November 2016 - Sailor Run - Living The Dream

0 ECUADOR TO BARRA DE NAVIDAD,MEX=DAYS 16,17,18

Total Miles sailed the last three days =303nm.
Total miles sailed so far =2004nm.
Distance left to go=104nm.
Top speed so far 11-kts.

Day-16
24hr.Run=99 nm. Pos. Lat.14*54’N. Long. 103*20’W.-

Weather=Wind=0-12kts NE -Seas=2-3ft.NE.-Bar=1006mb. Temp.=89*

Frustration is starting to set in for both Dave and I as it seems that it is virtually impossible to get where we are going with out motoring, as the winds are on the nose, and light fickle winds with a one-knot current, that just destroys us when we tack. The motor is on much more, even if just a slow 1400 rpm to be able to gain mileage in the right direction. I have to admit for me who sailed around the entire world with out using the motor, some how finds doing this 2000 mile passage a real challenge even using the motor.

Day-17.
24hr.Run=101nm. Pos. Lat.15*56’N Long103*52’W.

Weather = Wind=5-12kts.NE. Seas=2ft.NE. Bar=1006mb. Temp.89*.

Today, the day I hoped I would be in, proves to be something other than that. Dave and I have decided to call the race a tie and now are just trying to make port. I have changed my destination to Manzanillo as they are much better set up to do an international check in and hey ,it is 20-miles closer. Barra will just have to wait a week.
David has more problems as drum on the front furler is not staying put and some how he now thinks he has more slack in the fore stay, so needs to make repairs and is also headed to Manzanillo. He also needs more fuel to ever make Mazatlan, with the way the winds have been.
Today I shifted the anchor chain from amidships back forward into the chain locker.
During the night there was quite a fabulous light show astern of us as the remnants of ‘Otto” collided with the dry Tehuantepec winds, that made for a volatile mix. I was just glad to be way ahead of all that.

Day-18
24hr.Run=103nm. Pos. Lat.17*13’N Long.103*59’W.

Weather= Wind=5-10kts NE Seas 2-3ft.NE. Bar=1004mb. Cabin Temp.=87*

Today still finds both Dave and I motor sailing in very light winds and using the ‘diurnal effect” of the winds, that gives you a wind shift of about 30 degrees during the early evening and early morning hours. So what happens to us is we sail towards the land at night and off shore during the day staying as close to our desired course as possible.
Today carried the 60 lb. CQR forward and got it back on the anchor platform a pretty exciting proposition while sailing to weather.
It appears that we will get in tomorrow afternoon, possibly late after noon, after 19 days and some hours. I will put out a short email on how the check in went and what it cost once that is behind us.
Thanks for riding along on this pretty much, uneventful passage, and trust that is just fine with me.
Your Amigo the Jefe’

0 Ecuador to Barra De Navidad,Mex-Days 13-14-15-2016

Total miles sailed last 3-days=361 nm.
Total miles sailed so far=1703 nm
Miles left to go to Barra=Approx. 300 nm.
Top speed so far on trip= 11 kts.

Day-13
24hr.Run=160 nm. Pos. Lat.13*31’N Long.99*13’W

Weather=8-12kts ne- Seas=2-4ft ne. Bar=1008mb. Temp=87*.

This day finds me ahead of David by 9 nm.

Today we are dealing with the late Hurricane “Otto” that will set a new record for being the first Hurricane to hit Central America that far south, and is projected to cross over the land and drop in the Pacific South of us.
My conversations via SSB with David have ranged from pretty loose to down right serious talks. At one point David even suggested we pay and get a professional weather router involved. I nixed that idea, telling him unless the weather router could move us or redirect the hurricane it would be a waste. Basically, we decided to keep headed towards Barra where we could seek shelter and motor if we can’t maintain 4 kts under sail. I motored for 3-hrs and David powered up for 18 hrs. So as far as that race goes I think it is pretty hard to figure, yet I will keep reporting our positions.
It now appears that “Otto” will be nothing other than a remnant when it gets to us even if it does.
This sail from Ecuador up through the ITCZ has been the most pleasant I have ever experienced as there was no lightning close at hand and the squalls were pretty much without strong wind just rain.
My estimation that the trip to Barra would take 17-days appears to be coming true now that we are abeam of Acapulco, Mexico. The trip is very fast by any former info I have as I know one couple that sailed direct from Ecuador to Zihuatanejo,they took 45-days and that is a 100 miles south of where we are going.
I believe David is going to make an emergency stop in Barra to patch the cuts in the Genoa before continuing on.

Day-14
24hr.Run=112nm..Pos Lat.14*13’N Long.100*51’W.

Weather =Wind=8-12kts. NE. Seas= 2-4ft.NE. Bar=1008mb. Temp=87*.

Today I’m 27 nm. a head of David and we are looking to arrive in Barra in three more days.
Today was a bit lonely being Thanksgiving and no family close at hand but that is the price you pay to wonder the oceans of the world, all and all it was a very pleasant day and the fried chicken made a great turkey substitute.
The reports so far on “Otto” appear to be as predicted although it entered the Pacific as still a Hurricane. We are praying and getting our “butts” to the north.

Day-15
24hr.Run=89nm.Pos. Lat.14*21’N Long.102*07’W. Weather= Wind =0-12Kts N. Seas=2-3ft.N. Bar=1008mb. Temp.=89*.

Now after a strange night where both David and I motored it appears that he has retaken the lead and he has decided not to stop in Barra and sure would love to have one of “Victoria’s” Salads now as he is all out of fresh fruits and vegetables, not the case on Sailors Run but I know it takes time to get the provisioning thing down and even then we all “screw up”. I believe he is down to his last beer and then that’s it, thank god we are doing better on the Sailors Run, having been there not so long ago.
It appears Otto is dissipating and should no longer be a concern of ours.
Okay trying my best to go north with the wind and current from the north a pretty depressing situation when you are trying to wrap up the voyage.
Pounding forward the Jefe’

0 Ecuador to Barra De Navidad Days 10-11-12. 2016.

THIS IS FROM NOAA WEATHER SITE SHOWING HOW HURRICANE OTTO IS SUPPOSED TO GO AFTER COMES ACROSS TO THE PACIFIC SIDE AND HOPEFULLY JEFF WILL BE ABOVE THE BAD WIND

Miles sailed last three days=280nm.

Total miles sailed so far=1342 nm.
Miles left to go= 609 nm as the “Booby flys”.
Top speed so far=11kts.

Day-10
24hr.Run=59nm.

Pos. Lat.10*42’N Long.92*45’W.

Weather= Wind=0-5ktsNE. Seas =6-8 ft.NE.

Bar.1007mb. Cabin Temp.91*

Day-11
24hr.Run=88nm.

Pos. Lat.11*29’N Long.94*50’W.

Weather=Wind 5-12kts.NE Seas=4-5ft.NE

Bar=1007mb. Cabin Temp 90*

Day-12
24hr.Run=133nm.

Pos. Lat.12*23’N. Long. 96*48’W.

Weather= Wind 10-12kts NE Seas 4-6ft.NE.

Bar=1008mb Cabin Temp=82*. We have entered cooler water.

Day-10.
Dave moves closer sailing fast in fresher winds to the west now only 35 miles behind. David is experiencing some difficulties like 3 bolts fell out of his radar and it swung out on the one bolt leaving a sharp corner of the plate it sits on exposed, and that has put several slices in the genoa, that he believes to not be an issue.
I have to run the Honda 2000 generator about an hour a day to keep up with energy needs as with little wind the wind Generator is doing nothing.
It was during the night when I was outside with my head lamp on that I decided to take a piss off the back of the boat. I ducked down under the bimini and started doing what I came for, but was shocked when I looked up and had my face right in a Booby birds “butt”, and all I could see was that long hooked beak at eye level. I decided before the bird felt violated I best push it off its perch and some how it established flight before reaching the water.

Day-11
David has passed me and is now 20 miles in the lead, while all the time I struggle in nearly non existent winds. It is when I could take it no more that I fired up the engine to actually motor for an hour and charge batteries at the same time. It is normal for me to look in on the engine while it is running just to see that all looks right, well this time it looked “All Wrong” as the normally snow white drip cloth under the engine was floating in a dip pan full of water, and to make it worse my fuel tanks were nearly flooded over as was the rest of the bilge.

I swing into action turning on both electric bilge pumps and shut the engine down. One of my electric pumps is automatic but once it got wet the first time it never shut down so now I must put the fuse in it to make it work and in so doing that sets off the high-water alarm that is powered off of the feed to that pump, something that will be changed.
Soon the water level subsides and I must use a hand pump to get the water out from under the engine. Once all is dry I go searching for the source of the water, and my first hunch was the right one the packing gland on the shaft was dripping badly and a few turns on the bolts tightened that back up and the leak stopped. It’s amazing how fast drips of water add up and this no doubt had been going on for the past 10-days.
It was at about 5 am the winds started filling in for me again and Sailors Run is back in the race now doing 6+ knots. “Taste the Blood” look out David.

Day-12
Winds are fresher today and I have shortened David’s lead to just 15-miles. He also slipped in telling me he has a two bladed prop and a marked shaft so he can lock it for minimum drag a luxury I don’t have with the 3-bladed prop on Sailors Run. Oh well I still have 600 miles to catch him..
We are also going to have Hurricane “Otto” entering our ocean on Friday. It is a Caribbean late tropical storm that has decided to pump up to a category-1 hurricane.
Otto is slipping across central America at around 11* north by Nicaragua and Costa Rica. The water there is very warm about 90* and we can only hope it follows the ITCZ trough to the west. If it comes north Dave and I will be running for our lives with plenty of wind at our backs.
Meanwhile Debbie is home in Albuquerque getting her 23 lb. Turkey ready for Thanksgiving for family, a meal I truly hate to miss.
Heading north looking for more wind, but not way more ‘thank you”.
The Jefe’

0 Ecuador to Barra De Navidad, Mexico-Days 7,8,9

AFTER OUT OF BAHIA ,JEFF BATTLING AUTOPILOT

Total miles sailed last three days=214 nm (242 miles)
Total miles sailed so far=1062 nm (1222 miles)
Total miles left to go=Aprox. 1100 nm.(1265.8 miles)
Top speed so far- 11 kts.

Day-7.

24 hr.Run=59 nm.

Pos. Lat.08*25’N Long. 91*25 W.

Weather= Wind SW 0-10 kts Seas 2-4 ft SW.

Bar=1005 mb Cabin Temp=87*.

David is closing the gap now just 80 miles as Sailors Run grinds to a halt in 0-winds. I come face to face with my Achilles heal that with out wind I must power and steer to keep the boat some what comfortable. The fuel being precious I run at a mere 1200 RPM sipping the fuel and doing about 3.5 kts. It is after about 1.5 hours there is once again enough wind approximately 4 kts and I’m able to turn it back over to the wind vane steering now going less than 2-kts but out of the windless squalls that were dumping mass amounts of water down upon us.
The sea life is truly animated today as several squid jet aboard and spinner dolphins put on quite a show shooting up out of the water doing flips, even a Manta-Ray about 5 ft. across tried it and cart wheeled back into the sea.
Although conditions are light the ride can only be described as a “velvet magic carpet ride”.

Day-8.
24 hr.Run=91 nm.

Pos. 09*25”N long.92*26’W.

Weather =5-10 kts. SW. Seas 4-6 ft.SW.

Bar=1005 mb. Cabin Temp=87*
Today David is just 65 miles behind and still narrowing the gap. The boats are actually 150 NM. apart making it risky, for either sailor to get into inferior conditions to his competitor, with David being 60 miles further out to the west.

I can only hope when the Gulf of Tehuantepec winds comes to life my inshore position will produce more wind for good speed to the north.[ I hope not to good of speed.] It is at the 6-pm check in that I learn of another travesty happening to David on Eva Marie, it seems that where he placed his cell phone & Ipad was just perfect for a deck crystal that emits light below,& also emitted water that saturated both devices and destroyed them. David is taking it in stride and in no way does it hamper his ability to sail to Mazatlan, Mexico.

Sometimes I’m inclined to think we just have to much “shit”!

OH, well no worry out here soon nature will take all that high tech stuff away possibly getting ready for the next civilization, and lets just hope they all show up on one continent so they can all be indigenous, hopefully all the same color. Never have a government, or taxes,and the self pollinating viggens, no insurance’s, no attorneys and the only law is nature, and they don’t get the wise idea that they can control it. Oh yea lets pray they never discover “fire” or the “wheel”. “Just thinking you know”.
It was after our 6pm SSB conversation that I poked my head out to look about and was shocked to see a 175′ US Coast Guard Cutter setting off my port bow, about 200-yards distant. I was approaching at about 3kts and decided to take an aggressive approach and hailed them on VHF-16.

Surprisingly there was no response as I was 400 nm. off of Costa Rica and pretty sure these guys weren’t guarding our coast line or possibly had broken down off Point Loma,San Diego and were adrift. So I hailed them yet again and at last they come back asking if I needed assistance; I assured them I was just fine and en route from Ecuador to Mexico and having a slow but nice sail. They agreed and if nothing else was needed have a good trip and thanks for the info.

Well,it was obvious to me that they really didn’t want their position given away as they asked me not one question,like how many people onboard or anything. The thing suited me just fine an as darkness was coming, and they dropped south of me about 5-miles then followed along for several hours before disappearing.
I can say for sure they do not transmit their position on AIS, and are barely visible on radar after about 6-miles.

Day-9.
24hr.Run=64 nm.

Pos. Lat.10*03′ Long.93*08′.

Weather=Wind 0-10 kts.NE Seas 6-8 ft SE.

Bar=1006 mb. Cabin Temp.=89*
This day is another light air day and it seems I’m possibly just a little further ahead of David today. The seas glassed off over night and I finally ran the motor for 1.5 hrs hoping to find air, that didn’t work out so shut the motor down and hove to under main and mizzen and stacked a few z’s. There was lightning about last night and the promises of wind from the Gulf of Tehuantepec where it is blowing 45 knots and seas to 23 feet.

The wind arrived about 7 am and was less than 10 kts but still helpful in propelling us along, and there is a 7-8 ft swell along with it from the NE.
Just sailing along trying to get to Mexico, the Jefe’.

0 Ecuador to Barra De Navidad, Mexico. Days 4-5-6-2016.

Miles sailed last three days=409 nm.
Total miles sailed so far=848 nm.
Miles left to go=1,352 nm.
Top speed so far =11 kts.

Day-4

24 hr.Run=149 nm.

Pos. Lat.04*52’N Long.88*11 W

Weather=Wind 10-15 kts. SSW. Seas= 4-6 ft.SW.

Bar=1007 mb. Cabin Temp. 82*.

The sailing has been going great and today the lead over David is 109 nm. David is still working on sail and has yet to fly the larger sail but should be ready soon.
Today sailed abeam of Isla Del Cocos just 64 nm to the East of me. Tropical storm “Tina has dissipated and the remnants are moving off to the west, sometimes departing 4-days later can be a blessing.
I could hear Debbie cheering all the way out here when the Seattle SeaHawks beat the New England Patriots. Just to let you all know she is missed not being out here very very much. She hopes to sail with me next year for a few months along the Gold Coast of Mexico if she can find the time away from all the grand kids.
The ITCZ [ Tropical convergence zone] is just ahead of me and we will be seeing squalls with rain and possibly lightning for the next several hundred miles. This will also mean slower progress most likely.

Day-5

24 hr.Run-140 nm.

Pos. Lat.06*33’N Long.89*35’W.

Weather-Wind-SW 8-15 kts with some squalls about. .Seas=4-6 ft.SW.

Bar =1007. Cabin Temp 84*

The lead on David continues to increase, now at 142 nm. David has the sail on the furler, but seems reluctant to roll it back out possibly because of all the work it took to get it right. I think later today he will roll it out and try and come after me.”Good Luck David”!!
It seems I twisted my back pretty bad that first day out and I have been suffering with that for the past few days but now today seems somewhat better. I don’t think I will be doing the “Boot Scooting Buggie” anytime real soon though.
It just seems so hard when a young kid resides in this “old guy’s” body. Possibly a shot of “rum” might help!
Love that AIS, as the alarm went of before a large ship crossed within 5-miles of my bow.

Day-6
24 hr.Run=120 nm.

Pos. Lat.07* 51’N Long. 090* 59’W.

Weather =Wind 8-12 kts SW Seas 2-4 ft.SW.

Bar=1004 mb. Cabin temp. 84*.

Current lead appears to be 128nm.
Now the fun begins as the winds are dying and the squalls are showing up, not to mention the wind direction over the next few days looks to be NW-10 kts.
It is nice to be sailing with a boom on the main sail and a Genoa that has no tears or patches.
David is flying his repaired Genoa he calls “Rocky” and is starting to make better time once again. He had to alter course about dusk to keep from hitting some floating debris with birds setting on it. David seems to be truly having a good time out here and its great to have someone to talk to twice a day as well.
Just out here plugging along.
The Jeffe’

0 Ecuador to Barra De Navidad,Mexico- Days 1-2-3.

THE 3 BOATS GOING OVER THE BAR HEADING OUT -SAILORS RUN, EVA MARIE & MOODY 40

Day 1

24 hr. Run=140 nm.

Pos. Latitude-00*41’N Longitude-82*14’W.

Weather-10-15 kts SW Seas 2-4

Barometer-1008 mb and steady-Cabin -Temp 80*-82*

Day-2
24 hr. Run=152 nm.

Pos. Latitude-02*03′ N Longitude- 84*18’W

Weather 10-17 kts SW Seas 4-5 ft.

Barometer unchanged.-Cabin Temp 82*-84*

Day-3
24 hr.Run=151 nm

Pos. Latitude- 03*26’N Long. 86* 12’W.

Weather Wind=10-18 kts SW. Seas 6-7 ft.SW.

Barometer steady-Cabin Temp 82*

Total miles sailed so far=443 nm.
Miles left to go aprox. 1757 nm.
Top speed so far-10.5 kts

The rest of the story.
First let me say I’m having major computer problems and the writing of this adventure could end at any time.

Day-1
The pilot climbed aboard about noon but we did not get underway until 12.30 PM as he seemed very concerned about my 6-foot plus draft and the 7.4 tide we were leaving on.

The parade out of the harbor was Sailors Run followed by David on Eva Marie a Bristol-40 and the Martin and crew on a Moody-40.
We cleared the bar with only 19″ of water under our keel partially because of the 4 ft. waves that we had to power into.
Once over the bar and the pilot had returned to the pilot launch I engaged the auto pilot that I had just spent $900 getting repaired and low and behold it went hard right on me, and to make it worse when I tried to disengage it the cable popped out of its strap leaving the pilot engaged. Now here we are doing circles in front of the two boats close behind and after a frantic heads up shout on the radio they took evasive action and steered clear of the “old salt” not looking his best at the start of the race.
The other two boats made the most of it getting their sails up and were off. I on the other hand was tossing lines and anchors out of my aft compartment to gain access to be able to disengage the auto pilot before being blown back onto the bar. It was a long 5 or 30 minutes before we got headed off shore and were able to set some sail and turn the helm over to the wind vane.
It took about an hour to catch the Moody as they were pinching trying to stay south headed to Easter Island and I was going nicely on a close reach, but David was “Hauling ass” and looked to be a real challenge.
It was about 4:30 am when I passed Davis and called him on the VHF to see how he was doing. The answer was not so good he had blown the clew out on his Genoa and fortunately has two headsails and was now sailing under the other smaller sail and looking at a major repair job.Day-2
Wind and waves are up a little and Sailors Run is sailing nice on a close reach on the Port Tack. I call David on the SSB radio and find that the repair is taking longer than expected but he is confident the repair will be strong.
That night being totally exhausted David makes a mistake after realizing the sail needs more work on the luff cord that goes in the foil he decides just to hoist it up out of the foil with the idea he will hand wrap it around the foil for the night rather than have to drag it below again. Well,David pulled real fast but not fast enough as the sail went over the side and filled with water healing the boat way over. Fortunately David released it quick enough at the clew before the sail blew out or something worse happened. He was disappointed but very tired and needed rest.Day-3
On the morning check in I discover that now Sailors Run has a 79 nm lead over Eva Marie and David still needs the rest of the day before he will be ready to get the bigger sail back up.
It was on this morning while checking the weather up ahead of us I became aware of a late season tropical storm ‘Tina” right in our path north about two hundred miles off the Mexican coast. The storm is not expected to become a hurricane and I can only hope it gets out of our way before we get there. I have done a couple of these things and they are no fun. We are at 3* and it is centered at about 18*, my only concern is these late storms are hard to predict which way they will track. Oh well we are far off shore and have plenty of room to run.

“Watching the weather” the Jefe’

0 NOVEMBER 9TH-2016, A DELAY DEPARTURE

Hola, Amigo’s.

Sailors run has been delayed because of major 3-day holiday, making checking out impossible and then when we could go there was not enough water to get out across the bar into “open water”.

We will be departing on November 11th and the race is still on with David on the Bristol-40. You should get the first adventure on or near the 14th.
I recently found out that the Around the World Articles I wrote is in Sail magazine actually started in the November issue not the October issue and also the December Issue is coming out as well
Back to pacing the “decks” until the 11th.
Your Amigo the Jefe’

MY ARTICLE IN NOVEMBER ISSUE OF SAIL MAGAZINE

A BIT OF THE ARTICLE IN SAIL MAGAZINE

2ND ARTICLE IN DECEMBER ISSUE OF SAIL MAGAZINE

A BIT OF THE ARTICLE IN THE SAIL MAGAZINE

0 Sailors Run Prep’s for Sea

Sailors Run Prep’s for Sea.

First a quick note, the First installment(Story) on the Around Alone Voyage has come out in the October edition of Sail Magazine, to be followed by three more segments over the following months. “Check it out”.
The weeks have flown by here in Bahia Caraquez, and I’m pleased to report Sailors Run is not only looking better, but now has new radar,refrigeration, electronic auto pilot,Genoa, both goose necks on main and mizzen booms rebuilt, and the steering chain and new cables are installed, not to mention the monitor wind vane has been rebuilt.
I’m still waiting for two stem ball cups to arrive from the states before completing re rigging the mizzen mast.

I must admit I’m starting to look very much forward to departure day on the 6th of November, to make the solo sail to Barra De Navidad, Mexico. There is another boat a 40-foot Bristol cutter leaving for Mazatlan, Mexico on the same day so pretty sure the race will be on.
Just thinking of you all out there and will keep you up dated on the passage every three days as we go, and don’t forget to check out the blog site for more info at www.sailorsrun.com
Your Amigo the Jefe’

Monthly Archives: November 2016