Happy New Year

Vancouver Canada, December 31^st, 2013

As of this month we will have come full circle with our travels overseas. 

From Canada to Panama by air last winter, Panama to Europe under sail for three month in the spring, and now our recent return to Canada from Europe again by air.  Our beloved “Ar Seiz Avel” is now safely stored “on the hard” at a wonderful marina in Vigo Spain and awaits our return sometime in 2014.

It was a true voyage of discovery. The daily challenges of wind, wave and changing weather kept us fully “in the moment” for much of the journey.  We relied on each other in a way that at times held the deepest meaning of life and death.  

Huge seas and Beaufort 8 winds. Harnessing up and then hoisting the storm sail while the monster waves crash over us as we ride the bow ...Yahoo!! 

And then moments of flat glass calm in an endless perfect ocean. 

When we finally made landfall in Spain at the  Cies Islands on the northwest coast it was three months to the day from leaving Panama. 

Ironically this landfall is within 88 km of Santiago de Compostela and the end of the ancient pilgrim’s journey Camino de Santiago.  This sailing journey of over 5500nm from the Panama Canal to Spain was our portion of the “Camino de Santiago” trail.

Across the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Channel to Florida and then embarking east across the Atlantic via the Bahamas, Bermuda the Azores to the north coast of Spain it was truly a spiritual journey of self discovery and connection. 

 
Now after putting the “Ar Seiz Avel” safely on land for the winter and spending a delightful and very busy summer in Holland we are back in Canada to be with family and friends and to prepare for the next leg of our cruising adventures aboard the
“Ar Seiz Avel”.

We thank you for your support this past year and wish you Season’s Greetings and all the best for the coming New Year!!!

With kindest regards,

Paul and Barbara Ann

Links on this page:

Beaufort

Cies Islands

Santiago de Compostela

Camino de Santiago

Skippers Log

SKIPPERS LOG  2013 Panama to Spain Voyage Distance At Sea Motor Hours Panama to Key West March 18 -April 02 1428 miles 90m day’s 16 days 13 hr Key West to Bermuda March 13 - April 27 1135 miles 80m day’s 14 days 23 hr Bermuda to Azores May 11- June 02 1951 miles 85m day’s 23 days 37 hr Azores to Spain June 09 – June 18 1061 miles 115m day’s 9 days 3 hr Totals 5.575 miles 82m day’s 68 days 76hr Fuel used 114 liters Slowest day: 22miles………Biggest day: 157miles Close Hauled: Sailed into the wind 34 days. [ 50% of the time ] We encountered 4 gales.  [ 30 plus knot winds ] Becalmed 7 days: [ 0 to 3 knots ] CARBON FOOTPRINT Power generating: 100w tow generator and 100w in solar panels  *We only used half a tank of diesel -114 liter - covering well over 5.000miles in a 3 month period. *After each leg we arrived at our destination with batteries fully charged, fridge and electronics running. FISHING: 1 fish only in 5500+ miles  [ where have all the fish gone ] WEATHER and the ENVIRONMENT The changing global climate……. was very noticeable on these voyages. Weather compared to other voyages I had made earlier [4x] showed significant changes. We encountered many unusual wind directions, in particular in the N Atlantic, Easterly winds instead of winds blowing from the West. * Panama’s rainy season was extreme ,lasted much longer than usual. * Oily rain in the remote San Blas Islands. [rain with oil content]  * Plastic debris in all oceans and beaches.Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean . IMAGINE All the Garbage PLASTIC’S ….that are in ….THE WORLD Collected by all of us……Because? We get paid lb/$$$$ at the RECYCLEPLANT THEN WE MANUFACTURE Cloth’s, Building materials etc to create economy / employment / cleaner environment AROUND THE WORLD.

Azores to Spain

Horta Azores to Vigo Spain

Nine days and three low pressure system storms later we finally made the Northwest Coast of Spain.   Of all the legs on this 6000 mile journey from the Panama this one was the most challenging and intense.  Everything else we had encountered to date was really only a warm up for this voyage.

Our sailing vessel “Ar Seiz Avel” is incredibly solid and steady and kept us moving forward with relative ease in spite of the high winds and massive seas.  Just as the last storm eased we made landfall in Spain and were able to safely  tuck in on the lea side of the Spanish nature reserve Isla San Martino near Vigo.  There we anchored for a couple of days just to recoup from the voyage and to prepare ourselves for entering civilization again.

Now we are poised to fly to Holland after successfully putting “Ar Seiz Avel” in at a lovely marina near the city of Vigo.  There she will remain until we resume our “Sea Gypsy” travels.

Once we are in Holland we will share the full story.  For now please know we are happy and safe and have had an incredible ride together.

With kindest regards,

Paul and Barbara Ann

Atlantic crossing Bermuda to the Azores Portugal

Slide Show.....A Seafaring tradition Horta Murals

St Georges, Bermuda to Horta, Azores

On May 11th we set sail for the Azores with light south southeast winds and easy seas.  It was a sweet beginning  to a challenging and lengthy sail across the North Atlantic.  At about 15 nautical miles into our journey we lost sight of Bermuda and would not make landfall again for another 23 days. Overnight the seas started to build and by Tuesday we were into a strong low pressure system that nailed us with 35 - 40 knots winds from the south.  With the small stay sail alone we were traveling at 7 knots which is close to top speed for our 42ft sailboat.   

The screaming winds and big seas continued to slam us for 3 more days.  The breakers that hit us broadside sounded like a speeding freight train striking the hull.  The one blessing was that we could easily travel north east with this system so the trick was to just stay the course and ride it out.  By Thursday afternoon the system had passed us and left us with very confused and lumpy seas and almost no wind. For the next 2 days we went from light winds to no wind and spent a couple of nights "becalmed" with no progress forward.

"Becalmed" sounds like a blessing but in fact it is a condition that is exceedingly rocky and rolly with a lot of sail handling up and down as the winds arrive and then evaporate.  On day ten we were overtaken by another system that delivered heavy rain and strong winds so it was a fast sail thru the night with howling winds and grey foaming seas.  

Out in the ocean you live the weather fully.

Halfway to our destination of the Azores at about 900 NM, we were once again 'becalmed". This situation lasted off and on for the next week which very much limited any significant progress forward. When we did have wind it was "on the nose" meaning that it was coming from the direction we wanted to travel so our "point of sail" was close hauled with a heal of up to 35 degrees.  To get an idea of what that would be like think about standing in your kitchen with it tilted 35 degrees to the side.  To walk anywhere inside the cabin you are hanging onto ceiling handholds almost "Tarzan" fashion. Fortunately our stove is gimbled so at least that remains with a normal horizon...once you strap yourself in cooking is manageable.  One pot dinners certainly becomes a favorite.

Aside from the weather challenges we had many wonderful encounters with pods of bottlenose dolphins sometimes numbering up to 50 individuals zooming around our bow and circling our boat.  As we neared the Azores we passed within 30 feet of a resting Sperm Whale who dove deep within moments of us passing him.  If you were to see it from above it would look like he was giving us right of way.

On day 23 at about 9am we sighted the island of Fajal in the Azore archipelago.  By early afternoon we we settled in the marina in the town of Horta and were enjoying our first walk on land for many weeks.  Horta is an ancient port town on Fajal which is famous for its murals.  All along the harbor and around the marina there are hand painted murals from a history of vessels that have passed through here. Layer upon layer of art some very basic and some with incredible detail...all very very fun and vibrant.  Our slideshow of murals only scratches the surface of the volume of art that is here.

The Island of Fajal is volcanic in origin offering a dramatic coastline of shear rock walls that plunge for thousands of fathoms into the ocean. The last volcanic eruption took out a small whaling town on the west side of the island in 1957.  It is now mainly an agricultural island with a darker whaling history which ended sometime in the 1970's.  The people of the Azores are incredibly welcoming and genuine.  It is truly a delight to spend time in a place that offers such a great variety of fresh and inexpensive food as well as an easy going European flavor lifestyle.  It would be very easy to stay longer.

From the moment of our arrival we have been checking out the weather between us and Vigo Spain to plan the best time for our final leg of our journey to mainland Europe.  The free program we access is called ``Passage Weather`` and is an incredible resource for wind wave and weather systems around the globe.  Here is a link in case you are interested in taking a peek http://www.passageweather.com/.  FYI Our current position is 38 degrees north latitude and 28 degrees west longitude and we are traveling to Vigo Spain which is 42 degrees north latitude and 8 degrees west longitude.

We plan to leave tomorrow in the AM with predicted SW winds at our back for the next week.  We look forward to some downwind sailing and to reconnect with you once we make landfall in Spain in a few weeks.

With kindest regards,

Paul and Barbara Ann

Key West to Bermuda

 

Click here for slide show

Key West to St Georges, Bermuda

This quiet evening at anchor before we push off for the Azores is the first time we have had to pour over the details of the past few weeks and post our adventures.

 We left Key West with light south winds and flying fish skittering across the water like skipping stones.

The only tricky part on our first day back at sea was navigating the literally thousands of crab pots. They were set in long lines approximately 100 feet apart with a crab pot every 30 feet or so as far as you could see up until the freighter lanes. It then became a night of Freighter dancing as the traffic on the water was intense both coming to and leaving from Florida.  Other than that it was a rather gentle departure that would soon become “close hauled” the next day as we connected with the Gulf Stream to take us north and east.  At 2am on day two we put the second reef in the main with rolling seas heeled over at 30 degrees.

Our first destination was the Little Bahamas Bank in search of dolphins.  We only had a couple of drive by dolphin encounters during that time but Paul caught a 35lb “Goliath Grouper” that once cleaned and dressed filled one half of the freezer even after feasting on it seriously.   

Once away from the Bahamas we began working with the Sextants as Paul begins to teach Celestial Navigation to Barbara Ann.  What a delight to be within 3 NM of her first noonsite reading!!  Day seven  we made 157 NM in one day with big winds and high seas...it was a brisk and exciting day. It is a strange sight to be so heeled over that your view outside the galley window is actually one that is underwater.

The weather continued to be a challenge with days of being becalmed set against days of “close hauled” sailing.  Day eleven – log entry  “ Rough night..changed stay sail to storm sail...big waves over the bow...full harness and tether....building seas wind to 35 rain and bashing..close hauled scary ride...safe in my bunk after the sail change”.  Day twelve – log entry...woke up to downwind sailing in perfect direction..beautiful full moon later with light winds and clear skies.

In preparation for landfall we had to repair the leading edge of our Canadian flag as it had tattered in the wind over our days in Panama and the US.  As we were sitting naked in the cockpit doing the last stitches Paul all of a sudden said “Give me the flag...give me the flag’ and as he stood up he covered his private parts as the Bermuda police boat came alongside to ask us to put our VHF on to talk to Bermuda radio.  Not a particularly elegant way of flying the flag but effective as they did not stay long to chat.

We made landfall in Bermuda on the 27^th of April after 15 days of offshore sailing.  It was a welcome landfall that offered a genuine welcome and a quiet and quaint safe harbor after such a challenge at sea.

One of our most treasured encounters was with our new friends Steve and Suzanne Hollis of Ocean Sails Custom Canvas. Thank you for your generosity and warmth and especially your stone shower with all that delicious hot water.

Now we are off to the Azores..stay tuned......

Cheers from Paul and Barbara Ann

Panama to Key West

Greetings blog followers....We are writing to you from a very delightful internet Café in Key West called “Sippin” .  The coffee is strong and rich and the atmosphere much like the town is very playful and vibrant.

Gearing up to leave the Panama after all the time we spent there gave us both a feeling of anticipation for the adventure ahead as well as a feeling of reverence for the all people we had met and the incredible places we had visited.  Our thanks especially to our friend Bolivar who together with his wife is a Sheppard for the street kids of Colon.  Our last days in Panama were filled with all the details of final boat prep as well as provisioning for the voyage north.

On March 17^th we finally untied from the slip at Shelter bay and headed for Isla Abajo northeast of Colon where we could have one last night enjoying Panama in natural surroundings.  There we anchored for the night and in the early morning we pulled anchor and began our journey north. 

Our departure was met with overcast skies and NNE winds so we began our voyage “hard on the wind” at a speed of 5 knots and heeled over at 30 degrees.  The feeling of weight and gravity is incredible at this point of sail. Everything you do feels like you have lead in your boots so even brushing your teeth is a considered move.  Over the next two weeks we would have nine days of “close hauled” sailing where the direction we wanted to travel was met by wind coming from that direction. 

Crossing the Caribbean Sea going north we did get a break with the current and on a few days made upwards of 150 NM in a 24 hour period.  We made great time in the beginning and in 8 days we had crossed the Caribbean Sea and arrived at the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and Mexico with only 300 NM to go to Key West.

The moment we reached the Yucatan Channel a monster cold front slammed us with huge waves and intense wind on the nose.  Within an instant we went from relatively calm seas and sunny skies to pelting rain and swirling winds with white caps coming at us. We dropped all sails aside from the stay sail and rode out the first pass of the storm as we maneuvered out of the freighter shipping lanes.

It was an intense ride for the next four days with times of 4 meter high seas and winds up to 35 knots. As we crashed through a wave the sound of it was like a shotgun as it careened past the hull.  At first the only direction we could travel was NW into the Gulf of Mexico opposite to the direction we wanted to go.  Once the storm abated we picked our way NE tacking and jibing most of the way to Key West with most days only gaining 50 NM or less toward our goal even though we clocked twice as much distance traveled on the log. 

Finally on day 12 the wind direction shifted slightly and allowed us to gain some much needed headway.  As it was Easter Weekend we decided to anchor off one of the keys near Key West and spend a day at rest and play.  We were visited by dolphins and curious seabirds and discovered a stowaway gecko on the deck who must have come in on the bananas we kept aft in the lazarette.  He later visited us again once we were settled in Key West and found a new home with his American cousins at the Marina..an illegal immigrant.

On April 2^nd we arrived in Key West and settled in at the Galleon Marina just off “Old Town” .

The Marina offered a safe haven and perfect launching place to explore the incredible color and history of Key West.  Aside from the fact that Key West is hugely expensive it is truly one of the funnest and most vibrant places we have visited in the US.  Live music spills out onto the street nightly and the most favored modes of transport for visitors is either cruiser bicycle or electric car both with easy rental from a variety of vendors. The contrast from the delicious solitude of the open ocean to the vibrancy of Key west was a perfect way to end this first leg of our journey.

Today we depart on leg two of four and are bound for Bermuda which we expect will take us three weeks with a brief stop in the Bahamas in the hopes of finding some playful spotted dolphins to swim with.  We will continue to track our progress and will check in again once we make landfall again in a few weeks.

With happy sailsCheers from Barbara Ann and Paul.