November 15, 2008
Noon Position: 35 53.0 N 062 43.1 W
Course: East Speed: 7 knots
Wind: South 10 knots
Weather: Partly cloudy, warm
Day's Run: 152 miles
It is day six since the start of this passage and day five since taking our
departure from Chesapeake Bay. We've caught up a little on our ghost ship
from the 1890s, the Hosea Higgins, over the last 24 hours. At noon on day
five she was 1000 miles out from Sandy Hook, New York and we are now 670
miles out from Cape Henry. The Higgins spent the day becalmed and the
author of "By Way of Cape Horn", Paul Stevenson had this to say:
"May 16,
Our first Sabbath at sea broke calm and warm. When we went on deck at seven
bells not a breath of air was stirring, the ship had no steerage way, and an
oily calm lay upon the face of the deep, .
How orderly and quiet a ship is on a Sunday afternoon when the weather is
mild and clear! Every rope, every implement, is in its place, the decks
have been washed as clean as hard scrubbing can make them, and the brass
mountings shine like mirrors. Coiled away in the shady nooks lie the watch,
each with a book or paper in his hand, deep buried in its contents. Some
recline in the waterways under shadow of the bulwarks, others in the shade
of the deck-house; some on the forecastle-head, where cools airs circulate
from the swinging of the big foresail and jibs. The only audible sounds are
the flapping of the sails, the somnolent cheeping of the blocks, and the
working of the rudder-head as the ship rolls about in the swell, with
perhaps the low tones of a man's voice humming an air to himself on the
main-hatch. A more peaceful scene it would be impossible to imagine than
that presented by a large ship thus becalmed . "
Despite the oily calm the Higgins still managed to make a very respectable
eighty miles that day, a slippery ship that is going to be hard to keep up
with.
It's only Saturday back here in the 21st century, nonetheless I was
motivated this morning to try and square our ship away a little. Last night
we had a minor accident, Bob Cat was squawking, wanting food. I pulled out
the bag of cat's 'hard tack' and the bag burst, dry cat food every where!
The look on Bob Cat's face was almost worth the mess I had to clean up.
Last Thursday afternoon we spoke with a 53 foot yacht on the VHF radio, the
Westwind hailing from Newport, Rhode Island bound for Bermuda and possible
the Caribbean.
Hank and Cathy, thank you for the "windometer". It works great. Mind you
it was a bit deflating riding out the rough stuff yesterday to check the
wind speed and see it was only 12 knots! It was probably a bit of a lull
but even so. It is amazing how wind against current can really kick up a
steep sea. Today the wind is about 10 knots and the seas are mild and very
pleasant.
Bob Cat:
The conditions have improved over the past 24 hours, now I can get back to
doing what I do best, eating and sleeping. When its rough I focus mainly on
the sleeping. I think the skipper has a very strange sense of humour, a
plate full of food would have been nice, not a bag full showering over one's
head. It is a bit of a sick joke anyway, the stuff is barely edible, though
I did force myself to have a nibble. Skipper Bob would probably call it
irony, I call it purrile.
All is well.
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