The wind from the west and southwet will make a departure from Nova Scotia impossible until Wednesday or Thursday. It is a 3-day passage across the Gulf of Maine from here in Mahone Bay with decent wind fronm anywhere other than the West or Southwest. Normally the prevailing summer wind is from the south. The jet stream, however is farther north than usual, blowing constantly from the direction we want to go.
Bill Hickman did not check emails this morning before heading by bus to Logan airport in Boston. He did not think to turn on his cell phone all day to get our numerous attempts at reaching him. He flew from Boston to Halifax with never turning on his cell phone. After waiting in Halifax for his link with Alice, my wife, who was to be his ride down from Halifax to Mahone Bay, he finally turned on his cell phone not to check messages but to call his wife, Joyce. We had been hoping all day that he might check in with Joyce, and Joyce, who also had been trying to reach Bill all day, knew the situation and then Bill called me in Mahone Bay. I had to tell him to get the next flight back to Logan as there would be no sense coming to Mahone Bay to wait for a week for good weather. When the weather clears I'll get a local here to sail with me to Portland and I'll pay for his return flight. I also will be paying for Bill's return flight.
There are few place I would rather be "stuck" in than Nova Scotia. This is a fabulous place. Everyone is friendly. Everyone knows everyone. They are cheerful and generous. The town of Lunenburg is informal and just a bit touristy. My friends Bill and Kerstin Gilkerson are warm, hospitable, and have offerred their guest house to me for the duration. Meantime, with Kerstin's help, I have gotten agreement with a local electrical rigger to come work on Jubilee Saturday so I have left her in Lunenburg. I plan to sail her over to Mahone Bay Sunday.
Time to relax some. The major part of the passage is done. I view making it to Nova Scotia was a major goal accomplished.
This does, however, change everything regarding the return to Beaufort. The wait until next Wednesday or Thursday means my plan for Portland to Newport is postponed, and Newport to Centerport cannot be completed before July 4. So I figure to have lost my crew partners on these legs. Also probably New York to Annapolis. Loss of my crew partners means a re-assessment of the whole return trip program. I'll be figuring this all out in the coming days.
Woody
Mahone Bay, NS
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Looking for a Weather Window
The 4 days from Nantucket were varied. The first two days were over 100 nm each,with10-20 kts wind from the south west. Then it turned light Monday, and on the nose so we motor-sailed very closed hauled going 4 miles off course alternating starboard and port. Tuesday the wind developed from the northwest and grew steadily to 25-30 kts with gusts to 35. In this range the tops of the waves were being blown off. We reefed once and then twice on the main, and then we reefed the jib. Still, on a port tack reach we were burying the lee shear and occasionally taking on water into the cockpit to leeward. We struck the jib and put up the storm jib, just a hankie of a sail but enough for good balance and to boost the speed in the slot between the jib and the main. Jubilee drove hard in this weather uncomplaining, but in the short period waves it was actually dangerous to be below. Our little Flicka was tossed about by these waves, with sudden major moves side to side. JD and I both experienced being thrown across the cabin banging our heads on the far side. The wind and wave action subsided somewhat around 8 PM Tuesday. We hugged the southern coast of Nova Scotia and arrived at Lunenburg harbor at 4:30 AM just as the sun was coming up.
We tied up at a randomly-selected wharf and went to bed, JD on the cabin sole and me in the cockpit. We slep peacefully until 10 AM when we were told we would have to move. Weotored over to the Marina and called for customs clearance. Most of the information was communicated by phone but an inspection was ordered and set for 1:30, but we would have to move to Government Wharf, which we did. While we awaited the customs officials (who arrived at 2:15) the end of the dock caught fire and I called the fire department. The fire was quickly extinguished....it had nothing to do with our presence.
After a lunch of local mussels and beer we went in search of a B&B. Booking a room with 2 bedsfor $109, we then returned to the boat and took her back to the Marina dock for the night. It is sunny and warm, and we had been drying out the interior of Jubilee, our clothes, the sleeping bag, etc. We walked back to the B&B with our overnight stuff, and JD went off to the laundromat with our soiled clothes while I started to plan our next leg of sailing: destination Portland, ME.
The weather outlook is not favorable. We will not attempt a crossing of the Gulf of Maine on an easterly or southeasterly wind. It looks like this is what we will have until June 22. Big winds on the nose are just not where Jubilee performs. In short period waves we just sit there and habby-horse, barely making headway. It is just not fun. So, I am advising my sailing partner for this leg to postpone his arrival here until we see a window. Bill Hickman has reservations for a flight tomorrow into Halifax.
Such is the nature of a sailing adventure in a small boat. It is almost impossibe to schedule with any degree of certainty. This may also push back other commitments, from Portland to Newport and Newport to Centerport, New York City, and down to Annapolis. Stay tuned.
Woody
We tied up at a randomly-selected wharf and went to bed, JD on the cabin sole and me in the cockpit. We slep peacefully until 10 AM when we were told we would have to move. Weotored over to the Marina and called for customs clearance. Most of the information was communicated by phone but an inspection was ordered and set for 1:30, but we would have to move to Government Wharf, which we did. While we awaited the customs officials (who arrived at 2:15) the end of the dock caught fire and I called the fire department. The fire was quickly extinguished....it had nothing to do with our presence.
After a lunch of local mussels and beer we went in search of a B&B. Booking a room with 2 bedsfor $109, we then returned to the boat and took her back to the Marina dock for the night. It is sunny and warm, and we had been drying out the interior of Jubilee, our clothes, the sleeping bag, etc. We walked back to the B&B with our overnight stuff, and JD went off to the laundromat with our soiled clothes while I started to plan our next leg of sailing: destination Portland, ME.
The weather outlook is not favorable. We will not attempt a crossing of the Gulf of Maine on an easterly or southeasterly wind. It looks like this is what we will have until June 22. Big winds on the nose are just not where Jubilee performs. In short period waves we just sit there and habby-horse, barely making headway. It is just not fun. So, I am advising my sailing partner for this leg to postpone his arrival here until we see a window. Bill Hickman has reservations for a flight tomorrow into Halifax.
Such is the nature of a sailing adventure in a small boat. It is almost impossibe to schedule with any degree of certainty. This may also push back other commitments, from Portland to Newport and Newport to Centerport, New York City, and down to Annapolis. Stay tuned.
Woody
Arrived in Nova Scotia & Cleared Customs
Day #22, Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Time of Report: 1930 Z
Position: 44.38, -64.31
Heading: at Port in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
Speed: moving rapidly by foot to a hot lunch and then hotel for some much needed rest!
Woody & JD have arrived on solid ground, in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia which is where the red circle is towards the bottom on the map!! They arrived around 830 Z this morning but did not clear customs until 1600 Z - a long wait. Reports over the last couple of days have been minimal and through Bill Tumlin (BT), the weather reporter. All I know is they put on some miles and had times where there was little to no wind and they were motoring to times where they were in winds of up to 35 miles per hour. I believe at one point they were "Heaving To" - for those non-nautical folks, "Heaving To" (also heave to) is a way of slowing a sail boat's forward progress, fixing the helm and foresail position so that the boat doesn't have to be actively steered, thereby allowing the crew to attend other tasks. It is commonly used for a "break" while waiting out a storm, or by the solo sailor as a way to provide time to go below deck or attend to issues elsewhere on the boat (including taking a lunch break) - thanks to Wikipedia for the explanation.
BT said the guys were headed to grab a hot meal and then to a hotel for some much needed rest. We'll look forward to an update from Woody & JD once they've had time to regroup. According to the plan, I believe tomorrow they will set sail for the Martin's River to Mahone Bay (circled in red at the top of the map) which is about 20 nm from Lunenberg, I believe. Woody will spend several days with his lovely wife, Alice and great friends, the Gilkerson's (see the last blog post for information about these interesting folks) and start shopping for a vacation home while there. I believe JD will head on to do some exploring around this gorgeous area by foot and then head south?
Woody & JD's sailing time together is coming to a close and I absolutely can not wait to hear their recount of the trip in person at the "Home Coming Party" which we'll start planning for some time in August. And on that note, I'll end with the following quote:
“There are those who pass like ships in the night, who meet for a moment, then sail out of sight with never a backward glance of regret; folks we know briefly then quickly forget. Then there are friends who sail together, through quiet waters and stormy weather, helping each other though joy and through strife. And they are the kind who give meaning to life.” ~ Author Unknown
Tracy ;)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Day 18 report - Brrr!!!
Day #18, Sunday, June 13, 2010
Time of Report: 2330 Z
Position: 42.46, -67.78
Heading: NE, towards Nova Scotia
Speed: Slow now, due to very light wind
Woody & JD reported having a great 24 hours of sailing, having departed Nantucket on Saturday, June 12 around 1930 Z. During their first 24 hours, they covered 115 miles. They have a little competition going on amongst themselves, as to who covers more miles while on watch. Both took a 6 hour watch (typically they do a 4 hour watch), and JD covered 30 miles, while Woody covered 27 - so JD's in the lead.
The winds have started shifting around to the nose and are lightening up. Woody said they would likely go off course a bit and probably motor through the evening. Dinner this evening was eggs and soup. They are trying to keep warm, as they estimated the temperature to be in the low 50s. Keeping warm has been a challenge as it has been raining the last 30 hours, and while their foul weather is keeping them dry, their gloves don't stay dry, so their hands are freezing! Woody said they are layering up but trying to get to sleep with the chill in their bones has been a challenge. Let' all send warm wishes their way, shall we?
Upon arrival in Nova Scotia Woody will have a warm welcome from his wife, Alice Lynch who is flying in on the 17th. Woody & JD will part ways, and I believe JD will do some exploring of the area before he flys home. Woody & Alice will be staying with their friends, Bill and Kerstin Gilkenon in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia for a couple of days. Alice and Kerstin have been friends since they attended the University of Texas. Kerstin is from Sweeden and was a Neiman Marcus model. It was she who had a Herreshoff 12 1/2 (a gorgeous classic boat) and in 2003, introduced Woody to it. Woody immediately fell in love with it and promptly put an order in to have one built. Bill is a well-known marine artist and the author of several books, and he is considered one of the world authorities on scrimshaw and on fire arms used on ships - http://www.williamgilkerson.com/. For those not familiar with scrimshaw, a quick search on wikipedia shows: "Scrimshaw is the name given to handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of Sperm Whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. It takes the form of elaborate carvings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engravings highlighted using a pigment, or small sculptures made from the same material. The making of scrimshaw began on whaling ships between 1745 to 1759 on the Pacific Ocean, and survived until the ban on commercial whaling. The practice survives as a hobby and as a trade for commercial artisans. A maker of scrimshaw is known as a scrimshande."
Friends and family are such an important part of our lives and I hope to post of picture of Woody, Alice, Bill and Kristen in an upcoming post. Here's a picture of Woody, his son Parker (right) and son-in-law Bob (left) in mid-May 2010 at Parker's son, Braxton's high school graduation party near Denver, CO.
I'll end with this quote:
To me, nothing made by man is more beautiful than a sailboat under way in fine weather, and to be on that sailboat is to be as close to heaven as I expect to get. It is unalloyed happiness. ~ Robert Manry, author, Tinkerbelle
Until next time, Tracy
Time of Report: 2330 Z
Position: 42.46, -67.78
Heading: NE, towards Nova Scotia
Speed: Slow now, due to very light wind
Woody & JD reported having a great 24 hours of sailing, having departed Nantucket on Saturday, June 12 around 1930 Z. During their first 24 hours, they covered 115 miles. They have a little competition going on amongst themselves, as to who covers more miles while on watch. Both took a 6 hour watch (typically they do a 4 hour watch), and JD covered 30 miles, while Woody covered 27 - so JD's in the lead.
The winds have started shifting around to the nose and are lightening up. Woody said they would likely go off course a bit and probably motor through the evening. Dinner this evening was eggs and soup. They are trying to keep warm, as they estimated the temperature to be in the low 50s. Keeping warm has been a challenge as it has been raining the last 30 hours, and while their foul weather is keeping them dry, their gloves don't stay dry, so their hands are freezing! Woody said they are layering up but trying to get to sleep with the chill in their bones has been a challenge. Let' all send warm wishes their way, shall we?
Upon arrival in Nova Scotia Woody will have a warm welcome from his wife, Alice Lynch who is flying in on the 17th. Woody & JD will part ways, and I believe JD will do some exploring of the area before he flys home. Woody & Alice will be staying with their friends, Bill and Kerstin Gilkenon in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia for a couple of days. Alice and Kerstin have been friends since they attended the University of Texas. Kerstin is from Sweeden and was a Neiman Marcus model. It was she who had a Herreshoff 12 1/2 (a gorgeous classic boat) and in 2003, introduced Woody to it. Woody immediately fell in love with it and promptly put an order in to have one built. Bill is a well-known marine artist and the author of several books, and he is considered one of the world authorities on scrimshaw and on fire arms used on ships - http://www.williamgilkerson.com/. For those not familiar with scrimshaw, a quick search on wikipedia shows: "Scrimshaw is the name given to handiwork created by whalers made from the byproducts of harvesting marine mammals. It is most commonly made out of the bones and teeth of Sperm Whales, the baleen of other whales, and the tusks of walruses. It takes the form of elaborate carvings in the form of pictures and lettering on the surface of the bone or tooth, with the engravings highlighted using a pigment, or small sculptures made from the same material. The making of scrimshaw began on whaling ships between 1745 to 1759 on the Pacific Ocean, and survived until the ban on commercial whaling. The practice survives as a hobby and as a trade for commercial artisans. A maker of scrimshaw is known as a scrimshande."
Friends and family are such an important part of our lives and I hope to post of picture of Woody, Alice, Bill and Kristen in an upcoming post. Here's a picture of Woody, his son Parker (right) and son-in-law Bob (left) in mid-May 2010 at Parker's son, Braxton's high school graduation party near Denver, CO.
I'll end with this quote:
To me, nothing made by man is more beautiful than a sailboat under way in fine weather, and to be on that sailboat is to be as close to heaven as I expect to get. It is unalloyed happiness. ~ Robert Manry, author, Tinkerbelle
Until next time, Tracy
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Departing Nantucket
We arrived in Nantucket from Montauk Yesterday (Friday) just after 5 PM and tied up at Straight Warf, slip #1022. Our first task was to retrieve the mailsail halyard. In the middle of Thursday night, while motoring into a head-on light breeze, the breeze shifted enough (30 degrees) off the nose so that we could make some use of the mainsail. JD was sleeping quietly on the sole. As I hoisted the mainsail I noticed there was not much resistance. Flashing the light at the mast I could see that the halyard shackle had come loose from the sail, and now it was too far up to retrieve. I woke JD and asked him to bring up the boat hook to try to retrieve the flailing halyard. No Luck. But JD cleverly used the jib halyard to hoist the main. We were sailing again but with the continued help of the engine to provide additional speed in the 5 MPH breeze. Once in port we hoisted up the MastMate, a series of foot-holding strap loops that attach to the mast with slugs that go up the sail slot. Without hesitation JD climbed the mast useing the MastMate and retrieved the main halyard, afterwards noting that he had been deathly afraid of heights. He went out of his comfort zone and thereby expanded his comfort zone and felt deservidly pretty good about his accompolishment. Our dock neighbors offerred us beer which we readily consumed with thanks. I treated us to 2-pound lobsters and a bucket of clam steamers for dinner at the Lobster Trap restaurant.
We are having some issues with the electronics, particularly the radar and AIS. I am trying to get help for these here in Nantucket before we depart at 2 PM but the only local knowlegibe about these things works in a retail store and says he can't get off until later in the day, by which time we will miss the tide and again fall behind in our plan which we constantly revise as circujmstances dictate. We can do it the old fashioned way, using our radar reflector, ships bell, and fog horn in the event of fog, but the other stuff would provide additional comfort.
Nantucket is a nice small walkable town. The cobble stone streets were made from ships' ballast stones in the 18th and 19th centuries. We spent the night at Hawthorn House, a B&B about 4 blocks from our Jubilee's berth in the boat basin. JD did the laundry this morning and is off exploring the town. Real estate is not cheap here. A basic place with a water view (from the second floor) starts at about $2 mil. A nice place with a good view can be had for abour $3.5 mil. There is a very nice estate here with some acreage that could be yours for $23 mil.
Woody
We are having some issues with the electronics, particularly the radar and AIS. I am trying to get help for these here in Nantucket before we depart at 2 PM but the only local knowlegibe about these things works in a retail store and says he can't get off until later in the day, by which time we will miss the tide and again fall behind in our plan which we constantly revise as circujmstances dictate. We can do it the old fashioned way, using our radar reflector, ships bell, and fog horn in the event of fog, but the other stuff would provide additional comfort.
Nantucket is a nice small walkable town. The cobble stone streets were made from ships' ballast stones in the 18th and 19th centuries. We spent the night at Hawthorn House, a B&B about 4 blocks from our Jubilee's berth in the boat basin. JD did the laundry this morning and is off exploring the town. Real estate is not cheap here. A basic place with a water view (from the second floor) starts at about $2 mil. A nice place with a good view can be had for abour $3.5 mil. There is a very nice estate here with some acreage that could be yours for $23 mil.
Woody
Thursday, June 10, 2010
On to Nantucket
We stopped at Montauk after a couple of 100+ nm days to take shelter from waht was expected to be 45+ kt winds in a rapidaly moving low that came up from the south. Turned out that the storm fizzled and all we got was rain and max 25 kt wind.
Today we are going to Nantucket. It is right on the way to Nova Scotia and JD has been reading Moby Dick (Nantucket was a whaling center and the Pequod sailed from there). We have booked a slitp in the Basin at Main Street and a B&B on Chestnut Street just a 5 minute walk away. Then on to Nova Scotia with expectred arrival in Lunenburg to clear customs on the 16th and into Martins River on Mahone Bay on nthe 17th.
Want to lose some weight? Take a cruise on a small sailboat like a Flicka. We have not been sea sick, but the appetite is not big and we use up the clarories we take in, plus some. My pants are now so loose around my waist that they would fall off without a belt which is on its tightest hole. We mostly snack on things like crackers with peanut butter or cheese, Chex-Mix (Traditional), Oreo cookies, Planters peanuts, and M&Ms. JD got the M&Ms with peanuts and I got the plain, and that is how we distinguish his packs of rations from mine. We have one nice hot meal each day usually in the evening fefore the start of the 8 o'clock watch.
Our watch pattern is JD does 8 to midnight, I do midnight to 4 AM, JD does 4 to 8 AM, and I do 8 AM to noon. We are usually both up from noon to 8 PM. Sail changes usually get us both involved although JD has gotten really good at doing it solo so as to not disturb my slumber. We are now so far east that the pre-dawn gray is coming on when I go to "bed" at 4 AM. We are north enough where we live in our fleece and bundle multiple layers at ni8ght.
Woody
Today we are going to Nantucket. It is right on the way to Nova Scotia and JD has been reading Moby Dick (Nantucket was a whaling center and the Pequod sailed from there). We have booked a slitp in the Basin at Main Street and a B&B on Chestnut Street just a 5 minute walk away. Then on to Nova Scotia with expectred arrival in Lunenburg to clear customs on the 16th and into Martins River on Mahone Bay on nthe 17th.
Want to lose some weight? Take a cruise on a small sailboat like a Flicka. We have not been sea sick, but the appetite is not big and we use up the clarories we take in, plus some. My pants are now so loose around my waist that they would fall off without a belt which is on its tightest hole. We mostly snack on things like crackers with peanut butter or cheese, Chex-Mix (Traditional), Oreo cookies, Planters peanuts, and M&Ms. JD got the M&Ms with peanuts and I got the plain, and that is how we distinguish his packs of rations from mine. We have one nice hot meal each day usually in the evening fefore the start of the 8 o'clock watch.
Our watch pattern is JD does 8 to midnight, I do midnight to 4 AM, JD does 4 to 8 AM, and I do 8 AM to noon. We are usually both up from noon to 8 PM. Sail changes usually get us both involved although JD has gotten really good at doing it solo so as to not disturb my slumber. We are now so far east that the pre-dawn gray is coming on when I go to "bed" at 4 AM. We are north enough where we live in our fleece and bundle multiple layers at ni8ght.
Woody
Brief stop in Montauk, NY
Day #14, Wednesday, June 9, 2010Time of Report: 2200 Z
Position: 41.07, -71.9311 (as of 2100 Z Wed, 6/9)
Heading: At port, Montauk, NY
Speed: On solid ground
We have gone a couple of days with out voice to voice communication with Woody & JD, however both BT (Bill Tumlin) and I have received voicemails. Due to weather patterns, Woody & JD made a quick stop into Montauk, NY in route to Nantucket and stayed there last night and planned on leaving this morning to sail on to Nantucket.
The voicemail I received on Tuesday was a report on their dinner. This dinner was the most special one they've had so far (much better than the freeze dried foods) as it was a fresh fish they caught off the stern of Jubliee. They sliced it up and enjoyed some sashimi (raw fish for you non-sushi lovers) and said it was delicious and had more than they could eat. The winds were light and they were motoring. BT did talk with them on Tuesday and had advised them of some severe weather heading in their direction, so again, it was a race against the weather! The weather router was also in agreement that they should head for shore. BT figured the best spot was Montauk, NY.
A little about Montauk, NY (from http://www.montauknyguide.com/): It is located on the farthest tip of Long Island. Different than the Hamptons in so many ways, Montauk is well situated far enough from its neighbors that it is unpretentious and peaceful. Sometimes compared to Ireland, Montauk is home to a vibrant Irish community. Montauk’s temperatures are usually 10 or more degrees cooler than New York City in the summer, and at least 10 degrees warmer in the winter. Montauk's shores are high and breezy and the wind always seems to blow with a slight taste of salt. A lighthouse – New York State's oldest, dating from 1796 – forms an almost symbolic finale to this stretch of the American coast.
If JD and Woody did indeed leave this morning, they should be heading East to Nantucket and according to weather reporter / navigation man, BT, he expects they'll arrive tomorrow morning. He did mention that there were some heavier winds building and they may be shifting in an unfavorable direction (on the nose, which means coming right at them - which entails a lot of chop and tacking). If this proves to be true, I bet they'll be quite tuckered out by the time they reach Nantucket. No "spots" have been dropped since yesterday, but we'll look forward to seeing some hopefully later today (Thursday), as well as getting an update from them.
Reporting from Atlanta Yacht Club's Junior Week (sailing camp), where we've had great breeze and cooler days all week. Being a cabin parent (and responsible for 4 16 year old boys), like Woody & JD, I'm one tuckered out gal! Tracy
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