.
Eerie, scary situation, in a busy shipping lane and fishing boats
around. All we could do was give our position on the VHF every 15
minutes,, the direction which we were moving in and the speed we
maintained. A few ships altered course for us. First Mate Malcolm
contrived a radar reflector from heavy duty aluminium foil which he
mounted on the helming station. It was a deadly situation. No ways we
would have time to take avertive action should we see a ship coming
straight at us. Strange that such danger can lurk in such extreme calm and
serene conditions. We had our epirb ready in case we were taken out. We
reckoned that if we wear life jackets it will just take longer to die in
this cold grey water, it will just prolong our suffering, and hence we did
not wear them.
I have weathered some seriously scary storms out here, but none compares
to this sitting duck scenario. In a storm it is one on one, you are given
a change to fight for your life. Sailors of old did not learn to swim for
this very reason. In a stormy sea nobody can fight and win should you fall
overboard, and swimming will just prolong the inevitable. Nowadays though
there are personal epirbs, self inflating life jackets you can wear all
the time, and if the water is not too cold and you have a sharp crew on
board, the changes of finding a person that fell overboard, day or night,
is much better than years ago. Death we do not fear, but freezing to death
is not our idea of dying pleasantly out here. The fog moved in at about
8pm and only lifted at 10am the next morning. We did not speak much during
this period, as our thoughts were far away.
But we lived to tell the tale, and no sailing school or establishment or
book for that matter will tell you to use your VHF in such conditions. Or
how to stay calm, and how to keep your crew calm. Under any and all
conditions. Out here we deal with real situations, not theoretical
situations. I stand to be corrected on this, and will be pleasantly
surprised if I am proven wrong. No amount of theory can substitute
experience. There is always room for improvement though.
As the fog lifted the wind softly started building from the south. We
could now let out our headsail to assist the motor. The next day we
turned the motor off and at last we were doing what we love doing most,
sailing. we have now been sailing on the trot for four days, and our
weather prospects looks good for another few days. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena on Saturday the 10th of August. We will spend a day or two there
and then the long run to the Caribbean.
We are having regular visits from various species of dolphins which is
always a great blessing. Came up for watch one morning and on my steps a
seabird was sitting. my crew informed me that he flew in but they do not
want to disturb him, suspecting he may be injured. Creatures out here are
not scared of humans. I folded my hands around the bird's body and softly
placed him on the table outside. He spread his wings and the breeze from
behind lifted him, and off he went. Made a few circles around the boat and
dissapeared into the blue horizon. What an awesome blessing it was, leaving
one elated yet humble.
If you secretly think that sailing is an escape from reality, then you are
wrong. It depends ofcourse what you consider reality to be. In the most
universal sense of the word, we are not escaping reality at all, but
moving closer to it all the time. You think that what you see daily on tv
is reality and you are right. There is a much bigger reality though,
beyond life and death, and this is the reality we experience out here. An
eternal, infinite reality. Hope to share some glimpses of it.
First crossing on a Leopard 44
We left Cape Town just over a week ago. What a pleasure to be on a Leopard
44. I have crossed oceans in the Leopard 38,39,40,43,46,48 and the
Leopard 58, and for some reason never did a 44. What a well balanced boat
she is, a unique character as all the Leopards are. I sailed one from Cape
Town to Durban in 2009. Really well appointed catamaran, excellent usage
of space and spacious living areas. We are having lots of fun taking her
through all types of conditions, or rather she taking us through it all,
safely and securely, building huge confidence in her abilities. And like
the other Leopards she is really easy to sail. One person can set the
sails without a spilling a drop of sweat, due to electric winches and well
placed winches, sheets and lines. There is a reason why the Leopards are
one of the top selling catamarans in the world, or rather, there are many.
Into slight headwinds and 3m swells we started, taking it gently and
getting our sealegs tested early on in the journey. The wind started
backing as predicted and soon the northwesterlies turned into westerlies
before she faded three days out. We got completely becalmed, the sea
turning into a huge shining mirror with not even a ripple on the surface.
The sun was out and we were out in our shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the
great weather. That night we ran into thick fog, with visibilty down to 10
meters max.
Eerie, scary situation, in a busy shipping lane and fishing boats
around. All we could do was give our position on the VHF every 15
minutes,, the direction which we were moving in and the speed we
maintained. A few ships altered course for us. First Mate Malcolm
contrived a radar reflector from heavy duty aluminium foil which he
mounted on the helming station. It was a deadly situation. No ways we
would have time to take avertive action should we see a ship coming
straight at us. Strange that such danger can lurk in such extreme calm and
serene conditions. We had our epirb ready in case we were taken out. We
reckoned that if we wear life jackets it will just take longer to die in
this cold grey water, it will just prolong our suffering, and hence we did
not wear them.
I have weathered some seriously scary storms out here, but none compares
to this sitting duck scenario. In a storm it is one on one, you are given
a change to fight for your life. Sailors of old did not learn to swim for
this very reason. In a stormy sea nobody can fight and win should you fall
overboard, and swimming will just prolong the inevitable. Nowadays though
there are personal epirbs, self inflating life jackets you can wear all
the time, and if the water is not too cold and you have a sharp crew on
board, the changes of finding a person that fell overboard, day or night,
is much better than years ago. Death we do not fear, but freezing to death
is not our idea of dying pleasantly out here. The fog moved in at about
8pm and only lifted at 10am the next morning. We did not speak much during
this period, as our thoughts were far away.
But we lived to tell the tale, and no sailing school or establishment or
book for that matter will tell you to use your VHF in such conditions. Or
how to stay calm, and how to keep your crew calm. Under any and all
conditions. Out here we deal with real situations, not theoretical
situations. I stand to be corrected on this, and will be pleasantly
surprised if I am proven wrong. No amount of theory can substitute
experience. There is always room for improvement though.
As the fog lifted the wind softly started building from the south. We
could now let out our headsail to assist the motor. The next day we
turned the motor off and at last we were doing what we love doing most,
sailing. we have now been sailing on the trot for four days, and our
weather prospects looks good for another few days. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena on Saturday the 10th of August. We will spend a day or two there
and then the long run to the Caribbean.
We are having regular visits from various species of dolphins which is
always a great blessing. Came up for watch one morning and on my steps a
seabird was sitting. my crew informed me that he flew in but they do not
want to disturb him, suspecting he may be injured. Creatures out here are
not scared of humans. I folded my hands around the bird's body and softly
placed him on the table outside. He spread his wings and the breeze from
behind lifted him, and off he went. Made a few circles around the boat and
dissapeared into the blue horizon. What an awesome blessing it was, leaving
one elated yet humble.
If you secretly think that sailing is an escape from reality, then you are
wrong. It depends ofcourse what you consider reality to be. In the most
universal sense of the word, we are not escaping reality at all, but
moving closer to it all the time. You think that what you see daily on tv
is reality and you are right. There is a much bigger reality though,
beyond life and death, and this is the reality we experience out here. An
eternal, infinite reality. Hope to share some glimpses of it.
44. I have crossed oceans in the Leopard 38,39,40,43,46,48 and the
Leopard 58, and for some reason never did a 44. What a well balanced boat
she is, a unique character as all the Leopards are. I sailed one from Cape
Town to Durban in 2009. Really well appointed catamaran, excellent usage
of space and spacious living areas. We are having lots of fun taking her
through all types of conditions, or rather she taking us through it all,
safely and securely, building huge confidence in her abilities. And like
the other Leopards she is really easy to sail. One person can set the
sails without a spilling a drop of sweat, due to electric winches and well
placed winches, sheets and lines. There is a reason why the Leopards are
one of the top selling catamarans in the world, or rather, there are many.
Into slight headwinds and 3m swells we started, taking it gently and
getting our sealegs tested early on in the journey. The wind started
backing as predicted and soon the northwesterlies turned into westerlies
before she faded three days out. We got completely becalmed, the sea
turning into a huge shining mirror with not even a ripple on the surface.
The sun was out and we were out in our shorts and t-shirts, enjoying the
great weather. That night we ran into thick fog, with visibilty down to 10
meters max.
Eerie, scary situation, in a busy shipping lane and fishing boats
around. All we could do was give our position on the VHF every 15
minutes,, the direction which we were moving in and the speed we
maintained. A few ships altered course for us. First Mate Malcolm
contrived a radar reflector from heavy duty aluminium foil which he
mounted on the helming station. It was a deadly situation. No ways we
would have time to take avertive action should we see a ship coming
straight at us. Strange that such danger can lurk in such extreme calm and
serene conditions. We had our epirb ready in case we were taken out. We
reckoned that if we wear life jackets it will just take longer to die in
this cold grey water, it will just prolong our suffering, and hence we did
not wear them.
I have weathered some seriously scary storms out here, but none compares
to this sitting duck scenario. In a storm it is one on one, you are given
a change to fight for your life. Sailors of old did not learn to swim for
this very reason. In a stormy sea nobody can fight and win should you fall
overboard, and swimming will just prolong the inevitable. Nowadays though
there are personal epirbs, self inflating life jackets you can wear all
the time, and if the water is not too cold and you have a sharp crew on
board, the changes of finding a person that fell overboard, day or night,
is much better than years ago. Death we do not fear, but freezing to death
is not our idea of dying pleasantly out here. The fog moved in at about
8pm and only lifted at 10am the next morning. We did not speak much during
this period, as our thoughts were far away.
But we lived to tell the tale, and no sailing school or establishment or
book for that matter will tell you to use your VHF in such conditions. Or
how to stay calm, and how to keep your crew calm. Under any and all
conditions. Out here we deal with real situations, not theoretical
situations. I stand to be corrected on this, and will be pleasantly
surprised if I am proven wrong. No amount of theory can substitute
experience. There is always room for improvement though.
As the fog lifted the wind softly started building from the south. We
could now let out our headsail to assist the motor. The next day we
turned the motor off and at last we were doing what we love doing most,
sailing. we have now been sailing on the trot for four days, and our
weather prospects looks good for another few days. We expect to arrive at
St.Helena on Saturday the 10th of August. We will spend a day or two there
and then the long run to the Caribbean.
We are having regular visits from various species of dolphins which is
always a great blessing. Came up for watch one morning and on my steps a
seabird was sitting. my crew informed me that he flew in but they do not
want to disturb him, suspecting he may be injured. Creatures out here are
not scared of humans. I folded my hands around the bird's body and softly
placed him on the table outside. He spread his wings and the breeze from
behind lifted him, and off he went. Made a few circles around the boat and
dissapeared into the blue horizon. What an awesome blessing it was, leaving
one elated yet humble.
If you secretly think that sailing is an escape from reality, then you are
wrong. It depends ofcourse what you consider reality to be. In the most
universal sense of the word, we are not escaping reality at all, but
moving closer to it all the time. You think that what you see daily on tv
is reality and you are right. There is a much bigger reality though,
beyond life and death, and this is the reality we experience out here. An
eternal, infinite reality. Hope to share some glimpses of it.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Fernando do Noronha and onwards
Yesterday at about midday we could start making out the outline of the
archipelago called Fernando do Noronha. We decided to run in close to have
a good look and feast our eyes on land again. Haven't seen any for about
two weeks and what a stunningly beautiful group of islands this is. Green
and lush with high peaks here and there, we were greeted by a small pod of
dolphins, albeit only for a very short time. Which reminds me that I want
to copy and paste some interesting collective nouns for fish at the end of
this blog. Haven't seen any dolphins on the trip so far and what an
immense pleasure to watch their antics around the boat. On one of my
previous trips I stopped here for a day or so,and had a most fabulous
time. We were invited to some traditional dancing and was completely swept
away by the rhythm and movement as we joined the circle of dancers. Was a
big problem to get on and off the island as there is no ferry service and
we had to rely on local fisherman to give us a ride in and out. And pretty
expensive as well to clear in and out, but in the end it was worth it.
I have carefully plotted our next few waypoints to find the best possible
currents running up the north eastern Brazilian coast, and already it is
paying dividends. At the moment just about 8kts of wind from behind, twin
headsails up front and one motor running and we are doing between 7 and 8
kts. The boat is very still, hardly any swell or movement, nearly surreal.
And we expect it to get even better, much better. Our weather forecast
shows us some wind coming in from the east to northeast which will place
us on a beam reach, and we will be able to use our main and headsail
again. And with the ever-increasing current, we may just take off and
start flying. Or think we are flying at least. We have a fairly tough
schedule to keep to and keep to it we will. I nearly said come hell or
high water but that will be a bit presumptuous.
An interesting observation I read recently is that we call our planet
earth, although it really is mostly water. I know the pacific Ocean alone
covers more than 70% of our planet, and from outer space we are clearly
the blue planet. It is disconcerting how we mostly see things only from
our own limited point of view. If we travel really far back in time, we
will also discover that the earth once rotated in the opposite direction.
We got struck by a huge meteorite which threw us completely out of orbit
and caused unimaginable havoc. Where there was once sea, there is now
mountain peaks, and we find remnants and fossils of sea creatures on some
of the highest peaks. Such a planet, this. To use a phrase from mail I
recently received from a yacht called True Blue. Satellite pictures also
reveal ancient and huge river systems where there is now desert. And
evidence of pre-ancient civilizations, far older than we ever imagined.
Not too long ago we thought we were the centre of the universe and that
the earth was flat. It was preposterous to consider that the earth was
round and the first observers of this fact was burned at the stake for
being heretics. It was far easier to see heaven above and hell below for
the religious fraternity and this little observation alone turned their
theories upside down, inside out, and really a fallacy. If you follow art
from the very beginning you will find how we evolved in our knowledge of
who and what we are, although I don't think we even have a clue of what we
really are as human beings. Over the estimated 160 billion years planet
earth has been in orbit, we have only been here for a very, very short
time, and we have made a royal mess of it so far.
But inherent in every one of us is the real truth, if only we can reach
that deep. The brave seafarers of old that ventured into uncharted
territory conjured up images of grandiose monsters from above and below,
and brave they were indeed. My daughter really made me smile once, as she
does so many times. She came to the conclusion that we all relate back to
Noah as him and his family and his zoo and his garden were the only living
things left after the flood. Except for the creatures that lived in the
water of course. And from Noah and his ark all living things on land must
then have evolved. And we are therefore all mariners at the core. Can you
for a little while place yourself in Noah's position ? Adrift on this
rapidly receding body of water, looking for a piece of dry land to safely
land his ark. In a very real sense we have evolved from mammals. Have you
ever seen a sperm cell swimming around looking for an egg cell to swim
into. And then the trouble starts, or rather the miracle. But that is how
we all started, as a little swimming tadpole kind of thing. And then we
grew into a foetus, surrounded by water and survived there for roughly
nine months before we were pushed or pulled into the world as we know it.
And the first thing we do when we are born with our very first breath is
let out a heart rendering cry. So our affinity with water runs really
deep. It is in a most and very real way where we all come from.
Now for an interesting little copy and paste. My 1st Mate Malcolms
daughter Carla did some research and found all these amuzing collective
nouns for fish. I hope it makes you smile a little and gives wings to your
visual capacity.
Collective Nouns : One of the many oddities of the English language is the
multitude of different names given to collections or groups, be they
beasts, birds, people or things. Many of these collective nouns are
beautiful and evocative, even poetic :
A company of angel fish
A company of archer fish
A battery of barracudas
A shoal of barbels
A fleet of bass (or shoal)
A grind of blackfish
A school of butterfly fish
A school of cod
A swarm of dragonet fish
A troop of dogfish
A swarm of eels
A shoal of fish (or catch or draught or fray or haul or run or school)
A glide of flying fish (:))
A glint of goldfish (or troubling)
A glean of herrings (or army or shoal)
A shoal of mackerels
A shoal of minnows (or steam or stream or swarm)
A pack of perch
A shoal of pilchards (or school)
A cluster of porcupine fish
A party of rainbow fish
A shoal of roach
A bind of salmons (or draught or leap or run or school or shoal)
A family of sardines
A herd of seahorses
A shoal of shad
A shiver of sharks (or school or shoal)
A troupe of shrimps
A quanity of smelts
A shoal of sticklebacks (or spread)
A flotilla of swordfish
A hover of trouts (or shoal)
A float of tunas (troup)
A pod of whitings
And with that I wish you a wonderful day and week ahead. After Tuesday
even the days of the weeks reads W.T.F. Very fishy, very.
Paul
archipelago called Fernando do Noronha. We decided to run in close to have
a good look and feast our eyes on land again. Haven't seen any for about
two weeks and what a stunningly beautiful group of islands this is. Green
and lush with high peaks here and there, we were greeted by a small pod of
dolphins, albeit only for a very short time. Which reminds me that I want
to copy and paste some interesting collective nouns for fish at the end of
this blog. Haven't seen any dolphins on the trip so far and what an
immense pleasure to watch their antics around the boat. On one of my
previous trips I stopped here for a day or so,and had a most fabulous
time. We were invited to some traditional dancing and was completely swept
away by the rhythm and movement as we joined the circle of dancers. Was a
big problem to get on and off the island as there is no ferry service and
we had to rely on local fisherman to give us a ride in and out. And pretty
expensive as well to clear in and out, but in the end it was worth it.
I have carefully plotted our next few waypoints to find the best possible
currents running up the north eastern Brazilian coast, and already it is
paying dividends. At the moment just about 8kts of wind from behind, twin
headsails up front and one motor running and we are doing between 7 and 8
kts. The boat is very still, hardly any swell or movement, nearly surreal.
And we expect it to get even better, much better. Our weather forecast
shows us some wind coming in from the east to northeast which will place
us on a beam reach, and we will be able to use our main and headsail
again. And with the ever-increasing current, we may just take off and
start flying. Or think we are flying at least. We have a fairly tough
schedule to keep to and keep to it we will. I nearly said come hell or
high water but that will be a bit presumptuous.
An interesting observation I read recently is that we call our planet
earth, although it really is mostly water. I know the pacific Ocean alone
covers more than 70% of our planet, and from outer space we are clearly
the blue planet. It is disconcerting how we mostly see things only from
our own limited point of view. If we travel really far back in time, we
will also discover that the earth once rotated in the opposite direction.
We got struck by a huge meteorite which threw us completely out of orbit
and caused unimaginable havoc. Where there was once sea, there is now
mountain peaks, and we find remnants and fossils of sea creatures on some
of the highest peaks. Such a planet, this. To use a phrase from mail I
recently received from a yacht called True Blue. Satellite pictures also
reveal ancient and huge river systems where there is now desert. And
evidence of pre-ancient civilizations, far older than we ever imagined.
Not too long ago we thought we were the centre of the universe and that
the earth was flat. It was preposterous to consider that the earth was
round and the first observers of this fact was burned at the stake for
being heretics. It was far easier to see heaven above and hell below for
the religious fraternity and this little observation alone turned their
theories upside down, inside out, and really a fallacy. If you follow art
from the very beginning you will find how we evolved in our knowledge of
who and what we are, although I don't think we even have a clue of what we
really are as human beings. Over the estimated 160 billion years planet
earth has been in orbit, we have only been here for a very, very short
time, and we have made a royal mess of it so far.
But inherent in every one of us is the real truth, if only we can reach
that deep. The brave seafarers of old that ventured into uncharted
territory conjured up images of grandiose monsters from above and below,
and brave they were indeed. My daughter really made me smile once, as she
does so many times. She came to the conclusion that we all relate back to
Noah as him and his family and his zoo and his garden were the only living
things left after the flood. Except for the creatures that lived in the
water of course. And from Noah and his ark all living things on land must
then have evolved. And we are therefore all mariners at the core. Can you
for a little while place yourself in Noah's position ? Adrift on this
rapidly receding body of water, looking for a piece of dry land to safely
land his ark. In a very real sense we have evolved from mammals. Have you
ever seen a sperm cell swimming around looking for an egg cell to swim
into. And then the trouble starts, or rather the miracle. But that is how
we all started, as a little swimming tadpole kind of thing. And then we
grew into a foetus, surrounded by water and survived there for roughly
nine months before we were pushed or pulled into the world as we know it.
And the first thing we do when we are born with our very first breath is
let out a heart rendering cry. So our affinity with water runs really
deep. It is in a most and very real way where we all come from.
Now for an interesting little copy and paste. My 1st Mate Malcolms
daughter Carla did some research and found all these amuzing collective
nouns for fish. I hope it makes you smile a little and gives wings to your
visual capacity.
Collective Nouns : One of the many oddities of the English language is the
multitude of different names given to collections or groups, be they
beasts, birds, people or things. Many of these collective nouns are
beautiful and evocative, even poetic :
A company of angel fish
A company of archer fish
A battery of barracudas
A shoal of barbels
A fleet of bass (or shoal)
A grind of blackfish
A school of butterfly fish
A school of cod
A swarm of dragonet fish
A troop of dogfish
A swarm of eels
A shoal of fish (or catch or draught or fray or haul or run or school)
A glide of flying fish (:))
A glint of goldfish (or troubling)
A glean of herrings (or army or shoal)
A shoal of mackerels
A shoal of minnows (or steam or stream or swarm)
A pack of perch
A shoal of pilchards (or school)
A cluster of porcupine fish
A party of rainbow fish
A shoal of roach
A bind of salmons (or draught or leap or run or school or shoal)
A family of sardines
A herd of seahorses
A shoal of shad
A shiver of sharks (or school or shoal)
A troupe of shrimps
A quanity of smelts
A shoal of sticklebacks (or spread)
A flotilla of swordfish
A hover of trouts (or shoal)
A float of tunas (troup)
A pod of whitings
And with that I wish you a wonderful day and week ahead. After Tuesday
even the days of the weeks reads W.T.F. Very fishy, very.
Paul
Friday, March 8, 2013
Halfway there
We are only about two days away from Fernando de Noronha, a small but
exquisite little island off the coast of Brazil. A hundred miles or so
later we have Athol dos Rocas, another amazing little jewel on the ocean.
Google these two names and eat your heart out. And then the fast run up
the coast of Brazil, and fast we have to go. A charter date has been set
for our boat and we have to maintain 7kts to make it in time. Fortunately
we have enough diesel to assist the sails a bit when the wind is just not
strong enough to keep us in contention. Two days ago we caught up with a
yacht that left St.Helena 36 hours before we left. So seldom that one sees
another yacht on the open ocean, and to know the yachties, even more rare.
French couple, and the damn Frenchman laughed at me when I said bonsoir
and bon voyage. He thought I could only speak English. Another yacht we
met in St.Helena had to detour to Ascension Island due to technical
difficulties, yacht True Blue. They are circumnavigating and started in
Hawaii.
Motorsailing is the term we use when we are motoring and sailing. Up the
coast of Brazil we have a strong current and good winds that will also
come into play, and we aim not to only meet but to exceed expectations on
our estimate time of arrival in Tortola, in short our ETA. Our POA ( plan
of action ) was to sail more leisurely and save engine hours, but since
there has been a slight COP ( change of plan ) we are doing all in our
power to keep going AFAP( as fast as possible ) Enough of these
abbreviations, ok, one last one, TGIF !!! And if you don't know what that
means, Thank God It's Friday. We work 24/7 so if you work 9 - 5, this
one's just for you.
I woke up this morning to take the 3am - 6am watch and the awesome smell
of freshly baked rusks drifted in from the saloon. Malcolm has been at it
again, baking another batch of rusks from his secret recipe. Outside the
big blue is black, with no moon yet, and all around us the skies are also
black, sprinkled with gazilions of little blue dots, morse-coding secret
messages to those in the know. ET come home. Back to the saloon, it is
what we call the living room inside the boat. Inside the saloon you also
find the galley, which is the boat term for kitchen, and then the nav
station, which is where I am sitting at the moment. My very good friend
Llewellyn, who popped in for a visit in Cape Town, will attest to the fact
that our saloon is big enough to swing the proverbial two cats
comfortably. Not that I would ever swing any cat, I love these little
feline creatures far too much for that. But do google Leopard 48
Catamaran, and you will check the lay-out of our little humble abode.
Comfortable to the max.
My turn to prepare supper tonight and I have been discreetly requested to
make some rotis. Mix some flour, water and a bit of salt, make little
balls and roll them into very thin pan size discs. Fry them a minute or
two on both sides and voila ! For filling I will also prepare some minced
meat, beans etc, and a bit of coleslaw to add crunchiness. It's quite a
bit of work and once we sit down to eat it is gone in ten minutes. One of
the reasons I love rotis is that you eat it with your hands, no cutlery.
There is just something about eating with your hands. It is a closer
culinary experience than eating with a knife and fork, you really get into
it. More primal, earthy. Like her daddy, my darling daughter also loves
eating with her hands. Sigh.......I miss her badly.
Today we will reach the halfway mark, 3000nm behind us and 3000nm ahead of
us. The second half will go much faster than the first half, and before we
know it, we will be sitting on an aeroplane flying back over the easter
weekend. Mind boggling to think that we will cover a distance we covered
in approximately 6 weeks in two days. Not my favourite mode of transport
by a long shot, jet-setting, but what can one do. Make the most of it I
guess.
I unfortunately have no access to internet on the boat and therefore
cannot read and reply to your comments, just in case you were wondering,
but I sincerely do appreciate your comments and eagerly read them when I
get the chance. Hope you have a most wonderful weekend.
Until next time
Paul
exquisite little island off the coast of Brazil. A hundred miles or so
later we have Athol dos Rocas, another amazing little jewel on the ocean.
Google these two names and eat your heart out. And then the fast run up
the coast of Brazil, and fast we have to go. A charter date has been set
for our boat and we have to maintain 7kts to make it in time. Fortunately
we have enough diesel to assist the sails a bit when the wind is just not
strong enough to keep us in contention. Two days ago we caught up with a
yacht that left St.Helena 36 hours before we left. So seldom that one sees
another yacht on the open ocean, and to know the yachties, even more rare.
French couple, and the damn Frenchman laughed at me when I said bonsoir
and bon voyage. He thought I could only speak English. Another yacht we
met in St.Helena had to detour to Ascension Island due to technical
difficulties, yacht True Blue. They are circumnavigating and started in
Hawaii.
Motorsailing is the term we use when we are motoring and sailing. Up the
coast of Brazil we have a strong current and good winds that will also
come into play, and we aim not to only meet but to exceed expectations on
our estimate time of arrival in Tortola, in short our ETA. Our POA ( plan
of action ) was to sail more leisurely and save engine hours, but since
there has been a slight COP ( change of plan ) we are doing all in our
power to keep going AFAP( as fast as possible ) Enough of these
abbreviations, ok, one last one, TGIF !!! And if you don't know what that
means, Thank God It's Friday. We work 24/7 so if you work 9 - 5, this
one's just for you.
I woke up this morning to take the 3am - 6am watch and the awesome smell
of freshly baked rusks drifted in from the saloon. Malcolm has been at it
again, baking another batch of rusks from his secret recipe. Outside the
big blue is black, with no moon yet, and all around us the skies are also
black, sprinkled with gazilions of little blue dots, morse-coding secret
messages to those in the know. ET come home. Back to the saloon, it is
what we call the living room inside the boat. Inside the saloon you also
find the galley, which is the boat term for kitchen, and then the nav
station, which is where I am sitting at the moment. My very good friend
Llewellyn, who popped in for a visit in Cape Town, will attest to the fact
that our saloon is big enough to swing the proverbial two cats
comfortably. Not that I would ever swing any cat, I love these little
feline creatures far too much for that. But do google Leopard 48
Catamaran, and you will check the lay-out of our little humble abode.
Comfortable to the max.
My turn to prepare supper tonight and I have been discreetly requested to
make some rotis. Mix some flour, water and a bit of salt, make little
balls and roll them into very thin pan size discs. Fry them a minute or
two on both sides and voila ! For filling I will also prepare some minced
meat, beans etc, and a bit of coleslaw to add crunchiness. It's quite a
bit of work and once we sit down to eat it is gone in ten minutes. One of
the reasons I love rotis is that you eat it with your hands, no cutlery.
There is just something about eating with your hands. It is a closer
culinary experience than eating with a knife and fork, you really get into
it. More primal, earthy. Like her daddy, my darling daughter also loves
eating with her hands. Sigh.......I miss her badly.
Today we will reach the halfway mark, 3000nm behind us and 3000nm ahead of
us. The second half will go much faster than the first half, and before we
know it, we will be sitting on an aeroplane flying back over the easter
weekend. Mind boggling to think that we will cover a distance we covered
in approximately 6 weeks in two days. Not my favourite mode of transport
by a long shot, jet-setting, but what can one do. Make the most of it I
guess.
I unfortunately have no access to internet on the boat and therefore
cannot read and reply to your comments, just in case you were wondering,
but I sincerely do appreciate your comments and eagerly read them when I
get the chance. Hope you have a most wonderful weekend.
Until next time
Paul
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
From the heart
It's now been twenty days since we left Cape Town and five days since we
left St.Helena. We have sailed about 2500 nautical miles,which equates to
roughly 4600 kms. The ocean have warmed from 14*C in Cape Town to 27*C
where we are now at 10*47'S and 016*41'W. And strange that we haven't seen
any dolphins so far besides a few when we got to St.Helena. Our lures have
been trolling behind us for most of the time and just about no fish, the
one dorado we did hook got away, lucky fish. One whale when we left Cape
Town, other than that just a lot of flying fish scattering around. Have
we really depleted the ocean of fish and now dolphins as well ??? And the
whales ??? WHAT DO WE LEAVE BEHIND FOR OUR KIDS ??? And the generations
that will follow our generation. Out here one becomes acutely aware of the
atrocities we commit as so-called custodians of our planet. Our insatiable
thirst for violence and destruction and consumption. Our ignorance of how
we are being indoctrinated, blinded, misled. How we are being manipulated
to make war against each other. All in the name of progress !!! I ask
again, where are the dolphins, the whales, the fish. I am crying, and I am
deeply ashamed to be part of the human species when I look around me and
see what we have done and what we are doing to ourselves, our fellow
human beings, and all the creatures we share our planet with. Our
rainforests, our rivers, our atmosphere and so we can carry on and on.
The greatest atrocity of all is that we have lost contact with who and
what we really are. Spirit. Spirit is that which we have conveniently left
to worry about when we die. We are too busy trying to make a living to
worry about that now. Leave that for later, for now we first have to
secure our material needs, satisfy our greed and accumulate so called
wealth. Sure, we can set aside an hour or so once a week and fool
ourselves believing that we may be ok when we die. Our lives are neatly
packaged and divided into quick and convenient solutions. But do we ever
for a moment take a moment and count the cost.
There is no need for hate, and yet we hate ourselves, and that flows over
into our actions. There is no need for greed and yet we just can't enough.
There is no need for war, and yet we make war against each other. There is
a dire need to get in touch with our spirit again. It is a faint little
flickering flame that we have have pushed to the deepest recesses of our
instant lives. The sun has just peeped over the horizon in the background,
golden bright ball of fire. I am going to look for my little flickering
flame of spirit. I have to. I have no choice. I know the truth. And I want
to bring it back to where it belongs. I want to carry it in front of me.
And I hope you will do the same. And hopefully together we can start a
brand new day. That is the only true hope we have. To be one in the spirit.
left St.Helena. We have sailed about 2500 nautical miles,which equates to
roughly 4600 kms. The ocean have warmed from 14*C in Cape Town to 27*C
where we are now at 10*47'S and 016*41'W. And strange that we haven't seen
any dolphins so far besides a few when we got to St.Helena. Our lures have
been trolling behind us for most of the time and just about no fish, the
one dorado we did hook got away, lucky fish. One whale when we left Cape
Town, other than that just a lot of flying fish scattering around. Have
we really depleted the ocean of fish and now dolphins as well ??? And the
whales ??? WHAT DO WE LEAVE BEHIND FOR OUR KIDS ??? And the generations
that will follow our generation. Out here one becomes acutely aware of the
atrocities we commit as so-called custodians of our planet. Our insatiable
thirst for violence and destruction and consumption. Our ignorance of how
we are being indoctrinated, blinded, misled. How we are being manipulated
to make war against each other. All in the name of progress !!! I ask
again, where are the dolphins, the whales, the fish. I am crying, and I am
deeply ashamed to be part of the human species when I look around me and
see what we have done and what we are doing to ourselves, our fellow
human beings, and all the creatures we share our planet with. Our
rainforests, our rivers, our atmosphere and so we can carry on and on.
The greatest atrocity of all is that we have lost contact with who and
what we really are. Spirit. Spirit is that which we have conveniently left
to worry about when we die. We are too busy trying to make a living to
worry about that now. Leave that for later, for now we first have to
secure our material needs, satisfy our greed and accumulate so called
wealth. Sure, we can set aside an hour or so once a week and fool
ourselves believing that we may be ok when we die. Our lives are neatly
packaged and divided into quick and convenient solutions. But do we ever
for a moment take a moment and count the cost.
There is no need for hate, and yet we hate ourselves, and that flows over
into our actions. There is no need for greed and yet we just can't enough.
There is no need for war, and yet we make war against each other. There is
a dire need to get in touch with our spirit again. It is a faint little
flickering flame that we have have pushed to the deepest recesses of our
instant lives. The sun has just peeped over the horizon in the background,
golden bright ball of fire. I am going to look for my little flickering
flame of spirit. I have to. I have no choice. I know the truth. And I want
to bring it back to where it belongs. I want to carry it in front of me.
And I hope you will do the same. And hopefully together we can start a
brand new day. That is the only true hope we have. To be one in the spirit.
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