Here are answers to some questions sent to me by Team Rock, seventh graders at Lewiston, Maine Middle School:

1. So many problems with the boat; why not sell it and get a new one?
Several reasons…The first is cost. We bought a 15 year old boat because that’s what we could afford. A new boat of a similar type would cost 2 to 3 times as much, and be beyond our means. Also, remember that we thought we had taken care of our major problems last summer. By the time we discovered that was not the case, it was too late to switch boats even if we could afford to do so. It takes time to equip a boat with all the right gear, and “get to know it.”

2. Have an of the boats had a lot of problems?
As far as I know, the other boats have not had the kinds of problems that we have. (But we haven’t spoken with the boats coming from Martinique yet. They will rendezvous with us in the San Blas Islands off of Panama.) The boat “Gusto,” also from Maine, had problems with their electronics, possibly due to a lightning strike. They turned back to Key West for repairs. We’re hoping to see them restarted soon, but according to the daily position report we get over the radio, they are still in port. One boat had to withdraw due to health concerns. One boat is indefinitely delayed due to crew problems. Another is indefinitely delayed due to a shortage of money. So there are many kinds of problems that can arise. Ours appear to be manageable (though we were in doubt about that for a while!).

3. What kind of weather are you expecting on the 800 mile tour?
This is a major topic of conversation on board right now. When we cleared the western tip of Cuba, we thought that we would be able to sail a direct course to San Blas. The winds along the way commonly blow from the northeast, but we’ve had southeast winds. As you probably know, a sailboat cannot sail much closer to the wind than 45 degrees. Catamarans, ours included, cannot even sail that close unless the water is smooth. We’ve been doing a lot of bouncing around, sometimes with spray blowing over the bows, and we’re feeling pretty uncomfortable. Not much desire to cook, or eat. We’re hoping for a wind shift soon. Wind aside, it is mostly sunny and warm.

4. How far away from you will other boats be at any given time?
The three boats ahead of us that left from Key West have been staying close together — probably within sight of each other. But we are 400 miles behind them. We saw one sailboat as we rounded Cuba; it was headed west to Mexico. We’ve seen perhaps a dozen ships since we left Cuba. We have to pay attention to them — where they are and where they are headed, so we can be sure to avoid them. Once we catch up with the other boats, I expect we will commonly be within a few miles of one or more, except for the long ocean passages, where the boats will likely spread apart.

5. Did you go through the Bermuda Triangle?
Nope. Maybe on the way home…

See next post for answers to questions 6-10!

Sunday, 18 Jan 2015

We left Key West mid-morning to a fanfare of conch shells a’blowing, plus blaring boat horns, and waves from friends plus a few people  I had not even met.  I think if our “sea trial” had gone badly, we would not have wanted to return to the same marina after such a farewell!  But things have gone well.

I am SOOOO happy to be moving again!!

As a bonus it has been a beautiful sailing day.  Now getting dark, and we are ambling across the Gulf Stream, which is relatively peaceful for the time being.  Flying just our large spinnaker, and fiddling with the hydro generator, trying to get it working consistently.  We’ve stocked our freezer for the first time, so we are drawing more current than in the past, and we need the hydro power or else we’ll have to run engines to charge the batteries.

Monday 19 Jan 2015

During Bill’s night watch he was hailed on the VHF radio by an invisible Coast Guard boat.  They must have been close by, since they referred to us as a catamaran.  But no lights or AIS signal on their part.  They asked a lot of questions about the boat, the crew, and our destination.  And then off they went, apparently, still unseen.

At sun-up we discovered a new problem with our port engine.  It ran, but the control system to give it throttle and shift gears was non-functional.  We put in to Club Hemingway near Havana to sort it out.  Quite a parade of officials came aboard.  All very nice, but all asking for “tips.”  In addition to cash tips, one gentleman searching the boat took a liking to Bill’s deodorant, which fit neatly into his pocket.   Then we also had to pay for visas and a sailing permit, and of course a docking in the marina. This is all the stuff I don’t like about cruising, that I thought would be good to have Jimmy take care of for us.  But this time we’re on our own.

In any case, we had an interesting meeting with the Comodoro of Club Hemingway, who told us the long history of yachting in Cuba.  We took a taxi to downtown Havana, and had a walk around.  I’m glad I got to see Havana, but it’s a shame that we’re in a hurry.  We hope to be ready to leave in the morning.

Tuesday, 20 Jan 2015

Although we spent hours tracking down our problem, in the end it was just a loose wire connection to a terminal strip deep in our electrical locker.  We managed to get underway around noon, and now we’re sailing westward along the north coast of Cuba.  The wind is being somewhat fickle, and we had a brief thunderstorm, but once again I am happy to be moving.  I’m looking forward to getting around the western tip of Cuba, so we have a clear shot to Panama.