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| Crew: | Patrick and Rebecca Childress | ||
| Hailing Port: | Middletown, RI USA | ||
| Home Page: | http://www.whereisbrickhouse.com | ||
| Patrick completed a solo-circumnavigation on Juggernaut, a Catalina 27 in his younger days. He has been published in most U.S. and many foreign sailing magazines, for both his writing and photography. He co-authored a book titled “The Cruising Guide to Narragansett Bay and the South Coast of Massachusetts”.
He holds his 500 Ton Masters Captains License, and is an active delivery captain and instructor. His Ham license is a General. Patrick owned a home improvement business in Newport, RI but retired in June 2007 to cruise a second time around the world on Brick House. He is also, most importantly, Captain of Brick House, AND married to Rebecca! (July 4, 2007) Rebecca Childress (formerly Rebecca Taft) is an accomplished sailor as well. She has owned many boats ranging from a 17′ MacGregor, a Catalina 27′ and a 36′ Catalina, and now the Valiant 40 that she purchased a few years before meeting Patrick. (Lucky Patrick hah?) Before they head out on their circumnavigation, she had completed numerous blue water passages between Rhode Island and the Caribbean and passages across the Gulf of Mexico. Cruising has included the Bahama Islands, New England, Nova Scotia, the Florida coast and the BVIs, all in preparation for the day she could circumnavigate. Rebecca holds her 50 Ton Masters Captains License with towing and sailing endorsements. She is also a General Licensed Ham Radio Operator. She met Patrick on her first NARC Rally from Newport to Bermuda. She had always dreamed of sailing around the world, and knew that a passage to Bermuda in November would teach her more about heavy weather sailing since it is usually rough that time of year. Several years later when Patrick and Rebecca got together, they set their sites on earning enough money to cruise around the world together! Three years later, they had saved their money and were ready to move aboard! Rebecca was a very successful Realtor in Newport, RI, and has an extensive list of Computer Certifications and experience as well. After almost 7 years of exploring the Globe, they decided to add another crew member to Brick House. This was while in the island nation of Palau. We got Lily, a 7 week old practically wild little tiger kitten from a local apartment building. She has grown up on Brick House, learning how to sail ( the first time a freighter passed and stirred up a wake, she vomited at the wight of it. She hasnt beeen sick sine, even in 40 knots of wind!) She has learned how to fish, lets us know when people approach the boat, and has learned how to swim too. With almost 5000 miles and 5 countries under her belt, she is a well travelled cat. When she gets to a marina, she decides its time for her too to see the world! I guess she takes after us! Together, we make a great team taking our home around the world! |
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| Vessel Make/Model: | Valiant 40 #134 built in 1976 | ||
| Back to OLD Blog | |||
Brick House Dismasted in Kiribati, the middle of the Pacific!
This post recounts the moments following the dismasting disaster about the dismasting of our Bluewater sailboat, a Valiant 40, ‘Brick House’, in 2011, while sailing in the remote atolls of Kiribati, enroute to Vanuatu in the South Pacific
DISMASTED
Again my head slammed into the bent and mangled mast. What had appeared a rolly anchorage amongst coral reefs was a Twirl-A-Ride at the top of our broken mast stump. The other mast half was folded over the side of the boat, dipping in the water.
Tethered 20 feet above the deck the words of Bill Seifert in his book Offshore Sailing were being bounced out of my memory. “Cotter pins should not be bent open more than 10 degrees.” Cotter pins which were bent open at a small angle, holding dangling rigging, were easy to slip free from the clevis. The pins bent into a curlicue were taking all my effort, strength and patience to bend straight with pliers and small screwdrivers. They were becoming a real headache, in every form.
The day before, when sailing south in sunshine and gentle breeze, the squall had come on us suddenly. Rebecca, and I were below as the wind slammed. But it was only 30 knots; wind this boat can easily handle although I would have preferred to shorten sail. As I moved to the wheel to turn downwind to ease the pressure, I heard a pop and watched the top of the mast along with reefed mainsail and genoa, fold gracefully to starboard; the mast creasing just below the spreaders. Situations I had read and heard about in wild weather in terrible latitudes were now upon my wife and me. The big difference was that we were dressed in shorts and T-shirts 95 miles south of the equator and 307 miles west of the International Date Line, near the southern stretch of the Kirabati atolls.
With the wind dropping and rain slowing, Rebecca stood eagerly on deck asking what she could do to help. But where do you start to pick up a disaster when everything broken is high overhead or in the water out of reach? I too was at a loss, responding “Tell ME what to do!”
Then the mast section sticking up from the deck jerked sharply to starboard as though it could be twisted out of shape. That marked the starting point. We had already turned downwind to ease the rolling but the jib furler and genoa dragging in the water were still attached to the top of the mast which was also scraping the ocean with each roll of the boat. The sail, having opened like a baleen’s mouth, transferred tremendous pressure, torquing what remained of the unsupported rig. It became obvious that the immediate job was to dive into the ocean and cut the genoa halyard free of the dragging and plunging mast tip and pull the toggle pin to free the head stay and genoa furler. But the boat could leave me behind creating an additional unpleasant situation. We looked over the sides and pulled what wet sails and lines we could find inside of the lifelines before starting the engine. Shifting into reverse at idle, the tortured genoa wallowed and collapsed its load of ocean and sat there undulating like a large Dacron jellyfish.Although Brick House was no longer moving, I wore a life jacket and rope tether for my initial time in the ocean. If I were injured or the boat began to move again, this would give Rebecca a lifeline to me. Later, swim fins without a lifejacket gave me the mobility needed to complete the work.With the ocean and mast moving in syncopated directions, the work was dangerous and difficult, limiting me to intermittent attempts at freeing the sail hanging from the upside-down mast. The biggest threat was being punched in the head or shoulders by the mast slamming then pulling back from the ocean. I was watchful, but with one plunge I was unable to move quick enough. In nanoseconds, I had the frightening feeling of terrible injury as growing pressure seemed intent to pierce my thigh; but the offending VHF antenna bent like a child’s sword leaving me only with a feeling of good luck. As soon as the genoa was freed from the mast, Rebecca stopped the engine and together we hauled the sail and furling gear on board.
Then the mast section sticking up from the deck jerked sharply to starboard as though it could be twisted out of shape. That marked the starting point. We had already turned downwind to ease the rolling but the jib furler and genoa dragging in the water were still attached to the top of the mast which was also scraping the ocean with each roll of the boat. The sail, having opened like a baleen’s mouth, transferred tremendous pressure, torquing what remained of the unsupported rig. It became obvious that the immediate job was to dive into the ocean and cut the genoa halyard free of the dragging and plunging mast tip and pull the toggle pin to free the head stay and genoa furler. But the boat could leave me behind creating an additional unpleasant situation. We looked over the sides and pulled what wet sails and lines we could find inside of the lifelines before starting the engine. Shifting into reverse at idle, the tortured genoa wallowed and collapsed its load of ocean and sat there undulating like a large Dacron jellyfish.Although Brick House was no longer moving, I wore a life jacket and rope tether for my initial time in the ocean. If I were injured or the boat began to move again, this would give Rebecca a lifeline to me. Later, swim fins without a lifejacket gave me the mobility needed to complete the work.With the ocean and mast moving in syncopated directions, the work was dangerous and difficult, limiting me to intermittent attempts at freeing the sail hanging from the upside-down mast. The biggest threat was being punched in the head or shoulders by the mast slamming then pulling back from the ocean. I was watchful, but with one plunge I was unable to move quick enough. In nanoseconds, I had the frightening feeling of terrible injury as growing pressure seemed intent to pierce my thigh; but the offending VHF antenna bent like a child’s sword leaving me only with a feeling of good luck. As soon as the genoa was freed from the mast, Rebecca stopped the engine and together we hauled the sail and furling gear on board.
It was the failure of the port upper shroud chainplate that caused the mast to fold. In the fall, the upper shroud wrapped over the top of the stump pulling with it, 4 feet into the air, a 5 gallon jug of outboard gasoline. The gas spilled a slippery, smelly slick on the port side deck which added to our difficulties. The other shrouds lay in a mass of stiff spaghetti snaking around the deck.
We did not want to pull pins or cut cables and heave equipment overboard. We needed to save and rebuild everything we could. Besides, with a keel stepped mast, there is no way to jettison a bent and toppled mast without first cutting it through at deck level.
It took hours to regain order and secure supports to the dragging mast head. We hardly noticed the sun disappearing till we could see no more. But now we could not risk starting the engine for a second time without first entering the dark ocean and verify fully nothing would tangle in the propeller.
Our underwater light was invaluable this evening. Normally I plunge the reefs in daylight looking for sizable fish to pursue. Tonight I entered the black ocean slowly, the narrow beam of light searching for the profile and glinting eyes of large pursuers. But in the glow, the keel of Brick House and I were the only things swimming. Everything below the waterline looked tranquil except for the boarding ladder which rolled and bubbled deep in white foam then rose again. We could start the engine and be on our way. Click,click,click. How could this be? The only time in four years, when I most need the engine to start, and it won’t turn over even though the battery is fully charged! Click, click, click. Unbelievable. I am always in the engine room checking, cleaning, changing. Click, click. I had visions of now jury rig sailing southwest, 960 miles to Vanuatu. Rebecca put the battery selector to “Both”. The engine dragged slowly then revved and purred. At no time after this did the engine ever falter to start!
The north end of Tabiteuea is not an atoll but a long, low coconut island open to the west. It was the least bumpy anchorage we could reach in our situation. We had all night to pass the 25 miles to get there. Only when the sun was high did we slowly wind through the uncharted labyrinth of coral till our way was fully blocked, two miles from shore.
In the light of a new day, Rebecca was incredibly despondent looking at our broken home. I reminded her about the quote; “The difference between adversity and adventure is attitude.” I asked, “Isn’t this an adventure?!” Her eyes reddened and watered, “We are ruined…this is nothing but a disaster!!!” In reality our situation could have been worse. At least we had our rudder and plenty of diesel fuel. But she pointed out, “If we had only known to change the chain plate we would be on our way to Vanuatu or Rotuma.”
In my diligence to shine our stainless steel, I had been polishing away the evidence. At the top of the chainplate, a second layer of steel had been welded to add thickness for the clevis pin to pull against. Moisture had been seeping between the two metals at the clevis pin hole. That chainplate was going to break and with luck it failed where an anchorage was not far away. I should have inspected the chainplates with a magnifying glass and crack exposing dye or, better yet, replaced them on a scheduled basis like we do the wire stays.
In our bumpy anchorage the first task was to save the main sail. When the mast folded, the main sail slides did the splits; one group stayed on the vertical mast stump and the remaining were stuck in the fallen section. The stress stopped at a point which allowed the sail to spread but not enough to tear it apart. The first order was to reach the uppermost slide on the stump and cut the tabbing or pull the pin on the slide to relieve the pressure. Using the halyard brakes for steps, just enough of a toe hold allowed the proper reach. With that release of pressure the remaining slides on one side of the sail slid off the bent mast into the ocean. The other slides were released from the mast at the gooseneck. The mainsail was then flaked onto the boom and covered with the sail cover.
The next problem was to figure out how to get to the top of the stump. From there I could then release more dangling wires, secure rope stays all around and set blocks for halyards. Lacking the native skills to climb coconut palms, we decided to first get a messenger line over the mast to which a stronger line would follow.
The one firearm we have on board is a high powered slingshot. It seemed reasonably simple to shoot a projectile with kite string attached over the mast. The problem was, no matter how carefully the string was flaked in preparation for the shot, the run would snag on the slightest resistance and pull itself into a tangle. Far more time was spent untangling cats cradles than slinging out the projectile. We pulled out the heavy artillery. The monkey’s fist is a hardball of zinc artfully wrapped in rope and tied to 3/16″ line. Although cushioned by the wounds of line, the fist can smash solar panels and split deck hatches. As I was gearing up for my aerial bombardment, Rebecca scrambled to spread a bed of cushions.
Throw after throw of the monkey’s fist went high, low, and into left field. Several times the fist draped over a hard spot and doubled back to wind around its trailing line like a tether ball. With great fortune, like a tether ball, it always unwound itself rather than spinning into a knot high out of reach.
I always had a better chance tossing a wringer with my eyes closed. After 18 throws, my tosses became less calculating and more menacing as my eyes squinted tighter. But then, as persistence and luck would have it, the fist sailed in a perfect arch gracefully laying its trailing line over the mast top at just the right angle. This messenger line pulled the 7/16″ diameter line over the mast and was secured to a cleat. To that line was attached the Top Climber.
The Top Climber is similar to what rock climbers or giant Sequoia tree ascenders use. The method is to stand in the foot straps then slide the hand gripper up the line to bring up the seat straps. Sitting in the seat straps, the foot straps are then slid up the line. It is progress which enables the user to easily identify with the mechanics of an inchworm. The system may be slow but it works for unassisted elevating. In a rolly anchorage, a helmet would be useful to ease the battering.
If the Top Climber system had not worked, there are two other ways to get to the top of the mast. The same 7/16″ line could pull up a block and tackle to which a bosuns chair is attached. A person in the chair can hoist himself and secure the line to the chair at the proper elevation. Any 50ish man who has used this system says it will tend to cramp the hands and certainly is not as easy to use as it once was. However, a person on deck could assist with the pulling and then secure the line to a deck cleat. The last option is to use the natives of the Pacific as inspiration and simply shinny the mast as it were a coconut palm while wearing a harness. At the top, the tether attached to the harness would be wrapped over the top of the mast and quickly made fast. Hanging there, the lines and pulley necessary for a bosuns chair could be secured before making a decent. This latter method is made even more difficult as hanging in mid air, ones own body weight gradually crushes deeper against the harness straps making movement and breathing difficult. Safe working time is short. While I was aloft on the Top Climber, Rebecca did what she could to steady lines to keep me from swinging and banging so hard against the rigging.
With access to the mast top, I was able only then to see a single bolt head from the running pole slide was all that the rope was truly resting on. A slip off that finger hold and I would have to grab something quickly as my support line would slide down the broken stay, over the spreader and into the ocean. There was little alternative but to stay focused and keep working while keeping constant pressure on the support line. I continued to drop all unnecessary wire stays and salvable electrical fitting from the mast to Rebecca’s waiting hands below. Spare lines from the cockpit locker were wrapped, woven and tied around the stump top to form head stays and back stays and shrouds. From three separate looped lines, 3 blocks were shackled and halyard lines rove. My work aloft, for this rocking anchorage anyway, was complete and I inched my way down with a headache and a several red scrapes and dings.
The first item to be raised on a halyard was the emergency Single Side Band antenna. Ours is a 1/8″ stainless steel wire, insulated on each end with plastic thimbles and tied with lines to the stern and bow pulpit. Plastic water hose was slid to the middle so when raised, the wire would be insulated from contact with the mast. The minimum length for an emergency antenna is 23 feet, the longer the better. Originally intended to go up a masthead halyard, our antenna is 46′ long. GTO-15 wire is the most prescribed wire for connecting the antenna to the antenna tuner but in our case the largest core wire we had on the boat was used. Our emergency antenna worked equally, if not better than the antenna which came down with the rigging. Over the weeks ahead, we would keep in touch with cruisers nets and to begin organizing the repairs of our boat.
There were so many problems for us to solve, we had to discipline ourselves not to race ahead but to complete the most immediate job. When that task was complete then we could advance to the next item on the list. Now that our decks were cleared and organized and the dragging mast section was well supported, we could decide where we should sail for repairs. We could not sever and lower the bent mast to the deck till we reached a calmer anchorage. In the Tabiteuea anchorage it took 3 days to clear the rigging and get order to our decks. As we prepared to leave, we gained a renewed attitude and fortitude to rebuild our bricks.
Mast dragging
An off the wind radius had us looking for possibilities in Vanuautu and as far away as Australia and points north. What we needed most was fast mail and frequent cargo shipping from the U.S., a place to lay out a mast and a crane to lift it. 620 miles northwest lay Majuro, Marshall Islands. That U.S. associated island fit our repair requirements. But the seasonal winds were shifting to north of east which could make it a difficult, if not impossible target. We were racing the seasons with a slow, broken boat. Our first stop would be Tarawa, 225 miles to the northwest.
It must have been that seasonal shift which, for the only time in months, brought settled winds of less than 12 knots and at times a push from abaft the beam. Our odd looking sails assisted the diesel engine gliding us along at the most fuel efficient 1800 RPMs. Two days later we dropped the anchor in Tarawa off the town of Betio.
We found shelter in the middle of the perfectly calm but tiny inner harbor. Working from a bosuns chair, the sawing began where the mast was bent over. It took 3 fully charged batteries for our 18 volt Ryobi cordless reciprocating saw to work its way through most of the metal. This was one time Rebecca appreciated not carrying out her threat to empty my tool locker and refill it with a bicycle or sewing machine.
It was delicate work to guide the saw blade around halyards pinched inside the mast but slicing through the expensive bundle of electrical wires could not be avoided. An arm powered hacksaw blade made the final slices to drop the full weight of the mast section onto two halyards. With help from the crew of SV Summer Sky, it was surprisingly easy slackening one halyard while the safety of the other halyard supported the 150 pound weight of the mast. Near the deck, one halyard was repositioned at the balance point and the spar was rotated to the side deck where it was set on a cushion of fenders. The weight of that mast section was stowed on the starboard which would be the windward side of our next passage.
With a stubby rig that looked like something Shackleton would use to escape his Antarctic adventure, we worked our way north. As we sailed past other atolls we kept to their sheltered west shores and made comfortable progress in unseasonably tranquil conditions. Our bucket of luck was heavily tapped on this 390 mile passage. The customary 18 knot winds and large waves returned only as we picked up a mooring in the safety of Majuro.
At our destination, the tedious work of ordering materials and the wait for them to arrive would begin. Brick House had been cracked but soon it will sail with titanium chainplates and a rig to take us safely to whatever latitude we choose.
Are we insured? Find out How we choose to Insure this old boat!
A Tour of our Valiant 40. The Bluewater Sailboat. What do we like about it? What would we change?
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FLASHBACK! The Big Apple to Delaware…2007.
Little Neck Harbor, Approaching The Big Apple!
05 October 2007 | Little Neck Harbor, Outside of NYC
Rebecca Childress
We are just east of the East River/Hell Gate journey to the Big Apple! It has been a very windless passage down long island south, with many stop offs to see old friends and to make new ones! We met another Valiant 40 owner, Bob and Joan, on a beautiful 1990 Valiant…they have cruised more than 40,000 miles in it, and are still enjoying the boat. He is in his 80s, but seems more like he’s in his 50s! Very nice boat, very nice couple! WildWood was the name of their boat.
We saw Bob Williamson, another Valiant owner, in Westbrook,who Ive sailed with before on his Valiant 40. He took us out to a wonderful Italian dinner, gave us crew Tshirts from Black Douglas, his boat, and a nice bottle of wine. Thank you again Bob! It was so nice to see you again!
We stopped last night in Stamford CT, and finally got to see the beautiful home of Chester and Nicole. They helped us round up some groceries and then took us out to dinner. We thank them for dinner, and a hearty lunch of leftovers today as well! We used the final night of our 2 free nights of a slip at Brewers Marine Chain…so now it may be months, maybe years til our boat is tied to a dock again…she got her last freshwater ( from a hose) bath, and we stepped for potentially the last step from the boat to the dock. From here on in, its from a dock to the dinghy, then to the boat…kind of fun thinking about that!
Traffic was busier as we approached the city with lots ot tug boats, barges, and recreational boats. The AIS system helped alot to tell us if we were on any kind of collision course with the bigger ships or not, so that we could adjust our course early.
Now we are anchored in Little Neck Harbor, protected from a southwest wind that just came up, just as the Saildoc weather reports said it would…glad we came here and not City Island. Patrick said a few minutes ago how relaxed he feels, and then has proceeded to pass out on the couch. I wonder if this is it for our Friday night!?! Tomorrow we will be tied up in the 79th Street Boat Basin right near downtown Manhattan! Legs, get ready! The wind is finally blowing enough for the wind generator. As I type this, the Windbugger wind generator is topping off the batteries…no gain, no loss, how nice!
The Big Apple!
06 October 2007 | 79Th Street Boat Basin, NYC
Rebecca Childress
We arrived today after a very foggy passage through Hell Gate. The sun cleared, and we enjoyed a breezy 85 degree day here!. We will see a Broadway show tomorrow or Monday, as well as take a city Tour on the busses. We will watch the sun go down atop the Empire State Building, and walk a LOT! After 3 or 4 days, we will head south, and try to escape the colder weather that is approaching!
New York City- The fun continues!
10 October 2007 | 79th Street Boat Basin, NYC
Patrick Childress
We walked the sidewalk of one of the priciest residential areas in the world, past the Dakota where John Lennon once lived then crossed the street to Central Park. We were doing a walk across the park to see what is there. We had just passed a little ground level monument called Strawberry Fields when we saw one of the few street, or in this case, park fellows camped out on a bench. There really aren’t many street people around these days. New York City is quite different from the misimpressions many have of the place. The bench dwellers sign was interesting and he did not look all that scary. (See picture in album)We had in our backpack a Mountain Dew bottle with special toasting contents for later that afternoon when we would be on top of the Empire State Building watching the sun set over New Jersey. I don’t like giving money to people on the street but would rather give them a sandwich or something the money should buy. I just got inspired so Rebecca and I did a U-turn. Fred was well spoken and seemed like a nice guy. I asked if he had a cup and he pulled from a bag, an empty can. I told Fred to be careful with what I was giving him. Fred took a sip, “Very tasty” he commented. Have a nice Columbus Day Fred.
There are always a lot of people and couples enjoying Central Park. There is nothing threatening about this place. On the contrary the street musicians help to keep a happy atmosphere. We waked past a large man made pond where you can rent remote control sail boats. What makes for a nice day in the park does not make for a good day of sailing on the pond. There were at least 18 boats ghosting around. Near the east side of the park we turned right and slowed down at the zoo. From outside the short zoo fence we watched 10 minutes of the sea lion show then moved on as it was getting late in the day. Back on the city street by the CBS studios, the third bus we approached finally was the one to take us to the Empire State Building. We already left the stop and Rebecca took a seat behind the driver while I tried to figure out how to pay for our ride. The drivers machine would only take change, no bills. We had a problem. The driver had me empty my pocket of change into the machine. There was not that many coins but it got us the ride. It was a bit crowded on the observation deck of the Empire State Building but all the people with different accents added to the fun. From 80 stories up, it was a beautiful red sunset through only a thin veil of haze on the horizon. We stayed and watched as all the tall and short and wide buildings of the city evolved from monochrome hues to pinpricks of white then reds, blues, greens and all the neon colors which lit up and outlined buildings, streets and bridges and made it seem as day again but with many more colors. When we walked out the front door of the Empire State Building onto 34th street we took a left. Flood, a good looking black teenager, or was he in his early twenties, was there hawking a rap CD. I don’t know why he followed us around the corner to 5th Ave and I don’t know why I started talking to him. Maybe it was that long Mountain Dew toast and quick change in air pressure from 80 stories up. I told him to look at me, why would you think I would be into Rap. Now if you have some good Soul like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye or Sam and Dave I could be interested. Flood looked at me with a total blank. I don’t think he ever heard of these finer names. Then Flood threw into his sales pitch that he recorded the CD himself, he would let me have it for $5. I thought why not take a chance. At least he is out working and trying to do something productive. Much later when we listened to the CD we were impressed. We could understand the words and they did tell a story.Walking along fortysomething street at seven minutes till eight PM, we were looking for some 1950’s chrome hamburger place we had passed yesterday or the day before. We have put on a lot of miles on the sidewalks of NYC but still have not learned our way back to anything but the tallest landmarks. As we approached another marques overhanging the sidewalk it said John Mayall and Dave Mason. We stopped. I had to ask the doorman standing at the velvet rope, who was playing tonight. He said John Mayall and Dave Mason. What time do they start, In 5 minutes from now. It is amazing how fast one’s plans or lack of plans can change in New York City. Rebecca and I got 2 great seats up front at BB Kings. John Mayall was good but was merely the opening act for Dave Mason who barreled through 2 hours of Traffic songs. Mason did not need Clapton on lead guitar. The guy playing lead was flawless. It was an incredible night of tight music. What a treat.
There are always a lot of people and couples enjoying Central Park. There is nothing threatening about this place. On the contrary the street musicians help to keep a happy atmosphere. We waked past a large man made pond where you can rent remote control sail boats. What makes for a nice day in the park does not make for a good day of sailing on the pond. There were at least 18 boats ghosting around. Near the east side of the park we turned right and slowed down at the zoo. From outside the short zoo fence we watched 10 minutes of the sea lion show then moved on as it was getting late in the day. Back on the city street by the CBS studios, the third bus we approached finally was the one to take us to the Empire State Building. We already left the stop and Rebecca took a seat behind the driver while I tried to figure out how to pay for our ride. The drivers machine would only take change, no bills. We had a problem. The driver had me empty my pocket of change into the machine. There was not that many coins but it got us the ride. It was a bit crowded on the observation deck of the Empire State Building but all the people with different accents added to the fun. From 80 stories up, it was a beautiful red sunset through only a thin veil of haze on the horizon. We stayed and watched as all the tall and short and wide buildings of the city evolved from monochrome hues to pinpricks of white then reds, blues, greens and all the neon colors which lit up and outlined buildings, streets and bridges and made it seem as day again but with many more colors. When we walked out the front door of the Empire State Building onto 34th street we took a left. Flood, a good looking black teenager, or was he in his early twenties, was there hawking a rap CD. I don’t know why he followed us around the corner to 5th Ave and I don’t know why I started talking to him. Maybe it was that long Mountain Dew toast and quick change in air pressure from 80 stories up. I told him to look at me, why would you think I would be into Rap. Now if you have some good Soul like Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye or Sam and Dave I could be interested. Flood looked at me with a total blank. I don’t think he ever heard of these finer names. Then Flood threw into his sales pitch that he recorded the CD himself, he would let me have it for $5. I thought why not take a chance. At least he is out working and trying to do something productive. Much later when we listened to the CD we were impressed. We could understand the words and they did tell a story.Walking along fortysomething street at seven minutes till eight PM, we were looking for some 1950’s chrome hamburger place we had passed yesterday or the day before. We have put on a lot of miles on the sidewalks of NYC but still have not learned our way back to anything but the tallest landmarks. As we approached another marques overhanging the sidewalk it said John Mayall and Dave Mason. We stopped. I had to ask the doorman standing at the velvet rope, who was playing tonight. He said John Mayall and Dave Mason. What time do they start, In 5 minutes from now. It is amazing how fast one’s plans or lack of plans can change in New York City. Rebecca and I got 2 great seats up front at BB Kings. John Mayall was good but was merely the opening act for Dave Mason who barreled through 2 hours of Traffic songs. Mason did not need Clapton on lead guitar. The guy playing lead was flawless. It was an incredible night of tight music. What a treat.
You cannot go to NYC and not see a play. We saw Mamma Mia. How impressive the skill, the voices, the energy, the ornateness of the theater. Thanks Peter G for suggesting Mamma Mia. And I so ignorantly suggested Abba was dorky music. To help remember the fun time, we went to the music store and bought the CD. We could easily spend another four days in NYC but that would deplete our cruising fund by 6 months. Time to sail on south!
Good bye to NYC
10 October 2007 | Sandy Hook, NJ
Patrick Childress
The sun was out but it was cool as we sailed down the Hudson River past the long tall skyline of NYC. The cold, we needed to get south where we don’t have to wear sweatshirts and layers to be comfortable. We sailed on by a statue of a tall lady waving goodbye to us. Someone told me long ago “the best time to leave a place is when you are having fun. The memories will always be good and you will always want to return.” Already, we are looking forward to that big green lady to be waving hello to us in a few years!
Dodging huge ferry boats, anchored barges and fast moving tug boats (this is not a harbor for a sailor who does not know the rules of the road, and at times willing to press the issue) we made our way seaward under the huge Varrezano Narrows Bridge. Several hours later we sailed into a harbor at Sandy Hook. After a nights rest, this would be our jumping off spot into the Atlantic Ocean. The harbor we first pulled into was formed by a manmade breakwater. It was as crowded as a charter boat anchorage in the Caribbean. With the wind shift and high winds anticipated later that night, it looked like the making for a Caribbean style anchoring fiasco. We took our chances and sailed two miles across to an area near the point of Sandy Hook and dropped the anchor in a nice little cove surrounded by a tree lined but rocky shore. The wind was now blowing strong but we were well protected in the calm nook. That would change after midnight with the wind shift exposing us to a full fetch and much larger waves. We have a 65 pound anchor and all chain rode. This will be a good test. After we were settled in for the rough night ahead, a 40′ sailboat from Canada, named Falcons Nest, with only one person on board, dropped their hook not to far from us.
After midnight the wind did shift to the west with gusts up to 35 knots. The wind generator on the back of our boat sounded like the unbalanced engine of a Cessna 150. The vibrating prop was well above head height but still seemed dangerously close. It was mounted there years ago by a previous owner but still we had to wonder what if it came flying loose, what a mess it would make. The Cessna was pumping out 14 amps and topping off our large bank of batteries.
All night we left the Raymarine chart plotter on and set it in tracking mode. The tracks showed us swinging in an arch, back and forth, with the wind shifts. Rebecca also set up a drift distance alarm and a depth sounder alarm and an alarm on the RADAR. Yes, Rebecca is a bit of an alarmist but we only started this trip 14 days ago. I slept at the chart table, occasionally raising my head to keep an eye on all the electronics and to poke my head out the cockpit. Rebecca slept in the bunk. Rebecca’s hearing is so good she could hear the electronic alarms if she were standing on shore. One neat thing Rebecca did do was take the wireless Tacktick instruments to bed with her. She had her wind and depth information on her pillow. With daylight the wind was still blowing strong and would do so all day. Looking outside I saw the Canadian boat had a little billow of sail which had come loose from his roller furling jib. It wasn’t much and the single hander was working on the little problem. A half hour later, Rebecca woke me and told me the Canadian was in trouble. As often happens, that little billow unfurled half his jib sail. It would not last long snapping around in 30 knots of wind. And it didn’t. It was being flogged into long panels. The extra windage was too much for his 25′ of anchor chain and 100’of nylon rode. He drifted past us within yelling distance. I offered to help but he did not feel comfortable dropping his dinghy from his davits to come get me. In the wind it would be impossible to launch our dinghy from our deck. Already he had called the Coast Guard, but he was quickly drifting towards a very rocky shore and the Coast Guard was nowhere in sight. I scrambled to float to him our 100′ of spare nylon anchor line in hopes our ground tackle would hold him and us. It took me too long and his boat was well past when the anchor line, buoyed by fenders, streamed straight behind us. Rebecca and I were both scared to death for the guy. We had seen the boat at the same marina in NYC a few days before. We assumed he was just beginning a voyage as we were and we did not want to witness his terrible end. We jumped to our Lofrans, Tigress windlass and let the chain fly. We already had 100′ out and tore through 135′ more. We had to keep the last 65′ of chain in the locker as a cushion and tightened up the brake on the windlass. The strong wind threw our bow around and we drifted quickly but still our rate of drift only matched his. As the jerk of our anchor pulled our bow back into the wind, the white fender with the nylon line attached was still 100′ in front of him. There was nothing more we could do. It was a terrible feeling to stand in our cockpit watching a disaster happen and unable to help. The Canadian had drifted from 14 feet of water and now was in 8 and the tide was going out. It appeared though, the shallow water enabled his anchor to catch as he was making little if any more drift towards the rocks. Like the Calvary, a small Coast Guard boat appeared on scene just in time. From deeper water they tossed a heaving line and passed a towing line to the Canadian. There would be no attempt to save the anchor. The Canadian had to cut the anchor free for the Coast Guard to tow him to safety. That evening we were able to talk to Canadian, Phil, on the VHF radio as he was tied safely to a dock. Of course the jib is destroyed and he lost his anchor. A jib sheet fell over the side and had wrapped around the propeller. His repairs are easy. It was a learning experience, and like for us, preparation for the more difficult anchoring in the coral environment of the Bahamas. Somewhere in the Bahamas the paths of Brick House and Falcons Nest will cross again. For the rest of the storm and till the following morning, Brick House sat to a 65 pound plow anchor and 235 feet of chain. It would take a lot more than 35 knots to budge us. I didn’t bother looking at the electronic drift alarms again.
Patrick
Misfortune at Sandy Hook, and Delaware Bay for a snooze
14 October 2007 | 38 47.415’N,075 08.724’W
Rebecca Childress
We spent a couple of nights in Sandy Hook, NJ. We arrived with one boat up on the beach, and took that as a warning! The one other boat arrived after us, making the total count in that anchorage 3…one on the beach, and 2 in the water including us. The winds wipped up for 48 hours, at about 30-35 knots, and we were fairly exposed, as the wind came around, to waves. I fell in love with my Tacktick instruments those couple of nights. Instead of getting up to see if the wind had increased , or our depth had decreased, or if our speed over ground was increasing….I SLEPT with a wireless display in my hands! If I awoke for a minute scared things were getting worse, I could look at the instrument clenched in my fist and see that all was OK. Of course we wtill had the anchor alarm on the Raymarine Chartplotter set so if I fell asleep and didnt look at my instruments at hand, we would know we were dragging anchor. But I must say it was WONDERFUL to have the wireless Tacktick instruments in BED with me! We had good luck, the guy next to us had bad luck, and lots of it. First his headsail unfurled, and got tangled miserably out of control. That windage then caused him to drag anchor. We spoke to him on the radio and told him to be careful of the lines he had over the side. He acknowledged but wasnt able to do anything with the lines for whatever reason. He then lost the engine, and could not motor against the dragging ( line tangled in his prop). He told us the coast guard was on the way for him. We could not launch our dinghy in that kind of wind and waves, and he was too afraid to launch his from his davits to come get Patrick who offered to go over there and help him. Patrick suggested he find a metal bar to help roll up the roller furling unit, but it was not well recieved. Patrick floated all of our spare anchor rode out to him with our fenders to try to get it over to him to hold him so we could hold him off the rocks if possible. We let out all of our anchor chain to try to float further back to him. There was just too much distance by this time, and we could not reach him. He was in water that on the chart said 3 feet, with big rocks and crashing waves behind him. Luckily, I guess, it was high tide so he wouldn’t go aground until he was on the rocks. Maybe low tide would have been better- at least then he would just be beached in the sand. But the coast guard arrived in the nick of time, and had him cut his anchor rode, and then towed him away to a nearby marina. It was so awful watching a boat that was similar to ours with a man onboard with similar plans to ours, being helplessless pulled towards the rocks, without being able to give him any help. If that guy did one thing MAJORLY wrong in MY opinion, it was not coming to get Patrick- Patrick would have made that boat stop dragging..but of course that guy doesnt know that about Patrick! ( I hope you read this soon- Patrick will read it and make me take it off !! :))
ON a happier note, the weather improved, our anchor stayed fast ( we had about a 15:1 scope of chain out!) , and we sailed out from there a day or so ago in glorious sunny weather.
We had a nice sail, a beam reach most of the way, past Atlantic City all lit up at night, about a 90 mile run down the coast. We arrived in the Delaware Bay this morning at about 10am to take a snooze..just because we can. Its nice to not be on a delivery type schedule! We will head back out in the next hour or two, to go another 110 miles down to Norfolk VA. The wind is from the west/northwest at about 15 knots, so it should be another nice sail down the coast. Both of us have done lots of offshore passages, lots of overnight sailing, lots of shorthanded overnight sailing, but its never been just the 2 of us offshore at night. We worked well together. I made dinner, then went to bed. I woke up at 12, and stayed on til 445am. Then he took over til I came up and we went in to port. Very easy and natural, no schedule, just both of us staying on as long as we could til having to pass it on to the next person. Well, time to batten down the hatches, and get ready for another cold but beautiful night! Its actually 70 degrees here right now, but it will be in the high 40s/low 50s sailing tonight. It was chilly last night! Thank god for our electronics that help one stay below a little longer, and in the cockpit for a little shorter. What music will I blast on my personal CD player tonight?
last night it was ABBA for me (Mamma Mia Broadway play CD). From listening to Patrick singing last night, I think he was listening to some serious RAP!
ON a happier note, the weather improved, our anchor stayed fast ( we had about a 15:1 scope of chain out!) , and we sailed out from there a day or so ago in glorious sunny weather.
We had a nice sail, a beam reach most of the way, past Atlantic City all lit up at night, about a 90 mile run down the coast. We arrived in the Delaware Bay this morning at about 10am to take a snooze..just because we can. Its nice to not be on a delivery type schedule! We will head back out in the next hour or two, to go another 110 miles down to Norfolk VA. The wind is from the west/northwest at about 15 knots, so it should be another nice sail down the coast. Both of us have done lots of offshore passages, lots of overnight sailing, lots of shorthanded overnight sailing, but its never been just the 2 of us offshore at night. We worked well together. I made dinner, then went to bed. I woke up at 12, and stayed on til 445am. Then he took over til I came up and we went in to port. Very easy and natural, no schedule, just both of us staying on as long as we could til having to pass it on to the next person. Well, time to batten down the hatches, and get ready for another cold but beautiful night! Its actually 70 degrees here right now, but it will be in the high 40s/low 50s sailing tonight. It was chilly last night! Thank god for our electronics that help one stay below a little longer, and in the cockpit for a little shorter. What music will I blast on my personal CD player tonight?
last night it was ABBA for me (Mamma Mia Broadway play CD). From listening to Patrick singing last night, I think he was listening to some serious RAP!
