Seeing the ice in clear skies was a hell of a reward for the heavy weather yesterday. Thus far we’ve stopped to admire two big bergs from close range, bringing in ICEBEAR under power (the wind, after all that fuss, shut down completely around 1200 noon as we rounded Cape Race) to within a hundred yards or so. I put the drone up to get a bird’s eye view, and the crew stopped to admire the beauty of nature’s most striking sculpture. Both bergs we stopped for had at some point in their decay rolled, for the tops of them were pure white and smooth as marble, highlighted in spots by deep turquoise cracks where they’d broken apart and re-frozen during their lifespan.
This has been all over my Facebook page the past couple of days, thanks to Kevin King, who crewed with us and took the footage. When the whale first approached, we were in awe, and just enjoyed his company. Kevin wanted to film right away, but I kind of discouraged him - if you're always behind the camera, you can't appreciate what's right in front of you. But the whale kept coming back! I was afraid jamming the camera down in the water might scare him off (he thinking it might be a harpoon!), but eventually we gave it a go. I think it was worth it!
This was written yesterday, posted today (Monday). Photos below.
We arrived into St. Croix yesterday afternoon after what I think was probably the easiest passage I’ve ever done. We sailed on starboard tack the whole way, broad reaching in anywhere from 8-25 knots, and only motoring for one hour, through a pretty calm spot when the sails were banging around and we had to roll up the jib.
I will have WAY more to say about this in due time, but wanted to post it immediately. Thanks to Dave for sharing - you know who you are. Might we have finally reached a tipping point when it comes to taking offshore sailing seriously, instead of a ride to warmer weather?
I just had an interesting email exchange with a friend whose in the (years-long) process of outfitting his boat for extended ocean cruising. The boat is similar to Arcturus, and we have similar ideas about things, and somehow got in touch a few years back. Anyway, we've had several of these types of exchanges. I won't say who it is out of respect for his privacy, but I want to publish my response to his latest email about rigging, sails and engines. I'll preface each section with what I'm about to discuss, but won't include anything specific that he's emailed me. What's your take?
Imagine tossing a chicken carcass into a cage of hungry wolves, I think that’s a good idea of what feeding time looks like on a lot of offshore racers and delivery boats. As cook, on a sea going racer, you need not worry about comparisons to the finer restaurants in town. The ingredients for success are simple; two large deep pots, garlic and onions, a little planning, and variety, and watch your fingers at feeding time.
Mia and Andy will be heading to St. Lucia on Sunday for the finish of the ARC. But the first boat's have already gotten there! Sailing the 3,000+ mile route from the Canaries to St. Lucia in just over 8 days, Leopard of Finland smashed the course record by more than 2 days. Here's the official story from St. Lucia.
Despite several boats still at sea when the awards got underway, it was a very festive atmosphere on the beachside deck at Nanny Cay Marina. Crews that had been sweaty and salty for nearly two weeks at sea showed up in their shoreside best, with matching crew shirts and tropical island colors. After the crowd gathered round the bar for a quick beer or rum punch, the awards got going in earnest just before 5pm, as the sun was disappearing behind the hillsides in the west, offering up a much needed respite from the brutal afternoon heat.
Lee Cumberland, crew member aboard the catamaran 'Tandem II' in the 2014 Caribbean 1500 rally, write about what he's learned over the past year sailing on offshore deliveries. How to pack, where to sleep, how to act and what to do if you're new to the offshore sailing game. Lee sailed with Andy last spring on a few deliveries to and from New England.
Andy Schell reviews the new documentary about the life of Matt Rutherford and how he went from troubled teenager to legendary solo sailor. In short - watch it. It's an inspirational tale and an absolutely riveting recounting of what will go down in history as one of the greatest small boat voyages of all time. The fact that Matt nearly ended up spending his life in prison only makes it more interesting. Truly moving. The movie makes it's theatrical debut this Friday in New York City at the Quad Cinema. Click for tickets.
Watch the official trailer of the Matt Rutherford story about his epic voyage around the america's and his unbelievable childhood that put him on the path to become one of the greatest sailors of the modern world. Red Dot on the Ocean premiere's this Friday, October 24, at the Quad Cinema in New York City. Look for Andy Schell's full review later today, Tuesday October 21.
Paul Exner returns with another intimate and thoughtful story written in his unique stream-of-consciousness style. It's Part 2 of his adventures with a cranky diesel engine and boisterous Caribbean conditions on a recent Modern Geographic Expedition. If you missed Part 1, click here.
Paul Exner of Modern Geographic Expeditions makes his 59º North debut and gives an intimate and realistic look at what it's like dealing with a diesel engine repair in the West Indies. Exner's style is thoughtful and reflective, and gives a rare glimpse into the mind of an expedition leader on a nervous deadline. Part 1 of 2.
Mario Vittone, retired USCG rescue swimmer and noted expert on ocean wilderness survival, recounts the dramatic rescue of the sailing yacht Mirage in 1995, and how not to end up in the same situation. "The three sailors that he put in the back of the helicopter with me don’t know that we don’t have enough gas to get back. Not into this headwind. Pilot Jay Balda is thinking that his crew might be dead soon and its all his fault."
Originally published here on mariovittone.com. Click to see the comments chain, just as interesting as the article itself.
I was very excited to see my newest article, "Don Street is not Dead" out in the May 2014 issue of SAIL magazine, which just got delivered yesterday. Normally writers cringe when their editors get a hold of their work, but I was very pleased with the work that Peter, Charlie and Meredith did on this piece, which was over a year in the making. The left my 'voice' intact.
That said, we had to cut a lot! The published piece is something like 1,500-2,000 words. My first draft, on the other hand, was over 5,000! The podcast I did with Don, which gave me a lot of material for the article, ran at nearly 90 minutes. So in a series of posts here now, I'd like to share some of the stories that didn't make the print article, but that shine more light on one of my sailing heroes. Read on.
