As of yesterday, provisioning for the next leg of the Figure 8 Voyage is complete. Foods have been purchased, loaded aboard and neatly stowed, and once again, Mo’s lockers are full-up. This time around, provisioning was largely a function of re-establishing par levels for core foods. Having done that, I sat down this morning, Read More
Here’s the set-up. Two friends from San Francisco, Ben Shaw and his wife, Lauren Keane, just happened to book a cruise on Ice Bear, 59 North Sailing’s newest boat, that put them in Halifax the week of Mo’s arrival. I learned of this via a text that read, “Hey, we’re in Lunenburg. Can we, Read More
Sure, it’s a nice town, but it became fabulous when my wife arrived on Friday afternoon. Her flight through Philadelphia canceled; the resulting connection grounded her in Dallas. That she came trundling out the gate of Stanfield International at roughly the right time proved a stroke of luck; that she pushed before her two, Read More
Each day starts with a renewed attack on the work list, and each day that attack is blunted by visitors. Rich, John S, Sebastian, the owner of Comet, Bob, James, Rob, Ben, Sandy, Phil…the names go on. These interruptions, “the many snares of popularity,” are not the least unpleasant, and some even mature into, Read More
https://youtu.be/0B8PI5MCdV4
As referenced in a previous post, John Harries, author of the well-known voyaging website, Attainable Adventure Cruising, came to visit Mo at the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron last week. John has long advocated the use of the Jordan Series Drogue and so was interested to explore the issues Mo had with the drogue, Read More
June 7, 2019 The Royal Nova Scotia Yacht SquadronHalifax, Nova Scotia I noticed barnacle growth before our first pass at Cape Horn, just one or two, spied going about their business in the eddies off Mo’s transom. And then, over the course of the Southern Ocean circuit, each time I hung myself over the, Read More
February 28, 2019 Day 147 Noon Position: 46 44S 138 22W Course(t)/Speed(kts): Up/Down and Sideways… Wind(t/tws): SW to NW 9 Sea(t/ft): W 2 Sky: Overcast 10ths Cloud Cover: 8 Bar(mb): 1025 Cabin Temp(f): 64 Water Temp(f): 53 Relative Humidity(%): 59 Sail: Twin headsails poled out Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 88 Miles since departure:, Read More
February 2, 2019 Day 121 Noon Position: 45 43S 141 17ECourse(t)/Speed(kts): ESE 6Wind(t/tws): NWxN 10 – 12 (for the day, 10 – 20)Sea(t/ft): W5Sky: Stratus (for the day, often clear)10ths Cloud Cover: 10Bar(mb): 1015, fallingCabin Temp(f): 64Water Temp(f): 54Relative Humidity(%): 60 Sail: Twins poled out full Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 147Miles since departure:, Read More
January 30, 2019 Day 118 Noon Position: 43 45S 131 34ECourse(t)/Speed(kts): ExS 7Wind(t/tws): WSW 22 – 26Sea(t/ft): W 10; still got heavy rollersSky: Puffy cumulus clouds, only occasional squalls.10ths Cloud Cover: 5Bar(mb): 1006, rising slowlyCabin Temp(f): 59Water Temp(f): 52Relative Humidity(%): 44 Sail: Working jib and main, one reef and two respectively. Noon-to-Noon Miles Made, Read More
January 16, 2019 Day 104 Noon Position: 45 54S 86 35E Course(t)/Speed(kts): ExN 7 Wind(t/tws): WxS 15 – 20 Sea(t/ft): W 4 Sky: Overcast 10 (the morning was clear; the evening is utterly clear) 10ths Cloud Cover: 10 Bar(mb): 1012, steady Cabin Temp(f): 59 Water Temp(f): 47 Relative Humidity(%): 70 Sail: Twin headsails poled, Read More
December 14, 2018 Day 71 Noon Position: 44 01S 27 42W Course(t)/Speed(kts): NNE 6 Wind(t/tws): ESE 22 – 26 Sea(t/ft): SE 10 – 15 Sky: Overcast 10ths Cloud Cover: 10 Bar(mb): 1015, rising Cabin Temp(f): 55 Water Temp(f): 50 Relative Humidity(%): 87 Sail: Working jib, broad reaching Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 107 Miles, Read More
November 30, 2018 Day 57 Noon Position: 54 36S 63 15W Course(t)/Speed(kts): NExN 6 Wind(t/tws): SWxS 17 – 23 Sea(t/ft): SW 8 – 10, very steep; wind-over-current seas. Nearly pooped. Sky: Alternating between squall and clear. 10ths Cloud Cover: 9 Bar(mb): 1008, rising Cabin Temp(f): 52 Water Temp(f): 40, back down from yesterday’s 45, Read More
November 26, 2018 Day 53 Noon Position: 55 35S 81 46W Course(t)/Speed(kts): ExS 7 Wind(t/tws): W 20+ Sea(t/ft): W 10 Sky: Clear 10ths Cloud Cover: 0 Bar(mb): 1011+, rising Cabin Temp(f): 57 Water Temp(f): 40 Relative Humidity(%): 65 Sail: Twins poled out, two rolls in each. Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 168 Miles since, Read More
November 22, 2018 Day 49 Noon Position: 50 38S 97 37w Course(t)/Speed(kts): SExE 6+ Wind(t/tws): WxN 30 – 35 Sea(t/ft): W 15 Sky: Thin Cumulus 10ths Cloud Cover: 3 Bar(mb): 992 Cabin Temp(f): 57 Water Temp(f): 43 Relative Humidity(%): 68 Sail: Working jib rolled to “forth” reef point Noon-to-Noon Miles Made Good (nm): 151, Read More
October 7, 2018 Day 3 Noon Position: 30 49N 127 50W Course/Speed: SW 7 – 8 Wind: NNE 19 – 25 Sea: NW 10 Sky: Partly Cloudy Bar: 1021, falling Cabin Degrees Fahrenheit: 73 Water Degrees Fahrenheit: 67 Percent Relative Humidity: 66 Sail: #2 genoa, three reefs; Main, 2 reefs; wind starboard quarter Noon-to-Noon, Read More
October 6, 2018 Day 2 Noon Position: 32 59N 125 37W Course/Speed: SSW 7+ Wind: NNW 16 – 20 Sea: NNW 6 – 8 Sky: Overcast, squally, part sun Bar: 1021, falling (1018 by evening) Cabin Degrees Fahrenheit: 72 Water Degrees Fahrenheit: 67 Percent Relative Humidity: 76 (Note: I’ve added this last statistic just, Read More
October 5, 2018 Day 1 Noon Position: 35 33N 124 06W Course/Speed: SSW 7 Wind: NNW 17-19 Sea: NNW 6 Sky: Mostly clear. Some thin cumulus Bar: 1022 and falling Cabin Degrees Fahrenheit: 68 Water Degrees Fahrenheit: 62 Percent Relative Humidity: 71 Sail: #1 genoa out full; one reef in main; wind on starboard, Read More
October 4, 2018 Departed Drakes Bay at 0900 Day 0 (Noon tomorrow will close my first full day at sea and will be recorded as “Day 1.”) Noon Position: 37 48N 122 46W Course/Speed: SSW5 Wind: NNW15 Bar: 1018 Sea: S3; NW4 Sky: Overcast with drizzle Cabin Degrees Fahrenheit: 63 Water Degrees Fahrenheit: 59, Read More
Dear Virtual Voyagers, The launch of the Figure 8 Voyage 2.0 is fast approaching, and Mo and I are busy at getting ready. A new round of provisions fills a corner of the living room, new bottom paint has been lovingly applied, and the sails are in the shop for inspection and repair. During, Read More
Improbably, the focus of this post is fountain pen ink, but it takes some explaining to get there. I married into a family of crazy sailors–a happy accident. Chief among these crazies was my wife’s godfather, a man named John Stewart, who was known to most simply as Beard. This latter appellation referenced the outstanding, Read More
On Saturday, August 11th, Moli and I will be attending the Ocean Cruising Club’s annual Bay Area potluck, held this year at Angel Island. Tony Gooch, who sailed Mo as Taonui for many years, will also be there. The potluck is open to non-members, so bring your own food and drink and come on, Read More
To see the wild ocean with your own eyes, uncut by the perspective of others; to seek for solitude at its source; to take on difficulties that call for previously unsuspected grit; to cast your lot with the likes of Ishmael and to assemble your story from the stuff of an endless, empty sea;, Read More