Picture: Toby and Comocean before leaving Norfolk
Author: Toby (sent via Sat Phone)

LOG ENTRY, DAY 2:
Well, we have finally departed for the BVI's. Hampton was a great place to stay but the excitement of three starts wore pretty heavily on us all. Way to much anticipation. The Caribbean 1500 team broke out more parties and lessons. All fun and outstandingly executed. Sadly it lost us crew member Ed Cusick who had to return to work. Happily it brought our good friend John Hoffman onto the team. We have learned a lot already and are jelling as a team! Norm adds composure, John great sailing experience and knowledge of the seas, as he has sailed for years. (My first two crossings were with John: Lake Michigan and the Gulf of Mexico.) Tom Dempsey, despite getting over a cold was the youth, energy and practical sailing knowledge that helped us pull the first day together. We sit tonight between a broad reach and a run with the sails on the second reef, the boom brake set and a 17 knot breeze on our backs. Skies clear, a fabulous sunset and one day after a full moon we are enjoying our first night on the seas. 90 miles from the start of the Gulf Stream.

LOG ENTRY, DAY 3:
It is kind of amazing when you get out in the middle of the Atlantic how crazy water, tides, eddy's, streams---and Wind---or lack of it, can impact your day. Although we were originally held up with the threat of Tropical Storm Sean and too much wind, we would now pay handsomely for some of it at times. The Gulf Stream crossing was benign. It pushed us a little north but the winds kept us on a solid pace. Then a wretched eddy pushed us strongly north when we came out. The winds forced us into a long Eastward course toward Bermuda. Good winds. Then a word from Seth about ten o'clock and we moved to a south course where half the fleet had moved in the night. The rule of thumb for this event, from everyone we talked to who are old hands at the Caribbean 1500, is get east to make the trade winds. Yet we are trying to get south to avoid a low pressure system expected on Wednesday which will bring heavy winds.

The 7:00am morning role call reveals we are with a large number of boats. The lead boats are way out front and have East winds at 20. Then a group clustered with us. A third group south of us having made the decision earlier in the evening to go south. I KNOW THAT'S THREE BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER THE FOURTH...oops!

Today looks like off and on motor sailing. We want to motor as little as possible as it counts against you in the standings. We are basically motoring through the lulls, then sailing from the edges of the numerous rain storms to pick up wind. Course is finally on target for Tortola ...that's a first!

LOG ENTRY, DAY 5:
A lot of new learning today as we motor for the second day to get out of this miserable high pressure system left by tropical storm Sean. On this mornings role call, the fleet is all over the Atlantic. We are with a group that seems to just be motoring for the ending way point. Sky's are generally clear, no humidity. What wind we have is straight in the face. Not a sailors dream. To quote the founder of the Caribbean 1500 22 years ago who is aboard Madrugata, a 42 Pacer with no engine, "If you didn't know this was the Atlantic, you wouldn't want a much better day than this. That said we are making the best of flat seas. We have refueled with 15 gallons of diesel. Quite surprising given 24 hours of straight running at 2200 RPM (everyone wants to get home for Thanksgiving). Tom and John managed the re-fuel with zero environmental impact! This was preceded by Tom's call of "Fish-on," John Hoffman's working the reel and Toby on gaff. She was a beautiful, hard fighting Yellow Fin Tuna, that fought so hard we decided to let it go back to its mates (not). Oh well, it was fun. Lines are back out as I sit here typing. Tom's got the Raymarines talking and the Plotter, AIS and Radar all seem to be doing their job. If anyone knows where some wind is, I know a fleet of sailboats looking...