Monthly Archives: November 2012

We are in, all safe and sound and cleared through customs. Last night was uneventful, where we were just killing time and waiting for the dawn.  As predicted we woke up around 5:30, pointed the boat back to the BVI’s and we were pulling in before 10:00 in the morning. Read On..

So this just really might be the longest day. Currently as I type this we are “hove to” about 7 miles North of Jost Van Dke in the waters of the British Virgin Islands.  “Heaving To” is a way of parking your sailboat.  You back wind the jib, push the Read On..

Or will it be the second longest? This morning the chart plotter was showing an Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) of times ranging from noon tomorrow until maybe 7:00 in the evening tomorrow. This is exciting!  We’re almost there.  Except for the small detail of a few hundred miles of Read On..

The engine has been on all night and is still going strong.  Winds are light but starting to fill in; we’ve put up the main and Genoa and are motor sailing now making better time with the light Easterlies pushing us a little more.  We’re expecting the wind to fill Read On..

The the promised drop in wind has come and, with it, a gradual decline in the sea state.  The waves have gotten smaller and turned into more long rollers that rock you side to side instead of throwing you all over and up and down.  This is good, but for Read On..

No, I’m not talking about NASCAR. But rather that we’ve been on one tack, literally, since leaving Hampton, VA. We started out on port tack with main, Genoa and staysail.  We’ve not had to tack or jib once.  Briefly this afternoon we hove to in order to straighten a few Read On..

– You said wind twice. – I like wind. Usually I do. Evenstar is a tough, heavy boat and she does well with a stiff breeze.  And that we’ve had today and then some. Remember the discussion on “Fetch” we had back during hurricane Sandy?  Wind + open water = Read On..

We’re now a little past a line drawn from Cape Hatteras to Bermuda.  Bermuda is actually closer at about 110 nautical miles, versus 130 NM from Hatteras. Today some of us broke out the shorts and T-Shirts for the first time; it’s gotten quite pleasant.   Clear blue skies with Read On..

We entered the Gulf Stream around 0830 this morning. If the wind holds we should be out of it by the end of the day. To date winds have been lighter than anticipated, though the seas state still has some pretty good sized (8-12′) rollers every now and then.  Last Read On..

Well, we’re off.  Currently we are “motor slogging” towards the Gulf Stream with light winds almost behind us.   Hopefully the wind will pick up a bit over night.  Motor sailing is about my least favorite way to travel, especially down wind because the wind serves to ensure that your Read On..