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November 10th (Wednesday) Update:
The Lions' Whelp left PYS Nov 9, around 11am after fueling. On
board, Phin, Joanna, Alice Amory from Camden, Jesse and Lilly Deupree
from Portland, Eric Sprague and Doug Jones from S. Portland We bundled
up ready for a cold 2 days. The automatic pilot was set as we left
Portland Head behind. Erlon called to see us off the lighthouse.
Lunch was HOT soup and we all stowed our bunks, as we had been delayed
for 2 days with weather and made the jump for toady to get to the
gulf stream by Thurs at 3pm.
November 13th (Saturday) Update:
Joanna Sprague--
We are 50 miles from Bermuda BUT it is DEAD to windward so we will
do 100 miles. ETA Sunday am. We have been beating to windward for
two days with last night shortening sail to double reef in main
and finally took the staysail down. Blowing 30 kts, we are doing
7 kts and the lee berths are precious. With the tacks we all scramble
to find one. We entered the gulf stream around 8am on Thursday,
and once again had a powering across. Did not catch any fish even
though Eric tried. Alice saw a turtle, Eric and Jesse a whale. The
boats are few around us now. On Nov 11, Doug Jones got the news
that his second grandson was born in Portland. A big guy- 9lbs 2
oz to his son and wife in Portland. We toasted to Harrison Douglas
Jones at sunset with an evening "cocktail". He has a third grandchild
due in Dec. Our latest Nobletec weather put us in a bind to power
ahead to greet this stuff. It has been overcast until today, with
a great sunny, blustery day with the sea confused . Our life on
board has been fighting with keeping the Whelp moving, but comfortable
ONCE sail was shortened. As usual, the cook had to "request" for
some comfort or NO MEALS. We have frozen entrees each PM and enough
left over for lunch the next day. Hot cereal is a hit. Fo'c'sle
hatch has a small leak and the bolts for foremast have some small
leaks. Galley cutlery drawers have tacked CLOSED for now???. Engine
has been running like a dream and ALOT. Jesse and Doug confer with
Phin and do the sail changes. Us gals keep driving. Alice keeps
us laughing with her NYC stories, so foreign to us Mainers. Lily
and Alice have traveled a lot so those stories are fun. Lily went
to school with Mak and Eliz early on so we are catching up with
old classmates. Eric is diligent this time and homework is on the
agenda. He returns on MONDAY at 6:00pm to BOSTON and will take the
bus to Portland. Will need G'ma to pick him up. Originally to leave
today BUT not gonna happen. Watched movies for two evenings, popcorn
too. What decadence. URI not working, aft head not pumping. Otherwise
we struggle to find sleep corners. It is not hot down below yet,
so the wet weather gear is tolerable. BUT we all look forward to
RBYC hot showers and a DARK & STORMY. LOVE MOM
Phin Sprague, Jr.--
Ok, I just went up and shook the second reef out of the main. The
deck was crackly with dried salt so I declare that we have arrived
in the tropics. Just to underscore the point,
Eric just arrived at the hatch with a foot long flying fish that
had landed on deck during the day. I am some ugly about the auto
pilot. I am looking for two crew from Bermuda to Antigua anticipating
that we can't fix the auto pilot. We designed the fuel capacity
to be able to power the whole way from Portland to Bermuda it was
a good plan. The boat was very comfortable in the chop last night.
I can't get the contract of wild on deck reefing and taking down
sails and the off watch engrossed in "Finding Nemo". Oh well. Cheers!
Phin
November 17th, (Wednesday) Update:
Joanna Sprague --
We departed Bermuda at 1320. We arrived Bermuda Sunday at 8AM, cleared
customs, and then powered to Hamilton in 50 kts rain and wind. Once
again the boat got a wash down without us helping. We had a crew
change, Tom Amory arrived before us and took our lines in Hamilton.
Lincoln Paine from Portland and Bob Doran arrived on Tuesday. Alice
has stayed on but Eric, Jesse, and Lily Deupree have gone back as
did Doug Jones. We received a new motor for the URI, fixed a totally
clogged hose in the aft head (huge hand for Tom) and lots of small
jobs. It was squally in Hamilton, rained every night and blanket
weather. No swimming this time. We are screaming at 9-10 kts down
wind so you can imagine the rock and rolling. We had a squall as
we left and double reefed the main. Flying Jib and forestaysail
are up too. All the tools are being readjusted by the minute. AND
URI lasted for 1.5 hours. Eric should know that I have taken over
the fo'c'sle We ran the generator and made water. Refer seems fine
but the sump pump for galley stays on. Will fix later. It is a blustery
day, waves tops are being blown off. The new crew are getting adjusted
and Alice, Phin, and I are happy to be going so fast. A far cry
from the last passage. Shepherds pie for dinner. Joanna
November 18th, (Thursday) Update:
Phin Sprague, Jr. --
Mak, it was a rolley night, wind in the 35 knot range in squalls.
One squall in the 50's. I didn't expect that much wind so I was
caught with the full main fore staysail and jib up. The boat did
well. Subsequently, I put a double reef in the main and we didn't
go as quickly as we could have. Now the wind is out of the NNW at
about 17 knots and we are rolling along at 5-7 knots toward Warren
Brown's Magical Way Point.
I can not believe that the new autopilot has crapped out. It only
steers in one direction, which as you might guess, is good for boomerangs,
horse paddocks, circular race tracks and pacing. Before it died
the autopilot as as solid as a rock. I suspect and pray that a relay
is stuck again and there is nothing wrong with the Autopilot...
I am going to figure this damn thing out! That is going to mean
spending a long time twisted up like a pretzel in the laz.
The company is great on board, but I will tell you that I miss my
brothers! When they are on board everything happens with little
discussion and what there is is code. Many of the things they did
with out involving me at all so I am spending a lot more time dealing
with sail trim and sail changes. Oh how spoiled I am! Gota get the
auto pilot working!
Love Dad
November 19th, (Friday) Update:
Joanna Sprague --
We left Bermuda with lots of wind, it died yesterday. We are powering
now, 7-8 kts. We did have the reacher up for yesterday to keep from
rocking scupper to scupper but at nighfall the wind died. Lots of
cumulus clouds, have seen 3 freighters, and have caught NO FISH.
URI has lasted 2 hours max yesterday after installing the new Contoller.
So that was NOT the problem. Phin SQUEEZED in and greases the worm
gear as it got real stiff. Today he sanded the contacts again, and
URI lasted 2 hours and 5 minutes. The replacement relays Bob brought
down from Maine melted again. This is the fourth time Phin has had
them out. So he has bypassed the relay contacts for the motor, and
we are on the 3rd hour. He has racked up #$&*@@**!! time on satelllite
to SIMRAD. They are our only hope now. Food is great, we celbrated
Tom Amorys's BD and Lincoln Paine's anniversay today at lunch with
a triple layered chocolate CAKE. Lincoln and Alice are THE best
at word/country games and Tom is Phin's best friend as he is always
busy fixing things. It is not HOT yet so we are comfy. With little
wind the rig takes a beating. We lost a boom light overboard, bent
lots of shackles but nothing major. Phin has spent oodles of time
in his new bunk (the lazerette) and comes out covered in grease
and sweat. Alice is reading ModyDick, Lincoln is doing reasearch
for his book "Maritime History of the WORLD", Bob doran is reading
magazines, Tom is reading Robinson Crusoe, and I am reading Lions's
Gate (an anti-terrorism book). Phin has a magnifying glass out looking
into the magic box of the autopilot and has a permanent dent in
forehead from the head lamp. -- Joanna
Phin Sprague, Jr. --
At 1500 we were at 27
33 N 62 37 W. with no wind and powering along at 7.1 knots.
Sea temp is 75.3 degrees. We have about 625 miles to go and the
only sign of wind is in the Commanders weather forecast for Sunday
and Monday. URI is at present in control. I am not happy with the
wire size for the motor it is a 14 AWG and should be a 10 AWG, the
motor is pulling 5- 6 amps when it starts. It should be no problem
with the new Jx300-40 controller which is supposed to take 40 amps
instantly and 20 continuously. Getting rid of the relays was plan
"B" there is no plan "C" at this time. As a precaution against complete
loss of sanity the crew has been instructed and agreed to wire tie
me to the mast and notify Chief Chitwood THAT HE SHOULD TAKE ME
INTO CUSTIDODY FOR MY OWN PROTECTION WHEN I GET BACK TO PORTLAND.
A room should be booked in advance in P-6 at the hospital. Sawyer
and Whitten should be notified in time to leave town.
#1 NEVER EVER EVER put a control box where it has poor access. Consider
the size, flexibility, length of arms, of repair persons as well
as near by dangers particularly when underway in rough seas such
as near by moving acme threads on steering gear.
#2 ALWAYS allow enough slack in the wires to allow the box to be
serviced and there should be something besides a 350 degree exhaust
manifold to rest your head on.
I have taken a break to listen and talk to Herb the Maritime Net
weather man on the SSB. A new twist on the autopilot. This is the
first time we have had the auto pilot on and the SSB at the same
time. The auto pilot sets up a scream in the SSB and the SSB when
transmitting sends false signals to the auto-pilot. Shuts it down.
This is exquisite. I am now reading the manuals and it appears that
all of this auto-pilot wring should be shielded cable. There is
one way to look at this we are moving from solving one problem to
finding another, but once identified it should be fixable. Marching
toward success. I don't think that the electronics company that
installed this system deserves any marks at all. As a matter of
fact I think they owe me. AARGH! Cheers! Phin
November 21st (Sunday) Update:
URI is a real pleasure when he is working! He has been an exemplary
helms person twist the little knob and the course changes in one
degree increments. There is no wondering about on the course......
past the ability to allow less frenetic wheel turning by dialing
in the electronic equivalent of a couple of shots of rum. He seems
to be better company if we give him three or four shots to mellow
him out. The crew has become remarkably rested. The cockpit looks
more like a reading room and the DVD put out a rousing production
of West Side Story last night. I knew we had crew trouble brewing
when the deviled eggs came out for lunch yesterday arranged on a
bed of lettuce!
There is really not much to do except navigate. Navigation these
days amounts to making sure that there is a fresh log entry in case
we lose the entire navigational redundancy. Down loading weather
grid files comparing the projected winds on the route to the little
red bread crumb trail that bleeds off the back of the boat icon
and adjusting it so that the orientation ( while considering all
environmental input, even the lies in the grid files.) of the red
read crumb line as it advances most efficiently points at the island
of Antigua.
Then we have computer crashes, a program that upsets UUplus's connection
to the COM 1 port.
At 1408 Z we are 326 miles from Antigua, Winds are light and we
are motor sailing at 7.5-8 knots ... Dodging rain squalls. The cells
are traveling down wind 235 deg at 7 knots we're heading 200 degrees
so it takes for ever to get clear. There is some outside help because
the nasty black rain squall I have been tracking for the past 5
hours..... and was sure that we were going to go right through the
center, sweat! sweat! sweat!...Self distructed in the past 45 minutes.
It is gone! Poof!
We can smell the barn... or maybe each other. Joanna has instituted
mandatory showers on deck. Perhaps I should head right for one of
the cloud bursts. Joanna is rummaging around for my Speedo... I'll
give these guys a treat.
In spite of Joanna's fishing talents no luck trolling. So far Lions
Whelp has had all of the luck fishing ....4 flying fish.
Joanna here- and at least I am trying.
Two of the flying fish on deck have been saved and thrown back NOT
BAIT. (sorry John Makela). He left some in the freezer from last
spring delivery. I want to paint a picture to all of you-- two v-shaped
bean bags on either side of the helm seat, with the two on watch
cradled in them with appropriate cocktails in hand, a spectacular
sunset with big clouds, water is 78 degrees, going 9.2 kts in 10
kts breeze with the reacher AND the mini golly up (don't we wish
that for the Eggomogin Reach Regattas), with Lincoln and Alice still
playing country games BUT Tom and I are taking turns beating each
other with cribbage. There is popcorn too. URI needs a new name
so we are taking suggestions.
Today has become hot on deck but
Alice & I urged the boys to shower with some delightful Badedas
chestnut soap. The conversations go from weather dodging, to cataract
and Lasek surgeries on eyes, to maritime history and college roommates.
And then the politics. Watching movies with the engine on is an
exercise in choosing one with subtitles We cannot hear it. We have
had Sunday morning with Billie Holidays courtesy of Phin and stacking
the CD player.
Today the aft head is leaking enough
to return the broken teak grate in it. I have bagged all the winter
gear to go home while I was looking for the speedo. Everyone else
has proper bathing suits to bathe in. I can smell the fragrances
as we type. Have just enough frozen meals to get us through a day
or two in Antigua but Jimmy's sounds real good, as does his Rum
punches. I think I would like to leave freezer NOT running this
time.
Phin- A list of broken, dubious, irritating or non functioning
gear:
- Two snatch blocks ( Phin bent reefing when he didn't lock them
closed correctly.)
- A 12mm ss anchor shackle not seized. It unwound the pin as
it worked back and forth under load and bent into a work of art
- The rule aft gray water pump- stuck in the on position. Contacts
melted we suppose. With the engine running there is no way to
tell that it is stuck on. I assume it melted the contacts.
- We are discovering sand paper sheets in the bilge which raise
hell with the bilge pump which is going on because the dripless
stuffing box is dripping. (Not adjusted properly.)
- The jabsco pump in the aft head is leaking around the o-ring
because we took it apart and didn't get it right on reassembly.
- Blown spreader light on main mast port side.
- Tthe asymmetrical spinnaker sheet ripped a boom light off.
- Several of the zippers on the bimini are failing, there is
no "heel" fitting to hold the two sides of the zipper together
where it starts.
- Not happy with the sheets and halyards. The line is way too
hard to coil and acts more like wire. It gets kinked and doesn't
go through blocks. I am sure we could lift the boat up with the
line but it isn't necessary. What is necessary is a line that
coils traditionally fits the hand, is supple and stretches to
give the fittings some shock protection.
- The teak grate in the aft head couldn't stand a person's weight
on it, some of the laths broke.
- The radiator cover in the galley was never attached it fell
out.
- The sway hooks leak, they were never bedded properly. This misplaced
frugality with the bedding compound is a generic problem.
- The galley stove hits the stainless liner when it gimbals. The
offending corner of the stove or liner will have to be cut back.
- The Auto pilot and the SSB are not compatible. The auto-pilot
broadcasts an unreasonable whine and transmitting with the SSB
sets off a rudder alarm.
- The starboard running light deck fitting is wet and leaking
electricity into the chain plates.
- There is a deck leak near the corner post in the galley over
the ice box. Port tack problem.
- There is a leak in the port light on the forward scuttle.
- The switch on the florescent light in the aft head is temperamental
- A driver for a program is bad on the computer and there is something
that grabs com-1 port away from UUplus. There were some boot failures.
- The cute chafe tape put on the main sail panel stitching has
transferred itself to the back stays.
- There needs to be a low voltage alarm for the house batteries.
The auto pilot takes a lot of juice.
- The fishing tackle is ineffective.
When you consider how complex the boat is this is a pretty small
list. My guess is that I will know the boat and the systems and
the shake down period will be over by the time we get back to Portland
next summer. Cheers! Phin
November 23 (Tuesday) Update:
Phineas Sprague, Jr. --
We went "On Soundings" at 0600 Nov 23rd 17
01.773 N 61 37.704. 936 miles from Bermuda 136.66 hours Av.
6.84 Knots 164 miles per day. We powered about 50 hours. The day
tank has 40%, the starboard aft tank is empty, and we haven't touched
the forward tank. The last 4 days were spectacular sailing. The
asymmetrical and the main had the boat reaching at almost the wind
speed. 14 knots true at 120 deg relative is plenty for the asymmetrical
and main to move us at hull speed. The real break through was that
the Auto-pilot worked like a champ! So sad we will be flying out
tomorrow. Cheers! -- Phin
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