Internet Access Denied

It is Tuesday, May 30, 2006, mid afternoon. Our satellite access to the internet has been down since Sunday afternoon. Consequently, we have been unable to get weather charts or to make blog entries. We know that this will cause some folks to worry, but our inability to communicate does not mean that something is wrong with us. Something is wrong with Globalstar, the service provider.

Shortly after we left the Gulf Stream on Sunday, we were forced to motor for 30 hours in thick fog and no wind. The seas appeared as undulating glass. Apparently, this area is often foggy due to the dramatic changes in air and seas temperatures. It makes the cockpit wet even without rain. On Monday we saw sea temperatures of 65 degrees as we were leaving the stream, 55 degrees in the continental slope area, and we are now sailing in 45 degree water. The water around us is a dark green. Bottlenose dolphins were regular visitors in the fog, jumping about and racing the boat. They also visited last night, when we were alerted to their presence by splashes. When we looked into the dark water, we could see them underwater because their powerful tails caused the phosphorescent plankton to shine in their wake. Night also brought unidentified white birds off our stern. Portuguese Man of Wars continue to populate our route. Shearwaters are common, and we are beginning to see a few gulls.

On Monday night, we were sailing above the slope of the continental shelf, in the fog. The radar picked up numerous fishing boats. The radar has a guard zone, set to go off when an object is within four miles of the boat. It went off constantly. One time, the fog lifted briefly and we could make out a few lights on what must have been a factory fishing boat. It was barely moving, and did not have the powerful engine noise of the draggers and trawlers. All of the boat traffic made staying awake on watch relatively easy.

While we are incredibly frustrated with all of the motoring, today has been the most spectacular day yet. This morning was spent identifying the dozens of whales around us. It was as though we were part of their pods. This area southeast of Nantucket is a breeding ground for the Northern Right Whale. It is estimated that there are between 300 and 350 individuals of this species left in the world, and they are the most endangered of all whales. We saw dozens of them. They are distinctive because they skim the surface with their mouths open to feed, are without dorsal fins, have white crust in front of their blow holes, and have distinctive flukes. We would hear the sound of air being blown into a long necked bottle, spin about, and witness geysers exploding from the sea. The whales would raise their heads and we would watch them skim the surface, up and down, for a very long time. Occasionally, we would witness the flukes in the air as the mammals dove into the deep. We also saw numerous Humpback Whales, easily distinguished from the Right Whale by the shape of its fluke and the presence of a dorsal fin. Nothing seems important after spending the morning in the presence of these creatures.

Atlantic White-Sided Dolphins have escorted us in the last hour. They are distinctive with a mustard colored flank patch. I have tried to get photographs of the magnificent beings who have made this journey so wonderous. However, consumer digital cameras have lag times between pressing the shoot button and the lens actually opening and closing. I have a lot of photos of the turbulent water succeeding these shows.

Our motor use has caused great consternation regarding fuel consumption and whether we will have enough to get home by Wednesday. We carry 37 gallons of diesel fuel. We added an additional 20 gallons in the jugs. Yesterday, we topped off the tank using all fuel left in the jugs, for a total of 57 gallons available. When we filled our tanks in Bermuda, the engine hours were 1117. Going to Bermuda, we used three quarters of a gallon an hour. I know that at a low RPM, it is possible to achieve one-half gallon per hour, but typically the boat gets two-thirds of a gallon per hour. Our engine hours are now 1178. We have approximately 100 miles to go. At 2000 RPMs, we can reach 5 knots, if the current is not against us. There is very little wind, and very little in the long range forecasts we received prior to losing internet capacity. It seems like a high pressure system is stuck over the region, making for pleasant weather, but poor sailing conditions. We should be fine, but it does make a captain anxious.

The calm water has helped us use our dwindling supplies. All of our fresh vegetables are gone. Michael made a pasta dinner last night. Donna has made muffins using our oats, dried fruit, eggs and long life milk. We are feeling well fed. Chores are also easier in calm water. We folded the storm jib, raised the staysail, whipped lines, and polished steel. I have read all of the books on board, the last one being Michael’s “March”, an interesting historical novel about the Civil War couched as a sequel to Little Women

Our coordinates are 41 25.674N 69 13.279W. We have a NE wind around 8 knots. The air temperature is mid 60s. We are bundled up, and sleeping is much easier when you are forced to burrow into your sleeping bag for warmth. We have been shutting off the engine as the wind increases, but then the wind dies and we are forced to motor again. Our rule regarding engine use is that when the sails cannot reach a speed of 3 knots, we motor. The fog finally dissipated this morning, and it is sunny with good visibility. We continue to see fishing boats, and expect that this evening we will see more boat as we enter shipping channels. Our anticipated arrival has dropped back from Tuesday night to Wednesday mid day.

Team Welcome