Thoughts on Passagemaking
NORDLYS
David and Annette Ridout
Tue 19 Feb 2008 08:25
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Some thoughts on
Passagemaking
27:20S 07:12E
19th February 2008
Wind SSE 20 knots, course
NW
The difference between the coastal cruising sailor
and the long distance sailor can be summed up in one word,
'passagemaking'. By that I do not in any way mean to imply that this word
separates the men from the boys, far from it. Anyone who has cruised the
Tuamotan atolls, the coasts of Tasmania or for that matter the waters of
Northern Europe knows how demanding such sailing can be. Passagemaking is
not necessarily demanding, it is just different. There are of course
passages which are unmitigated misery. I can think of 1000nm to windward
in a blow between Vanuatu and New Zealand, of two gales, one thunderstorm and 36
hours of pea soup fog all in 600 miles between Bermuda and Maine. These
result in great fatigue and a dulled brain but luckily are not the norm.
Before any long passage most sailors will have a
certain tightening of the nerves and will find themselves getting easily annoyed
with those around them. This must be fought. The reason for these
nerves is simple. One goes into the midst of what is really a watery desert in a
craft that is propelled by cloth that is itself held up by lots of bits of wire
and string. This concoction is fixed to a hull that usually depends
upon the strength of a few hose clamps and some rubber hoses to stay
afloat. This vessel then goes out onto a surface that is never still
and for much of the time is downright rough. Days, weeks and sometimes
months later said vessel will be allowed to rest. All works almost all of
the time because of the agile minds of the crew who are manning her. What
I am trying to get across is that when at sea in reasonable conditions ones mind
is highly active and this can be used to good effect. In my case I have
just finished the Economist magazine on the prospects for 2008. To my
mind this should be compulsory reading for all of the younger generation.
In a small magazine there is packed more information and succinct thought
on the world scene than can be found anywhere else. This is the world that
the next generation will soon be running. Cameron is nearer my son's age
than mine. A horrible thought. Nicolas Sarkosy, the President of
France, Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael
Bloomberg, the mayor of New York and Filipe Hinjosa, the President of
Mexico, have each contributed articles to this British magazine. The fact
that I am trapped inside 47 feet with nothing to look at but water from horizon
to horizon allows me quality time to spend on such reading. I say
this because the most common question I get is 'don't you get bored?'
Obviously the answer to that question is yes sometimes but rarely. Nature,
even the deserts of this world, is marvellous to behold and combined with that
great luxury time the days pass quickly and pleasantly enough even though one is
existing inside a slowly turning, sometimes not so slowly, tumble drier. I
write this four days into what will be nearly six weeks of sea time before we
drop the hook in Tobago. I hope I do not re read this and say
'bull*****!'
So all is well on the good ship Nordlys, the wind
is perfect at the moment with force 4 to 5 from astern, the temperature is still
surprisingly cold but then the wind is from the south. Another few days
and it will no doubt be T shirts 24 hours per day. The moon is nearly full
and so the nights, even if cloudy as tonight is, are never really dark until the
white lady sets in the early hours of the morning. The Sat C tells me that
the sea area we are in, it has the marvellously evocative name of Trade Winds,
will have another 24 hours of similar winds but that they may then go rather
light. One hundred miles to the east of us a tug is ploughing north at 3
knots towing an oil rig on the end of 180 metres of cable and on the other side
of Africa a cyclone is crossing the north of Madagascar. I hope the
coastal villages we visited are not suffering. No doubt the pirogues and
dhows are pulled well up the beaches and the canvas sack sails are well tied
down. I wish those lovely people luck.
Happy times from a happy ship.
David
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