Saturday, June 12, 2004

It's catch-up time, now that I'm connected to the Net via a land-line again. Here are posts covering the passage from Bermuda to the Azores, starting at the bottom. FRIDAY JUNE 11 0730 We are tied to the dock at Horta Marina, having completed the passage from Bermuda, certainly with dispatch if not entirely in comfort. We entered the marina at 0707, seven minutes later than predicted soon after departure from Bermuda. Bob Beebe would be pleased. Linda Wyman of Que Linda says the 1,900-mile passage was a piece of cake. On the other hand, a yachting magazine writer on another boat is said to have divided time between vomiting and crying for most of the passage. Last night, we heard that Satchmo had lost its main engine and then also the wing engine. Repairs were made and Satchmo pressed on. When Uno Mas developed serious electrical problems which threatened to disable the stabilizing system, Justin Zumwalt swam over from Atlantic Escort to effect repairs. It was too rough to put the dinghy in the water. Autumn Wind hit something, disabling its main engine, and is limping along at 4 knots under wing engine alone. There will be more than one story to write after this leg. FRIDAY JUNE 11 0630 The most beautiful island I have ever seen, so says Teri as she comes up into the pilothouse. She is a changed and happy woman now that land is in sight. We are running along the north side of Faial, getting fenders and dock lines ready. I'm reflecting on how many ships and how many yachts before us have seen these green hills dotted with white buildings as they have approached Faial, the island, and Horta, the main town of the Azores, after a long passage from Europe or the Americas. The Azores are tall volcanic islands with heights and greenery reminiscent of islands of the South Pacific. Faial, with 16,000 inhabitants, is one of seven main islands making up the archipelago. Horta is the yachting capital of the Azores. It has been a meeting place for yachts and other vessels crossing the Atlantic for centuries. 12:12:56 PM    comment []

THURSDAY JUNE 10 2000 Teri is a trooper. Despite the conditions, she served beef bourgignon a la Julia Child tonight. A couple of times, she had to sit on the floor to regroup. We all have been able to shower, some of us have shaved, and I have finished my interviews with Teri and Scott, so life goes on despite the commotion around us. To give you an idea of the conditions, let me just say that if you linger on the toilet too long, you are likely have your ass baptized. We're only 71 nm from the Azores so spirits are high. Instead of heading directly for Horta, we are going to approach from the north, around the island of Faial, as such a heading provides a more comfortable ride. Scott figures we should be on the customs dock at 0700 to 0730. Before I turn in for a nap prior to my watch tonight, I am going to whip up a chocolate mousse as a special treat during our last night as sea after crossing 1,900 nautical miles of Atlantic Ocean. THURSDAY JUNE 10 1300 Lat 38 00.9 North Long 31 07.8 West, Course 88, Speed 7.5 knots, Distance to the Azores waypoint 122 nm, SW wind 15-25 knots just as forecast, Sea 6 to 8 ft, occasionally 10 ft, very occasionally 12 ft. It has been a trying day so far, at times, very much like being caught in the agitate cycle of a washing machine. Teri Strickland says last night was her worst night ever at sea, although Scott and Jon Ehly remember far worse conditions during a bad blow on the Pacific coast. We have gybed away from the rhumb line 10 degrees in an attempt to find a more comfortable ride, gybing back when the seas periodically moderate. The good news is the barometer has held steady at 1007 for 12 hours, climbing to 1008 since morning. We hold on and wait for the wind to back to the West, as per Walt Hack's latest. We are not in any particular danger, just lurching and rolling to the point where two hands for yourself are occasionally warranted. THURSDAY JUNE 10 0745 ROLL CALL The six larger boats in the group to the NE now are only 73 nm from the Azores, expecting to arrive in mid-afternoon. Crosser, which went ahead, may already by in the approaches to Horta. The smaller boats behind our trio are either 206 (Autumn Wind) or 195 nm (Atlantic Escort) from the Azores, traveling at 6.5 knots. We are running at about 7.5 knots, with 159 miles to go, An hour ago, when the sun began to show itself, I could see terns and other birds, a sure sign land is not far. 12:12:54 PM    comment []

To: NAR-2004 Fm: O.M.N.I. NJ/USA 2100Z 10 JUN 2004 - Still some very volatile weather across the Groups' final hours to Horta tonite. Low pressure center 1000mb within 300nm NW of the most western of the Group, with reports of winds 35+kt and waves to 3+ meters south of the low. Southerly 30kt winds reported some hours ago very near Faial. - Weather may still be a problem with some heavy rains and squally-type frontal weather passing thru the Azores waters today and overnight tonite into Friday/morn. - Thus, still risk of 30+kt S-W winds and waves above 10ft to Horta through midday Friday. VESSEL'S NOT YET ARRIVED SHOULD REMAIN VIGILANT FOR SUDDEN INCREASES IN WIND AND SEA CONDITIONS, SINCE THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO THE NW HAS YET TO CLEAR EAST OF THE AREA. - Weather pattern will change by Sunday/13th, as high pressure off NW/Europe will create a N-E wind stream across the Azores waters through Wed/16th. B/Rgds, Walt/OMNI 12:12:51 PM    comment []

WEDNESDAY JUNE 9 2130 After about 8 hours of nastiness, we[base ']re back to relatively pleasant conditions. The wind has clocked around to the SW, that is, aft beam, and dropped to 5-10 knots. The change in wind direction and strength has made for a confused sea state. The swell continues from the NW at 5-8 ft. Earlier today, we saw some 12-footers churned up by wind to 27 knots. Despite the weather, the fact that we[base ']re less than 300 nm from land and hurrying along at good speed has lifted the spirits of Teri Strickland. She and Scott watched the latest Laura Croft movie on the flat screen in the saloon. At this evenings roll call, we heard the larger boats, 179 nautical miles from Horta and to the northeast of us, were experiencing even nastier conditions with winds at 30 knots. Our trio now is about 25 miles ahead of the rest of the smaller boats. Rumor has it that they worked their way 5 nm north of the rhumb line looking for favorable current. They must have found some speed somewhere for we three are not leaving them behind as quickly as we should, given the speed differential of 1.0 to 1.5 knots. I spent much of my day reviewing and organizing my notes about all the interesting people participating in the rally. I[base ']ll be sharing those with you as the rally unfolds, and after I spend most of my time in Horta on interviews. Break, break! Charles Metcalf of Four Across calls to say he was talking to Jim Leishman aboard Atlantic Escort. The latest weather from Walt Hack calls for wind 15 to 25 knots Thursday but from SW/W, from behind us. There will be motion tomorrow, but of the least offensive variety. Strickly For Fun continues to chug along at 2,100 rpm which translates into 7.6 to 8.2 knots of speed over ground. We are 230 nm from Horta with an ETA of 30 hours, early morning on Friday. WEDNESDAY JUNE 9 0630 MORNING WATCH Lat 36 57.2 North Long 35 32.9 West, Speed 7.7 knots, Course 89, Wind 10 knots from SE and maybe freshening, 7-to-10 foot swells with an opposing wind wave of 1 ft, Distance remaining to Horta 342 nm, Time remaining at current speed 1 day 20 hours and 25 minutes An extra 300 to 400 rpm sure makes a difference! We've been scooting along at 7.5 to 8.0 knots most of the night. Surface currents, if we have encountered them, don't make as much difference as when we were lolly-gagging along at 6 knots. Therein is the rub for future rally promoters to ponder: How do you keep boats in length from 40 feet to 90 feet happy in one or two fleets? You almost need to have a group or class for each 5 feet of waterline length. TUESDAY JUNE 8 2215 I'm celebrating. I found a greeting card with a sweet message from Significant Other among my shirts. It made me feel like doing something special, so I found a tub of coffee-flavor Haagen Dazs in the freezer. Just call me Doctor Kolesnikovs tonight, or a miner about to go underground. On my forehead I have a NightBlaster LED/Krypton head lamp, its red light enabling me to see what I'm writing without losing my night vision. (See Page 677 in the 2004 West Marine master catalog.) TUESDAY JUNE 8 1945 ROLL CALL The larger-boat group is at 37 12 North 36 40 West, 390 nm to Horta. The 90-foot Crosser has decided to proceed ahead of the group. The smaller-boat group is at 36 31 North 37 31 West, 435 nm to Horta. Our trio is at 36 34 North 37 12 West, 425 nm to Horta, running about 7.1 knots. Strickly For Fun is setting the pace with its Lugger chugging along at 2,100 rpm, 100 turns less than maximum. For supper, I made a variation on the Frenchman's Bay all-day breakfast that Significant Other I like to make on weekends in our home overlooking a bay of Lake Ontario just east of Toronto. 12:12:48 PM    comment []

To: NAR-2004 Fm: O.M.N.I. NJ/USA 1415Z 09 JUN 2004 - The expected 1002mb low pressure center lays about 600nm to the Groups' WNW near 41N 46.5W, and is moving E-ESE today, before turning E-ENE Thu/10th, and NE Fri/11. Reported winds to the SW of the Groups are in the 20-30kt range from the S-SW Wave heights in that area to the SW of the Groups and approaching the Groups today, are in the 8-12ft range. - Because the affecting low pressure has developed and intensified and is moving close to that as earlier expected, the Groups should be prepared for a period today of 20-30kt S-WSW winds and rough following to quartering sea & swell conditions. The low center will move 150+nm to the north of the Groups Thu/PM into Fri/AM, nearing and at Faial. Along the direct route to Horta expect: Wed/09-PM: SE'ly veering S-SW 10-15kt freshening SW 15-25kt, chance of 30kt for 6-8 hours Wed/night. Swells build SSW to SW 7-9ft, an occ higher set. Thu/10: SW-SSW 20-30kt with SW 7-9ft sea/swell morning, SSW 20-25kt and SW 7-8ft PM. Fri/11-AM near Faial: SW-W 13-23kt. Swells SW-W 6-9ft. Weather conditions will include moderate rain, some showers, with some heavy precip late Thu into early Fri near Faial. B/Rgds, Walt/OMNI 12:12:46 PM    comment []

TUESDAY JUNE 8 1100 We're hurrying to Horta. Strickly For Fun, the Krogen 58 Sea Fox and the Nordhavn 50 Four Across have separated from the slow-boat fleet and are proceeding at our own best speed, 7 knots plus. At the morning roll call, Jim Leishman offered us the option of proceeding ahead. Several factors were in play: -- The role of pacesetter has been taken over by Nordhavn 46 Envoy and her captain, Wayne Davis, was not keen on running faster than 6.2 knots speed over ground. Perhaps because of the way Envoy's propeller is pitched, it burns more fuel than the other 46s and Wayne is concerned about running too skinny on fuel if he speeds up. -- Strickly For Fun, the Krogen 58 Sea Fox and the Nordhavn 50 Four Across are more comfortable in current sea conditions to run at 7 knots or a bit more. The three larger boats in the small-boat fleet have the fuel to steam to Horta at that speed and still have plenty of reserve. -- The weather will likely worsen as the week unfolds. -- Thus, it makes sense for us to proceed ahead. The philosophy of passagemaking under power that Bob Beebe was the first to promote calls for crossing oceans in comfort and with dispatch. That's what we three boats can do a little quicker than the rest, so we are off. Besides, as Scott radioed to the remaining boats, someone has to go ahead to greet the fleet with proper libations upon its arrival in Horta. It is a safe separation in that the rest of the boats, with support vessels Autumn Wind and Atlantic Escort, will follow the same rhumb line to the Azores and, at most, will be about 50 nm behind us. MONDAY JUNE 7 2000 ROLL CALL The six larger trawler yachts in the rally fleet are 52 nm north of us, enjoying sunshine and speeding toward the Azores. Our 12 boats continue to plod along under gray skies, taking the occasional lump from the big swell on our port beam. Tomorrow, we'll be changing clocks again, this time jumping two hours ahead to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), aka Universal Time (UTC), which is time in the Azores and Gibraltar. The latest weather from Walt Hack calls for: --Tuesday NW/W 11-21 knots, later in day W/SSE 11-20 knots, seas 5-8 ft -- Wednesday SE/E (Ugh!) 15-25 knots, later SE/W 25-30 knots, seas 7-9, later 10-11 ft -- Thursday SW/W 20-30 knots with higher gusts, seas 8-11 ft -- Friday, arrival day in Horta, SW/W 20-25 knots, 15-25 by noon, seas 6-9 ft. It looks like the last two days at sea on this passage will be on the bumpy side, but nothing the boats in the fleet cannot handle. As always, it is the people aboard the boats who will feel discomfort, some more than others. 12:12:44 PM    comment []

To: NAR-2004 Fm: O.M.N.I. NJ/USA 1500Z 08 JUN 2004 - Local wind, sea, swell are now being influenced by the 995mb Primary Low pressure center some 700nm to the Groups' NNE, centered near 48N 31W. This will change by Wed/09th-morning as the Primary Low moves off toward the NE and weakens, awaiting replacement by a new Low now over south/central Canada that will move eastward to south of Greenland by Thu/10-Fri/11. Wind direction will change/back to SW-S during Wed/09 with the approach of the expected developing Low from the West. - Developing Low now SE of Nova Scotia is intensifying more slowly than earlier expected and will pass a bit further north of the Groups and Azores than expected in last 2-3 days' advisories. Although wind will freshen and seas build on Wed/09th, appears conditions will be less severe that yesterday's advisory info. - Arrival conditions Horta Thu/10th-PM and Fri/11th-AM will see SW-W wind/sea and SW swell. - At this time, the rhumb line route to Horta still appears best, and is still considered low-risk. Expect: Tue/08: NW 11-21kt occ 26kt. Swell NW 6-9ft range, occ higher for more northern boats. Wed/09: Shower + rain. Wind backing NW-SW to SE 13-23kt by noon, veering thru warm front SE to SW 15-25kt. NW swell subsides morning, builds S-SW sea/swell 6-8ft occ 9-10ft during PM hours. Thu/10: Showers, some rain. SW-W 15-25kt. Swell SW 6-9ft range. Fri/11-arrival: Isolated showers. WSW-W 12-22kt. Swell SW-W 5-8ft. B/Rgds, Walt/OMNI 12:12:42 PM    comment []

MONDAY JUNE 7 1600 Announcement on VHF 16: NAR fleet, NAR fleet. This is Ellen on Satchmo. I am officially bored. If anyone wants to play Twenty Questions, please switch and answer on 68. MONDAY JUNE 7 1430 The gray of the morning has lasted into the afternoon, with fog, showers, and a big swell running. Most of time we have no visual contact with the rest of the fleet, making it seem we are crossing the ocean by ourselves. The overcast skies, showers and big swell may stay with us for the next three days as low-pressure system develops off New England and crosses the Atlantic to north of the Azores. The latest word from Walt Hack is that winds will freshen Tuesday. By Wednesday, he expects us to have 14 to 24 knots of wind, occasionally to 30, with seas at 7 to 10 feet. Thursday and Friday we should see 12 to 22 knots, with seas at 7 to 10 feet, dropping to 6 to 9 feet by our arrival in Horta. So, there will likely be some rocking and rolling in the approach to the Azores. Our biggest challenge over the last 24 hours has been an adverse surface current, sapping our speed and burning our fuel. The contrary current has been as strong as 1.5 knots. Last night, when our speed dropped to below 5 knots, a watchstander on one of the boats, without identifying himself, broadcast a call of exasperation: "Is this what they mean by crawling along?" In the large-boat group, which now is passing about 56 nm to the north, there is no shortage of speed, as the boats are bigger and the engines much more powerful--and the fuel capacity greater too. They reported being on track to arrive in Horta on Thursday afternoon. I must find out from Bob Rothman aboard Emeritus why and how the single-sideband radio on his Nordhavn 57 seems to be working so well. Bob can be heard loud and clear during the 0745 and 1945 SSB radio calls between the two groups. Bob is 77 years old, making the transat passage with his wife Janis and granddaughter Caroline and her husband, Matt Inman. At the roll call for our group this morning, Uno Mas, the fearless 40 that is the smallest boat in the fleet, reported a fuel burn of 3.5 gallons per hour over the last 24 hours. His fuel-remaining range is 965 nm with a reserve of 300 nm. Uno Mas is in excellent shape, given that the distance to Horta is slightly more than 600 nm. Aboard Strickly For Fun, our fuel burn is 3.8 gph. We still have 730 gallons in our tanks, giving us a range of 1,248 nm at current speeds. In other words, on the longest leg of the trans-Atlantic adventure, no one will be skinny on fuel, a testament to proper speed and fuel management--and no unforeseen forces of nature working against us. 12:12:40 PM    comment []

MONDAY JUNE 7 0715 Lat 35 33.8 North Long 41 38.6 West, Speed 6.6 knots, Course 85 as we look for a current headed our way, Wind 5 knots from North, gentle 4-to-6-foot swells, Distance remaining to Horta 649 nm Another gray morning on the North Atlantic. Wonder if this one will turn into a gorgeous day as yesterday did. At the change of the watch, Scott Strickland told me the biggest surprise of the rally experience for him has been how much he has enjoyed the camaraderie of the fleet. Beyond the roll calls twice a day, there is a lot of conversation on the VHF. Some of it's brief and humorous, other calls are lengthy and detailed in the knowledge shared. If you're in the rally, and you have a question about machinery and systems, or anything at all, there are 12 boats in the neighborhood and someone, often more than one person, will have the answer. Nothing has stumped the small-boat fleet so far, and probably not the large-boat group either. There are 11 skippers and about 45 crew members to call on. Additionally, there are two PAE technicians aboard Autumn Wind, the group leader, and two PAE technicians plus Jim Leishman himself on Atlantic Escort. That availability of expertise is why Scott says crossing the Atlantic with the rally is much easier than the passagemaking he and Teri have done to date, from California to the Pacific Northwest and then south to Panama arriving in Florida for the rally. "On those trips, I was the only around to fix anything that broke, so the anxiety level was considerable," Scott says. Here, he would make his own repairs as needed, but if he could not, help is at hand. When you consider that the rally entry fee ranges from $4,000 to $9,000, depending on size of vessel, such a level of support, on top of all the other benefits, makes the rally a genuine bargain. The fee covers dockage for four weeks (Fort Lauderdale, Hamilton, Horta and Gibraltar), all customs and port clearance fees, two receptions and banquets in each location for captains and crews, weather forecasts and routing advice, one doctor and two EMTs in the fleet, souvenir shirts and other goodies, diesel fuel at a bulk rate, plus the immense amount of leg work in advance of the rally provided by MIlt and Judy Baker. Jim Leishman conceived the rally, Pacific Asian Enterprises has supported and promoted the event and provided technicians and administrative personnel, other sponsors have been involved, too, but the real heroes behind the scenes are Milt and Judy who have volunteered countless hours to make the rally an organizational success. Kudos also must go to Mike Martus who with Milt, and the assistance of Amy Zahra at PAE, produced the rally operations manual, a 425-page how-to guide for crossing the Atlantic Ocean. A retired Navy man, as is Milt, Mike owns the Nordhavn 50 Liberty Call. Milt and Judy recently sold their Grand Banks 42 Bluewater and are trying to decide between a Nordhavn 43 and 47. Until three years ago, the Bakers owned and operated Bluewater Books & Charts in Fort Lauderdale which they sold and retired for a second time. 12:12:38 PM    comment []

msg 1/2 To: NAR-2004 Fm: O.M.N.I NJ/USA 1630Z 07 JUN 2004 - SUPPORTING GUIDANCE STILL SUGGESTS THAT SEA CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE DURING THE COMING 3-4 DAYS. WE SUGGEST PREPARING FOR POSSIBLE WAVES TO 9-12FT COMBINED SEA/SWELL AS EARLY AS TUE/08TH-NIGHT FOR THE FAST GROUP, AND FOR BOTH GROUPS WED/09TH THROUGH THU/10TH. - Primary low pressure center 900nm NNE of the Fast-Group near 51N 39W, will migrate ENE-NE next 3 days. - Secondary low center now south of Nova Scotia 41N 66W will speed E-ESE to 39N 42W by Wed/09th-night (about 550nm WNW of the Slow-group), then ENE to 43N 30W (about 300nm north of the Slow-Group) by Thu/10th-night. - Frontal boundary with clouds + weather today across the Groups' tracks will lift northward as the secondary low approaches from the West. msg 2/2 Along the rhumb line routes for both Groups to Horta: Mon/07: W-NW 15-25kt. Swell NW 6-8ft, occ 9-10ft FastGroup. Showers some rain. Tue/08: NW-W 11-21kt AM, backing W-S-SE 11-20kt PM with showers late. NW-W 5-8ft, 8-10ft Fast-Group. Swell waves period 7-9 secs. Wed/09: SE chance some E'ly 15-25kt briefly morning, veering + freshening during day SE to SW 20-30kt +gusts. Sea/swell NW becoming W 7-9ft, occ 10-11ft. periods 9-11sec). Some heavy showers + rain. Thu/10: S-SW to W 20-30kt + gusts.SW-W 8-11ft. Periods 9-10secs. . Showers + rain. Fast-group if arrival early Horta, caution advised for strong SW-W winds and rough sea near Faial. Fri/11: SW-W 20-25kt veers W-NW 15-25kt by noon. Sea/swell SW-W 6-9ft. Updating late today if sig changes noted. B/Rgds, OMNI NJ/USA 12:12:32 PM    comment []

SUNDAY JUNE 6 1615 Taking a small boat across the ocean today sure has changed from when I first sailed across the Atlantic in 1986, from Exmouth in the U.K. to Newport, Rhode Island. Passagemaking has changed in many ways, but one of significant importance to me is the ease and convenience of e-mail and especially the satellite telephone. One no longer is forced to keep loved ones back home worrying about progress and safety. Witness me just picking up the Iridium telephone aboard Strickly For Fun and calling home where I knew Significant Other would be hosting my parents for lunch. At the cost of $1.20 per minute, I was able to make happy my 94-year-old father and 83-year-old mother by letting them hear my voice tell them all was well. The call home only made more perfect an already perfect day at sea. SUNDAY JUNE 6 1030 For a couple of hours, it really looked like we were out on the North Atlantic of the movies. The sky was heavy and dark, the water grey. The wind picked up, and the waves kicked up. Then started the rain. But the front passed quickly and now it's picture perfect passagemaking. Bright sunshine with only a hint of cloud, sparkling water, and a moderate swell pushing as toward Azores. Last night during roll call, Envoy called for a break, and reported that something had gone bang aboard the Nordhavn 46. They thought they might have hit the prop with something. Jim Leishman immediately suggested they check the shaft coupling bolts. A few minutes later, Envoy was back on the air. They had lost hydraulic pressure to run the stabilizers and were deploying the paravanes to steady boat. Wayne and then Pat Davis, owners of Envoy, sounded cool and matter-of-fact about the mechanical failure. Listening to all this, one cannot help but remark that Naiad is not getting much good PR out of the rally. Envoy, Sea Fox, Grey Pearl and possibly others will need stabilizer repairs in the Azores. Meanwhile, Trac stabilizers are running failure-free on Autumn Wind and a few other boats. For the last 24 hours, we have had the swells and waves behind us, giving the Naiad stabilzers aboard Strickly For Fun quite a workout. The big broad stern of this boat gives the ocean something to push around. As a result, Scott has noticed the temperature of the hydraulic oil rising to 160 F, still 10 degrees below genuine concern but worth watching. Consequently, we will now run with the hydraulic cooling pump turned on for10 minutes every hour. At roll call this morning, we heard the six boats in the larger-boat fleet were 109 nm to the northwest of us, running about 8.5 knots. We should all arrive about the same time Friday. At the current rate of progress, that would be about 12 noon. At the moment, we have three differing weather forecasts for the approach to the Azores. Firstly, rally weatherman Walt Hack expects that winds will freshen on Wednesday, increasing to 30 knots, and last until Friday, with 8-12-foot seas. The second forecast from Emeritus in the larger-boat fleet has the wind being lighter. The third forecast obtained by Stargazer talks of winds lighter still. We are all hoping the latter will hold to be true. Jim Leishman expects an updated forecast from Walt later tonight or tomorrow morning. Aboard the Nordhavn 46 Satchmo, Ellen Bane had an uninvited guest in her bed last night while husband Bill was on watch. A flying fish entered the master stateroom through on open porthole. 12:12:29 PM    comment []

Email from: The Krogen 58 Sea Fox Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 03:18:05 GMT+00:00 Subject: Log Race We would like to announce the First Annual NAR Bermuda to Azores Predicted Log Race brought to you by interested participants. With the purpose of avoiding boredom and adding fun to this great adventure we are proposing the following challenge to all NAR vessels. Rules and Regulations 1) Predict the time and date that your vessel will cross Parallel at 38 32.0 N (just outside Horta harbor). Your prediction must be in the possession of the "pit boss" NLT 1200 hrs. Sunday June 6. 2) Winners will be selected based on the smallest difference between their prediction and actual arrival time. 3) The contest is open to all NAR participants and an "entry fee" which must consist of "any broken boat part," excluding main engines and generators, must be made available for inspection (photos allowed) before any prizes are awarded. The time and place of the awards ceremony will soon be announced. 4) Participants honor bound to make accurate reports are expected to maintain normal course and speed and obvious violators will be subject to one or more of the following: a) public humiliation at an appropriate gathering. b) fines to be paid at a time and place selected by the pit boss. c) a nasty rash induced by our authentic VooDoo Doll. d) you may be required to transport the "entry fee" items of other vessels on leg 3 and display them prominently while in the marina at Gibraltar. 5) The winners will be selected by the Pit Boss and all decisions are final. All challenges and resulting litigation, if not ignored, will be subject to the laws of the State of Washington, USA where we don't inhale. 6) Proper recognition, and awards, will be given to those posting the most accurate prediction, scorn and humiliation will be dispensed to those posting less accurate predictions. 7) Predicted arrival times must be submitted to the pit boss aboard M/V Sea Fox within 30 minutes of crossing the finish line. You may use VHF or email to contact the pit boss. Sent your entries to xxxxx @skymate.com and include the word "xxxxxx" (lower case) in the subject line. Any questions may be submitted to the pit boss c/o Sea Fox. Respectfully submitted, Tom Selman, aka Pit Boss 12:12:26 PM    comment []

Fm: O.M.N.I. NJ/USA 1800Z 06 JUN 2004 - Leading edge of weather frontal boundary lays between Div 1 & 2, presently expected to remain near 35N in your longitude thru Monday, then move north again. Most of the very active weather, rain, showers, and some thunderstorms, are confined to the latitudes between 37N-40N. - New low pressure still expected to develop off southern New England Monday/07th, and drive eastward to waters just north of the Azores by Thu/10th. It will be this low pressure system that will freshen SW-W winds and build sea/swell to 10ft, with possible higher sets, by Wed/PM, as the low passes north. - Overall picture continues to indicate a SW to NW wind stream across the remainder of the Rally route to Horta, a bit easier than earlier expected, although forecast data still indicates some rough quartering to following sea/swell conditions during the coming days. Except for some some local weather conditions, most of the wind and sea forecasts appear to be nearly coincident for both Groups remainder to the Azores, assuming both Groups will remain nearby. For the Slow and Fast Groups, along the rhumb line remainder to Horta: Sun/06: W-NW 10-20kt. Swell WNW 4-6ft. Mon/07: WNW-NW freshen 15-25kt. Swell NW build 6-8ft AM, and to 8-9ft PM for the Fast Group. Tue/08: NW-WNW 10-18kt, backs WNW-SW 10-20kt by eve. NW-WNW subside AM 5-7ft. Wed/09: SW'ly freshen 14-24kt, occ 30kt. Sea/swell Build 7-10ft by eve. Rain and thunderstorms. Thu/10: SW-W 12-22kt + gusts. SW-W 7-10ft swells. Rain and thunderstorms. Fri/11: W-NW 12-22kt. W-NW 6-9ft. Rainshowers, some rain. B/Rgds, OMNI 12:12:23 PM    comment []

SATURDAY JUNE 5 1700 Lat 34 29.2 North Long 46 16.2 West, Speed 6.6 knots, Course 92, Wind 10 knots from West, gentle 3-to-5-foot swells, Distance remaining to Horta 886 nm Hey, that was a fun afternoon! To mark the halfway point between Bermuda and the Azores, most of the boats in the fleet gathered in a cluster, put transmissions in neutral, blew their horns, and launched swimmers into three-mile deep ocean. Scott and Jon swam over the Four Across, and then swam back with Doug Seaver and Jen Alloway. Terri had prepared hors d'oevres to offer our guests: pan-fried medallions of freshly caught dorado and mahi mahi resting in a pool of creamed horseradish, presented on sesame thins. Our libation of the day is Passagemaker Tea, an excellent cocktail with no relation to any magazine. As prescribed by Bob Beebe, father of the modern-day trawler-yacht movement, Passagemaker Tea is tea sweetened with Tang and laced with good rum. I drank mine wearing my Friends of Passagemaker cap. Friends of Passagemaker is a growing group of people interested in preserving Bob Beebe's original Passagemaker and promoting voyaging under power. For more info, go http://members.rogers.com/passagemaker/pm_intro.html During the roll call this morning, we learned that the big-boat fleet now is about 160 nm behind us, hauling transoms at 8+ knots. Sea Fox reported that Naiad has promised to send a technician to Horta to meet the Krogen 58 and fix the stabilizers, once and for all. During this leg, Sea Fox has been running with one fin locked in place. On the last leg, Sea Fox lost both fins for a while. Sea Fox also said the fuel all boats picked up in Bermuda was the cleanest Sea Fox had ever consumed. Although Skymate is finally working for some, others in the fleet are still having problems with it, and have started calling the service Playmate, ie, you can look at it but that's about all. For more info, go http://www.skymate.com Forgot to mention yesterday that Jim Leishman offered fuel to Uno Mas, the smallest boat in the fleet, saying, "I know you don't need additional fuel, but it would be good to get you about 100 gallons of additional reserve, just in case bad weather develops and we need to go around it, or if you simply want to speed up." John Spencer of Uno Mas accepted the offer, and the transfer went fairly smoothly, good practice for everyone. John did manage to spritz himself with diesel fuel well and good. I realized this morning that we had not had eggs since departing Bermuda, so into the galley I went. Teri expressed interest in a hearty breakfast. but without eggs. Thus, she enjoyed a plate of sausage with fried onions, and I added scrambled eggs to my share. When on watch, I almost always stand, moving periodically from one open door to the other. Got to burn off calories somehow. FRIDAY JUNE 4 2300 What a night! The moon is just past full and lighting up the ocean in a way folks on land would not believe. Every star in the heavens is sparkling down on us. When the moon broke free of the horizon, it revealed a flat sea with a gentle breeze barely causing a ripple. A light swell is the only sign we are on the big water. We are 998 miles from the Azores and all is well aboard the good ship Strickly For Fun. For a change, there are 13 targets showing on the radar rather than the usual 12. The addition is Iris, a German sailboat with a crew of four, also bound for the Azores. Because of the light wind, Iris is barely ghosting along, being overtaken by the rally fleet. The Nordhavn 46 World Odd@Sea has spoken with another sailboat, Keltic Silver, which is 12 miles ahead of us and two miles to the north. Keltic Star has an auxiliary engine as it is moving along at 5 knots. As our fleet is steaming at 6-7 knots, we'll reel in the sailboat in a few hours. 12:12:19 PM    comment []

FRIDAY JUNE 4 1730 Lat 33 49.5 North Long 49 10.2 West, Speed 7.1 knots, Course 92, Wind 5 knots from South, gentle 3-to-5-foot swells It's been another gorgeous day out here, albeit a busy one. Scott and I started cleaning the bilge--sort of the basement of the boat--with a vacuum and wet rags. It seems that Brad Smith of Pacific Asian Enterprises mentioned to Scott back in Hamilton that the bilges, on a boat that is only eight months old, were not up to Scott Strickland standards of boat-keeping. Brad suggested the sawdust from construction of the boat in China could plug bilge-pump filters. Well, there was not even a handful of boat-building detritus in the forward third of the boat, which is all we managed to work through this afternoon. But it was interesting to poke through the underbelly of the Nordhavn, one compartment at a time. Meanwhile, Jon Ehly was up on the flying bridge, mopping up a cleaning solution that had spilled under the settee. In the galley, Teri is preparing a shrimp carbonera dish for tonight. We've already had our appetizers of cheese with pears, preceded by dreamsicle cocktails (ice cream in orange soda pop.) FRIDAY JUNE 4 1930 Forget the shrimp! We have fresh wahoo aboard Strickly For Fun! As I was writing the preceding paragraph, we hooked up--for the first time since leaving Fort Lauderdale. Jon Ehly battled the beast for about 20 minutes. We figure it is about four feet long, weighing maybe 45 pounds. Minutes before the wahoo struck, we suffered our first injury when Teri dropped the covered glass dish with the shrimp on her toes. Nothing was broken but one major blood blister was created. When the fish struck, she forgot her hurt and was the first to reach the cockpit with her cameras. Now, we are waiting for Jon to finish filleting the wahoo so the feast can begin. Ironically, Jon told us earlier today that we had a chance of catching tuna but that wahoo, which likes to strike at up to 60 mph, would not hit until we were closer to Horta. 12:12:16 PM    comment []

msg 1/2 To: NAR-2004 Fm: O.M.N.I. NJ/USA 1600Z 04 JUN 2004 - High pressure cell 400nm to the NE of the Slow-Group will continue to move ESE'ward and re-form the sub-trop high pressure ridge along 30N into the W/Atlantic, to south of the Azores in the E/Atlantic during the coming 4-5 days. - Still expecting secondary lows to track across the lower 40's latitudes from south of Newfoundland to north of the Azores before they turn NE-N to waters west of the UK. It will be these secondary low pressure disturbances that will freshen the wind/sea condition along the Groups' tracks. - Frontal boundary 300nm to the NW of the Slow-Group will eventually approach the track and bring some weather to the route for several days, commencing Sat/05th-PM or Sun/06th-AM, including showers, rain, and thunderstorms. Locally gusty winds to 30+kt are possible Sun/06-Mon/07. msg 2/2 For the Slow-Group, along the rhumb line to Horta expect: Fri/04: S-SW freshen 11-21kt. NW-W 4-6ft. Sat/05: WSW-W 15-25kt. NW 5-7ft with occ 8-9ft sets. Sun/06: WNW-NW 15-25kt and gusty. NW 6-8ft occ higher sets. Mon/07: NW-WSW ease 10-18kt by noon. NW 5-7ft. Tue/08: WSW 20-30kt. West 7-9ft 8sec periods. Wed/09: WSW-W 20-30kt. West 7-10ft occ 11-12ft sets. For the Fast-Group, basis posns today along the 'apparent' rhumb line to Horta, expect: Fri/04: SW-W 15-25kt. West 6-7ft. Sat/05: W-WNW 10-20kt. NW 6-8ft. 7-8sec. Sun/06: Freshen NW 15-25kt. NW 7-9ft. Mon/07: NW-W 10-20kt. NW 7-9ft. Tue/08: W'ly 20-30kt. NW-W 7-10ft. Wed/09: WSW 20-30kt. West 7-10ft occ 11-12ft sets.. B/Rgds, Walt/OMNI 12:12:14 PM    comment []

THURSDAY JUNE 3 1930 What a meal! Meatballs made by Teri with ground beef and Italian sausage, a hearty tomato sauce, string spaghetti, and a baby spinach salad with goat cheese, whole wheat garlic bread, and a Wolf Blass President's Selection 2000 shiraz. A refreshing breeze, a sun starting to think about setting, and the sea, the everlasting sea, its bosom heaving in leisurely swells. Passagemaking doesn't get much better than this. And, in the 21st century, I can look forward to calling home on the Iridium satellite telephone later tonight. THURSDAY JUNE 3 0730 Lat 32 52.1 North Long 53 13.6 West, Speed 6.4 knots, Course 92, Wind 10 knots from North, gentle 3-to-5-foot seas During my morning watch, I caught up with reading messages from other vessels in the rally. I suspect that Dan Streech, president of Pacific Asian Enterprises, enjoys being at sea as much and even more than his customers. Here is what he wrote on the approach to Bermuda on May 21 while on board the Nordhavn 62 Sans Souci: "It was another magic night aboard Sans Souci. "After we enjoyed the delicious dinner of chicken cordon bleu prepared by chef Phil, we conducted the evening roll call. These roll calls are becoming ever more fun as the jokes, pranks and outrageous fishing stories seem to grow. Goleen now claims to have caught the 4-foot fish that Sea Fox told us about and (would not you know it) it got away again with a lure. Crosser was boarded by a giant squid which they fought and killed with dental floss. They are now enjoying calamari. While discussing the rather tricky routing in the final approach to the Bermuda Yacht Club, Grey Pearl wanted the Lat/Lon of the nearest bar. And much more . . . Emeritus has finally come within radio range and will join the roll call tonight. "My watch last night was 9:00 to midnight. The moonless sky was breathtaking with stars from horizon to horizon. The running lights of our faithful fleet blended with the stars as we floated along on the surreal Lake Atlantic. "I spent much of my watch standing at the Portuguese bridge enjoying the balmy air and counting shooting stars. It was so beautiful, that several people who did not want to waste the experience by sleeping stayed up. We chatted about nothing and everything in a way that just does not seem to happen in real life. "The pleasant melodic and reassuring purr of the dry exhaust was a backdrop to the above scene. Our faithful Lugger engine located two flights below us has of course run non-stop since we left Ft Lauderdale without a hiccup. These magnificent engines are designed to run 20,000 hours or more and are superb pieces of machinery. Our trip around the world on the Nordhavn 40 in 2001/2002 put 3,500 hours on the Lugger engine, so you can see that most of us will not live long enough to see our Luggers wear out. "This morning has dawned with an imperceptible shift in mood and weather. As predicted by weather router Walt Hack, we now have light winds and seas from the west which means from astern. Following seas and winds are of course the delight of sailors, but the glossy, oily-looking seas which so captivated us yesterday and now gone. The radio chat and activities on board have now turned to preparation for arrival tomorrow morning. Reality has intruded on the special bond that has formed among the six vessels of NAR group 1 over the last four days. "It may sound strange to some of you readers, but I almost wish that Bermuda were farther away than the 147 miles now showing on the GPS. "Love being at sea." Hear, hear! WEDNESDAY JUNE 2 1600 Lat 32 25.5 North Long 55 04.1 West, Speed 6.4 knots, Course 92, Light wind 5 to 10 knots out of SSW, gentle 2-to-3-foot seas Just short of our 55 00 West waypoint, we have turned for the Azores 1,351 nm distant. Coincidentally, Autumn Wind reached Goleen in the larger-boat fleet behind us. The four Nordhavns, one Northern Marine/Seaton, and one Monk/McQueen are 313 nm behind us, running on the rhumb line to the Azores at 8.5 knots. That means they could catch us in six days, that is, Tuesday. The larger boats had better weather right from the start, thus, they have been on the shortest course for Horta right since departing Horta. It has been an eventful day, eventful for the middle of the Atlantic at displacement speed. World Odd@Sea reported catching and releasing a 90-lb marlin. Someone else reported sighting a whale. We have fish, too, for dinner, sent over to Strickly For Fun by the Spencers on Uno Mas. We exchanged gifts while running about 30 yards apart and tossing a line from one boat to the other. We sent them a best-selling book on CD, Number One Lady Detective Agency, which Teri wanted to share with Sue Spencer. In return, we received yellowfin tuna, caught and frozen on the Pacific side of Panama. As I write this in the saloon, Teri is in the galley preparing a mango salsa with cilantro to go with the tuna which Jon will medallion and lightly pan fry. My mouth waters as I type. Earlier in the day, under the ruse of wanting to photograph Jim Leishman and the crew aboard Atlantic Escort for Power Cruising, I asked Escort to run along side Strictly For Fun, getting as close as they felt comfortable. They took the bait, and for their trouble were bombarded with water balloons by Scott, Teri and Jon on our flying bridge. As Escort pulled away, threats of revenge rang in the air. At 1400, Sue Spencer on the Nordhavn 40 Uno Mas convened the first rally chick chat, a get-together on VHF 69 for the women of our fleet. At 1200, I resurrected the daily coffee klatch that Scott started a few days ago on the radio, calling it NAR Net. Today we chatted about fishing and what lures were working. Tomorrow the theme will be filters. This morning we heard that the larger boats had departed Hamilton on schedule. Crosser had an encounter of the unwanted kind with the dock on departure. More recently, Grey Pearl lost an alternator belt. Otherwise, all goes well with the big boys. Must go now as it is time for an engine-room check. EMAIL JUNE 1 0700 Note to readers: I have given up on attempts to post to my weblog via Skymate. Henceforth, using SailMail and the single-sideband radio aboard Stricky For Fun, I will send reports to Ken Wiilliams aboard Sans Souci and Fred Wunderlich back in Fort Lauderdale for posting to their sites, and to Significant Other for keeping family and friends informed. TUESDAY JUNE 1 0700 Lat 32 22.6 North Long 59 30.7, Speed 6.4 knots, Course 107, Light wind, gentle 3-to-4-foot seas We are experimenting with a new watch system as the one we started with didn't suit everyone. I am now on from 9 p.m. to midnight and from 6 to 9 a.m. In effect, I get my share of watch-standing--6 hours out of the 24 hours the four of us deal with--done in one half of the day, thus, I should be able to look after my others chores, devote several hours to my work, as well as get a couple hours of sleep to augment the 5.5 hours I can get in between watches. The other three crew stand two-hour watches between midnight and 6 a.m., in rotation from one night to the next. At the roll call last night, our smallest boat, the Nordhavn 40 Uno Mas that is setting pace for us all, reported it had increased speed to 6 knots, so the entire fleet was able to bump rpm up 50 or 100. At 6 knots, Uno Mas reported burning 2.1 gallons per hour, meaning it had a healthy reserve in hand. (Aboard Strickly For Fun, we burn more, but our fuel tankage, at 1,400 gallons, is such that 1,800 nm is not a challenge, at least not from the point of view of fuel consumption.) The latest weather report from Walt Hack indicates the light winds and gentle seas are likely to end in 48 hours, being succeeded by wind up to 22 knots and seas up to 8 feet. Some of the new weather may come from the east--right on the nose--but by the weekend, we could be enjoying blue skies and sunshine and mild conditions again. Last night, I took a turn in the galley and served up the almost-famous Kolesnikovs Klops, a dish from my Latvian motherland made with ground beef, bacon, mushrooms, onions and plenty of sour cream, presented on a base of a creamed and buttered potato mash with green onions, with a side of dill pickles. So satiated were we that dessert of chocolate mousse with whipped cream has been postponed until later. If that sounds like a repeat of what I wrote from Autumn Wind, that is because it was. Autumn Wind was a dry boat while under way. Aboard Strickly For Fun, we uncorked a Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon to wash down the meal. Lest that leaves the wrong impression, I should note the bottle was not emptied. Yesterday, I neglected to mention that Teri Strickland has named herself fleet DJ. At the beginning of the morning roll call, we broadcast Bad To The Bone by George Thoroughgood to the fleet on VHF 17. Naiad stabilizer problems continue to pop up. The latest to be afflicted is Sea Fox, the Krogen 58, which has been running on only one fin for the last 24 hours or so. Yesterday being Memorial Day in the U.S., no sat phone calls were made to Naiad, but starting this morning, sat phone charges have been mounting, with no solution yet. Also yesterday, Scott Strickland initiated a 12 noon [base "]coffee klatch[per thou] on VHF 17 with a half-dozen vessels participating. Today, we plain forgot to get on the air. Everyone aboard Strickly for Fun is anxiously awaiting the first shout of "Hook up!" from Jon Ehly who has two fishing lines out. Jon is quite a fisherman and he cannot believe how bereft of fish we have been since leaving Hamilton. That, despite the fact he invested $500 in new lures. 12:12:08 PM    comment []

To: NAR-2004 Fm: O.M.N.I. NJ/USA 1500Z 01 JUN 2004 -- Surface pressure pattern still evolving as discussed yesterday with some minor adjustments to weather systems' movement speeds.. Low pressure moved off the US Northeast has moved Eastward last night into this morning, now will move ENE then NE. Low center 999mb above 400nm to the NW-NNW of the Slow-Group this morning will clear to the north tonite and allow the fresh SW'ly winds along the track to ease again. -- High pressure will fill-in to the west of the migrating low pressure center, and will re-form across about 37N-38N midocean with a residual frontal boundary remaining nearly stationary across 34N-36N. -- THUS, THE RECOMMENDED ROUTE ALONG THE RHUMB LINE FROM 55W STILL REMAIN VALID FOR THE SLOW-GROUP. Will need to watch final positioning of the high pressure ridge to determine if a slightly more northerly track from 55W-50W will minimize head-to-beam wind/sea a bit more (although not expected to be significantly adverse along the present route). -- FOR THE FAST-GROUP DEPARTING BERMUDA TODAY TUE/01ST, STILL SUGGEST CONSIDERATION OF THE EASTERLY COURSE FROM DEPARTURE TO ABOUT 57W, THEN THE RHUMB LINE TO APPROACHES HORTA. Basis the positioning of the sub-trop high pressure ridge, will watch for possible better wind/sea conditions along a slightly more northerly route after 57W. MONDAY MAY 31 0230 during my night watch Lat 32 22.3 North Long 62 53.2 West 403 nm from our waypoint at 55 00 West, Speed 4.8 knots because of an adverse current, Course 106, Light wind, gentle 3-5-ft seas In the night sky, there are dim flashes of lightning so distant I cannot hear thunder. I'm alone on the 0200-0400 watch. With a four-person crew on Strickly For Fun, watches are stood solo--just the way I like it. Scott, I and Jon Ehly look after the three two-hour watches between midnight and 0600, with Teri standing the evening watch from 2100 to midnight. Between 6 a.m. and midnight, watch-standing is not a fixed schedule. Whoever feels like, he or she has the con. There is an informal attempt made to ensure no one stuck on the bridge for hours without a break. This is my first experience with free-form watch-standing during the day. It is ironic to find such an unstructured system on a boat as well and tightly organized as the Stricklands run Strickly For Fun. When I signed on, Scott emailed me a PDF file detailing the routine of the ship and what was expected of guests and crew. See preceding post. Those who haven't been at sea at night will be surprised to hear how bright it is out here as a result of the moon being a few days from full. Despite overcast skies, there is the appearance of a silver dawn. On the Furuno Navnet display, Scott has set the radar for night running: Black background. Red rings one-half mile apart emanating from the center where our vessel is. Bearing and course in green lines. Eleven red blips shows where the fleet steams eastward around us. We are now 12 vessels in this division of smaller/slower boats. The Krogen 58 Sea Fox has joined us, preferring to run a long passage such as this one at 6 knots plus or minus rather than 8 plus with the larger/faster vessels. That division of six vessels still is in port, in Hamilton, scheduled to depart Tuesday at 0800. They should catch us up on the final approach to Horta where we are due to arrive on June 11. --- Introduction for the 17-page document Scott and Teri have prepared for guests and crew aboard Strickly For Fun: [base "]St f F [per thou] Pre-Trip Information 1. Purpose. The purpose of this document is to help you understand what to expect while traveling on the Strickland Motor Yacht, [base "]St f F [per thou]. Reading this manual is very important. · It will help you determine if the trip is right for you! · It will let you know what to expect the trip to be like. · Give you important safety information. This manual will describe: 1. Purpose of the Crew Manual. 2. What to expect on the trip. 3. Our Route. 4. Safety Concerns. 5. Food. 6. Weather. 7. Sea Communications. 8. Harbor Communications. 9. Work Effort.10. Watch Standing. 11. Entertainment. 12. Comforts. 13. Seasickness.14. What to Bring. 15. Clothing and Personal Gear Checklist. 16. Rules. 17. Conclusion. A general understanding of the trip, equipment, and responsibilities will make the trip more enjoyable for everyone. This document is one of four documents you should read. Crew Manual Emergency Manual Watch Standing manuals We also have: Departure manual Underway Arrival Manual Shoreside (managing the boat at a dock without us!) Systems manual Conclusion of the 17-page document Scott and Teri have prepared for guests and crew aboard Strickly For Fun: 17. Conclusion. This trip is not for everyone. The trip is not a common activity. No one else you know will ever do this. This trip is designed to be an adventure of a lifetime. It will not be perfect! If you don[base ']t want new experiences, take a plane. Since you will be involved with actually operating the vessel you will need to do your share of the work. If you are not willing to help, please stay home. This trip is for people who want to grow. You must be willing to learn new skills. We do not expect people to know these skills before they come on the boat. Part of the fun is teaching and learning new skills. Due to weather our times have to be somewhat flexible. If we plan on a two-week trip, plan for a couple of extra days. If you want to follow a rigid time schedule, take a tour. For everyone to have fun we all need to get along. If just one person is cranky the trip will be miserable for everyone! We have a gang plank are we are willing to use it! In short: this trip is not for the boring, lazy, stupid, inflexible or grumpy people! SUNDAY MAY 30 1520 Lat 32 22 North Long 63 51 West Speed 6 knots Course 106 We've had our excitement for the day: Teri spotted a a round fender in the water ahead of us and Scott decided to call a man-overboard drill. The fender looked fairly new and Scott was determined to retrieve it. Thus, with the boat in neutral and alongside, he dove into 15,000 feet of ocean to get the thing. SUNDAY MAY 30 1030 We're at Five Fathom Hole off St. George and turning east for the Azores. Actually, we're first heading to 55 degrees 00 minutes west longitude on a heading of 106 magnetic. Weatherman Walt Hack suggested the waypoint to give us the smoothest possible ride between weather systems to the north and south of our route. Once we get to 55 00 West, in about 480 nautical miles, we'll pick up the rhumb line (shortest distance) to the Azores. After the 25 knots of wind that blew through Hamilton harbor for much of the day yesterday, today we have perfect weather for starting a long passage. There is a light wind and a gentle seas of 2 to 3 feet, with only the occasional bump, on our starboard quarter. Uno Mas, the fleet pacesetter, is steaming along at 5.9 to 6.1 knots. 12:11:23 PM    comment []