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
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