August 2000 - Bluewater
We made it...not exactly to our original destination, but, we made it. Here it all is, straight from the Log of Jenny P:
7/31/2000 - Juneau to Funter Bay
[Sara] What a day.... We pulled away from the fuel dock at 0815 full and heavy. Rain of course as we motored down Gastineau plus headwinds. The sun actually came out and we saw blue sky as we rounded the south end of Douglas Island. A few knots of wind from behind and we put up the spinnaker which helped our speed a little. Near Auke Bay, saw several humpbacks, tons of sightseeing, whale watching, sport fishing boats, airplanes, jets and helicopters. Felt like I-5! Big wakes, and Xena pees on herself in the cockpit. A few minutes later, Michael goes below and discovers someone has peed on the mainsail cover.
Point Retreat - almost ran over by snotty sport fisherman in little boat. Met headwinds and large chop. Try to sail, but just not enough wind to close reach (about 10 knots), so we motor into wind and waves again. Discover Precious has vomited all over floor and our bed. Wind keeps blowing until we pull into Funter Bay. Decide to anchor so we don't have to deal with boats at float. Successfully anchor. Go below and find Precious has crapped on herself on our bed (comforter too). Spent next hour cleaning her and bed and floor and cockpit. Cats will definitely ride in cockpit with us tomorrow.
8/1/2000 - Funter Bay to San Diego, Day 1
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 58° 01"N, 136° 47" W, heading: 216T, speed: 5.5 kt motorsailing, wind: 3 kt W, swell: 6' W, cloudcover: 80%, barometer: 1025
[Sara] Left Funter Bay at 0600; very little wind so motoring as usual. Sun comes out and we see blue sky! I bake bread. Nearing Glacier Bay we see numerous humpbacks -- awesome sight! Have to practically dodge them to cross sound. Get to sail a bit in here. Even see baby humpback following mama. Reach North Inian Pass to Pacific at 1700. Met with large, lumpy seas, but still no wind. Last sight of land is 15,000' Mt. Fairweather and Brady Glacier -- stunning. Will motor until 0600 the next morning.
Check into Seafarer's net at 0330 zulu. Michael starting to feel nauseous, despite Dramamine taken at noon. Sara has first watch, 9 to midnight. Uneventful, just gets dark, but not completely. I sleep fairly well 0000-0300; Michael reports that he's thrown up twice and seen the Aurora. Near end of my 0300-0600 watch, wind finally begins to pick up and I hoist main. Michael gets up and helps hoist jib and staysail (meanwhile throwing up). Boat action much smoother, but still steep swells and confusion.
8/2/2000 - Day 2, Total miles from Juneau at 1200: 205
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 56° 17"N, 138° 15" W, heading: 154T, speed: 7 kt motorsailing, wind: 3 kt W, swell: 6' S, cloudcover: 100%, barometer: 1025
[Sara] When the sun rises again, we can no longer see land. Sail at 5-6 knots until 1200, then wind dies down again. Michael sleeps from 0900-1500, then I'll take my turn again at sleep. Both of us are feeling better by noon and eating some. Michael has kept down banana and water. Kitties feeling better too (not puking and peeing on themselves at least. Still need for them to use litter box.) Cooking ramen now; have updated log (although not real-time), listened to music and read a magazine. Must be getting used to this!
100% cloud cover, drizzle now and then. Pretty boring sky...hope winds pick up again. Only 14nm until tack to SW, but may have to tack each day as that is where wind is coming from.
8/3/2000 - Day 3, Total miles from Juneau at 1200: 331
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 54° 21"N, 136° 51" W, heading: 154T, speed: 4 kt, wind: 8 kt NW, swell: 10' W, cloudcover: 100%, barometer: 1024
[Sara] 1012: Last night on Michael's 0000-0300 watch, bird flies into his head and then down companionway. I awake to his yells and see little black bird with white striped wings and black webbed feet floundering on the galley floor (a storm petrel we think). I put on my gloves and pick up the bird; it's flapping around and takes a few tries to get a good grip. Finally, I let it out hatch, but it clings onto dodger pocket, which Xena takes notice of. Grab bird again and thrust it into wind. This time it takes off.
Have been sailing since 0230 in nice mellow 10-15 knots. Swells now breaking on starboard quarter, so kind of a lumpy ride. Kitties downstairs now, using litter box and nerves calmed.
Sun trying to break through foggy clouds, but still solid gray. Luckily, not too much rain, just some misty stuff off and on.
Noticed winch on starboard mast was falling off; I had to go up and reattach. Wind to starboard quarter; jib just flogging so decide to put whisker pole on it wing and wing. Once Michael gets pole attached, end of pole hooked to mast breaks in half and pole falls -- luckily didn't hit Michael! So, end up dropping jib and spend next 6 hours flogging back and forth ourselves with only main way out to side.
Michael reports huge swells at 1700. Discover we have sailed over seamount and plan to avoid all others due to crazy wave action.
2330: Sailing nicely at last! 13 knots of wind and we're cruising at 5-6 knots. Nice, except for fog and mist. Hope to find sunny skies soon!
8/4/2000 - Day 4, Total miles from Juneau at 1200: 455
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 52° 22"N, 136° 14" W, heading: 165T, speed: 5.5 kt, wind: 20 kt NW, swell: 8' W, cloudcover: 100% and fog, barometer: 1025
[Sara] 0200: Michael wakes me up and says that wind has kicked up (gusting to 25) and we're tearing along at 7 knots. I get up and go out with him to put a reef in main (not easy with so much pressure against it), take down the jib and put up the staysail. Once we've got all this done, we've slowed down to 5-5.5 knots and all is much quieter.
1100: Reef still in main and staysail up. Winds not quite as strong. Bigger waves (8 feet), but not very steep. Got inspired this afternoon and made Caesar salad from bag! Winds have died down and Michael takes reef out. Making 4 knots at 2300.
8/5/2000 - Day 5, Total miles from Juneau at 1200: 571
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 50° 34"N, 135° 05" W, heading: 150T, speed: 6.5 kt, wind: 20 kt NNW, swell: 6' NW, cloudcover: 90%, barometer: 1024
[Sara] Not much change from yesterday; winds still variable 6-15 knots. No change in cloud cover still. Satellite image shows this may be all we see most of the way down the coast unfortunately. Have jib and main up and moving along at 5.5 knots. Feels like we've been in huge blue and gray bubble for four days now, not moving at all. Happy to report that kitties are both eating and using the toilet properly.
Wind died again this afternoon and sail flapping incessantly. Michael jury-rigged the whisker pole with a shackle, so that's on the jib and we're now wing and wing.
Made my most extravagant meal yet, ramen with canned veggies. We fully understand Jimmy Buffett's "Cheese Burger in Paradise" song now.
Boat rolls violently into the night. Really uncomfortable and neither of us sleeps well, having to grip onto bunk. I finish reading John Muir's "Travels in Alaska."
0200: Wind kicks up and we steer more to SE with both sails to port. We fly along at 6-7 knots, much smoother motion and we finally get some peaceful sleep on settee. I am reading "Maiden Voyage" again. Very funny how I can actually relate to what she writes now!
8/6/2000 - Day 6, Total miles from Juneau at 1200: 705
Seafarer's Net Report: time: 0320z, position: 49° 13"N, 132° 38" W, heading: 131T, speed: 5.5 kt, wind: 20 kt NW, swell: 7' NW, cloudcover: 70%, barometer: 1022
[Michael] My watch started at the usual time, 12 midnight, to the thrashing motion of going downwind wing and wing with dying winds. The sound of the shuddering rig was worrying and annoying but there was at the time no other option. At around 0130, after a brief showing of stars through the blanket of fog, a darker than normal looking cloud swooped overhead bringing with it much higher winds. It was soon apparent that the whisker pole must go so I went below to wake up Sara. All went according to plan as we changed course to the east with a much more comfortable motion -- especially for sleeping.
Ever since my early morning watch, we have been on this tack with a heading of approximately 125T going back to around 100 miles off the coast before heading more to the south once again.
While Sara was on her watch today the sun broke through inspiring her to make an awesome hot lunch of rice and gardenburgers. And, we also shared a beer for the first time at sea.
