Reflections from Simon
Sunday 26th Nov 2023
Time to write my blog .. but what to write?
I considered a simple A to B travelogue, or a comparison with my previous mountaineering experiences (harking back to an old hero, Eric Shipton, climber turned sailor). In my head I compared us to astronauts or reflected on the improvements in sailing technology over time. Would it feel like a pilgrimage; combining a journey through space/time with inner/spiritual (?) enlightement? My conclusion was that the greatest challenge and steepest climb was the "learning curve". There was soooo much to learn on this trip and I have to accept from the outset that I wasn't the best or most attentive student. While, at 63, I don't feel partially old it soon became clear that taking in lots of information, retaining and using it appropriately was to be a significant challenge. Probably not assisted by sleep deprivation (related to the 4 hour watch pattern), managing nausea (initially at least) and the fear of nausea and use of scopolomine patches to aid said sea sickness (medication that has numerous side effects).
Anyways moving on ...
Pete and myself (two novice crew) met with Mike (owner/skipper) and Dave (with many years of sailing experience, including racing yachts from his hometown of Richmond in San Francisco).
We drove to Moorehead City Yacht Basin to join Sailing Vessel Cotinga .. a beautiful 46 foot, single hull yacht built by Morris circa 1999 (complete with stunning cabinets and fittings finished in cherry wood). Our plan .. to sail to St Thomas Island in the US Virgin islands; a distance of circa 1250 nautical miles on the High seas. A reassuring bit of data being that Cotinga had 8000 pounds of lead in her keel (a counterweight beneath the hull) which meant she was virtually impossible to capsize .. especially as the wind tends to spill from the sails as the boat keels over. We soon realized that Cotinga was a very well behaved Vessel inspiring great confidence matched only by my faith in our competent crew members. Over the next two days Mike worked through a check list of essential information: weather forecast sites with complex graphics of winds and currents etc, use of navigation devices and autopilot, emergency systems, life raft and rescue bag (including water, provisions, communication and way point beacon), use of two way radio and the call signs for different levels of concern and risk (mayday being the obvious, extreme call!).
A trip to Fort Macon helped used get acquainted with the boats small dingy with its outboard motor. The dingy would be stored at the bow for the long passage but used all the time whilst we were cruising in the USVI. It required practice in towing, removing and replacing the motor from the dingy and stowing the dingy on the rear stays. The latter task creating much entertainment as Pete and I tried to work out what to do sans instruction. I think we did reasonably well, only requiring a few tweaks to our rope work! Whilst cruising I had the pleasure of steering the dingy on a number of occasions (thanks Mike) and it was one of the few skills where I developed a reasonable sense of competence.
Over the next few days we studied and discussed options and timings for setting sail. This was probably the hardest part of all the decision making throughout the trip. We had a long journey ahead which we expected to take up to 10 days. The forecast was mixed and increasingly unreliable as it got further from the present day. Also our situation was made worse by a restriction limiting us to 250 Mike's from land that had been imposed by Mike's insurance. We needed to cross the Gulf Stream (likely to be rough seas) but then risked getting stuck in areas of low wind. As we had insufficient fuel to use our motor for the whole journey it was necessary to chose the most efficient route that would maximize our ability to sail, or at least get wind assistance. Running out of fuel could be a disaster given the potential nil-wind forecast.!
In all honesty I did not contribute much to these discussions given my lack of knowledge: too many chefs can spoil a meal without the pan washers interference! Mike got support from Dave and Pete but ultimately the decision would be his. This was a huge responsibility but I never felt any doubt about Mike's decision making and never felt any sense of jeopardy.
On 6th November we set sail and started the Gulf Stream crossing. As predicted the waves were large and very disorganized causing the boat to slide down the swell or slam into the bottom of a trough. Learning to move around the boat was a major issue; especially when combined with an urge to reduce my building sense of nausea. Staying upright was a significant problem but seemed manageable while gazing out at the horizon. Moving down into the galley was horrific .. my body was unaccustomed to moving in so many directions and at so many angles within such a small space of time. The unknown tiny stabilizing muscles weren't up to the task and neither was my stomach!
Being a tall man didn't help, as I found myself banging my head into doorways or against cupboards as I failed to co-ordinate my actions. Frustratingly I was the only person on board to be sick but, fortunately, though I don't understand why. Luckily I did start to master the art of movement and nausea management after the first day (and the meds may have assisted) though I remained anxious about being sea sick for some days and avoided "close" work for a some time.
My biggest fear before the trip was that I would not be able to sleep due to the motion of the boat but happily sleeping seemed to be okay so long as I did not engage in unnecessary activity on the way to my bunk. Mike had given a lot of thought to the rota for being on "watch" during the trip: 2 hours on watch 2 hours supporting the watch and 4 hours for sleep and other necessary activity. Supporting the watch was generally straight forward .. basically following instructions, cooking meals (not always easy when getting boiling water into a cup can be hard!) and getting a nap if conditions allowed (as they did for much of the middle period when seas were calm and we were motor-sailing). Being on primary watch was a huge responsibility although there was always an experienced crew member present. The sense of exposure was immense. During the day you felt as if you were sat in the middle of huge undulating disc of various shades of blue and changing temperament. At night the stars kept you company and the night skies were incredible. Watching constellations rise and fall accompanied by numerous shooting stars was incredible.
I never felt to be an imminent danger although we sailed through one day with regular updates from the coast guard regarding a "man overboard " situation which highlighted the potential danger. Fortunately we constantly wore life jackets and were attached to the boat with a leash .. this also taking some time to learn to manage competently. Being on watch required paying attention to the sails and / or the boats engine, speed and heading. Maintaining an awareness of possible dangers and responding to changes in weather and wind direction. Looking out for other vessels was fairly straight forward: for about seven days of the middle section there were very few vessels indicated on the radar and I probably had visual contact with two .. largely on the horizon. Interestingly I found it hard to distinguish lights on the horizon with stars the were rising or setting. I guess that coming from a cloudy and hilly place I only see stars once they are in the sky so this was an unusual perspective. Navigating/ steering was normally good fun. Keeping the boat close to the heading while maximizing the use of wind in calm conditions was a matter of regular micro adjustments normally to the heading set in the auto-pilot. In more feisty condition steering became more active and was done by hand: trying to hold a course in relation to a distant cloud while steering the most comfortable course through waves and swell provided my favorite conditions .. so long as the conditions remained consistent.
My least capable moments occurred during "squalls" when wind speed and direction could shift dramatically and my experience/ knowledge/ intelligence could be sorely tested. I may never forget an occasion when the boat was hit by a sudden series of strong gusts heeled over heavily to the starboard side .. bucking and slamming into waves. Now .. anyone who knows Mike will attest to his fine skills as an educator and mentor. On this occasion his instructions contained a degree of urgency and clarity that will remain with me ... " steer the boat Simon .. steer the**** boat ... left hand down Simon .. no .. not that left hand the other left hand .. get a grip .. it's just like driving a car". I can laugh at this now though was devastated by my incompetence in the moment. To be fair to Mike I had steered the boat in a complete circle. To be fair to me .. it's not really like steering a car when there are so many powerful forces acting on the boat and there can be (seemingly) log lags in the yacht responding to changes in input, especially when moving slowly through the water. On top of that the wheel is not like a car given it's 4 foot diameter! On a serious note, Mike and Dave were patient and forgiving teachers and supported Pete and myself through our learning journey. Dave clearly had a wealth of experience and would frequently ask Mike for details about Cotinga which helped in our understanding.
Mike had an intuitive sense about the performance of his boat and would constantly find ways to push the best performance from her. This was critical to the safety of the trip and to our ability to reach St Thomas Island with a reasonable reserve of fuel under the circumstances.
As for me .. perhaps I have developed some abilities but wouldn't say that I have a great sense of mastery in many of the tasks associated with the passage. My confidence has improved and I can say that I was definitely pleased to have undertaken the trip .. l might even consider repeating the experience!
I must thank my friends on the passage as well as Jo and Gloria, who joined us in St Thomas. To have 10 days on board a beautiful vessel with good people is a great privilege. To completely escape the stresses and strains of a dangerous and hostile world facing wars and conflicts was a luxury that few can access. I am grateful for that opportunity.
Simon
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