19-Jun-2023 - Are we there yet?-Day 4

19-Jun-2023

Are we there yet?-Day 4

Wind 6kt Seas 1-2ft

 

We are now two-thirds into the race, and in the third leg of this race, the Sargasso Sea and Bermuda approach.  After a lively sailing day yesterday, passing through the gulf-stream and it’s standing order of squalls, the challenge now is to thread the needle of ocean currents and setup a route that provides the fastest path to the finish line at Bermuda. 

 

Winds are only cooperating itinerantly… sometimes we have barely enough air for forward progress, and other times we are moving along at a good speed.  It is frustrating, but we cannot control the wind, only trim the sails :)

 

We hear that s/v Boudicca has finished in a record time of 2 days, 17 hours, 26 minutes, congratulations!

 

Weather/animals: sea birds visiting the boat

Meals: sailors choice breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and Sheppard’s pie for dinner

Thanks to our pastry chef Cathy Ann, we always half tasty treats to power us on.  Today's cookie of the day: Whales

 

“I can't control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” - Ricky Skaggs

 

How do you cut the ocean in half?

Use a sea saw.

 

#MBR2023 #svmahinakai #oysterfamily #gosling_sport #gotobermuda #marionbermuda

 

18-Jun-2023 - Gulf stream-Day 3

18-Jun-2023 - Gulf stream-Day 3

Wind 18 Seas 6ft

Mama said there’d be days like this…

 After a lively sail last night, I awoke to gear about the cabin.  It turns out in the night, the pin attaching the boom to the mast came out, and in the daylight the problem revealed itself!  We gathered our thoughts over coffee and devised & executed a plan to fix the issue with a steel rod.  We will see how it holds!

 

One of the complexities of crossing the Atlantic Ocean is remediating the impacts of the gulf stream current.  Most of us know about the basic current flow (red) from the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, to northern Europe, which then sinks as a cold current (blue) and returns South.  In reality though, there are arm-like offshoots from the main current, and large areas of spinning cold or warm eddies that can stay active for years.  These create beneficial or opposing currents that can help or hinder progress.

 

Part of the strategizing of this race is to determine the impacts of the main gulf stream and the eddy currents which may be moving in favorable or unfavorable directions.  All the boats are sailing their own race now, and are trying to determine the best path through the gulf stream.  Each vessel wants to take advantage of these currents, to position themselves for a good approach to Bermuda upon exiting the stream.

 

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!

 

Weather/sealife: Overcast with squalls in the gulfstream; seabirds (terns?), and Portuguese man of war

Galley: Dealers choice breakfast, tortellini soup for lunch, and lasagna for dinner

Cookie of the day: Starfish

 

What keeps the ocean from leaking out?

All the seals

 

 

“That's what sailing is, a dance, and your partner is the sea… You and your boat are dancing to her tune.” - Michael Morpurgo

 

#MBR2023 #svmahinakai #oysterfamily #gosling_sport #gotobermuda #marionbermuda

 

17-Jun-2023-Over the shelf-Day 2

 

17-Jun-2023

Over the shelf-Day 2

Wind Variable Seas 2ft, gathering

 

While the first day of the race is characterized by the activity of the start, the second day is about leaving the continental shelf behind, and arriving at the gulf steam current.  We just passed --- on the depth display, and expect to hit the gulf stream tonight.

As the race moves along, the pack spreads out.  Although there are 32 boats in the race, since last night we are now alone, and it may stay that way until the final hours before our arrival in Bermuda.

In offshore racing, once you are in the big blue ocean, you need to be your own problem solver and build those little victories.  There are two “on your own” moments in this race.  The first is when, late in day 2, the depth gauge flips from around 300 feet over the continental shelf, to “no reading”.  When I write that in the log, I always think of a final scene from the “Titanic” movie, and it’s a long way down!  The second is when, at the end of day 2, the boat enters the gulf stream.  When the prevailing winds and the prevailing seas meet the gulf stream current it creates a cacophony of sea state.

 

Weather: Rain early has given way to clear skies; a pod of dolphins swam by to say hi

Galley: Breakfast burritos, scones/turnovers, sandwiches, chicken parm casserole

Cookie of the day: Sailboats

 

 

Oceans are the friendliest bodies of water.

They always greet you with a wave.

 

“To reach a port we must set sail” - Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

#MBR2023 #svmahinakai #oysterfamily #gosling_sport #gotobermuda #marionbermuda