12/30/2007

Lion's Paw spent the last week of November and the first week of December, snug in Annapolis, waiting for a favorable weather window to make the trip south down the bay to Hampton Va. We decided to make the trip in one shot, about 24 hours run. Otherwise, since the days are so short now, it would take three "day trips". Weather windows avoiding unfavorable winds did not seem to be lasting more than a day or two. Besides, it was darn cold, and it seemed to make sense to get the suffering over with quick.

The first task each morning during those weeks was listening to the weather on VHF, to try to pin down a favorable departure date. I could almost hear the roulette wheel of chance spinning. We zeroed in on Thursday, December 6, to depart on the heels of a strong front. Ultimately, this worked out fine. However, pre-departure activities included shoveling 3 inches of snow and chipping ice off the deck.

Crew for the trip were Tony G. and Rupert K, in addition to Capt. Nancy. You find out who your friends are when you look for crew to sail all night in the middle of winter, and I seriously owe these guys - not just for riding along, but for being competent sailors and enjoyable companions, making an otherwise sucky trip a pleasant experience.

Overnight temperatures were in the 20s. Tony brought his propane heater, so at least there was an island of warmth below (Thanks, Tony!). We had virtually no winds - a mixed blessing. We had hoped for a push from northwesterlies behind the front, but these had diminished completely by the time we got out into the bay. However, the lack of wind helped reduce frostbite for the deck watch. Other than the busy traffic of ships and tugs on the bay, it was an uneventful "motorboat" ride.

Rupert's extensive knowledge of the bay and the ship/tug traffic patterns were invaluable. All the commercial traffic, both northbound and southbound shooting for daylight arrivals at Baltimore or Norfolk, converges about 2 AM off Smith Point. This made for a few exciting, close passing situations.

We, too, timed our arrival to Hampton, but knew we would be coming in on the low tide. As it happens it was a below-mean-lower-low-water tide. "Touching bottom" was expected, as Capt. Nancy didn't quite believe the reported 6-foot minimum depth. After bumping over the sand bar at the channel entrance, we plowed a furrow toward our slip. But all was well as the docklines went ashore and we were greeted by Trudy O., who hauled our shivering selves to a fine lunch of hot subs at Mona Lisa's in Buckroe (highly recommended).

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12/29/2007

In addition to the pure joy of sailing, Lion's Paw has a mission, which is to act as an emissary for the Golder Trust for Orphans. Golder Associates is an earth sciences engineering consulting firm, active in the global marketplace. Among its 90-plus offices worldwide are three offices in South Africa. With the devastating effects of the AIDS/HIV pandemic up close and personal in their communities, Golder personnel in these offices began an initiative to improve the quality of life for children who have been orphaned or displaced by the impacts of AIDS/HIV.

In 2003, the worldwide companies of Golder adopted the Golder Trust for Orphans as the entire organization's "flagship charity initiative". Since that time, offices and individuals throughout the world have come forward with an amazing variety of creative, and sometimes entertaining, fundraising activities, from cycling across Africa, to an annual soccer championship pool with rivalries amongst the offices worldwide, to interoffice "hostage" payoffs. Lion's Paw has joined in this tradition by carrying news of the Trust's mission beyond the office walls and into the sailing community.

Currently, the Trust supports over 1000 orphans, and provides financial support, community grants, and expertise of Golder staff to the following projects:

Baraka Farm: an agricultural development program designed to support the children's home with fresh grain, vegetables, meat, and milk. Agricultural training for orphans and employment for 100 people is also provided.

Kip Keino school: A private primary school for 300 Kenyan children.

The Trust continues to identify additional projects for support, focusing on specific criteria, such as those projects work through existing in-country NGOs (non-governmental organizations), integrate orphans into the local community, and include a sustainable commercial enterprise which can contribute to ongoing funding of the facility and build the community.

Want to learn more about the Golder Trust for Orphans, the community projects it supports, or how to give? Please visit www.goldertrust.org

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11/30/2007

Capt. Nancy spent most of November with the Caribbean 1500. This event is a rally of cruising boats migrating to the Caribbean for the winter. For many of the boats, it's the first major leg on longer voyages to South America , or even circumnavigation. A few days before departure, the fleet of 69 boats gathered for vessel inspections, seminars, and pre-departure festivities. Capt. Nancy gave the seminar for Celestial Navigation again this year - keeping alive the almost-lost art practiced by a few remaining "real" (or maybe just anal) sailors. The crew of Kikuyu had a wonderful passage, with most congenial crew in recent experience. The passage had its adventures, with a strong cold front which spawned no less than four waterspouts within view, and gale-force winds for about 20 hours. Other boats had various problems, with shredded sails, parted rigging, and life rafts washed overboard, but Kikuyu rode through comfortably under a storm jib.
Once in the islands, Kikuyu's crew enjoyed a few days in Tortola and Virgin Gorda, including a snorkeling trip to The Baths. Kikuyu is on its way to Columbia, where Maria, Kim, and their son Daniel will live near relative in Maria's homeland. Read more about Kikuyu's adventures at : http://www.sailblogs.com/member/sailingourway/
The Caribbean 1500 is a great event - especially for boats embarking on their first try at major ocean passages. There is lots of support, both practical and moral, via the highly experienced and supportive event staff, twice daily radio chats underway, and now satellite tracking for all of the rally boats so your friends at home can check on your progress. See the rally website at www.carib1500.com for more information and other events put on by the Cruising Rally Association.

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