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Practically Sails Itself

~ Kirsten & Mike's Adventures on Gaia

Practically Sails Itself

Monthly Archives: December 2015

7 Days at Sea, Our Christmas Story

21 Monday Dec 2015

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Bermuda Prep, Favorite Posts

≈ 2 Comments

Passage from Bermuda to Antigua….big waves and 18-25 knot winds the entire time for 7 full days. Such a sailing adventure! The most common phrase onboard… “I love you. I don’t love this.” referring to the uncomfortable passage.

-We got through it…..ONE day at a time….only losing use of our GPS which displayed AIS (receiving) and one lazy jack line became loose which created a small hole in our sail cover. We ended up with salty water in our tanks due to a missing ‘O’ ring on the water plug (allowing splashing waves to seep into the fresh water). No worries, we had 5 gallons of water in a collapsable jug onboard for this very scenario.

–December 25th was a squally squally Christmas, on the 19th latitude. I blasted the Christmas tunes and we created our own lyrics ensuring to include some version of the word ‘squall’ in every new and improved rendition.

-Friday brought on squalls all night and strong winds in the morning ranging from 26-29 for the better part of the day. Moving around the boat still remained a challenge as each move required precise timing of the boat lunging, you shifting your weight whilst maintaining three forms of contact. As Mike put it, every step through the boat was a new climbing move.

And as uncomfortable of a passage BDA to ANU was….. the entire time there was a little Kirsten in me yelling “Right On! Rock On!!!” I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished and how I handled those lonesome dark scary night watches, how well Mike was as a captain, how well we worked together, and how bomber Gaia prevailed throughout the bounding waves. I’ve pushed myself outside of my comfort zone, I’ve traveled, hiked, biked, and worked my weary wits through endless nights but this passage takes the cake. When you’re outside the safety of the 300 nm zone of the  Coast Guard, there’s no room for quitting. Our endurance and strength both physical and mental was tested and we passed with flying colors.

Rivets in the mast Acedia and Gaia set sail out of the gate
Rivets in the mast Acedia and Gaia set sail out of the gate
Our "Christmas Garden" Looks good without salt water... No gasket around the windward water plug allowed for our fresh water to become corrupted with salt water over the course of the passage... The plants fought valiantly
Our “Christmas Garden” Looks good without salt water… No gasket around the windward water plug allowed for our fresh water to become corrupted with salt water over the course of the passage… The plants fought valiantly
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Shower day in the cockpit on day 4
Shower day in the cockpit on day 4
Waves waves waves. 6-11 foot seas for 7 days.
Waves waves waves. 6-11 foot seas for 7 days.
Keeping it real on my watch by listening to podcasts
Keeping it real on my watch by listening to podcasts

This was an 11 foot wave... the upper half
This was an 11 foot wave… the upper half
Christmas Day started out cool with double rainbows and presents but got bumpier.
Christmas Day started out cool with double rainbows and presents but got bumpier.
Three points of contact. Always!
Three points of contact. Always!

Gaia being thrown around
Gaia being thrown around
Not dreaming of a squally Christmas.
Not dreaming of a squally Christmas.
Watching Antigua get closer and closer was such a welcoming sight
Watching Antigua get closer and closer was such a welcoming sight

Mike's version of Klaus. "Land Ho!'
Mike’s version of Klaus. “Land Ho!’

Bermuda the Beautiful

05 Saturday Dec 2015

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Predeparture

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The first thing you notice about Bermuda is possibly that gorgeous clear turquoise water but for me it was the people. Everyone we met was approachable, helpful, fun, and really made life a good time while we were there. Unfortunately, my photography skills still need some improvement because I completely and utterly failed to snap just ONE photo of someone who made our trip that much better. The first guy we met off the docks was admittedly odd but gave us all a good laugh; he was just sitting by the piers drinking a beer with a friend & he told us about the restaurant he was a chef in and how smooth his chin was after a good shave. There was also the bartender who opened the famous bar ‘The White Horse Pub’ early so I could sit in a dry place and watch the Newcastle game. Or Christina and Chris who we bumped into at the Hamilton Yacht Club and ended up having dinner with at an UH-MAZ-ING restaurant (the same place they held their wedding reception- I found it very sweet they shared this place with us). I wish I had just one photo of these people to share. The below pictures will just have to do.

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Reenactment of a village flogging. Woman was caught gossiping and nagging her husband. This is just for viewing as a spectator…. I spoke up in defense of the woman yelling out a Stoffel-ism we learned  from our visit in Mamaroneck, ‘Happy Wife, Happy Life’. The town judge threatened to try me next after that stunt. :)

 

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The cut into St. George clearing into the customs house. Even in grey skies it’s beautiful.

 

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We raced Acedia down to Hamilton

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Beautiful sail. Great helmsman and with the tunes of David Wax Museum, it was that much more fun

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Stone homes hold up phenomenally better than wood in a hurricane. Hence, all buildings are stone.

Hamilton Park
Hamilton Park
Moth Regatta was going on the week we arrived
Moth Regatta was going on the week we arrived
En route to the starting line each day past our bow :)
En route to the starting line each day past our bow :)

Clearly they had no qualms passing by our bow and stern within a few feet for a smile and a photo!
Clearly they had no qualms passing by our bow and stern within a few feet for a smile and a photo!
Spirit of Bermuda
Spirit of Bermuda
Botanical Gardens visit
Botanical Gardens visit

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Oldest church in Hamilton
Oldest church in Hamilton
Beautiful architecture
Beautiful architecture

Hamilton has character as a city
Hamilton has character as a city
Beach day
Beach day
Taking in the pink sand
Taking in the pink sand

Sporting Christmas cheer despite the heat
Sporting Christmas cheer despite the heat
Finally! This is what we quit our jobs and sailed away for!
Finally! This is what we quit our jobs and sailed away for!

The “Sportiest” Sail I’ve Ever Done

04 Friday Dec 2015

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Bermuda Prep, Favorite Posts

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We left at sunset from Moorhead City, NC on Monday November 30th. I was on watch when we approached the Gulf Stream but through the dark couldn’t see it coming. Once we were in it, WOW, you felt it! The whole ocean turned into a washing machine with pyramid like waves sloshing about the boat. Mike was in the V-birth trying to get some zzzz’s and quickly poked his head up to see what the commotion was. From this point forward sleeping in the V-birth was like trying to sleep on a rollercoaster.

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Once you’re out at sea away from shipping channels, all you need is a trustworthy autopilot (kinda like an R2D2 sidekick), GPS, good foulies, and a hot bowl of ramen noodles every so often. All day long all you see is ocean, you wake up you sail and you fall asleep to it. The first 36 hours were bouncy and tested our sea legs. I was surprised the absence of land never phased me. It didn’t really occur that I hadn’t seen land in a few days until I started a countdown to our expected landfall in Bermuda.

IMG_7138I no longer thought in days… it was watches. We aimed for 4 hours on, 4 hours off but since we were “only” out at sea for about 4 days… it was far more fluid and flexible. I wasn’t sure when to brush my teeth. And I don’t think I really changed my clothes.IMG_7139
I didn’t shower. But life was overall good.

We had a bit of a scare on Thursday when we radioed via SSB into our weather router Chris Parker. He mentioned we should be weary of squalls all day and to keep our sails conservative.IMG_7144 We were on watch but managed to outrun the squall front. We hit a few squalls, of course, at night and saw winds wail up to 36 knots andseas up to 17 feet. Chris described most of our passage as ” well…. it’ll be….. (pause)….sporty”. Of all the subscribed vessels we listened into, we were by far the least risk averse vessel. We could also tell Chris thought us to be a bit cavalier by his responses from time to time like when he started one mornings weather read-out with: “So last night must have been bumpy.”

Before I continue, I need to extoll Chris Parker & his services for a moment. Chris Parker is a weather reading machine! He reads and interprets weather data from multiple sources for the Caribbean and Eastern US seaboard and for a fee you can call into/transmit via SSB on an established Chris Parker station at particular times depending on where you’re located. So at 7:30 AM each day he reads the weather for the Bahamas/ Caribbean Sea/ West Indies and receives requests on SSB radio for particular clients heading to their next port. IMG_7146Once he finishes the overall forecast he allows for subscribed vessels to hail him. At that point it’s a bit of a free for all. For example, we would hail in transmitting as “ Gaia” and if he heard you, he’d respond. “I heard a Gaia. Go ahead Gaia.” And we would respond with a general “Good Morning Chris, here’s our position…” provide the current lat. and long. and destination.He’d pull up the info on your vessel and crew and passage and let you know of the weather expected and advise you how to sail, and direction. Once we felt secure on the days agenda we’d respond with “Copy that. That’s a good read. Over” And Chris would await the next vessel to hail him.

Friday morning, day of our expected land fall… I literally counted down in 30 minute increments how long it would take to arrive as far out as 5 hours…. Every 15 minutes I’d recalculate our expected landfall by checking our distance covered and speed ….. This lasted for 3 hours before I went a little stir crazy and just laid down to wait out the last 2 hours. Bermuda is fairly flat so you don’t see land easily upon initial approach. We knew extensive reefs stretched out as far as 10 miles East from Bermuda. Thankfully Bermuda marks this with a lighthouse. DSC_0022When I spotted the faintest line of a lighthouse in the distance I said it in such disbelief I didn’t even believe it when Mike said it outloud as well. We passed the lighthouse at a conservative distance on our starboard. What’s even more peculiar is how excited I was when I saw a large “stick” protruding out of the water denoting the Northern part of the shoals….

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Soon our depth sounder was able to finally read the depths again and with the shallower depths of 100 and 50 and 30 feet came the Bermudian coast and respective clear blue waters. We made it this far with nothing breaking…. And then we had trouble with a line caught on the backstay, we needed the mooring poll to grab the flailing entangled line. Instead of going around the dodger to grab the poll, which resided midship, I decided to safely go below and come up by the mid-companionway…. I heaved the hatch of the companionway open just as the boat gave a great lurch causing the hatch to fling open, crushing three of my fingers in the hatch. I cursed, and cursed some more before gingerly collecting the boat poll and dropping it at Mikes feet in the cockpit. He looked down unsure of the situation… I told him to give me ten minutes and that I’d pinched my fingers badly. After icing my fingers I decided it probably wasn’t broken just hurt a lot but kept referring to my “broken fingers” for the sympathy card. 😉 (joking.)

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We motored through the narrow inlet into the well-protected harbor of St. George and slowly made our way to the customs dock. Myself at the helm (one handed) and Mike on the lines, we were hoping someone could help us wrangle Gaia onto the customs dock…. Sure enough, who else but Melissa-friggin- Kalicin from Boston just happened to be standing right there to catch our stern line. What a great way to be greeted!!! We walked to customs and sure enough, our “walk” was a drunken stumble without the drink. Great Scott! For the first time in 96 hours, everything beneath our feet was stable! My feet fumbled against my ankles or stubbed the ground. It was all more entertaining than nauseating. On the other hand, trying to concentrate and write your name and passport info into little immigration forms was just nauseating. After we were legal…. We stumbled straight to the White Horse Pub and chowed down on a real meal. Thus perfectly ending my first blue water sailing experience.

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Planning a Passage to BDA & a Sailors Obsessions

01 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by Kirsten McLinn in Bermuda Prep

≈ 2 Comments

Background about the Passage to Bermuda.

If you’re not already aware, Bermuda (BDA) is in the middle of the Atlantic. Crazy tiny little island all by its lonesome surrounded by ocean that’s 5,000 meters/ 16,400 feet deep, that’s about 3 miles deep!

Passage departing from Newport RI, Moorehead City, NC, and FL are about equidistant to BDA (NC being just slightly shorter). From NC it’s 630 nautical miles, that’s 725 statute miles, which is about the same as Boston to Cincinnati, OH/ Boston to Myrtle Beach, SC/ Boston to just past Quebec (as the crow flies).  In planning an off coast passage you double check safety measures and the backups are in working order. The basic list consists of: communications, autopilot, GPS, bilge pump (and secondary bilge pump!), safety (liferaft/ditchbag/EPIRB/fire extinguisher/pfd/jacklines), medical, rigging, steering, sails, hull, electrical, plumbing.

The planning of the passage logistically requires obsession of the marine weather forecast. We use www.PassageWeather.com . We were constantly updating the newest GFS weather model (as opposed to the European model ECMWF) and analyzing low pressure systems moving in conjunction with high pressure systems and how that will affect the wind, waves, and cloud cover.

We thought through water, fuel, food, and propane consumption. And we researched the Gulf Stream where it was how it moves, and what to look for in crossing it. The Gulf Stream is a fast warm ocean current (about 80 degrees!) that starts from FL and curves toward Newfoundland then off to sea. Its 45 nautical miles off the coast of NC and is 60 nautical miles wide where we crossed and adds about 2-3 knot push to the boat. The Gulf Stream moves more like a river and ungulates. You can track the movement by geothermal readings updated by NOAA (http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/newNCOM/NCOM_GulfStream_currents.shtml ). Cape Hatteras is about 35 degrees N Latitude.

Below is our weather passage in GRIB file format which allows us to analyze weather patterns. The wind direction is coming FROM the long stem points with the”windbarbs” on the windward side. The number of windbarbs indicate the wind strength. One barb is equal to 10 knots and half a barb 5 knots. Also, keep in mind these GRIB files are in UTC (Universal Time) as opposed to EST (Eastern Standard which is 5 hours behind).

We were crossing the gulf stream in the first 24 hours so it’s important to cross while there are no strong to mild Northerly winds.

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Tues7AMTues4PM

Wed1AMWed10AM

Wed 1 PM EST 20 knots half way there

Wed 1 PM EST 20 knots half way there

Wed 7 PM EST. Wed night we had sustained 25 knot winds gusts up to 32. By far the scariest of the nights.

Wed 7 PM EST. Wed night we had sustained 25 knot winds gusts up to 32. By far the scariest of the nights.

Thur 7 AM A cold front creating some bumpy seas and squalls

Thur 7 AM A cold front creating some bumpy seas and squalls

Thur 1 PM EST Strong low pressure system that we're running from to avoid squalls

Thur 1 PM EST Strong low pressure system that we’re running from to avoid squalls

Arrival! Friday 4 PM Atlantic Time (3 EST)

Arrival! Friday 4 PM Atlantic Time (3 EST)

We arrived Fri but this image begins to show you why we were aiming to get in before Sat. The wind changes to 20 knots WNW, directly on our nose. Wind on our nose means we'd be forced to turn left or right of Bermuda until the wind changed direction. But the wind was supposed to increase from the WNW for Sat & Sun.

We arrived Fri but this image begins to show you why we were aiming to get in before Sat. The wind changes to 20 knots ENE, directly on our nose. Wind on our nose means we’d be forced to turn left or right of Bermuda until the wind changed direction. But the wind was supposed to increase from the WNW for Sat & Sun.

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