Night watch

Neptune's wrath is in check tonight. A full sky of stars escort us along the coast of Assateague. (I do hope we don't hit a horse.)
NOAA forecast NW 10-15 with 3-4' seas as we left Atlantic City yesterday AM. We are headed for Norfolk and the entrance to the Dismal Swamp extension of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). Currently motor sailing with (you guessed it) jib and mizzen. This selection results from the ease of single handed sail handling from the cockpit. The seas has been confused and jumbled during this trip. Despite wearing harness/PFDs on deck and being clipped into jacklines the constantly changing movement of the boat as she is battered by the seas prevents one from wanting to venture forward to set or reef the main.

The tidbit I wanted to share was a water conservation plan we devised. The on demand hot water heater is in the galley. We have discovered that the plumbing from the heater to the shower in the head holds exactly one tea kettle of water. Tea and a warm shower what could be better?
All clear on the horizon. Good evening Orion.

Inventory

We have been putting Kairos through her paces. Pushing South through seas that in no way would be considered tranquil. Motorsailing most of the time. We now have more than 65 hours on the new engine and it is time for her first oil change.
So - how have we and she faired?
Ballantine has proven to have a strong stomach and amazing sea legs. However she has yet to "take a walk" on the boat. The geranium repeatedly tries to sacrifice itself to Neptune despite living on the gimbaled stove. We have an assortment of wet clothing and salty hair - but no other complaints. The jib could use a little sewing on the leech where a hem has given way. The alternator. The field wire has disconnected itself from the alternator in such a way that it requires soldering. Without a charging system we have had to turn off the refrigeration and computer to conserve power. So we motorsail on headed for Atlantic City and all of the pleasures that can be found there (read: grass for B and a soldering iron for the alt.).

Dog watch

In maritime usage the dog watch is the name for the two 2 hr watches from 1600 to 2000. Adding an extra watch each day results in an uneven number of watches thus ensuring even distribution of the night watches from one night to the next. (confused?) Well on Kairos we have a different kind of dog watch. Our watch is always 2 hrs long and for that two hours we are responsible for entertaining Ballantine. The dog. (Otherwise she gets bored and licks everything in sight.) Dinner might or might not fall during our dog watch.

Grey

We departed from Provincetown at 1756 EST just as the sun was setting. Unlike the sunset which welcomed us to P-town our departure sunset was a subdued affair fighting to be seen through the clouds. We raised the mizzen with a double reef and unfurled a bit of the jib as we passed Long Point light. The forecast predicted S/SW 10-15 gusting to 20 with 2-3 ft seas. We raced along making between 5.5 and 7.3 knots toward the North entrance of the canal. The seas were uneven and straight on our beam making for a sloppy ride. We arrived at the canal entrance at 2230 and as planned raced through with the tide making between 6 & 8 knots at only 1000rpm. The forecast predicted that the seas would lie down as the night progressed so we dropped the hook off of Mass Maritime for a short snooze. By 0245 we were up and motor-sailing down Buzzards Bay. As we approached the Narraganset Bay shipping lanes a dense fog set in and the wind died but large rolling swells continued. At 1330 we entered the breakwater for Old Harbor, Block Island and after attempting to reach the harbor master picked up a vacant mooring. The harbor master's answering machine stated that it was off season and that they closed at 1300 daily. Ballantine enjoyed a leisurely walk ashore as the fog rolled back in.
Plan: Sleep. Then head to NJ in the morning ahead of TS Ophelia. (Photo was taken offshore South of Buzzards Bay in the early morning.)

Ice!

An unexpected treat. We have partitioned off the section of the refrigerator closest to the evaporator plate, and created a freezer! Large enough to hold a quart of Haagen Dazs it also makes ice! So far I have only enjoyed an ice coffee but I foresee many gin & tonics in my future.

Gulf of Maine

25 September 2011 : 2148 UTC (1748 EST)
 Departed from dock in Thomaston, Maine



After 36 hours awake working and moving I watched the sun set, had a sandwich and retired below for a nap.



We stood 2 hour watches from 2300 until the sun rise. Friends had been asking if I was scared of the offshore night passage. My response was always in the negative. I was not scared I was thrilled with the expectation of seeing the stars again as they are only seen offshore. The flow of night watch quickly returned as I donned wool hat and self-inflating PFD / harness and clipped into the tether which would hold me securely on deck. I climbed into the cockpit and scanned the horizon. The configuration of navigation lights aboard other vessels returned from the deep recess of my brain to which they had been relegated. During the night I saw cruise ships heading North and other small vessels running our parallel course. In the early hours of the morning a trawler crossed our transom with their full complement of light - red over white fishing at night. I extended my final night watch to welcome the morning with the sun.
The day progressed - large SW swells but only a ripple on the water as we motored South. Around 1600 we sighted the Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown 15 miles off. At 2234 UTC (1834 EST) as the sun set we anchored off of Long Point Light in 8' of water 1 hour off low tide - the water clear and the crabs on the bottom visible. We dropped Chronos (the tender) and rowed Ballantine to the beach. The sand was soft, the water warm and boat framed before the town of Provincetown. Leg one of our trip complete.

1748 EST September 25, 2011

Underway!