Aleria Update 21
Update from Aleria #21:
The Almost Final Leg @ 45° 02.822’ N 12° 56.795’ W
We left Angra in the Azores on Wednesday evening 23/6/2010 at about 1600 hours. Everyone thought we were crazy but only time will tell. It was the big night of the Sanjoaninas festival when the Azoreans put on an all night party. But the grib files showed our weather window was optimal and wouldn’t last. By the next day, there would be no wind in the vicinity. If we left today, we’d be able to squeeze in between two low pressure systems and ride the tight isobars in between way up to the northern latitudes. We gambled and missed 19 marching bands, each with its associated dancing group of women in billowing dresses twirling down the streets. We missed the final chasing of the bulls where they released four untethered bulls into the streets to deal with the crowds. We missed the all night music concerts. We missed men jumping the bonfire in the street; men who succeeded won the right to free sardines and beer until the dawn hours. But we did catch the wind.
So our amazing sojourn is drawing to a close, although it’s not over yet. From this point onwards our new friends are scattering all over the earth. No longer will we be meeting up with one or another of our cruising buddies in the next destination, for we are all heading our separate ways. Some are heading home; others are heading on. We are on our own for the first time since leaving home. It is sad in some ways. Yet, we are turning a new leaf in others. We have said our farewells. We are entering new territory. Will we have to readjust? Will we soon want to sail again? Only time will tell that too.
We are heading to Cork first from where we plan to cruise up the coast of Ireland, stopping in various harbours and ports along the way. We haven’t explored our home territory yet fully and this appears to be the perfect opportunity. Our friend from Lolita, Clive, has given us tips on his favourite cruising grounds in the south and west so we’ll go from there.
As we were planning our landfall, which looked liked it would happen in a record 7 days from Terceira to Ireland, we learned of a great storm forming off the coast of Ireland. Two lows were merging to form a storm of rather large and intense proportions. Its path would pass the strongest winds right over our position as we approached Ireland. Not again! We checked with Herb who advised us to head southeast to avoid the worst. Southerly winds of 40-50 knots would be expected just as we approached the coast placing us off a lee shore in a severe gale – not what we wanted. So we turned around and shortened sail to slow ourselves down. Now, instead of landfall Wednesday, we’d be looking at Saturday at the soonest and three days of just hanging out mid-ocean.
What to do? We still had more books to read but this was once again frustrating. The weather was getting miserable. Mist with occasional rain showers. Grey, grey, grey skies and seas. And now dense fog was setting in as a cool NW breeze blew in over the warmer Atlantic Current waters. Ugh. And Daria’s birthday was coming up on the 29th of June. Aha. A challenge was issued on the SSB radio. Expectations of birthday serenades were set for the following day. Daria got to baking herself a birthday cake – chocolate fudge of course. A virtual sea party was in the making.
Just before midnight on the SSB net at 2300 UTC, Gerry was the first to sing a happy birthday and sent lots of kisses (mwa, mwa, mwa) and hugs (mmm-mm-mmm). Daria baked her cake during the witching watch at 0400-0800. At 1230 UTC, the Talulahs gave a command performance via SSB radio on the 4057 kHz frequency. They sang in four-part harmony and played instruments from their ships stores, including pots and pans, with glee. Then Kate sang a joyous Scottish ditty as we all laughed along. It was great fun.
Soon after, a whale blow was sighted but the whales were too far away to watch. The weather had cleared, the sun was shining, the air was cool and the mist had dissipated. It was gorgeous, perfect! As Daria read on deck during her watch, a voice came on the VHF radio, “Aleria, Aleria. Talulah, Talulah.” It was Ali, and if it was VHF, Talulah was within 25 miles. In fact, she was within 5 miles, and our courses were converging as we were heading SE and they were still motoring NE. Here we were in the middle of the frigging ocean and our friends were within sight. And there was a procession of whales – huge sperm whales – leading the way. Whoa. Way cool.
Hang on. Fenders out. Docklines out. It’s a birthday party at sea! Aleria would keep sailing along at 3 knots while Talulah motored alongside and tied up. Success! The Talulalalahs were dressed to the nines, Ali and Kate in their fancy frocks, Shane and Jon in their dress shirts and waistcoats. My, we were impressed. A birthday celebration took place, with lots of cheer, cake and candles, and toasts of rum cocktails, with great friends. And we thought we’d said good bye. Looks like this friendship will find its connections wherever we are.
Once again, we said our farewells as Talulah cast off. In their wake, the whales came by to wish Daria a Happy Birthday yet again. It was perfect day. One that could not have been planned. One that would not have happened if the storm hadn’t slowed us down. A once in a lifetime event that will stay with us forever. We all slept well in our respective off watch hours after that.
Now, in the proverbial words of Lars aboard s/v Inga, “we wait for the s#^t to happen”. The skies get cloudier as the whales continue to visit and frolic around our boat. This morning, a pod of sperm whales swam in the bow wake like dolphins then swam under the boat and across in front of Aleria’s bow and did loops around her. It was a bit disconcerting as these gargantuan creatures are massive – much bigger than Aleria – and rather prehistoric looking with blunt heads and distinctive fins. But they were curious about Aleria and played along without interfering. Thank goodness. For once, we got plenty of still and video shots.
As we wait here in benign conditions, we know the storm is already raging above and ahead of us. We expect winds of up to 30 knots where we are for a very short period after which we will turn north and shoot up to Cork on the westerly shift. There is another gale en route and we need to scoot in there in between the two. Sounds familiar? We had the same deal in the same spot on our first crossing in 2008. Meanwhile, the seas are confused and sleep is nigh impossible. Why are we here? Oh yes, adventure, that’s it.
We have plenty of time to wonder while we wait. We wonder if we’ll be comfortable with life ashore, and for how long? We wonder if we’ll get the urge to go to sea, and how soon? We wonder if Onyx will remember all her old haunts. We wonder how long it will take to cut the grass. There are just as many mundane questions as ethereal ones.
In the meantime, we plan our cruise home. We are making landfall in Cork because we haven’t been there by sea yet. And so in this renowned sailors’ destination, we’ll take the time to chill after another ocean passage and sail homeward at a more leisurely pace. We’ll make stops at some of the destinations that intrigue us most as we do not know when we’ll have the opportunity to pass this way again. It will also give us the ability to pick our way up the challenging west coast in concert with the weather and regale in the beauty of our home. We just know that once again we’ll say to ourselves, “Why was it that we ever wanted to leave?”
Suddenly, a new diversion. Alex calculates in his mind that Per Mare and Aleria are on a converging course. So in the morning, he hails Gerry on the VHF. This literally scares Gerry out of his comfy bed. He jumps out on deck and we realize we are about 5 miles apart and already visible to the naked eyes. What are the chances of a second chance encounter out here? That never happens. The number of boats we’ve seen on our crossings can fit on one hand. It’s too rough to raft up. So we just do a mid-Atlantic photo session. Just before this chance encounter, I had calculated that Aleria had just crossed her outbound track and we had completed a circumnavigation of the Atlantic. Here was Gerry to document the event and celebrate it with us. Another party. What a social calendar we have! These will be the first photos of Aleria under full sail at sea. Talulans got her under jib and jigger. How fortunate.
As we cross our outbound track and complete a circumnavigation of the Atlantic Ocean, we tally up the figures. After more than 10,000 miles and visits to more than 15 countries comprising 24 islands and countless more anchorages, we return home. It’s actually the end of a spiral in the Atlantic to which we can add another 5000 or so miles and countless more ports along the seaboards of the US and Canada. And there is still so much more to see, even in our own back yards.
We come home with lots of memories and many things to contemplate. Perhaps the thing we have learned best is to let life happen to us instead of planning every minute. Far more intriguing new experiences come to light as a result. We hope we retain this knowledge as we return to our lives ashore. I suppose we’ll find out soon enough if we are to be successful.
As we push to get to Cork before the next gale hits, we make 174 miles one day and need to do another 90 in the next 12 hours to beat the 35 knot southwesterlies. We know we can do it, so here we go. When we send this message, we’ll already be there.
For now, slainte from Ireland.
Daria & Alex & Onyx
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