Land Ho!

We arrived in Newport Friday morning after a fabulous 24 hours of
sailing on a reach with southwest winds. Jay saw our speed hit 8
knots at one point. We passed several fishing boats during the night
and picked up dozens of ships in the shipping channel on the AIS. It
was very exciting to be getting close to our destination. We called
Portland Maine to clear customs and a custom's agent met us at Goat
Island and took our clearance papers from Bermuda. Old Port Marine
gave us a mooring close to Joe and Marge's condominium, and after
tidying the boat, we took the launch to the Bonniecrest dock. The
boat is back in New England after two years away. It was a successful
voyage on many fronts: no storms, no injuries, no major mishaps, the
boat performed perfectly. Welcome will be moored in Provincetown
Harbor for the summer. The boat is up for sale. We have done what we
wanted to do - long distance cruising. If there is another boat in
our future, it will be for a different purpose (crossing the
atlantic?). It has been great fun. We appreciate those who have
joined us vicariously through this blog. May you have fair winds and
following seas.
Team Welcome

Exiting the Gulf Stream

Greetings from 38 07.129N 069 13.853W. It is 1810 on May 20. We are
225 nautical miles from Newport, RI. Sea temperature is 69.5 and
falling; down from a high of 75 degrees today. Current is 1.2 knots
north, down from 3.5 knots north. Wind right now is 10 knots from the
northeast, after last night's high of around 30 knots. Right now we
are sailing at a comfortable 5 knots and watching the sun set.
Despite the winds from the northeast all night, and the currents
flowing north in the Gulf Stream, the waves in the Gulf Stream never
reached a level which produced much concern or great queasiness.
During the night we switched sail combinations several times to try to
stabilize the heel. At times we were standing almost perpendicular
with our feet on the port side of the cockpit as the wind and the
waves pushed us forward. But, all in all, it has been lovely sailing.
A few boats showed up on the AIS system, but none have been spotted by
us. The front we crossed produced some very light and quick showers,
but it only lasted about 10 hours. The highest winds were when we were
crossing the front. The barometer has risen to 1029, and we expect a
high pressure system to stay with us for the rest of the trip. This
certainly has been the least eventful crossing on record for the crew
of the Welcome.

We did have a chance to ascertain the adequacy of the leak repairs and
are pleased to report that the silicone application appears to have
been a huge success. Full battery replacement addressed our
electrical problems. We still have ice, although the reefer has a lot
of suds in it - somehow dishwashing liquid made its way into the
icebox, and with all the hard sailing, the box is now filled with dish
liquid foam. The weather cloths have been a superb addition - the
cockpit has been much drier than ever before, even as water and waves
soaked the port railing and waves sloshed over the bow.

We will be visiting with Joe and Marge Turley in Newport. The big
question now is when to take the boat from Newport to its Provincetown
base for the summer. The trip is about 75 nautical miles. It could
be a very long day, or consume a whole weekend. DT is debating whether
it should be this weekend or next. Timing is critical for passing
through Cape Cod Canal. Jay flies out of Providence on Sunday. Kel
will make his plans when we land - presumable sometime Friday. While
we do not want to ask for bad luck by concluding too much too soon,
but at some risk we feel inclined to declare that this has been a
sweet (and very long) trip.

Team Welcome.

May 19, 2009 Entry

It is 1530 on May 19, 2009. We hit the Gulf Stream this morning and
the expected weather front about an hour and a half ago. After more
than 24 hours of motoring in winds of less than 5 knots, a front has
never been more welcome. Even in the Gulf Stream. No rain yet, but
the winds have picked up to 15-20 knots NE, and we are finally sailing
again with all sails without the noise of the iron sail. Our current
position is 36 01.990 N 067 36.931 W. We will probably be in the
Gulf Stream for another 150 nautical miles. It has given us the
opposite of every other crossing - calm seas and little wind. It is a
nonevent - so far. It was piping hot this morning, and we opened the
hatches to cool the cabin. The water temperature fluctuates, but
remains in the low 70s. We have a slight current to the North, but
nothing significant at this time. 367 nm to Newport.

At around 2230 last night, on Kel's watch, the engine stopped cold.
We had drained the fuel tank dry. It took about an hour to refuel,
clean the inevitable mess from fueling at sea, and get running again.
Because we did not try to run the engine prior to refueling, it did
not need to be bled.

Yesterday's quiet gave us an opportunity to cut into a large
watermelon in the cockpit which was purchased in Bermuda. Scrambled
eggs for breakfast this morning. Lots of fluids. Food consumption
increases when there is less rocking, and decreases in high wind.

Team Welcome

35 Hours in Bermuda

Welcome arrived in Bermuda Fridy at 2130 EST after 6 and one half days
at sea and 930 nautical miles. The last two days had us beating
against a northeast wind and strong northeast current. We ran the
engine with the sails up for 27 hours. About ten miles offshore, we
called Bermuda Harbour Radio on international channel 27 for clearance
to enter St. George's Harbour. After ascertaining the number of people
on and the safety equipment and the various offical number associated
with the equipment, we received clearance. In fact, the fellow called
us three separate times to repeat that we remained clear to enter as
we were making a tricky approach to the Town Cut in the dark with the
engine roaring. St. George's Harbour was a welcomed haven of relative
calm. It was filled with more than two hundred visiting sailboats
awaiting the 2009 ARC rally to Europe which starts on May 20. The
authorities left the Customs and Immigration office open for us and
for two other boats that followed us later that evening. It was a
generous and surprising gesture after having endured the
inefficiencies of clearance procedures in the various Caribbean
countries.

We were met at the dock by Bernie, who was expecting us. We had
e-mailed Captain Smoke's Marina in anticipation of our arrival to
reserve a dock space. Bernie is a charming older man who was born on
the island and is as friendly as they come. He did a quick hitch
around the dock post and advised us to keep the motor running - in
case we could not start it again. He must speak from experience. We
staggered off the boat, our bodies still rocking after all that time
at sea. We grabbed counters and walls to steady ourselves. Bermuda
added a form to its usual stack - we had to fill out a health form
declaring that nobody died on the boat while we were at sea, and that
we did not have the plague. We assume that this was yet another
paranoid and bureaucratic response to the swine flu. We also assumed
they were inquiring about human animals, and wisely did not mention
all the dead flying fish.

Docking at Captain Smoke's is always a joy. It is the equivalent to
asking a blind man to thread a needle. We were required to dock bow
in between two boats that seemed to be about five feet apart. Welcome
is 11 feet wide. The whole village appeared on the dock to watch the
fun. The people on the boat to our port got out of bed and onto their
deck to fend off. We know this because the matron was tying a terry
bathrobe around her. Who in their right mind brings a terry bathrobe
onto a small sailboat for a long voyage? HOw do they have the room to
hang bulky bathrobes? The folks to starboard also appeared to defend
their vessel. Bernie shouted unintelligible instructions from the
pier. We made it through the eye of the needle successfully and
without any shouting on board. Our bow plank to land was put in place
and a rug placed under it to limit the damage to our boat. The sloop
to starboard, Brain Waves, was occupied by an internet acquaintance,
Rod Lawrence. His brother-in-law shipped his sailboat from Michigan
to the east coast and he and a few buddies sailed to Bermuda. They
had stayed for a week and were sailing back the next morning. The boat
will then be trucked back to Michigan. Rod had cruised the internet in
preparation for the trip and found our blog last year. He asked for
some advice on the passage and he and I exchanged several e-mails. It
was a delight to finally meet him. The crew of Welcome ate a
delicious Mac and Cheese dinner and shared a bottle of South African
wine. We fell exhausted into our damp sleeping bags on our damp bunks.

The morning was filled with laundry, showers, and catching up on
e-mail. Captain Smoke's has upgraded its sole shower and its
electrical system. Hot water was plentiful, and we were not required
to hit a pipe on the roof of the building to get the water running. By
late morning, we were well into the list of chores to be accomplished
on land. Jay's pleas for lunch were ignored. Kel arrived in the early
afternoon. With four of us on board, we were efficient in our work.
Kel has great mechanical skills derived from growing up in rural
Zimbabwe where machines are fixed, not replaced. Cushions were put
out to be cleaned and dried. The water tanks were refilled. We tried
getting the encrusted salt flakes off the deck and canvas. We removed
and replaced the four house batteries. We assigned Kel to the engine
compartment, where we asked him to remove and reinstall the engine
battery not just once, but twice. This was because late in the day,
the four batteries ordered in advance and waiting for us morphed into
five batteries. After the four battery project was finished and the
engine battery replaced with the strongest old battery, we again
replaced the engine cranking battery with a new one. Kel had to
removed the raw water strainer so we could measure the necessary
fittings to install the new strainer, but then once again replaced the
old strainer when the hardware store did not have the necessary parts.
The autohelm was given a shot of grease. Ann was assigned to diagnose
the leak in the forward cabin. She discovered some wetness and rot
forward of the bunk from the anchor well. Silicone was applied to stem
the water splashing from the anchor well and seeping into the forward
cabin. Ann also sealed the chain holes on deck. Jay and DT diagnosed
and cured (we hope) the leak by the aft bunk. We listened to the
fight between a boat owner and a paid crew on a neighboring boat, and
then the crew member disappeared - presumably he stormed away.
Another boat owner sat waiting for paid crew to appear to deliver his
boat to Conneticut without him at a cost of $3,000.

Sometime later in the day, Kel mentioned that Bermuda operates on
Atlantic Standard Time. Much to our surprise, we were running an hour
behind the rest of the island. Off to the grocery store we walked.
With two carts, we searched the small store for appealing items to
fill our carts. We bought a lot of yogurt, cheese, fruit and
beverages. Jay sent us off to a waterfront bar while he arranged
delivery and then set about organizing the food on board. We had a
very nice dinner at the Carriage House, which was the site of DT's
birthday dinner two years ago. No one was concerned about eating too
much since it seemed impossible after barely eating for the prior
seven days.

The next morning, we pushed off from the marina and went to the fuel
dock. Ann resisted the pressure to stay on board and waved goodbye to
us at 0830 EST. We once again received clearance from Bermuda Harbour
Radio - this time to leave. We were in Bermuda 35 hours.

Upon leaving, the wind was NE 10-15 knots. We spent about two hours
getting beyond the reef that surrounds Bermuda and then set off for
Newport, 630 miles away at a heading of 346 degrees. The wind died
around sunset and we are now motoring in less than five knots of wind.
Currents have been quirky. We were accompanied by a fleet of spotted
dolphins for a little while last night. There are a lot of
Man-O-Wars. We have seen a few other sailboats, but no ships. The
early night sky was moonless and filled with stars. Eventually we
hauled in the jibs to quiet the slapping of the sails, but the main
remains up. It is a dry day with chores being sought on deck to take
advantage of the sun and warmth. Appetites are back. We even ate a
hot dinner last night and now sadly out of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
Battery replacements have been deemed a success.

OUr position at 1110 on 5/18 is 34 02.133N 066 08.82W. We should hit
the Gulf Stream at little north of 35 degrees and sometime within the
next 24 hours. We are also expecting a weather front tomorrow later
in the day which will bring rain. The Gulf Stream is the widest it has
ever been on our rhumbline. We speculate that it may mean a less
forcefull north current. We will let you know.

Team Welcome

Nearing Bermuda

It is 1216 on May 15, 2009.  Our position is 31 34.444N  064 30.918W.  We are 48 miles south of Bermuda.  Wind is northeast at 20 knots.  Seas are 6'.  It is sunny, with a few clouds.  The barometric pressure has soared to 1025.  Sea temperature has dropped to 71 degrees.  Sleeping at night now requires a sleeping bag. We are wearing heavier clothing during the days and wear foul weather gear on deck.  The canvas and instruments on the boat are encrusted with salt from the spraying sea.

 

Yesterday we refueled at sea and put in 22 gallons of diesel.  Because we have been running the engine so much to recharge the batteries, and now to combat the NE wind, our consumption rose to 3/4 gallon per hour. It is a difficult task to aim the spouts and then lift the 45 pound jetty jugs over the little diesel intake hole without spilling it in a rolling sea.  The other concern is to prevent the breaking waves from also entering the fuel tank and contaminating it all.  The cabin still smells like diesel from all of the fuel we got on our foul weather gear.

 

Shortly after the refueling adventure, we were surrounded by dolphins - most likely bottle nose dolphins.  For a good twenty minutes jumped and raced beside the boat.  There were a lot of smaller fish jumping nearby, so we assume that they were feeding.  Occasionally, a dolphin would leap into the air and travel ten feet before splashing back into the ocean.  They are powerful mammals.  We have also seen Portuguese Man-O-Wars floating nearby.  From a distance, they almost look like plastic but as you near them, you can see the calzone like crest and see the translucent blue and pink tinges.

 

Our destination in Bermuda is Captain Smokes Marina in St. George's Harbor.  The docking situation there is bow in with a plank leading to the boat from shore.  We will have access to shore electricity, a head, showers and water.  The affiliated marine store has promised to have new batteries waiting.  Bernie has promised us the best spot - although we do not think that any spot in the marina is particularly easy given the plank.  We are eager to get there, because all of the bunks are wet, as are the sleeping bags, and we want a chance to dry everything out before we set off on the most difficult leg of the journey across the Gulf Stream.  Certain crew members are also convinced that we are out of food, even though we easily have five days worth of provisions on board.

 

Ann will be leaving us for Seattle.  Kel will be joining us from San Francisco.  We hope to push off on Sunday, although that decision will be based on the weather.  It is unlikely that the blog will be updated until we are back at sea.

 

Team Welcome

 

 

Tale of Two Watches

It was the best of watches, followed by the worst of watches.  The evening started off with a star strewn sky with no ambient light disturbing the dazzling show.  Jay watched the moon rise shortly after 11 pm.  All were mesmerized by the cloudless sky and the brilliant show of stars.  There was so little wind that we started the engine.  When DT got off watch at 6 am, she noted some building clouds to the east.  Ten minutes later, Jay, the new watch captain,  was slammed with winds in the 30's and pouring rain.  His light weather foulies were inadequate and water seeped through his clothing. The seas rose and began smashing into the boat and soaking everything in sight.  Water even made its way below and soaked two of the bunks.  The contrast was startling.  We went from wishing that the sailing would continue forever to counting the seconds before we reach land.

 

It is 1605 and we are reporting in form 29 42.324N  64 07.621W.  We are approximately 165 miles from Bermuda.  We are running on a combination of sail and motor.  The main has two reefs and we have the staysail up.  The seas remain rough, but the wind has abated to around 20 knots.  A shift of wind to the northeast has slowed our progress to our destination.  There is a slight current to running to the west.  The only safe position in the cabin is either prone on a bunk or hanging on to the railings.  Needless to say, food consumption has been minimal.  The sun is shining now, and the clouds are gone. We hope that the waves will follow the example of the clouds and disappear.  Stay tuned.  Team Welcome.

Nearing Bermuda

Our position is 27 15.006N  63 37.476W.  It is 1358.  Winds remain from the east and are 10-15 knots.  We are 310 mile south of Bermuda.  After an overcast morning, the sky is bright and the air comfortable.  The water temperature is 75.3 degrees.  Watches are getting easier as the wind is steady and not strong.  We have had all three sails up almost all of the way so far.  The triumphs of life are small out here.  We are getting used to the monotony - in a very positive way.  Unfortunately, our good days make for boring blog entries.  Ann cut up the cantaloupe for breakfast - a big event for us.  Mostly, we just chat and read.  Because we have used relatively little water - less than one 40 gallon tank so far, we have been taking short showers.  Washing off the accumulation of lotion and salt is very luxurious. 

 

Last night a 600 foot cargo ship likely bound for the Azores passed less than a mile off of our stern.  While that may seem far away, we can assure you that at sea, it is very close.  We could see its wake in the moon light.  All crew on Welcome watched from the deck as we debated whether to alter course.  We also spotted our first sailboat which turned east after being on a parallel track for several hours at night. 

 

Jay continues to find suicidal flying fish on the deck.  We debate setting up a patrol to try to get them back in the water before they die.

Tuesday, May 12

Greetings at 1215 from 24 24.82N  063 10.196W.  It is a lovely day at sea, and the air temperature is lower than it has been, but it is still sleeveless shirts and shorts weather.  Sea temperature is 76 degrees. Wind is 10-15 knots.  The wind has veered slightly south east, making our sail a little more comfortable. Hatches are open in the boat for the first time providing needed ventilation. The crew is even able to read without feeling ill. We are hugging our rhumb line and have 483 miles to go.  We will pass the halfway mark today. There is no way to describe the sailing other than as perfect.

 

We continue to conserve electricity.  The ice in the reefer is gone.  We have run the engine to recharge the batteries 22 hours so far. We just refilled the fuel tank and our consumption is a modest .40 gallons per hour. 

 

Our version of excitement:  A star or satellite or new planet that has sat in the sky 20 degrees off the horizon to port.  A middle of the night inspection of all through hull valves to try to determine why the bilge pump was running so frequently - we concluded that we were not sinking.  Phosphorescent spinning in our wake in the total darkness before the moonrise at 2115.  A mysterious cargo ship overtaking us in the middle of the night.  A leaky water tank seal allowing the MRI mattress to become soaked.  Scrambled eggs for breakfast. Repairs on the cabin door knob.

 

But, we do also have the occasional moment to relax.  Long distance sailing is a combination of terror, boredom, peace and immersion in nature.  It is hard to find this place in our everyday lives.  Team Welcome.

Sargasso Sea (Spell Check Please)

We have exited the Caribbean Sea and entered the Sargasso Sea.  The sea temperature has dropped from 82 degrees to 77 degrees.  The unique seaweed which gives the area its name floats around us.  Wind remains easterly 10-15 knots.  The sun is blazing in the sky at 1530.  We are 620 nautical miles from Bermuda at 22 10.042N 062 46.937W.  Water depth is over 19,000 feet deep.

 

We had the most exciting evening yet last night during Jay's watch.  A sudden squall put the boat on its starboard side causing Ann and Donna to race up on deck to help tame the boat.  No one had the opportunity to watch the wind speed, but visibility dropped to 5 feet and it was the strongest wind felt on this voyage. We struggled in the downpour to keep the boat just off the wind as the Genoa was furled using the winch.  The storm passed as quickly as it arrived but left three dripping sailors in its wake. Jay's watch was also marked by the heroic save of a flying fish that was flapping on the deck.

 

The house batteries remain a challenge.  We have limited electrical draws to a minimum.  We are using a handheld GPS, laptops and lights are turned off when not in use, and amperage is watched closely.  Still, we are recharging about 6 out of every 24 hours. The meter shows only a 72% efficiency for the current four batteries.  Despite the constant attempts at proper maintenance of the battery banks, new batteries may be in our future.

 

The days are filled with maintaining hydration, constant administration of sun block, and occasional repairs.  Today we tightened the stuffing box, tracked a short on the Simrad chartplotter, replaced a sump pump switch, and sewed a torn zipper on the dodger.  Luckily, we are well prepared with spare parts and there is little we cannot fix while at sea - except for batteries. DT has spent a lot of time rigging the windvane and studying it.  One of these days, we might even engage its services.

 

The team reports no sea sickness.  Any threat disappeared as the crew stopped taking Stugeron.

 

Satellite communication remains sporadic - we understand that Globalstar lost many satellites and has not been able to replace them as of yet.  We will continue to try to create a blog every day, but it is unlikely we will see or can respond to individual e-mails.  When we get to Bermuda, we should be able to get an internet connection for the day or two we are there and will catch up with individual correspondence. 

 

Team Welcome.

 

 

Sunday, May 10

The winds are still easterly around 20 knots. We are 766 nautical miles from Bermuda.  Our cordinates are 32 22.447N  064 41.024W.  There is a little cloud cover right now, which is a relief from the pounding sun.  Most of the day has been spent napping, on watch, listening to books on tape and having quiet interactions.  All sails are up and there is still a lot of heel, making moving around the cabin difficult.  Reading feels risky.  The batteries seem to drain more quickly than they should.  Jay is advocating a new set once in Bermuda.  It is unpleasant to have to turn on the engine every few hours to recharge.  We are running the navigation equipment, autopilot and refrigeration.  With that consumption, we should only need to recharge once a day.  DT set up the Monitor Wind Vane and will run it during her next watch to see if we can wean ourselves from the autopilot.  Ann made a fruit salad for lunch.  It was a great break from crackers and yogurt.  We have spotted a few cargo ships.  There is an occasional bird, and lots of flying fish.  The weather charts showing that the wind will be diminishing as we reach 25 degrees North.  That will be another two days, and at that point, we may have to motor.  No mutinies, sea sickness or other events to report.  We get no news out here except for our own weather reports.  It is odd to be so removed, and also really nice.  Team Welcome.

Greetings from the Caribbean

Greetings from 17 23.902 North, 061 59.427W.  Our course is a straight 5 degrees to Bermuda.  Total run will be approximately 940 nautical miles.  Right now, we are 90 minutes away from sunset.  Winds are from the east 15-20 knots.  Waves are 5-6 feet.  All sails are up, and we are cruising along on a reach at approximately 6 knots.
We spent the last two nights at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina in Falmouth Harbor.  It is a marina for mega yachts.  We were dwarfed by the breathtaking beauties around us.  Customs and Immigration is a short walk away in English Harbor.  Allegedly, it opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. daily.  There, a captain has to check in with Customs, go to the Immigration desk next to the Customs desk, and then cross the hallway to pay the Port Authority.  You cannot vary this sequence.  The Customs officer did not show up until close to 11 a.m., so the remaining staff sat idle, unable to process the dozens of people who came by in order to be compliant with the law.  When Captain Jay was finally able to meet with the Customs official and move to the next desk, the immigration folks said "Yes?"  He had to explain that he was sent to the immigration desk (next to the Customs desk) and he had no idea why he was there, but hoped that she might know. Do not forget your pen or your money when you check in.  The authorities DO NOT lend pens to beggars trying to fill the proper forms.  Also, forget having any emotions - nice doesn't get you anywhere and anger solves even less.  In order to avoid the wait this morning to check out, we went back to Customs and Immigration yesterday afternoon at 4:30 p.m.  Unfortunately, Customs had closed early - unannounced. 

We were able to take advantage of shore showers yesterday and today.  Despite the lack of hot water, it was wonderful to wash off the buildup of sunblock. We also were able to get some laundry done.

Jay and DT spent yesterday getting fuel, water, additional provisions and engaged in the constant maintenance and repair that defines living on a boat. The stuffing box was leaking, and two of the hose clamps had broken.  Jay married odd sized clamps so that we could manage the three inch span.  Ann came in around 4:30 and it was great to have a reunion on Welcome. Jay bought each of us a shirt with the insignia of the local sailmaker, and we debated whether we should wear the shirts at the same time.  I think the final vote was "too dorky". Ann was kind enough to lug from Seattle a new engine raw water intake filter and a new COB strobe light.  We spent the next two hours fixing and installing both.  The raw water intake filter Jay asked Beth to get was a size too large, and while the larger capacity is irrelevant, the existing engine hoses were too small.  So, the leaking old one was repaired with some underwater expoxy and reinstalled. We had a fine dinner of pizza, which was surprisingly similar to the cheese and crackers we had as an appetizer.  Gourmets we are not.  Everyone slept well.

This morning we went back to English Harbor to clear out, and once again the Customs agent was late for work.  Today he was only 90 minutes late.  Or maybe that is early for him.  Regardless, it does seem ridiculous and delayed our start by a few hours.  Checking into French islands is so much easier.  You just mosey up to a PC terminal and fill in your information - 24/7.  The French understand that they need to get you into their shops and cafes ASAP so you will spend your tourist dollars.

We ate breakfast at an outside bar, bought new hose clamps, spent the remaining Eastern Caribbean dollars at the quick mart, and cast off around 11:30.  We are back on 3 hour watches around the clock.  That rotation will give each individual a different watch series each day.  The crew will be better rested on this leg than on the last.  We are very pleased that Ann agreed to join us at almost the last minute.  She been on other adventures with Welcome, knows the boat well, keeps calm in a crisis, and is a good sailor.  While we do miss Michael, three is a perfect number for this voyage. 

Team Welcome

Antigua

    We are sitting at Antigua Yacht Club Marina, dwarfed by the mega yachts that surround us.  In fact, we are so small, we hope that we will not be noticed tomorrow as they tour the docks to collect the fees.  Our deck sits well below the dock and we have to step up to get to the cement pier.  We were lucky when we came in because there were two small boat owners near us who explained the mystery of how you dock to a pier that has no cleats.  There are chains around the pilings that we used.  Seven fenders are out in an attempt to keep us from smashing into the pier.  We first went to English Harbor, but the Med moorings had DT stymied, so we rounded the corner to Falmouth Harbor.  We had a first hot meal - a terrible mixture of green pasta and bottled sauce. The Argentina wine was awful as well.  It was the best meal so far.

    Tomorrow we check into customs and greet Ann, the crew for the next leg.  We have relatively few chores - fixing the running lights, updating provisions, maybe replacing the engine water strainer with the one Ann is bringing with her in her duffel bag.  She is also bringing a strobe light - the current one has failed.  I am not sure why we are not getting a new battery, but better safe than sorry.

    The ride up from Grenada was hairy at times, but our average speed was 6.1 knots.  The waves were choppy, and towards the end of the day the swells were around 10 feet tall. It is truly exhausting having three hour watches.  Effectively, that means no more than 2.5 hours of sleep at a time.  It is hard to be hungry in these conditions.  We expect to leave here on Saturday and it should be a seven day run to Bermuda - weather permitting.  Ann leaves Bermuda on the 17th.  Kel arrives in Bermuda on the 16th to join us for the Newport leg across the Gulf Stream and through the dreaded Bermuda Triangle. We hope to make Newport Memorial Day weekend to visit with Joe and Marge. Life seems pretty good right now.

    Team Welcome

   

Ahoy

Ahoy - We left Le Phare Bleu Marina in Grenada yesterday at 1500 and traveled at a good clip all night.  We took three hour watches, which are exhausting. We will be very happy to add a third crew memberin Antigua.  Winds today have been easterly 20-30 knots.  Whitecaps abound, and occasionally a big wave soaks the cockpit.  It is quite hot in the cabin, because we cannot open portholes with waves regularly smashing on the deck.  We now have the staysail flying with one reef in the main.  We expect to get to Antigua tomorrow evening, and will be very grateful for a shower. Total run will be about 310 nautical miles.  Not much to report in the food department - it is too rough to cook or eat.  We are trying to stay hydrated. Traffic is scarce. In the last 27 hours we have seen 5 other boats, but none have been sailboats.  We tried to listen to Herb on the radio but we could not make out his voice.  For those of you who have just tuned in, Herb is an Ontario based weather guru who guides sailors throughout the North Atlantic and Caribbean, offering micro weather predictions and an occasional dressing down for the neophytes.  We dare not let him know we are listening for fear he will yell at us.  As you can tell, we finally have the satellite modem up and running, but for how long, we do not know.  Team Welcome reporting in from 16 17.956 N  061 57.155W.

Welcome to Welcome

We arrived in Grenada late Sunday night after a three hour flight from Miami.  The crew member in business class had a wonderful pasta dinner with wine, and an empty seat behind him.  The crew member in coach was unlucky enough to be seated next to a drunk from Sarasota on his way to pick up a boat for a Texas delivery. Cheese and crackers were offered at $4.  In retrospect, the offer of a $150 upgrade seems like a bargain.   Upon arrival, all airport personnel were wearing those white germ masks to avoid Swine Flu from the Miami passengers.  We were met by health officials holding stethoscopes, and had to fill out a card swearing that we did not have symptoms.  I do not know what happened to those unfortunate passengers with sniffles.
The boat was alongside at the dock.  No hatches were open, so it was a little stuffy.  The bilge was full, mostly of fresh water from the mysterious water tank leak. The boat was otherwise in good condition.  DT slept outside, until rain forced her into the MRI berth. 
Monday was filled with projects.  Fixing the oven thermocoupler with the part brought in from the States proved to be a huge job.  It involved drilling the bottom of the stove and a trip to the store to get a 1/8 inch drill bit that actually worked.  The task was finished at 10 pm.  Jay ran the new main halyard.  Our missing dinghy and engine mysteriously appeared.  There was new canvas on the boat and the wood work had all been touched up, so things were looking pretty spiffy.  We spent an hour in town gathering provisions.  We bought an unorganized assortment of cheeses, eggs, milk, gatorade, 60 liters of drinking water, bread, yogurt, mustard, chocolate, tortilla shells, beans, rice, apples, bananas, pineapple, oranges, pasta, crackers, cookies, butter and who knows what else.    Kate had also given us granola, muffin mix and biscotti.  Jay spent several hours storing everything.
Today we are rolling up the dinghy, getting fuel, finishing up last minute tasks, checking out at customs, and taking off for Antigua.  Ann arrives in Antigua on Friday and will accompany us to Bermuda.  Antigua is about 310 nautical miles away - about 2.5 days of sailing.  Winds are easterly 15-20 right now.  We will shoot up the lee side of the Windward Islands - destination, Falmouth Harbor.  We will try to blog using the satellite phone, but the connection is a little iffy, so we may not write again until Friday.