Anchored in Newport, RI - USA

41 29 N 71 19 W Arrived ahead of time at 8:30 pm to meet
customs officer for inspection of Sea Mist and to clear us into the country….the
most simple clearance and treatment we have ever had anywhere…an
unbelievably positive experience!!......and a shock to us after all the years
that we have had to clear Now, not surprising for us, our completion
of the passage was not without surprises: 1st : When we were 4 hours off the Newport
coast, in moderate rain with visibility just over a mile, I saw an AIS target
appear on my screen 3 miles in front of me coming on the exact reciprocal
course to my inbound course – I could see from the AIS details that it
was a sailing vessel (Toothface) bound for Bermuda. I tried unsuccessfully
several times to try to reach the vessel on the VHF radio....so that I knew
that he new I was on his bow and fast closing on him. On one of those attempts,
I got a response from another vessel who knew the boat I was calling….and
to my astonishment….I found out that both of them and 38 other sail boats
were participating in a the Bermuda 12 Race…..it is a SINGLE HANDED Race (only
one person on-board) to Bermuda and 2 handed return race. So now I am facing 40
sail boats coming my way…. racing…. in rain, little visibility (turned
out to be 1.2 miles as the boats appeared out of the rainy mess), and all trying
to get to the same place that I left 650 miles behind me…and I am sailing
down the exact rhumb line between the 2 points. Cheryl and Ian joined me in the cockpit
around which we had installed the cockpit enclosure a couple of days earlier as
the weather changed….and we three strained to see the various racers
emerging from the rain at short distances from our bow….it was tense for
awhile as we dodged the oncomers…making sure each time that, if they were
looking, they would see me make an obvious move to Port or Starboard to avoid encounters
any closer than they already were. At 15 minute intervals, I made a “safety”
announcement on 2 VHF channels (16 and 72) to let the racers know of my
presence coming the opposite way and what my exact location was at the time of
the announcement. All proceeded fine albeit a couple of meetings were far too
close for my liking. 2nd : At the entrance to the COLD…brrrrr….weather here….
and now, Saturday evening, the fog is setting in. After the past months that we
have had, it almost seems like we are in another world. WHY…WHY???....did
we leave the warmth of the Caribbean…there must be a sensible answer
somewhere…we just have to discover it….or pray for warmer weather
to arrive some time in the coming months. The cold coastal water (14-15 Celcius;
58-59 F) will certainly keep the temperatures cool or cold whenever there is an
onshore breeze….like yesterday and this afternoon. That’s all folks….will update
the website now and then when anything interesting happens but not that often.
Have a great summer….and, if you are in the Northeast USA or Maritimes….hope
to see you as the months pass before we head back to Bermuda to the We will miss Ian as he leaves on Tuesday
for summer in Toronto…..he has been fantastic to have on-board for these
last 11,000 nautical miles through so many countries and experiences. THANKS
SON!!...see you again on-board Sea Mist in October as we head for the Pacific. Distance to go to someplace ??...no idea….but,
for sure, we are in no rush in getting to wherever it may be. That’s all folks. |