Day #9, Friday, June 4, 2010
Time of Report: 2100 Z
Position: 35.67 , -72.94
Heading: North, Northeast
Speed: 6.3 knots, on a port tack reach, with a lot of help from the gulf stream
Woody & JD reported electrical problems and are heading towards Cape May, NJ to get it fixed and should be there on Sunday. There's such little electricity at this point, they are not able to run the GPS. Part of the challenge is the wind is coming over the stern and the speed of the boat isn't generating enough "ummph" to produce the electricity. The solar panel is generating a little, but not enough. The engine is running fine though. They will likely stay in Cape May for the week, as a bad weather system is forecasted, and both the weather router and weather man (BT) advised he stays off the water for this type of storm which is estimated to have winds of 40+ knots, coming from the wrong direction and huge waves.
Thursday night Chef JD made Chicken Teriyaki. Woody ate his portion and JD decided to hold out on his as he wasn't feeling particularly well. He left his portion in the pot, on the stove and not long after, Woody headed into the cabin for his 4 hour sleep. The place where they sleep is on the floor, in the cabin which is about 7.5 feet long and 1.5 feet wide. The winds started to pick up to about 20 knots and there were thunderstorms happening all around, and they were trying to dodge the lightening too. Jubilee started rockin' and rollin' and the JD's chicken teriyaki slung out of the pot, all over Woody and the inside of the boat. As Woody was recounting this story, in between laughs he said "if you ever need a good lubricant, try teriyaki!". Chicken and Brocoli was on the menu for Friday night.
Woody did note that being out in the big ocean, in the middle of the night, when it's pitch black dark, with nothing in sight and hearing the rumbling of the thunder and watching the lightning in the sky can generate some anxiety! Overall Captain and Crew are doing well!
For the record, and as a follow up to the last blog posting, the stowaway "walked the plank" yesterday.
More again soon! Tracy
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Record Breaking Speeds on Jubliee!
From the beginning of the trip, on May 27, 2010, here's a view of where Woody and JD have been so far: 
I don't have the typical stats that we've been posting on the previous blogs, as I was so excited to hear from them, I forgot to ask - oops!
On my commute home this evening from Decatur, GA to Marietta, GA, my new Android phone started buzzing and I was delighted to hear Woody on the other end when I answered. Like Woody has been a bit challenged with some of his technology devices, I too have been with my new phone and it feels like a great success when I can simply answer it with ease. As we talked, Woody and JD were speeding through the water at 8 knots and over the water at 5.5 knots – a record speed on this trip, and maybe ever on a Flicka? The wind was blowing between 12 and 15 and the seas were 4 to 5 feet. They were sailing happily in the Gulf stream and had covered 170 nautical miles (nautical miles are longer than statute miles. For the record...a statute mile is 5,280 feet in length and a nautical mile is 6,076.11549... feet in length) since leaving Southport, NC. Upon leaving Southport, they cleared the first buoy which was 90 miles out in less than 24 hours, and then over the following 12 hours covered 80 miles. Spirits were quite high as Woody was recalling their experience to me and JD was chiming in with tidbits of information in the background. Thunderstorms were all about last night but they managed to dodge them. A school of porpoises followed them for 45 minutes as they sailed through the Gulf Stream and graced them with their presence on both the starboard and port sides of the boat. JD and Woody both enjoyed the visit from the porpoises. Dinner last night was Shepherd’s Pie, prepared by the renowned REI freeze dried food trained chef, JD. For the ladies that are reading this, JD is a single man – and at the moment, “looking for love in all the wrong places” – being at sea, but you now know the man can cook, and he is “sea-worthy”. JD is 26 years old, ridiculously smart, very handy, a hairy hottie (as you can tell by his picture) and obviously has an adventurous side. He talks like a sailor but can clean it up too and from the little time I spent with him, he was someone our family looks forward to learning more about and getting to know better! Here's a picture of he and his father, Joel Shiver, who is a Public Defender Attorney, in a number of counties in northern GA. It was Joel who heard of Woody's passage and connected Woody, and his son JD. Joel is a lover of fine beer and was delighted to find his favorite Micro-Brew at a reasonable price in Beaufort (Joel, please post a comment and let us know what the name of that beer is!)
Back to the food – so I asked Woody what was for dinner this evening and he said “well Bugs, what ever we pull out of the bag – it’s a surprise every time”! Love it and look forward to reporting what they had for dinner tonight, in an upcoming blog post. Speaking of food – while they were in Southport, they headed to the grocery to stock up on more supplies, as their first estimate of the distance to Nova Scotia proved to be off a bit. Instead of 700 miles, it’s 940 miles so they anticipate that it will take 11 or 12 days which puts them there somewhere around the 14th of June, give or take a bit.
Woody described the sails and said they had put two reefs in the main sail. He had caught a weather report from his VHF and they expect the winds to increase to up to 25 and seas of 9 feet in the coming days. They’ve been heading East for a bit and will be turning North shortly. One of the challenges they’re having is they’re not generating enough electricity which means they are having to do a lot of hand-steering (no auto-pilot). Though there is plenty of wind, the wind-generator isn’t doing its job so with the trickle of a charge it is producing, they’re using it for the navigation lights.
A stow-away was picked up in Southport and has settled comfortably in the cabin of Jubilee.
It’s a very active and noisy Fly that tests both JD and Woody’s ability to drift off to sleep or remain asleep. I asked if they had named the fly yet and the name that came to mind from Woody was “DEAD”. DEAD tickles their noses, buzzes in their ears and kisses them goodnight or good morning, depending on their watch. More in my next report about DEAD, they Stow-Away Fly.
The speed at which JD and Woody are moving is different from most trips that most of us have taken in our lives. They made an analogy to help us understand. So imagine traveling from Atlanta, GA to New York City. Got it, can you imagine it? Ok, now, imagine getting there by bike. While at the moment, they’re moving faster than a brisk walk, they’re not moving much faster than an average Joe could ride a bike. So, sailing from Beaufort to Nova Scotia is similar to riding a bike from Atlanta to Nova Scotia - a long way, and slow - but wow, a beautiful journey on many fronts.
Captain and Crew sounded like they were having a fabulous time. As Captain Woody said “there’s still a lot of water and weather ahead”. We’ll look forward to reporting more soon! Stay tuned! And in closing, here's a picture of my Mom, Beth Norwood Tumlin (Woody's sister) and Woody at the Bon Voyage party in May
Tracy
I don't have the typical stats that we've been posting on the previous blogs, as I was so excited to hear from them, I forgot to ask - oops!
On my commute home this evening from Decatur, GA to Marietta, GA, my new Android phone started buzzing and I was delighted to hear Woody on the other end when I answered. Like Woody has been a bit challenged with some of his technology devices, I too have been with my new phone and it feels like a great success when I can simply answer it with ease. As we talked, Woody and JD were speeding through the water at 8 knots and over the water at 5.5 knots – a record speed on this trip, and maybe ever on a Flicka? The wind was blowing between 12 and 15 and the seas were 4 to 5 feet. They were sailing happily in the Gulf stream and had covered 170 nautical miles (nautical miles are longer than statute miles. For the record...a statute mile is 5,280 feet in length and a nautical mile is 6,076.11549... feet in length) since leaving Southport, NC. Upon leaving Southport, they cleared the first buoy which was 90 miles out in less than 24 hours, and then over the following 12 hours covered 80 miles. Spirits were quite high as Woody was recalling their experience to me and JD was chiming in with tidbits of information in the background. Thunderstorms were all about last night but they managed to dodge them. A school of porpoises followed them for 45 minutes as they sailed through the Gulf Stream and graced them with their presence on both the starboard and port sides of the boat. JD and Woody both enjoyed the visit from the porpoises. Dinner last night was Shepherd’s Pie, prepared by the renowned REI freeze dried food trained chef, JD. For the ladies that are reading this, JD is a single man – and at the moment, “looking for love in all the wrong places” – being at sea, but you now know the man can cook, and he is “sea-worthy”. JD is 26 years old, ridiculously smart, very handy, a hairy hottie (as you can tell by his picture) and obviously has an adventurous side. He talks like a sailor but can clean it up too and from the little time I spent with him, he was someone our family looks forward to learning more about and getting to know better! Here's a picture of he and his father, Joel Shiver, who is a Public Defender Attorney, in a number of counties in northern GA. It was Joel who heard of Woody's passage and connected Woody, and his son JD. Joel is a lover of fine beer and was delighted to find his favorite Micro-Brew at a reasonable price in Beaufort (Joel, please post a comment and let us know what the name of that beer is!)
Back to the food – so I asked Woody what was for dinner this evening and he said “well Bugs, what ever we pull out of the bag – it’s a surprise every time”! Love it and look forward to reporting what they had for dinner tonight, in an upcoming blog post. Speaking of food – while they were in Southport, they headed to the grocery to stock up on more supplies, as their first estimate of the distance to Nova Scotia proved to be off a bit. Instead of 700 miles, it’s 940 miles so they anticipate that it will take 11 or 12 days which puts them there somewhere around the 14th of June, give or take a bit.
Woody described the sails and said they had put two reefs in the main sail. He had caught a weather report from his VHF and they expect the winds to increase to up to 25 and seas of 9 feet in the coming days. They’ve been heading East for a bit and will be turning North shortly. One of the challenges they’re having is they’re not generating enough electricity which means they are having to do a lot of hand-steering (no auto-pilot). Though there is plenty of wind, the wind-generator isn’t doing its job so with the trickle of a charge it is producing, they’re using it for the navigation lights.
A stow-away was picked up in Southport and has settled comfortably in the cabin of Jubilee.
It’s a very active and noisy Fly that tests both JD and Woody’s ability to drift off to sleep or remain asleep. I asked if they had named the fly yet and the name that came to mind from Woody was “DEAD”. DEAD tickles their noses, buzzes in their ears and kisses them goodnight or good morning, depending on their watch. More in my next report about DEAD, they Stow-Away Fly.
The speed at which JD and Woody are moving is different from most trips that most of us have taken in our lives. They made an analogy to help us understand. So imagine traveling from Atlanta, GA to New York City. Got it, can you imagine it? Ok, now, imagine getting there by bike. While at the moment, they’re moving faster than a brisk walk, they’re not moving much faster than an average Joe could ride a bike. So, sailing from Beaufort to Nova Scotia is similar to riding a bike from Atlanta to Nova Scotia - a long way, and slow - but wow, a beautiful journey on many fronts.
Captain and Crew sounded like they were having a fabulous time. As Captain Woody said “there’s still a lot of water and weather ahead”. We’ll look forward to reporting more soon! Stay tuned! And in closing, here's a picture of my Mom, Beth Norwood Tumlin (Woody's sister) and Woody at the Bon Voyage party in May
Tracy
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Sailing Again
Day #7, Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Time of Report: 2100 Z
Position: 34.17 , -77.84 (from the spot finder at 1825 Z)
Heading: East
Speed: Heading East @ 6 knots, 5 over water, On starboard tack reach, Winds SW @ 12 expected to increase during the night.
Departed Southport, NC at 14:30 Z. Motored to Masonsboro, NC and cleared the cut at 1900Z.
Now in open water, and the boat is really sailing well. They are on their way to Nova Scotia. The wind generator doesn't seem to be turning fast enough for the wind conditions but hopefully it will improve. Captain and crew are very well and enjoying the beam reach. Will probably reef the main tonight.
As an FYI, shorter blogs like these are typically when Bill Tumlin (BT) talks with Woody, and provides the report to Tracy. When Tracy is lucky enough to talk with Woody, the blog entries will be a bit longer. I think we'll have a good mix of both of both reports. We're all super glad that they're back on the water and looking forward to more reports!!
Tracy
Time of Report: 2100 Z
Position: 34.17 , -77.84 (from the spot finder at 1825 Z)
Heading: East
Speed: Heading East @ 6 knots, 5 over water, On starboard tack reach, Winds SW @ 12 expected to increase during the night.
Departed Southport, NC at 14:30 Z. Motored to Masonsboro, NC and cleared the cut at 1900Z.
Now in open water, and the boat is really sailing well. They are on their way to Nova Scotia. The wind generator doesn't seem to be turning fast enough for the wind conditions but hopefully it will improve. Captain and crew are very well and enjoying the beam reach. Will probably reef the main tonight.
As an FYI, shorter blogs like these are typically when Bill Tumlin (BT) talks with Woody, and provides the report to Tracy. When Tracy is lucky enough to talk with Woody, the blog entries will be a bit longer. I think we'll have a good mix of both of both reports. We're all super glad that they're back on the water and looking forward to more reports!!
Tracy
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Engine Problems Solved, we think
We were experiencing engine problems and electricity generating problems on the way to Bermuda. If it had been just one of these problems we might have pressed on, but the combination persuaded us to turn back toward the USA at about 11:30 AM Sunday. We decided to go to Southport, NC, ironically the departure point of Charles Huneycutt abord Flicka "Ranger". We mere mostly through the Gulf Stream and so had to make our way back through a lot of lumpy seas, but the SE angle of the wind, which had been on the nose ever since we got started, was finally excellent for the diversion to Southport which was essentially northwast from our turning position.
The sailing was wonderful until about 10 PM. Then it stopped. For the next 13 hours we had only zephyrs up to 5 kts. In 5 kts of wind a Flicka barely has steerage. Without the engine we could not generate electricity...it was night so the solar panels were useless, and the wind was too light for the wind turbine. We used only the navigation lights in order to conserve electricity.
Finally a little breeze began to develop around 11 AM Monday, and by noon we were again barreling towards Southport, arriving at 4:30 PM. This being Memorial Day week-end, shore accommodations were tight but we found The Riverside Motel, a room with two beds with a view of the dumpster, clean sheets, and a shower and TV for $83. The proprietor, Jeramy, came to the Southport Marina to pick us up and diagnosed the engine problem on the way back to the motel, about 3 blocks distant. Fuel contamination.
This morning, Tuesday, I was at the marina's office when they opened at 8. Their man Sean walked to the boat with me, and after finding that the fluids were fine sheckked the Racor (primary) fuel filter. Sure enough, bad stuff (algea and sludge) in the filter. We also checked the secondary filter and found just small traces of bad stuff. We drained the fuel from the tank and inspected the inside of the tank. Small scaling, not bad, and a bit of sludge on the bottom, again not too bad. We put 2 gallons of fresh fuel in the tank, let it settle, and tried using the boat's electric fuel pump into a bucket to see the contition of the fuel. Well, the fuel pump worked only intermittantly. A tap with a wrench would cause it to work for a while, irregularly. Sean checked for blockage in the fuel line coming from the tank (in the bow) to the engine (in the stern). You won't believe this. Sean sucked on the line until a blob of something other than fuel entered his mouth. He spit the blob into the bucket. "Well there's the real problem" he said casually as I handed h9im a Wint-o-green breath mint. There is a 90 degree elbow in the fuel line where it emerges from the tank, famous for creating blockages. We figured the blockage in the line, combined with the contamination in the fuel, had stressed the electronic fuel pump and wore it out. So we replaced the fuel pump and replaced both folters and bled the air out of the line, and the engine cranked up and sounded perfect. We let it run on high idle for a while. We think this is fixed.
We checked the output of the wind turbine generator, and it is fine. I have an on-off switch for the generator in the head, and inadvertantly the switch had been turned to the off position, causing an unexpected and unexplained drain on the batteries. They are now re-charging.
Our plan is to depart tomorrow (Wednesday) for Nova Scotia. I will lay out the route tonight. I expect this to take 9 or 10 days. We have not been achieving the 3.5 kts that had been built into my plan. Several factors. First, the wind has been consistently on our nose. A Flicka is a fine boat, but going to windward is not its long suit. In the lumpy seas associated with the Gulf Stream it is necessary to let this boat "foot". We are sailing to windward at about 45 to 50 degrees from the apparent wind. The true wind is about 60 degrees. So, tacking takes us through a 120 degree arc from port tack to starboard (and vice versa). Second, the wind has been exceedingly light, mostly zero to 10 kts. We celebrate when we are moving 3.5 kts to windward. Third, we are loaded with more weight than in a normal sail. We started out with provisions for 18+ days, a big inventory of sails, and lots of gear.
Nova Scotia is about 700 nautical miles from here. If we can make 80 miles a day we'll make it in 9 days. The wind direction and velocity will be the determining factors. We'll get off to a good start tomorrow with 10 to 15 kts from the SW.
I am relieved that the engine and generating turbine are again working, and I look forward to having a good passage to Nova Scotia. JD and I are both disappointed to not make it to Bermuda.
Woody
The sailing was wonderful until about 10 PM. Then it stopped. For the next 13 hours we had only zephyrs up to 5 kts. In 5 kts of wind a Flicka barely has steerage. Without the engine we could not generate electricity...it was night so the solar panels were useless, and the wind was too light for the wind turbine. We used only the navigation lights in order to conserve electricity.
Finally a little breeze began to develop around 11 AM Monday, and by noon we were again barreling towards Southport, arriving at 4:30 PM. This being Memorial Day week-end, shore accommodations were tight but we found The Riverside Motel, a room with two beds with a view of the dumpster, clean sheets, and a shower and TV for $83. The proprietor, Jeramy, came to the Southport Marina to pick us up and diagnosed the engine problem on the way back to the motel, about 3 blocks distant. Fuel contamination.
This morning, Tuesday, I was at the marina's office when they opened at 8. Their man Sean walked to the boat with me, and after finding that the fluids were fine sheckked the Racor (primary) fuel filter. Sure enough, bad stuff (algea and sludge) in the filter. We also checked the secondary filter and found just small traces of bad stuff. We drained the fuel from the tank and inspected the inside of the tank. Small scaling, not bad, and a bit of sludge on the bottom, again not too bad. We put 2 gallons of fresh fuel in the tank, let it settle, and tried using the boat's electric fuel pump into a bucket to see the contition of the fuel. Well, the fuel pump worked only intermittantly. A tap with a wrench would cause it to work for a while, irregularly. Sean checked for blockage in the fuel line coming from the tank (in the bow) to the engine (in the stern). You won't believe this. Sean sucked on the line until a blob of something other than fuel entered his mouth. He spit the blob into the bucket. "Well there's the real problem" he said casually as I handed h9im a Wint-o-green breath mint. There is a 90 degree elbow in the fuel line where it emerges from the tank, famous for creating blockages. We figured the blockage in the line, combined with the contamination in the fuel, had stressed the electronic fuel pump and wore it out. So we replaced the fuel pump and replaced both folters and bled the air out of the line, and the engine cranked up and sounded perfect. We let it run on high idle for a while. We think this is fixed.
We checked the output of the wind turbine generator, and it is fine. I have an on-off switch for the generator in the head, and inadvertantly the switch had been turned to the off position, causing an unexpected and unexplained drain on the batteries. They are now re-charging.
Our plan is to depart tomorrow (Wednesday) for Nova Scotia. I will lay out the route tonight. I expect this to take 9 or 10 days. We have not been achieving the 3.5 kts that had been built into my plan. Several factors. First, the wind has been consistently on our nose. A Flicka is a fine boat, but going to windward is not its long suit. In the lumpy seas associated with the Gulf Stream it is necessary to let this boat "foot". We are sailing to windward at about 45 to 50 degrees from the apparent wind. The true wind is about 60 degrees. So, tacking takes us through a 120 degree arc from port tack to starboard (and vice versa). Second, the wind has been exceedingly light, mostly zero to 10 kts. We celebrate when we are moving 3.5 kts to windward. Third, we are loaded with more weight than in a normal sail. We started out with provisions for 18+ days, a big inventory of sails, and lots of gear.
Nova Scotia is about 700 nautical miles from here. If we can make 80 miles a day we'll make it in 9 days. The wind direction and velocity will be the determining factors. We'll get off to a good start tomorrow with 10 to 15 kts from the SW.
I am relieved that the engine and generating turbine are again working, and I look forward to having a good passage to Nova Scotia. JD and I are both disappointed to not make it to Bermuda.
Woody
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Change of Plans - Headed for Shore
Day #4, Sunday, May 30, 2010
Time of Report: 2115 Z
Position: 32.62 W 77.64 N, at 1600 Z, 58 miles from Cape Fear
Heading: North, Northwest
Speed: Not reported
Engine problems continue so have turned back and are heading to Cape Fear for repairs and plan to arrive on Monday afternoon. The hope is repairs can be made on Tuesday with a Wednesday departure, now direct to Nova Scotia. Captain and crew and doing just fine - so not to worry!
More soon and maybe while the repairs are being made, we'll get a blog posting from Woody. We'll keep you posted though as we hear more.
Tracy
Time of Report: 2115 Z
Position: 32.62 W 77.64 N, at 1600 Z, 58 miles from Cape Fear
Heading: North, Northwest
Speed: Not reported
Engine problems continue so have turned back and are heading to Cape Fear for repairs and plan to arrive on Monday afternoon. The hope is repairs can be made on Tuesday with a Wednesday departure, now direct to Nova Scotia. Captain and crew and doing just fine - so not to worry!
More soon and maybe while the repairs are being made, we'll get a blog posting from Woody. We'll keep you posted though as we hear more.
Tracy
Not One of the Finer Days
Day #3, Saturday, May 29, 2010
Time of Report: 2200 Z
Position: 32.30 N, 78.43W
Heading: NE
Speed: Did not report speed but the winds were from the east at 15 knots with heavy chop an foot seas
JD and Woody continued sailing in the Gulf Stream and experienced some rain but managed to avoid the thunderstorms. They were being pushed northeast due to unfavorable winds and current. They started having engine problems and suspected it was the filters and were going to try and fix it. The weather forecast for Sunday was favorable winds from the South, Southeast with winds freshening from 10 to 15 knots - so hoping for a better day.
More soon! Tracy
Time of Report: 2200 Z
Position: 32.30 N, 78.43W
Heading: NE
Speed: Did not report speed but the winds were from the east at 15 knots with heavy chop an foot seas
JD and Woody continued sailing in the Gulf Stream and experienced some rain but managed to avoid the thunderstorms. They were being pushed northeast due to unfavorable winds and current. They started having engine problems and suspected it was the filters and were going to try and fix it. The weather forecast for Sunday was favorable winds from the South, Southeast with winds freshening from 10 to 15 knots - so hoping for a better day.
More soon! Tracy
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Slow Goin'
Day #2, Friday, May 28, 2010
Time of Report: 2100 Z
Position: 32.11 N, 79.29W
Heading: 140, bearing 128
Speed: Apparent Speed is 3.4 knots; Actual Speed is 2.5 knots
In every blog posting, we’ll be using the format above. For those who are not as “tuned in” to all of the nautical lingo, here’s a quick lesson on a few things:
1. When we talk about time in the report, ‘we’re using Zulu time, which is Greenwich Mean Time. During daylight savings, East Coast time is minus four hours, so in this example, 2100 Z is the same as 1700 EDT
2. We will show two types of speeds, Apparent (through the water) and Actual (over the water). Here’s the difference, the Apparent speed is the speed of the boat relative to the water with which it is in contact and Actual speed is the speed of the boat with regard to a fixed position.
3. A Rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing. That is, upon taking an initial bearing, one proceeds along the same bearing, without changing the direction as measured relative to true north.
Rewinding to Thursday, on their way to sea, Woody & JD spent a little time on a sandbar. The incoming tide allowed for them to gracefully slide out around 2030 Z, but due to unfavorable tides and wind, they had to motor out of the Sound. Thursday night, the winds were light and they motored part of the night to keep moving. JD reported an incredible sunrise on Friday morning, as he had the 0400 to 0800 watch. He said it was one of those that you in religious/spiritual materials and I got the feeling it was a wonderful way for him to welcome in his first day at sea. Friday was spent with adverse light wind, right on the nose and an adverse current and they spent the day tacking back and forth with 120 degree arcs (typical tack arc should be 90 degrees, to give you an idea). It sounded pretty frustrating but they were keeping their spirits up. Dinner was Chicken Alfredo, and Woody described their rations to me. The have three large black trash bags, one is for mutal rations, such as the Chicken Alfredo, and the other two are for individual rations. They expected to enter the Gulf Stream on Saturday morning which will fetch them North, and by the Spot-Finder, it looks as if they are right on track.
Bill Tumlin (BT) is expecting to hear from Woody tonight at 2200 Z to give him a weather report, and Alice (his wife) talked with him and got a report once they hit the Gulf Stream and said it was a beautiful indigo blue, and that they were speeding along.
On another note, here’s the link to the YouTube that Parker, Woody’s son put together for him for the Bon Voyage that we weren’t able to view that evening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axBufuE4qHo&feature=email
And for one of the most famous quotes of sailing times…. There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. - Water Rat, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
More Soon! Tracy
Time of Report: 2100 Z
Position: 32.11 N, 79.29W
Heading: 140, bearing 128
Speed: Apparent Speed is 3.4 knots; Actual Speed is 2.5 knots
In every blog posting, we’ll be using the format above. For those who are not as “tuned in” to all of the nautical lingo, here’s a quick lesson on a few things:
1. When we talk about time in the report, ‘we’re using Zulu time, which is Greenwich Mean Time. During daylight savings, East Coast time is minus four hours, so in this example, 2100 Z is the same as 1700 EDT
2. We will show two types of speeds, Apparent (through the water) and Actual (over the water). Here’s the difference, the Apparent speed is the speed of the boat relative to the water with which it is in contact and Actual speed is the speed of the boat with regard to a fixed position.
3. A Rhumb line is a line crossing all meridians of longitude at the same angle, i.e. a path derived from a defined initial bearing. That is, upon taking an initial bearing, one proceeds along the same bearing, without changing the direction as measured relative to true north.
Rewinding to Thursday, on their way to sea, Woody & JD spent a little time on a sandbar. The incoming tide allowed for them to gracefully slide out around 2030 Z, but due to unfavorable tides and wind, they had to motor out of the Sound. Thursday night, the winds were light and they motored part of the night to keep moving. JD reported an incredible sunrise on Friday morning, as he had the 0400 to 0800 watch. He said it was one of those that you in religious/spiritual materials and I got the feeling it was a wonderful way for him to welcome in his first day at sea. Friday was spent with adverse light wind, right on the nose and an adverse current and they spent the day tacking back and forth with 120 degree arcs (typical tack arc should be 90 degrees, to give you an idea). It sounded pretty frustrating but they were keeping their spirits up. Dinner was Chicken Alfredo, and Woody described their rations to me. The have three large black trash bags, one is for mutal rations, such as the Chicken Alfredo, and the other two are for individual rations. They expected to enter the Gulf Stream on Saturday morning which will fetch them North, and by the Spot-Finder, it looks as if they are right on track.
Bill Tumlin (BT) is expecting to hear from Woody tonight at 2200 Z to give him a weather report, and Alice (his wife) talked with him and got a report once they hit the Gulf Stream and said it was a beautiful indigo blue, and that they were speeding along.
On another note, here’s the link to the YouTube that Parker, Woody’s son put together for him for the Bon Voyage that we weren’t able to view that evening: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axBufuE4qHo&feature=email
And for one of the most famous quotes of sailing times…. There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats. - Water Rat, Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows
More Soon! Tracy
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