On January 10th I returned to
the boat. I had to ready the boat quickly. I had a good weather window coming. It was the first one in almost a month!
I arrived at the boat early in the morning... like 2am early. I was surprised at how bright it was. I was exhausted from the drive and quickly climbed into my bunk.
When I awoke in the morning, I understood why it was so bright during the early hours... The boat was frozen in. For the first time in over 35 years, the creek had frozen all the way across.
February was a brutal month. There really was not a suitable weather window that I was comfortable with.
March was worst. A series of Nor'easters moved quickly up the coast... one after the other. I was looking for a weather window between storms.
All I need is a 3-day window of good weather. However, when I had three days... the waves from the previous storm were still too large. I mean 19 feet too large! There is no way I could sail out in 10 knot winds and climb a 19 foot wave! And to do that for the first 24 hours!? ... not my idea of a fun adventure!
So... I endeavored to persevere... at home I was warm and comfortable. On the boat, there is no heat! A few weather windows slid by because I could not drive to the boat and be ready to depart in the requisite time period. I made the best of my time at home. I rebuilt the wind generator. I also repaired the electric motor for the tender. So, besides the oars, I had power available for the first time.
On March 25th... I made a commitment to depart on or before Easter Sunday. So, I drove back to the boat and immediately returned the rental car. I spent the week slowly, deliberately, preparing the boat for departure. The weather window was perfect! I ordered a new life raft and had it delivered to the boat.
By the end of the week, a small cold front passed by. This accelerated the weather by nearly a day. I could depart on Saturday instead of Sunday. With the wind generator installed and the new life raft mounted, I was ready. I only had to walk to the grocery store Saturday morning. My planned departure would be between noon and 4pm... no problem!
After storing my fresh fruits and vegetables, I raised the mainsail and set the first reef. That way, I would be prepared for stronger winds than predicted when I hit the ocean. I started the engine and was letting it warm up. I set waypoints into the chart plotter to give me a course based on the latest weather information. This course would cover the first six days and get me past Bermuda. I would update the waypoints whenever I received updated weather information.
While doing this, the engine just stopped. This was weird. The engine has been completely reliable for years. When I tried, it would not start. It was running... so I shouldn't need to bleed the fuel system, which required two people on this boat. Note to self... make a remote starter switch so I can bleed the injectors by myself!
I removed the fuel filter... It was clogged... really clogged. I called the fuel guy, Dave. He was out of town for the holiday and would not be able to stop at the boat until Monday! I lost another weather window....
On Monday, Dave showed up. The previous owners put in a new fuel tank, but failed to consider the proper placement for the access panels. I had to cut a floor strut to gain access. Dave left and returned on Tuesday. He pumped out the tank and filtered the fuel. He only replaced 15 of the 44 gallons because he used more filters to clean that 15 gallons of fuel than he typically does with 100 gallons!
So, the next viable weather window won't be available for another 5 days. I'll keep tracking that and hope it stays good.
To all my friends that keep telling me to be safe... I will not depart just because I can. I am not on a schedule, and I am doing things on my terms. If this weather window is questionable...
I will endeavor to persevere...
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