How Is the Soup?
21°48'38" N 90°21'15" W
[14:48] [Friday, December 22, 2006]
We're detouring to Progreso, MX, to refuel. Full tank will give Sol Searcher the edge she needs against unfavorable winds and a hellacious current through the Yucatan Channel. Given the hour of our arrival at the marina, we'll also be able to spend the night tied to a dock.
We wish this means we are all in for a good night's sleep; unfortunately, there are several areas of maintenance to attend to. The more we get done tonight, the more leisurely our stay in Belize.
Spotted a sea turtle this afternoon while motoring along. He was a massive, gorgeous animal, and a net had snared him. Furling sail and turning around, we set our sights on untangling the poor guy, whom we'd spotted floundering about in circles. A tiger shark beat us back to the turtle, though, and though we got close enough to render aide, we were too late.
Sailing Essentials Part I, for the Captain:
Sweet Custom Tats == Captain Badass
22°55'57" N 90°44'24" W
[21:21] [Thursday, December 21, 2006]
I Heart Mom is for pansies. You're the captain! Tough and confident on the outside; brooding and analytical inside. Add som real grit to your saltiness with embellishments your crew will understand as warning against bullshit.
Perhaps even sport an artistic representation of some ancient god, thereby acknowledging some higher power without actually being beholden to it. You will give yourself an air of tribal/primal strength without also seeming ... a little crazy.
Labels: sailing essentials
Beating Against the Wind
[16:00] [Wednesday, December 20, 2006]
The norther' winds we thought were coming did what every other storm formation has since we left Key Allegro. It passed around us without even a polite nod. We will have to rough some pretty ugly waves and more SSE winds all the way to Isla Mujeres. As might be expected, the air is getting tense as we approach crunch time.
On the upside, reefing the mainsail and genoa just a little more has driven our speed back up to about 5 kts ... On the down, we're headed too far south.
It's been five hard days, and Sol Searcher's age is starting to show here and there about the cabin, but as 8 to 10 foot waves break against the bow, crashing like thunder, we still manage to feel comfortable with our aging but reliable (and sexy!) vessel.
Stormy Weather
22°56'42" N 91°10'42" W
[07:30] []
Wind! After nearly two whole days of motoring, a front came racing over Sol Searcher last night, and we ended up with stronger weather than we'd bargained for. Having already reefed the mainsail for our expected 15 kts wind, the team unfurled the headsail to catch all the wind we could and regain our speed.
Suffice it to say we were very much unprepared for 22-25 kts gusts that tended to rock the boat at a rather uncomfortable heel. Nervous, tired and blindly crashing through moonless, building waters, we found ourselves in a position allowing only for the barest amount of sleep.
The Captain and Igor spent the better part of the night balancing the boat, beating against the wind in an effort just to make it to daylight, when reefing the main further would be safe.
One realizes as the trip progresses you cannot have a proper notion of how vast and monstrous, terrifying and powerful, beautiful and compelling blue water is until you've been there -- at which point you realize expectations would never do justice to the ocean.
Unidentified Boating Object
25°01'36" N 94°11'33" W
[16:36] [Monday, December 18, 2006]
Spotted a UFO (unidentified floating object) around 6 this evening on the radar headed right for us and moving ridiculously fast. Obviously there will always be a little interference surrounding the boat on our radar screen, but this was not interference. We watched a huge purple blip approach at 60 kts -- a blip we could not confirm with running lights on the horizon -- and needless to say, there was a certain sense of panic about the place.
Captain made a panicky inspection of the boat, accomplishing very little in his search for anything that might be perceived as contraband except making a mess. Just as we were prepared to throw certain amenities overboard, our fast-approaching UFO disappeared.
No Wind, Happy Cat
25°18'21" N 94°53'24" W
[00:45] []
Any sailor with even an inkling of blue water experience wil tell you the greatest worry when crossing is not too much, but too little wind. We got our first taste of that dilemma tonight.
Over the course of about an hour -- somewhere in the vacinity of midnight -- Sol Searcher went from clocking 6.5 kts into the wind to crawling against what little breeze remained at less than 2 kts. Argh.
The rumble of the motor pts a damper on the night watch, but maintaining decent propulsion is the only way to stay on track and not get turned around.
At least one member of the crew enjoys the calmer waters, tremendously, though; the cat has become rather braver than anyone is prepared to handle since the boat has leveled out, and keeping the little guy inside the cockpit after dark has become something of a chore.
Rollin' on the Water
25°57'30" N 95°08'45" W
[07:20] [Sunday, December 17, 2006]
It's taken a couple days, but the team is finally acclimated enough to, say, do the dishes. Finally.
Last night caught sight of another vessel's running lights, but given our average speed of 5 kts (no engine propulsion since first night!) Sol Searcher has long since left said vessel in her wake.
Weather has been windy and otherwise gorgeous -- if only all that wind was coming from the right direction! SE gusts have kept the team on its toes and set some of us on edge in the dark of night. Still, the vastness of the Gulf is, to say the least, breathtaking and more than a little intimidating.
