Northwest 21

I still have my eye on a strida bike. (www.strida.com)  It would be a lot easier to put in the dingy and store.

geoff gamsby

www.straightturn.net

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

geoff gamsby

www.straightturn.net

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

The wind and waves kicked up significantly last night. We're seeing 20-25kt winds from the NNE with 8-10 foot seas. Rocking and Rolling. We're down to triple-reefed mainsail and a storm sail and we're cruising along at 5.5 knots. The waves are coming from our side so we end up rocking and rolling a bit more than is comfortable, inasmuch as a funhouse can be comfortable. Feeling a bit queasy while writing and reading so I'm keeping it to a minimum.

The increased wind and waves makes it more difficult to sleep and a more difficult night watch not being able to see when the next 10' wave is going to broadside you. White knuckles on the wheel for 3 hours. Extra noisy and movey in the cabin.

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

I am having a great time and my brother is jumping right in and helping out a lot.  It is great to have him here.

geoff gamsby

www.straightturn.net

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

When I decided to go on this trip, I was interested in what it would take to feed 4 guys for 4 weeks. I read a bit, enlisted the help of my special lady who is a wizard with the quick dinners and came up with a sample menu to be repeated as well as extra food for making meals up as we go. We also called a friend who was responsible for provisioning for a crew of 20 for 10 months. She gave some great advice. 

• Buy fruit that is not quite ripe. 
• Pick out the firmest produce. 
• Store it where it will get plenty of air flow. The salty air will help preserve it. 
• Turn your eggs over at least 3 times per week. 
• Add bay leaves to flour and other dried goods (helps with earwigs)
• Put cheeses into containers and cover with oil to preserve. You get tasty cheese and even tastier olive oil that has been cheesified.

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

This is the tropics? By the thermometer, it makes sense that we're at latitude 18° N, reading 80°F in the cabin, 70° at night. When you come out to the cockpit you would swear you're in Seattle in the winter. I wear 3-5 layers at night including t-shirt, thermal, sweatshirt, and softshell or I just give up pretending we're in the tropics and I put on my foulies to stay warm. There's only one explanation: global warming doesn't exist. Just kidding, you bet your ass it exists.

This trend started a couple days into our stay at Puerto Vallarta. We'd spend the day outside with the temps reaching 80-90, then cooling at night down to 70. That 70 degrees started to feel mighty cool and I found myself wanted to put on a jacket often. Now, it's full blown cold outside with the wind off the ocean and the damp salty air which prevents you from ever getting fully dry. I wonder if Hawaii will be any warmer or if I'm doomed to being cold in the tropics until we're back in Seattle.

Had a group of dolphins swimming with us today for a bit. They swam under the bow, under the boat, off the side. I had my camera so I got a few photos, but didn't have my video camera this time. While I was standing in the pulpit, I could hear them talking in their squeaky sonar language. I tried to talk back, but I can just imagine them looking up to me and thinking, "what the F, dude? We don't try to mangle your language. Knock it off."

Still beating into the wind after 10 days. Hoping to hit the NE trades soon for easier sailing.

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

  Capt Dave

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger

  I have anchored here a few times and like getting in close the the shore to avoid the ocean swell during the night.  I realize that to the crew it might seem that we are a little too near the breaking waves.  This gives a good reason to set up an anchor watch and to get the crew into the rhythm of staying awake a few hours every night.  OK, maybe I did set the anchor a little closer than I needed to, but don't tell the crew!

  During my shift listening to the sound of the waves pounding against the rocks, I have time to work out our watch schedule.  Having done week long trips with only two on board I understand the need for sleep.  The watch schedule should have at least a 8hr block of time every day that can be used to get a full restful sleep.  With every man responsible for hand steering the boat, it is also important that the time behind the wheel be kept as short as possible especially at night.  We are leaving with a near full moon but as each night passes the moon will eventually disappear from the night sky leaving us in complete darkness out on the high sea.  For safety it would be nice to have two men up at all times, but I also realize the importance of some alone time, an hour or two each night where you don't have to talk to anybody, where you are left with your wandering thoughts and a chance to sense the vastness of the ocean.  The shifts will be set on UTC, universal time, Zulu, based on the time in Greenwich England.  As we will be traveling through 5 time zones, the local time will be changing and will will be loosing time on the local clock giving UTC a clear advantage.  The interesting thing about our watch based on UTC is that the local time will be changing.  Swaby Dave shift started at 0500 UTC, in Mexico that is midnight but in Hilo 0500 is at sunset.  My sunrise watch in Mexico is almost completely in the dark by the time we hit Hilo.

  Watch schedule
Night 4 hours on, 6 hours off, over lap with other shifts by 1 hour
Day 5 hours on, 9 hours off, overlap with other shifts by 2 hours

  For me the time I enjoyed the most was the alone time on star filled nights behind the wheel doing 6kts over calm seas.

  Capt Dave

Posted via email from Sailing Jolly Roger