Posted 28 October 2010
The sail to San Benito Islands started with great wind, then no wind and then too much wind. We were surfing down the waves at times at 9.44 knots with only the staysail and 3 reefs in the main. We were doing a constant speed of about 7 to 8 knots. This lasted for about 2 hours and then we took the main down as the waves were too big and push the boat too much on the side for my comfort level. By this time we were quite exhausted by all the hoisting, dropping and putting in reefs, so we settle for the night with only the staysail and was doing 5 to 6 knots. The wind dropped during the night and we did not feel like hoisting the mainsail, so the trip was much longer, took us +- 30 hours to reach San Benito Islands.
During our trip we saw quite a few boats from the Baja HaHa fleet. This year I believe there are 195 boats. We tried to contact our friends on S/V Otter, but they were not within VHF range. We did speak to S/V Music from the fleet and they will pass our regards to Greg and Joyce. We might see them in Turtle bay on Sunday.
We left this morning Thursday 28 October for Cedros Island which is just 21 nm south east. There was no wind so we motored. Cedros Island is the more beautiful Island so far. Dinis had very good propagation on both islands and made a good run on the ham radio.
Friday or Saturday 29/30 October we are planning to go to Natividad Island which is just 15 nm south from Cedros Island and then make our way to Turtle bay on Sunday. We are running low on fresh vegetables and fruit.
From Turtle bay we will make a run to Magdalena bay which should take us between 2 to 3 days.
Guadalupe Island, Baja California, Mexico
Posted 25 October 2010
We decided to sail to Guadalupe Island first (166 nm south west of San Quintin bay) then we will make our way to San Benito and Cedros Islands. We left on Saturday 23 October morning at 10:00 and had nice sailing on a close reach all the way. The wind picked up (18 to 20 knots) towards late afternoon and we had 2 reefs in the main and the genoa furled to only 90%. We were still doing a very fast passage. Our average speed was 6.42 knots and we did our best 24 hours yet at 154 nm. It took us close to 26 hours to drop anchor in Melpomene Cove on the south of Guadalupe Island.
The island is very high, which has impacted Dinis a bit for his radio contacts. Again the local fishermen were very friendly and gave us lots of lobster, half size tuna and a red snapper look alike fish in exchange for a bottle of wine, half a bottle of tequila and I baked a cake for them. Our freezer is fully loaded. Needless to say we had lobster for lunch and supper yesterday and will have a lobster diet again for today.
The wind picked up, so we will stay another day. We left Tuesday morning 26 October for San Benito Islands, which is +- 150 nm south east of Guadalupe Island.
Isla De San Martin, Baja California, Mexico
Posted 21 October 2010
We left Ensenada on Monday morning heading for the Islas De Todos Santos. The wind was blowing a nice breeze and we decided to get ourselves back into the sailing habit and hoist the sails for a nice little sail to the islands. Dinis new mission is to try and make as many contacts as he can with other ham radio stations from the islands in Mexico. So we drop anchor for the afternoon and early evening for Dinis to do his QSOs.
We left the Islas De Todos Santos at 7pm on Monday night heading for Isla San Martin, which is just north west of Cabo San Quintin. There was no wind so we motored all night. On Tuesday morning a dragonfly and another little bird joined us for part of our trip. We always enjoy picking up hitch hikers along the way. We drop anchor in a beautiful Caleta Hassler anchorage late Tuesday morning. Both of us were tired and decided that a snooze is just what the doctor recommended.
We decided to stay an extra day or two here, as it is very peaceful. Dinis made friends with the local fishermen. They bought us a fresh barracuda and Dinis gave them a bottle of wine. We also caught 3 little fish from the boat. What a feast we had for supper time.
Again Dinis made his QSOs and he is getting better at it. He says it is more difficult to handle the pile ups on the radio than what he had anticipated.
The San Benito and Cedros Islands are the next islands on our list.
Ensenada Baja Mexico
Posted 14 October 2010
We had a lovely sail from San Diego to Los Coronados Islands, Mexico. Dinis made quite a few QSO from there while we were waiting for night fall. We decided to sail during the night so that we can arrive during day time in Ensenada. In the end this strategy did not work that good as again we arrived under fog.
During our trip to Ensenada we noticed that the oil that lubricate the shaft was leaking out and that seawater must have made its way in for the oil to be pushed out. This is not a big problem, but we decided to haul the boat and check it out anyway. Rather now than later.
So on Monday after clearing customs and getting all the paperwork done the boat was hauled out by Baja Naval Marina and Boatyard. What a fantastic job the boatyard did hauling and launching the boat. They are very profesional, friendly and efficient.
The culprit was that the first lip seal corroded and that seawater was pushing the oil up. Anyway we replaced all the seals and put new zinks on. It took us a little longer than anticipated to re-align the engine. The boat was launched Thursday morning.
On Tuesday we met with a ham radio friend (Hector XE2GAG) that Dinis communicated with previously when we were still planning our trip. Hector and Olga took us to a traditional Mexican restuarant 'El Parian'. The company, food and atmosphere were great. After dinner we went to the famous Hussong's Cantina. The oldest bar in the Californias, established in 1892 and a designated historical landmark. What a fantastic evening. We listened to the Norteños (Northerners), which is a musical folk group. Our friends spoiled us by asking the group to sing 2 songs for Dinis and myself. This is a lifelong experience that Dinis and myself will remember and cherish. It was an absolutely lovely evening. Hector took a video of the Norteños singing, althought the cantina was quite dark you can still hear the lovely song and atmosphere.
Hector and Olga drove us around for shopping and also sightseing Ensenada. Ensenada is a lovely city surounded by many hills. Hector also took us to visit his family and his radio shack. Dinis enjoyed that a lot, made a QSO from Hector's radio to Columbia. We had a pleasant visit with his family and again were spoiled.
We are heading south on Monday morning (18 October) after getting our clearance letter stamp by the harbour master.
We had a lovely sail from San Diego to Los Coronados Islands, Mexico. Dinis made quite a few QSO from there while we were waiting for night fall. We decided to sail during the night so that we can arrive during day time in Ensenada. In the end this strategy did not work that good as again we arrived under fog.
During our trip to Ensenada we noticed that the oil that lubricate the shaft was leaking out and that seawater must have made its way in for the oil to be pushed out. This is not a big problem, but we decided to haul the boat and check it out anyway. Rather now than later.
So on Monday after clearing customs and getting all the paperwork done the boat was hauled out by Baja Naval Marina and Boatyard. What a fantastic job the boatyard did hauling and launching the boat. They are very profesional, friendly and efficient.
The culprit was that the first lip seal corroded and that seawater was pushing the oil up. Anyway we replaced all the seals and put new zinks on. It took us a little longer than anticipated to re-align the engine. The boat was launched Thursday morning.
On Tuesday we met with a ham radio friend (Hector XE2GAG) that Dinis communicated with previously when we were still planning our trip. Hector and Olga took us to a traditional Mexican restuarant 'El Parian'. The company, food and atmosphere were great. After dinner we went to the famous Hussong's Cantina. The oldest bar in the Californias, established in 1892 and a designated historical landmark. What a fantastic evening. We listened to the Norteños (Northerners), which is a musical folk group. Our friends spoiled us by asking the group to sing 2 songs for Dinis and myself. This is a lifelong experience that Dinis and myself will remember and cherish. It was an absolutely lovely evening. Hector took a video of the Norteños singing, althought the cantina was quite dark you can still hear the lovely song and atmosphere.
Hector and Olga drove us around for shopping and also sightseing Ensenada. Ensenada is a lovely city surounded by many hills. Hector also took us to visit his family and his radio shack. Dinis enjoyed that a lot, made a QSO from Hector's radio to Columbia. We had a pleasant visit with his family and again were spoiled.
We are heading south on Monday morning (18 October) after getting our clearance letter stamp by the harbour master.
Glorietta Bay
Posted 1 October 2010
San Diego’s weather has changed. It is hot and we love it. We had some rain, lightning and thunder yesterday. This year’s weather has been really foggy and cold all the way from Vancouver, BC. Finally we sleep with the hatches open during night time to allow airflow.
Glorietta Bay, this is the first anchorage after La Playa that we both enjoyed. It is next to a golf course with a small beach, just gorgeous. The public dingy dock is great, no problems like the Cruiser’s anchorage.
I went for a swim in our backyard and tested our underwater camera. The water is not that clear, but I was able to take some pictures and a video just to make sure all is OK. Joyce and Greg from S/V Otter, came over from their marina to visit with us at Glorietta Bay. We visited town and the famous and beautiful ‘Hotel Del Coronado’
Our automatic tiller pilot and outboard engine are all fixed. We had a small leak in our hot water system, but Dinis fixed that and also all the other little problems that seems to keep popping up. We did not yet figure out how we will change our setup for the tiller pilot. The recommendation from another cruiser did not work that well, so back to the drawing board.
We will stay in Gorietta Bay until Sunday morning and then make our way to Mission Bay. It took me 2 months to finally relax and to start to enjoy the cruising lifestyle.
We are monitoring the weather for Mexico.
San Diego’s weather has changed. It is hot and we love it. We had some rain, lightning and thunder yesterday. This year’s weather has been really foggy and cold all the way from Vancouver, BC. Finally we sleep with the hatches open during night time to allow airflow.
Glorietta Bay, this is the first anchorage after La Playa that we both enjoyed. It is next to a golf course with a small beach, just gorgeous. The public dingy dock is great, no problems like the Cruiser’s anchorage.
I went for a swim in our backyard and tested our underwater camera. The water is not that clear, but I was able to take some pictures and a video just to make sure all is OK. Joyce and Greg from S/V Otter, came over from their marina to visit with us at Glorietta Bay. We visited town and the famous and beautiful ‘Hotel Del Coronado’
Our automatic tiller pilot and outboard engine are all fixed. We had a small leak in our hot water system, but Dinis fixed that and also all the other little problems that seems to keep popping up. We did not yet figure out how we will change our setup for the tiller pilot. The recommendation from another cruiser did not work that well, so back to the drawing board.
We will stay in Gorietta Bay until Sunday morning and then make our way to Mission Bay. It took me 2 months to finally relax and to start to enjoy the cruising lifestyle.
We are monitoring the weather for Mexico.
Sightseeing
Posted 24 September 2010
San Diego is very beautiful. We love the different flowers, trees and architecture. Although we encounter lower temperatures than normal, the sun shone everyday and we are wearing shorts and t-shirts most of the time.
There is a big military influence in San Diego, with big navy and air force fleets. We went to the Maritime Museum, all the historic ships and the USS Midway aircraft carrier. We were very impressed. The Seaport Village reminds us of Granville Island with a beautiful setting, the harbour on one side and palm trees on the other.
We left the police dock for the cruiser’s anchorage. The anchorage is good with a glorious view of downtown San Diego. The only problem we encountered was the dinghy docks. There are 3 dinghy docks for public use, but unfortunately there are lots of derelict dinghies around. It also seems that the local live aboard residents laid claim to these public docks and give visitors a hard time by throwing garbage inside their dinghies while away. We had encounter this and several other cruisers had the same problem. There are several other anchorages, so we will change anchorage, just to avoid these silly antics.
Our outboard engine developed a problem. Dinis did all the obvious tests and services, but still it does not produce the power to put the dinghy into plane. Dinis took the outboard to be checked. Hopefully the problem will be found. We are also waiting for our automatic tiller pilot that was send to Raymarine to be fixed.
We did another small provisioning as we would like to do some sailing to the islands and possibly go to Mexico within the next 2 to 3 weeks, depending if we get the tiller pilot back by then. We will clear customs in Ensenada and then sail about 20 miles south of Ensenada, where we will wait for the hurricane season to pass.
San Diego is very beautiful. We love the different flowers, trees and architecture. Although we encounter lower temperatures than normal, the sun shone everyday and we are wearing shorts and t-shirts most of the time.
There is a big military influence in San Diego, with big navy and air force fleets. We went to the Maritime Museum, all the historic ships and the USS Midway aircraft carrier. We were very impressed. The Seaport Village reminds us of Granville Island with a beautiful setting, the harbour on one side and palm trees on the other.
We left the police dock for the cruiser’s anchorage. The anchorage is good with a glorious view of downtown San Diego. The only problem we encountered was the dinghy docks. There are 3 dinghy docks for public use, but unfortunately there are lots of derelict dinghies around. It also seems that the local live aboard residents laid claim to these public docks and give visitors a hard time by throwing garbage inside their dinghies while away. We had encounter this and several other cruisers had the same problem. There are several other anchorages, so we will change anchorage, just to avoid these silly antics.
Our outboard engine developed a problem. Dinis did all the obvious tests and services, but still it does not produce the power to put the dinghy into plane. Dinis took the outboard to be checked. Hopefully the problem will be found. We are also waiting for our automatic tiller pilot that was send to Raymarine to be fixed.
We did another small provisioning as we would like to do some sailing to the islands and possibly go to Mexico within the next 2 to 3 weeks, depending if we get the tiller pilot back by then. We will clear customs in Ensenada and then sail about 20 miles south of Ensenada, where we will wait for the hurricane season to pass.
We arrived in San Diego
Posted 15 September 2010
The anchoring at Santa Catalina Island was great. We made up the lost sleep, had a shower, cooked a nice supper and was ready for the overnight trip to San Diego. Dinis was full of beans and did a 5 hour watch, which was great for me. There was not much wind so we hook up our little automatic tiller pilot. During Dinis second watch he noticed that the boat was heading into a different direction. On closer inspection Dinis noticed that we finally lost the little arm of the tiller pilot. What a drag…we had to hand steer for about 7 hours.
We made it through the night, had tons of traffic, but the night was clear and you could clearly see the lights. Again the AIS and the radar outdid itself. What a blessing !! The only problem is these fishing boats steaming towards you, just to change course in front of you. I suppose they scan the ocean for fish and follow that.
We saw some dolphins approaching San Diego which is fantastic. They either welcome us or sending us on a save trip at every port we arrived or departed so far. I hope this continue for our circumnavigation.
We arrived yet again in fog on Sunday morning 12 September, they say this year is the worst as far as weather is concern. We tied the boat to the police customs dock to get info for where to dock the boat and also for me to let Customs and Immigration know that we had arrived. What a great welcome we had. The people is very friendly and we felt at home. We also got our anchoring permit.
We did not much exploring as yet, but done all the boat chores. All the sails and lines are washed, it is amazing the amount of salt that accumulates. Monday our friends Greg and Joyce from S/V Otter came to visit and we spend the day with them. Today (Wednesday) we are going into town so that Dinis can get the tiller pilot sorted out and a few other things that are on our to-do list.
I lost 9 pounds since we left Vancouver...can fit into all my clothes much easier now. Dinis did not loose any weight, but lost about 2 cm around his waist. Been tossed like a salad I suppose has it benefits :)
The anchoring at Santa Catalina Island was great. We made up the lost sleep, had a shower, cooked a nice supper and was ready for the overnight trip to San Diego. Dinis was full of beans and did a 5 hour watch, which was great for me. There was not much wind so we hook up our little automatic tiller pilot. During Dinis second watch he noticed that the boat was heading into a different direction. On closer inspection Dinis noticed that we finally lost the little arm of the tiller pilot. What a drag…we had to hand steer for about 7 hours.
We made it through the night, had tons of traffic, but the night was clear and you could clearly see the lights. Again the AIS and the radar outdid itself. What a blessing !! The only problem is these fishing boats steaming towards you, just to change course in front of you. I suppose they scan the ocean for fish and follow that.
We saw some dolphins approaching San Diego which is fantastic. They either welcome us or sending us on a save trip at every port we arrived or departed so far. I hope this continue for our circumnavigation.
We arrived yet again in fog on Sunday morning 12 September, they say this year is the worst as far as weather is concern. We tied the boat to the police customs dock to get info for where to dock the boat and also for me to let Customs and Immigration know that we had arrived. What a great welcome we had. The people is very friendly and we felt at home. We also got our anchoring permit.
We did not much exploring as yet, but done all the boat chores. All the sails and lines are washed, it is amazing the amount of salt that accumulates. Monday our friends Greg and Joyce from S/V Otter came to visit and we spend the day with them. Today (Wednesday) we are going into town so that Dinis can get the tiller pilot sorted out and a few other things that are on our to-do list.
I lost 9 pounds since we left Vancouver...can fit into all my clothes much easier now. Dinis did not loose any weight, but lost about 2 cm around his waist. Been tossed like a salad I suppose has it benefits :)
On route to San Diego, California
Posted 10 September 2010
The trip started early Wednesday morning. We are currently in Santa Cruz Basin near San Diego. Our ETA (estimated time of arrival) is Saturday night, but we will anchor at Santa Catalina Island during the day on Saturday and continue to San Diego on Saturday night so that we will arrive during daylight on Sunday.
I had to go beyond my comfort level in many aspects of sailing offshore during the trip so far from Vancouver. We had all weather conditions from very light winds to stronger conditions, but luckily no heavy weather. This was especially good for me as we manage to do sail changes relative easy (although Dinis was the person going forward in stronger winds).
We had no problems with seasickness, although going downwind the boat roll from side to side quite a bit, Dinis did feel queasy.
A person can not compare sailing in Strait of Georgia in 20 knots of wind with sailing offshore with 20 knots of wind. The ocean swell and the wind strength is quite a challenge as soon as the wind blows more than 18 knots. First you will notice the increase of swell height and then the wind increases.
The trip started early Wednesday morning. We are currently in Santa Cruz Basin near San Diego. Our ETA (estimated time of arrival) is Saturday night, but we will anchor at Santa Catalina Island during the day on Saturday and continue to San Diego on Saturday night so that we will arrive during daylight on Sunday.
I had to go beyond my comfort level in many aspects of sailing offshore during the trip so far from Vancouver. We had all weather conditions from very light winds to stronger conditions, but luckily no heavy weather. This was especially good for me as we manage to do sail changes relative easy (although Dinis was the person going forward in stronger winds).
We had no problems with seasickness, although going downwind the boat roll from side to side quite a bit, Dinis did feel queasy.
A person can not compare sailing in Strait of Georgia in 20 knots of wind with sailing offshore with 20 knots of wind. The ocean swell and the wind strength is quite a challenge as soon as the wind blows more than 18 knots. First you will notice the increase of swell height and then the wind increases.
Sausalito, California
Posted 5 September 2010
We are currently anchored in beautiful Sausalito bay. It is very picturesque and have a European feeling to it. We are waiting for the weather to be more favourable and in the mean time doing some sightseeing and spending time with our friends Ellen and Ian. They also sailed from Vancouver on S/V Kasasa and arrived a day before us in San Francisco. Ellen took the photo of our boat under sail in Strait of Georgia (picture to right).
We met up with friends from San Francisco, Bingfang and Bin. We met over 3 years ago in Vancouver, when they were visiting with mutual friends Jingly and Max. It is such a small world. They spoiled us with a great lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then also took us shopping for provisions. We tried to reciprocate their kindness by taking them on a small trip within the bay area. Bin was steering the boat most of the way and did a great job.
Today and tomorrow I will spend cooking and freezing the meals for the trip. We have found this the best solution. It is easy to warm up and you can eat when ever you feel hungry, without having to spend unnecessary time cooking.
We are currently anchored in beautiful Sausalito bay. It is very picturesque and have a European feeling to it. We are waiting for the weather to be more favourable and in the mean time doing some sightseeing and spending time with our friends Ellen and Ian. They also sailed from Vancouver on S/V Kasasa and arrived a day before us in San Francisco. Ellen took the photo of our boat under sail in Strait of Georgia (picture to right).
We met up with friends from San Francisco, Bingfang and Bin. We met over 3 years ago in Vancouver, when they were visiting with mutual friends Jingly and Max. It is such a small world. They spoiled us with a great lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then also took us shopping for provisions. We tried to reciprocate their kindness by taking them on a small trip within the bay area. Bin was steering the boat most of the way and did a great job.
Today and tomorrow I will spend cooking and freezing the meals for the trip. We have found this the best solution. It is easy to warm up and you can eat when ever you feel hungry, without having to spend unnecessary time cooking.
San Francisco, California
Posted 2 September 2010
We left Crescent City at 05:00 am on Saturday morning 28 Aug. We had a beautiful sailing day and night, doing boat speeds 6 to 7 knots and with the currents and some surfing doing 8 to 9 knots. We did a fantastic 140 nm in 24 hours. On Sunday the winds picked up a bit, blowing a constant 18 to 23 knots, gusting at times 28 to 30. This tremendously increased the sea swells. At times the swell was bimini height (about 8-12 feet). We dropped the smaller jib and hoist the storm jib. We were still doing 5 to 6 knots. It was very tiresome and we could not do more than 1 and half hour watches at a time. There was also a big weather system just behind us, so we decided to come to San Francisco instead.
I took a video when the seas died down a bit standing in the companion way looking aft, did not feel too comfortable to film during the bigger sea swells.
We arrived in San Francisco on Monday afternoon 30 August under a thick fog. We could not even see the bridge. We had the camera ready, but only fog with a little bit of bridge visible.
We went downtown today using the train system. Very efficient. We had a great day walking and visiting all the touristy spots. We took a ride back on the Cable trolley. What an experience that was. At the end of the line they rotate the trolley to reverse the direction. It is a very beautiful city and it reminded us a bit of Durban in South Africa.
There are some strong winds forecast for Saturday and Sunday and possibly Monday. We might just coastal hop to San Diego, not sure yet. We will most probably only leave next week.
We left Crescent City at 05:00 am on Saturday morning 28 Aug. We had a beautiful sailing day and night, doing boat speeds 6 to 7 knots and with the currents and some surfing doing 8 to 9 knots. We did a fantastic 140 nm in 24 hours. On Sunday the winds picked up a bit, blowing a constant 18 to 23 knots, gusting at times 28 to 30. This tremendously increased the sea swells. At times the swell was bimini height (about 8-12 feet). We dropped the smaller jib and hoist the storm jib. We were still doing 5 to 6 knots. It was very tiresome and we could not do more than 1 and half hour watches at a time. There was also a big weather system just behind us, so we decided to come to San Francisco instead.
I took a video when the seas died down a bit standing in the companion way looking aft, did not feel too comfortable to film during the bigger sea swells.
We arrived in San Francisco on Monday afternoon 30 August under a thick fog. We could not even see the bridge. We had the camera ready, but only fog with a little bit of bridge visible.
We went downtown today using the train system. Very efficient. We had a great day walking and visiting all the touristy spots. We took a ride back on the Cable trolley. What an experience that was. At the end of the line they rotate the trolley to reverse the direction. It is a very beautiful city and it reminded us a bit of Durban in South Africa.
There are some strong winds forecast for Saturday and Sunday and possibly Monday. We might just coastal hop to San Diego, not sure yet. We will most probably only leave next week.
Crescent City
Posted 19 August 2010
We arrived Wednesday 18 Aug. in Crescent City, Northern California. Although this trip was mostly motoring due to the lack of wind, we are happy with our progress. We had the current helping us along as well and we made good time.
On Tuesday about 150 nm offshore Oregon coast, we had dolphins swimming with us and gave us a nice show. They rode the boat’s bow wave and criss-cross under the boat. Dinis took a video of the dolphins.
Our little brown bird, we named her ‘Browny’ got herself a friend. Her friend looked pretty exhausted when arrived as well, but after a few hours of eating and drinking (and yes do not forget the pooping) he was able to explore the decks with ‘Browny’. It is pretty amazing that these little birds were so far offshore. ‘Browny’ joined us about 180nm offshore and her friend about 70nm. They left us when approaching landfall. It is pretty amazing how animal life can put the human life in perspective.
Crescent City is a very good stop over. It is a fishing town and the people are very friendly, helpful and warm. The docking is very reasonable priced at $17 US per night for a 35 foot boat. We stayed for 2 nights and will anchored inside the harbour until departure. The local weather forecast is predicting heavy weather, so we will stay anchored until favourable weather conditions arrives.
We arrived Wednesday 18 Aug. in Crescent City, Northern California. Although this trip was mostly motoring due to the lack of wind, we are happy with our progress. We had the current helping us along as well and we made good time.
On Tuesday about 150 nm offshore Oregon coast, we had dolphins swimming with us and gave us a nice show. They rode the boat’s bow wave and criss-cross under the boat. Dinis took a video of the dolphins.
Our little brown bird, we named her ‘Browny’ got herself a friend. Her friend looked pretty exhausted when arrived as well, but after a few hours of eating and drinking (and yes do not forget the pooping) he was able to explore the decks with ‘Browny’. It is pretty amazing that these little birds were so far offshore. ‘Browny’ joined us about 180nm offshore and her friend about 70nm. They left us when approaching landfall. It is pretty amazing how animal life can put the human life in perspective.
Crescent City is a very good stop over. It is a fishing town and the people are very friendly, helpful and warm. The docking is very reasonable priced at $17 US per night for a 35 foot boat. We stayed for 2 nights and will anchored inside the harbour until departure. The local weather forecast is predicting heavy weather, so we will stay anchored until favourable weather conditions arrives.
Choosing our Weather Window
Posted 17 August 2010
After all our little tasks were done during our week stay in Tofino, we got all our weather faxes and text weather forecasts. We noticed that Friday's 48 and 96 hour weather faxes show good conditions and that the text weather forecast is calling 10 to 20 knots of wind in a N and NW direction for the 4 days. We decided that according to our route planning this was perfect weather to leave on Saturday morning 14 August. This weather window came faster than we expected but we rather error on lighter winds than stronger.
Our first days at sea gave us a mixture of variable S, SE, SW and at times N winds all well below 10 knots. We motor sail but started to think that if the winds do not pick up we might have to re-think our route to San Diego and possibly go to Northern California, maybe San Francisco instead. We got our weather faxes through out the first couple of days and it were still calling for 10 knots of wind, but our actual conditions were much less, blowing 3 to 6 knots from the South and eventually from the North. In the end we decided that with our relatively small diesel tanks (can do about 700 nm including the containers on deck) we will change course to northern California instead, where we will refuel and wait for more consistent winds. We are heading for Crescent City (a suggestion from the Greater Northern Boater's net) and should arrive Wednesday morning 18 August.
In Tofino, I prepared at least 5 days of meals ahead of time and this came in handy. Both Dinis and myself were feeling good with no seasickness. I suppose the calm seas had everything to do with that.
For the first two days both of us were felling lethargic and we did a watch system as in who feels the most tired and that person gets to sleep. Both of us felt much more energetic on the third day and the watch system became more consistent of 2 hours off and on during the night. During the day we have a more informal watch system with overlapping time.
We saw many whales and our first onboard visitor is a small brown bird. It was noticeably tired and is hitching a ride with us. We gave her food and water, which she is eating and drinking. She has been with us for a day and night and I assume that she will stay until closer to land. Now we got little bird poop all over the deck.
During this trip we have to give praise to our little Raymarine automatic tiller pilot and the AIS again. We did learn how to fine tune the radar and use it in conjunction with the AIS. It has been a great help especially during the fogging nights.
After all our little tasks were done during our week stay in Tofino, we got all our weather faxes and text weather forecasts. We noticed that Friday's 48 and 96 hour weather faxes show good conditions and that the text weather forecast is calling 10 to 20 knots of wind in a N and NW direction for the 4 days. We decided that according to our route planning this was perfect weather to leave on Saturday morning 14 August. This weather window came faster than we expected but we rather error on lighter winds than stronger.
Our first days at sea gave us a mixture of variable S, SE, SW and at times N winds all well below 10 knots. We motor sail but started to think that if the winds do not pick up we might have to re-think our route to San Diego and possibly go to Northern California, maybe San Francisco instead. We got our weather faxes through out the first couple of days and it were still calling for 10 knots of wind, but our actual conditions were much less, blowing 3 to 6 knots from the South and eventually from the North. In the end we decided that with our relatively small diesel tanks (can do about 700 nm including the containers on deck) we will change course to northern California instead, where we will refuel and wait for more consistent winds. We are heading for Crescent City (a suggestion from the Greater Northern Boater's net) and should arrive Wednesday morning 18 August.
In Tofino, I prepared at least 5 days of meals ahead of time and this came in handy. Both Dinis and myself were feeling good with no seasickness. I suppose the calm seas had everything to do with that.
For the first two days both of us were felling lethargic and we did a watch system as in who feels the most tired and that person gets to sleep. Both of us felt much more energetic on the third day and the watch system became more consistent of 2 hours off and on during the night. During the day we have a more informal watch system with overlapping time.
We saw many whales and our first onboard visitor is a small brown bird. It was noticeably tired and is hitching a ride with us. We gave her food and water, which she is eating and drinking. She has been with us for a day and night and I assume that she will stay until closer to land. Now we got little bird poop all over the deck.
During this trip we have to give praise to our little Raymarine automatic tiller pilot and the AIS again. We did learn how to fine tune the radar and use it in conjunction with the AIS. It has been a great help especially during the fogging nights.
1st Offshore Sea Trial
Posted 2 August 2010
We left Winter Harbour in the morning for our first sea trial. The wind was in our favour blowing between 10 and 15 knots. Great we can test the windvane in lighter winds as we had trouble before setting it in lighter winds. With just the genoa we manage to test the windvane. The wind increased and we decided to keep just the genoa flying. 'Morgs' was doing a good job keeping the boat on course. Our target was to head offshore for 60nm and then turn back. Twice we saw whales. The first time was so close that we had to change course and Dinis started the engine to make some noise, the last thing that we want is another whale sinking a boat.
As the evening progressed so did the wind, we furled the genoa to just a small amount of sail. This seems to work and all good. In the mean time both Dinis and myself were starting to feel the motion and were getting queasy. We had taken seasick pills in the morning and took some more. Dinis felt worse than me and he took the first off watch and went to sleep. At 22:10 pm we reached our turn around point and turned the boat around. We had quite a bit of sea swells and still 'Morgs' kept the boat on course. What a blessing the AIS was and is as we had quite a bit of sea traffic. We were able to communicate with these vessels so that they were aware that we exists. One thing was unsettling and it was that these vessels did not show on the radar. With some fine tuning, we were able to see them, but still with difficulty.
All in all our first offshore sea trial was a great success. We have a few improvements to make before the next one. In the salon one porthole has a leak. Dinis will replace the seal on the porthole. I will need some more sheets for the banks. We need another line in the cockpit so that we can hook ourselves onto. I did slip and went into the life lines, so easily I could have slip through. All I have left is a sore wrist, bruises on my legs and a swollen knee. I suppose a small price to pay for still being onboard.
We arrived back safely and was quite tired. We are anchored in an absolutely beautiful bay called Dixie Cove on Hohoae Island. Dinis cooked a special dinner and we celebrate with Chuck's bottle of bubbly - Thanks Chuck !!
We will stay for 2 days and make our way to Hotspring Cove.
We left Winter Harbour in the morning for our first sea trial. The wind was in our favour blowing between 10 and 15 knots. Great we can test the windvane in lighter winds as we had trouble before setting it in lighter winds. With just the genoa we manage to test the windvane. The wind increased and we decided to keep just the genoa flying. 'Morgs' was doing a good job keeping the boat on course. Our target was to head offshore for 60nm and then turn back. Twice we saw whales. The first time was so close that we had to change course and Dinis started the engine to make some noise, the last thing that we want is another whale sinking a boat.
As the evening progressed so did the wind, we furled the genoa to just a small amount of sail. This seems to work and all good. In the mean time both Dinis and myself were starting to feel the motion and were getting queasy. We had taken seasick pills in the morning and took some more. Dinis felt worse than me and he took the first off watch and went to sleep. At 22:10 pm we reached our turn around point and turned the boat around. We had quite a bit of sea swells and still 'Morgs' kept the boat on course. What a blessing the AIS was and is as we had quite a bit of sea traffic. We were able to communicate with these vessels so that they were aware that we exists. One thing was unsettling and it was that these vessels did not show on the radar. With some fine tuning, we were able to see them, but still with difficulty.
All in all our first offshore sea trial was a great success. We have a few improvements to make before the next one. In the salon one porthole has a leak. Dinis will replace the seal on the porthole. I will need some more sheets for the banks. We need another line in the cockpit so that we can hook ourselves onto. I did slip and went into the life lines, so easily I could have slip through. All I have left is a sore wrist, bruises on my legs and a swollen knee. I suppose a small price to pay for still being onboard.
We arrived back safely and was quite tired. We are anchored in an absolutely beautiful bay called Dixie Cove on Hohoae Island. Dinis cooked a special dinner and we celebrate with Chuck's bottle of bubbly - Thanks Chuck !!
We will stay for 2 days and make our way to Hotspring Cove.
Wildlife and Scenery
Posted 24 July 2010
For the last week we were just amaze with the wildlife. We saw a grizzly and a black bear, lots of birds and dolphins. The scenery is just breath taking.
We were at anchor in Port Neville for 2 days waiting for the gale force winds to subside. We were able to test our riding sail during this time. Vida Nova tend to 'sail' at anchor and the riding sail cut that by half, definitely worth it.
We decided that we could as well prepare the boat for heavy weather and in the process test our storm sails with the windvane. On Friday morning we were all ready and geared up for the forecast 15 to 25 knots of wind. Off cause on Friday the water was as flat as a mirror. We motored and towards late afternoon the winds did pickup. Was blowing between 15 to 25 at times gusting 28. Great, we can try the storm sails. It was good and the windvane 'Morgs' did a great job. He did the steering much better than either Dinis or myself could. Dinis manage to capture some video clips.
We arrived in Port Hardy late Friday evening. We are staying here for 2 or 3 days. Next stop Bull Harbour.
For the last week we were just amaze with the wildlife. We saw a grizzly and a black bear, lots of birds and dolphins. The scenery is just breath taking.
We were at anchor in Port Neville for 2 days waiting for the gale force winds to subside. We were able to test our riding sail during this time. Vida Nova tend to 'sail' at anchor and the riding sail cut that by half, definitely worth it.
We decided that we could as well prepare the boat for heavy weather and in the process test our storm sails with the windvane. On Friday morning we were all ready and geared up for the forecast 15 to 25 knots of wind. Off cause on Friday the water was as flat as a mirror. We motored and towards late afternoon the winds did pickup. Was blowing between 15 to 25 at times gusting 28. Great, we can try the storm sails. It was good and the windvane 'Morgs' did a great job. He did the steering much better than either Dinis or myself could. Dinis manage to capture some video clips.
We arrived in Port Hardy late Friday evening. We are staying here for 2 or 3 days. Next stop Bull Harbour.
Starting our trip
The decision the come north first turned out to be great. We are testing all the boat systems and at the same time getting our sea legs.
We had head winds and waves all the way, which is quite tiresome. We had our first gale in Johnstone Strait with gusts of wind of 32 knots. The boat did well. We are getting better everyday and what a great help the 'biltong' was especially the first day. We also noticed in Campbell River that the alternator is not charging the batteries. Our thoughts were that it was the smart regulator that stopped working. After some tests with the voltmeter it showed in perfect condition. After testing the alternator it also showed no problem. In the end it was the alternator belts that were a little on the loose side. After fixing that all is working again.
The ham radio is working beautifully. I am able to send the position report and receiving the weather faxes everyday. Dinis also made several long distant contacts.
We had head winds and waves all the way, which is quite tiresome. We had our first gale in Johnstone Strait with gusts of wind of 32 knots. The boat did well. We are getting better everyday and what a great help the 'biltong' was especially the first day. We also noticed in Campbell River that the alternator is not charging the batteries. Our thoughts were that it was the smart regulator that stopped working. After some tests with the voltmeter it showed in perfect condition. After testing the alternator it also showed no problem. In the end it was the alternator belts that were a little on the loose side. After fixing that all is working again.
The ham radio is working beautifully. I am able to send the position report and receiving the weather faxes everyday. Dinis also made several long distant contacts.
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