Great tale! Rich
> On Jan 8, 2014, at 11:08, Andrew Burton <a.burton.sai...@gmail.com> wrote: > > So there I was, sailing a Swan 65 out of Bermuda, home to Newport for repair > one cool March day. The crew who got her to Bermuda had shredded the main and > ruined the engine, among other things, so we literally sailed out the cut at > St Georges under 110% jib, staysail, storm trysail and mizzen. It was a > rather arduous trip; each day brought at least 40 knot winds at some point. > On the afternoon of the second day, we were becalmed in the north wall of the > Gulf Stream, heading for England at 3 knots with the current, just slatting > in big leftover chop. Clouds moved in and lightning started booming all > around. BAM! BAM! All around us for a couple of hours. And there was only one > thing sticking up in the air in a hundred-mile radius. I started to get a > little nervous...well, I kind of lost it...and started shaking my fist and > yelling "f*** you" at the sky after every ZOT! much to the amusement of my > crew, who were watching and laughing from the companionway. > > Yelling at the sky proved be a less than well thought out plan, as it soon > started raining. But the wind came back with the rain, so all was not lost > and we started reaching along on starboard tack at 8.5 - 9 knots straight > toward home. As we got closer and the water got colder, the wind started > heading us and the rain turned to sleet. 30 hours later, at two AM we were > beating into 30 knots of wind on the final approach to Newport in wet, > blinding snow. > > I saw a pair of lights on a fast boat going by; white over red; the pilot > boat. I called on channel 14 and the skipper came back, "This is the pilot > boat NE Pilot on channel 14; is that you, Andy?" > I answered in the affirmative and after some chat about our relative > intelligence, he said, "Do you see that 650-foot car carrier off your port > quarter" > "No." > "Well I think he thinks you're me and he's trying to go alongside you. You > might want to tack." > > Back on deck we put the helm down and were once again dumped on by the inches > of snow shaken from the windward side of the jib. > > Several tacks later, we were at the entrance to Newport Harbor as dawn was > breaking. The wind had eased, though the snow hadn't, and we were looking > forward to getting into warm beds at home. The plan was to pick up a mooring > and wait for the launch service to start, but we figured no one in their > right minds would be down to pick us up for hours (this was before cell > phones were ubiquitous), so we decided we could go alongside at the Yachting > Center. > > Approaching at about half a knot to maintain steerage in the now light airs, > we had the lines all set to go. The aft spring would be most important to > secure to stop the boat from hitting the steel bulkhead a few boat-lengths in > front of us. One of the crew jumped down to the dock with the spring and > immediately landed flat on her back in 6" of snow. As she was dragging along > the dock at half a knot head first, still on her back--Swan 65s carry their > way very well--I said to her, "Anytime with that spring, Joanie." She looked > me in the eye and started swearing at me as she shivered along. > > Eventually we got tied up with no further ado and adjourned to the Handy > Lunch, where many eggs and gallons of coffee and tea were downed. > > > Andy > C&C 40 > Peregrine > > PS Joanie was next seen entering the Whitbread Race and sailing amongst the > icebergs in the Southern Ocean. She forgave me for the snowy trip. > > >> On Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 9:27 AM, Andrew Burton <a.burton.sai...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> this is what I use on chilly nights and days. I get about 6 hours on high >> out of one of those little tanks of propane. It works quite well >> http://www.basspro.com/Mr-Heater-Portable-Buddy-Propane-Heater/product/10210207/ >> >> Andy >> C&C 40 >> Peregrine >> >> >>> On Wed, Jan 8, 2014 at 9:24 AM, Rich Knowles <r...@sailpower.ca> wrote: >>> Joe, can you not get hold of one of those alcohol or propane tent warmers? >>> I think Coleman makes them among others. >>> >>> Rich Knowles >>> INDIGO LF38 >>> Halifax, NS. >>> >>> On Jan 8, 2014, at 10:12 AM, Della Barba, Joe <joe.della.ba...@ssa.gov> >>> wrote: >>> >>> Sure wishing I had some heat onboard >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album >>> http://www.cncphotoalbum.com >>> CnC-List@cnc-list.com >>> >> >> >> >> -- >> Andrew Burton >> 61 W Narragansett Ave >> Newport, RI >> USA 02840 >> http://sites.google.com/site/andrewburtonyachtservices/ >> phone +401 965 5260 > > > > -- > Andrew Burton > 61 W Narragansett Ave > Newport, RI > USA 02840 > http://sites.google.com/site/andrewburtonyachtservices/ > phone +401 965 5260 > _______________________________________________ > This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album > http://www.cncphotoalbum.com > CnC-List@cnc-list.com
_______________________________________________ This List is provided by the C&C Photo Album http://www.cncphotoalbum.com CnC-List@cnc-list.com
