San Diego: sea log
San Diego: sea log
I’m moving slowly today.
Sailing GANNET, particularly to windward, which as expected we were on the way back from Guadalupe Island--vicinity of--is hard on the body, at least this aged one.
The little sloop heels quickly to 30º.
As I note in the log, when THE HAWKE OF TUONELA and RESURGAM heeled to 20º, I reduced sail; but GANNET can still carry her small jib and fully battened main at that angle, and is comfortable doing so, though I’m not. Sometimes getting out of the quarter berth is like pulling myself from a well.
Here is the sea log, spell checked, but otherwise only slightly edited, up to final noon and last few miles.
There is a surprise ending, but you will have to wait another day or two for that.
If you have sent me an email that arrived while I was sailing, you’ll get a reply. I’m still working through them.
If you look carefully at the photo, you may be able to read on the Velocitek ProStart, the white rectangle low on the mast, that GANNET was heading 184º and making 7.2 knots, impressive, at least to me, in what are obviously light conditions.
I usually use one of Aperture’s tools to make horizons horizontal, but this image is all converging angles and it seems appropriate that the horizon remain one, too.
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July 27 Saturday
Pacific Ocean
0945 left slip under Torqeedo. Solid low overcast. Light to no wind.
Reconfiguring cabin from dock to sea mode took a while.
The starboard quarter berth on which I will sleep must be cleared and the bags on it--clothes, foul weather gear, dirty clothes--moved to the v-berth. Lee cloths for both quarter berths freed and hooked up. Water tanks filled. Two full five gallon tanks now reside on the port quarter berth.
Laptop and iPad and a few other electronics in waterproof cases. Tool kit wrapped in plastic trash bag.
I also had partially to raise the mainsail at dock to reeve the reef lines on the new boom.
1200
Position: N 32º 42‘, W 117º 17’
Still north of Point Loma.
Distance to waypoint off north end of Guadalupe Island 214 miles; bearing 194ºT
It took me more than an hour to clear the end of the channel breakwaters with the tide running strongly against me.
As soon as I did ease past the south breakwater, fog thickened and the breakwater fog horn began to sound.
With only a few hundred yard visibility and an unfortunate wind angle, I sailed into the edge of the kelp bed and had to make a slow full circle, then tack north, before turning west again.
Finally clear and with the fog lifting, I was able to ease off the wind, and for the first time removed the Torqeedo completely from the stern. In light conditions this was easy, though I did tie a line around the shaft before I loosened it from the bracket, and probably should wear a harness myself when hanging over the stern.
I also removed the outboard bracket and stowed all below.
Now making 5.3 knots. Close reach. Complete overcast.
1900
I have the world to myself. It has been a long time. Four years. Two fishing boats off the Coronado Islands faded behind me. As did the mainland of Baja California to the east. Now it is just GANNET and me on the open ocean.
The marine layer of low cloud never burned off today. Incongruously I’ve been cold. The thermometer in the cabin shows 68º, but I’ve got on shoes, socks, Levis, t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, Polartec, and foul weather parka.
The wind has never been above ten knots, and usually less than eight; but in the late afternoon our boat speed went from fives to sixes to sevens, and then even into the eights. The maximum I saw on the Velocitek, which measures by GPS, was 8.7. This is remarkable. THE HAWKE OF TUONELA often reached eight knots, but not in such light conditions. And GANNET’s sails are built to survive a circumnavigation, not race around buoys. The waves are small, but water is frequently coming over the foredeck, yet her hollow bows deflect much of the spray away. GANNET is certainly capable of 1000 mile weeks, which has long been my measure of excellent progress.
The wind has also never been aft of the beam and usually has been ahead. GANNET is usually heeled 20º and often 30º. As I heated water for freeze dry Chicken Teriyaki and poured a plastic of boxed red wine, I thought that a lot of things are going to be spilled in The Great Cabin.
As I am well aware, knowing how to live on a boat in harbor is very different from knowing how to live on her at sea. Sharp corners are everywhere. A flotation cushion is presently wedged between my hip and the secondary port bulkhead. And a sip of Laphroaig on deck was drunk inelegantly from plastic not crystal, which requires a wind from farther aft.
July 28 Sunday
Pacific Ocean
0700 Still overcast. Wind was good during the night, when we mostly made 6 and 7 knots, but is lighter now and we’re averaging about 5.5. Still on or slightly forward of the beam. A little over 100 miles to go to the waypoint off the north end of Guadalupe.
Sleeping on what was the windward quarterberth was difficult. The lee cloth essential. Only a couple of positions were acceptable after wedging a flotation cushion between my back or knee, depending on which way I was facing, and the partial companionway bulkhead.
Releasing the lee cloth and getting out of the berth required acrobatics. I also learned that some objects, such as the hockey puck like Navilight that is my main cabin light, need to be kept in a different location at sea. In port it is in a bag on the v-berth side of the main bulkhead. At sea I’ll keep it in the bag beside the quarterberth.
At midnight I saw a loom of light ahead. It was abeam at 0300 and I still don’t know what it was other than a string of six or eight bright yellow lights. Not a ship underway, and nothing showing at that position on the electronic charts.
At that same time I did see a ship a few miles to the east, heading north.
1200
position: 30º 29’ N, 118º 04’ W
day’s run 139
North Guadalupe Island waypoint distance 75 miles, bearing 188ºT
We’re about 100 miles off the Baja California coast.
Not having slept well last night, I climbed back into my berth and napped for an hour this morning.
At noon the wind continues light from the WNW. Six or seven knots, and we are making 5.5 knots.
The day is warmer. The sun has almost burned through the layer of low cloud. There are a few patches of blue.
I went through my full morning routine. Even shaved, though I don’t always every day at sea. The electric razor is an unqualified success. I also transferred water from one of the five gallon jerry cans to my half gallon day bottle and one liter drinking bottle for the first time. There is a tap that screws into the five gallon jerry cans. In rougher weather I’ll expect some spillage and try to pick conditions.
I’ve already had lunch of cheese and crackers and am about to go on deck and experiment with sheet to tiller steering.
1730 As much as I enjoy my evening drink in GANNET’s slip, accompanied by music, birds and sea lions, it is even better at sea.
Although the seas are small, a little spray is coming aboard, so I took the waterproof Ecoxgear speaker on deck. It’s sound is less good than the FoxL and the Bose, but good enough in competing wind and waves.
The sun partially burned through the clouds and the wind was lighter today.
We are 43 miles from the waypoint off the northeast corner of Guadalupe Island with an estimated arrival after midnight, depending on whether the wind holds.
GANNET has tended to sail high of the direct course to that waypoint and I’ve let her. A sailor can feel when a boat is in a groove, and GANNET’s groove has been high. And I’d rather be on the windward side of the island than in its wind shadow.
I’m not sure what I’m going to do tonight. It depends on the wind.
I’ve been surprised at how well GANNET has sailed in these conditions. I’ve always had boats that sail well, but I don’t think any would have covered more miles these two days than has GANNET.
Time to heat water for tonight’s culinary treat, freeze dry vegetable pasta parmesan.
1900 The sea is molten to the west, burnished metal in the setting sun.
I saw no one and nothing today, not even a bird, except for some dolphin who swam around GANNET while I was on deck this afternoon. GANNET being what she is, I could almost reach out and touch them, which might have been a surprise to us both.
To rinse out the kitchen sink after washing my coffee cup, spoon and the measuring cup in which I eat my uncooked oatmeal, I can stand in the companionway and, as the little sloop heals, dip them into the ocean.
This is really nice sailing. With ten gallons of water and plenty of freeze dry meals, I have enough aboard to be in Hawaii in less than three weeks. Too bad I have to turn around, probably at dawn, and go back.
July 29, Monday
Pacific Ocean
0840 Essentially becalmed. Barely making one knot. Low sky overcast with thin clouds.
At midnight by GPS we were five miles off the north end of Guadalupe Island, but I couldn’t see a thing. No stars. Near complete darkness, except for a--
I had to stop writing and go on deck as we lost steerage way and turned back south.
The darkness last night was complete except for a pale ghostly glow to windward of GANNET’s hull and a few patches of brighter luminesce. And then, as now, the wind died away.
When after a half hour, a breath of wind returned, I turned GANNET north. I hadn’t sailed to see Guadalupe Island, but to sail. My home waypoint just off the Mission Bay channel was 211 miles distant, bearing 014ºT. It is now 180 miles bearing 013ºT. The wind remained light all night. I’m surprised we’ve covered 31 miles in nine hours.
The wind has again returned and we’re sailing at a couple of knots. I need to go on deck and adjust sails and course.
1200
Position 29º56’ N, 118º 02’W
Because of the 180º course change the day’s run of about 105 miles is an estimate.
Distance to Mission Bay Channel waypoint 174 miles; bearing 013ºT.
Light wind is now from the NNE, a totally unexpected direction and blowing directly from where we want to go.
After taking the tiller for a while because the tiller pilot kept backing the jib in such light conditions, and tacking several times, I’m on starboard tack, heading farther offshore to get a better angle when, presumably, the wind returns to the NW. COG 336ºT, SOG 2.8 knots.
Sky still overcast, but higher, and sun warmer though not visible, as it has not been since I left on Saturday.
1700 I chased puffs, but we were essentially becalmed all afternoon. Sea glassy.
July 30, Tuesday
Pacific Ocean
0730 A nice night.
Wind that appeared as cats-paws to the west while I was on deck eating dinner of a can of chicken with crackers and a glass of white wine has remained with us and we sailed instead of drifted. I wasn’t hungry enough for a freeze dry meal.
As the sun set it turned the sails gold, as often it did the world around THE HAWKE OF TUONELA’s Opua mooring.
The sky cleared after sunset and I saw stars for the first time during this sail. The Big Dipper ahead and Scorpio astern. And, after midnight, the last quarter moon. Some clouds have returned, but not solid overcast. And the wind has veered, heading us, so that we are sailing northeast at about four knots, instead of north on the direct course back to Mission Bay. The channel waypoint is 120 miles distant, bearing 007º.
1200
Position 31º 05’ N, 117º25‘ W
SOG 5.4 COG 011º
Mission Bay Waypoint distance 100 miles, bearing 005º
Day’s run 74 miles
Mostly sunny, with some scattered low white clouds. Wind goes up and down a few knots and has backed some. We are sailing pretty much at wind speed, making 5 and 6 knots in about that much wind. Sometimes a bit low of the rhumb line to Mission Bay. Sometimes a bit high. The nearest land is Punta San Jose south of Ensenada, Mexico, 45 miles to the NE.
I sat on deck for a while this morning, enjoying GANNET sailing well and Sibelius’ Second Symphony. Splashes from several big fish ahead.
I found a new comfortable position in the Great Cabin when GANNET is heeled, sitting on the windward quarter berth, back against a flotation cushion, facing the centerline, feet braced on the raised lip of the cabin floorboard, with a view out the companionway at the sea a few feet below.
1600 Beautiful afternoon. Mostly clear blue sky. Only a few scattered wisps of cloud.
I’ve spent the past couple of hours on deck, acting as rail meat--moveable ballast--listening to music and enjoying GANNET’s fine sailing. In ten to twelve knots of wind, she doesn’t go any faster to windward than she did in six and seven knots and smoother seas. The wind creates chop that slows her. She needs to dance lightly above the water, not pound into it. But she keeps on keeping on. More spray was being blown aft. Again, I was glad to have a waterproof speaker, and wore my light foul weather parka. I have two sets of foul weather gear aboard: a heavier set from THE HAWKE OF TUONELA, and a lighter I bought when GANNET was on Lake Michigan.
Earlier I saw three or four commercial fishing boats to the east. One headed out to sea, passing a mile astern of GANNET.
Mission Bay is now 78 miles almost due north ahead. If the wind doesn’t change--and it almost certainly will--we will converge with land near Tijuana. At times we are sailing high enough to reach Mission Bay on this tack.
Ensenada is presently forty miles to the ENE.
July 31, Wednesday
Pacific Ocean
1130 We’re about half way between the Coronado Islands, which belong to Mexico, and Point Loma.
It took me forever to get past the Coronado Islands. Well, several hours.
The sea continued lumpy until almost midnight. Then the wind went light and headed us, forcing us between the shore south of Tijuana and a fleet of fishing boats out to sea. I counted lights of at least nine. There may have been more.
I tacked between coast and fishing boats, and a light on South Coronado Island, until black night become grey dawn, without gaining much.
Knowing that I’d probably be awake later, I got into the quarter berth at 1930 and got three brief intervals of sleep, not more than two hours total, until I was up for good at 0300.
Making only two or three knots against a shifting northerly headwind this overcast morning, I tried to pass east of the Coronado Islands, which consist of three barren islands, the largest of which is less than two miles long, was headed; tried to pass west, was headed; tried to sail between them, was headed; until finally the wind shifted and I made it past to the west.
The wind was so uncertain, I steered until we were clear.
Life going to windward on GANNET is hard. She often sails heeled 30º. On THE HAWKE OF TUONELA and RESURGAM, I usually reduced sail when they heeled more than 20º, but GANNET needs sail and is light and is going to heel. Pulling myself from the quarter berth at that angle is challenging.
My stowage needs refining. Objects naturally slide when heeled that far and aren’t where I have come to expect them. This is particularly a problem with my eyeglasses at night in a dark, steep cabin.
1200
Position 32º 35’N, 117º 19‘ W
Our noon position is seven miles south of Saturday’s.
Mission Bay Channel Waypoint 10 miles distant, bearing 013º
Day’s run 90 miles noon to noon positions, though tacking we sailed farther
If the wind holds we should be in by mid-afternoon.
Thursday, August 1, 2013