My Blue Water Adventure

I had my first blue water sailing adventure this month. Through a high school friend, I was introduced to a boat delivery skipper. He invited me to join him as a crew member to deliver a new Beneteau 362 from Charleston, NC to the Moorings Charter Base in Tortola, BVI - a 1200 mile trip. After some thought and discussions with Sue, I accepted. Perry, the skipper, sent me a list of stuff that I would need for the trip. He assured me that the trip would be a gentle 10 to 12 day ride with fishing and swimming about half way while we waited for wind.

In fact, we took just 9 days to make the delivery, wind all the way, and in foul weather gear most of the time. I think that I had fun.

Saturday, October 30, I drove to Charleston to meet Perry and help prepare the boat. The boat had just been rigged and was 'ready to sail'. Fred, the first mate, showed up later. We selected our bunks for the trip - Perry got the aft cabin, Fred the main cabin, and I the V-berth. We spent Sunday and Monday preparing the boat. We had to examine each hose and through hull fitting and assure that the hoses had two clamps and were tight. Each electrical connection and device needed checking. We did find several clamps and wires that were loose. For example, the stern light did not work - it was not even connected. We also had to tune the mast, install the throwable life preserver, and connect the primary anchor.

We also had to inventory the whole charter package - anchors, docklines, fenders, dishes, cookware, bed sheets, blankets, snorkel gear, and cleaning stuff. These things had to be repacked for the trip. This took most of Sunday. Evenings, we retired to Salty Mike's for some beer and traded lies with other delivery crews.

Tuesday we provisioned the boat - bought groceries and cleaning supplies. The boat needed to be cleaned to like new condition at the destination. Wednesday was spent getting several things fixed on the boat - tightening the steering cables, a replacement autopilot control unit, and getting some last minute rigging installed. We also had to wait for a cold front to blow through. We filled the water tanks and fueled up. Perry had seven 5 gallon jugs to add to the 20 gallons in the boat tank.

Thursday at 1038 we left the slip -- next stop Tortola. It was sunny, and we had a pleasant motor out of Charleston harbor. We raised sail in the channel and departed with a NE 10 knot breeze on a course of 130M, on port tack. Perry's plan is to sail east to longitude 65 then turn south to Tortola. We stood 3 hour wheel watches with 6 hours off. During the day, we also had a 3 hour 'duty' watch each for checking engine, rigging, and cooking the evening meal. For the other meals we were on our own. I made myself a sandwich around noon. Perry and Fred were not interested. My first watch began at 1500. We had put on foul weather gear because the confused sea splashed over the bow just often enough to hit us. It was dusk when I finished. I ate some pasta salad. Again, I noticed that the others were not interested. I slept until my next watch at 0000.

It was DARK. The lights of Charleston loomed astern of us, and the sky was mostly cloudy. I could see nothing ahead of us. The wind had built somewhat, and the seas were somewhat higher. Later I spotted lights of a ship. I couldn't figure it out, so, following instructions, I called Perry for advice. It was a cargo ship crossing our wake. Sometime during my watch we crossed the Gulf Stream - we didn't notice a thing. I went off watch at 0300 and slept some more.

During the day, the wind built to 15 knots, and we put in the first reef. The seas were still confused, and the boat pounded into the irregular waves. It was pleasant for about 2 hours, and we put on shorts. But, this was our last time out of foul weather gear for six days. I was amazed at how blue the water was. I saw my first flying fish. They are really neat to watch flying from wave to wave. While putting on my foul weather gear for my next watch, I was slammed into the V-berth locker. My head hit hard, and I saw stars. When I discovered that both Perry and Fred were seasick, I tried to eat out of their sight. Perry recovered after three days, but I think that Fred never really got much better. That night, I saw a dozen meteorites.

The next two days were repeats of day two, with the wind, still NE, building to 20 knots. We then took in the second reef. The seas remained confused. With the additional pounding, I had to abandon the V-berth for the cabin sole. As the bow slammed down after falling off a wave, there was a bang like a rifle shot. I later decided that this noise was the wooden interior panels and cabinets slamming against the hull.

Unlike our Bristol 29.9, the interior is not bonded to the hull. I was entering the log, and not braced well enough, and a bounce of a wave threw me out of the chart table seat into a bulkhead. It really hurt my shoulders. With this event, I finally figured out that if I did less below, I would be bounced around less. So I just took to my 'bunk' on the cabin sole.

It looked like bad weather for the night, so we rolled up the Bimini, and furled the jib up to about 20%. During the night, the wind built to 30 knots, and the seas to 10-12 feet. I got scared that the boat was going to break - the noises were just awesome. I got my PFD to use for a pillow. After the trip, talking to my son Ned, I realized that I had been really 'puckered' for the first six days of the trip. Then the tension wore off, and I started to really notice the environment.

The next day, the seas were now regular, so we pounded less. Most of the day I was off watch, and lay on the cabin sole. I could look up at the mast through the hatch and watch it bend as we bounced off a wave. Through the leeward hull port light, I could see the blue water rushing by; through the windward port light, I saw the mountainous appearance of the swells. That night, on my watch, I was hit by a flying fish. I saw a wave breaking over the bow, and ducked. The fish hit me on the shoulder and landed on the deck. I tossed it back in the ocean.

We turned to a more southerly course. We were lured by the constant NE wind to stop going east. I 'cooked' a meal, our first hot meal since leaving, - Dinty Moore beef stew. Not my favorite fare, but it was probably the only thing that Fred could eat. That night, the wind and seas calmed, and the sky was crystal clear. I got out my binoculars, and looked up. Each smudge of light was revealed to hold a bazillion stars. The nebula in Orion's sword looked visible to the naked eye. In the binoculars, it was spectacular. I left Perry on watch with the binoculars, and he also saw one of Jupiter's moons.

During the fifth day, we discovered that the wheel was not turning with the autopilot. We first thought that the steering cables had jumped off the rudder quadrant. We examined the binnacle, and discovered the key had fallen out of the sprocket that the wheel uses to operate the cables. Perry replaced the key, and held it in place with tie-wraps and duct tape.

The next day, day six, we added fuel from the jugs. The winds were now below 20 knots, and the confused seas returned. We continued on. By now, the itchy butt, and soreness from lying on the cabin sole have retreated. And on wheel watch, I did not need the artificial time passers - a mini Snickers bar on the hour, and a drink of water every half hour. Day seven was a repeat.

Day eight saw us approaching the islands. We added some more fuel, and I managed to spill fuel on my 'best' long trousers. They did not come home with me. We knew that we would arrive at Tortola some time that night, and we would need all our wits about us. Perry cooked a meal, 'Chicken pot pie'. Fred reluctantly accepted a bowl. He ate it all and declared it a great meal.

The wind had been heading us all day and we now could not sail directly to the eastern approach to Tortola. Perry then charted a course to the West of Tortola through a narrow passage leading to West End and we motor sailed to the East. Then squalls started to come. At this point, Perry decided to head East to avoid trying to go through the narrows with bad visibility. He is very familiar with the eastern approach to Tortola. I stood wheel watch for four hours, trimming the main (luffing it) for dozens of five minute squalls. We then turned to a southerly course, but found that, again, we could not sail to the eastern approach.

Dawn arrived, and so did sights of the islands. We motor sailed past Jost Van Dyke and turned off the engine. We arrived at the Moorings Base about 1000 Saturday, almost exactly 9 days after our start. We were informed that Hurricane Lennie was headed our way. We had a shower, and a beer or four, and relaxed. Sunday, we cleaned up the boat and turned it over to the Moorings. We moved our gear to a 51' boat that was between charters.

Monday, Perry and I rented a car and went beach bumming along the north shore of Tortola. Fred flew home. We saw the famous Bomba's Shack where 3000 people come for all night Full Moon parties. Imagine 3000 people on a basketball sized piece of land! We sat for an hour at Cane Garden Bay lost in thought.

Tuesday, we helped prepare boats for Lennie - removing sails and tying down loose objects. Then we moved our sleeping gear to the Briefing Room where we slept two nights on the concrete floor. Lennie arrived in our area Wednesday morning. The winds got up to 60 knots, then subsided as the mountains block the wind when Lennie moved east. Lennie stalled, and we could do nothing Thursday but sit around with another delivery skipper and a couple of boat owners. We did return to the boat for the night.

Friday, we got up at about 0500 and packed for the first taxi to the airport. We waited on standby, and got a flight to San Juan. I got stopped by every official possible and we just made a flight to Charlotte. The flight from Charlotte to Charleston was uneventful. We had several beers at Salty Mike's and slept on another boat.

The next morning, I toured the Naval Museum to save Sue from three hours of boredom and drove home to Washington.

All in all, a tiring trip. I think that I had fun.

I am planning another delivery in January with Perry, and Nate, my high school friend. This time on a Beneteau 463. I'll have my own bunk, and fishing and swimming are promised.