Gently :-)

Sunday Oct. 2. - 12:00 hrs - Position 45º16.695N/007º15.557W, about 120 nm to go.

Sailing into Biscay is always said to be tricky. That might be very true but so far the the weather is magnificent. With a gentle breeze and a very gentle sea state we're having a gorgeous crossing.


We have crossed the deep water line and are now on the Atlantic.

We picked up a small bird around Brest I guess. That had to stay with us because we were too far from land for it to fly back. At one time it came to sit on Rutger's head and of course it didn't only sit but shit, too :-). It was a little bird so the dropping was small. Unfortunately, the stress must have been too much. It went to sleep last night under the spray-hood but Andy found it dead later :-(

Yesterday we had a lot of fuzz going on with a may day relay. There was a lot of talking over the radio and the distress signal went off a few times. Although we were in international waters, they only spoke French

over the radio. We had no clue at all, no position was given, whatsoever. Anyway, there were a lot of vessels in the AIS so I figured the rescue operation would not need our assistance. I guess we were too far away anyway, because I heard them talking about a cell phone number of the vessel in distress, so they had to be close to shore.

Later that day Rutger spotted a whale. We could see the spray of water a couple of times and it's back coming slightly out of the water. That was great. We tried to film it, but that didn't work out and it only lasted

for a few minutes. Too bad for Andy he was asleep ...

Last night was fantastic. We did about 6 kt over ground with 9 kt wind; it was not cold at all, and the sky was full of stars. The only light pollution came from our tricolor. 4 times I saw a shooting star, not just vaguely but like you see in the movies - right in the direction I was looking. So I made a wish: that everything would just continue as it was right now.... it was just perfect :-)

We have had no luck with fishing so far - all we caught is sea weed... The line obviously wasn't set tight enough when we put it out, so without us noticing it, the whole reel, about a mile, rolled out.  It took us quite a while to get it all in again...

Anyway, if the winds stays like this, we will do the whole trip from Brighton to La Coruña in just one
- port!! -  tack. That would be quite unique :-)

48º38.808N / 05º05.820W

BAY OF BISCAY  -  We left Brighton around 5pm Wednesday and started off with the genaker :-)

After a while though the wind dropped and we got down to 1.8 kt speed.

We started the engine to keep some speed. The night was clear and full of stars.

The winds stayed very light so we kept on motorsailing into the second night.

For a few hours we had some really thick fog. So again I was very pleased with the sea-me and the AIS.

Today, Friday, again the weather is very nice. The wind picked up a bit and we killed the engine, still doing 8.5 kt over ground !

The wind is supposed to become easterly. That would be great for a direct leg to La Coruña. If that would really happen, we'd make the whole trip from Brighton to La Coruña in one single tack !!

Great service

As I went over to the marina office to get the boat hoisted out to fix the leaking fitting, they told me that the lock was being maintained and they could not hoist me out. However if we would go to the Sussex Yacht club in Shoreham, they would help us. We had to call them first though and make sure to go in on high tide. Otherwise there might be just enough water for the dingy...

So I made the call and we could come on Wednesday between 11:00 and 11:30. Since that was only 5 nm it would not take us more then an hour to get there. As we did, we were the last in the row and that made sense because they let us in the sling standing on the keel on timber.

Barry came over to help me with the fittings. I didn't have the tools to do it by my own so I was very grateful that I was considered as an emergency that had to be helped out right away. The guy works 6 days a week from 7 till 7, but he left his workshop to help us. The other boats would not go out anyway so it didn't matter they'd has to wait an extra day.

Anyway, the sea cock came of quite easy and the fitting too. That did not look too bad though and after Barry had cleaned them they looked like new. Hmmm, I couldn't find any real evidence of leakage, which was fine but then again... So I checked again and thought it better to check the one below too. We couldn't go anywhere until high tide Wednesday. Barry didn't look too happy but he very quickly agreed that it would be sensible thing to do. Anyway the second fitting most definite was the leaking one. The hole turned out to be way to big for the fitting and it wasn't centered anymore. Probably I had done that myself when I replaced the sea cock last year.

Barry fixed it and after 4 hours of work we were all set and watertight again :-)

So at high tide tomorrow we'll be of to Brighton to pick up the alternator that is being refurbished today, do the shopping and pick up the toilet seat hinges that Zoë from the Brighton chandlers had ordered for us, we'll be off for La Coruna. Zoë too was very helpful in finding stuff out for us. I must say that I am very pleased with the excellent customer service everybody is giving us!!

Also I must make Andy a compliment for his great cooking ! He really is very good. Monday evening he made a fantastic curry, which Rutger finished today for breakfast as well as for luch.

The good thing is that Andy will teach Rutger how to cook, so he can take over during the crossing :-)

Brighton

We left Harwich Friday around 12 UTC to catch the tide. We all had slept very well :-)

The weather was nice and sunny and although the wind was SW and would mean a lot of tacking, the waypoints we set to avoid all the shallows, shipping lanes and whatever more, were just about right for the tacking. So if the wind would have veered to the west, the route would have been the same !

The sailing was great and the weather stayed fine too. After a great meal, cooked by Andy, we started the watch system. Andy enjoys cooking and Rutger and I enjoy eating his meals... a lot :-)

Doing watches worked out fine even though Rutger stayed a bit longer, I came on deck a bit early and Andy stayed a bit longer. The reason was obvious. We were crossing the Dover section, the crowdiest part of the channel. A night you get too sea the other vessels best but estimating distances is a bit harder. Also they seem to come from everywhere and a second set of eyes is not a luxury.

I was very pleases with the AIS I installed. What a help!! You can see the vessels around you, where they're heading, their speed and course. Steering into the night can play tricks on your eyes and what you think you see, the AIS is very comforting !

Also I don't regret installing the 'sea-me'. The other vessels did actually see me and gave us way. As they should, but don't do all the time because they don't see you :-o.

So two ferries at the Dover entrance did bare off to give us way and the crossing went very smoothly. It was just about sunrise, so we got to see the contours of the famous cliffs and that was a treat too :-)

We did have our timing on the spot so we with the tide we were doing over 8 kts over ground with the same number on true wind speed !!

Again it was a great and sunny day for sailing and we enjoyed that very much. With the wind still SW we just might make it on one tack all the way to Falmouth :-)

We got out the fishing gear and as we did we saw our first dolphin! Unfortunately, when Rutger got his camera he was gone. Since the wind died and we were running short on power, I turned on the engine. I was glad I did because after a while I noticed the batteries weren't charging. Something was wrong! I did the checks I would know off, not being an electrician and the conclusion was that the alternator was down....

I have two alternators, one for then engine battery and one for the domestic batteries, so we were not in danger to loose the engine. However would would loose the power for the fridge, the instruments and the nav lights. Now a consider myself very lucky this happened at the time and place where we were. Now we could look at the chart and pick the best marina to go we could reach in daylight. That turned out to be Brighton.

So Brighton was our next unintentional stop :-) Anyway the weather is still nice and sunny. The facilities are very good as the place itself :-) We went out for diner and a few beers in a pub with live music.

Today,Sunday when I went to the showers, there was this stand of the RNLY royal national live boat institute. We had a chat and they gave me the number of an electrician that might be able to help me out with the alternator :-)

We'll get it fixed, anyway that's not the only thing that needs fixing. It turned out that the one of the through hull fittings in the front head is leaking. Not heavily but still.. I don't want to cross Bisquay on a leaking boat.... so we'll have that fixed too.
Anyway, although I wasn't really happy with all this, I'm glad it happened here and not mid Atlantic :-o

Today we all cleaned the boat. Rutger redid the roping, he doesn’t like ropes that cross each other, and Andy's cooking a wonderful meal again with all fresh vegetables. We'll sort the repairs out tomorrow and do the shopping for the trip to La Coruna. Then it'll be off for Spain probably Tuesday, although we will check the weather first :-)

Great start !

Tuesday 16:30, we slipped the lines. It was a very nice farewell and emotionally too. I'm gonna miss all that were there to say goodby. Also, it was actually happening now. All I have been planning for more then year was now happening. How does it normally feel when a dream starts to come true?

The wind was good and fresh, about 25 kts SW. I decided best to put a reef in for the start. The sea state was a bit choppy and we didn't want to get anyone seasick right away...

After about a mile or so we were called on the vhf advising us to change course because we were running into the cables that were being laid out. I was down below talking to this man and he kept on talking urging me to change course or I would loose my boat. I confirmed the message and was on my way up when he started talking again... urging me to take action... Andy and Rutger had heard parts of it on the cockpit speaker but didn't understand all what was going on.

Anyway. I went up and we tacked and moved on.

The wind was supposed to decrease and veer to the west on Wednesday so we decided to first cross the channel and the go south under the shores of England. We steered around 285 not wanting to sail too close hauled when the wind picked up to 33-34 kts. We made very good speed, around 9-10 kts boat speed. Even though the overall direction was north of west, we thought we could make that up with the speed we made and the advantage of a veering wind next day...

Since we left late afternoon and because of all the excitement, we weren't ready for the watch system I had planned for starting at 7 pm. After a while Rutger wasn't feeling too good and went down. Andy and I stayed up together. When the wind picked up, we put in a second reef and furled in the genoa a bit more. A force 7 was not in the forecast and also the marine safety messages from the Dutch coastguard only hold a warning for force 6....

Anyway, the sailing was good and with the second reef in I could still steer with two fingers only .

But as the night went on, not according to the watch system, we were getting a bit tiered. Also we didn't get to cook really, the sea sate was to choppy and we were not yet in a routine of any kind..

Next morning the wind finally around 8 am decreased. Actually, it went down to only 7 kts but did not veer. So to avoid going backwards because of the faul tide, we started the motor. We needed to power up the batteries anyway. After a while the wind picked up again but still didn't veer.... Tacking it was then :-) The wind picked up to over 30 kts again and still hadn't veered one bit...

The weather was fine though and overnight it was all clear and full of stars. So we really enjoyed the sailing even though we didn't made a lot of progress.

We decided to make a stopover in Harwich for a good sleep and a good meal. We got in the Shotley marina around 4:30 and after tiding up the boat slept into the day :-)

Next 'morning' we had a great 'breakfast' in the sun and also a very nice shower to rinse off all the salt of two days. I also called Charlie who we'd pick up somewhere on the South coast. Unfortunately his back was still not too good and his doctor advised him not to take on the trip crossing Biscay. It would have been great to have Charlie joining us but not at the cost of his health.

Anyway, I'm checking on other possibilities, but if not, we'll do the crossing the three of us, providing the weather is good and the forecaster for once will deliver :-)

Today we'll be going South and keep on sailing for a couple of days to really get into the watch system. We'll see how far west the winds will bring us. We'd like to go to Falmouth but we don't have to.

Date and time set

Today’s my last day at the office... got a picture of my colleagues wishing me all the best and a save trip. That was really nice J

It’s a starter for saying goodbye next Tuesday to Eline, Laurens and Kitty …  But then again, I’ve been planning for over a year now and I’m ready to leave.                      

The plan is to leave Tuesday afternoon. Faull tide but whatever… we’re not racing and timing for everyone that want to be there to say goodbye is far more important!

The only thing else that matters is the weather and the forecast for the next days. That looks good, not too much wind and sort of steady till Friday.

After that a depression is expected, the remains of Maria or something like that.

So:… Tuesday, 16:00 hr will be our time to slip the lines and set sail for Falmouth!

We’ll be the three of us, Andy, whom I’ll be picking up at the airport tomorrow, Saturday, Rutger and I.  Next posting will be from Falmouth !

Final preperations

A lot of stuff still had to be dealt with the past months. Mostly minor things like insurance paperwork, but I also thought it better to change the seacock for the water inlet to cool the engine. That was pretty corroded and didn’t look that good.

The insurance paperwork turned out in changing company since the company I had didn’t cover a tip going to the Carieb. I asked several companies for a quote. One large English company that had a good review in Yachting Monthly offered the coverage I was looking for. However it turned out one already had to be a customer with European coverage for some time before they would consider expanding the coverage for the Caribbean. Anyway I got a good offer from Unigarant. They required an inspection of the boat which was fine with me and went very well of course. After all I’m not preparing my boat for the insurance but for a safe trip for myself and my crew!  Anyway, I’m insured so that’s taken care of.

One other thing I wanted to fit was a ‘sea-me’ radar reflector. That’s an active reflector which sends a signal when hit by the radar beam from another vessel, .. strong enough to make me look like  a freighter J I installed the sounder with it, so when it’s been hit, it beeps, and I know there’s a ship nearby.

To change the seacock I had to haul the boat out of the water. I expected to find some mussels and stuff, I had noticed the boat was steering different but when the boat came out it looked more like a coral reef had started to grow. Also the prop was overwhelmed ..L.

It took a while to clean it all and to restore the antifouling. I was a bit worried about the seacock changing action. That can turn out to be a real hassle … but … that went surprisingly smooth.

The tube for mounting the hose broke of right away so it was about time for a change. It really looked like one of the examples I had read in the articles in the Yachting Monthly on sea cocks. If you want to read more, sea: nightmare-of-seacock

It was a quite frightening series on the difference between brass and bronze. In short: you should use brass sea cocks only in fresh water conditions but not at sea. The zinc in brass will dissolve over time in salt water conditions, over time meaning 5 years or less depending on the electrolyse conditions at your berth. Bronze will hold for at least 15 years. I was quite surprised to learn that this was not common knowledge at the chandleries I regularly buy stuff.  Anyway, the one I fitted new obviously was bronze.

What I should have bought also for replacement was a [zinc!] anode for the prop. It was to be expected that that was more or less gone .. and it was! The chandlery of course had all types of anodes, except the one I needed.  Well anyway, as soon as we get to warmer waters, I’ll get out my snorkel and change it.. J

Since the work went pretty well and no other surprises popped up, we were in the water again soon and sailing back to Scheveningen…. a knot faster,  going upwind and against the tide then the day before, going downwind with the spinnaker and with the tide .. :-o

One other thing to take care off was getting the medicines for the trip. I took the regular first aid course learning how to deal with emergencies while waiting for the ambulance. Basically  the only thing you learn is how to do CPR. Of course that’s very useful but not at sea where no ambulance will come in the next 10 minutes. So I also did the medical training that officers on freighters have to do. There I learned how to physical examine sick or injured people, set injections, stitch up wounds etc. Of course you only get to do this on behalf of the Radio Medical doctor who tells you how and what. You’re his eyes and hands so to speak.  Part of the treatment might involve giving some kind of medication. So there’s a list of medicines in specific doses and concentrations which is exactly know by the Radio Medical doctor and basically he can just give you the number of the box to be sure to give the appropriate medicine. Most sailors go to their doctor and get some prescriptions for antibiotics or painkillers, but I feel more comfortable this way. Of course, I hope I never have to use them and I can throw al away afterwards, but anyway…
Want to read more? check  stc-bv.nl course 'scheepsgezondheidszorg onbeperkt' [SGZO]

Finding a place to leave the boat safely from the end of January till we com back to sail her home again was sort of the last thing to take care of.. a bit depressing to do right now. On the other hand, it’s not something I want to spend a lot of time on when I get there. I found a promising place in St. Martin that seems affordable too …

What’s left on the list now is more or less down to going to the supermarket and stow the stuff. After that we can slip the lines and set sail for the first leg, to Falmouth in the SW of England J