Sadie Hawkins Day!  February 29, 2016

So we have been in St. Martin for two weeks.  We thought we would stay for about three days but for many reasons we kept putting the date for leaving off.

We have loved St Martin for many reasons but the first to mention are two friends we have made, and they are friends to any cruiser who spends time with them, Sally-Anne and Michael at Shrimpys!  A couple who have travelled the world sailing and settled now in St Martin providing friendship, advice and numerous services to cruisers.  It isn’t so much the services it is the friendship, advice and caring.  They have done it all and so have a wealth of advice to offer.  We are so glad that we became friends with them and visited every day.  We will miss listening to Mike every morning on Channel 10.  Saying goodbye this evening was sad.

If you yearn for true French baguettes, croissants and pastry….St Martin has so much to offer.  Wonderful restaurants and you can choose what you want to pay…from inexpensive to top dollar it is all here but we found good food at every price!  We rented a car for a day and toured the island, French and Dutch sides.  Beautiful beaches offering every water sport you can imagine or quiet bays to swim and snorkel.  Marigot on the French side and Phillipsburg on the Dutch offer very different European experiences.  The first is a charming harbor with open air markets daily, the latter is all beach front with a boardwalk experience.  Both are wonderful!  Nature offers much here in terms of sea life and wonderful birds, picturesque scenes and sunlit harbors. 

While we enjoyed all that the island had to offer we spent much time working on the boat.  Ken fixed our shower pump…omg what a luxury!  We now, probably most importantly, have an engine that starts and stops on command!  A ball valve that was an accident waiting to happen…corrosion abounded and given that it lead to an open seacock…I don’t want to think what the possibilities may have been…it is now fully replaced and installed with  preventive measures against future corrosion.  We cleaned out some of the bilge areas (yuchy areas under the cabin floor (sole) ) where there are pipes and tanks and sometimes water….on purpose water and not so on purpose water.  We did so much more…but that is living on a boat.

Tomorrow we head off again…hopefully St Kitts.  Got diesel, now add that to my list of not so pleasurable tasks…getting to fuel dock with 51 foot boat and only the two of us.  Ken at the helm, fenders out and me stepping off to tie us on.  Add to that the fact that this is our second dock and it too had waves, swells etc. to make it exciting.  Anyway we managed with no drama.

Here’s hoping we have fair winds and following seas!

Valentines with Captain Ken

I found the BVI getting old and myself getting anxious.  When more than 50% of the bar tenders on any island know your name it’s time to leave.  Finally – our first passage.  We decided to head to St. Martin almost directly east of the BVI, 92 miles away.  An easy day and overnight sail if everything goes according to plan.  It’s always better to have an OK plan and execute it in mediocre fashion than to have a much worse plan and execute it well… more later on that.  We had a predicted 20 knot wind blowing directly from the east, right from the direction we needed to head so we were either going to have to tack often and beat into that wind for about 30 hours or we could head way north first and then just take a few tacks to get to St. Martin – much longer but better - says I.  There was also some weather predicted but there is always weather predicted – bring it on, says I.  We got up at day break and no wind so I decided to motor north of Anegada and then hope for the wind to come up so we could close haul a port tack to our destination.  All was good.  As we approached Anegada we saw a pair of fairly large whales heading south (very nice) and then had 4 bottle nose dolphins playing off our bow for a few minutes.  I still felt good.  The wind was building.  I hauled up the main with a single reef as she was blowin’ about 15 kts as we went around the east end of Anegada and turned south east and let out the Genoa also with a decent reef then went to stop the engine and the engine would not shut down.  I turned the helm over to Eilo and headed down to the engine room to do some trouble shooting as the swells, which were only about 6 feet stared to build.  I called the guys (while we were still in the range of the last cell tower) who had supposedly put the engine back into reliable condition and they were of little help so I figured it looks like we will now be motor sailing.  That worked for a while but I lost patience and with Eilo on the helm I headed below to put a pair of vise grips on the fuel line just as the first squall hit.  Eilo did great. When I got back topside Eilo was still on a port tack but now we were heading directly back to Anegada – the wind had shifted 180 degrees – piss me off. So we jibed her and pointed back toward St. Martin.  It was now getting dark and finally the engine stopped.  The wind had died down to almost nothing but this huge black cloud was bearing down on us from the south east and then blotted out what little moon light was available. It stared to rain and within what seemed like a minute we had a savage amount of rain falling and the wind picked up in an instant to what must have been over 40 knots.  We almost got knocked down as I lost helm when most of the rudder came out of the water and luckily the wind was shifting so when we popped back up I was on a controllable close hauled reach and held that for a fairly hectic 15 or 20 minutes until the squall passed and the wind shifted 180 degrees again and then died.  We were soaked so we furled the genoa and climbed below and changed.  I took the channel locks off the fuel line and went to start the engine and she fired right up... I do believe in miracles.  The wind stared to pick up again so we put the genoa out and started motor sailing.  We got hit by 2 more “lights-out” squalls that night and managed them well but the shifting winds were turning this into a longer trip.  As the day broke we were still about 70 miles from St Martin. Took us most of next day to get to anchor.  So we managed to turn a recommended 92 mile 28 hour motorsail from the southeast corner of the BVI to St Martin into a 150+ mile 36 hour s**t fest.  The moral of this chapter is …plan well by following the well documented advice of the others who have gone before you and wait for the right weather.  On the up side St. Martin is a wonderful island.  We have been here for a week so far.  We also have sorted out the main engine so it now starts and stops on command which has put a smile back on my face.

So…you just read Ken’s version of what happened and …mostly I agree.  But let me give you my impressions.  I did not want to set off in winds that were not desirable but recognized, and sympathized, with Ken’s impatience.  We had waited for so long and the only downside…according to Captain Ken was that the journey would take longer than we had originally planned.  I was anxious about an overnight sail but Ken spoke of moonlight and stars and the wonders of the ocean when viewed by moonlight.  It was Valentine’s Day and so the lure of moonlit and starry skies and seas beckoned…And so the reluctant sailor reluctantly went with the new  plan.

It seemed a long way to Anegada but the weather was fine, the whales were impressive and lifted our spirits…and the dolphins….wait for it….Ken pronounced that they brought us good luck.  It was shortly after that when the engine wouldn’t stop and the first squall hit and Ken was below while I hung on to the helm.  The boat was heaving through demented rain and huge waves, then being swallowed in troughs of darkness while water swept over the entire deck and liberally showered me.  I wondered why my week’s training hadn’t prepared me for this…

The journey is best described as: totally bloody dark, wet, stormy, with unpredictable winds which tortured Ken by changing every time he felt we were on course.  Ken was laser focused on the helm and I relieved him when necessary, fed him and made tea.  The latter most interesting on a gas stove while the boat travelled up and down over waves and through troughs and side to side with winds.  Have to say that these stoves (we have a Force 10) with gimbals and pot holders are incredibly well designed.  We were never dry as it rained through squalls and the sea water swept across the decks and through the cockpit. During the voyage we both managed to sustain minor injuries which added to the challenges of the trip.  I cannot describe the joy at seeing dawn slowly light up the world…we still had hours ahead and it was still squally but at least we could now see.  Only issue was there was nothing to see and I was very interested in land.  The squalls continued and the waves and troughs punished us all the way to our destination.  By the time we arrived we were exhausted and drained.  So much for Valentines, moonlight etc. 

Yes, St Martin is great and we have made friends and are enjoying ourselves…but we remain…Captain Ken and the reluctant sailor.

So it is now February 10 and I am not sure how to catch you up on what we have been up to.  We have remained in the British Virgin Islands as we decided it was too much trouble to deal with immigration to go to the US Virgin Islands.  Funny that…too much trouble…omg wish that were the extent of “trouble”.  My whole universe has shifted.  I was worried about sailing when we started this journey; sailing is the part that offers the least in problems.  The wind blows and we are either sailing upwind or downwind…the winds are never too strong and so you just sail.  When we need to change direction we do so.  I am at the helm and have begun to “feel” it.  The week’s training I did with the ASA (American Sailing Association) was worth every penny of it and all my angst.  Call out to Captain Jen!  Ken manages the “sheets” (aka ropes to control sails) and we manage to communicate well.  Now, I know  that many who read this (Polly, John Mc Cabe etc.) will smile benevolently at the notion of the constancy of trade winds versus what they deal with…yeah well it is all new to me and there are enough issues so that we need a break!

The excitement when sailing is when to tack/jibe (OK….change direction) and we manage that sometimes really smoothly and sometimes with some added excitement but Aurora sails well and Ken smiles and so do I (at least some of the time).  But as for the rest of it….the engine has given Ken a run for his money and me the desire at times to end it all quickly.  I just love it when he decides to turn the engine on and nothing happens….oh that is such a “different” feeling.  Or when for three days he notes that it is overheating (yep, I can hear that high temperature alarm which manages to wail on and pierce any sense of security I might have had).  OK…Ken finally solved the overheating but it took a process of elimination and my sense of well being was worn to a frazzle (similar to the hair style I now sport).  The lack of ignition is maybe solved…oh well! 

So…you know that wonderful smooshy expression: “you are my anchor”….as Valentine’s approaches let me advise you…DO NOT USE THAT EXPRESSION… unless you want to let someone know that you are unsure about the future.  We had anchored a few times and I learned to deal with movement according to wind etc.  There is a certain amount of “swing” that you must become accustomed to.  So we anchored overnight in Cane  Garden Bay on Tortola.  The next day we woke up and were enjoying a pleasant day when there was a complete change of wind and Ken noted that our anchor was no longer holding so determined it was time to bid farewell to Cane Garden Bay.  He was at the helm (steering wheel) and I was on the windlass (one button depressed with foot lowers anchor and the other button raises anchor).  On his call I depress the button to lift the anchor and watch it come up….ah yes…all is good.  But wait…what the hell… you have got to be kidding me…the anchor, which was raising so nicely…one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand is now zipping downward…forget the one thousand…..Zipping, zipping down….holy cow I didn’t know the chain could fly by at such a rate…I am shouting to Ken (the boat is 51 feet long and so he is quite the distance….I wanted a smaller boat…row boat sounds good) anchor is going down.  Well I wish I could show you his face…yep he is surprised (try shocked, shocked, shocked).  So we have now re-anchored close to the buoys that mark the entrance to the harbor.  Now…it is a wide mouthed harbor with little traffic so about 5 boats enter and pass by with no problem.  There is plenty of room though this would not have been the chosen place to anchor.  Ken is hard at work below trouble shooting.  I am sitting on deck contemplating my future (and my past, which now looks like I never had a difficulty in my life).  A boat approaches and the sailor at the helm seems determined to come as close as possible….I swear you could pass us on either side in the Titanic and stay within the channel.  As he gets close he calls to me in the most proper British accent…. “you know you are anchored in the channel?”.  I want to say “you know that big round wheel in your hands…well it gives you the opportunity to determine your bloody direction and steer clear of us” but I settle on “Yep, I know, but do you think we are here by choice?”  Seemed to satisfy him and he figured out how to use his big bloody steering wheel.  And so once again Ken solves the mystery... the generator has determined that it does not charge the Windlass battery and neither does the engine.  Well isn’t that great!  Apparently the alternator/regulator duo on the engine isn’t doing its job so add that to the list.  So my world has shifted. 

When setting off to sail I rush to take off fenders and dock lines and stow them (and I avoid walking on the closed hatches as I now know that they are not entry points for “down below” and perhaps might not bear my weight….I know what happens when they are open!  I keep a hand for the boat so that when we are in the wake of some powerful power boat I can keep my footing. Today after we sailed I found myself rushing to measure how batteries are charging…I stick my head into tight spaces to determine where that leak is coming from and point it out to my captain who double clamps it. It was a slow leak but we determined that stopping it early might be a good idea.  We anchored for the night…it will be a while before I feel truly anchored to anything. 

As you fall asleep tonight…think of us.  The weather is perfect.  The seas are an incredible turquoise.  We spy turtles on the top of the water.  Flying fish astound us as they pass by in lightening mode.  The pelicans swoop down and catch their dinner as we watch.  Restaurants and bars on white beaches beckon us for cocktails.  It is idyllic….and yet I wonder if I will survive it all.  You, meanwhile, can expect that your bed will be in the same place when you wake up as it was when you fell into a wonderful slumber.   When you open your eyes the world will look the same as when you drifted off.  I, meantime, will wonder what awaits me when I open my eyes and can only hope that the world is somewhat similar to where I left it to grab a couple of hours of shut eye.

I will tell you about heads (toilets) and showers some other time because, frankly, who the hell cares!

As part of the process of purchasing a used boat you get it surveyed.  Qualified people – those who know a lot about boats – and hopefully more than you do, check her out both out of the water and in the water and pronounce her DOA or salvageable.  We got a salvageable, but expensive to fix, rating.  They did know a lot about her but presented themselves to know everything about her.  I was sad when they pronounced her radar system was dead and should be given a proper funeral at sea.  I sucked that up with an OK and heard that faint yet familiar vacuum sound coming from the checking account.  Now, I have scanned the “Manly Man Manual” and I understand that august document which deals with the fact that real men NEVER EVER read instruction manuals, but what the hell… I had some time to kill a few nights ago, (and please do not tell anyone this), I broke out the Garmin Navigation system manual and followed about 10 instructions and the radar system fired up perfectly.  Makes me wonder how clever I was sourcing a new HD radar dome in the USA and “ importing it to the BVI in order to take up valuable space on board, which might be better spent storing a more important commodity like rum, rather than taking 15 minutes to read some instructions.  Hum.

Who is on trial during a “sea trial”?   Is it a traditional trial with judge and jury?  Would Neptune or Poseidon be judge?  Am I worried? You bet.  I started this sea trial thing thinking Aurora was being tested…  I am now of the mind that we all are on trial.  We have grown.  3 weeks ago priorities like getting the toilets and shower sumps sorted out were important.  Those now pale to insignificance compared to things like finding and fixing the sea water leak in the engine and generator battery compartment (I find batteries are much less efficient when operating in a pool of sea water) or getting the main engine to start every time the ignition  key is turned…  every other time is not working well for my first mate, etc.   I’ve given up on trying to get the windlass battery to charge through the monster alternator on the main engine like it is meant to, so a windlass battery trickle charge work around should get the anchor down and up occasionally and on demand  – “should” being the operative word. If not  “if it doesn’t kill you it will make you stronger” - like pulling up 200 feet of 3B anchor chain and a 35 KG anchor by hand, as a much less desirable plan C.  All things considered this 51’ Hylas loves to be sailed – we were doing 9 knots going to weather with just the Genoa head sail up in 15 knots of wind yesterday – screaming into Road Town Tortola – makes it all worthwhile… so far.