Well, I'm back and open for MSOG business. Where were you, you might ask
(or not, I'm gonna tell you anyway)?
The end of June marked my big 5-0 birthday. I decided I had to do
something big. So I sailed on an Island Packet 45 from Norfolk to
Bermuda.
I didn't mention it beforehand because frankly, I wasn't sure I had
enough experience to go, even up to the first day. But all went
well.
The Maryland School of Sailing offers the course about three trips a year
(one crew one direction, another crew the other direction) in May and
June. It is an 8-day offshore training program, with a captain and first
mate from the school and four students/crew. Celestial navigation was to
be a part of it. First two days were dockside training, drilling
and provisioning and inspection, then six days at sea, about 650 miles,
with two people standing two four-hour watches each day. I was paired
with the captain (most experienced and the least experienced?) and the
best watch: 8-12. We ended up leaving the night before to beat a
low-pressure area moving in, and the weatherfax showed a jumble of lows
crossing and forming on our route, including a gale about three days out,
which we did and didn't want to experience.
I felt sorry for the fellas taking the course to complete their celestial
navigation course and one guy even bought a sextant the night before,
only to discover we had two hours of sunlight the entire trip, and only
one sextant shot opportunity.
The cloudy weather was actually a godsend, normally this time of year
there is little or no wind, lots of motorsailing, and stifling
temperatures. This trip the temps were ideal and though we had rain about
a fourth of the time, a good bimini and dodger helped the situation. Even
so, I ended up wearing my foulies whenever I was on watch, along with sea
boots and the required harness and tether with mandatory strobe light,
whistle and flashlight. Man, did I feel seamanlike.
Starboard tack heading southeast with southwest winds almost all the way
(northeast for an afternoon or so). Though on a rhumb line course of 118
degrees, our heading was 135 to counteract the Gulf Stream. We stayed on
that course for about 4 days, with 5-10 degree changes for cold currents
and such.
I'd estimate two-thirds of the trip was spent under double-reefed main
and genny or staysail, with several hours under a partially furled
staysail and still sustained eight knots. Port rail in the water, sails
and rigging thrumming like a runaway freight train. 30-degree heel and
rockin' and rollin' in tall water doesn't even make me blink anymore (at
least in a 45-footer). We did hit the end of the gale and sailed through
like there was nothing to it, watching 15-foot waves tower over, then
roll under us just like everybody says they should. At night, with the
cloud cover, there was no light and no horizon, just flying through the
dark with no light but a compass and the sensation of constant motion.
With no reference points, I felt as though I was riding on a locomotive
flying at 100 mph through space. It was important to look around and
focus on whatever you could to keep from getting vertigo. It was simply
unbelievable.
I did find the answer to the question I had set out to answer, and that
was whether this kind of cruising is for me. The answer is an emphatic
NO. Though the on-deck portion was terrific, belowdecks was monotonous
and uncomfortable. With only four berths available, hot-bunking was in
order, you lie down where the guy on the next shift just got up. Trying
to sleep, make meals and clean up meals was frustrating and
uncomfortable. I've heard a sailor uses 3 times the energy performing any
activity on board vs. on land, I believe it now. We spent most of the
time between watches trying to sleep. By the third day, the crew were
counting down the number of watches left.
The other realization came about midway through the second day, when I
realized the perpetual movement and unceasing noise was going to continue
for four more days. I would have given anything for one hour of quiet and
no movement. But I didn't get sick, thanks to Bonine. The closest I came
was after the trip, trying to walk around Bermuda without my landlegs
back yet. Took me about two days to walk normally.
Despite the belowdeck stuff, the trip was unforgettable. The only way to
describe it would be sheer magnificence mixed with utter drudgery.
I think three days would have been enough, which Maryland School also
offers in a trip around the Delmarva peninsula, though the return trip at
sea right now has a couple on it that had taken the Delmarva trip and
wanted more. He was weird anyway. Thank goodness the School didn't have a
slot open on the Norfolk to St. Thomas trip, 12 days at sea, but only
$300 more than the Bermuda trip. Apparently there's a waiting list, poor
suckers.
Had three glorious days in Bermuda where I celebrated my birthday with a
bunch of new and temporary friends and danced the night away. Enjoyed it
so much I forgot I was supposed to leave the next day and didn't. I ended
up having to re-book for the next day and had the weekend to keep the
glow of the whole experience intact. I'll be going back again sometime,
but by air next time.
I've decided to do something similar every 50 years.
You can read about some of the other trips and course offerings at
http://www.mdschool.com/
.
Doug
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Doug King
M-17 #404 "Vixen"
Montgomery Sailboats Owners Group Web site: http://msog.org
Email: mailto:msog@msog.org