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Finally, after several days of one-liner e-mail check-ins, a Skippers Update!
"three days of twenty five plus winds - the spray alone was a monsoon in the happening. At night - no moon, screaming winds, seas of eight to twelve and No Moon. Like sailing in a black ball - absolutely no sense of direction - up/down/right/left all the same. On three hours, three hours in the cockpit for safety (hate to lose someone so always two in the cockpit) and three hours sleeping in water but ....... the grateful red was cruising. knocking off miles - heading east.
Last evening the sun peaked thru, quaffed some of the '77 port - looking good. But no - started to rain for hours, not only a black sphere but a limited visibility black sphere. Only point of note was when a tanker passed by at mach three. By the time the cockpit screamed - boat on the starboard - it was gone. Passed within a mile - looked like a moving spaceship coming out of the mist disappearing into blackness.
Sun came out today and the boat looks like a Chinese laundry - clothes hanging from every line drying. winds are dying as we head into the Azores high pressure system. back to flying the spinnakers and drinking semi cold beers (alternator failed a few days ago living on Fronz's Aqua generator - quite a machine but limited electric power). the Master Chef has been feeding us wonderful seal meals - very tasty. "if you are going to work the animals you have to feed us".
Less then three hundred miles to Horta - Ken"
They are still optimistic for a Tuesday AM arrival in Horta! Hurray from all of us Land-crew!
Official Skipper Update - Tuesday, June 16th
"three days of overcast and rain mixed with sprinkles means everything is wet - clothes, underwear, you - boat, deck and cockpit are covered with dew and we are thousand miles from Bermuda, a thousand miles from Horta. crew settles in the settee for their three hours of "sleep" only to find Gigdeon 50 - no I mean a fish carcass in the cabin. Fish carcass means a new wet blanket for sleeping (dead fish is below our lowest acceptance level) and more wet sleep.
Up today for my early shift - sky looks clear winds are hummin at 20 plus and Jack ( now referred as thre "master" chef) makes pancakes, butter and syrup - oh did I mention butter from our icy fridge. spirits revive - autopilot is off and the crew is the driving on a big beam reach at 20 knot plus wind . all grateful red sailors know this means only one thing - skeletons in the closet CD, icy cold Heineken's and we are sunnin in the cockpit.
soon only the old guys are in the cockpit, we are on our third repeat of skeletons and the master chef requests a music change. Out comes the shiny red ipod with "new" music. Let It Bleed, Beggars Banquet and Sticky Fingers and cold PBR's - Rolling down the ocean a thousand miles from everywhere. Perfect"
Ken
Up today for my early shift - sky looks clear winds are hummin at 20 plus and Jack ( now referred as thre "master" chef) makes pancakes, butter and syrup - oh did I mention butter from our icy fridge. spirits revive - autopilot is off and the crew is the driving on a big beam reach at 20 knot plus wind . all grateful red sailors know this means only one thing - skeletons in the closet CD, icy cold Heineken's and we are sunnin in the cockpit.
soon only the old guys are in the cockpit, we are on our third repeat of skeletons and the master chef requests a music change. Out comes the shiny red ipod with "new" music. Let It Bleed, Beggars Banquet and Sticky Fingers and cold PBR's - Rolling down the ocean a thousand miles from everywhere. Perfect"
Ken
Tuesday, June 16th,
Heard from the skipper this morning via email...
"been raining or overcast for the last three days - everything is wet and damp .... but the wind has been fantastic. we are definitely cruising. always over seven knots and sometimes nine plus. Initially, no chance of making our june 26th departure flights... now we could be there by Tuesday. If the wind speed and direction hold. every one is working hard and sailing well."
...for us back at home this is good news that their sailing will bring them home on time!
kristine
Heard from the skipper this morning via email...
"been raining or overcast for the last three days - everything is wet and damp .... but the wind has been fantastic. we are definitely cruising. always over seven knots and sometimes nine plus. Initially, no chance of making our june 26th departure flights... now we could be there by Tuesday. If the wind speed and direction hold. every one is working hard and sailing well."
...for us back at home this is good news that their sailing will bring them home on time!
kristine
Skippers Sunday update
From Ken:
"six hundred miles in the bag with 1269 miles to go. winds have been humming between 20 to 25 mph for the past three days with bursts up to 30 mph, rain off and on - beautiful cruising weather. the grateful red is rockin' averaging seven knots an hour with times of eight and nine knots per hour. crew is falling into the shift rotatioin - work three hours (you are in control of drving but reality is auto pilot does most driving - more responsible then some silly crew driving), three hours sleeping in the cockpit in case of emergency followed by three hours off - typically trying to sleep in a rockin and rollin boat crusing at eight knots in seas of six to ten feet. Actually easier then it sounds after three hours trying to sleep in the cockpit inwhich you have all of the above plus ocean spray and rain.
Kristine's seal a meals have been terrific - one hot meal a day as a crew, munchies at shift change and at least two barley soups a day - my fav is Mexican. Not going hungry - hopefully supplies will last another ten days.
Just another Sunday at sea. kj"
Picture is current position at www.iboattrack.com
News from the Skipper at sea!
Tuesday, June 9th.
We motor to the Bermuda exit channel, call customs on the VHF - no problem leaving. We get out ten miles - customs calls back and we need to return. there is no wind so motor back, do customs, round of drinks and fuel up. we leave for second time - no wind and raining. now day two have yet to see winds above six. lots of clouds, some sprinkles and rain but little wind. Less then 100 miles traveled - what wind we do have is not in a great direction - we have the spinnaker up.
Kristine's omelets were great.
looking for storm clouds!
kj
(Ken will send these messages to my e-mail via the sat phone, I will then post for you all to see)
We motor to the Bermuda exit channel, call customs on the VHF - no problem leaving. We get out ten miles - customs calls back and we need to return. there is no wind so motor back, do customs, round of drinks and fuel up. we leave for second time - no wind and raining. now day two have yet to see winds above six. lots of clouds, some sprinkles and rain but little wind. Less then 100 miles traveled - what wind we do have is not in a great direction - we have the spinnaker up.
Kristine's omelets were great.
looking for storm clouds!
kj
(Ken will send these messages to my e-mail via the sat phone, I will then post for you all to see)
Grateful Red takes Third!!!
How exciting this weekend was for boat and land crew of Grateful Red. Cissy and I announced to the entire Hamilton Bermuda that we were anxiously waiting for Grateful Red to arrive at the dock of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. (didn't have much else to do except drink wine). Sitting on our veranda overlooking the Sound, we finally spotted that much loved black mast coming around the corner and down the harbor. We leaped from our chairs and ran down to the dock some 6-8 blocks away. Getting there just in time for dark to fall and grab dock lines, I quickly took a few shots of the boats approach to the dock. There was quite a reception on the dock for the boat and crew as it was the boat that sailed the furthest in the race before starting their motor sailing. Commodore of the Yacht club, Director of the C2B race, other sailors and Cissy and I all there with arms wide open to greet our sailors. Danny the Director had some Gosling Ginger Beer and a bottle of Gosling Black Rum as a "dock warming" gift. (Dark and Stormy's for all!)
Before the crew scattered, I took a great crew shot with their Grateful Red jackets on. Then, they all were more than ready to get off the boat and regain their land-legs. After the boat was secured and crew had a bit of a breather, we walked to a great Italian restaurant on the way to the hotels, had a wonderful meal and heard the beginning of the stories of their adventures.
Grateful Red and Crew received many cudo's for the great job they did. The choice of sail and their stick-to-it-ness dedication to sail as far as they could before the lack of wind won out and they turned on the motor.
We are all so proud of this boat, Ken, Jack, Curtis, Bridgette, and Mark. Living together on a small space with only water surrounding them for so many days. So glad they returned safe and ready to sail again....
and just for fun..., some pictures of Bermuda, The Spirit of Bermuda Tall ship, and the "land-crew" Cissy Yoes and Kristine. We arrived Wednesday and having 2 1/2 days to wait for the boat to arrive, we toured th
e island. What a place. Highly recommend a travel there. Enjoy
e island. What a place. Highly recommend a travel there. Enjoy
We have secured a transponder to follow the continued saga of Grateful Reds Transatlantic voyage. Starting Tuesday in the afternoon, the transponder will "wake-up" and start tracking the boats progress. Check out www.iboattrack.com and click on cruising boats, then current cruisers, and then Grateful Red. Should be fun! Questions, call or e-mail me. kristine@kegonsa.comFrom the Skipper
Seven days at sea and 750 miles plus of open water "land-ho" sounds good. Typically the Grateful Red travels about 150 miles a day in average wind. The C2B was not typical wind (read this comment as 'drifter winds"). No new storms, lots of light wind and plenty of time to drink beer - in fact we even swam off the the back of the boat. High point - we saw a Right Whale breeching three times in the middle ocean. Only 500 or so Right Whales left in the oceans. (How do you tell when whales are mating - how deep the dive and how hard they blow). This whale was way out of the water.
Crew was a blast - Mark and I repaired the numerous boat gear break downs (no boredom here). Bridgette and Curtis provided great eats. Jack was navigating. Rhythm of working six hours and sleeping four has Curtis, Jack and I ready for the leg two - Bermuda to the Azores. Sail on!
Ken
Crew was a blast - Mark and I repaired the numerous boat gear break downs (no boredom here). Bridgette and Curtis provided great eats. Jack was navigating. Rhythm of working six hours and sleeping four has Curtis, Jack and I ready for the leg two - Bermuda to the Azores. Sail on!
Ken
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