After watching the forecast, we knew that the wind was not going to be perfect for the first couple of days - so we planned to head east, and once the wind was better head North (a dog leg, rather than a straight NE line). Due to the forecast we delayed our start by 12 hours, so we would not find ourselves too far East. In the past we have downloaded weather on route via the Sat phone and the PC - but the Sat phone won't talk to our new computers (Vista is not compatible) so we went to sea without the extra safety net, but were not worried. Of course the weather DID NOT behave as planned, so we spent lots of time at sea hove-to, or heading further East than we planned, waiting for the favourable wind shift. We also motored in the lulls a little - not something that Kyle enjoys AT ALL.
During the trip we had so many highs - Dolphins, birds, even a whale. And we were also proud to clock our 2000th nautical mile on Footprint (adjusted on the log).
But you know it is not all fun right? Both of us were seasick for the first day, but eating happily for the rest of the trip. The weather was a definite low. It was dreary and cold; but we stayed wrapped up and very much appreciated our cockpit enclosure (and the heaters). The rain, and the water over the bow, forced me to STOP ignoring the minor leaks we have (we had to sleep in a wet bed - Yuk). But we still are enjoying ourselves and are so happy to be out here.
The trip we had really expected to take no more than 2-3 days ended up taking a full 5 (plus a few hours). Kyle literally stepped off the boat to help me tie it to a dock, and then stepped into a taxi cab to get to the airport to work.
With Kyle off to work, I was left to clear up the boat from the passage, and generally ensure we (or the boat at least) had a place to stay, laundry done, etc. I have had friendly locals visit already, and my trip to the Laundromat was not too bad - arriving in a beautiful Audi sports car (thanks to my new friend Lisa)... Will catch up with sleep tonight, and plan to fix the leaks tomorrow. For now I have a dry bed and am very happy to be in Rhode Island.
Pictures and movies to follow in next posts.
4 comments:
Kyle says I should have said first SAIL of 2008 - not just our first passage. That makes us sound even more crazy!
Maryanne,
Good to hear that you made your passage OK. I was starting to wonder about your fate when I did not see any posts about your trip.
You missed our most recent tugboat party. We are now trying for a launch date of 1 June. Of course nothing happens on time when building a boat so this date is as firm as warm jello. Hope to see you when you come back down south.
Okay, now I feel really stupid for living on terra firma. What a great movie!
Thanks for the very nice update, wish the weather was better for you two. Wow, loved the video, thanks for posting it. Meg and I were amazed how clear the water was. The furthest from shore we have been with our gem was 25 miles so far. The water was not as clear as shown in your video. I guess another 25 miles makes a big difference.
We routinely go a few miles off shore with our jet-ski and often encounter pods of dolphins south of Atlantic City. They will not follow the bow of the ski, like they will do with a sailboat. I think the noise of the impeller scares them. Many we see have propeller strikes on their body's from powerboats, so I guess they associate the motor noise with danger. If we idle or shut the motor off they will sometimes pop up along side the ski looking for a handout. It is illegal to approach them, but have heard acquaintances tell me they love sardines and that is why they pop up to see if you have any handouts. They are truly wondrous creatures and we love any encounter we have with them.
Take Care,
Louie & Meg
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