Richard
Mon Jun 7 18:01:00 EDT 2010, Long Island Sound

After an all-too-brief visit to New York, and a short delay sitting out a cold front on the other side of the harbor, Issuma set off again. Aboard are myself, Chris, Gabriela and Ted. We motored around the Battery, through the East River to Long Island Sound, where we set sail on a beautiful day.

In the picture, Gabriela is filming the view of the sails aloft, ahead of Issuma is the marconi schooner Summerwind, heading northeast like we are.

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Richard
Fri May 21 11:08:11 EDT 2010, New York, NY, USA

I've had no time to blog lately, because the sailing just got that busy. Also the Iridium satellite phone network apparently did a switch upgrade which had problems, so my email-at-sea connection has been and still is down.

After a short gale on the New Jersey coast, which kept me busy dodging fishing boats and wet from the many waves dumping aboard (the water is shallow, so the waves get high), the wind died out and I motored 40 miles to Gravesend Bay. There I anchored and slept for a few hours. The following day (yesterday), as the flood current started, a light wind came up and I sailed off the anchor in very pleasant conditions. The wind wasn't strong enough to take me all the way, so I motorsailed through the bay, and then sailed up the river, and anchored at 79 Street Boat Basin (they do not have moorings big enough for Issuma).

This morning I went through the US Customs & Border Protection entrance procedure at the Passenger Ship Terminal in Manhattan (it was too late to go there yesterday when I arrived), where the officers were very pleasant and helpful.

It's great to be back in New York, and it would be very nice to stay longer. My intentions are to buy a bunch of boat stuff here, make some repairs, take crew aboard and sail for Nova Scotia.

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Richard
Tue May 11 12:01:00 EDT 2010, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil

The Jangada is steered with the oar in a kind-of-slot seen on the back of the boat. There is one of these slots on each side at the back of the boat, so tacking the boat involves moving the steering oar from one side to the other. The steering oar can be used standing up on the deck, or sitting on the blue steering seat.

The almost vertical blue poles are not part of the steering system (more on them later).

Ahead of the owner can be seen the blue fishing seat, with anchor ropes coiled on it. The fish box is below the fishing seat, the bait box (not shown) is ahead of the fishing seat.

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Richard
Mon May 10 12:01:00 EDT 2010, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil

The mast is the unpainted vertical pole. The owner is holding the boom. The bottom of the mast is put into one of several holes (being pointed to) depending on wind strength and which side of the boat the wind is coming over. Since the sail can't really be reefed (made smaller), changing the mast rake (angle) is done to compensate somewhat for stronger winds.

The tack (lower front corner) of the sail is tied to one of the vertical blue poles that are part of the mast step.

Just behind the mast is the daggerboard trunk (the slot in the white wood).

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Richard
Sun May 9 14:02:00 EDT 2010, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil

Jangada used for fishing, see below.

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Richard
Sun May 9 10:01:00 EDT 2010, Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil

This jangada is made of plywood (I understand they were originally made as log rafts), and is used for fishing. Hopefully the labels on the picture are readable. The blue chair aft of the Bait Box is where you sit when fishing. Under the blue fishing chair is a box where fish are stored. The blue bench at the stern (back) of the boat is where the jangada is steered from.

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Richard
Sat May 8 13:01:00 EDT 2010, Cabedelo, Paraiba, Brazil

Jangadas are traditional wooden sailboats still in use today, along the Northeast (and possibly Northwest--I didn't go there to see) coast of Brazil. This one is in the harbor of Cabedelo. Many jangadas are used to go fishing at sea.

Sails (and most parts of the boats) are generally made from whatever is available.

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Richard
Fri May 7 13:01:00 EDT 2010

Freighter Norasia Alya passing one mile astern.

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Richard
Thu May 6 13:01:00 EDT 2010

I've been near and in High pressure areas for the last several days, with their light winds and calm seas. It is beautiful here, surrounded only by gentle swell, clear skies and occasional puffy clouds.

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Richard
Wed May 5 16:01:00 EDT 2010

George and Hank, many thanks for the information on the Gulf Stream position.

For anyone else who is interested, here is the info:

(1) http://www.bermudarace.com/LogisticsResources/GulfStreamTutorials/tabid/204/Default.aspx walter.bohlen@uconn.edu Frank Bohlen is a Professor of Oceanography in the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Connecticut. For the past forty years he has been studying ocean and nearshore currents and transport. He won the Mixter Trophy as navigator of the winning yacht in the 1986 Newport Bermuda Race.

(2) http://users.erols.com/gulfstrm/ gulfstream@comcast.net Professional Satellite Oceanographer Jenifer Clark and professional Meteorologist Dane Clark, both with over 30 years supporting the marine community, invite mariners to take advantage of their real-time ocean charts and weather forecasts for sailboat racing, boat deliveries, ocean cruising, and offshore fishing. Using infrared imagery, satellite altimetry data, and surface isotherm data, oceanographic analyses are produced and available for the Gulf Stream area and all the major currents of the world. Waypoints are also provided for taking advantage of favorable currents and for avoiding unfavorable ones.

(3) David Burch and Luis Solterto and Lee Chesneau would be people to ask and they are all associated with Starpath. There are also several other's that are part of Marine Wx education at StarPath www.starpath.com helpdesk@starpath.com

(4) Herb Hilgenberg http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm hehilgen@sympatico.ca Would be worth listening to see if he might be talking to vessels transiting a similar route to yours.

South Bound II, Herb, provides a daily ship-routing/weather forecasting service, as a hobby, on marine HF/SSB frequency 12359.0, starting at 2000 UTC until 2200 UTC or until completion of traffic. 8294.0 and 16531.0 are used as alternate frequencies as announced from time to time, subject to propagation Vessels are welcome to check in between 1940 and 2000 UTC, and should then stand by, until contacted again once their area gets covered. New check-ins should provide a short description of their location on checking in for the first time. At 2000 UTC, Herb will acknowledge all readable check-ins. Once on the South Bound II log, stations are encouraged to check in and stay in contact daily, until completion of passage. As part of the service each vessel is requested to provide current latitude and longitude to the nearest minute, when called back; also to provide true wind speed and wind direction, the barometric pressure, sea state and other pertinent data, such as sky conditions/squalls. Each vessel will receive daily, an extended four to five day route forecast, including way points, if necessary, to assist in avoiding potentially unfavorable conditions. Individual vessel forecasts are prepared in advance of air time, utilizing and editing numerical forecast models and other available data and products. Forecasts are provided as value added information, not as a copy or duplication of otherwise available or published offshore/high seas forecasts.

Fair winds, George Ray





Navy stuff is not as available as once was BUT the NOAA Ocean Prediction Center does provide a USN GS graphic at: https://oceanography.navy.mil/legacy/web/cgi-bin/graphic.pl/metoc/223/19/0-0-5/1

The graphic includes north and south wall locations as well as warm/cold eddy locations and sst.

In general,in my opinion the best ocean info on weather, currents, SSTs, high seas, etc are on the OPC site: see: http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/newNCOM/NCOM_SST.shtml

Let me know if I can be of further assistance. Hank

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