Hope Floats

26th June 2010

Watermelon Summer

Hope Floats……. And so does WJ3!  Ya’all be pleased ta know that WJ3 has splashed.  She is now in a pen at Deltaville Marina for a month.  Yesssireee bob, we’ve moved a grand total of 400 metres – most of it by travel lift.

Well, I know you’re curious.  Remember the planned 2 week "working on the boat and it will all be done before madam arrives” thing?  Well it all fell in a heap beginning with the 2 weeks home alone and continues still, even after 6 weeks of working on the hard in Virginia’s impossible summer heat.  We’re now enjoying daily heatwave conditions varying between 99 to 100F’s mixed up with the odd 104F (40C) days for good measure.  Did I mention the humidity?

Hey!  That's my spot!

Work and modifications continued in sauna conditions up in the yard until “we” made a decision that life would be a wee bit better afloat.  You know – mod cons like refrigeration, aircon (so we can sleep at night), a bath house and even a swimming pool a mere 10 steps away.  Sign me up!  The Cap’n continues with his to-do list and has added a few unplanned extras like solar panels in prep for the big crossing next year.  Why not, indeed?  Things are cheaper, easier to access and we have professionals close at hand if it all turns to you-know-what.  The First Mate continues to direct traffic from either the pool or the air conditioned sailor’s lounge. As you would expect!

Prime Position at Deltaville Marina

We are now into week 2 of our 4 week stay at the marina and WJ3‘s engine is in bits – a major service is underway and the cheque book is in need of a little defibrillation!  Our float plan is also in need of a facelift as summer (in the north) is fading quickly.  Watch this space – we may get as far as Reedville this year!  (Reedville is on the other side of the Rappahannock River – about 30nm or an afternoon’s sail away). 

Yes, it's not a blue moon

It’s just that Windjammer seems to really like it here.   And she wants to stay…

A Not So Civil War

Jacksonville to Charleston: 13-14 Aug 09

Delightful Company

In order to save a time and many a grounding in Georgia ICW shallows, the Motleys opted to do a little sea time.  Out of the St Johns River, WJ3 clicked her heels and frolicked along the way with lots of friendly dolphins.  In this area, the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Stream is incredibly shallow.  At 12 miles out, we floated along in 35 to 45 feet of water.  If WJ3 sank (heaven forbid!) then her mast would be at least another 20 feet above sea level…

Our evening at sea brought with it an assemblage of thunderstorms, which seemed to stretch along the coast as far as the eye could see.  Smugly, we assumed we’d outrun them, until we turned seaward and watched as storms began to brew out over those Atlantic shallows.  Our night sail gradually began to turn into a sailor’s game of dodging lightning, rain and thunderous billowing clouds.  The Cap’n tried to ward off evil spirits with jump-lead cables that streamed off the shrouds and into the water (an old sailor’s remedy).  Luckily we managed to steer our way around most of it but did not escape a cold front moving in with accompanying wild winds.  Not the best experience at sea, even thought we were well reefed. As an aside...we did put out a fishing rod/lure whilst out in the briney.  You guessed - another barracuda!  The Cap'n was beginning to feel sorry for the trail of dead un's we'd left behind.  GS was less forgiving.

Storm off St Augusta

As WJ3 lacked autopilot and a GPS linked to our computerised chart programs, the Cap’n had to take two hourly readings with his hand-held GPS.  We fell into this routine fairly easily, although didn’t usually manage to get more than an hour of sleep after all necessary chores, including meals were completed.  The Cap’n achieved some straight lines between waypoints as we romped northward but GS ensured his skills were tested, especially when he slept.  “Oh look, dolphins!  Aren’t they so cute?  Ooops, heading east again!  Look how close that big ship is!  Ooops, turned a 360 again!  Won’t I be in trouble!  Ha! Ha!  That was fun, let’s try another 360...  Oh, look a turtle! Oops, straying west again!”  And so on it went! 

Luckily we managed to continue north and make it firstly into Charleston Harbour, South Carolina and then, back into the ditch (as the ICW is fondly known to locals).  We anchored opposite City Marina in Ashley River and wondered at the amount of local boat traffic that passed us by at speed (and so bounced us about in their wakes!).  The worst wakes we’ve christened “coffee-pot breakers” in honour of our St Martin plunger, broken in St Augustine, and still not been able to replace.  We had high shopping hopes for Charleston!

From: Jacksonville, FL  Lat/Long: 30 19N  81 39W  Date/Time: 13/8/09: 0900

To: Charleston, SC  Lat/Long: 32 47N  79 57W Date/Time: 14/8/09: 1600
Time Taken: 160nm (19hrs)  Distance (this year): 2226nm (427hrs)
Distance Total (since 2008): 3075nm  (605hrs)   Fastest Speed: 5.5kts**
Weather: S-SW  10-15kts;  Seas 3-5ft;  showers & possible afternoon thunderstorms.  Who were they kidding??
(** Motoring and sailing; bumpy ride up the coast dodging storm banks)

Hot Diggity Dog

Spaced Out in Titusville

Strange things float in the ICW in the early morning...

Titusville deserves a special mention.  Not only because it’s the gateway to Kennedy Space Centre & Cape Canaveral complex but because it hosts the most amazing thunderstorms.  We’d set anchor out from the Municipal Marina and had dinner watching an amassing cloud bank, even taking pictures of huge lightning spears piercing nearby country-side.  Then suddenly it turned.  We watched from the cockpit in horror as it came quickly toward us.  The Cap’n stowed some electrical gear in the microwave (No, it wasn’t on!) for protection, turned everything off and disconnected anything electrical.  Cap’n Vigilant then stood in the cockpit (not holding anything metal) in the pouring rain, as if Zeus, warding off a lightning strike.

That means BIG trouble - Florida Hazard #2

Suddenly, bang, fizzle!  Sparks flew, GS screamed and the Cap’n swore.  We’d been hit!  For a few seconds, our fishing rods and horse-shoe life buoy appeared unseasonably decorated by Christmas sparklers.  Sadly, all that remained of our masthead VHF antenna and wind instruments lay charred in the cockpit; the stainless steel antenna bracket blackened and peeled like barbequed onion. With no time to waste, our Cap’n Resilient started an ever-growing (shopping) list of items to be replaced, including a VHF radio. Always the optimist!

Space Glove

Now, you can’t miss the giant Vehicular Assembly Building sitting proudly above a vast expanse of Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge.  After our “supernatural” experience, we decided to give science a go!  We hired a car – there are no scheduled buses.  Titusville doesn’t have a single community bus!  Nobody walks.  They all drive.  Nothing is convenient to anything else!  It’s truly amazing how shop owners make a living.  

Anyway, back to the KSC.  We had an interesting day poking old rocket bits, watching new parts being assembled and learning from IMAX 3D movies.  We toured the grounds (yes, even NASA has buses!), touched a piece of the moon and sat through a staged launch countdown.  It was interesting to hear how close the moon landing was to being aborted (20 Jul 69).  We ate lunch under Saturn V (the largest rocket ever made) and avoided kiddies on the newest “ride” – a vertical launch experience at 17500mph?!!  (Mmmm, actually that’s not such a bad idea!  Pay to have your kids propelled into outer space!  Now, where do I sign them up?)

We returned from KSC just in time for our evening’s entertainment – another growing thunderstorm.  The lightning just missed us this time, but gale force winds did not!  We could only hold on and hope that Bertha (a big 72lb Rocna) and lots of heavy chain would hold. 

“If we survive this,” said a decisive GS, “we are leaving Titusville tomorrow, very early.”  And so we did…

Deep (really deep) Thoughts

Deliberations along the Thorny Path

The Thorny Path is a popular term given to the trek made from the US to the Caribbean, usually by Snowbirds* heading south into the tropics.  It is made mostly over winter months, across a few nasty passages and always bashing into those relentless trade winds.  Hence the title “thorny”.  I’ve read that many a cruising dream has crashed along this challenging route.

This was our reward at the end of a passage

The Caribbean has some dark deep waters.  We had already crossed the Anegada Passage.  Now we faced both the Puerto Rican trench, the second deepest in the world, and its nearby cousin, the Mona Passage.  The Mona strikes fear into the hearts of many cruisers.  A 60 mile passage between Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, its unpredictable currents, deep waters (16,000 ft) and rough shoals equal brutal waters.  In both these areas, huge volumes of water tumble into deep trenches, creating massive, underwater waterfalls.  Not far away, the Gulf Stream, perhaps the world’s largest maritime river at 45 miles wide, is flowing northwards at a rapid 2.5 knots.  In the middle of the Bahamas Banks lies the Tongue of the Ocean.  This crevasse drops to a mere 8km deep.  Don’t think we’ll be snorkelling that one!

Mixing it up (and keeping us on our toes) were some amazing evening thunderstorms that raced out from Puerto Rico to about 30 miles off the coast.  Each evening, a line of dramatic thunderstorms and lightening spears are released by a mix of land heat and the setting sun.  Sometimes these storms dissipate to squalls or showers. Other times they can grow into monsters; intense storms that some say are fiercer than those in the North Sea.  Again we were lucky as we watched threatening rain-filled clouds and lightening crack the skies around us. We could have seen worse.

May & June are months when the otherwise constant NE Trades quieten down and are replaced by south-easterlies; a precursor to the hurricane season when winds become tropical revolving storms.  Off we went lickity-split, taking advantage of fair winds and following current.

Well we do need a holiday too!

 

*Snowbirds is the term given to North Americans (& Canadians too, I guess) who travel south to winter six months in the balmy waters of the Bahamas or Caribbean.  I wonder what they’d call Aussies going north to the Whitsundays – Pelicans?  Penguins?

Hurricane Omar

I was just reading the recent news of Hurricane Omar: 16th Oct 08, swinging through only ten days after we left for home!



Sad to say that Hurricane Omar has left a trail of devastation in our recent playground. This hurricane is unusual in that it has come from the west and flicked north. We hope everyone we met is safe and that their boats withstood the wild winds, waves and rain.

This map came from Jeff Master's site. 

(Ed. 2022  Sadly, this informative sited closed some years ago) 

Plans, Schedules & History Lessons

Mappin’ it down: 1 Oct 08

This is for our friends and family who have been curious about where we were sailing. Aside from half a world away from home, the Caribbean is a totally different cultural experience.



Christopher Columbus

Columbus named the Caribbean, The Indies, during his voyages in 1492. He believed he had landed in India. The whole area is called the Antilles (apparently after mythical islands at the end of the earth) with the northern islands being the Greater Antilles and the southern islands the Lesser Antilles. Overall The West Indies is a collection of 27 territories and some 7000 islands spread neatly across the equator connecting the US to the South American coastline. Making for a great warm climate sailing adventure!

We’ve been sailing the Lesser Antilles; essentially made up of the Virgin Islands, the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands down to Trinidad. Our cruise did not include the USVI, due largely to their visa requirements and our schedule, given we had set sail too close for comfort in the hurricane season window. Sitting in Bequia and Grenada watching hurricanes lashing coastal US and the northern Caribbean gave us some sense of relief in that we had made the right decision to move with haste down to the relative safety of 12 degrees. We were happier still to arrive in Trinidad....

General location of the Caribbean

(with an easy to read map thanks to World Atlas)

Salt Whistle Bay

To put things in perspective, it’s time for a short history lesson! Evidence of first settlers in the islands goes back some 5000 years. Later on, Arawaks, a group of peaceful Amerindians, some from the Orinoco River Delta (South America) area, gradually settled on the islands. In the 12^th century, the more war-like Caribs followed. We have these folk to thank for tobacco, the hammock, hearty bbqs and cannibalism; the latter two said to be largely the plight of the Arawaks at the hand of the Caribs. 

Old Warehouses, Grenada

Columbus, in his search for the East Indies in 1492, set the pace for eager Conquistadores greedy for gold and other riches to be had in Central and South America. It didn’t take long before others, in national or self-interest (pirates), set sail for the Spanish Main in search of booty. Maritime dominance was critical and many islands were settled with military establishments to protect these interests. Piracy, legal or otherwise, lasted for several hundred years; well in the 1700’s.

As the turbulent buccaneer era waned, English, French, Dutch and Danish settlers began colonising. From the 1620’s, and over the next 200 years, the islands were frequently fought over and changed hands many times. Pressures varied, including the American Revolution to the Napoleonic Wars. All to the detriment of any surviving Caribs, who just didn’t stand a chance!

Fort George 1705

Although the Spanish had made use of slave labour years before, it wasn’t until the 1780’s when slavery became big business. Following improved law enforcement, casual farming was replaced by organised plantations and the need for cheap labour. The islands produced sugar cane, indigo, pineapples, spices and rum and the Trade Winds were conducive to international business dealings. 

Despite the abolition of slavery by the British in 1834, a profit driven Plantocracy continued their exploitation. Much later, after numerous slave rebellions, a much less profitable system of indentured workers became common. Many of these workers came from places like India and China. However, their life wasn’t much better than that of slaves. By the mid 1800’s, the boom was over; beet had replaced cane sugar, slaves had their freedom and white populations had deserted many of the islands. 

Spiriting off - grocery shopping Caribbean style

Faltering economies and natural disasters eventually forced the islands out of a peaceful slumber and as late as the 1980’s, the rise in tourism became seen as an opportunity for a sustainable life. So here it is today, a popular road, well travelled.

Tourism Caribbean Style

Michael row the boat ashore, NOW!

Wont Seasnin’ wit Dat?: 30 Sep 08 

Sunset over Venezuela - that's South America, folks!

Well, we’ve not got long to go now so it’s time to be a bit reflective about our trip so far. What’s been most important to us? Weather; security; and good ol’ communication!

Hurricanes. Need I say more? Our whole itinerary was planned around the consequences of the weather, in particular hurricanes. If we could get internet connection by hanging upside down over hot coals, our first search was always for weather; hurricane reports as well as local weather. We had a few favourite sites such as Jeff Masters, NHAA and CaribWX; with a little American weatherdotcom smooze thrown in for good measure. The Cap’n perused our cruising guides (all 5 of them) to ascertain the best hurricane safe harbours. We talked to “old hands” and read books on hurricane survival strategies. Thankfully, our only experience was to have those regular trade winds knocked over by north passing “significant features” and so see way too much wind action from the SE.

Montserrat

As if wind watching wasn’t enough, we had to keep a weather eye out for volcanic activity & earthquakes. Lessons from the past, including recent activity on Montserrat prevented us visiting some areas. In Montserrat you need special permission to land because at least half the island is an exclusion zone. (There was an eruption on 28 Jul 08. Luckily we were in St Martins!) The obvious lava flow near St Pierre (Martinique, 1902) was a reminder of the devastation an eruption can bring – not to mention tsunami and other troublesome worries for nautical types. We prepared…it was like being in Nepal all over again!

Saba Rock Resort

Of course, and it seems strange to mention it because after all that’s why we’re here, but we did have to keep an eye out for coral reefs. Beautiful yet treacherous; too many have unwittingly succumbed. In Tyrell Bay, Carriacou, they call one reef “bare boater’s alley”. Despite the wonders of modern navigational aids, “eyeball” navigation in good light was considered the best means for avoiding a good grinding or at worst a sinking! 

Taking Security Seriously

A newspaper published monthly, the Caribbean Compass, gave us an eye on the cruising community; hot topics, news and views. It made for good reading although we were concerned about news of killings and robbings, especially in Venezuela and even St Vincent. Security is a huge issue, and unlike some gun-totin’ Yankees we met, we chose to just be cautious, lock up and ask locals questions. We left our dingy strapped firmly to WJ3 & out the water in Dominica. 

Boat Watch

In St Martin and St Lucia we waited to launch until confirming with marina staff that dingy theft was not an issue. BW decorated our outboard with paint and removed evidence of its horsepower. We also invested in chain & locks. Security net is also a helpful compilation of reported crime, which makes for interesting reading & useful advice. Lastly, we have finally come upon the Cruisers Net on VHF Channel 68. This is daily weather, security, information and social updates for cruisers. SSB radio seems to be somewhat “old hat” given new generation internet availability, so we found it difficult to tune in.

Researchin' Trini style

With the proliferation of internet access, many cafes and marinas are turning to wifi. That doesn’t mean those little radio waves are always buzzin’…. Interference comes in many forms – most usually in the shape of superyachts and hot water boats with big antenna & lots of electronics. Otherwise, our anchorage was out of line-of-sight; just too far out; swinging the wrong way or a multitude other such technical mysteries that my little computer could not cope with! Enough to drive you to drink! Mmmm, now that’s a good idea!