|
Voyage
|
|
Thursday, 06 November 2008 |
Day 564 - November 6, 2008
More Joseph
Wind 15 to 20 E, course W, Speed 1 knot, Position 24*29s by 112*07w
More from Joseph Conrad: " ... the deep waters warmed my breast deliciously, like the subtle poison of a love potion... the sea's implacable hate. ...To love it is not well... I knew it capable of betraying the generous ardour of youth... indifferent to evil or good... it would have betrayed the basest greed or noblest heroism... that plays with men until their hearts are broken and wears stout ships to death."
I have always been in love with the sea. I built my first boat when I was twenty, a catamaran that weighed 1,400 pounds - I believe it is pictured in front of the boatbuilding section on the website. It had no motor or radio. When I got ready to sail across the North Atlantic with my very capable and similar-thinking sailing buddy and mentor Ivo Van Laake, I remember some of my relatives saying things like, "If Reid goes down, he will be smiling as he waves goodbye."
As I built the schooner I always though of the sea's most extreme moments and tried to prepare for them. A few years later as we were heaved to in a howling wind, a passing ship informed us we were in a hurricane. In Antarctica in 1987, katabatic winds blew us backwards out of control with icebergs all around. My only experienced crew member shouted, "We are all going to die!" More recently, in a February snowstorm off New York City running south under only the staysail, a rogue wave dumped us over, masts into the water. When we rolled up, all the hanks that held the sail to the headstay were broken, but the halyard held the sail up and we fell back on course.
I have experienced the sea as Conrad describes it. I am no longer that wild and tough. I think his words could also be applied to life on the land. He is entertaining, brilliant, masterful, seductive and fatalistic. Again, I don't subscribe to his point of view. I love life and will keep loving it as joyfully and as long as I can, like a baby at it's mother's breast.
|
|
|
Voyage
|
|
Tuesday, 04 November 2008 |
Day 562 - November 4, 2008
Broken Tool
Wind 0-5 knots, Course Becalmed, Position 24*40s by 111*57w
I often speak of my trying to maintain the balance way out here in the constant roll of the waves. In a magnificent way it is the balance of the spiritual and the physical. Just sitting or moving from one spot to the next is a balance and I try to conserve energy by moving at the right time and pausing when the forces oppose. The voyage has been a lot of work for me maintaining and sailing this big homemade old fashioned schooner. I feel driven by the necessity to work and at the same time there is only so much my body can do. I have always been very physical and active and I like working. I am not as good with motors or electrical things, but when something needs fixing I can usually do it. I don't know how it is on other boats because I have always sailed my own boat since I was 20 years old, but I imagine even expensive boats require a lot of work as the years go by, especially if they spend time at sea.
I didn't pump the bilge for a couple of months. This is good news. When I checked the bilge alarm it wasn't working and the electric bilge pump was on the blink. I also have a big hand pump and a belt driven pump on the motor. I got the alarm and the electric pump going and decided while I was at it to thoroughly clean the motor room and bilge. Jobs that are not on the work list always pop up. That done I went to the rigging to tighten a few shrouds and get them equally tensioned with the rest. I keep the turnbuckles packed in grease and wrapped with canvas, but they still manage to seize up. To adjust them I put a bar through the top and turn them with the channel lock pliers. When I couldn't move the turnbuckle I tied the big channel locks closed and pushed it with my upper body. No luck. I sat on the pilothouse bench and pushed with my feet. The sound of steel breaking! Oops! Another broken tool. I misjudged it's strength not thinking I could break a big tool like this by hand or foot. I eventually got the turnbuckle turning with crowbar, wood and ropes to the winch. Sometimes soft handed, sometimes brutish, I strive for the balance.
|
|
|
Day 560 Steering System Overhaul |
|
|
|
|
Voyage
|
|
Sunday, 02 November 2008 |
|
Day 560- November 2, 2008
Steering System Overhaul
Wind 20 knots, Course SW, Speed 1 knot, Position 24*28s by 111*52w
We are still slowly sailing SW with only our foresail. (Sailing) like this, waves don't splash on deck and it gives me a chance to catch up on work that has to be done outside even though it is still windy. The first thing I did was spread out, mark and recut our #2 storm staysail, so I can do work inside when it gets too rough for me to work outside. Today I overhauled the steering system. We have the same set up as the wooden shrimp boats in North Carolina. A long steel shaft has sprockets for roller chain and a wheel inside and outside that both turn when the other is turned. It has proven quite satisfactory over the years and only needed some "play" taken out of the chain at the quadrant and greasing everywhere. In the photo I touch the top of the steel rudder post that comes up through a bearing stuffing box in the stern of the schooner. The quadrant has chain running across it and swings from side to side as the schooner is steered. It is under the galley sink and the sink drain can be seen in the top of the picture. In order for me to tighten the chain I secured ropes to keep the quadrant from moving and more ropes lashed to the chain to keep it in place. The bolt that adjusts the chain tension was all the way tight, so I had to saw a link out of the chain to get the length we needed. I accessed and greased all the bearings and roller chain as I turned the wheel to different positions. Of course every job has peripheral issues and I had to clean up everywhere, do a little carpentry, repair a tool, etc. I have a long work list of similar things I have to do like adjusting the rigging, mast top jobs, cleaning the sides and bottom of the hull with my long handled scraper, painting rust, rebuilding pulleys, pouring Clorox in water tanks again, remove a broken antenna wire, food restocking from cargo hold to galley storage areas, repairing foul weather gear and booties, sewing chaffing gear on halyards. I feel good about the schooner and her ability to keep going. |
|
|
Voyage
|
|
Saturday, 01 November 2008 |
Day 558 - October 31, 2008
Lost in Wonder
Wind 10 knots, Course SW, Speed 1 knot, Position 32*47s by 111*34s
I truly love the whale. He came to tell me I could be who ever I wanted to be and to wander where I will and it's all good. As I kept meandering off the beaten track and at my own speed, slower than others and not arriving, I was called space cowboy on a journey to nowhere. I knew many people did not understand my tactics for the moment, but soon they would. To be lost in a grand sacred sea is the best luck and then to be told by my sailing brothers,"Hey Reid, you have just drawn a whale with the course you sailed", is like waking up in timeless clarity. The enigmatic story goes on and on. It is beyond my words. Who can translate for me? This sailing can not be explicated. I ask to be lead, but the winds and seas follow me saying, "Save us".I say," Take me where you will, I'm seaworthy". I work every day steady to keep the dream ship ready. For the time being, I don't know where I'm going next. I'm "ooing" at the crescent moon and I'm "aahing" at the stars and marveling at the shades of blue jewels and dancing diamonds. In this state of divine madness the whale says, "Go where you will. You never know what might happen". The whale helps explain the result of being devout and free. How could the whale have arrived on the satellite map if I had to sail as straight as every one else and fast back to land? Imagine being out of sight of land lost in wonder.
In the photo I spread the blown out and recut #2 storm staysail out on deck. I am marking and cutting it and sewing more pieces over it so it will be double thick. I work every day to prepare the schooner for Cape Horn.
|
|
|
Voyage
|
|
Thursday, 30 October 2008 |
|
Day 556 - October 29, 2008
Joseph Conrad
Wind ESE 20knots, Course SW, Speed 4 knots, Position 22*05s by 110*05w
Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) was a master mariner at the end of the age of sail and retired to become one of the most highly regarded writers of sailing adventure. His writings are in quotes here from The Mirror of the Sea. He entertained and influenced me as he has generations of sailors, but I did not subscribe to his point of view.
"...that implacable enemy of man. Already familiar with all the violence's of the ocean.by man who with the help of ships wrest out a bitter living from the rough grasp of the sea. The sea has never been friendly to man... he - man or people - who putting his trust in the friendship of the sea, is a fool! ...the ocean has no compassion, no faith, no law.it's fickleness... a sleepless armed jealous vigilance, in which, perhaps, there has always been more hate than love... impenetrable and heartless, the sea has given nothing of itself to the suitors... has lured so many to a violent death, its immensity has never been loved... (the) hostility of the world of the waters. The sea - this truth must be confessed - has no generosity. No display of manly qualities, courage, hardihood, endurance, faithfulness. The ocean has the conscienceless temper of a savage... has remained the irreconcilable enemy of ships and men, since ships and men had the unheard of audacity to go afloat together in the face of his frown. From that day he has gone on swallowing up fleets and men with out his resentment being glutted by the number of victims - by so many wrecked ships and wrecked lives. Today as ever he is ready to beguile and betray, to smash and drown the incorrigible optimism of men... if not always in a hot mood to smash, he is always stealthily ready for a drowning.. the most amazing wonder of the deep is it's unfathomable cruelty... "
How could I expect to survive if I believed him? I know so little. I surrender and ask to be lead. I figure what ever happens if I keep love to the forefront. (But) "To love it (the sea) is not well... (?)" (to be continued)
|
|
|
Voyage
|
|
Tuesday, 28 October 2008 |
|
Day 554 - October 27, 2008
Spilled Coffee
Wind ESE 20 knots, Course SW, Speed 3 to 4 knots, Position 19*37s by 108*32w
Rough weather. I spilled my coffee and then shouted a cuss word and immediately felt the power drain out of me like a big balloon going down. I quickly readjusted my attitude, prayed for forgiveness and expressed my gratitude. I took a few quick breaths, cleaned up and began my day with a fresh outlook and appreciation for the wonder around me. Being out at sea and alone for so long has intensified my outlook on life. On land it is much easier to make mistakes and not keep love guiding all our actions. People can live their whole lives unhappily, in desperation and treating others badly. Their intellects can provide them with a livelihood and self preservation will keep them going. Racing people can yell at each other. Those who sail across oceans understand the need to adjust themselves to the harmonious tune of the sea. Anyone who takes their own boat out to sea understands the need to keep a positive spirit and not think unkindly and thereby disable them selves. I have learned as I go on to keep love and devotion to the forefront of all my activities as much as possible. It has almost been forced upon me to survive. Loving kindness is reflected back from my surroundings and makes me see that every other way I act is also reflected back to me. It has become apparent to me that I also have to take care of as much of humanity as possible. That means sending out a lot of true compassion and love. How I am with nature is how nature is with me. That is why even one cuss word affects me so strongly here. I strive earnestly to be good and not break the flow of love because we still have a long way to go and need all the help and blessings possible to maintain our journey. |
|
|
Voyage