11/22/2009, Tortola, BVI
Slowly, and I mean very slowly we've travelled clockwise around Tortola. We spent a few days around the Road Town area discussing our new enclosure system with the people at Dolye sails. These people are the best, very generous and so very helpful. Part of the prep for the bimini was having the clew of the main raised eight inches to accomodate a new bimini height of about six foot three inches. We dropped off the main for a days for that to occurr and then when we went to put it back up I discovered a tear in the luff tape at the head of the sail, arggg! So we are now planning to go back to Doyle and have them make that repair.
We've been in Trellis Bay along with about fifty or sixty of our closest chartering friends, the place is packed. Actually there are about seven of the Caribbean 1500 boats here and it's nice to be able to recognize sailors who have made an extra effort to be here. We've tried cocktails and dinner at the Loose Mongoose and will do the Last Resort when Laura arrives in a few weeks.
Today is beach hunting, as we prepare for the arrival of our holiday guests. We'll propable sail over to Peter Island and check out the beaches there and then tomorrow go back to Doyle in Roadtown to drop off the main.
The project list is actually getting shorter as we are working on projects in the morning, playing/exploring in the afternoon. BTW, the water is close to 81.9 degrees F, the same are the air, ah paradise, it's hard no to like, right??
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11/17/2009, The BVI's
So we got out of Dodge, that's Nanny Cay, Tortola and powered over to Peter Island; we went around to the ocean side to try and get away from the crowds of charterers; the ocean swell was a bit much so we went back to Little Harbor for the night. A Carib 1500 boat was there and we joined them for drinks and stories. Later that night a squall came through with winds over twenty from exactly the worst direction so it was a bit of a worry-some night. I fired up the generator so we had fans to move the air and we slept well for the balance of the night.
We decided to have a new dodger and bimini made for the boat so we called Doyle Sails to meet the owner and dicuss the project. He was fantastic, he came to Nanny Cay first to talk with us, then took us by car to his loft and then by boat to see one of a possible variation on tops. He gave us the cooks tour of all the harbors east of Road Town, we were flying along in his work boat at thirty knots going from harbor to harbor and learning alot about Tortola long the way. Super service, so this morning we went back to get measured. It's a little like buying a very expensive suit; first the basic measurments then to the extras. This will be nice, a new dodger with much better visibility, a new bimini cover with roll up side panels to either block the wind and rain or block the sun. Great stuff and it's only money.
We spent this afternoon doing just what you would expect young retirees to do in the Virgins. We dinghyied over to a remote beach and just hung out. 82 degree water, no clouds, no waves, a gentle roll of the water to the beach and we just sat and enjoyed life. It's like an advertisement, a man and a woman, with cloths on, darn, in the water doing what they should do when alone on a deserted beach.......................
Tomorrow we will sail around some more and then sail around some more eventually we want to go over to the US Virgins and maybe the Spanish Virgins as well, but for tonight it's another DVD movie, pasta and some very nice red wine. Afterall we have to make someone jealous don't we?
This is what we worked so hard for and travelled so far for. We have landed and we are safe, at peace and getting very tan.
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11/13/2009, Nanny Cay, Tortola BVI
This afternoon was the awards ceremony. We received our silver plate and complements for completing the voyage. Tonight we had a great dinner coupled with lots of shared stories about the trip. Randy left this afternoon and Jeff leaves tomorrow morining. It seems so long ago that I saw Jeff walking down our dock in Hampton. So much anxiety and uncertainty then replaced now by a sense of accomplishment. A realization that four people came together on a 42 foot boat and made it happen.
There were times when I suspect the crew was concerned even worried but I was so confident in our collective abilities that I knew we could handle whatever Mother Nature thru at us. I now have a far greater appreciation for this boat and how she can protect us from the worst of the seas. This was one of those experiences you categorize as life influencing. After the fact it now seems as not such a big deal, and yet, while we were out there dealing with the day to day, night to night wind and seas it was a big deal and it was stressful and it was difficult to manage the rolling and jossling about. I think everyone now appreciaes their accomplishments having dealt with the bumps and bruzes. I am so greatful to Alice Jeff and Randy each of whom rallied to the cause and made it a fun trip.
I encourage everyone to step outside the comfort zone and say yes to a dream or a challenge. It just feels good.
Now Alice and I will explore the BVI and the US Virgins waiting for our family to join us later in December. St. Croix is looking like a destination.
The Caribbean 1500 is now completed and we are so certain we made the right decision to join. Our pink rally flag will serve us well helping reconnect with rally friends as they work their way south through the islands. Again we are on Island Time, with waters in the low eighties and constant winds of 15 or less this is truly paradise. It is time to enjoy.
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11/11/2009, Nanny Cay, Tortola BVI
We've just completed a life time experience for Alice and me. She and I have sailed together for the extent of our marriage but never sailed offshore for more than four days at a time. This trip was eight days and mother nature had some fun with us. Cold and rainy at the start in Norfolk with expectations of a very rough gulf stream passage. Well our passage was rough but not as difficult as we experienced in past Bermuda races. I was on watch early one morining and Alice came up to sit with me. That night we saw some really big mountains go buy us. I mean looking up from the cockpit of our boat and seeing the huge waves back lit by the moon, simply amazing.
The middle part of the trip was the most trying for us. 25 to 35 knot winds with ever increasing wave heights. At one point while I was steering I looked back over my shoulder after riding up one of the swells and believe me when I say I was looking down into a thirty foot hole. I was a little concerned that the boat might fall down the wave but I was able to steer along the top until it passed. Four days of essentially the same conditions gets to be abit much for us no-longer-racing-types. We didn't push the boat very hard in comparison to times when we were racing in similar conditions. We reefed both the jib and the main and we quite happy with 6 to 8 knots when we could have easily been doing 8 to 10.
We had lots of boat related experiences that all had to be figured out and worked around. We found leaks where we didn't think it was possible, but with as much water flowing over the boat after every wave water found it's way aboard. The constant rolling made even the simplest tasks into jobs.
Getting into our bunk meant timing the boat's rolls so we wouldn't slam into the wood work. Fortunately no one was hurt and nothing was broken so we did well.
Now we know more about what to expect when facing the ocean for extended days. We know we can sail quite well in 25 to 35 knot winds. We know to expect constant rollling so severe that at times you have to stay put or hold onto something with all your strength until the boat comes back. Putting on foul weather gear before going on watch at night is a real trip. Picture trying to line up your foot with your boot all-the-while you are crunching your stomach muscles to stay seated. Believe me it takes severl tries with a few ejections form the seated position in between.
We are now officially on Island Time. Jeff and Randy will be hear until the week end and then Alice and I will spend a week or so decompressing, fixing a few things and spending time together in the sun and in the water.
Thanks for all the comments on the blog, stage three now gets started. So far Alice and I are batting 1000 and feel so fortunate to look at the Google picture with all the red and yellow spots where we've stopped and are thankful for the experiences. So on to stage three and the Caribbean Islands, we're ready, really ready.
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10/28/2009, Blue Water Yachting Center
It poured all night long where we sat on our anchor in Deltaville. The wind kept the wind generator humming all night so our batteries are warm and tostie.
We got up around 07:00 and most of the boats in the anchorage had already left. So after talking about it for a few moments we decided to head straight for Hampton despite the small craft warnings, fog and rain. Gues what? No wind, very little ran and yes some fog. As the morning passed the sun came out and brought westerlies from 10 to 15 then 15 to 20 and we were going over 8 knots SOG (speed over the ground, a nautical term). By 15:00 we were in Hampton calling the marina on the VHF looking for our slip. Lucky Bird has landed and it is warm. Shorts, yes shorts.
So now we'll get the bottom scrubbed, finish all last minute projects and wait for Jeff and Randy who both arrive on Saturday. We have a few things for them to do and we'll all plan on attending the seminars. It's getting close to starting time and we are getting pretty excited.
After we leave on the 2nd we will have a transpondeer on board so I think you'll be able to track our progress. We will send and receive emails via the ssb as well as weather updates. With all the generating power we have on board I suspect we will be watching movies, making ice cream and taking lots of showers. Well maybe is all goes well. All we need are fair winds and reasonable seas, companionship will take care of the rest.
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10/27/2009
We're in Deltaville on the western shore about thrity to fourty miles north of Hampton, VA. We've had some good sails the last couple of days having finally cleared out of Dodge, that's Annapolis. We've been doing projects every day getting ready for the Caribbean 1500. Tieing down the batteries was today's project. About three hours, not too bad. Leaclolths are in, our life raft arrived in Annapolis and we are looking forward to picking up our new Honda generator in Hampton. This will complete our power generating capabilities. We now generate power by the engine through the altenator, the wind generator, the solar panel, the hydro generator and now the Honda. Are fat or what?
We had a great sail from Annapolis with Vivaldi in charge until we ran into a navy target practice zone. A navy boat with lights flashing came over and suggest we might want to move away from ground zero for the day's target practice. Okie dokie with us sir so we had to furl up the headsail and power back out into the bay to get around the targets. We never did see and shooting or planes.
So we are getting very close to the start of phase II. Looking for warmer waters, clearer waters and shorts. Will we ever be able to wear shorts and swim? Maybe in three or so weeks when we arrive in Tortola.
All is well aboard Lucky Bird, Alice is cooking up a storm, ham, rice and a fruit salad. Just like out on the town. Tomorrow we push further south toward Hampton expecting to arrive on the 28th and check in to the festivities.
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