Late yesterday afternoon a weather update gave us reasonable hope that we may after all be able to make port before the disorder from Florida catches up with us if we changed course to head for Shelburne, to the west of our original destination on Lunenberg and 40 miles closer. The course change should enable us to catch more favourable winds for longer which should reduce the drain on our dwindling deisel stocks. So that's what we did.
So far (at 0400) it's proved to be a good choice. We've averaged around 4.5 knots in the right direction and am getting a little bit of help from a light south westerly breeze. Latest weather projections confirm we should pick up a sailing breeze by about 0900 this morning.
In the meantime we enjoyed another very pleasant day in warm sunshine and for the second day in a row picknicked alfresco in the cockpit with a late light lunch of crispbread and - in my case pate, in Vincent's peanut butter and a cold beer.
The late light lunch followed, also for the second day in a row, a late cooked breakfast to reward the crew for stoicism in the face of 'the force's' earlier, unwarranted and malicious threatening behaviour.
For a while it looked like Bonny would have to endure a good pasting by the disorder from Florida and/or days more at sea struggling to make progress under sail having exhausted our diesel supply. This meant The Mate faced the prospect of missing his pre-booked and paid for flight home AND his pre-booked and paid for weekend in Venice with his partner, Despina. He was not at all amused and I don't suppose she was either!
Barring significant misfortune, those outcomes now seem unlikely. We do though still have a couple of gremlins to keep in check. Bonny's electrict auto steering system went AWOL for a couple of hours the evening before last and we had to steer by hand. So far (0430) however, the misdemeanor has not been repeated. Of greater concern is the reappearance of the engine's occasional faltering. I had hoped that Rob's ministrations in Bermuda had banished the problem but unfortunately not. Hopefully, the engine will continue to recover from its occasional stutters for the remainder of the passage.
Of course there is also the nagging concern about fuel. Will we have enough? Not sure if I have mentioned this before but we don't have a functioning fuel gauge and therefore can't be certain about how much we have left. Based on previous experience I think we have enough for 3 days worth of motoring. That's up at 0945 tomorrow (Saturday) morning. I also have 25 litres in jerry cans, enough for 10 hours. I just hope my sums are right!
Vince stood his first night watch of the passage last night enabling me to get a few hours uninterupted sleep for the first time on the trip - what luxury! Thankfully he had an absolutely gorgeous night for it. The best night for star gazing since leaving the UK almost one year ago!
It's not possible to capture the majesty of the starscape on camera, but Vince got this impressive study of the moon's reflection in the ocean...
It's such a shame that Mick missed it though. During our Atlantic crossing we had complained to each other how disappointing the night skies had been, but last night was simply awesome. We'll probably get fog before long and so it may prove the last we see of the stars for the remainder of this passage.
I hope we also see some whales before Vince leaves for home. The lack of wild life on the trip to date has been in marked contrast to the numerous sitings during Arctic Smoke's Atlantic circuit of 2015 then 2016/17. The last siting I recall was of a few dolphins off Madeira last August. Since then not a minnow (apart from the Mhai-Mhai that Mick and I somehow contrived to catch).
We crossed the Gulf Stream yesterday.
and it's now distinctly chilly. I have longs and a fleece and light 'waterproof' top and trousers on, for the first time in a year! When we left Bermuda the sea temperature was 26.5°, now it's 13.5° with an overnight air temperature of 15° replacing Bermuda's balmy 23° nights.
I finished writing the above at dawn...
This is probably going to sound rather strange to land people and even sailors who have not yet sailed the waters of Nova Scotia for the first time, but since we crossed the Gulf Stream yesterday morning and increasingly as today unfolds, (Friday 14th - that was close) I'm feeling we're only now, really "going foriegn". This despite the fact that we're approaching the coast of a developed western country.
Seeing 'the gateway to Nova Scotia' ....
.... materialise in front of my eyes, probably heightened the sense of other worldliness I was already experiencing. No doubt the 'disorder from Florida' has something to do with it too, as have the gremlins that have taken up residence in the engine, auto steering and fuel tank. The knowledge that we will almost certainly be enveloped by fog before we arrive and will therefore also be using the radar for the first time 'in anger' is another factor too.
I was convinced that we were about to plunge into thick fog when 'the gateway materialised, but the localised fog proved to be merely a harbringer of things yet to come - probably!!!
The anticipation and excitement is building. 0845, 85 miles to go, still motor sailing making all possible speed - 5k at 22 rpm plus mainsail and genoa to make use of the light south westerly breeze and the engine just stuttered again. I'm already imagining spouting whales. If only!
Meanwhile the 'Disorder from Florida' is catching us up. But IF the engine holds out and IF we don't run out of fuel and IF the weather/winds favour us just a little....
[insert windy graphic]
we should just about slip into Shelburne before Bonny is overtaken by disorder.
A couple of days before we left Bermuda I prepared Bonny for possible bad weather on the trip ahead. That included: bending on (fitting) the storm trysail - you can just about see it in the blue sail bag at the foot of the mast (zoom in) ...
....; rigging the emergency forestay, onto which, the storm jib, would - if required - be attached; and checking out said storm jib to ensure the hanks were all in place and in working order. It was a bright sunny day about 27°. A friendly American paddled by in his Kayak and looked around the wonderfully named "Convict Bay"; "are you expecting bad weather?" he enquired with a broad friendly smile. "I'm hoping not, but heading up to Nova Scotia in a couple of days, so just in case." "Ah, good thinking" came the reply. Then, he went on to recount that he had got thrown across the cabin off Bermuda and cracked a rib (like Rob but less badly) and this was his first day he could get off the boat since arriving three days ago.
Hopefully 'the force' will spot the Trysail in its bag and conclude "there's not much point in giving them a hard time, they're prepared, let's go look for easier prey".
Well, it wasn't quite spouting whales, but at 1115 we were visited by a pod of common dolphins come to welcome us to Nova Scotia!
Photo by Vince.
110 miles in last 24 hours. 70 miles to go!
A peek into 'tomorrow' i.e. post midday today. We switched off the engine at 1300 and Bonny is now proceeding under sail alone!
Pheww, close calls in abundance. Sue and I were in Venice a few weeks ago and she took me to see the snail staircase, semi hidden near St Marks Squ. Amazing bit of architecture and well worth a look by Vince and Despina
ReplyDeleteHey Vince, and Vince's dad... Pictures are amazing, looks so peaceful and relaxing, but i guess its not and very hard work, but what an experience. Stay safe and look forward to your updates :)
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