|
|
- Updates from the Islands -- - Misc. Updates & Stories - - |
|
|
| - TropStormAllison & Private Dancer |
|
Everyone has read the story by now. Attached are a couple of photos. Mitch __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ Gulfdisplay.jpg
MitchB2.jpg
MitWife.jpg
|
| - Offshore Sailing withi Trop Storm Allison r2 |
|
A tropical storm first week of June? Nah, no way. Only a worry later in the summer. That's the general thinking of most crusiers. We know its not an absolute but bet on the low probability. So we struck out from Nassau Bahamas on May 22 enroute to Key West to provision and prepare for the nearly 800 mile jump to Galveston Texas. The trip from Nassau was nearly a solid motor all the way, slow, ponderous going. Greeted in Miami by a hard squall and T-storm just off Key Biscayne, I said the hell with it and we just dropped anchor in 24' and went to bed. In Key West we made full advantage of services and supplies and embarrasingly enough stayed at the dock for four nights (don't tell anyone). We staged out to the Tortugas from Key West on Friday June 1. The short layover allowed us to rest up, knocking 70 miles off the trip and see the Fort (which is an amazing piece of architecture considering when it was built and the remote location). Ever seen a civil war era muzzle loading cannon that weighs 25 tons and can through a 315lb piece of iron 3 miles? The total trip for Mel and I from Nassau was about 1,100 miles. Nassau to Bimini, Bimini to Miami, Miami to Key West to Dry Tortugas to Galveston. Tortugas to Galveston was about 700 nm. The full moon was worth every bit of delay and sacrifice particularly with the rigs and commercial traffic in the western gulf. Short Synopsis Friday, 0730 depart Key West with Mitch, Mel, Sherry, Russ. Arrive Ft Jefferson anchorage about 1730. Caught a 15-20lb greater amberjack (great fighter). No adverse weather predicted in the Gulf at this time. Sat noon, pull anchor & motor sail north out of Dry Tortugas National park. Actually motor as the wind was less than 5 kts, seas flat calm. Heading north to try and avoid adverse currents in the eastern Gulf. Sunday, still light winds, motor sailing on flat seas. Attempt usual check in with Herb - Southbound II but apparently our transmission was not getting out of the gulf? Spinnaker in service today. Monday, stronger winds, slight adverse current, heading nnw to circumvent typical June currents in the gulf. Escorted by high jumping porpoise, fishing and having great Hors de Orves and happy hour we sailed on into the nearly full moon night. Not a bad ride and with no great worries. It's shaping up to be a great trip! Tuesday, Great sailing, turns out a westerly flowing current typical of May still exists (in June) and we rocket westwards sailing between 26 north and 27 north at between 8 and 10 kts speed over ground. In contact by side band with a friend in key west - alls well. Wednesday, am, continued fast advance to the west in fairly big seas. Then, 1500 hrs, we got the news that rocked the boat! Tropical Storm Allison was announced. A late afternoon chance reception of VHF weather report announcing the storm roughly SW of Galveston. This can't be! We began preping the boat immediately. About Sundown the wind began picking up. Although we were still 250 nm SE of the storm center Allison was drawing in systems from the southern gulf. We got smacked hard by sustained winds of 25-30 kts with gusts as high as 40. At this time we were about 180 nm south of the Mississippi delta. Through the night we battled the weather, fortunately we were able to motor sail even without sails up. The wind was out of the South to SE. The wind against the rig was enough for us to continue to make surprising headway with the motor. Nevertheless the night was horrendous. We changed watches on 2 hr schedules and just collapsed down below off watch. Everything became wet down below. Mel really proved to be a tough sailor. Sherry's friend Russ has a number of long passages in his younger days and didn't seem to think much of the 35 to 40 kt gusts. We were in touch with various oilfield vessels, the mv Western Shore Geophysical Research vessel for one. They relayed up to date weather to us and our location and status to the USCG and it was nice to talk to another voice in the night. Where's the 9' storm jib? (packed away in Virginia) Thursday. Seas continued to build through the night and were somewhere in the 8 to 10' range coming under the stern and across the port stern. At one point we took a breaking wave into the cockpit. I was surprised at how fast it drained away - but, that's the superior design of Private Dancer. The deep well below the cockpit drained it all away in a few seconds. By the end of the day winds were beginning to let up and we noticed some slight easing in the sea conditions but it was still a good 8'. Were able to resume sailing and reached our waypoint putting us on a course into the Galveston fairways to Bolivar roads (still about 130 nm away). Friday 0100-0400 conditions much better. All right, now on the last leg. Great sailing under full moon. 0400 received VHF weather update announcing severe weather alert for Galveston Bay with possible gusts to 60 kts. ? Can't believe this? We had been sailing comfortably directly up the ship fairway towards the Jetty entrance into Bolivar Roads, now looking at adverse winds, seas and weather just a few hours before we get in. By 0600 we were in a squall. the wind clocked around to the NW, we had to strike the sails and motor. Seas running into the bow. What a misery. We had been trying to arrive to gain entry with the flood tide. About 0730 to 0800 we finally got into the lee of the jettys and anchored in about 30'. Of course just then all wind died. We had coffee, rigged the dinghy motor onto the dinghy to help push PrivDancer, pulled the anchor and blasted back out into the channel. With the last of flood tide and both motors we passed into Galveston bay at 8 kts SOG. Friday Night and Saturday, Back in AC, in a real bed. Can't sleep cause we are still rocking at sea!! Our equilibrium is adjusted to constant motion and when lying flat the room took off. Fortunately we had special medication for this effect (Barbados Rum). In spite of Trop storm Allison Private Dancer & Crew arrived in Galveston safely about 1 pm on Friday June 8 after a 144 hr passage from Ft. Jefferson, Dry Tortugas. Al's well, the storms in Houston are in deed severe. The rains Friday night brought flooding to the parking lot in our apt complex and many cars were flooded. The van fortunately was not affected. Went down to the marina to collect more items off Private Dancer and had to "walk in" as the approach roads were flooded. The boat is floating happily high and dry tied to a new concrete floating dock. All for now. Will try to email scanned in photos. Back to the grind tomorrow. Houston is pumping out. Big problem in some areas with fuel having leaked out of all the stranded vehicles into the standing water. Fortunately our area is dry. MW __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35 a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ |
| Back to top |
