Winds of change and the Palawan

Captain and First Mate Joe Brown underway with Palawan.

Below Newport Harbor on a Sunday afternoon.

Underway for Gloucester Harbor

It has been a while since I have posted a blog on my page but I now find my self compelled to write a bit about my new position. I have been on board  the Palawan now for about 5 weeks. It has been a very intensive learning period as she is a very complicated vessel. At this time we are both getting used to each other and are becoming more comfortable. When a boat is tied to the dock and you are working on her it is not the same as when you are underway and actually working the boat. Most recently I was afforded the opportunity to take her on a sojourn with my first Mate Joe Brown for a few days of sailing and sea trials. The plan was to sail from RI up to Gloucester Mass a run of just over 120 miles. All went well on this first real cruise. Conditions for the most part were mild with some sailing in the Fog our first day out as we headed for the Cape Cod Canal. Above the  Palawan in her form on a mooring at the Eastern Point Yacht Club Gloucester Mass. I have  been fortunate to have the opportunity to work aboard some amazing vessels and Palawan is seas apart from the rest. She is not a boat that can park in any anchorage but can find herself in some interesting spots with her relative shoal draft. 

This summer I find my self in the heart of yachting on the east coast. Newport. On any given day one can find any number of boats out sailing. From Schooners loaded with tourists to 12 meter yachts racing head to head. There are a number of classic vessels that ply the waters off of Newport as well as Mega Yachts from around the world. This Harbor is where sailing is king and power boats are the minority.

The Change for me at this time is more geographical than anything. In all my years of sailing I have not spent much time in southern New England and Long Island Sound. I am looking forward to seeing new harbors and meeting new people from this most historical of sailing areas. On the agenda for this summer will be stops at Mystic Seaport , Block Island, and Oyster Bay NY to name a few. A trip to Maine is in discussion at this time but not until August.  So as I move into this summer I embrace my new position running the Palawan. She is a piece of sailing history  that has graced the waters of the North East and beyond for close to twenty years.  The Challenge of running this boat is not something I take lightly. She is a very complicated boat to say the least. She requires constant attention in all aspects of her working, sailing life.We work hard every day to maintain her systems and cosmetics.  She displaces 80 tons of mass and stands over 100' above the water. I look forward to the challenges ahead and hopefully drier and sunny warm days of summer and sailing the Palawan.

Hurricane's , sailing, and the transition of Seasons

Songtau Boothbay Harbor

             Coriolis anchored off of Maglathery Island Merchant Row.

                                                                                                     

                                                                                   A foggy morning in Brooklyn Me.

                                   

                                          Dorade off of the Castine Light:

The end of the summer in New England can be the begining of different transitions for many yachts and their owners and crews. As I reflect back on the summer of 2008 I am taken by the number of changes one has been experiencing on my own. The weather this past summer for me has been a mix bag to say the least. At the begining of the summer while I was on the west coast in the San Jaun Islands the weather was nothing short of perfect. Upon my return to Maine in Mid July the weather went into the tank for about five weeks. Rain, Fog, with more rain and more fog is the only description I can give this period. Despite this weather pattern that ran from most of July well into August, when it comes to sailing and messing about in boats all days are good . Just some days are better than o

thers.  Speaking of good days one reflects  back on the Classic Yacht events in Castine and Brooklyn Me, I was able to attend with the Coriolis as a spectator. This week of races and gatherings is a nice contrast to the Classic Yacht Regatta in Antigua. First the size of the vessels are much smaller than the giants that sail in the Caribbean. It is more of a down home feeling with many yawls, ketches,  schooners, and sloops. The largest boats in the fleet were the W Class sloops which are around 70 feet.

I was blessed with the opportunity to see the fully restored "Dorade" and to capture some very excellent pics of her sailing. Olin Stephens was there to see his most favorite design win the Castine to Maine race. He was celebrating his 100th birthday at the time. He was quoted as saying "This is the best birthday gift he could have ever had". His career was launched with the success of this yacht in the 1931 Transatlantic race. To say the least his impact on the yachting world is profound. I am sad to write that at this time Olin has passed on. 

As the summer moved on I was given the opportunity to deliver from Maine to RI a most beautiful sloop. The Friendship Yacht Company 53 "SONGTAU" was to be my home for a few days as I made the trip south. It was an enjoyable trip not only for the boat but the chance to go offshore again. I had not been offshore since I brought WINGS back from the Caribbean. It was also a great chance to see how this boat would perform in a fairly robust wind. I left Boothbay Maine at about noon to sail overnite across the Gulf of Maine to the Cape Cod Canal. I was leaving on the back side of a cold front with winds expected to be in the 25 knot range for most of the trip. I was not dissapointed in this boat at all. As the wind began to build in the afternoon I began to peel off sail area. Despite the short sail I was carrying she continued to burn off 7 to 8 knot speeds over the bottom. The sea was building to the 7 foot range and Songtau tracked like she was on rails. She did at one point in the late evening ship a wave aboard which completely doused the cockpit. fortunatly for me I was below at the time looking at the charts. 

Maine is without equal when it comes to contrast in the view on any given day. Even the days when it is foggy the views can be just stunning. From Fog to Brilliant sunsets.  The coast can be a visual smorgasbord of classic yachts, windjammers and pine tree lined islands. I hope all enjoy the pics I have added to this blog. 

At this time we are experiencing one of the most active Hurricane seasons we have had in 

some time. As I prepare to make the trek to So Florida one cannot rule out the possibility of having to deal with one of these twirling monsters. With the recent devastation caused by IKE on the Texas coast I hope that for the balance of the season the US will be landfall free.

Wishing all a fun filled and beautiful fall season. Remember to click on any image to see a full size view.

COAST TO COAST

The begining of the end of our time with the Wings began when we loaded the boat onto the ship for her transit to the PNW. For both Terry and I it was an emotional moment. Although this was not the end, it had more of an impact on me than at any other time. Having sailed this boat for close to 20,000 miles and thru most any weather you can imagine how one can get attached. Wings has been my life for over three years. She has been at times a great deal of hard work and at other times a great joy as she would log off the ocean miles under her keel. She has developed her own following in many of the different ports we have visited and spent time. At this time she is missed in Rockland ME. I have had many people come by the public landing where I am currently aboard my boat the Coriolis. They would recognize me and ask where is the Wings? Although I am happy to report that she is safely  home with her owners and family in the San Jaun Islands of the PNW, there is a part of me that is sad she is not here. 

I have struggled with writing this blog for a few weeks now. I have wanted to put down my thoughts about life as a professional yacht skipper. One of the most difficult questions I am asked is where do you live. I have all kinds of different answers for that question. None of which really address the core of the question. Examples of this answer are, the east coast, the western atlantic, this boat, my drivers licence tells me I am from Florida. Yes I am from Florida at this time. One does need a base to catch some mail and a place to send some to.  This is all part of the commitment it takes to do this line of work. When one is running a boat, the job is not 9-5. In reality it is 24-7. In many respects it is difficult to leave the vessel unless it is in a boat yard and on the hard. I have been fortunate in some respects that my employers are very accomplished yachtsmen. When they would come to use the boat we would get a break as they would prefer to sail alone or with their guests. 

So at this time I find myself at a turning point in my career. In all of the endeavors I have undertaken in life I have not found one I love to do more than being the skipper of a private yacht. I love the challenges one faces on a daily basis with respect to the complexity inherent in a large sailing vessel. The planning involved in order to meet the schedules of the owners. The planning involved in order to effect a cost effective yard period. The maintainence involved to keep her looking good and running right.  The planning involved to take care of the ships stores and spares. Running a sailing vessel that is sailing thousands of miles on a yearly basis is not unlike running a small business. 

During my time with the Wings we have seen some amazing places and have met some amazing people along the way. The sailing community is a unique and special collection of boats and people. Some are professional (ie Captains of other yachts doing it for a living) and others are true cruisers who are out there living their dreams. In some respects we all have a common thread, the joy of sailing. 

As I leave the San Jaun Islands and the Wings on her dock I have a wonderful feeling of having competed the circle with this boat. I have worked hard to bring her back to her beautiful look she always had. I have wonderful warm feelings for my employer. I could not have worked for better people and I thank them for this opportunity. I look forward to the new adventure and responsibility that lies ahead for us this fall in Europe. In the short term I will enjoy a few weeks of R&R cruising aboard the Coriolis. The Coriolis Effect will continue on as we move forward in this life we live. I wish the owners of the Wings many continued adventures and safe passages with this wonderful boat. I look forward to hearing about the adventures of the kids and the grandkids as they sail this boat into the future. As she did for us she will always bring them home safely. 

Fair Winds Wings we will miss  you.

Moving West to the Bahamas!!!

                                                     

Underway for the Bahamas from St Thomas. The downwind slide in nice weather.

             A perfect place for this crew at Rum Cay

At this time the Caribbean is well over the horizon for us. We are currently in the Exuma Chain of islands making our way to Nassau and then to Florida. This is a beautiful cruising area and a total change from the Caribbean. The water is so clear you can see down 20 feet as clear as a glass of water. 20 feet by the way is deep water in these parts. We cleared in at Great Exuma Island in the port of Emerald Bay. Very fancy marina with great service but a very lumpy harbor with a bad surge. 

The first stop we made was at Rum Cay but there was no one there at the time to clear us in so we did at Emerald the next day.We spent a night there and what a delightful stop it turned out to be. Someday I would like to stop there and spend some time just hanging out with the locals.

Very friendly and warm people. This is a small island in the outer or what are known as the Far Bahamas. These Islands are adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean.  A stop was made at Sampson Cay for some weather. Good spot in any weather. The Banks do not afford much protection for a 6' draft vessel when the wind comes from the west. Not many choices to say the least. We spent a lumpy night anchored off of Shroud Cay with a brisk southerly. Not much sleep that night. Next stop and the last in the Exumas is Highborne Cay. This is a very nice marina and Island. Has one of the best beaches in all of the Exumas. As I write this I am struggling with the WIFI here.

Our next stop will be Nassau for a night and then to Florida to get Wings ready to be loaded on the ship for her trip to the PNW. It has been a very interesting adventure for us and this boat.

She has been a great boat and has been a good home as well. 

Classic Yacht Regatta Antigua 2008

There are few events in the Caribbean during the winter that can rival the Classic Yacht Regatta in Antigua. For over twenty years some of the most beautiful restored and new classic sailing vessels have gathered here for this spectacular event. Of all racing events this one stands alone in presence with any of the classic events in the world. This year we had the opportunity to be out on the water to capture some really great shots of these wonderful boats doing what they do best. Sail>>>

It can be very thrilling to be in close when two of the worlds J boats are racing towards you. In this shot we have Ranger and Velsheda racing for the finish only seperated by seconds and only a few hundred yards from where we were watching. 

During the event we became friends with a small yacht that had sailed from England with three women aboard. She was the second smallest boat in the fleet of 57 but had the sprit to capture the attention of every one there. Pouncer may not have been the fastest and the most spectacular but she was a very beautiful little classic. Proudly owned and Captained by 

Charlotte Ashburner and first mate Jane O'connor, the pouncer won the "Sprit of Regatta Cup".

Well done gals. It is a long way in a small boat to come across an ocean to go racing. We wish them godspeed in their voyage home. 

It has been a long winter here in the Islands and I can not think of a better way to have finished the season than the Classic's in Antigua. This time of year the Caribbean Yacht fleet begin the process of heading back to the North Land. Weather it is the European waters or the East coast of the USA, many will be sailing home to enjoy the beggining of a new season. One door closes another one opens. This past season was a year of Big Winds and Big Seas. Unusual for the Caribbean but nonetheless a tough sailing season. We wish all of our friends who will be voyaging in the next few weeks Fair Winds and Following Seas.

Wings Underway

Chasing Rainbows

In the past few weeks we have made the trip between Antigua and St Lucia twice. During that time there have been numerous squalls that have come across the islands or the passages between the islands that have produced some of the most spectacular rainbows. As diverse as the squalls themselves the rainbows provide a visual display of color that blends and contrasts with the islands and the surounding landscape. This has been a wonderful accent to the trip our guests have been able to enjoy during their sail with us. The picture above was taken off of Martinuque. This particular Rainbow was actualy chasing us. It moved across the harbor and appeard to almost touch the boat. Guests Scott and Jean enjoying the sunset off of Guadalupe. Every day was a new rainbow as we travelled through the Island Chain.

The sailing in this past few weeks has been nothing short of spectacular and at times down right challenging. Some of the passages between the islands were very lively with 30 kt winds pushing us along at 8+ knots. Wings like the bird she is flew along and across the waves with a powerful and steady grace. She is remarkable in these conditions. Like her designer the ledgendary Ted Hood once said. "There is no replacement for displacement when the wind blows hard and the seas go rough". Wings brings you to sea at a level of comfort most are not used to.