Daily Update
Wednesday, November 19
Dress Parade arrived at Village Cay and cleared customs by noon. The crew of four looks reasonably rested. Everyone is grinning from ear to ear after their exciting upwind ride to Tortola. They received their cold bottle of champagne; their awards presentation will follow shortly. Both the boat and the crew appeared to be in excellent condition.
All boats are in safely.
The Phat Virgin Party at Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbor is tonight.
Tuesday, November 18
Dinner at Village Cay Marina, Roadtown, Tortola
Sugaree arrived after supper
Monday, November 17
Island Time is in. The Awards Ceremony will be this evening at the Mt. Gay Rum Party.
Sunday, November 16
All boats are in Tortola except for Sugaree, Island Time, and Dress Parade.
Saturday, November 15
Weather Outlook - Yesterday’s squally region has moved off to the west leaving only a few small tradewinds type squalls (the kind you can dodge).
Berkeley East, Elusion, Ostinato, Excalibur, Imagine, Stray Kitty, Nana Maria, Wanderlust 3, "Q", Splendido, Watercolors, BellaRose, Fisaga, TirNaNog, Glass Slipper, Destiny, and Karina have all arrived in Tortola.
Friday, November 14
Weather Outlook - ESE at 20-25 gusting 30 with seas 8 to 10 feet. Scattered squalls are possible with the greatest concentration at 20 to 22N and 65W.
First to Finish was Between the Sheets, a Hallberg Rassy 62 sailed by Tom & Diane Might and crew member Ian Jones. The Mights are from Phoenix, AZ and have sailed in the Caribbean 1500 before. They crossed the finish line at the east end of Tortola at 10:24 AST.
Entrepreneurship spent Thursday night in Soper’s Hole and came to Village Cay this morning. They loved the trip and plan to enter the rally class next year.
Joy for all, Sapphire, Special Delivery, Hands Across the Sea, and Aquila also arrived in Tortola today.
Clover III is in Bermuda working on repairs and changing crew.
Club Carp is heading directly to Antigua for a charter commitment.
Diana Quinlan on Special Delivery
In sight of land, should be at anchor by 8 pm. Wine in the fridge, we could all use some showers, or a midnight swim and a rinse off with fresh water. We just came up on the shelf from 6,000 feet to under a 100 feet. It's nice to be in shallow water again.
Kelly Reed on Nana Maria
Today, the seas and winds are a little calmer (8-10ft, 25-30knot) so we are able to let more sail out and go a little faster. It seems that the last two days of the crossing are always the worst. Once there are less than two days left to your destination, all you want to do is GET THERE so you can GET OFF THIS THING. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” is now the pervasive mood. If all goes well, we should arrive in Tortola late Saturday. Keep your fingers crossed.
Thursday, November 13
Weather Outlook - The wind direction will remain ENE to ESE from now through Tuesday. Strongest winds are between 24 and 28 North. They will see 20 to 30 at 70 to 90 degrees with seas building to 9-11 through the period. Below 23 North winds should be E at 15 to 20 with seas of 6-8.
Diana Quinlan on Special Delivery
SOG averaging 8 kts, winds are variable with the squalls from 18-25 kts. If we can maintain speed in lighter air as we approach, we now look at arriving tomorrow evening. We're still dry in engine room and will hopefully remain that way the rest of journey.
Wednesday, November 12
Weather Outlook - No storms are expected in your area for the next 6 days. Squalls will be much fewer. 15 to 20 at 070-090. Squalls are breaking up and mostly east of 65W. Tonight, 20-25 070-090. High moving out to Cape Cod will keep your flow easterly for many days.
Tim Hasson (landbound SSB radio monitor):
AM Report: The Easterlies have arrived, with the fleet generally reporting E to ENE from the mid-teens to mid-twenties. (Steve, who did you pay for this great wx, and what did it cost?)
Tim's much-coveted (cough) "Golden Microphone" award goes to Q for their super-sounding radio signal and clear, concise operating procedure when checking in twice daily. Runners-up Nana Maria and Joy For All, were beat out only by their failure to hit the "tune" button on a couple of occasions.
Diana Quinlan from Special Delivery:
Special Delivery is dealing with their shaft coupling problem and keeping their bilge reasonably dry. The wind is cooperating allowing them to keep up with the fleet without their engine, sailing along at 7-8 knots with reefed main and a 110% head sail.
Janel Seier from Nana Maria
The wind is blowing 25 to 30 knots, the waves are 12 feet and rising. The boat is heeled over 15 to 30 degrees and the simpilest chores become a challenge. Picture yourselve standing up on a roller coaster, try to boil water in order to make coffee. The waves that are continuously breaking over the bow are allowing us to find leaks that are new and to refresh our memories as to where the old ones are. We are keeping dry from the sea water because of the enclosure, but the temperature inside is like a very sunny sauna. All the sweating is good for the skin we are told... Poor Foz (the dog) is not liking this too much, but we do have a spray bottle in the cockpit filled with cold water so we can all try to keep cool. I guess I shouldn't complain too much, I could be knee deep in snow back home, instead of in shorts and tank tops. Kelly was just moments ago exclaiming "."Holy Cow, look at the size of that wave we just surfed down."
Tuesday, November 11
Weather Outlook - Light winds will gradually be replaced by E to ESE winds at 6-11. Showers S of 25N. They can be stronger in squalls. The fleet will experience minimal impact from Paloma. Only some moisture in the upper atmosphere. This is what happened to the storm:
From National Weather Service:
A weak area of low pressure, the remnant of tropical depression Paloma .... is located between the North coast of Cuba and Andros Island. Re-development of this system is not expected due to strong upper-level winds. Elsewhere... tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 48 hours.
Tim Hasson (landbound SSB radio monitor):
AM Report: No problems to report. Most of the fleet still in light air, although Imagine and a few others have winds filling in from the E at 15. Clover III should be in Bermuda today for its pre-scheduled stop to change crew.
PM Report: Club Carp is proceeding direct to Antigua, bypassing BVI (a charter commitment).
Special Delivery had a headsail problem (solved with a replacement sail) and also engine troubles -- a sheared coupling bolt. They're going to sail thru the night and address the problem with a replacement bolt in the AM. Davis helped them with his usual wise counsel.
Listening to reports tonite, it's clear this group is having a great time! A few might wish for a wee bit more wind, but it's coming in the forecast. This is also the year we should rename the Caribbean 1500 as the Caribbean Fishing Tournament. The "who caught what" list is too long -- easier to list who didn't catch. That would be Karina and Minaxi, who took a day off from dropping a line. Jadimean, Bella Rose and Sugaree (again) have gone on a vegan diet, catching only seaweed.
Diana Quinlan from Special Delivery:
The moon just before setting this morning burned so brightly that it made the horizon visible in every direction. As it began it’s descent the last 10 degrees, it turned to a misty peach, then orange as it melted into the sea, like a Creamsicle on hot day. They say it’s always darkest before the dawn, and that held true today in the hour between moonset and the sunrise which was as impressive as the moon. These are the benefits of a helm watch that starts at 0300 hrs.
Kelly Reed from Nana Maria:
Well, I’m happy to report that Monday night’s squal line was a non-event. Apparently we were further from the front than we thought. We ended up with very little wind throughout the entire night so motoried for most of it. But TODAY!! Today we have lovely winds. We are sailing along at 7knots with a blue sky speckled with all sorts of different types of clouds. THIS is the experience we all remember. Somehow we quickly forget about the squalls, the challenges of life on a slant and the frustration of not being able to control the weather.
Monday, November 10
Weather Outlook - Remains of the front that passed yesterday are dissipating near 70 West. West of 70 the winds are westerly while east of 70 they are from the SSW. They will become light today over the region. West of 70 the winds will go from W to N to NE by sunset. As the fleet gets south, the winds will become more easterly for days. There is still an advantage to favor a course that is east of the direct line course to Tortola.
From Tim Hasson (landbound SSB radio monitor):
AM Report: All sound good. Most of the fleet reporting W-SW anywhere from 8 to 15.
PM Report: Everyone's batteries are getting well-charged as the bulk of the fleet finds itself in light airs -- as forecast.
It was a good day for fishing, with Watercolors, Minaxi, Q, Sapphire and Ostinato all reporting good catches. RumRunner caught another one, and had to throw it back as they're out of room in the cooler for any more. The luck wasn't so good on Sugaree, who reported catching only seagrass. Onboard Imagine, one of the younger crewmembers handled the radio check in, and the young lady did a very professional job -- even reporting dolphin off the bow this afternoon. Finally, Destiny reports that a very tired little yellow finch has taken up residence on deck.
Everyone sounding good...
Kelly Reed from Nana Maria
Today, the engine is back on as we try get some “easting” done before the winds shift. The seas were very rolly-polly on Sunday, but today they are smooth as glass. All day, we were surrounded by some very ominous looking large and dark clouds. Apparently it is some sort of Trough or Ridge. The sun is about to set and the cloud ridge is getting closer and uglier, so we’ve battened down everything to prepare for the night. We just saw a small pod of whales not too far off the starboard side of the boat. That was a real treat! The fleet is spreading out. I haven’t seen another boat in days. I’m exaggerating a little, because there was the odd light at night on the horizon every once in a while. But that’s about it
Sunday, November 9
Weather Outlook - SW winds at 20-25 ahead of weak frontal passage approaching fleet from the west. Possible brief rain ahead of front and west winds at 15 after the front. Tonight winds drop to West at 5 to 10. The front fizzles out after passing by.
From Tim Hasson (landbound SSB radio monitor):
The group's enjoying a calm night, with most reporting W to SW at 5-10. RumRunner, Cataway and Imagine all caught Mahi Mahi today. Lancer had a Marlin on the grill. Clover III is Bermuda-bound.
From Kelly Reed on Nana Maria:
The cold front that the weather folks had been predicting blew through last night. Sustained winds at 30knots, gusts of 45 knots, rain and 10’ seas. Everyone was up all night. Even into the morning, we would watch the squalls gather on the radar screen. The weather calmed down around 7am this morning.
It’s a beautiful day. We were able to sail most of the day. The winds were pretty light and behind us, so we got out Captain Mark’s favorite sail—a flasher that he affectionately calls “The Whomper!! “ (Janel refers to it as “His Bag of Terror!”) The Whomper looks like a big kite flying on the front of the boat. It is just too big and powerful to be used safely in heavy winds, so Sunday was a good day to try it out while making progress towards Tortola at the same time.
Janel is determined to catch fish for dinner. She has resorted to her final trick— spraying the lure with a recipe of WD-40 and a secret ingredient. But just in case we’re skunked again, she has started working on Plan B—she has pulled a homemade meatloaf dinner from the freezer Necessity is the mother of invention so we’ve found a new use for the engine. The Yanmar 160 Turbo now has secondary duty as food defroster as well. Janel is working on getting Mark to let her cook on it too.
From Diana Quinlan on Special Delivery:
Last night, we were in 35kt winds and hitting 10.4 kts SOG (speed over ground) with a double reef in main and a partially furled head sail. Of course we were being tossed about like we were a toy, but at daybreak we sailed into a small squall with a nice rain and emerged cleaner and with a slight wind shift. Right now we're running the rhum line at 9 kts in about 13kts of wind.
What a difference a day makes. This day found us grateful for less wind, a little more stable sea and the opportunity for showers. There is a technique one must employ if they are to attempt getting soapy and wet in a confined space on a boat that is pitching about at sea. The trick is to wedge oneself in the corner that is on the “down side” of the heel of the boat. Attempting to stand upright is fraught with potential disaster that can lead to bruising at best and blood-letting and bone breaking at the worst. But not to be dissuaded, we all tackled our showers with great relief. Everyone seemed to be in a routine of naps prior to scheduled watches and midday community meal with some story-telling, or attempts at fishing.
Saturday, November 8
From Tim Hasson (landbound SSB radio monitor):
PM Report: Quite a change from this AM -- this evening finds most of the fleet sailing in SW winds in the low-mid 20's. Clover III lost their inner forestay at approximately 1700 AST, position 34-19 73-00. Situation under control, they have a jury-rig in place. Aquila is standing by in the area if assistance is needed, and Imagine is close-by. Practicing "catch and release" today were: Joy For All, Althea, Nyanza, Fisaga and Minaxi. Fisaga even lost their fishing line to "the big one that got away"... Only Stray Kitty reported catching, and eating, a fish today.
From Miles and Anne Poor on Karina:
Just thought I'd let you know that we are across the Gulf Stream. It was pretty lumpy last night...I was just glad it was on Miles' watch...mine was pretty easy. We have been sailing only since about midnight. Will run the gen after lunch to make water, heat water and charge batteries.
From Kelly Reed on Nana Maria
Janel is a wonderful chef and has prepared and frozen several lovely meals that we can eat on the crossing. Last night we had her fabulous homemade Lasagna for dinner. The sails were set for the evening and it was a lovely dinner followed by a beautiful sunset. By about 7pm, the wind picked up, we were singing along at 8-9knots in 17-20knots of wind. Not too shabby! Howard and I covered the Midnight to 4M shift this morning. A thick fog settled in around 10pm, but we have radar so we could keep an eye on things. The fog was fully lifted by the end of shift at 4am. By daybreak we were well into the Gulfstream with its choppy waves, Saturday’s wind lasted all the way into the night and we spent the day plowing through the stream. Being in the Stream certainly makes things uncomfortable. The boat is tossed about and you have to hang on to do anything. The Stream runs up the coast of the US and then veers off to Europe. It carries very warm water with it. We watched water temperatures jump from 68 to 82 in a matter of a few hoursl By the end of Saturday, we were out of the Gulfstream.
From Diana Quinlan on Special Delivery
Sailors are notoriously superstitious and I understand it is bad luck to have bananas aboard; apparently it greatly reduces your chances of catching any fish. Well, there must be something to it, since we had two lines out that “caught” only sea grass. I did see a whale blow a 20 foot plume of water in the distance, followed by a slapping fin about 3 minutes later, but that was as close as we got to fish. Not even a flying fish on our deck, which is almost a routine when in the ocean. The crew has gotten into their routine quickly. Everyone selected their favorite watch times, including me who prefers the 0300-0500 slot since I like the optimism of the sunrise. Knowing the night is almost over and seeing that subtle change of light on the horizon, and the slow extinguishing of the stars gives the promise of daybreak. The first night we just powered across the Gulfstream and by daybreak were into shorts! It was a nice feeling after the polar fleece and 36 degree mornings in Baltimore.
Friday, November 8 THE START
From Kelly Reed on Nana Maria
Well, it’s official. We are heading out to sea. The fleet has decided to get our “easting” done early so we’re heading towards Bermuda. By Monday we expect to know whether or not it’s safe to turn South towards the islands. If Paloma is going to cause problems, we’ll tuck into Bermuda until the weather passes instead. Currently, we are at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. We are surrounded by warships and freighters and tug boats and all sorts of really large traffic. We are staying just outside the channel markers so that we will stay out of their ways. The winds have died down considerably from the 30+knots we have been living in for the past couple days. Unfortunately, we are left with no wind at all, now. So we are just bobbing as we wait for the official start of the race so we can cross the line. If you cross the line too early, you have to buy everyone a round of drinks once you get to your destination. But with no wind, we’ll probably be motoring for the first hours. By tomorrow late morning, we should be in the gulf stream by tomorrow late morning. Captain Janel is feeling better today, so our tummies are quite relieved. Howard and I have our Scop patches on. The rest of the crew is taking Bonine or Sturgeron. The first day out is supposed to be quite lumpy so that will be a good indicator of how well our meds will work. We’ve got our lifevests on (per the rules of the Rally) and we’re ready to go. They just announced “3 minutes to start” so I’d better get up on deck.
From Diana Quinlan on Special Delivery
By nightfall we were clearly out of the Bay but into lots of incoming boat traffic. Luckily the AIS proved invaluable as we settled into our routine watches, each of us with a 2 hr shift at the helm. There are benefits of being way off shore, where the traffic is infrequent and the potential of a collision is nil.
Thursday, November 7
From Kelly Reed on Nana Maria
So it looks like it’s a "go" for departure on Friday. Even though Tropical Storm/Hurricane Paloma will be brewing, all of the experienced weather folks say that the cold waters around Bahamas and Bermuda should keep it from developing into anything other than bad weather by the time we’re near. If it comes to it, we can always divert to Bermuda until it passes. The lows that were off the Carolinas have worked their way up the coast and since Tuesday it has been “blowing like stink” (that’s a nautical term) here. The weather is supposed to move off today and tomorrow things should be a little calmer out there.
There has been a 24 hour flu going around the fleet. Captain Mark had it on Tuesday. Captain Janel has it today. Fortunately, we’re well prepared so we can live without her for a day or so. Our biggest regret is that she may not be up to preparing the frittata that has become a tradition for our breakfast on departure day. We’ll have to save that for arrival day in Tortola.
Wednesday. November 6
From Kelly Reed on Nana Maria
Our exciting adventure out to sea aboard Nana Maria has been delayed by weather. An ugly Low Pressure system has started working its way off the Carolina coast. If we were out there today, we’d be facing 20-30 knot winds on our nose and 12-15foot waves. Not a pleasant experience. So, we’re “hove-to” in Hampton until Friday!!!
Many of the boats are finishing up on projects that they didn’t think they’d have time to complete. With the known delay, they’ve been able to have parts shipped in and have workers come aboard. The staff of West Marine organized daily shuttles back and forth from the Marina to their store so that the participants can get any last minute items that they may need.
On Friday (Halloween), we had our “Farewell Dinner” even though we’re not leaving for another week. There are a lot of kids coming on the trip and they were all decked out in their scariest outfits as they collected candy from the boaters. Since then, the Rally has been sponsoring nightly “Sip & Socials” for everyone. Last night, there was a great Pot Luck Dinner. All of the boaters brought up food to share. Roast beef, sausage & peppers, ham, scalloped potatoes, pasta salads, pear cobbler with lime whipped cream, spinach salad with pomegranate, cabbage slaw, General Tsos chicken, rice salads, steamed shrimp, stews, cakes, pyrogies, brownies, chile, cornbread, and on and on. It was great. There was too much food to taste everything, but it sure was fun looking at it all.
Lots of folks have rented cars to take the opportunity to explore the area. A few went to Fort Monroe and the Mariner’s Museum with a local resident and had an exceptional experience. Another local rally participant was able to bring some fresh rosemary, basil and bay leaves from her home garden to share with everyone.
Normally, without the weather delay, you spend all your time at this end rushing around finishing tasks, stowing gear and doing your final provisioning. One of the nice things about this delay is that you get the chance to really talk to people and get to know them before the race starts. And you learn so many interesting things from other boaters.