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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/11/2014 : 12:44:36

I have a friend who is a yacht racer and does deliveries. He isn't racing in the Annapolis to Bermuda race this year, but he's skippering a 44' racer from Bermuda on the return trip to the US after the race, and he invited me to crew for him. I crewed for him on a shorter, 375 nm delivery last year, and got over my fear of motion sickness, with the aid of scopalomine. I bought a non-refundable plane ticket to Bermuda this morning, I have my passport, and my inflatable pfd, so it's too late to back out now. The skipper expects about a 6 day passage. On the outside chance that I don't make it for any reason, just remember that it happened while I was doing what I loved to do!

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1762 Posts

Response Posted - 05/11/2014 : 15:17:47

'COOL! Please follow up with a journal and photos!

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/12/2014 : 05:46:10

Your livin' the dream!....Have fun.

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 05/12/2014 : 07:16:32

That sounds excellent Steve! Have fun, be safe, and realize I'm totally jealous!

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 05/12/2014 : 10:43:48

would your friend mind if you carry a VERY LARGE suitcase? I am quite sure I can cram myself into one (I fit in my darned Capri 25 lazrette after all)... Boy I'd eat that sail up (yeah I've heard nightmares about the weather at times, but talk about a chance of a lifetime!

YES PICTURES... we would like to live the experience!

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2014 : 03:56:08

Our yacht, Widow Maker, a C&C 44, is 273 nm from Bermuda and currently making over 8 kts. It looks like she'll have good sailing conditions all day. A 200 mile day is a pretty good day by most standards. She's due to arrive at about 7:00 PM on Wednesday 25th. I am in Bermuda with Capt. and crew, enjoying the island and awaiting their arrival. Prices for everything here are startling, but the island is very historic and beautiful, and the residents are very nice. Our cottage is attractive and modern. We'll probably hit the beach today.

Edited by - Steve Milby on 06/23/2014 04:01:39

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 06/23/2014 : 07:05:49

You knew I would ask for pics!

The Boat & the Beach!

Paul

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2014 : 14:21:55

We got back late yesterday afternoon, and had a really good passage from Bermuda, but all crew are exhausted. We beat "Arthur" by 2-3 days and the boat is safe in her slip, with no damage from the trip. I'll post some photos and an account of the trip as soon as I can.

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 07/02/2014 : 17:55:08

very cool!

Edited by - on

Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2014 : 04:13:17

quote:
We beat "Arthur" by 2-3 days and the boat is safe in her slip,

quote:
On the outside chance that I don't make it for any reason, just remember that it happened while I was doing what I loved to do!

Well, you almost had that happen.....

Glad to hear you are back in port.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/03/2014 : 15:54:38

Well, I took photos with my tablet, and it isn't cooperating with the download to my laptop, so they will have to come later.

The boat is a C&C 44. It finished 8th in it's class and 35th in the fleet. In one day, we watched it move up from 70th overall to 24th, but it sailed into a windless hole the next day, and dropped back to finish in a respectable 35th overall. When we took over, the v berth was filled from floor to ceiling with sailbags, and more sails were in the saloon, along with the seabags of the 6 crew. Only 3 berths were usable, which means there must have been 3 crew on watch and 3 off during the race.

We arrived in BDA about 3 days before the racers, and stayed in a clean, modern cottage in St. George's, BDA that was rented for us by the boat's owner. While we waited for them to arrive, we saw the sights, shopped, and enjoyed the beaches and fine seafood and drinks of BDA. Hamilton is more commercial than St. George's, which is more like the quaint image that most of us have of BDA. The streets are extremely narrow and winding, and the folks drive on the wrong side. After their arrival, the race crew stayed in a beautiful waterfront accommodation called the "Bellagio," with a modern kitchen, great room with stone fireplace, large veranda, bedrooms and more, and both the race crew and return crew gathered there for a steak dinner after the race.

The next day, we removed and bagged the racing sails, and bent on the delivery sails that had been shipped there previously. It was stifling hot and humid that day, so we took a break in the work to jump over the side and cool off. We filled the tanks with fuel and
water, and we carried an additional 30 gallons of fuel lashed on deck in jerry jugs. We left BDA at about 7:00 pm, local time.

For the next five days, we sailed around the clock. Our watches were 6 hours on and 6 off during the day, and 4 hours on and off during the nights. The skipper adjusted the watch schedule when we were approaching the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay at Norfolk, because he wanted to be on watch as we entered, due to the commercial traffic, and the fact that we entered at night.

We relied on a commercial weather service for information, and were told about an as yet very disorganized cell that was approaching Florida, but, in order to become a threat to us, it still had to develop, and then travel north to our locale, and we thought it was unlikely to do so that quickly, but we kept an eye on it nonetheless. Our plan was to make the crossing as quickly as possible. We had enough fuel to motor most of the way to Norfolk, so, our plan was to start the motor whenever the winds became so light that we couldn't maintain a speed of between 4-5 kts. As it turned out, we had great winds and great boat speed for the first two days and nights, and that resulted in a fuel savings, and it also put alot of miles under our keel. For the next couple of days, the winds came and went, and we did lots of motorsailing. We approached the Gulf Stream approximately on line with Cape Hatteras, expecting the nearly 3 kt current to carry us north before we would pop out the other side at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. The skipper told me that, when he made his first yacht delivery from BDA to the Bay, he sailed the rhumb line, and the current carried him so far to the north of the entrance of the Bay that he thought he might have to sail north, and enter the Delaware Bay instead. Nevertheless, after eight deliveries, he hit his target perfectly this time, and we entered the Chesapeake Bay accompanied by a couple commercial ships following the same line.

After we passed through the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel, we were able to turn almost due north, to sail up the Bay. As we did so, the winds picked up, and we sailed north all night on the mainsail alone, at between 6-7 kts boatspeed. As the morning came on, the winds increased to between 20-25 kts with the wind dead astern, and our boatspeed likewise increased to between 7-8 kts, peaking once or twice at 9 kts. The big C&C was built for high winds and big seas, and she took it all effortlessly, sailing DDW on mainsail alone, on autopilot all the way. We all agreed that it was one of the greatest days of sailing each of us had ever experienced.

Along the way we saw probably over a hundred bottle nosed dolphins, numerous flying fish, rays and even a hammer head shark, and we saw more stars than I knew existed.

Until I can download my photos, the best I can do is post a sistership photo of the keel/centerboard C&C 44. Widow Maker has a black hull with white decks and coach roof, and a big, black spider on her big, white spinnaker.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 07/05/2014 : 08:26:59

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Milby

Well, I took photos with my tablet, and it isn't cooperating with the download to my laptop...

If it's an iPad and a windows PC, what I do is email pix to myself. Apple just doesn't want to play nicely with the rest of the world.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/05/2014 : 12:29:30

It's a Samsung tab 2. When I try to attach a photo to an email, it doesn't display a "browse" button. Instead it has a "choose file" button. When I hit that button and select a photo, it won't attach it to the email. It tells me to use the "browse" button, but it doesn't display one. Hmmmmm.

Edited by - on

Ben
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1234 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2014 : 11:50:24

Great story Steve, and I can't wait to see the pics. I love the name of the boat too! Widow Maker! I don't think my wife would let me board a boat with that name tho. ;)

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2014 : 13:05:47

I still haven't been able to access my photos, but the skipper took some photos that you can find on his webpage. Click on the following hyperlink and scroll down to "Bermuda 2014."

http://atlanticsailingexp.com/Photo%20Gallery/index.htm

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2014 : 14:16:34

quote:
Originally posted by Ben

Great story Steve, and I can't wait to see the pics. I love the name of the boat too! Widow Maker! I don't think my wife would let me board a boat with that name tho. ;)

I dunno. I'm not the least bit superstitious, but I think it's tempting fate to name a boat "Widow Maker."

Edited by - on

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2014 : 14:28:03

quote:
Originally posted by Steve Milby

It's a Samsung tab 2. When I try to attach a photo to an email, it doesn't display a "browse" button. Instead it has a "choose file" button. When I hit that button and select a photo, it won't attach it to the email. It tells me to use the "browse" button, but it doesn't display one. Hmmmmm.

Steve,
Assuming you've got a GMail account, that implies you've got a Google + account, which means all of your photos are automagically uploaded to your G+ account from your device. An Android device kinda implies a GMail account, so this is probably true for your account as well. Go to Google+ and select "Photos", find the ones you're interested in, then you can either download them, share them, whatever. That's how I post the great majority of my photos on here, is by sharing them there and using the URL.

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 07/08/2014 : 19:00:38

Google Drive, is pretty cool... install the app on the winders machine and also onto the tab... sync, done.
Delete off the drive when you are done... I use it to transfer stuff all the time between my phone (galaxy s4) and my lappie (winders 8.1).

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

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844 Posts

Response Posted - 07/22/2014 : 17:11:19

Great trip, Steve, congratulations, thanks for sharing.

Edited by - on

Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3312 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2014 : 14:51:38

Nice peaceful trip Steve. I'm insanely jealous!

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2014 : 15:15:35

Ditto!

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 07/23/2014 : 19:18:46

Very cool, were there any moments when you questioned whether you were carrying your weight? I would worry that I would only amount to ballast. Again, very cool.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2014 : 10:43:37

quote:
Originally posted by pastmember

Very cool, were there any moments when you questioned whether you were carrying your weight? I would worry that I would only amount to ballast. Again, very cool.

Ordinarily no, but on that trip, I did, briefly. Usually I am so enthusiastic about sailing that I am the first to jump up and grab a line or do whatever needs to be done, but on that trip, there were two younger guys who were eager, and they wanted to do the rigging and sail trimming, so I deferred and let them enjoy it. I washed the dishes and policed up the galley, which needs to be done after every meal. When we arrived, the galley gleamed. But, just standing watches around the clock on a small boat is plenty to carry your weight. It's tiring, and it takes me until some time into the second day before I get adjusted to the different sleep/wake cycle. Nevertheless, the reality is that everyone on the crew has to carry his weight, and, if you don't, you won't be invited along again.

Since the Bermuda trip, I did another delivery. Last Saturday four of us picked up an older Gulf Star 40 in Tullytown, PA and took it to a marina in the South River, just south of Annapolis. We checked the boat out carefully, and it appeared to be in good condition for it's age. We left at 7:00 pm, and sailed around the clock, arriving at about 7:00 pm the next day. By our own observations, the tidal range on the Delaware River in Tullytown is about 7-8 feet, so the tidal currents on the river are very powerful. We motored on the river.

The main challenge on the Delaware River is in navigating at night. The lighted channel markers fade into the lights that line the river, and it's difficult to identify the navigational marks. In addition, commerce on the river goes on all night. The river is lined with heavy industry and especially oil refineries, which you can easily identify by their smell. Big ships are docked alongside the river at each industrial site. On three occasions my watch-mate and I saw big ships that, at first, appeared to be docked, but after we watched them for a few moments, we saw that they were underway. One of them must not have seen us coming down the river before he entered the channel, and we had to put the wheel over hard to avoid being hit. IMO, the near-miss was clearly his fault. Notwithstanding his size, big ships have an obligation to look and see vessels that are already occupying a channel before they enter the channel from outside. They can't just run a smaller vessel down.

In any event, my watch mate is also a licensed and experienced delivery captain, and it really took the eyes and full attention of both of us to navigate the river hazards safely. Each of us pointed out navigational marks and hazards to each other. For example, we passed four navigational marks that were unlighted, and that appeared suddenly out of the dark.

Our skipper for this trip also reported many of the same difficulties that we experienced.

Next, we entered the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, where we began having problems with the engine overheating. It was leaking water somewhere, but we couldn't identify the source of the leak. We repeatedly stopped and refilled it, but it gradually worsened. After we left the canal and entered the Bay, it got so bad that we decided we couldn't use the motor anymore, so the captain, who has an elevated level of towing insurance, called Tow Boat US. While waiting for him, we raised the sails and continued making progress. The wind was only about 3-4 kts, so our progress was slow, but we were impressed with the big old boat's ability to sail and to point in light air. When Tow Boat US arrived and took us in tow, we followed him down the Bay at slightly over 8 kts.

The whole trip took about 24 hours, non-stop.

Yesterday I crewed for the captain in a race on his own boat, and this Saturday I plan to race my Cal 25 from Baltimore Light across the Bay and up the Corsica River, to the Corsica River Yacht Club, where there will be a party for the racers.

I believe we'll be racing the captain's boat in the upcoming 70 nm Governor's Cup race, and he said he has another delivery tentatively scheduled.

Edited by - Steve Milby on 07/24/2014 10:48:31

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 07/24/2014 : 13:25:39

In the middle of reading Pardeys "As Long as it's Fun", one point came to mind reading this thread.

Did the issue of "Illicit Cargo" come up during the trip from abroad? you know... Cargo

Paul

Edited by - on

bigelowp
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1736 Posts

Response Posted - 08/08/2014 : 20:22:42

Steve

Great thread. Even nicer to see that C-25 sailors are in demand for grander things!!

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5851 Posts

Response Posted - 11/29/2014 : 10:59:59

I finally figured out how to access the photos on my tablet. I hope you enjoy them.

This is Captain Larry relaxing outside our cottage, waiting for "Widow Maker" to arrive.

This is the great room of our cottage - small but very nice.

This is the great room of the "Bellagio," where the race crew stayed after their arrival. The return crew was invited to join them for a steak cookout after the race.

This is Widow Maker, about 10 minutes after her arrival.

Wives and friends began to gather around Widow Maker.

This is a view of the harbor, crowded with the racers.

I think this was our first day on the return trip, making great speed under sail.

I think this was our second day on the return trip, still putting lots of miles under the keel. Winds were light the next couple of days, and we motorsailed around the clock, to be sure we got into the Bay before the arrival of hurricane Arthur.

This photo doesn't look like it, but we were heading north up the bay in winds about 18-25 kts, doing between 7-9 kts under mainsail alone, letting the autopilot steer the boat. As I recall, we arrived in the late afternoon of July 1, and Arthur passed through the Chesapeake Bay area sometime on July 3. We were all having so much fun going fast that we all stayed on deck instead of going off-watch that day.

Edited by - on

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