Siriusly Sailing...

IYT at Sea; Day 35, 4 June 2010

2010-06-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Capt. Lou an IYT Instructor and Holly Conrad, a student and crew member have asked each crew member to put together 3 or 4 sentences, bullet points or ideas that REFLECT their experiences, impressions, or interpretations generated by this voyage aboard S/Y ARGO. We have also asked for age, city, state, legs experienced and any new plans. In their own words, here they are:

Andrew, 23, Valdosta, Ga. Antigua to Athens
“In my time on Argo and taking IYT Courses, I’ve honed many of the skills I have and learned several new ones.”

Alex, 20, Williamsport, PA, Antigua to Athens
“At the end of this trip, I will have crossed from Antigua to the Azores, to Greece. Along with satisfaction and gratitude comes a great deal of knowledge, I have learned about sailing, navigating, living with and cooking for 28 people on a boat. For me the diversity of the crew and staff made the trip such a great experience. Everyone had something to bring to the table, as well as something to teach. I can now cross- (crossing the Atlantic) off my bucket list!! Thanks everyone.”

Rory, 21 because birthday was 3 June, Kelowna, BC, Canada , Antigua to Athens
“I really enjoyed this voyage on Argo. This was a great way to get experience sailing and maintaining a vessel of this size on an ocean crossing. Everyone on board was great and made my time on Argo that much more fun. I would definitely recommend a voyage on Argo to anyone who wants to see what it is like to crew on a sailboat of this size-100 + feet- or who wants a little more adventure in their life.”

Rick, 64, Erie, PA, Leg 2 & 3, Horta to Athens.
"A good sturdy well rigged boat, a careful and caring Captain, a competent crew, an excellent instructor, and a varied fellow passenger list. Beautiful weather in a beautiful part of the world –North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea—everything in order. But a home office schedule turns the perfect sail into a motoring delivery trip detracting from the entire experience, so my overall grade ia a B-.”

Kevin, 71, Alpine, TX, Antigua to Athens
“Helming-one with the heavens- through a sea of stars horizon to horizon on moonless nights, fixed on one through the spreaders for guidance. Bow Watch-standing bow watch with bioluminescence of dolphins frolicking in the wake and “blinkies” exploding in the sea like shooting stars familiar to all. Swimming- at latitude 24-16 N; Longitude 57 09 W in 18000’ of depth, in the doldrums, glass flat sea, boat adrift, with sails waiting to fill in all her glory. The middle of nowhere, out of reach of rescue, dependent on our own microcosm of Argo’s 28 crew. Sightings-Whale, dolphins by the hundreds, flying fish, swordfish, squid, lots of plastic, thanks to humankind, and ghost ships looming in the haze. And 3 on-6 off- All this during the 24/7 TransAtlantic Crossing, standing watches with my fellow crew members, the average age 26 except for one each 64, 65, and me 71 !

Annie, 36, Montreal, QC, Canada. Leg 3 Gibraltar to Athens.
“To be able to experience what you are currently learning is an amazing chance allowing you to make sure you understand the theory and plus having an incredible instructor on board gives you the chance to ask questions you normally don’t find in a book. Next step: STCW 95 and Offshore Practical and eventually go for my OOW Certification.”

More Reflections to come.

Holly aboard S/Y ARGO in the Ionian Sea.

via BGAN, Satellite System courtesy of Global Satellite, Fort Lauderdale, FL

apes in gibraltar...

2010-05-31T17:47:00.000-07:00

gibraltar.....

2010-05-31T17:46:00.000-07:00

2010-05-31T09:46:00.001-07:00

Looking down on Horta Harbor

2010-05-31T09:45:00.000-07:00

The silver bullet!!

2010-05-31T09:42:00.001-07:00

volcano museum...

2010-05-31T09:41:00.001-07:00

climbing the lighthouse...

2010-05-31T09:40:00.003-07:00

The lighthouse volcano museum

2010-05-31T09:40:00.001-07:00

31 May 2010- Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T08:55:00.001-07:00

31 May 2010 1300/ 1100GMT 37’ 17.98 N 003’ 26.68 E Baro 1020 Trip log: 3979nmiles to date

Happy Memorial Day from the Med! We’ve been back underway since Friday 28th May at 2100hrs after a short stay in Gibraltar. Since we are on such a tight time schedule we needed to get underway no later than that in case the weather does not act in our favor on this leg of the passage. And so far that has proven to be a wise choice since we have had very little wind and at times currents running against us…for the most part we’ve been averaging about 6.5 to 7 knots since our departure from Gibraltar…meaning, that right now its pretty slow going. The seas have been calm and the weather is getting increasingly warmer which is a nice change from the cold and rain we experienced on our leg from the Azores to Gibraltar. Days have been hot and sunny and night watch has been pleasant and cool with just some leggings and a fleece needed to stay warm. We have been able to see land (when the visibility permits) for most of this passage so far…traveling about 34 miles off the coast of Algeria. There has also been relatively heavy boat traffic which is a stark contrast to what we’ve been used to up until now…the majority of vessels we are seeing are large container ships. Another thing that has changed is the amount of chatter on the radio…since we are traveling alongside ships from all over the World the radio sounds like some sort of recording from the United Nations! We’ve also been surprised to hear a little Britney Spears on the airways, some creepy baby crying in the middle of the night, several mayday calls and alarms have gone off within the last 48hrs as well. Boomer said this is the norm when in the vicinity of Africa…he doubts they are pirates rather just people on smaller vessels goofing off. Still it is quite strange being in the chart house in the middle of the night doing a boat check and hearing some creepy voices coming over the radio. Yesterday at lunch we crossed over the Prime Meridian 000’00.00E which was pretty cool. As of right now the GPS has us out 5 more days…putting us in Athens on June 5th , roughly 2 days early…our anticipated ETA was June 7th…therefore Palermo may still be an option but that is still not certain and if it does happen it will be a short stay much like the one we had in Gibraltar. Another exciting site yesterday was a large Marlin that jumped about 3 feet out of the water while we were on watch yesterday afternoon…quite a site to see indeed! I am truly having the time of my life..although the past few days have brought a few challenges mentally and I can feel myself losing steam. I do love it out here but the idea of home and seeing my friends and family is comforting right now…I hope you all enjoyed your weekend and I will be updating you again soon!

2010-05-28T05:48:00.000-07:00

Hellllooooo from sunny and finally warm Gibraltar...
What a place this is...it feels just like England (Marks and Spencers AND Topshop!) but also a touch of Spain thrown in to mix it up a bit...We arrived last night about 2300hrs wandered into town and had a few cold Carlings..and then headed home about 2 to get a whopping 7 straight hours of sleep so we could get an early start today and explore since unfortunately we will be back underway this evening at 0900 short and sweet but we still have 1400nmiles to sail to Greece and have to be there by the 7th of June...piece of cake if we have wind but pretty close if we have to motor again so we are playing it safe..I've changed my flight to the 10th so I can hang with Sadie, Meghan, and Jane for a few days in Athens.

Sadie and I took the cable car to the "top of the rock" this morning to take in the fabulous views of Morocco and Spain...and of course the famous Gibraltar Apes...they are quite frisky..we witnessed one jump on a fellow visitors backpack! Now we've settled in at The Clipper..a fab pub..for a few beers then off to Topshop and some other shopping..eat an early dinner and back to Argo....stay tuned for more updates while underway!!!!

25 May guest blogger Meghan Taylor

2010-05-25T10:35:00.001-07:00

Hello, guest blogger Meghan Taylor here (and one of Holly’s bunkmates). We are now four days into our passage from the Azores to Gibraltar, to complete our Atlantic crossing. It’s been a wet and wild few days here on Argo, with our first major rain storms and the heaviest seas we have experienced thus far.

We left Horta on May 21st, with calm seas and dolphins guiding us out into open ocean. Over the past day or two, however, the seas have shifted to large following seas with swells up to 15-20 feet! Being on Argo is much like riding a never-ending roller coaster! The weather and big seas have made Argo a challenge to steer, but we all look at it as a good workout. We have had some ‘fun’ with the sails as well, both in putting them up and bringing them down, as the winds have changed. In bringing down the fisherman’s sail yesterday, one shipmate nearly flew up the mast when the sheet got caught up and he struggled to hang out to it. Makes for exciting sailing, but it is also a good reminder of the dangers we face out here and how much we rely on each other.

Today, the rain tapered off and the sun appeared for much of the day. The seas are expected to also taper off tonight, as we get closer to Gibraltar, which is just a few days out. Hard to believe how fast this passage is flying by; we’ll be in Gibraltar before we know it!

Our position at 2030 GMT is 37° 36.31.’9 N; 15° 18.’8 W and we have traveled 3025 nautical miles since Antigua on 1 May 2010.

From Meghan aboard S/Y ARGO.
Sent via BGAN Satellite system.

Holla, Horta!

2010-05-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogger: Sadie Moore (Holly's awesome bunkmate)

After 16 days in the middle of the Atlantic, we rolled into Horta, Faial, Portugal. So here's the question: How do you say Betty Ford Center in Portuguese? The center of this small town is Peter's Cafe Sport, a bar that has apparently been voted the 'Best Sailor Bar' in the world. The Argo crew has spent a large portion of their expendable cash on adult beverages, bacon wrapped dates and french fries. Five nights later, it is time for us to get back on the boat for a little forced rehab.

About our more sober days-- the island of Faial is absolutely beautiful. Despite weather that was cold and damp with a few torrential downpours just for fun, Meghan, Holly and I rented an awesome Peugot mini-mobile to tour the island. Scarily enough I was the designated operator of this vehicle due to my incredible stick shift driving skills. We visited the volcano museum, circumnavigated and had an incredible lunch where the owner seemed blown away that there are English-speakers in the world or maybe just on his part of the island.

We push off early tomorrow morning and are heading towards Gibraltar. Holly and her crew of guest bloggers will update as often as we can. In the meantime, we are heading off to dinner and maybe one (or two) final glasses of Azorean wine.

Exploring the streets and shops in Horta...

2010-05-19T11:20:00.001-07:00

home sweet home

2010-05-19T11:19:00.001-07:00

2010-05-19T11:18:00.003-07:00

LAND!!! FINALLY!!!!

2010-05-19T11:18:00.001-07:00

Taking the helm...

2010-05-19T11:16:00.001-07:00

2010-05-16T21:56:00.001-07:00

2010-05-16T21:54:00.001-07:00

Jumping into 19000 ft of water

2010-05-16T21:53:00.000-07:00

My bunk!

2010-05-16T21:40:00.000-07:00

What do you do 1200 miles out when there is no wind? Take the dinghy for a spin!

2010-05-16T21:38:00.001-07:00

The HIGH seas!

2010-05-16T21:36:00.001-07:00

May 14th 2010 1058 35’43.60 N 36’ 43.60 N 8.7kts course 062’T

2010-05-14T13:16:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

I haven’t written in a while so I have much to report. We’ve now been at sea for 14 days today. By rough estimate we are about 400 miles from the Azores (having traveled about 1900nm thus far) ..we anticipate an arrival late in the day on the 16th. And we will be able to go ashore first light on the 17th. When we arrive in port we will be under quarantine until Boomer goes ashore and clears us through immigration. The authorities also may board to inspect the vessel for cleanliness etc…if they deem us too un-clean we can be turned away. So upon arrival we do a BA (Boat appreciation) basically a deep clean..to ensure everything is organized down below and things are all in their places. Since we have had fairly calm seas up to this point we’ve been able to keep up on the upkeep and cleanliness of Argo.

Yesterday we were able to finally turn the engine off at 0730 and we have been under sail without the engine since that point. It’s a nice change from the constant rumble we’ve heard since leaving Antigua.

One thing I’ve found truly incredible over the past few days is the amount of life out here…when we are seemingly in the middle of nowhere. We’ve seen countless whales of all varieties, turtles, fish, and at least one dolphin sighting a day for the last 5 days. They love to swim alongside the boat and play in the waves at the bow. At night on bow watch its truly amazing to see how the water glows…the bio-luminescence (small micro organisms that float on the surface and glow when they are exposed to the air) in the wake we make….the other night while on bow watch at about 0100hrs we had some dolphin visitors…their paths behind them glowing as they swam alongside us for miles.

The past week or so has been sunny but cool. My bibs have become standard uniform along with a long sleeved or short sleeve T-shirt and my vest. The nights have been cold..my foul weather gear coming in handy along with my hat, wool socks and boots.

For the most part everyone seems to be getting along well and enjoying themselves aside from the occasional snip which is to be expected living with 30 people in such tight quarters. The food has still been consistently good…although we’ve now run out of fresh meat and most veggies. But contrary to Boomer’s belief that I will grow to enjoy canned chicken…I can assure you that we indeed have no future together…if I don’t see another can of chicken for the rest of my life I can live with that…needless to say I think we are all looking forward to some fresh veggies, seafood, and fruit in the Azores..from what we’ve read it is also a wonderful place for wine and cheese which is music to my ears!

I’ve had the chance to experience many of the jobs on the wheel so far…skipper, freshy and salty (both dish washing duties) head chef ( BLTs for lunch and pasta with alfredo for dinner) it turned out pretty well I would say..seeing that I’m not generally in the business of cooking for 30 ppl…and of course the dreaded head master (aka cleaning the stinky toilets/showers) : )

Although I am eager to have some time ashore in the Azores I have grown to truly enjoy life underway. The structure and routine is good for me – mentally I’ve been feeling better and happier than I have in a long time. The only negative I would site is the lack of physical activity…mostly we set the sails and leave them. My helming has improved vastly and I really enjoy boat checks..even going in the engine room which I think was designed for someone even smaller than me and when the engine is running is about 100 degrees…quite a challenge in high seas for sure. Although I felt in the beginning that there was no possible way I would ever learn all this stuff I surprise myself each day with what I’ve learned. It will be nice to be the veterans per-say when the new ppl arrive in the Azores….I’ve just been given my 30 min notice for watch so have to go get ready…my next update will be from the Azores in a few days…stay tuned!!!

S/Y ARGO via Global Satellite’s BGAN system

from Elisabeth Thordin

2010-05-11T12:23:00.000-07:00

Just writing a few of my thoughts so far about the trip and MOY Coastal class. First of all, I like the fact that I’m the only one taking the Coastal; Lou has been really good about taking time out for me and working me through the theory by talking and doing. Yesterday I used a handheld compass for the first time and took a bearing on a distant ship and I was really pleased that Lou and I got the same reading! The practical aspect of the class (e.g., using a handheld compass, figuring out variation using Argo’s course, etc.) is so useful for understanding the meaning of the words in the course notes. This instant application of theory has been incredibly advantageous. I remember reading the course notes in February and not really understanding when, why, exactly how I would put that information into a meaningful form. It’s all coming together being on board, though.

I also think it’s great I’m able to take the class being the only one in it. In my experience, when there are not enough sign-ups, the class is cancelled. I feel really lucky that I am receiving one-on-one teaching time because of course it is ideal. I can immediately ask about what I do not understand, not having to worry about stopping the flow of class with regard to classmates. And of course I feel my money has been especially well spent! I actually went to Lou the other day (after a few initial days of dreading going below because of the queasiness, rockiness (is that a word?), and general stench of unpleasantness that resided there) uncertain of my willingness to go through with the course. I felt that perhaps what I thought I wanted was not exactly what I wanted, and maybe taking this course was a huge waste of money because I didn’t know if I would be motivated enough to do anything with it once I left Argo. But Lou encouraged me to stick with it, saying he’d walk up and down the docks of Gibraltar with me with a sign saying “work wanted” if he had to (I may still hold him to that, hahaha). And I agreed to continue with it because after all I like the course material, I like the fact that I’ll know lots of things I didn’t before, and I’ll have used the information for a real purpose in the real world. And anyway, it’s only been a week and I’m starved for mental stimulation :o) In all seriousness, I came to this because I wanted to learn about a life on the sea. After having lived beside it my whole life and marveling at it, and then meeting those yachties last summer and coming to realize I had much to explore in this world, it seemed fated for me to find out about this program. So whether or not I spend a career or just a season in yachting I will still be glad that I went for it and took the chance to find out whether the reality was as good as the dream.

Now I know I’m not the average newbie yachtie. From what I gathered from my classmates in Ft. Lauderdale, they know a thing or two about boats, engines, and the like. Or at least about five-star service. I, it seems, have led a pretty sheltered life (but don’t worry, I’m making changes to that). Until April 2010, I had never ridden a jetski, used a handheld compass, been able to work the no-flush head system (therefore precluding me from using the head in the manner for which it was designed), steered a sailboat with any clue that that was what I was doing, driven a RIB, been out of sight of land for more than one day, worked with sails, used my arm muscles for any particularly good use…. Getting the idea? But I can now check all these things off a list and I’m so glad for it.

Also the average newbie to the yachting industry wouldn’t spend a fair sum of money on a trip and course and gear for the purpose of “testing it out.” But I’m me and sometimes I do crazy things like that. This time I did a crazy thing like that because (1) I could, and (2) I felt it would be a great experience even if I decided I did not want to pursue a career in yachting. It’s that second reason that really made me lay out the money. What I’m trying to say is, for most, this is probably too pricy an endeavor and the timing isn’t ideal for getting to the Med, but the bottom line is I think this is the only way to learn.

Thanks for helping talk me into it, not that you really needed to J

Thanks to GLOBAL SATELLITE of Fort Lauderdale, FL.

May 6tth 2010 1130/1530GMT 25.42” N 55.18” W Course 6.5kts Baro 1019

2010-05-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Day 6 at sea and we are motoring still with the sails up. We had some strong trade winds coming out of Antigua and have now reached the doldrums also known as the “horse latitudes.” Seas have been calm the past few days which has allowed for some routine upkeep for Argo…waxing, polishing and some slight repairs to the RIBs. We also had the chance to take a swim yesterday it 19,000 feet of beautiful blue sapphire waters…24degrees 16.3 NLat and 57.089 W Long…….the water was a pleasant 78 degrees.

Everyone seems to be getting used to the watch schedule…3 hours on 6 off…meaning that some days we are waking up at 3am to sit on watch from 0300-0600…I personally enjoy the watch from 9pm-12am and the 3-6 am the evening being excellent to star gaze and the morning being just as good a time to catch the sunrise before heading below for a nap before lunch.

The trip so far has been “smooth sailing” …other than our fellow crew member “Sauce” had a serious case of sea sickness which ended with an IV drip to re-hydrate…he is up and kicking again and feeling good…which puts all of our minds at ease.

So far the trip is what I expected for the most part. Its tough going from your cozy, warm, dry home with plenty of living space to a 100ft boat with very little personal space or time alone..but I truly enjoy the company of many of my fellow crew members so that makes it all the better. I take time to myself mostly while on bow watch in the early mornings watching the sunrise…or while napping atop the chart house listening to my ipod…

Its amazing being out here in the middle of the Atlantic with only water surrounding you..I've been on cruises before that took me out to sea but somehow its much different being on a smaller vessel…one feels a great deal more vulnerable in a way…at the mercy of the sea and weather. Its also funny to see how excited everyone gets when we spot a ship..even if it is 8 miles away, or a small random floating object or even a TV floating by…yes a TV! We have also had a few whale and dolphin sightings in the last few days….but yet to see a breach just the blow hole spouting water and letting us know we are not alone out here…we’ve also caught some fish along the way thanks to our fellow crew member Francois who brought along his fishing gear…we had some yummy Mahi Mahi and wahu for dinner….

So all is well here on Argo..she is looking sparkling and we are all smiling in the sun…anticipating our arrival in the Azores in about 9 days…Almost ready for lunch so signing off for today…more updates to come!!.

Thanks to GLOBAL SATELLITE of Fort Lauderdale, FL.

PODCAST

2010-05-01T11:51:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Please check out my podcast tonight http://www.siriussailing.com/, and every night!

2010-04-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Day 3 today and getting more comfortable on the boat...yesterday we motored over to Green Island and anchored for the day to go over rules,routines and were broken up into our watch groups. I helped with lunch...baguettes,cheese,turkey etc...we've been eating very well so far last night stir fry nice and spicy! Today we woke up early (630)and went for a swim...my room mate Sadie and I hit it off right away and we are in a room for three just the two of us so the extra space is a bonus! We had breakfast and then mustered in the cockpit and were off sailing for the morning. We had a man overboard drill and and abandon ship drill to gets prepared for our crossing. I got down in the anchor well and "flaked the chain" meaning I had to make sure the chain from the anchor was coiling correctly while bringing in the anchor...needless to say my hands look like a mechanics hands today! Grease and dirt! I also helped with the main staysail when we were putting up the sails. The job wheel officially started today so my job was bread maker (we make our own bread while at sea since we don't have enough room in the freezer to freeze the bread and it molds too quickly)but since we aren't under way yet I was moved to deck hand so I helped with clean the deck once breakfast and lunch were done. We eat all of out meals on deck weather permitting since cockroaches can be a problem if they come in while the boat is docked...Sadie and I had a little cockroach guest our first night and decided to name him Harold. I also helped hose down and scrub the
deck when we got back to the harbor. We are now anchored in Falmouth Harbor for the night. One last beer, burger, phone call, and email and then off line until we set sail tomorrow morning...I will be sure to update you nonce we arrive safely in the Azores!

2010-04-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

one last day to chilllllllll....

2010-04-27T11:43:00.000-07:00

2010-04-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Hellloooo from English harbor! After a long and eventful day of travel yesterday I've arrived and checked into a lovely B&B called the Ocean Inn. Had a few mishaps along the way when a man on my plane decided he didn't want to stop talking on his cell phone.....after an hour in the air we were diverted back to Chicago and swarmed by police upon arrival at the gate! The man was arrested by the FBI and we had to wait for the plane to be searched and inspected before could depart yet again. Good thing I had a 4 hr lay over in San Juan! Arrived and just made the last flight of the day by 40 min just enough time to grab a slice and a beer!

The Ocean Inn is a cute family owned place. The owner, Robert took it over after his father passed 2yrs ago. It is the home he grew up in. There is also the adorable "watch dog" Mike...who is a cute little fluffy ball.I had a lovely breakfast of fresh fruit, freshnsqueezed OJ and delicious coffee. Going to relax for a bit and hope to make my way tom the docks (just down the hill from where I'm staying) to meet some of the crew and see the boat...not feeling nearly as nervous about everything so that's a good feeling!

2010-04-25T17:51:00.001-07:00

Packing Packing!!! Off tomorrow morning...Antigua here I come!!!!!