Peel to Majorca - Passage #1 : Peel to Falmouth
Date: 300412
50:09.26N 05:03.90W
Peel, Isle of Man to Palma, Mallorca ( 3,200 nm)
Following a long cold, wet and windy winter and admittedly a warm sunny start to the Spring here in the Isle of Man, Bootlegger is raring to return to the sun.
Passage One - Peel to Falmouth
Crew: Frank, Jackie; Peter (Curphy) and John (Walster)
Date 300412
Conditions: Wind: E – ENE 25kts Sea state: moderate Visibility: Good
Fuel 600 litres. Water 1000 litres. Gas 2 x Full Bottles
18:15 54:13.61 N 04:41.68 W Departed Peel harbour
18.45 Put sails out; motor sailing with engine at 1800 rpm
19:00 Main suddenly dropped down mast by a metre when pulling out remaining sail on outhaul. Found main halyard loose / not tied off. Probably result of people going up mast to change anemometer one day before our departure, leaving line unsecured following work. Also sighted some apparent obstruction in track toward top of mast. On re-instating sail rolled it in having decided to sail with mizzen and headsail only. Don’t need mainsail drama in middle of night with strong wind and testing conditions anticipated. Mizzen rolled out and course of 220 degrees set. Will check out main / mast on arrival Falmouth.
22:00 53:49.78 N 04:59 Wind E – ENE E25 -30kts. Motor sailing with genny and mizzen on gibe preventer .SOG: 8.0kts ;CSE: 286 degrees.
Tuesday 010512 :
02:00 53:18 N 05:07 W Peter on watch. Wind: ENE 34kts SOG: 9.8kts. Large following sea slewing boat. Reduced head and mizzen sails by some 50% at 03:00 . Speed subsequently reduced to 6.5 – 7Kts
04:00 53:03.91N 05:10.89W John Watch start. Wind: ENE 30+ kts SOG 7.6 kts. Made some tea; very cold. Motor sailing in order to charge batteries.
04:15 With batteries well up engine switched off
06:00 52: 50N .05:14W Jackie Watch: Wind: ENE 22 kts SOG 5.5 kts CSE 285 degrees. Jackie suffering from effects of cold whilst on watch for two hours in cockpit. Goes below to bunk to warm up for an hour. FN takes over watch. Sail only.
06:15 Gen. switched on as batteries down to 23.9 v.
07:20 52:43N 05:18W Suitably warmed, Jackie resumed her watch. Wind: ENE 18.5 kts SOG 7.5kts. CSE: 202 degrees. Raining heavily now -, driving into cockpit which offers no protection given we are sailing downwind. Visibility poor.
07:50 Rain ceased; sun out. Jackie visited by a bird – she attracts them! Stays aboard for a while before departing having suitably rested.
08:00 52:38N 05:21W John commences his 8-12 Watch. Wind: E 17kts SOG:7.4kts CSE 200 degrees. Sail only.
11:00 52:16.N 05:33W Wind E 18kts (T) SOG 8.6 kts CSE 198.2 degrees Dist. Done: 123 nm ( ave.speed 7.2 kts) DTG: 227 nm Sail only.
Noon 52:20N 05:37W Peter Watch. Wind ENE 18 kts SOG 8,6 kts CSE 198. 130 nm done since Peel. Fuel approx. 500 litres. Water 980 litres. Sail only
12:30 Gen. off. Rain has thankfully stopped.
13:50 Engine on for speed maintenance and battery charging.
14:00 Wind shift to ESE. Sails pulled in as we move toward a close reach.
15:30 Sun is now out, with clear blue skies it is a lovely afternoon. With Bob Marley CD playing we could be in the Caribbean !
17:00 Jackie does dinner – chicken and veg stir fry. Excellent ! Washed down by a very cheeky Sauvignon Blanc ! FN manages to spill his everywhere. …
18:00 51:28N 05:44W John Watch Wind ESE 11kts; SOG 7.2kts CSE: 192.6 following course change for Lands End. ( 87 nm distant ETA 05:30 hrs ). Pulled out a little main to add to full genny and mizzen already out.
20:00 51:14N 05:44W Wind 14 kts (T) SOG: 7.3 kts CSE 184.5. Spotted large sailing ship off starboard quarter, some three miles NW of us. 23:00 50:48N 05:45W Wind ESE 10 kts (T) SOG 7.5 kts CSE 183 degrees.Sea state calm. Motor sailing. After first proper sleep lasting some two hours I awoke shivering and freezing cold. Beam me back to the good old Carib Scottie!
Made a cuppa soup for the watch keepers and myself; felt the warmth come back in my body.
Started Generator, which caused, it was noted, a dip in engine revs. Ran for a few minutes to run heating. Just getting cold air. Must get checked out. On switching off noted further dip in engine revs.
Wednesday 020512:
00:00 50:42N 05:45W John’’s 12 - 4 Watch start. Jackie on stand by. Wind ESE 13kts SOG: 8.2 kts CSE 183.8 degrees. Distance done since start of passage: 218 nm. ( Ave. speed since leaving Peel 7.3 kts) Distance to go: 132 nm.
02:00 50:25.8 N 05.45.86 W. Wind 18 kts (T) SOG 8.2 kts.CSE 185.4. Shore lights sighted to port. Look much closer than the 18 nm distant the plotter shows them to be. We are some 27nm off Land’s End.
03:00 50:16N 05:46W Wind 16 kts (T) SOG 8.9 kts CSE 189 degrees. Longships lighthouse sighted. ETA Land’s End 0500 hrs ( 14 nm to go ).
Took in headsail some and mizzen completely as wind increased to 25kts Reduced engine to 1200 rpm.
04:00 Jackie’s Watch.
04:30 50:05N 05:47W Wind: 20 kts SOG 7.1 kts CSE 184.5 degrees Engine off. Everybody in cockpit as we approach Longshps.
05:00 We round the corner setting new course East for Falmouth of 105 degrees. Nice morning. Now I go to my bunk. Jackie has the con with Peter on standby.
08:00 Peter’s Watch. Beautiful sunny morning as we progress along the coast with foul tide , making a SOG of just 4.3 kts suggesting some 3 kts of tide against us.
Noon. Entering approaches to Falmouth Harbour. Call up Falmouth Harbour on Ch.12 and request mooring.
12:30 50:09.26N 05:03.90W - FWE having picked up K6 green buoy as requested.
We have a general clean up following which we send John up the mast to check out the odd protrusion from towards the top of the track. Decided its meant to be there; just never noticed before.
We all agree it has been a great leg down; exciting sailing and good camaraderie; we all got on so well together. Sad that for this crew it has now come to an end. G&T’s are poured and brought up to the cockpit ( see pic ) We toast Bootlegger and a great trip. After calling up the water taxi Peter leaves us to return to the Isle of Man.( see pic ).
Trip distance done from Peel to Falmouth: 300.3nm Time taken from Peel to FWE. Falmouth: 42 Hours Ave. Speed: 7.15 kts Fuel Tank: 300 L.
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