Bermuda to Azores. 38.31.79N 28.37.51W
Mandalay
Robin & Jenny Martin
Mon 4 Jun 2012 17:13
After 2 weeks R&R in St Georges it was time to depart Bermuda. Maymio was itching to go, clean bottom, rig checked and fuelled up. She was not happy at being tied up stern to with a walk ladder balancing up to a wall. We had been on anchor in the harbour for most of the time but had the luxury of a stern to Marina berth for the last 3 days to top up the batteries and make it easier for the provisioning. Bernard was a great host who,with his brother, ran Capt Smoke's Marina. It only just qualifies for Marina status with enough room for 6 boats, all stern or bow to the wall. Berny was over 80 and knew Herb, the weather forecastor well, they are the same vintage and love messing about with boats.
We had chatted on the SSB with Herb and he said to wait a day, so our departure was now on Saturday 18 May . We had some great times in Bermuda and we met some lovely people. There was Sandra in the green shed looking after all the super yachts and her husband Duke who was an ex racing driver who beat Sterling Moss every time he raced against him. He very kindly gave our Charlie a present from his Lotus racing days which was the centre badge from the steering wheel of his lotus 7. It is unique because it was the lotus badge with a black background commemorating the death of Jim Clark in 1968. It was very kind of him. We also met up with Celia and Anthony on Tomia who had come from the Chesapeake and Tony and Christine Diment on Pelagia from the Bahamas.
We also added to our crew in Bermuda and had a good week with Sally and Ken Drane from Topsham before Sally flew home and Ken joined us on board. Ken's got lots of experience on long cruises and will be a real bonus on this 2 week leg. He regularly crews on a Hallberg Rassy 39 so we were pleased to hear we went faster than they did. Luckily we had a fast first day going past our 24 hour record with a 180 mile beat. Not good for the stomach though. We soon got into the routine and had an exilerating first night steaming along at 8 knots. Ken makes a big difference not only shortening our watches but in keeping the boat trimmed. We had succumbed to leaving sails as they were but Ken has kept us at optimum speed. He was impressed with our wind vane self steering ( a hydrovane ) but so were we, it was fantastic and kept us on the best angle for most of the day. Supper was pre prepared, a spagetti bolognaise which Jen very kindly gave up her share.
Bermuda Radio was still booming over the airwaves right out to 200 miles. I spoke to them on HF to check where an abandoned boat was last seen but he only gave me where it had been abandoned 24 hours before. ' Outer Limits' was a Hanse 37 and hit a whale and started to take on water so they jumped on a passing tanker. We had to look out for the boat and a whale with a sore head. In the end we rang Charlie on the Iridium phone and he found out (great ingenuity these kids on line) where the boat was. I think they are tracking it .
Spoke to Herb on his net at 1930Z and told to keep tracking east and to keep below 35 degrees north where there was a ridge between high and low pressures. He told us of another boat whose keel had fallen off and had sank in our area so we were getting a bit concerned.
However, the weather was now perfect, little sea running and a 12-15 knots on the beam so nice and gentle sailing when we could move around the boat without hanging on and nap when we wanted. Ken keeping an eye on the hydrovane, Jen preparing supper and the skipper pretending to be on the HF radio and marvelling at the rejuvenated speeds we were getting. That effort to clean the bottom on anchor in Bermuda had paid off.
Day 2 was not so good for our daily mileage with the wind dropping and coming round aft. The log measured 139 miles but in nice and relaxing conditions.
We listened to the ARC Europe Net at 1000 hours with reminiscences of the net controlling I did on the ARC when we crossed in 2010. Doing the roll call and listening into their weather. They were about 350 miles ahead and I think the Hanse yacht was one of theirs.
Day 3 was a 147 mile 24 hour passage and we hadn' t seen another boat since the gin palace we saw leaving Bermuda. Then out of the blue a weather buoy was spotted and then some dolphins playing on the bow. Nightime brought a really odd incident.
When I went off watch there was a light at 3 o'clock of the beam about 10 miles away I thought. It was coming and going so I thought it must be that far at least because there was not a bigger enough sea running to make it dip behind the waves. That was at 3.00 am and at 5.00 am Ken wakes me with the news that the light has been moving closer. When I saw it, now off the starboard quarter it was one single light on the top of a post with a buoy type structure beneath. I thought it was another weather buoy but bigger than the one we saw earlier. But how did it get there, because two hours ago when we were sailing at 6 knots it was on the beam. Yet now it was 200 metres away and on the aft quarter. Very close to a collision. We had held course throughout and the current was slight about .5 knot against us so not enough to move us towards the buoy. Could it have broken free or did it have remote control or even an engine, because it was definitely moving.
We were lost for an explanation and kept us confused all day, another Bermuda Triangle experience.
Day 4 was still with the SE winds at 10 knots and we were getting used to this gentle wind on the beam but still going 6 knots. Maymio loves the wind a bit further forward and can reach 6 knots with only 8 knots of wind. The hydrovane was still steering us so saving the batteries which are not holding the charge as well as we expected. They were new in St Augustine 4 weeks ago so we expected better.
Day 5 was the same as Day 4 and you can get mixed up about which day it is. The difference today was that we got the spinnaker up and motored through most of the night because of the lack of wind.
Day 6 started with a chat on the HF to Salt and Carolina who left Bermuda 5 days ahead of us. They had 3 days to run. Then it was the spinnaker again and we put it up in 15 minutes, a record. A great run all day reaching 8 knots at one stage and staying up till last light. Then a change of rig to poling out the genny for the night. A nice nassi goreng for supper. Still not another soul on the ocean only the aliens on that weather buoy!
The other amazing thing is we haven't caught any fish and we have tried everything, even the new rig bought in Bermuda for big bucks. This was a very colourful lure on a wire trace with a sinking weight for trawling. We have had one bite in 6 days and the diet needs a bit of fresh.
Herb has kept us below 35N to avoid the trough and the stronger winds and to stay in the High Pressure area. The downside are the lighter winds but we thought best to keep in with Herb at this stage.
Day 7 was another spinnaker day making good only 135 miles because we had no wind during the night. It finished off well with a poled out genoa in a north easterly direction with following sea. However, within minutes we had met the low trough and a change of wind of 90 degrees so sail change at the rush. It's amazing this sailing lark, one minute there's nothing to do then all hell breaks loose. Today we passed the 1000 miles mark at 0930 Saturday morning.
Day 8 we had the 'one great leap ' video caught by Jens of a leaping dolphin, I don't know if it had escaped from Sea World but it was a big boy coming out the water like a cruise missile. We eventually caught up with bad weather and the wind on the nose so can't head in the direction we want to. You have to take the rough with the smooth but it's never nice and the tummy has turns. Herb said we had gone too far north so overnight headed back to 34Northing. We only did 137 miles and had the engine on for 6 hours. Ken won the most songs with a fish in the title or in the words competition, his best one was 'Salmon enchanted evening'. You know we have been out here too long now!
Talking of fish, yes we broke our duck. A nice skip jack tuna of about 5 lbs which Ken caught in the rough weather.
Day 9 is a special day, the 27 May and Ken is 65, Robbie 62 and Robbie's Mum Phyllis is 89. Decorations went up and phone calls made it was like Christmas without the the presents! The day brightened up too but the wind still didn't come round to the west as promised. Engine on to head in the right direction and to wait for the wind to come round.
We sighted our first yacht and had a chat on VHF. It was 70' and going much quicker to the Azores. The daily total was 159.
Day 10 and a change of weather. A frontal boundary arrived at 1000 am bringing a wind shift from NE to SW at 20 knots. This would be the start of our reducing sail for the next 36 hours as this front came across us. The following sea and wind gave us a course of 100 degrees and as the wind increased the sails came down. We ended up just before nightfall with the main right down, only the staysail and winds of 44 knots. Watches were reduced because neither the auto helm or hydrovane could cope and we had to hand steer all night . Quite exhilarating but very tiring on the arms. Jen managed 9.4 knots but also achieved our only goffer in the cockpit. This is when we found out the seals on the hatch into Ken's cabin let in enough water to give him a real soaking.
Herb had said the front would pass through at about 7.00 am and it did just that. The wind eased to only 30 knots and then down to 25 in an hour . The 20' sea remained with us till lunchtime and then a nice return to normality and some well earned sleep.
This was the worst weather we had seen on the trip, no way could you go anyway but with the wind and the sea so we were lucky that was the way we were going. Having Ken on board helped with the decision making and sail plan which was put into effect early. It was a good lesson in putting your plan into place when the weather is not at it's worst.
Day 11 and 12 seemed to merge because we were running before the wind at 20/25 knots with the seas still 15' high and not a lot of respite. Both were good days covering over 150 miles. Herb told us that the next front was weaker but as it turned out we were ahead of it so a nice run in to Horta was expected.
Day 13 was going to be our last full day at sea so looking forward to the nice steak and beers on arrival. The wind died so it was motoring for the last 24 hours, we didn't feel like staying out any longer than we had to.
We thought we might see some whales as we approached but made do with some dolphins and a calm sea for a change.
The last day was a lovely morning with land in sight. The Azores Pico mountain standing out through the clouds. The last 24 hours was a good 164 miles giving us a total of 2057 miles over a rhum line of 1800 miles.
The engine hours were 85 hours of which about 10 hours were for charging the batteries.
Seeing the green hills of the Azores was a great change from the no hills at all in Bermuda and the palms in the Bahamas.
We were surprised at how many yachts there were in the harbour and the number of European flags. After American and Canadian boats in the Bahamas it was nice to see our European friends again.
The French, Germans, Norwegians, Swedes and Dutch were the main ones and they tend to do the Caribbean and then back home.
Ashore it was very cosmopolitan with Cafe Sport being the centre of activity and the venue for our steaks and beers.
Next it is the wall painting and Jen has already found the spot next to Ros Ailither from Dave and Hazes ( from Topsham) crossing in 2008.
Photos
Getting ready
Birthday boys
Rough stuff
