Anam Cara - Swan 41

Captain's Log - First Year - Final Passage

2011-05-25T08:47:00.003-05:00

We arrived in Galveston from Isla Mujeres, Mexico on May 18 at 4 AM, one year after leaving Chicago (on May 19^th). The trip took 5 days and 20 hours which was a good thing because Carolyn only provisioned for 6 days exactly which was my original rough estimate. The cooler was empty on arrival.

We stayed in Galveston just a day, but long enough to walk the city and, of course, get a few beers by the waterfront. The next day, we moved inland up to Seabrook in Galveston Bay and tied up at Blue Dolphin Marina. The marina is just OK, but there are a lot of good restaurants and shopping nearby. The dock is new and strong which will hopefully keep the boat secure in any storm.

In a year, we sailed 8, 525 NM which is almost exactly 40% of the distance around the earth. We visited 84 ports and spent about 45 nights at sea. Sailing long distances, living aboard and keeping up with maintenance and repairs is not easy. But, I think making landfalls, exploring new places and seeing incredible sights has been the payoff. Most importantly, we’ve met people, made friends and enjoyed time ashore wherever we were.

While here is the US sitting out the hurricane season, Carolyn would like to work and is now looking for a job. Once I finish the planned refit on the boat, I hope to find something suitable as well to replenish the now partially depleted cruising kitty. We’ll plan our next leg in the future but expect it to include the Med and a slower cruise of the Caribbean.

This weekend, we plan to be in Chicago to put some things in storage and take some items back to Texas. Fair winds to all.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - First Year - Final Passage

2011-05-25T08:47:00.001-05:00

In a year, we sailed 8, 525 NM which is almost exactly 40% of the distance around the earth. We visited 84 ports and spent about 45 nights at sea. Sailing long distances, living aboard and keeping up with maintenance and repairs is not easy. But, I think making landfalls, exploring new places and seeing incredible sights has been the payoff. Most importantly, we've met people, made friends and enjoyed time ashore wherever we were.

While here is the US sitting out the hurricane season, Carolyn would like to work and is now looking for a job. Once I finish the planned refit on the boat, I hope to find something suitable as well to replenish the now partially depleted cruising kitty. We'll plan our next leg in the future but expect it to include the Med and a slower cruise of the Caribbean.

This weekend, we plan to be in Chicago to put some things in storage and take some items back to Texas. Fair winds to all.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Enroute Mexico to USA- Day 5

2011-05-17T12:50:00.000-05:00

After 5 days of great weather, we are a little tired but doing fine. We've passed through to cold fronts, but experienced no rain, only a wind shift to the NW and cooler temps. We've had light air most of the way and have been sailing a starboard close-hulled tack for about 400 miles. We were 70 miles off the rhumb line this morning and were becalmed, so we motored for 6 hours until the wind arrived. Thankfully, as planned (GRIB weather files are so nice), we are now being lifted with an east(going to SE) wind directly to the harbor entrance. At noon today we will be 100 miles from Galveston and should arrive in the wee hours of Wednesday morning.

Dis you know that people have built lots of big houses on giant stilts out here in the Gulf? They must be having a good time because they keep the lights on all night!

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Enroute Mexico to USA- Day 5

2011-05-17T11:49:00.001-05:00

Dis you know that people have built lots of big houses on giant stilts out here in the Gulf? They must be having a good time because they keep the lights on all night! Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Isla Mujeres - Mexico

2011-05-10T21:02:00.001-05:00

We made good time all the way to Isla Mujeres and eventually had to slow down with 35 miles to go to make the harbor at daybreak. But unfortunately, I could not go slow enough as I forgot to factor in the 2 knot northerly current near Cancun. So, we got within 10 miles of the harbor and then sailed as fast as we could to the south against the current just to stay in one place (winds were light).

We anchored up at 0800 Saturday but could not clear in until Monday. In the meantime, we hit some beach bars, did some snorkeling and a dinghy tour of the lagoon. Isla Mujeres is the island north of Cancun where there is a great harbor for cruisers. The island is quite laid back compared to Cancun. You can take a ferry over to Cancun if you want to see the sights there.

On Monday we had to visit the hospital, immigration, the bank, port captain and customs. In the middle of all that, we had to dinghy back out to the boat to meet the Navy and their drug sniffing dog. Any boat coming from Columbia automatically receives this "free" courtesy inspection from six armed but friendly officers and their dog. It was pretty funny watching the dog try to go down the eight foot ladder!!

We did a scooter tour of the island today and went to the eastern most point in Mexico. We've also been swimming every day as the water is warm and clear. Carolyn says the sunsets here are the best of any place we have visited....We get an ocean view off the transom every evening where the sun sets unobscured ...

Hope to depart Thursday for the USA if weather looks OK.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Isla Mujeres - Mexico

2011-05-10T21:01:00.001-05:00

Hope to depart Thursday for the USA if weather looks OK.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - May 5 - Columbia to Mexica

2011-05-05T15:14:00.000-05:00

We passed Swan Island at 0400 this morning but their single nav aid light was out. This was only a potential rest stop if needed. Nothing there but an old airstrip and a few Honduran soldiers. Weather is cooperating with a nice NE to E wind as we head northwest. All is fine and the windvane is doing all the steering.. Should arrive Cancun area Saturday morning but may have to slow down a bit to make an entrance at daybreak.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - May 5 - Columbia to Mexica

2011-05-05T14:14:00.001-05:00

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Panama to Columbia

2011-05-02T21:43:00.000-05:00

With the help of another sailor from Bermuda, we finally got out of Panama after solving a rather simple engine issue that the best mechanics in Panama were unable to resolve. We left last Friday and headed for Columbia ... or at least an Island owned by Columbia. We covered the 260 nautical miles to the English speaking Island of Providencia (can you find that on a map?) in 48 hours under light and sometimes upwind conditions. We arrived at this beautiful tropical outpost in great shape and enjoyed several delicious meals ashore and a scooter tour of the Island.

We plan to depart in the morning, possibly stopping at Swan Island, Hondura or heading straight to Cancun. We'll send our SPOT updates as usual while sailing.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Panama to Columbia

2011-05-02T20:43:00.001-05:00

Carolyn and Fred

Lost in Panama

2011-04-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

It all seemed pretty simple when departing Chicago, but heading out to the Pacific on the route we wanted to take is now to dangerous due to the acts of piracy. We had hoped to take a path through the Pacific and Indonesia, through the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and on to the Mediterranean Sea. As of early March, all recreational yachts have been strongly advised (US Coast Guard and the Maritime Security Centre - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Somalian_Piracy_Threat_Map_2010.png) not to transit the coast of Yemen or the Gulf of Aden into the Red Sea. We have met plenty of boats here in Panama that are heading to Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or up the West Coast of the US. Others are staying in the Caribbean. Few if any are circumnavigating the standard route we had planned.

Only one boat that we have met is planning on the Red Sea passage…Laura Deckker .. the 14 year old Dutch girl sailing around the world alone. Laura has been here in the marina for two weeks getting ready to transit the canal today aboard her ketch GUPPY. Her dad and friends have been here helping to get the boat ready for the next leg. I suspect that if she ends up going into the Red Sea, somehow there will be a convoy of Dutch ships to protect her.

To avoid the straits, we could put the boat on a yacht transport ship and move it from Thailand to Turkey, but the expense is to great. The other trade wind sailing route from Indonesia would be to head for South Africa, then to Brazil, north along the coast of the Americas, across the northern Atlantic back to the western Med. This is much farther than we ever planned to sail just to see the Med.

So…we are heading back up into the Gulf of Mexico, probably to Galveston, to wait out the hurricane season. We may get back to work as we create our future sailing plans. By being in the US, we can still make a fairly easy passage across the Atlantic to the western Med and / or we can take at least another year to see the rest of the Caribbean that we missed.

The preferred time to sail north is after April 15. Assuming we get the engine in top shape (a long story that would take several blogs) we hope to be leaving Panama soon.

Stay tuned.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Panama - 3-26-11

2011-03-26T19:50:00.001-05:00

It's 8:00 AM. I'm in the aft cabin working on my first daily project and sweating profusely. The cabin has a trickle of air moving through since the trade winds shut down to only 5 knots.. We've been here at Shelter Bay Marina in Colon, Panama for two weeks now enjoying the pleasant evenings and resort-like complex. Mostly, we are waiting for an engine part to be fixed by a free-lance diesel mechanic as the marina has no staff mechanic. As near as I can tell, the mechanic is working on five boats at once.

This marina, perhaps unlike anywhere else in the world, is an international sailor's crossroad. Nintyfive percent of the boats are sail, hailing from Europe, Canada, USA, S. America and Asia. The owner of Swatch was here with his big red boat heading to the Pacific. And, Jimmy Buffet's boat was here when we arrived. But, most of the boats are liveaboard cruisers all with different timelines, experiences and plans. So, while we soak up some of the sunshine, we are staying busy with projects, doing taxes, teaching celestial nav and chatting with other cruisers. A few days ago, we transited the Canal and dipped our toes in the Pacific. We used the local buses coming back from Panama City to Colon (a seedy place) and then took a taxi back to the marina (remote and safe). We are thinking a lot about our next leg and will update everyone shortly.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Aruba and Passage to Panama

2011-03-15T20:40:00.001-05:00

After arriving in Aruba, we learned that we were just in time for Carnival! The children's parade was the day after we arrived but it was rainy and cool so they delayed it until Monday, After watching that parade, we decided to move to a slip at the resort since it was a fabulous deal for 7 days ... and we could stay until the big Carnival parade was over. All of our time in Aruba was spent around the resort complex taking in their amenities including the pool and private beaches. Carolyn found a new way to do laundry, which was to wait out the washers and dryers poolside rather than in the laundry room...smart!!! Aruba is a great nation ..One Happy Island is their motto and they all make you feel very comfortable. We did some shopping, saw some movies and also were entertained at night by Spanish Flamenco musicians...great fun. Rich bought drinks for the band so they spent all intermission at our table chatting it up. Carnival was LOUD and LONG. We stayed until we were deaf and then went back for dinner as it was getting dark. As with all "madi gras" type festivals, the costumes were colorful, extravagant and in some cases leaving little to the imagination!!! If only we could dance like that.

We left March 7 (a National Holiday presumably for hangovers) and headed for Panama on a 660 mile sail. We actually sailed almost 750 since we had to gybe several times as the wind was dead astern. We arrived safely in 5 days and are now at the Shelter Bay Marina in Panama working on our plan for the next trip.

Carolyn, Fred and Rich

Safe Passage to Aruba

2011-03-02T13:51:00.001-06:00

Anam Cara and crew made it safely to Aruba and cleared customs at 8:00 AM Sunday after a fast, bumpy 2 day 21 hour ride from St. Thomas. Crew Joe Peele claimed 25 foot (??) following seas and all crew saw surfing speeds in excess of 12 knots. Joe also encountered the only rain shower and was hit by a very large 3" flying fish while on night watch. We unfortunately had to hand steer as the steering vane was acting up but hope to improve on this while staying in Aruba.

That's it for now..

Carolyn, Joe, Richard and Fred

passage to Aruba - 10:00 AM

2011-02-26T08:54:00.001-06:00

We are 150 NM from Aruba. Everyone is ok. winds from astern as well as large seas. Expect arrival tomorrow morning.

Fred, Carolyn, Joe and Rich

Captain’s Log – Virgin Island Circle Tour!

2011-02-23T18:17:00.001-06:00

From Kathy and Ken Martin: Wow! What a week! Fred and Carolyn gave us the ultimate USVI/BVI island tour. We started in St. Thomas at Crown Bay and had a few great pina colada’s at Tickle’s before we got on the boat. Fred was very successful in getting our gear and us on the boat without getting wet in the dinghy. It was Valentines Day, so Ken and Fred took their girls out to dinner at Bella Blu. Dennis and Linda Bartelt (friends of F&C) met us there and we had a wonderful Dutch dinner (the Dutch use to own USVI) – I think most of us had the schnitzel.

The next day we were off to Christmas Cove on Great St. James Island. We had left civilization as we know it and it felt great! We were one of maybe ten boats moored in the Christmas Cove. Carolyn and Kathy finally got to lay in our floaties! We also did some great snorkeling.

On Wednesday, we were of to Lameshur Bay on St. John. Another great day in the floaties and snorkeling. Thursday brought us to Leinster Bay on St. John. Fred, Carolyn and Kathy hiked up to the ruins of the old Annenberg sugar mills. We all agreed that Leinster Bay was one of our favorite places. We decided we needed a little civilization so Fred took us to Tortola (yes, we made it to the British Virgin Islands!) and we moored at Soper’s Hole on Friday. Carolyn and Kathy did their damage shopping while Ken and Fred enjoyed the bar and drank Buschwackers. Carolyn and Kathy enjoyed a Painkiller after their shopping spree. After dinner we went to the world famous Full Moon Party at Bomba’s Shack. We learned that mushrooms and absinthe are legal in the BVI and can be purchased or added to drinks!!!!!

The next day we were off to Jost Van Dyke. Another great day of shopping and of course we had to stop at Foxy’s. On Sunday, it was back to civilization toward Cruz Bay, St. Johns. Carolyn and Kathy got to spend a day shopping (again) without the boys while they took care of business and continued the sail back to St. Thomas. Carolyn and Kathy took the ferry from Cruz Bay to Red Hook in St. Thomas. Because the ferry was canceled to Charlotte Amalie, Carolyn and Kathy had to take a cab ride through the hills of St. Thomas in order to meet the boat in Charlotte Amalie. On our last full day in St. Thomas, Carolyn and Kathy went shopping in the morning and got all kinds of good stuff! Kathy got the most awesome Larimar bracelet! (That means she will be coming back to the VI.) Carolyn got a beautiful necklace and amber earrings. They met up with the boys in the afternoon and toured Blackbeard’s Castle and tried six different rums – spiced, aged, mango, coconut, pineapple, banana …yummy!! Fred and Ken also had Blackbeard’s Revenge and lived to tell the tale! A great time was had by all and Robert our tour guide in Villa Notman was exceptional!

Thank you, Fred for your expert trip planning, boat skills, knowledge and keeping Ken busy with projects. Thank you, Carolyn, for all the gourmet meals and cocktail hour. It’s hard to imagine a better time with friends. Definitely a trip to remember and an opportunity that not many get a chance to experience! God Bless on your future travels. You will remain in our prayers and we look forward to hearing of your adventures and the adventures of your “crew.”

Ken and Kathy Martin

Captain’s Log – St. Thomas, USVI

2011-02-21T20:17:00.001-06:00

Since making the USVI, Carolyn and I have been busy with some boat projects, provisioning, bike tours and visiting with our good friends Dennis and Linda Bartelt. We anchored in Crown Bay, by a marina which had good access stores and of course a great waterfront bar … Tickels! On February 10, we had Dennis and Linda aboard for a wonderful dinner and multiple bottles of wine! Carolyn and I took a bike tour of Charlotte Amalie the next day and even figured out how to ride in the streets with cars that drive on the LEFT.

On Sunday, we rented a car with Dennis and Linda, and did a big island tour finally making our way to the very top – Mountain Top – for drinks and a great view. We ended the day with a swim and SHOWERS (yeah!) at the Marriott and dinner at a beach bar called Iggies. We got back to the boat late but in time to rest up for our next visitors, Ken and Kathy Martin, who came in the next day on February 14.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - And the Winner is ...

2011-02-11T18:49:00.001-06:00

Many of you sent us emails or posted on the S. Caicos blog your guess for the cost of five lobsters fresh off the boat. Some of the entries were very creative, including the guess that we traded five packs of cigarettes for them. With out further delay, the WNNER was MIKE SMITH who guessed $12.50 versus our payment of $13.00. Perhaps we overpaid.

Now to collect, Mike just has to fly and meet me somewhere for his free dinner. (Mike please send me an email ... fred.kowitz@gmail.com)

thanks again...Carolyn and Fred

Captain’s Log – Puerto Rico to St. Thomas USVI

2011-02-10T10:59:00.001-06:00

Over the past two weeks, we’ve enjoyed some great, albeit windy
weather along the southern coast of Puerto Rico. We chose to sail
along the southern coast because of the many anchorages and to
hopefully have some reduced headwinds in the early morning from
night-time land effect.

Our first stop was down the coast from Mayaguez in the college (party)
town of Boqueron, Puerto Rico’s answer to our Key West. Fortunately,
we arrived on a week day and missed all the weekend debauchery (darn).

From there, we motorsailed over to Cabo Rojo to stage and early
departure. The next morning we reached Gilligan’s Island, a remote
State Park, and had a great time swimming and snorkeling. A family
from NJ decided we looked hungry and fed us all afternoon with local
fare.

Next stop … Ponce, Puerto Rico’s second largest city, where we
bike-toured the town and got rocked to sleep by the music festival
next to the anchorage at the Ponce Yacht Club.
From Ponce, we did a night sail over to Palmas del Mar, a beautiful
resort community with a marina to match. The next day, we rented a
car and drove into San Juan for a walking tour of Old San Juan which
had been encircled by a massive stone wall. The wall has an official
portal by the sea which all officials would enter through after
sailing from Spain. Upon entering, they’d make their way two blocks
up the hill to the church to thank God for their safe passage. On the
way back from SJ we did massive provisioning at …..Wallmart!!

From Palmas we did another early morning sail to Pineros Island but
could not go ashore as it was a government restricted area. Then, on
to Culebra where we spent a few days in the protected waters of the
interior harbor. We partied with locals on Super Bowl Sunday at a
place called …The Dinghy Dock Restaurant. We did not win the betting
pool but still had a few dollars left to pay off the bar tab.

Anyone planning a vacation should really think about coming to PR. It
is one of the most beautiful Caribbean Islands you could find … great
weather, lots of history, resorts, beaches and day trips galore. Sure
it doesn’t sound exotic, but it really is!

Finally, on February 8th ,at about 1:30 PM, after a 20 mile upwind
sail, we reached St. Thomas, USVI and anchored in Crown Bay.

CAPTAIN’S LOG – Samana, Dominican Republic to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico

2011-01-31T08:46:00.001-06:00

Thanks to those who entered our free lobster dinner contest (see Captain’s Log – South Caicos). A reminder that others who wish to enter the lobster contest should post a note on the blog or email us by February 10.

Passage Notes: After having read reference materials on making the difficult Mona Passage between the DR and PR, we departed on Sunday, January 23 at 2:30pm. This provided a good weather window with winds less than 15k. We motored in light winds until midnight and then set sails. At daybreak, we started a 3-hour tack to clear the Hourglass Shoal. On the next tack we sailed all the way to Mayaguez.

At about 8:00pm, we had an over flight by the Coast Guard helicopter and was hit with their big spot light. At least they could see our American flag. Then at 9:30pm, we heard a different sound at the stern and turned to see a stealthy Coast Guard boat following us without their lights on just 50 feet off the port quarter. After passing through the reef, the Coast Guard boat lights went on and then we heard those endearing words … “Welcome to our beautiful country … now prepare to be boarded”. After having passed inspection we continued on to the shore, anchored, celebrated with a drink that we made it across after 31-hours, and finally to bed.

Carolyn and Fred

CAPTAIN’S LOG – SAMANA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

2011-01-30T09:52:00.001-06:00

The first thing we realized in Samana is that everyone wants a piece of the action with a bribe or scam.

Before checking in with the Navy / Coast Guard, another yachtie pulled up and told us he owned the mooring ball we were on. He initially told us he’d take whatever we gave him and then said it was $20/night which would be ridiculous for the DR. We saw him twice again in town and he never asked about payment or gave us his card. He never came by to collect so we figured it was probably a scam.

Right across from where the boat was anchored is a bridge that literally went no where. So, we ventured out to see what it was all about and sure enough, it went … no where. Right next to the bridge was a 5 star hotel, “Bahia Princess”, which we toured after casually walking past two security check points and looking like their average guest. The showers in spa/gym were only a 4 star resort level since it did not offer any hot water! Otherwise, it was still very nice.

Later in the day, we hired a rickshaw bolted to a motorcycle for what the driver claimed was a beautiful, all inclusive tour up the mountain to a massive waterfall in the jungle of the National Park. Of course, when we got there, we did not go to the park entrance but instead stopped at a private café where we were asked to pay $30 for the horses to take us back to the falls on a private trail …we refused. We hired a guide for the half-hour rugged hike. The entrance booth to the Park mysteriously had no change for the $3 entrance fee although they had collected fees all day. When I told them, I would just buy one ticket with exact change, they suddenly had change. The falls were beautiful and we were soon on our way down the mountain in the scary moto(cycle)taxi.

The next day, Sunday, we left Santa Barbara at 2:30 PM for our 160 mile passage to Puerto Rico. The bribe for the Despacho was only $10 this time, although the two young recruits that inspected our boat prior to departure clearly wanted more. On to Puerto Rico!!

Carolyn and Fred

CAPTAIN’S LOG – LUPERON, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (DR)

2011-01-28T18:00:00.001-06:00

After spending a few days completing our project list, it was time to explore a little of Luperon. On Sunday, we attended Beach Church, which was started by the same individuals who got the Beach Church going in Georgetown, Bahamas, Afterwards, we stopped by the boater’s flea market at the Puerto Blanco Marina where we got Carolyn some local Jewelry and made arrangements for some canvas work. While there, we enjoyed a wonderful local buffet lunch ($6.50 plus, a 24 oz beer for $1.70). What a deal … keeps Carolyn out of the galley since she said “it wasn’t worth cooking at these prices!”

The next day, we took a countryside day tour around Luperon with a stop at a local roadside café for a fabulous buffet lunch. The highlight of this trip, besides the all you can drink rum and coke, was an adventure in the National Waterfall Park with it’s 50 foot gorge with 27 waterfalls. We hiked, swam, waded, got pulled and pushed up stream through only 7 of the 27 waterfalls. Along the way we even got a facial from our guide who used the river’s soft rock soft rock to create our green mud mask. Besides the water being cold, it was a pretty strenuous fighting the strength of the water coming down the falls. However, going down was much easier was we slid all the way except for the last one we jumped into a pool of deep water. What fun!

On Tuesday, we checked weather for our upcoming passage and had a wonderful potluck dinner hosted by Hal and Marsh onboard their J-125, “Eagles Wings”, and watched the classic movie “Captain Ron”, …again.

To move to a different port in the DR requires a Navy issued Dispacho. There is no charge for this if you don’t include the bribes which cost me $20 at 6AM the day we departed. After a 27 hour uneventful passage over to Samana DR, we anchored in the harbor at Santa Barbara.

While we are now safely in Puerto Rico, we are trying to catch up on our blog notes here. More to come

Carolyn and Fred

CAPTAIN'S LOG - SAIL to LUPERON, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

2011-01-19T18:08:00.001-06:00

The best way to describe our overnight sail to Luperon on January 13th was screaming fast!! We even second reefed the main and jib. Then we changed the jib to the staysail and were still going over 6 knots. We wanted to get into the harbor near daybreak to ensure that we could see the reefs and fishing buoys, so about 2:00 a.m. we slowed the boat down by dropping the staysail and sailing with only the reefed main. However, we still were doing about 5 knots. Fortunately, we knew the winds were to go light by sun up, which happened when we were 10 miles from the entrance to the harbor. Luperon is a well protected harbor created from a small stream. The water is shallow near the mouth of the harbor, but once we inched our way across the shallows we found a nice deep channel into the bay. We were greeted by Papo, an industrious local, who is the purveyor of all things to the cruiser. The harbor is surrounded by mountains covered with dense tropical foliage. A beautiful setting for the 100+ boats that are anchored here. We hoisted our Q-flag for inspection but no one showed up. So by mid-day, we went ashore to clear all the formalities. After going through Immigration, Customs, Port Authority, Agriculture, and Tourism, we then went to see the Navy Commander, Drug Enforcement and M2 (not sure what that is?). After checking our papers, the Commander promised he would be at our boat at 4:00 p.m. for inspection. Little did we know that when he said 4:00 p.m., it really means 4:00 p.m. DR time or about 4:45 p.m.

It is customary to give tips or a small gift to the local people who provide you with services, but only after they have performed their services not beforehand so Fred politely deferred the customary Navy tip until we departed. We also heeded the requirement of the Agricultural Inspector who advised that we should throw away all of our produce next time we come ashore .. Right.

The people here are great and we will have lots to report in our next blog!

Carolyn and Fred

CAPTAIN’S LOG – SOUTH CAICOS LOBSTER CONTEST

2011-01-11T18:10:00.001-06:00

After three stops and an overnight sail, we are now anchored in Cockburn Town, South Caicos. This is described as the fishing capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Of the eight major islands, South Caicos is by far the poorest and has little tourist trade.

The temperature is almost agreeing with Carolyn, as she has used the word “hot” a few times. However, the trade wind breezes make things very pleasant.

After clearing in through Customs and Immigration, we walked around the town and it was sad to see many homes destroyed by the 2008 hurricane. Furthermore, it’s unfortunate that the government has not helped in re-developing the area. Interesting, though, the roads are all in excellent shape. Everyone we have met here has been extremely helpful and friendly. The majority of the workers are Haitians though, who are dedicated and hard working, but are looked down upon by the local Islanders. The Haitians clearly are the ones doing all the hard jobs.

Since our refreshment locker has an eclectic collection of fine adult beverages, we have had to be pretty creative with our onboard supplies to enjoy mixed drinks. Hence, Fred has invented a new drink, which he is calling “The Crapor”. This consists of 4 ounces of CRanberry APple Juice, ½ ounce of ORange contreau, and as much Gin or Vodka you can tolerate. Pour over ice in a mixer, shake vigorously, and strain for a perfect refreshing drink. Try one and let us know what you think.

Since South Caicos is noted for their fresh conch and lobster, we stopped at the nearby fishery plant with hopes to purchase a fresh lobster. The Manager, Rommel, was kind enough to take care of us and negotiated the acquisition of five spiny lobsters from a local fisherman. The price was unbelievable!

Can you guess how much we paid for these five lobsters? Please enter your USD$ guess via a comment on the blog or send us an email. Contest closes February 10, 2011. The entry that is the closest to the price paid will receive a free lobster dinner available in any of our ports of call.

Carolyn and Fred

CAPTAIN'S LOG - MOVING SOUTH

2011-01-04T18:45:00.001-06:00

January 2 - In the morning, we attended the non-denominational, cruiser-led Beach Church, on the beach.of course! Fred missed out in singing with the choir group though. In the afternoon, we feasted at the "Chat N-Chill" which was serving a most delicious pig roast dinner. Finally, we said farewell to all the wonderful friends we met in George Town, as the weather provided us with an opportunity to go south.

Fred describes this next news bit as the "miracle of the wayward bolts". While working at the back of the boat, Fred discovered one small wayward allen head bolt and could not determine its home. Puzzled, he set it aside. The next day, while resting below, he heard something rolling back and forth on the deck with the movement of the boat. After investigating, Fred found an identical allen head bolt to the one found previously. Now his brain went into overdrive wondering what piece of equipment was shedding allen head bolts at prodigious rate. After another day of cogitating he thought that they may have come off the newly installed roller furler. When we rolled out the furler to check, he immediately located the furler part that was now held in loosely by only one of its original four bolts. Hoping that the fourth bolt was someplace still on the deck, Carolyn went on the scavenger hunt and found it wedged in the forward starboard stanchion. The furler has now been fixed and the bolts all locked in place (again) with Loctite.

January 3 - As we were under sail for Rum Cay, our next destination, Fred decided to take out his fishing gear and try his hand at fishing. Lo and behold, he caught a Yellow Fin Tuna! At first Fred thought the line got snagged, but the look on his face was utter shock when he realized that he actually had something on the hook! Now Fred's giddy as a little boy!! The tuna probably weighed about 15 lbs. Guess what we had for dinner!! Thank you, Wendy, for the "StarKist Sensational Tuna" cookbook. Carolyn now has 101 ways to make tuna for the rest of the week.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Still Hanging Out in George Town

2011-01-02T07:26:00.001-06:00

December 29 - Previously we failed to mention that we had an anchoring lesson in the Flemming Channel off of the Eleuthera's. Raising the anchor in rather steep chop, we acquired a 30º bend to the front end of the bow roller (not the part that Dave Nelsen fortified with welds!). The bow roller still worked ...barely, but was in need of a repair. Fred thought we could wait to find a professional metal fabricator in San Juan but just happened to come across Patrick's Garage here in George Town. Patrick was reported to be an excellent craftsman with a sledge hammer, a vise, and a blow torch. With some intrepidness, Fred handed Patrick the assembly and 3-hours later Patrick returned a repaired, nearly perfect bow roller! Fred was very happy and Patrick was richer for his efforts. After getting the bow roller reattached, we decided to attend the local ARG (Alcohol Research Group) by the Queen's Dinghy Dock on Hamburger Beach. This is a group of local cruiser attending their weekl
y therapy session (cocktails and appetizers). What fun!!

December 30 - A calm and pleasant day before several days of strong easterly trade winds. We hiked the walking trails on Stocking Island which protects the anchorage from the trade winds and the swells of the Exuma Sound.

December 31 - With the cool and gusty winds now upon us, we knew it would be a very wet ride ashore in the dingy to partake in any activities. So we decided to stay on the boat to celebrate the coming of the New Year's, as did most other cruisers. For us cruisers it was very difficult to stay awake past "Sailor's Midnight", which is 8:00 p.m. local time, to celebrate the coming of the New Year. At the stroke of 7:00 p.m., a British cruiser announced on the net that London was celebrating New Year's. Everyone wished him a Happy New Year and then asked if we could go to bed now rather than wait for our local midnight . we're all so pathetic. Happy New Year!!

Carolyn and Fred

CAPTAIN'S LOG - GEORGE TOWN, EXUMA

2010-12-30T05:04:00.001-06:00

December 24 - After anchoring just off of Stocking Island around 10:00 a.m., we took a short nap and then decided to dingy ashore to see what all the noise and commotion was about. Turned out to be the Chat 'N' Chill ultimate beach bar (www.chatnchill.com). A great place to hang out, to meet and socialize with other cruisers. While at the Chat 'N' Chill, Fred sampled their famous Conch Salad and we both tried one of their coconut rum punch drinks . yummy! December 25 - After listening to the local morning net (VHF Radio Channel 68), turns out that the local cruisers had coordinated a Christmas potluck ashore at the Chat 'N' Chill. We decided to partake in the festivities and Carolyn made a local Bahamian Cassava dish. There were a total of 120 cruising people who participated, and boy, was there ever a spread of delicious food. After having a delightful meal, we all shared our sailing stories and plans for the next island destination. To burn off some of the calories acquired, we then played two games of volleyball before retiring for the evening. December 26 - Even though most places were closed on Sunday, we went ashore to George Town to briefly walk around. Just outside the town's food market was a local Bahamian selling fresh homemade buns and coconut pastries right on the trunk of his car! Once again, Fred continues to pursue his philanthropic ways in purchasing local fare wherever he can. Then back to the boat to prepare for another cold front coming through that evening. Carolyn keeps asking, "Will it ever get warm?" Turns out the water temperature (67º) is almost warmer than the air. December 27 - The cold front has arrived, which brought with it approximately 25-30 knot winds in the anchorage. We decided to hunker down in the boat. The day was spent doing boat maintenance projects, and listening to the local community net. The net is somewhat comical, as it is similar to listening to a shared telephone party line (Fred's era), or watching "The View". Who would have thought Fred enjoys listening to and even participates in the local gossip! We continue to wait for the next weather window of opportunity to depart once the opposing winds become more favorable.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log - Eleluthera to Exuma

2010-12-25T07:46:00.001-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS: From Hatchet Bay, we sailed down to Governor's Harbour. We had 10K winds with less than 1 foot seas in the Eleluthera banks; just a perfect sail. Entering the harbour, we were greeted by dolphins; the first time since being here in the Bahamas. The anchorage in the harbour was generally unsafe but we had planned to be there on a perfectly fine day. Our big adventure was to find the local bakery and buy bread! A bit of trivia about Governour's Harbour is that it was the first location for the Parliament of the Bahamas. The next day, another fine day to sail, we headed down to Cape Eleluthera at the southern end of the Eleluthera Island. The marina itself was picture perfect (previously a Club Med). However, as the day progressed, the winds picked up as yet another cold front was coming in. This made the harbor dock quite a miserable place to be as it was exposed to the open sea. To take advantage of the northerly winds, we decided to do an overnight sail to George Town, Stocking Island, Exuma. We arrived the morning of Christmas Eve and plan to be here over Christmas waiting for the next good weather window to depart. In the meantime, we will enjoy the company of other cruisers and soak up more culture (rum).

Missing all our family and friends, and wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.

Carolyn and Fred

NASSAU TOWARD ELEUHERA

2010-12-19T19:03:00.001-06:00

Explored the Capital of Nassau, Bahamas; first stop was to the Bahamas Historical Society Museum. Our docent, Tony, provided us with an in-depth history of the Bahamas and how it came to be what it is today. Then off to the Post Office to drop off mail. Just outside the doorsteps was a local Bahamian selling homemade soup right out of the trunk of her car! Obviously, Fred couldn’t pass up food when it smelled that good. So he purchased a delicious bowl of Bahamian dumpling soup and boy, was it ever tasty! Next visit was to the Graycliff Cigar Co., where we got a tour of cigars being rolled on the laps of virgins. Of course, Fred had to purchase a few to enjoy later. Strolled down Bay Street and happened to stop at the local Bahamas Rum Cake Factory … yummy! We ended the day with a stop at the local Green Parrot for a cocktail.

The next day departed Nassau toward Eleuthera and entered the Flemming Channel where we had anchored overnight. Then from Flemming Channel we sailed toward Hatchet Bay, where we successfully entered into a very narrow opening (50 feet width) with cliffs on both sides of the entrance. Picked up a mooring; then settled in for the night. Tomorrow, we’re off to Governors Harbour.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Log BAHAMAs Adventures

2010-12-16T06:57:00.001-06:00

On Saturday, we went 15 miles south to Saddleback Cay looking for a perfect spot to protect us from the expected winds in the approaching cold front. We found a small protected harbor (surrounded by 5 islands) all to ourselves with a beautiful white sandy beach. A thoughtful cruiser had left to beach chairs for the next people to arraive … lucky us.

We explored the island that day and spent Sunday prepping the boat for the cold front. Also on Sunday, another boat pulled in which made us feel better with the company. The storm lasted almost 36 hours before the winds got down below 20 knots. Luckily, the anchor(s) held fine.

Yesterday, we had a perfect sail to Nausau and are ready to explore the town today!!

Fred and Carolyn

Captain's Log - BAHAMA's

2010-12-11T18:47:00.001-06:00

We finally got out of West Palm on Thursday 12-9 just before dawn and headed out across the Gulf stream towards the Berry Islands and Great Harbor Cay. We had already overstayed our welcome in the States and had weathered a cold front the preceding 3 days. We also had to wait for a good weather window to cross the stream as it can get very nasty if you time it wrong. While in West Palm we readied the boat for longer passages, made repairs and even rented a car to take care of errands making 25 stops in one day. Dinner at Panache in West Palm was the highlight of a very long day.

Fred's Mom, Bill and his brother Karl visited on Sunday (and again on Wednesday) and we had some local fare at the Tiki Bar in Riviera Beach. Fred's friend from Motorola, Bill Kierl, joined us on Sunday as well.

The passage to Great Harbor was just OK. We weather two rain showers during the day that took the wind away and had us rev up the engine. We then sailed all night through the Northwest Passage having to contend with at least 15 cruise liners and cargo ships on the same headings as Anam Cara.

Arriving Great Harbor we traveled the 140 NM in about 27 hours. We hopped in the dinghy and made a beach landing at the Beach Club Bar and walked across the street to Customs. We now have our official 12 month cruising / fishing permit for the Bahamas. Of course we had a drink at the Bar (local beer) on the way back to the boat for some needed rest. The locals at the bar were quite friendly and gave us lots of good advice!! Fred and Carolyn

Captain's Log - Palm Beach FL.

2010-11-24T19:38:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone.

We have been enjoying the 80 degree days and high in the 60's at night now ever since we arrived in Palm Beach on Sunday. We are anchored out in a great harbor with plenty of other cruisers nearby. The city marina has a special rate of $10 a day for the the use of their dinghy dock, showers and mailing service so we have been taking advantage of that almost every day. We've already done some provisioning and bought some critical boat supplies in prep for our next leg into the Bahamas.

Yesterday we visited Steve's house n Vero Beach and slept in a real bed. Quite a treat. Steve also treated us to dinner. Thanks Steve!. We had to leave both the dinghy and boat locked up overnight but they were all there and secure when we got back. While at Steve's, we also finished beefing up the solar panel array using the workshop in his condo clubhouse.

We've had a quick series small setbacks but pushed on to make the 1000 miles from Norfolk in 21 days ... 5 days in the ICW, 8 days of sailing and 8 lay days. Offshore we had a break in the solar panel array (mentioned earlier) and an impeller burn up. The impeller was fixed with a spare on board.

We also ran aground in the middle of the ICW the day we left Fernandina Beach. After studying the recent dredging reports from the Corps of Engineers, I though we could make it down to Jacksonville. We left at low tide figuring that if we go stuck, we would wait to float off with the high tide. About a mile from the anchorage we ran into the sand and were pretty stuck. However, a number of passing boats provided enough wave action to help us get a little movement in reverse, Then I stepped into the dinghy to take out an anchor just as Carolyn reported we were free and now moving forward with me in the dinghy tied along side. Great fun.

The water pump pressure switch finally failed (they all do) and was replaced with the spare on board. And finally, in Ft. Pierce, our boat twisted around the second anchor line I set and cut the anchor line with the trailing edge of the keel. So, we are replacing that anchor. The primary anchor is always on chain so no risk of losing both anchors. I will avoid that type of incident in the future!.

Plan to hit the Bahamas in about 2 weeks

Fred and Carolyn

Captain's Log - FLORIDA!!!

2010-11-16T07:41:00.001-06:00

We arrived in Florida on Sunday morning after a rather uneventful 165 NM passage from Charleston. There were good winds for about half the passage and we motored the other half. We traveled at night with a group of sailboats all heading south out of various ports along the coast and pretty much all got into Fernandina Beach, FL about the same time. The water and shore temps are nicer now ...very comfortable. After arriving, we walked the historic district got some ice cream, fresh bread and seafood from the wharf. After a little shopping, we wandered over to the North American Pe'tanque Open http://www.petanque.org/ The "sport" is a cross between horseshoes, bocce ball and curling. We watched the quarter finals but the excitement was to great and we had to depart for town again. We visited The Palace...Florida's oldest bar... and Fred downed one of their Pirate's Punch which incapacitated him for the remainder of the day. We spent Monday provisioning and recovering. Heading for Jacksonville today and then down the coast the rest of the week.

Carolyn, Fred and Steve.

Captain's Log - Charleston, SC

2010-11-12T20:19:00.001-06:00

We left Morehead City on Monday morning in cool weather heading for Charleston with a great forecast. Winds were suppose to diminish from 20 knots and stay NW. However...that did not happen and winds stayed in the 20+ range from the West which made our trip a bit more stressful and rough. We got to the point off cape Fear that we were suppose to turn for Charleston but the winds were too much on the nose so we decided to head towards Jacksonville. A failure in the solar panels at about the time the winds finally turned NW allowed us still to make Charleston for repairs, covering the 225 miles in about 37 hours. We've had a fine anchorage here for the past few days and have had some time to see the city and enjoy some of the local fare. Our highlight was dinner at the Charleston Yacht Club where we enjoyed the company of several other cruisers from afar and swapped sea stories and advice.

Heading for Fernandia Beach FL tomorrow..

that's it for now. Carolyn, Fred and Steve

Captain's Log - Morehead City, NC

2010-11-06T07:42:00.001-05:00

Carolyn, Steve (new crew) and I have spent the last five days motoring down the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) from Norfolk, VA to Morehead City, NC. Leaving Norfolk, we had several warships up-anchor and motor out the channel (as we motored in) demanding that the tiny specs on their radar screen stay the heck out of their way!! I'm sure there is some navigational rule that allows them to do this but we felt mighty puny on our 41 footer. Once past Norfolk, scenery was about what you'd expect for the SE coast, except for the series of Army jet fighters that kept using our boat as a turning beacon as they did very low passes on maneuvers. All-in-all, it was a fairly unremarkable voyage since we made every anchorage on schedule about 4PM each day. Throughout most of the ICW we had only 3-5 feet below the keel and the anchorage depth was about 1-3 feet ... very uncomfortable given the normal anchoring depths around Lake Michigan. In addition, we cleared every 65' bridge with our 61' height, even the one reported to be 62' instead of 65'..

We made our marina yesterday about 11AM and plan to anchor out Saturday night with a departure on Sunday or possibly Monday for an offshore trip to Charleston.

Fred, Carolyn and Steve

Captain's Log - October 31 - Half Way To Panama

2010-10-31T11:29:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow morning, just before sunrise (7:00 AM), we'll depart Norfolk and start heading south again. As we sit here, 3200 miles of sailing from Chicago, we're half way to the Panama Canal but a lot of sea in front of us. The temps today will be in the 70's but not may not break 60 on Monday ... a good time to start moving again. While the hurricane season is officially over November 1, there is still one churning around Cuba that we'll keep our eye on. We plan to stay on Intracoastal Waterway until we get about 200 miles south near Moorhead, NC, and then start offshore overnight sails as we work our way down to West Palm.

Carolyn and I have had a good month in Norfolk but were saddened by the passing of Carolyn's father who had a great spirit of adventure and loved to play sports and take risks. We were also happy to have had good friends Shawn and Wendy visit and to have made new friends with Richard and Joy Steele. During the month, we had a chance to enjoy several of the local casual eateries including some with pretty good seafood. Finally, Carolyn is still improving from her injury and was able to get some therapy while here. Her therapist from California, Matt Milton, wife and family also visited to ensure Carolyn was following the regimen.

Major projects for the month included, a new computer, installing an autotiller and a roller furling staysail.

Fred and Carolyn

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER - UPDATES IN ROSEVILLE, CA

2010-09-13T18:26:00.003-05:00

Fred is relaxing and enjoying plenty of activities while waiting out the hurricane season in the Chesapeake. In the meantime, Carolyn continues with her physical therapy while enjoying the weather in California. It’s been a long recovery process since the June accident but slowly the arm is healing. We are forever grateful and thankful to the Ourada and Lott families for allowing us to stay in their homes.

While in California, we have had the opportunity to visit with Carolyn’s sister and family (Beth, Peter, and Josh Starck), Fred’s brother, Don Kowitz, and son, Braden Kowitz. Plenty of bike riding around the Roseville area, along with biking the American River Trail, the Sawyer Camp Trail, and the San Francisco Bay Trail. We hiked the Auburn State Recreation area and hiked up to Mt. Tallac in Lake Tahoe.

We are scheduled to return to the Chesapeake at the end of September to ready the boat for departure along the Intracoastal Waterway around November 1.

Carolyn and Fred

Captain's Epilog - Lost in Transalation

2010-08-21T11:19:00.001-05:00

We experienced an unusual incident on the trip from Cape May, NJ to Norfolk, VA that needs to be recorded for the blog. Having left Cape May late in the afternoon, nightfall was soon upon us. Ken, Andy, Bob Isaiah and Fred were aboard. We could see thunderstorms approaching and all of us were on deck as we began to pick up the lights of an approaching freighter heading into the Delaware Bay. Our AIS system showed the freighter moving very slowly, but we could also see puffs of black smoke indicating they were likely underway. As we approached, we continued on our path that would take us in front of the oncoming freighter.... but we weren't sure if we could cross safely. Not wanting to veer off course and take an extra 20 minutes to go behind the slow moving ship, we decided to call the ship to understand their intentions...(were they going to speed up soon? or change course?).

Ken dutifully got on the radio and hailed the bridge of the ship indicating that we were a sailing vessel crossing their path and wanted to know their intentions. Listening intently on the cockpit speaker, we ALL heard a man say in a strong Russian accent "I am a tanker". Great. We asked one question and got a an answer for something else. Figuring that he was reading from a list of possible answers we did not attempt another contact. We proceeded in front of the "tanker" and cleared with plenty of room to spare.

About 10 minutes later, Isaiah picked up the binoculars and looked back at the ship, as it did not seem to be moving now. With a different viewing angle on the ship in the twilight, he reported that he could see their anchor rode. Ever so slowly, it finally dawned on us that the ship's initial response was misunderstood by all of us.

"I am at anchor"

Fred and Carolyn in Sacramento

Captain's Log New Bedford to Norfolk / Chesapeake

2010-08-12T17:18:00.000-05:00

Having faced SW winds for the last 600 miles, it was no surprise that we had another forecast of SW winds for the next 400 miles to Norfolk. Over 1000 miles upwind since Cape Breton, NS. Our crew of Andy, Bob and Isaiah (via Find-a-Crew) and Ken Martin all arrived on time and we made a late Sunday (August 1) departure avoid possible high winds late Wednesday and Thursday. We went straight for Cape May, NY and made port early Wednesday after some rough going. After a dangerous dinghy excursion and being forced to anchor with our stern in the channel, we decided to get a dock for the night.

The forecasts for Thursday and Friday looked reasonable with the possibility of some favorable winds once a front moved through. We passed through thunderstorms both nights and were finally able to reach for an hour or so before the winds died. We turned on the iron genoa and motored the last 5 hours into the Chesapeake.

After arriving we notice that there had been a tropical depression forming off Bermuda the day we arrived....Thankfully, we are now relatively safe in a marina in the Chesapeake for the fall hurricane season.

I'm joining Carol in Sacremento next week and we'll be there for a month or so. The next log will be in a few weeks once we figure out our plans for the winter.

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Sacramento)

Captain's Log - Halifax to New Bedford

2010-08-09T06:53:00.001-05:00

Brett and Braden arrived late on Sunday, July 25 in dense fog. I picked them up at the dinghy dock of the Armdale Yacht Club at 1:00 AM and motored out to the boat at the mooring for late night dinner. We left Halifax that day about 12:30 PM after a safety and boat systems review and promptly motored into … (yup) dense fog. Passing only one other boat in the fog and after motoring in no wind for a time, we finally set sail and began the 400 mile upwind beat to Boston.

About 50 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia on Monday afternoon we had an interesting experience that proved to be the highlight of the trip. Our radar detector started beeping with no boats in sight. Then the radar detector emitted a solid tone as if a strong radar was right next to us. Suddenly, a plane dropped down from the sky for a mast high fly over. The Canadian DEA / Customs (gray P3 Orion) was painting us with radar and was doing a fine job of locking onto my radar reflector. She got a good look at our bow on the first pass and could read our name on the transom on the second pass.

Winds were generally 12-18 Kts, except when we got into Massachusetts Bay where winds topped out at 25 Kts. We beat into Cape Cod Bay against diminishing SW winds and waves and made the ebb time for the Cape Cod Canal at 1:44 AM on Wednesday morning. Currents can run up to o6 knots if you time it wrong!!. We thought that it would be good to hold over at a marina in the Canal as I expected the exit of the Canal to be quite rough with opposing large waves on Buzzards Bay driven up a narrow channel against a strong outgoing tide.

Unfortunately, there was no room in the marina and the currents were running at 4 knots which made it very difficult to maneuver. We continued on through the Canal only to be met my monstrous head on waves in a 3 mile long 250 foot wide channel as we exited the Canal.

After hours of difficult motoring we contacted Customs to alert them to our imminent arrival to New Bedford (port of entry). Being quite early in the day, with no offices open, I finally wrangled approval to enter at Padamaram, MA, a much nicer venue at the New Bedford Yacht Club. We arrived safely and cleared customs about 9:30 AM for a total time of about 68 hours.

Problems encountered to be fixed or repaired:

computer locking up
drainage to the bilge from the anchor area
running lights got wet and went out (Backup installed)
solar panel and bimini – loose screws

More to come...

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Sacramento)

Rewind - Port Hood to Port Hawkesbury - mid July

2010-08-08T18:04:00.001-05:00

Rewind - Port Hood to Port Hawkesbury - mid July

To finish out the post on the Gaspe' QC to Halifax NS trip … we left Port Hood which was just a harbor with only a handful of homes and headed for the Canso Straits which separates Cape Bretton Island from Nova Scotia After going through one tidal lock, we arrived in Port Hawkesbury welcomed by a big parade...Canso Straits Days. We walked the town that day and then departed for a remote anchorage the next day late in the afternoon when heavy winds subsided. We anchored in Fox Cove that night to the sounds of wolves and loons.

On the way out of the Cove in the morning we saw bottle nosed whales as the area was a sanctuary for this breed. For the next several days we traveled in fog along the coast making stops at Fisherman's Harbor, Liscomb River and Ships Harbor before arriving at the Armdale yacht Club in Halifax on Friday July 16.

The Liscomb River stop proved somewhat treacherous a we navigated our way up a bouyed trout stream to a marina three miles inland. After staying the night at the only slip in the marina, we pushed off the dock for a "U" turn with the current and promptly found a shallow spot in the channel which was reported and marked for 12 feet. Our keel took a small scrape that will be fixed on the first boat hauling.

More to come...

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Chicago)

Captains's Log - August 2 Enroute fron New Bedford MA to Cape May NJ

2010-08-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

Departed New Bedford about 7:30 PM Sunday and set sail on a light easterly breeze. Been sailing all night on a close reach and expect to continue SE until we get to Cape May. We plan to stay in Cape May til the front passes and then make our way south along the coast with Northerly winds. Andy, Bob, Ken and Isaiah doing well.

Fred

Captains Log July 27 - 150 NM off Cape Cod via HAM

2010-07-27T11:49:00.000-05:00

Brett, Braden and Fred doing well. Left Halifax in rain and fog on Sunday at 1:00 PM. Set sail that evening and have been sailing ever since with winds on the nose from 10 -20K. Expecting more wind on the nose until we arrive...

Fred and Crew

Captain's Log - Two Weeks to Halifax (from Halifax)

2010-07-20T14:37:00.000-05:00

Departing on an outgoing tide on the morning of July 4, we motored out of Gaspe Bay in light winds. We set sail on the way (165 KM) and arrived Iles de la Madeleine at about 3 PM Monday. We found the anchorage and town by the anchorage not to our liking and then motored 8 KM across a very rough sea to Cap aux Meules.

Arriving at the main harbor, we were momentarily distraught as there was no marina as advertised, on;y cruise and fishing ship berths. After circling the harbor a dozen times and entertaining the locals, we found the entrance to the marina well hidden and protected just outside the main harbor.

After spending two pleasant days in Cap aux Meules and enjoying the local seafood, we sailed over to Cheticamp, Cape Bretton, Nova Scotia with the expectation of an English speaking town. However, Che'ticamp is still French speaking! We waited out most of the next day for a strong SW wind to pass and headed for Port Hood after dinner. At sunrise, we had made anchorage after a bumpy, slow trip down the coast. We rested in Port Hood that day, avoided the strong southerly breeze and made plans to take off in the morning to Port Hawkesbury.

More to come...

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Chicago)

Captains Log - June - Update on St. Lawrence (from Ship Harbor Nova Scotia)

2010-07-15T16:54:00.001-05:00

In Riveires au Renanrd ,Bob and I spent the coldest night since our Lake Michigan crossing to Frankfort and the cabin temps hit 52 again. We headed out for Gaspe and sailed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence before heading down the Gaspe Bay and arriving on Sunday. All of the people at the marina were quite friendly and we got a lot of advice on our cruising plans for the following week. After and engine overhaul the next morning, Bob caught a train back to Montreal and then made his way back to Elk Grove by late Wednesday.

Very cool weather dominated the week at the mooring while I worked on projects and re-provisioned the boat I decided to see the town on Thursday, July 1 which turned out to be Canada Day and of course, nothing was open!

Todd and Katherine Harris arrived late Thursday and we took a drive to the spectacular Perce' Rock on Friday. On Saturday, Todd caught his fish of a lifetime on the famous York River while Katherine and I hiked a few trails in the Forillon National Park. One of the trails led out to Land's End - Gaspe Lighthouse and was the last 4K of the International Appalachia Trail.

..more in a few days...

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Chicago)

More on the St. Lawrence - On To Gaspe! (via HAM from Liscomb, NS)

2010-07-14T19:43:00.000-05:00

..more in a few days...

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Chicago)

Captain's Log - June in the St. Lawrence (from Cape Breton N.S. Canada)

2010-07-10T12:49:00.001-05:00

From Montreal out the St. Laawrence

Bob and I managed 55 miles by motor the first day out of Montreal using a good push from the current. We figured we could do more over the next few days as the tides were getting quite high (and currents would be strong) so we set our sites on Quebec and managed 75 miles quite easily. At the Montreal YC we picked up some local knowledge and left about 9:30 AM for a 75 run to Cap a'L'Aigle (Eagle Cape). At times, we had speed over ground of 12 knots! From there we made a slightly foggy run to Brandy Pot and then to the Bic Channel anchorage. We were surprised to find four other boats at anchor with us that night. Bic Channel marks the beginning of the wide open St. Lawrence where more sailing is possible.

We moved on to Matane and actually sailed part of the day. We re-provisioned in the morning and headed for St. Anne des Monts at the doorstep of the Gaspie National Park. We decided to take a lay day on June 25 due to rain and it turned out to be a National Holiday (John Baptiste Day) in Quebec. The next day, our intended anchorage for the evening was open to the strong NW winds so we stayed in St. Anne one more day.

Finally, on June 27, conditions and currents conspired to give us a 90 mile day as we sailed in a gusty west winds from St. Anne to Rivieres au Renard in a little over 11 hours!

More to come on the blog

Fred and Carol (in our hearts in Chicago)

Captains Log - July 8th - St. Lawrence (Cheticamp, NS, Canada)

2010-07-08T19:11:00.001-05:00

I'm hoping to catch everyone up on the travels of Anam Cara as we headed Chesapeake. Knowing Carol was safe with family in Chicago, Rich and I headed out for Montreal on June 13. We passed through the Thousand Island area where we had a good boost from the current and paid close attention to the channel Rocks were visible only 50 yards outside the channel in some areas. at night we anchored in a side channel with a 2 knot current but we didn't move once the 100 feet of chain and 66 pound anchor was down and set.

We moved through the Canadian and US locks over the next two days without problems and arrived Montreal on June 15. We had a little problem with the St. Lawrence Seaway Control as they forgot to turn a light GREEN for us to pass under a railroad bridge. After a few calls on CH 14, they told us to proceed on the RED. Hope they handle the big ships a little better.

Needless to say, we had a few issues when we called Customs in Montreal. Apparently, we were not in an official port of entry!! Even though a call to Customs the night before had assured me that my dockage plans were OK. Anyway, they let us all in to Canada with the promise that ... "IWe'd never do that again" We changed crew in Montreal and started sailing with Bob. More about the sail from Monteral in the next blog.

Fred and Carol (in our hearts).

Captain's Log - July 3 - From the Crew

2010-07-03T07:30:00.001-05:00

HI...My name is Bob. I am a crew. My duties are various, such as watch stander, mess cook, etc., but the primary duty of a crew is to support his captain. This is done with such phrases as: "Nice landing Captain"; "By Neptune's beard, you are a good cook!"; "No, the head is not that bad", etc. Also you should refrain from asking about ocean tides and river currents.

My part in this grand adventure was to relieve Rich in Montreal, QC and take the Anam Cara to Gaspe, QC. This we did in 13 days, stopping at four harbors and three anchorages in between. One anchorage, at Brandy Pot, was done in dense fog. Sleeping with your life vest is a good choice.

River/ocean travel is interesting in that without adjusting the throttle your speed can go from 12 knots down to 4 plus knots where normal speed should be 6.5 knots. We got the sails up the last three or four days when the river became miles wide. Our best day was when the wind built up to a top of 33 knots from the stern with the waves and current pushing her. It got more interesting when the tide came in, causing the waves to build up to 12 feet. Jibing was done with extreme caution. But know that the Anam Cara did 90 NM in about 11 hours.

This sail confirmed to me that the Swan 41 is fine sea boat........never a worry. Anam Cara stay the course.

Bob Marthaler

S/V Shimako

Captains Log - June 10 - Injured in Cape Vincent

2010-07-01T22:18:00.001-05:00

On June 10, Carol was injured just before entering Cape Vincent, NY. She sustained several injuries after being pushed over by the main sheet. She has badly bruised ribs, a broken left upper arm (humerus), and received a cut to her head. Rich and I got Carol to the dock quickly where she was taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital located in Watertown, NY. According to Carol, she received the bandaid treatment .... 4 staples to the head, a makeshift arm brace, and an arm sling. Carol and I immediately decided to fly her back to Chicago where we knew she would receive the best treatment and care.

The day of Carol's departure (June 12) back to Chicago from Syracuse, several flights were either canceled or delayed due weather. I tried feverishly to get her on the soonest possible flight but ran out of time, as my ride back to the harbor had arrived. Once Carol was able to get on a flight there wasn't enough time for her to call anyone to let them know the flight information.

In Syracuse, she had assistance up to the gate without any special planning. Upon arrival to Chicago, she was unable to receive any assistance from the airport to get either a wheelchair or electric cart. Who knew you needed to make reservations in Chicago? So, Carol had to manage carrying not only her broken arm but her baggage with her good arm. Even with all that excruciating pain she was experiencing, she persevered. Not sure I could have done it. She definitely has a high for pain tolerance or does that have something to do with me??

Carol had surgery on June 16, and her orthopedic surgeon placed a rod in her left arm. She is now recovering at her sister's home in Lemont, IL. She had a lot of pain but the medication seemed to help with some of the discomfort. She had to sleep and rest sitting up … along with keeping her arm elevated. Carol seemed to have a little difficulty keeping the swelling down but that is getting better now. She told me she looked looked like Frosty the Snowman since she had three ice packs; one for her left shoulder, the second for her left arm, and third for her head. After going to the hair salon three separate times, she finally got that red streak of special coloring washed out. I tried to get her cleaned up in Cape Vincent but I think she like the red highlights.

Needless to say, this all has been a frightening experience for me. I really wish I was home by Carol's side. For some of you that know Carol, she's very stubborn, strong-willed and independent. Being the caring, concerned and unselfish person that Carol is, she told me to continue on and get the boat to Norfolk, VA.

Carol's arm and head should heal within 8-12 weeks. The nerves affected in the arm may take a little longer to heal. Too early to predict at this time according to her orthopedic surgeon. In the meantime, the boat should get into the Chesapeake by August. Once the boat is snug, I'll rejoin Carol and we will relax this fall until we need to move the boat. I know Carol would love to hear from everyone. Her email address is chyurkovic@yahoo.com.

As a skipper, this was the first injury on board and something that I never want to experience again as it is quite terrifying. I will be redoubling safety efforts on the boat. We had always anticipated that there could be injuries … but expected that we could manage them with our first aid supplies. Thankfully, we were close to assistance, otherwise it would have been an evac at sea.

This has also been a very trying experience for me being so far from the one I love. I wish we were together now and plan to be together in late August. We have so many shared dreams in front of us ...now and when we return from the voyage. We hope and pray to accomplish them in due time. I want to thank all friends and family for the support they have provided. It means so much during this difficult time.

Fred and Carol

Captains Log June 26, NOON via HAM

2010-06-26T11:23:00.001-05:00

Sailing overnite on favorable but breezy following wind. Seas up to two meters and favorable current keeps boat speed around 8-9. We may anchor this evening if winds go light or continue to Gaspe hugging the coast. All is well.

Captain's Log - June 9th - Dutch John Bay NY - VIA HAM

2010-06-09T16:51:00.000-05:00

A lot to report since our last log. We transited the Welland Canal this past Sunday on a day that started with a cold 30 KN northerly wind. A good day for motoring in the enclosed cockpit. We arrived at the check-in at 7 AM and were promptly asked to wait for no apparent reason and then started the journey about 9:45 AM. The first lock was small ... about 6 foot drop ... just to bring you down from the lake level to the canal level. The next seven locks were quite a ride with each being a 45 foot drop We entered Lake Ontario late in the day with sunny skies and about 65-70 degrees. As there were no docking facilities at the Lake Ontario end, and with a good northwesterly breeze, we sailed all night with our crew of three toward Sodus Bay, NY.

Unfortunately, as we approached, the wind went way above forecast and the waves built to a height that made navigating the shallow channel dangerous. So...we continued on at about 7-8 KNs to Oswego, NY...another 21 NM.

We arrived at Sunset Monday having sailed almost the entire length of the Lake and anchored in front of Fort Ontario. The first two hours of anchoring went well but then the crew was called to general quarters as the anchor alarm sounde a one boat length slip in position ... toward a rocky shore about 250 feet away. We re-set the anchor and watched it all night. Well deserved lay day on Tuesday visiting the Fort and the city.

We are now in a beautiful, well protected, secluded harbor on a remote island. Cold and damp above but comfortable below. Dinner is about to be served... cole slaw, glazed pork chops and wild rice.

Fred, Carol and Rich

haven't forgotten about pics.

Captains Log June 5th - Welland Canal

2010-06-05T15:38:00.001-05:00

If everything works out, we plan to go through the Welland Canal tomorrow on our way to Lake Ontario. We've had a few lay days here as we enjoyed Port Colborne and did some provisioning. We visited the local maritime museum and rode the bikes up past the first lock on the canal.

The trip over from Cleveland was uneventful but we had to sail slow with single, double or triple reef due to the weather forecasts of anything from thunder showers to tornadoes. The sail was out first long sail with favorable winds. Unfortunately, the closer we get to destinations, the lighter the winds become. We motored in the last 10 miles.

We are awaiting our first crew...Rich ...who should be here later tonight and then, after the Welland, may sail through to Sodus Bay if conditions are right.

Fred and Carol

PS..pictures coming soon...

Captains Log - June 1 - somewhere in Cleveland

2010-06-03T20:01:00.002-05:00

After a rather uneventful first 12 days,, the Sea Gods decided to serve one up for us on Monday, May 31, our 13 day at sea. The day before we drove the boat down the St. Clair River from Port Huron at 8 knots with a nice 2K current behind us and then had a leisurely sail across Lake St. Clair. We stopped in at Bayview Yacht Club and were hosted by our friend Mike Harrison. An old pal Mike Williams stopped by and brought some cold beer for the occasion. On Monday, we got an early start hoping to make Put In Bay, Ohio. Carol was tested on the Detroit River as a ferry boat decided to pull out of it's dock without warning. We did a smart U turn and headed upstream to avoid the potential collision. (anyone see the ferry departure schedule book?).

Making it to Lake Erie, we hoisted sails and headed east as we listened to the forecast for storms coming our way with 30-40 knot winds. We shortened sail well in advance but it hit so hard and fast that we heeled way over before we could ease sheets and run downwind. Running with the main only (double reefed) at 9K we were trapped between a reef and to the north and the freighter lines to the south. We monitored our AIS for ship traffic (three nearby) and then finally cut across the lines and headed south to PIB before the winds died. As we approached acnhorage, we were hit with another squall but were fortunate enough to get the anchor down in the gusty choppy harbor. (ride em cowboy!).

After review of the anchoring arrangement, I noticed that the special locking ratchet for the anchoring windlass had come off and was missing. Needless to say this is a critical part for the windlass. There were only three place it could be...on the deck, in the water or possibly, just possibly it could have flown up in the air, traveled about 8" aft and made a perfect swan dive through the two inch hole in the deck where the chain comes out. After searching the deck with no luck I went below to the bow to have a look. Miracles of miracles...there it was with the chain. It has now been firmly re-attached and we'll keep an eye on that little sucker.

Fred and Carol

Captains Log - May 29 - Port Huron

2010-05-29T21:57:00.001-05:00

Carol and I are enjoying the hospitality of the Port Huron Yacht Club courtesy of our friends Matt and Emmy Wallace. We arrived here about 4:00 AM Friday after a tight squeeze down the narrow approach channel in Lake Huron. We were greeted by a building moving towards us that turned out to be a rather large freighter. I guess our radar reflector was working properly as the freighter saw us well in advance and was kind enough to shine his bajillion candle power spot light on us. We passed under the Bluewater Bridge about 3:30 AM with a 4 knot current causing our knot meter to register a new top speed for the boat ...10.2 knots!!! The trip down from Roger City anchorage was slow and uneventful.

We provisioned the boat on Friday and used our bikes for the first time. After a short ride and one crash by Fred, we purchased some additional collapsible baskets to ensure we got the eggs home safely. Fred also bought a few boat parts and completed the permanent repair on the leaky rudder post...we think.

On Saturday we finished up our lay day list of things to do and took off on a bike tour of the the shoreline. Leaving for Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit in the morning and hope to be near Buffalo by next weekend.

Fred and Carol

Captains Log - May 24

2010-05-24T19:02:00.001-05:00

Carol and I are snuggly anchored in an un-named bay near Mackinac about a mile from shore in clear 20' water. We've dubbed the anchorage Windmill Bay as there are two giant wind turbines ashore. The Lake crossing was cold and rainy for about half of it but the enclosed bimini kept the trip bearable. No wind or rain in the cockpit. The cabin temp was 52 degrees when we reached Frankfort and 72 when we left for Charlevoix yesterday. On the trip up this way today, we manged to see only one ship that wanted to squeeze through the entrance to Gray's Reef at the same time we did. Carol suggested we give them right of way.

Small drip at the rudder post but fixed that this evening along with a few other minor improvements. Dinner was chicken Chow Mein with white rice and wine. Possibly sailing for the next few days on the way to Port Huron. All depends on the weather forecast.

Beautiful sunset - 72 degrees in the cabin.

Captains Log - The adventure Begins - via wifi while anchored in Frankfort MI

2010-05-21T19:17:00.001-05:00

Carol and I cast off the bow lines Wednesday May 19th around 9:30 to start our new life afloat. Chief engineer Ken Martin led us in prayer to bless the journey and Wendy P. was there to take a few parting shots (yes we have your lens cap and will mail it).

We motor-sailed to Miwaukee and talked to my brother Karl via wifi / skype moments after anchoring in front the spectacular lakeside skyline, For goodness sake, get Skype on your computer if you'd like to chat with us...its free. We left Milwauke May 20 and made Frankfort, MI May 21 in time for dinner. Light variable winds kept the trip uneventful but slow...and cold. The cold and light rain on Friday was abated by the fully enclosed bimini which has now been dubbed "Carol's Cottage". Sailing from within the enclosure is no fun at all...we don't get wet and it the temps are bearable. Hardly like real sailing but we are trying to stay warm and dry all the time.

All systems have been working as planned so far. The special WIFI antenna at anchor has done its job and the new Automatic Ship ID system (AIS) on the computer booted right up the first time I plugged it in. I thought the house water system pump was broken on the first day but it was all due to operator error.

The meals have been fabulous as Carol pulls from her recipe file and then goes shopping in the Anam Cara mini-mart for the correct box, can or package. Home-made muffins yesterday were a big hit.

Sailing again on Sunday to Charlevoix and spending a lay day in Frankfort tomorrow,

Fred and Carol

(dan..the heater is great and a hit with Carol)

Last Minute...

2010-05-13T11:14:00.000-05:00

Carol and I are attending to all those last minute details now that we have had a proper send off by friends and family. Much thanks to Katherine, Petter, Ken and Kathy for hosting a little bon-voyage for us. I plan to sell my car at the local CarMax next week when we depart and Carol thankfully sold her Acura yesterday to an Abbott employee. Amazing how things work out sometimes.

We bought $500 worth of provisioning last weekend and put it on board. My mom and Bill helped us complete the shopping in only two hours. This weekend we hope to store some of the provisioning and the rest we'll put away once we get the boat in the water.

I'm finishing the itemized inventory today. With almost 80 compartments on-board, its hard to keep track of it all.

We plan to put the boat in the water on Monday or Tuesday and be sailing sometime next week.
Godspeed...Fred and Carol

DEPARTURE CONFIRMED - ALL SYSTEMS GO

2010-01-08T06:14:00.000-06:00

With a little over four months to go, Fred and Carol are busy taking care of final details for the long voyage. The winter project list (250 items) is being slowly whittled down and Carol is serving up a bunch of test recipes to see what works. We have settled on May 22 as a departure date and will get together with friends and family a few days prior to departure for a proper send-off. See the voyage map above if you are planning to come visit us some time! More updates coming soon.

A NARROW ESCAPE FOR ALPHA TEAM

2007-10-11T11:30:00.000-05:00

Now that we have all calmed down from the 2007 race, and the boat is about to be put away, I can finally provide the detailed results of the Alpha vs. Bravo friendly competition aboard the Swan 41. Let me cut this short...Alpha team still leads!

Here are the facts and figures. Going back to the last two races, I noted that Alpha won in 2005 by 7.2 miles. Bravo won in 2006 by 4.0 miles, leaving Alpha 3.2 miles ahead.

In 2007, we had very detailed tracking data and found that Alpha had better mileage in four of the nine 8-hour shifts with Bravo besting Alpha in the other five. At the end, Bravo had traveled 2.2 miles further, allowing them to erase a portion of the Alpha lead and narrowing the gap to 1.0 miles after three years of racing.

Clearly, Bravo has the momentum but Alpha needs to step up the pressure to put a definitive end to this one-upsmanship. I think we'll get a final chance to prove dominance next year during the 100th running of the MAC!

Skipper Fred...

Post-Race Arm Chair Analysis

2007-08-02T08:33:00.000-05:00

In the 2007 MAC Race, Anam Cara finished with a marked improvement over prior years. At the 45th parallel we called in 6th, but corrected to 9th at that time. We crossed the line 6th in our division and corrected to 9th out of 24. We were also 59th in the 160 boat division and about 110th out of 300 overall. But, we could have done better and we will ...next year.

Overall, we had good speed when we sailed head-to-head against boats nearby. In fact, the owner of the winning boat NANA called me personally and congratulated me on the "surprising" light air performance and the overall speeds we had posted. He was impressed. (Actually, I think he was just fishing for the changes that we made that allowed us to be so much better).

Here's the blow by blow assessment..

Against the first and second place boats, we did very well in the first few hours. By 7PM Saturday NANA had 1+ mile advantage having been on the inside of a right shift ... we were 2+ miles ahead of Dandelion (second place boat).

By 11PM and as winds got lighter..NANA had stretched the lead to almost 2 miles while we were now 5 ahead of Dandelion.

By 7AM Sunday, NANA was 4+ miles up and we were about 8 ahead of Dandelion.

Sunday, was a bad day. I believe we had lost the chute at this point, failed to get the new one up right away and were probably going a lot slower overall. By 7 PM, NANA was 14 ahead and Dandelion was only 5 behind.

THE BIG QUESTION...

Going into Big Sable Point on Sunday evening, it seemed like we still had good speed as the winds were from the SW and we thought that the shore breeze may have accelerated the winds near the shore. After we came back out in the Lake, we had made up a fraction of a mile on NANA, but Dandelion had caught up. Interestingly, one other track that went into Sable belonged to Pegasus, a T10. They were 11th at the 45th and finished 2nd in fleet.

I think our gybe angles were to hot (which we had decided were needed to keep the heavy chute filled and the boat moving). Perhaps a more downwind angle would have been better. After exiting Sable, we were very slow that night and early morning.

During the day Monday through about 4:30 PM before the wind died, we rocketed up through the Manitous, picking up over 8 miles on NANA and catching and passing Dandelion.

During the night Monday, we again had a rough time keeping the boat moving...NANA and Dandelion got to our right and the wind eventually filled from the right (ESE) allowing them to get a head start on making Grey's reef passage. Since they were around ahead of us, they also got more straight line sailing before the winds shifted again to the East.....

All in all, it was a great time with a great crew. Fortunately we also dodged a bullet. Had the race been two days later, we would have spent 12 hours in a gale in the Manitous. What fun that would have been. (see prior blog).

Can't wait til next year...

ANAM CARA Weathers Lake Michigan Gale

2007-07-22T08:31:00.000-05:00

After having completed a great Mac race, Anam Cara headed south to Charlevoix early Wednesday, July 18. The fog in Mackinac Island harbor was dense with visibility down to about 100 yards as you moved into the shipping lane. On our first attempt to exit the Harbor (with reflector up and radio and radar detector on), we encountered numerous fog horns and Security announcements on Channel 16 regarding ferry boats and their intentions to steer their regular course...boaters beware. We turned back into the harbor just as several ferries came out of the fog behind us... a good call given the narrow exit and potential for other ships in the freighter lane. On the second attempt, we made it around the pier light and out of the channel in short order and then follwed the freighter lane to the bridge where the fog lifted. From there we motored to Charlevoix and arrived by 5:00 PM. We had a relaxing dinner and looked forward to the north winds predicted for Thursday since we planned to go directly to Port Washington, WI...with a possible fuel stop in Frankfort if required.

As we awoke Thursday, the forecast for the north half of Lake Michigan was:

4:37 AM-CDT - .TODAY...NORTH WINDS 5 TO 10 KNOTS INCREASING TO 15 TO 25 KNOTS.SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. WAVES 1 TO 2 FEET BUILDING TO 3 TO 5 FEET..TONIGHT...NORTH WINDS 15 TO 25 KNOTS. WAVES 4 TO 6 FEET.

This was a great forecast for us and we looked forward to a speedy delivery. The 9:00 AM CDT forecast did not change...still looking good. The boat was making excellent time under reefed heavy number one sail and full main. After morning showers, the skies turned sunny and remained that way throughout the crossing.

At 3:00 PM we made our decision to cross the Lake having made excellent distance and the boat in full control making 7-8 knots. About that time, with winds hitting near 30 knots, we reefed the main.

At 3:32PM, NOAA updated the overnight forecast adding more wind and higher waves:

TONIGHT...NORTH WINDS TO 30 KNOTS DECREASING TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS OVERNIGHT. WAVES 5 TO 8 FEET.

About this time, we heard our first MAYDAY call for a vessel in distress ...loss of steering. The position was 12 miles astern. Another vessel was on the scene, so we continued on. Throughout the night there were several other MAYDAY calls, but none close enough to provide assistance.

At 5:49 PM, gale warnings were posted for the south half of the Lake...since we were still in the north half, we expected the forecast to hold. About this time, we rolled up the number one and set the heavy staysail. Sail area had now been reduced by about 40% and this is how it remained throughout the storm. We were now moving into the teeth of the big blow.

Our quartermaster, Kip Stretton, having surrcommed to bit of Mal de Mer, was thankful that I called off dinner preparations due to possible safety issues in the galley. None the less, the crew finished off some pre-made sandwhiches and power bars the rest of the night.

At 6:00 PM, the forecast for the north half changed...

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM CDT THIS EVENING....TONIGHT...NORTH GALES TO 35 KNOTS DECREASING TO 20 TO 25 KNOTS OVERNIGHT. WAVES 9 TO 12 FEET SUBSIDING TO 6 TO 8 FEET LATE.

The boat was now doing a steady 8+ knots with occasional speeds in the 9-10 knot range. At one point, Ken urged the boat up to 9.9 on a very large wave. We were in now the middle of the north half of the Lake at around 9:00 PM whe I listened the the weather report again since I had not tuned in for six hours. I figured that the winds and waves we were experiencing were outside the range of the forecast. This is when I learned that the gale warning had been posted and would terminate in another hour. I let the on deck crew ... Don and Kurt... know the good news and that they only had one hour left in the gale. During their watch though, they definitely saw winds in the 40 knot range and waves up to 12 feet.

After midnight, the winds began a steady decline as we raced on to Port Washington, arriving at 6:00 AM CDT and covering about 180 nautical miles in 24 hours.

We all arrived safely and the boat performed well... nothing broken. After a full inspection of the Swan 41, we did notice some disappointing results of the storm. A few bottles in the liqueur cabinet had tipped over slightly and one drawer in the nav station fell out after hitting a particularly large bump.

Note - NOAA definitions:

Gale
An extratropical low or an area of sustained surface winds of 34 (39 mph) to 47 knots (54 mph).

Gale Warning
A warning of sustained surface winds, or frequent gusts, in the range of 34 knots (39 mph) to 47 knots (54 mph) inclusive, either predicted or occurring, and not directly associated with a tropical cyclone.

Southern Lake Michigan Wave Heights - Average..

In a Totally "Unrelated" Sailing Story

2007-04-04T06:29:00.001-05:00

Kelley A. Kowitz has just been named the Athlete-of-the-month at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Congrats Kelley!... Now go beat up on Princeton again in the spring rowing races.

Race and Cruise Calendar for 2007 Now Available

2007-03-11T07:36:00.000-05:00

The Cruise and Race Calendar for the year is now available and on-line...just scroll down this page dtake a look. Of course, it is subject to change without notice based on the whims of the captain and crew.

Anam Cara has weathered the winter well, having undergone some extensive engine maintenance and some interesting additions. The prop shaft will now be leak proof and the beer will always be cold....no worries! The other big change is that the boat is now in Winthrop Harbor for the season...SLIP D51. Winthrop Harbor is located just north of Zion at the intersection of 7th and Sheridan. The boat is on the north end of the harbor.

For friends of AC looking for the right time to get out on the Lake for a Fun Sail...check out the calendar below for all the options. Just drop me a note any time you'd like to go.

For Race Crew...please take a close look at the calendar by scrolling down the page. You'll note that we plan to do about a dozen races this year...all offshore. The Waukegan series, the Queens Cup, the Mac and the Tri-Sate should keep us busy. We'll also add the Louies "race" as a closer.

Warm weather is coming...Get you gear ready.

2007 Mid-Winer Sailing Regatta and Party

2007-01-15T16:54:00.000-06:00

The crew and guests of the Anam Cara congratulate Guy Roe and his team for taking first place in the 2007 Mid-winter sailing regatta and Party held Jan 13, in Bristol, WI. Guy and Katie also took bessed dress with Mike Knell a close second followed by Tom Laffler in third as a Mr. Howe look-a-like.

Thanks to everyone who came for making it an enjoyable evening.

I think everyone got home safely...Enjoy the picks on flickr using the link above (just click on the title to this story!)

Lyrics to the Anam cara Song by George

2007-01-15T16:47:00.000-06:00

Anam CaraGeorge Klingelhofer – copyright 2005
It’s four in the morning, I start my day
I look out my window clear sailin’ today
I drive before sunrise, no need to haste
To Waukegan Harbor, the gathering place

I arrive around seven, there’s a crisp in the air
Captain Fred and his crew are already there
We walk through the harbor haulin’ our ale
To the sloop Anam Cara; she’s ready to sail.

Chorus:
Anam Cara, you’ll take me again
Through the waves and the hist’ry of Lake Michigan
Anam Cara you conquer the swells
And add another chapter to the stories we’ll tell

We slide out the harbor slowly with care
Hoist the mainsail and jib and they fill up with air
Our tack to the north, a new freedom we found
Over three hundred miles, we’re Macinac bound

Some 36 hours sailing day through the night
Manitou Passage she comes into sight
Sleeping Bear Dunes to the starboard they say
We’ll reach Macinac City in less than a day.

{Chorus}

Now through the passage our heads we do raise
Gazing up to the heavens; the stars are ablaze
Watching rays of the sunrise o’er the Michigan shore
We tack north ‘long the coastline like sailors of yore

Passing Waugoshance Island we turn to the east
Our Swan Fourty-One her speed is increased

Under Macinac bridge marks the long journey’s end
We’ll stay a few days and we’ll do it again

{Chorus 2x}
You’ll add another chapter to the stories we’ll tell

Anam Cara Launches Global Site

2006-11-21T13:57:00.000-06:00

In anticipation of great plans ahead for the Swan 41, Anam Cara, I've launched this site today in hopes of bringing my friends and family closer to the sailing dream. On this site you'll find all the info on the sailing plans that Carol and I have for AC. I hope you enjoy it and as always, please let me know what you think. We can always be more creative.