Getting ready to return
ARC
Europe May 2011 4th
May 2011 Have cooked up 4 x 3
portion servings of bolognese, two of chicken jalfrezi (adapted) and two
meatballs. To come, beef curry, beef hotpot and a pork bake. So
that's about twelve meals for 3 and we hope to supplement that with fresh
fish. I expect I will do some more in Bermuda since Field Marshall Mander,
affectionately known as Dick the Fish, will eat us out of house and
home. So we are on our way
back. We have one crew, our
neighbour Jonathan, helping us across to Bermuda then he leaves and Dick joins
for the 8 or 9 day trip to Azores.
We must thank
everyone in Annapolis who has looked after Kalandia so well and of course Pip
who has put us up when over here to prepare the boat. Kalandia has been here since
August. She arrived in a
spectacular heat wave and a few months later was wrapped up in plastic to
protect her from fierce cold and ice and snow. So thanks to Garth and team at
Annapolis Yacht Sales who serviced the boat and looked after her. They are based at Bert Jabin’s Yard in
Eastport. We highly recommend
Jabins. So clean, efficient and has
all the facilities including a 50 ton lift and two 30 tons. Many outfits operate
out of here so you don’t have to go far to find what you are looking for. Thanks also to Jay for the new
rigging. Yes, Kalandia has new
sheets and furlers. It is amazing
what the sun has done to all the ropes over 2 years of cruising. Bill was very pleased with the sails
which needed minimal repair.
Kalandia is looking spick and span. 6th
May2011 We are now in Hampton
at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. The
overnight sail from Annapolis was so quick. We anticipated a 20 hour sail, but the
front that passed over the previous day left a brisk 25 kn wind which carried us
to Hampton in just 14 hours – a distance of 114 nm. We have met up with three other boats
joining ARC Europe. One had bought
a MobMat from our distributor Adec Marine only a few weeks previously. Small world. Today Kalandia became
the Committee Boat for the start of this leg of the rally. It was only three boats but we did it
properly with count downs and burgees and horns to mark the crossing of the
start line. An incoming aircraft
carrier with its accompanying coast guard boat got us delayed a bit. At first they did not know what to make
of us anchored just outside the channel. Norfolk is the main naval base after
all. We counted 5 aircraft carriers in port. So our new adventure
begins. It may not be quite as
cushy as the journey east to west and certainly not as warm. I hope we are not being too blasé about
it, but Bill did spend 2 weeks over here in March getting the boat ready so I am
sure all will be well. Only concern
is the wind direction as we enter the Gulf Stream. Some fronts are
expected. The GS is going east for
about 250 miles at its strongest which would be an advantage as long as there is
no easterly component to the wind.
We will clarify that and if it is a problem we will drop south more. But at the moment it is looking like we
will leave early afternoon Saturday 7th. Now only waiting for Jonathan to
arrive. |