Around Alone: Days-1 2-3
Day-1
24 hr.Run-121 Nautical Miles.
Position: Latitude-00*25 S -Longitude-80*39’W
Weather: Wind-10-15kts.from the West.
Seas: 3-4 ft. from SSW.
Barometer-1009mb.
Cabin Temp- 80 to 83 degrees
Day-2:
24hr. Run-130NM.
Position-Latitude-00*26’S Longitude-81*14’W.
Weather: Wind-8-17kts SSW
Seas: from SSW at 3-4FT.
Barometer at 1008mb.
Cabin Temp-78-81 degrees
Day-3
24hr.Run-126 NM.
Position-Latitude-01*37’S Longitude 85*14’W
Weather: Wind lighter at 7-14kts
Cabin temp=77*-80*
Total miles sailed so far=377NM
Top Sailing speed so far=7.7kts.
Distance to go to turning point for the “Horn”= 2,794NM located SW of Easter Island.
The Rest of the story:
For clarification when I write WE, I’m referring to me and Sailors Run. Also I will be staying on Bahia Caraquez time for the duration of the voyage. When it comes to what day it is, I will use one through how many ever days it takes to complete the voyage, just know that day-1 started at 7:09am Oct/31/2015 when I crossed the starting line off Bahia Caraquez.
Day-1
The alarm rattled me into consciousness at 4:15am. I thought to myself “holy shit” the day has finally arrived to start the greatest adventure of my life. I rushed about hooking up all the electronics and getting a pot of coffee going, things were pretty much ready topsides already.
I was below when I heard the pilot boat approach and Pedro scramble aboard. He immediately set about preparing the mooring lines to be cast off. Soon we were motoring away from the other boats resting at their moorings, and the pilot boat had gone and retrieved Tripp the Puerto Amistad owner from the shore, in front of his condo as he was to be my official starter {Thanks Tripp}.
We motored out through the channel around the point and past some of our friends whom were there to wave one last goodbye. John & Dee had come the furthest flying all the way down from Colorado to see us off.
We crossed the starting line at 7:09am and were off on a great beam reach headed north for the Equator and we crossed that at 1:47PM our 12th time to cross it and after entering the Northern Hemisphere for a distance of about 1-mile we jibed around and sailed south crossing it once again for the 13th time and treated King Neptune to a toast on both occasions.
Sailors Run with Jeff leaving Bahia Caraquez heading out
We were now sailing close to the wind with adverse current part of the time making the going slower, as we approached the area just off the coast of the surf village at Canoa, it was time to tack off shore and head west getting clear of the local fishing boats and out beyond the shipping lanes that run North and south along the coast of South America.
It was nearly 2am and my butt was dragging when I finally felt safe enough to sleep for 20- minutes at a time using the egg timer to wake me for a look about.
Once the sun came up and I was on deck I discovered a-You have got to be “shitting me”, as my wind Generator was acting in an erratic fashion, breaking every minute or so and producing no power. This is a big deal as the wind generator provided 90% of my power on my previous Cape Horn trip.
Jeff and boat crossing the bar out of bahia
Day-2
We are now over 100 miles offshore and the seas have turned cobalt blue under partly cloudy skies, and suddenly I realize why I’m here, feeling again “One with Nature”.
Today I will catch up on some much needed sleep and share with you the two most important things about making long ocean passages and they are “Haul Ass” and Haul Ass”.
You see the biggest mistake new sailors make is to try and sail the Rumb line to their destination, as it is the shortest distance. Experience will teach you that the shortest distance does not equate into the fastest passage making, when covering large expanses of Open Ocean. Your course must take you to where the most favorable winds can be found to get you there without down days especially when sailing unassisted {no motoring} like I usually do and this trip must always do. I always fall off the wind an extra 5 degrees to sail fast and never worry about my course as long as it takes me to the better winds.
I have been eating bell peppers like apples since the lady at the market sold me 25 of them when I only asked for 10, actually there not bad.
Day-3
Has been the most pleasant day sailing so far as the winds are down a bit as are the seas. Today is full sun and clear skies.
I remember a favorite dream I had when I was a young man, oh not that one! but the one where I had a magic carpet and I could fly to where ever I thought I wanted to go and today I’m living the dream and Sailors Run is my “magic carpet”.
I spent the morning cleaning all wind generator connections hoping to get it producing power, without any luck. I’m afraid the regulator in it has failed and I will have to be a bit more conservative on power consumption.
O, that’s it for now amigos The Jefe’