Home. Safe and Sound

Now that the Ile de Grace has been moved to her permanent mooring, cleaned, and emptied of her crew and their belongings, I can begin to think about this voyage with a bit of perspective, although it will take more time to fully absorb the significance of making a transatlantic passage.

We sailed a total of 4,360 nautical miles in 32 days, while spending 10 days at various ports. This map from google earth shows our route, thanks to Jon's plotting our positions.  We were tested by the seas, the weather and the boat herself--and I think we met all challenges successfully.

I want to thank Jon for making our dream to purchase the Ile de Grace a reality; for putting me on the passage that he himself has longed to take; for his constant support during this voyage; and for taking care of everything and everyone while I was gone.  I am looking forward to the next sailing adventure being with you.

Thank you Captain Larry.  Thank you for your calmness during challenges; for your patience and your rhymes; for your care and feeding of us crew; for Sunday music; and for getting us home safely.  You are a great sea captain.  I cannot begin to count the things you've taught me that will serve Jon and I in our own circumnavigation plans.  You became a friend on this trip and I will never forget you. 

Thank you Dominique.  Thank you for sharing those six hour watches with me at the beginning; for convincing me that big ships really do follow the rules of the road; for your theory of true to compass calculations; and for your insights into the measurement of time.  I will never forget them.  Best of luck as you become a skipper in your own right.  Reliance is lucky to have you on their team.

And thank you Alex.  You are a very good sailor and I always appreciated your enthusiasm to sail the boat to her best performance; to resolve our various technical problems whenever they arose; and to have fun at sea with chess and other games.  I wish I could read in bumpy seas like you can and I wish you all the best in your future sailing adventures.

Jon and I have 18 months to customize and fully outfit the Ile de Grace before we begin our circumnavigation in January 2010.  We have a lot to do and will make a few postings, but for now I'll conclude this first chapter in our journey.

Jennifer

Coming Home

We left Bermuda around noon on Thursday, May 29th under blue skies and fair winds.  Although the winds quickly started to come from the west (once again the general direction we wanted to head), we were able to sail close-hauled and make some good miles for the first day and a half. By dinner time on Saturday, May 31st, the southwesterly wind was increasing (17-20 knots) and the sea swell was increasing from 2 to 3 meters.  No big deal. 

But by midnight June 1st, the winds were up to 27 knots and we were seeing sheet lightening in the distance.  We had 3 reefs in our main and our genoa sails as we entered heavy squalls.  It was quite a bumpy ride.  Sometime around 5 in the morning we lost our instruments (no wind readings, no speed through the water and no depth soundings) and in daylight we discovered that another batten had torn out of its pocket on our main sail.  :(  We had another two days of sailing ahead of us and could only use our main sail from the third reefing point.

Once we'd passed out of the bad weather, we lost our wind and we only made 65 nautical miles in the next 24 hours.  The highlight that day was seeing an F-18 flying low by our starboard side. The pilot dipped his wing off our bow and then took off in a vertical climb and went out of sight.  It was cool.

By midnight Tuesday, June 3rd, we could see the loom of light from Norfolk and I knew we were almost in the Chesapeake Bay--my nautical home.  Once in the Chesapeake Bay, it took us another 18 hours to get to Annapolis.  And just to be consistent with the rest of the trip, we were not out of the dark yet. We had two night watches of dealing with the shipping traffic coming into and out of Norfolk, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland.  That evening, just as we passed the mouth of the Potomac River, the US Coast Guard warned all ships of imminent severe weather and said to seek safe harbor.  Winds were forecasted for 60 knots and hail and severe lighting were predicted for our location.  Larry ordered all to be in foul weather gear, with life jackets and tethers on.  While we had scattered squalls, the worst predictions did not occur around us.  We later heard that there were isolated tornados in the region, but we were OK.  (The 60 knot winds, hail and thunderstorms  came the next day, though, once we were safe in the marina.)

So were motored into Annapolis at 6 AM on Wednesday, June 4.  We were tired and it had been a long journey.  The boat still needed cleaning and there many repairs to tend to, but it was really good to finally be home.

More on Bermuda

Most of our brief time in Bermuda was spent addressing our broken stanchion and preparing for our last leg to Annapolis, Maryland.  I thought you might like to see photos of what all the fuss was about.  On May 19th about 900 nautical miles east of Bermuda, the stanchion that supports our boom traveler broke from its bolts.  Dominique and Alex happened to be in the cockpit when it happened and reacted quickly.  They and Larry then figured out a solution to get us to Bermuda.  Once there, we had a stainless steel plate made as an additional backing and now it seems quite secure.

We managed to have some time to enjoy night life in St. Georges, Bermuda.  Alex and Dominique spent a few hours at the beach, and we all had our traditional dinner together the night before sailing.  This time, we ate at the Mariner's Club (Larry's recommendation) in Hamilton.

I also want to mention a special person to all mariners who come to the east end of Bermuda. Bernie Oatley is the retired Harbor Master, but he did not really retire.  He is the Harbor Master Emeritus, listens to the ships coming in on the VHF radio and greets us all at the dock. Once we've cleared immigration, he advises us where we can tie up our boats, gets us tokens for showers and laundry and points us in the right direction for whatever yachting needs we may have.

I first met Bernie in November 2006.  While waiting for Sea Scout (29 foot Darfour captained by Geert van der Kolk) to hobble in from a gale, Bernie and his wife took me in and let me stay in their home until my ship arrived.  He is a gentle soul, and all who sail into St. Georges are enriched by meeting him.   Thanks for everything Bernie!

Northward Bound on the Chesapeake!

Ile de Grace turned the proverbial corner this morning, entered our own beautiful Chesapeake Bay, and is motor-sailing northward toward her home port in Annapolis. Captain and crew are tired but healthy, and looking forward to completing the boat's first major ocean passage -- a trip in excess of 4200 nautical miles. They expect to be dockside in the early morning hours of Wedneday. Their current position is 37 28 N 76 06 W, just south of the Potomac River in the Chesapeake.

Squalls and A Few Gear Failures -- All OK

A rough night of squalls left Grace with another tear in the main luff, around the third batten, which -- as before, seems to have been installed a bit too tightly for the 30 kt winds under a triple reef.  In addition, the signals from the knot meter, anemometer, and depth sounder all disappeared from the instruments, even though the instruments' LCDs are illuminated.  After checking the fuses -- located (a bit inconveniently) in the engine compartment -- a difficult place to access in weather -- there's no apparent fuse issue ... hmmm ...  

The crew are fine, but a bit worn by the night's battering through the confused waters of the Gulf Stream.  With 140 n.m to go to the mouth of the Chesapeake, they should be on terra firma on Tuesday.  Today's position:  36 02 N 72 21 W.

Annapolis Bound

After completing the repair to the stanchion, re-loading with provisions and fuel, and attending to various boat and personal matters, Grace and her crew left St. George's Bermuda for Annapolis, Maryland at about 9:00 a.m. local time yesterday.  Their present position is 33 23 N 66 31 W, and they are averaging a sparkling 9 knots over the ground.  

On the home front, our mooring was laid in yesterday -- we're using two Helix moorings, secured fore-and-aft to reduce swinging in the narrow creek.  

15 Day Passage to Bermuda

Hello Everyone,

While our passage took 15 days and it seems there would be much to tell, there really isn't. And because this internet cafe costs $14 an hour this will be a bit of a short posting.

We left the Azores trying to get south to get into the tradewinds for an easy passage west, but the winds kept pushing us northward of our line to Bermuda. For most of the journey the wind was from the southwest--the direction we wanted to head-- and the often 2-3 meter swell was also southwesterly so the Ile de Grace did a lot of slapping against the waves and we developed a motion, which Captain Larry calls the "nodding dog." If you remember those bobbing head dogs that sat on the back dash of car windows, then that is what our own heads began to feel like. Ususally, the weather was cloudy, and cool and we were often damp.

This trip I tried to take videos, and I apologize for the poor quality--I did not always stop recording when I thought I had. The sound is terrible because of the wind, but hopefully you can get a sense of the motion of most of our days.

In this next video, I tried to show you how we had our traveler to the port side while under sail. This was necessary after our stantion broke on May 19th. (Dominique and Alex were on deck at the time and we quick to respond, by releasing the boom. Larry was quick to come up with a temporary fix, and after a few phone calls on the satellite phone, we were back underway.) I introduce Otto von Helm (our auto pilot) who does most of the driving 24-7, doesn't drink or sleep on the job, and only very occassionally loses his grip. (But then don't we all?) I also introduce Old Sea Dog, our mascot. He sits on watch 24-7 on top of the Navigation Table looking out over our bow. He too never drinks or sleeps on the job, and has kept us out of any serious trouble. We are grateful and I will miss him when he leaves the ship with Larry. I also tried to video myself signing off--please ignore.

[After spending 40 minutes uploading this video, it failed. Sorry. Will try to fix when I get home and don't have to pay an arm and a leg to post.]

And finally, Larry, Alex and Dominique all say hello.

After Larry's 12volt inverter--which we used to charge his computer for weather reports--stopped working, Alex lost access to the necessary power source to run his computer. Thus, the chess matches he and Dominique were having came to an abrupt halt. But no worries, they created their own chess board and were soon back at it.

Will try to post on our brief stay in Bermuda later. Cheers, Jennifer

St. George's Bermuda -- Safe and Sound

Ile de Grace and its now-merry crew arrived St. George's, Bermuda late last evening, and are up and about the island today tending to fuel, water, food, laundry, spare parts, and, yes, showers. The Azores-Bermuda trip took 14.5 days. All are well, and they'll be leaving for Annapolis as soon as logistics and weather permit. The captain, crew, and Jennifer send warm-weather greetings to all.

Sailing As It Was Meant To Be ...

Grace has been skimming along of late, maintaining over-ground speeds of between 6 and 8 knots over the past 96 hours, and averaging just under 6.5 knots throughout.  The winds are steady from the northeast, and the growing wave swells made for a difficult night of sleep, even as the boat nears it next port-of-call:  St. George's, Bermuda.  They expect to arrive around midnight tonight, requiring them to stand offshore for the morning's daylight, given the very narrow opening into St George's harbor.  For those that have never been there, the cut through the coral was widened many years ago for cruise ships, which now fit so snugly, it's easy to imagine a top-deck passenger stepping from the ship onto land as they pass through the narrowest portion.

It's also said that the most dangerous past of any passage is the 2 hours preceding the moment one ties up ashore, so I'm sure that caution will be the order of the morning.  All are looking forward to stepping ashore after 15 days at sea.  Their morning position is 32 33 N 62 14 W.

3000 Nautical Miles and Counting ...

Since leaving La Rochelle, France in late April, the crew has sailed over 3000 nautical miles,  and looks forward to covering the last 400 or so miles to Bermuda.  Their morning position was 33 11 N 56 01 W.  They are sailing at an average speed of about 6 knots over the past 48 hours, and have averaged just under 5 knots since leaving the Azores 12 days ago.  The wind has either been light or in their face, and the weather rather dreary throughout.  Coupled with the problem with the traveller (under control, but yielding slower-than-otherwise speeds), the two water issues, and an emerging battery re-charging issue, I think it's fair to say that Grace and her first mate are glad to be making landfall soon ...

Grace expects to be in Bermuda on Tuesday, where they'll shower, dry the boat out, water- and fuel-up, replace the stanchion, and welcome your trusted scribe aboard for the final dash across the Gulf Stream and up the Chesapeake Bay.  I'm really looking forward to reuniting with Jennifer after the five-week absence.  Our mooring is being installed this week, so all systems go on the home front.

On the Bermuda Rhumb Line!

Grace and crew are making nice time, sailing at 279 degrees directly for the island of Bermuda. They're in 13-15 knots, sailing at 5.5 knots under the modified main sheet traveller arrangement. The weather is warming, the skies are brightening, and the crew sends their best to all.

Their morning position is 33 49 N 50 21 W.

All Is Well; Replacement Underway

Grace sails on under fair (if ill-directioned) winds, and all is well at sea and on land.  Thanks to the outstanding service of Gregor Tarjan, our catamaran expert extraordinaire, and the good folks at Fountaine-Pajot, a new set of stanchion and hardware is being shipped to Bermuda.  Ile de Grace is heading south, moving toward the 32nd latitude -- home of Bermuda.  The weather and water are both warming noticibly, and spirits are strong.  The crew sends regards to all family and friends.

Holding It All Together

An eventful few days for our crew and boat:  yesterday, in moderate winds and light seas, two bolts securing a stanchion sheared away, with said stanchion securing the cockpit roof -- which renders unusable the mainsheet traveller and thus the main sail.

 

The crew reacted instantly, dropping the main sail, removing the boom, and taking the strain off the now-poorly supported cockpit roof.  After investigating and then talking with the factory, they were able to slip a few replacement bolts through the plate securing the stanchion connecter to the roof, and have moved the mainsheet traveller to the outboard ends of the traveller to transfer the main sail load to the still-stable outside stanchions securing the roof.  Nonetheless, the gear failure is a bit troubling, and we're awaiting guidance from the Fountaine-Pajot factory.

The wind direction has been less-than-favorable, and they've turned south to a starboard tack to make more southing and avoid a steady progression of lows / gales that are passing north of Bermuda into the North Atlantic.  It's been overcast and drizzling, and while spirits remain high, the crew is looking forward to sunshine and warmer weather.  Each passing day brings them closer to that weather, as they move west and south.

Their 5/20 1200 GMT position is 35 31 N 47 59 W.

 

Halfway To Bermuda

Jennifer and her crewmates report a solid two-day run of 330 n.m., averaging just under 7 knots, always in the apparent center of a limitless expanse of ocean.  Winds are lightening, but they remain under sail.  At 36 10 N 44 06 W, they're halfway to Bermuda, and could be there in 5-7 days at the current rate.

Calm Seas, Foggy and Overcast

Grace is making steady if uneventful progress to Bermuda; their location is 36 41' N 37 22' W.  Spirits are high, as they await a ray of sunshine and a breath of wind.  The engine and auto-pilot are acquitting themselves well, and they are averaging about 115 nm/day.  They're about 1350 nm from Bermuda; at the current rate, they hope to arrive a week Sunday or so (5/25/08).

Underway -Smooth Sailing

Ile de Grace is about 200 nm from the Azores at 37 47' N 32 44' W. Crew and boat are all fine, and Jennifer sends her regards. The weather forecast seems favorable, and they are making good time to Bermuda, a mere 1600 nm away.

Passage to Açores

We left La Caruna on May 1st with high hopes of an easy passage to the Azores (spelled Açores everywhere else in the world). After all, Captain Larry and First Mate Dominique had captured a rainbow the night before our departure. Our plan was to head a bit south from Spain and arc up into the Açores, but after 12 hours of heading due west toward the tip of Spain with nothing but a head wind from the west, we were then unable to turn south. The wind had shifted, due to a low, now coming from due south. So we headed for a more northern route to the islands.




First we had to cross the 4 shipping lanes on the northwest coast of Spain. Two go north and two go south, one each for "dangerous" and "non-dangerous" cargos. Captain Larry had timed our departure from La Caruna so that we would reach the shipping lanes: 1) on his watch; and 2) at night so that the ships would be easier to see with their navigation lights on. There were quite a few ships, but we managed to give them all wide berth ... until just as we were leaving the shipping lanes, Dominique suddenly had to give-way to a rather large whale that passed 10 meters off our bow. Now we can definitely state that we "brake for whales."



Once out of the shipping lanes, we soon entered the first of 2 low pressure areas that greatly affected our trip. As noted earlier, the wind was 20 to 30 knots from the south, so we headed west with the seas getting quite choppy. As we took waves over our bow, sea water began to leak into the boat from what we now think was the air vents in the back of the anchor locker. It wasn´t ever too serious, but had to be dealt with in less than pleasant sailing conditions. At the same time, we lost half of our fresh water in the first 48 hours, when we believe the sea action (though only about 10 feet) "sloshed" tens of gallons out of the water tank vents. We were already on water rationing, so that continued, and we had plenty of bottled water to make it to the Açores--just no baths; so we were all a little gamey after 9 days at sea.

There are no photos from our rough weather sailing because: 1) I did not want to get my camera wet; 2) we were all either too busy or too tired for photos; and 3) truth be told, I was often hanging on to the stern railings giving everything I had to the sea. Larry, Dominique and Alex were perfect gentlemen about it and never made me feel more like a sea sissy than I already did; and I would like to thank them.

In the brief lull between the two lows, we did manage to create some fun with man-overboard drills. Alex spotted a fender drifting in the sea and made casual note of the fact. To which, Larry began shouting "Man Overboard!" and we moved (a bit awkwardly) into action. With Dominique at the helm, Alex at the ready and Larry shouting orders, we managed to rescue the drowning fender. However, Alex would not follow through with mouth-to-mouth resusitation.







We got another chance when I spotted a drowning fishing buoy. This time, with Alex at the helm and Dominique at the ready, we attempted another rescue. After it was clear the poor man overboard would not make it, Captain Larry showed us how a pro does it. Again no volunteers for mouth-to-mouth, but we did end up with two extra bumpers. It was all quite exhausting, however, and the crew took a much need rest. Here is Dominique--completely wiped out from the rescues and Alex recovering on the trampoline, dreaming of his next bilge duty.....








After going through 2 lows with the winds against us, we then had a period of too little wind, and again had to motor. During these respites, Dominique and Alex played competitive chess matches, but always ended up friends. Larry could do his crossword puzzles when he was not pulling double duty as Galley Chef.








As for me, when not on watch, I tried to break all records for most sleeping on an ocean passage--sorry, no photos of that either. We were visited by a couple of whales, many dolphins and a few lost swallows and passed the occasional ship, all of which could easily capture our attention and eased the feeling of being so alone in such a big ocean.






So we ended up on the Island of Faial and the town of Horta on Friday, May 9th. It´s a beautiful island and we can see the volcano on Pico as if it were a short walk away. Faial is known as the blue island because it has so many blue hydrangeas on it. There is a scrimshaw museum dedicated to telling the story of the whaling in this area, and Horta is where Joshua Slocum, in 1895, put in when making his first solo cirumnavigation of the world.

The Marina is interesting for the many paintings left by boats that have past through. Whileat first the paintings look like a lot of graffiti, they tells the story of those brave enough to cross the Atlantic and reminds us all of how nice it is to have the Açores as a resting stop along the way.

Today, Sunday May 11th, I happened across a procession. The tradition here is to decorate the center of the street with flowers and dyed sand. Tomorrow and Tuesday are holidays so I think today´s procession must be the beginning of the celebrations.



We plan to leave tomorrow morning, Monday, May 12th. Again, our intention is to sail a bit south of Bermuda to avoid the lows and arc up to the island in 12 to 14 days.

Talk to you then, in the meantime, Happy Mothers Day to all mothers who read this post.

Best wishes,

Jennifer

Courtesy of NOAA

My brother Mark is a civil engineer in the Weather Service, and shared with us this website -- NOAA's Ocean Prediction Center.  Who knew?  .... Terrifically useful site!

www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov

Arrival: Azores

Ile de Grace and crew arrived safe and sound around noon, Friday 9 May 2008, Azores time. They hope to leave for Bermuda in a few days, after attending to some boat matters and refueling, etc.

Azores Bound -- Making Good Time

Ile de Grace is making good way toward their next landfall -- the Azores. Present position is 39 degrees 33.9 minutes N and 24 degrees 28.4 minutes west. The crew is in good spirits; theories abound on the fresh water mystery -- perhaps the tank venting tubes? They're looking forward to showers -- have been on water rationing -- and warmer weather for the Azores-Bermuda leg. Jennifer sends greetings to all!

Spain Abaft

I just spoke with Jennifer; their position is 41 degrees 11.35 minutes N, 17 degrees 14.45 minutes W -- placing them just about halfway from A Coruna, Spain, and their Azores destination.

They experienced 30+ knots of wind as they were leaving Spain -- for about 30 hours, and the boat took on a bit of sea water into the bilges -- possibly through an imperfectly-sealed mast collar.  The situation seems to have stabilized, once the bilges were drained. In addition, their fresh water gauge is either on the fritz, or they have a fresh water tank leak (the former is more likely).  They have plenty of bottled water.

I guess you could say they have more salt water where they don't need it, and less fresh water where they do need it. 

The boat is sailing well; they're making about 6 knots good in 12 knots of wind, and about 8.3 knots good in 19 knots of wind ...

She sends her regards to all; they expect to make landfall in the Azores Thursday-Friday, May 8-9.

Wednesday, 30 April, 2008

Safe Crossing of the Bay of Biscay
We had a very safe crossing Friday, Saturday and Sunday with an average speed of 5.5 knots; not what we expected, but better than the alternative of a rough passage. My first lesson was the difference between delivery and cruising--if our sailing speed is below 5 knots, we motor. I also learned that, if done correctly, catamarans can go on one engine. To use both consumes twice the fuel and only adds a marginal improvement in speed. We left La Rochelle, with one reef in the main sail and left it there for of the passage.

We also got our watch schedules sorted with Captain Larry and Alex taking a six hour shift with one on watch and the other on standby in 3 hour sub-shifts. Dominique and I work the next watch the same way. As we better understand the ile de Grace, we’ll shift to two hours on and six hours off.

By Sunday night, it was clear that we should top off our fuel before heading around Finisterre and we had a small fresh water leak in our port bilge so we had already decided to pull into La Coruna on the Northwest coast of Spain when we heard from the Spanish Coast Guard that there were gale warnings within the next 24 hours. The first squall (30 knot winds) actually hit within 6 hours, making for a very interesting watch for Larry and Alex. Happy to say, ile de Grace handled it quite nicely.

La Coruna

So we have been forced to wait out the gales in a very charming Spanish town in Galicia; being forced to eat tapas, fresh calamari, and drink great Spanish wine, while Force 8 winds blew off shore.

But it hasn’t been all fun and play. I, with my mediocre Spanish, got a sail maker to come by Monday to look at a small tear in our main sail and schedule a repair. Larry, Alex and Dominique took the sail off and are currently putting it back on. Next, they got the depth sensor working--it worked just fine in sea trials, but, amazingly the Bay of Biscay read 5.4 meters the whole crossing! Next, they solved the leak in the port bilge. Packing styrofoam had gotten into the pump in Larry’s shower and backed up. Alex, who loves bilge work, did most of the honors, with much encouragement from Dominique. Nevertheless, they both decided that the next time there’s a bilge problem, Larry gets to do the tasting (for salt or fresh water). One tiny leak remains in the starboard bow ceiling, but Larry came up with a good temporary fix until we can figure it out and we are satisfied. All boats have their shakedown issues, and so far, ours have been minor and manageable.

In the Meantime….
I’ve decided to upgrade from my small 44 foot catamaran to this….

The Queen Elizabeth II docked near us Tuesday on what I believe is her last voyage before becoming a floating hotel in Dubai.

The final squalls are coming through today and we plan to leave tomorrow morning. Captain Larry expects a 7 to 8 day passage to the Azores, and our plan is to head for the island of Faial and its port of Horta. If the winds push us further south, then we’ll just have to go to Madeira. (Not a bad backup plan.)

Adios,
Jennifer

Au Revoir La Rochelle

Friday, 25 April 25, 2008: Today we say goodbye to the charming town of La Rochelle, where the people are friendly, the seafood is incredible and there are sailing masts as far as the eye can see. The sea trials ended April 18th and Ile de Grace was determined to be sea worthy by the co-owner of Fountain Pajot, Eric Brunell. To get to this point, we owe many thanks to Gregor Tarjan of Aeroyachts, our broker and friend, whose enthusiasm for multi-hulls is unending and inspiring. He made the final commissioning of the boat go smoothly.
The staff of Fountain Pagot was also prompt to respond to any inquiry or problem, but special thanks must be given to Jean Vincent and Muriel for their professionalism and assistance.

The captain and crew arrived Monday evening the 21st, and I think we have a great combination for a transatlantic passage. Captain Larry Trow, is making his 32nd transatlantic passage with his trusty sea mascot, who is making the same number. (More about the mascot in a future blog—have to see how good he keeps watch first.)
First Mate Dominique Mertens hails from Antwerp, Belgium and is making his third passage, after which he can captain deliveries himself. This is also his third trip with Captain Larry
Alex Nichols, Second Mate, is making his first passage like me, but unlike me, he has Yacht Masters ticket and more sailing experience. Being the youngest on the boat, however, he had the pleasure of inspecting the top of the mast and installing our radar reflector. Here he is waving hello to his mom (at my request).
Along the way, we have also made new friends with other Fountain Pajot owners. Lawrence and Lexie own a 60’ Eluthra named Papillon and were sources of much needed company before the crew arrived as well as information and tips about our boats, provisioning, and restaurants. Their crew, Harvey and Todd were also instant friends. Next door to our boat is another Orana 440, Far Out, owned by Rick and Barbara. Because our boats are hull numbers 20 and 21, we have relied on each other this week for help understanding our boat’s particular idiosyncrasies. In fact, I still owe Rick a drink for his noticing that our anchors were too small for our boat. 35 lbs. were installed instead of the necessary 45 lbs. FP had the correct one exchanged within hours, so all’s well that end’s well, and many thanks Rick!

Provisioning and preparing Ile de Grace has consumed most of our time. All that remains is rigging the jack stays and topping off the fuel and water. Our float plan is to arrive in the Azores by May 6th, Bermuda by May 21st and Annapolis by May 29th. This is a conservative plan, so hopefully we’ll make better time. The weather looks good for our plans to get around Spain, and if the gods are good to us, then we’ll head out straight for the Azores. If they are not, then we will duck into one of several Spanish towns that Captain Larry knows, which would not be so bad.

So wish us well and I’ll post at our next landfall. Jon may hear from us by satellite phone. When he does, he’ll keep you all posted on our positions and conditions. All the best, and Godspeed.

Jennifer

Sea Trial

Jennifer landed in La Rochelle last week, and took possession on Friday.  I'll let her post her first-hand impressions, but here's a picture of her during Grace's sea trial. It's a tough job, but someone had to do it!

The Deeds Are Done ...

Aftrer several frenetic weeks of orchestrating a small army of wonderful partners, we have title to our boat, it's insured, the Coast Guard is processing our registration, we have our LLC, we picked out our moorage arrangement, and we have a delivery company lined up to take our boat from France to Annapolis.

Fittingly, in a kind of galactic karma, we closed out the final arrangements on the very day we met up with our friends James, Ingrid, Benjamin, and Gabriella, who had joined us for the pivotal and wonderful one-week test sail of the catamaran sailing/life style in the summer of 2006. We were able to celebrate with them the end of our beginning: we're now ready to begin the breaking-in/learning process of a new boat, in anticipation of our January 1, 2010 departure date.

Our boat's name -- now final -- is Ile de Grace -- a name coined by Jennifer and Kate, and speaking directly to our collective view of the boat: our own island of grace.

Jennifer leaves next week to take possession in La Rochelle, France, and will be joining the delivery skipper and crew for the trans-atlantic passage. Fair winds and smooth seas!

Lots of Moving Parts ...

The boat is scheduled to leave the factory on April 18, and we're up to our eyeballs in the pre-launch logistics: financing; insurance; delivery; registration; dockage; training; etc.

The Fed's interest rate decisions are moving in our favor, and luckily, we locked in our purchase price in US$ so the depreciation of our vaunted currency is not hurting us (expcet that Jennifer's provisioning of the boat prior to departure for Annapolis in late April will be a bit pricey). We're getting excellent service from our friend Cindy Lewis at Newcoast Financial. Having the boat launched in non-U.S. waters limits the universe of lenders, since -- in the unlikely event of a default -- the loan's collateral would be more difficult to access in non-U.S. waters.

Insurarance is also in good shape; Pat Bannon at IMIS has been very patient with us, and has gotten us a policy for the delivery, for our coastal cruising plans -- all with an eye to having world-wide coverage for our trip.

We had a brief glitch in the delivery -- our insurance company requires not only trans-Atlantic experience on the part of the skipper (good idea), but also blue-water experience for the crew (also a good idea). The first company we began to engage with had a tough time guaranteeing TODAY that their crew would have the requisite experience. Happily, we were referred to Reliance-Yachts in the UK that seems to have a more robust list of available crew. More later on this.

We're registering the boat with the U.S. Coast Guard, and, given our financing, we're relying on a third-party documentation company -- ASAP -- to handle the paperwork. Apparently, there are more than a few cases of conspiracies between borrowers and builders to create "false" documents for non-existent boats for very large loans.

For dockage, our long-time friend Steve L. has offered us dock space at his Annapolis-area home; permitting issues have led us to pursue a "Med-moor" arrangement, where the boat is secured on the bow via a permanent mooring, and secured on the stern to the dock. For a catamaran, this is ideal, given the ingress/egress via the rear of the two hulls.

Finally, Jennifer is hard at work gaining various course and license certificates -- coastal navigation; Maryland boat operator license; etc. She's headed off to La Rochelle, France in mid-April to help deliver the boat across.

Lots of moving parts.