OK, maybe a bit premature; but I’ve never been accused of being too patient.
Leaving Ireland last May
When I get back to Dauntless on the last day of March, my real work will start.
90% of my work is really done in the planning process. Since the end of last summer’s cruise, I have been thinking of a number of minor modifications that need to be done:
The paravanes are number one. While crossing the North Sea, in moderate seas, (6-12’, 2-4m), I finally figured out that the birds were running too shallow, causing them to be inconsistent and significantly reducing their effectiveness. Instead of just replacing the fixed line with a line 5 feet longer, I will make it so that I would be able to change the running depth of the fish while underway. Default depth will be about 16 feet, but I will have the ability to let them out as much as another 15 feet, so if the shit hits the fan, they can run at 30 feet (9m).
Small electrical things to do, like USB outlets in Pilot house, and two cabins and salon. This will also include charger outlets for my laptop and 12v outlets (So I can turn inverter off at night).
Routine filter changes
Add a switch panel for fridge/freezer so I can isolate them, without pulling fuses. So the same for the solar panels.
The Dauntless Cruise Plan 2016 is pretty much set. I’ll make a posting of it in the next weeks. I’m really looking forward to spending an extended time in France, Spain and Portugal. The trip to Italy this Christmas just reinforced how much I like the culture of the Mediterranean counties.
Once we leave Ireland sometime in May, the idea of the winter haven, as we have done for the last two years, will be no more. While we will stop as nature and will takes us for days and even weeks, Dauntless will be heading south and west.
I also hope I can minimize the time alone; it’s simply not fun.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
So, a few days earlier, I had gotten the idea to go the Sands Casino, in Bethlehem, PA on Saturday, then pick Julie up at Newark Airport on the way home Saturday night. The Sands is a little less than 2 hours driving in normal traffic, though I have made it in 1.5 hours in the wee hours of the morning.
With the Storm, flights were cancelled and therefore I had nothing to do.
Well, I did have a plan, so I figured, I’d just modify the plan.
As I brush the more than one foot of snow off the car at 9 a.m., I thought about not going, but once the car was clean, how could I not go. In fact, I was more worried about getting back and finding no parking, but turned out not to be a problem.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
Having watched the storm prognosis for the last 5 days, I knew exactly what to expect, with the worst conditions being south and east of the City; therefore, I would head north, then west, then southwest and finally west on I-78. Now, the only problem was I knew I-78 to be in the bullseye of the heaviest snow, but I figured if everyone stayed off the road…
I also expected the heaviest snowfall, at the rate of about 2” per hour, to hit during mid-day, so that would just keep things interesting.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
There were a few cars about, more than I expected, what with the dire warnings and all. The plan was to go north on the Bronx River Parkway, then west across the Hudson on the Tappan Zee bridge, I-87. Then as the Thruway turns north to Albany, I head South southwest on I-287 for 30 miles to I-78 west to Pennsylvania. The Sands is only 10 miles into Pennsylvania.
As I got on the Bronx River, traffic was running about 40 mph and the road was pretty good condition. I discovered why within minutes as I came up on 2 NYC snow plows that were doing a good job in keeping two lanes clear.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
Once they got off, there was more snow on the road, but less snow had fallen. Once on the Thruway, going west, traffic continued at a moderate pace until I got to I-287. Then it got interesting.
Much more snow on the highway, heavier snow falls, though reduced traffic, made the next few hours stressful.
I saw four or five groups of snow plows consisting of 6 to
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
12 trucks cleaning the three lanes of northbound I-287. What 12 trucks can do at once, that 4 could not do, is something, probably only someone in New Jersey can explain.
Not being able to judge how deep the snow is in the less travelled lanes is one of the most difficult and dangerous aspects of driving in snow. The cause of many off road excursions.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
This happens because the tires on one side of the car have increased resistance, thus pulling the car into the deeper snow, slowing, but surely. It must be countered quickly, but delicately. Cars like going the direction they are going. Any big changes will cause upset. In this case, many immediately turn the wheels in the direction where they want to go, let’s say back to the middle of the road.
The problem is, buy turning the wheel, it increases the slip
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
angle, as the slip angle increase, tires have less traction. So, the two tires that were keeping the car going relatively straight, now have less traction. The car will usually spin off the highway, into the ditch. Sometimes though, it’s worse, in that the car tries to turn, can’t, but as it slows, the tires all of sudden gain traction, but the driver has the car aimed at the center guard rail and within seconds the car does a header into that guard rail. That’s why one sees so many cars, that initially drifted off to the right
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
shoulder, the driver over corrects, and the car makes a left turn, nose first into the center median.
Lesson over.
I-287 was reduced to one useable lane, as the left lane had snow at an unknown depth. Presently, I see a semi-tractor trailer gaining on me and I am happy to have him pass. Now, he will put a lot of snow in the air, my wipers
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
will ice up more rapidly, but he solves the unknown depth for me.
I follow in in his tracks for about 20 minutes. If he goes in the left lane, I go in the left lane. Trucks are so heavy, they can deal with a lot of snow, as long as they are moving. But I must stay exactly in his tracks. This lasts for about 25 minutes until I peel off to I-78.
There was much less traffic on I-78, thus the snow was deeper. I had to stop twice to knock the ice of the wipers.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
As I got deeper into Jersey, virtually every exit was blocked by a truck. I’m glad I did not have to stop.
OK I’ve talked enough.
Let the pictures tell the story. They are in chronological
order.
Thanks for listening.
My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadApproaching Bethlehem, PAA fender bender stops trafficMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadApproaching the Sands Casino, in Bethlehem, PAApproaching the Sands Casino, in Bethlehem, PAThe Sands Casino, in Bethlehem, PAMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadNo one playing the slots
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The Sands Casino Saturday afternoon. Only three poker tables and even fewer folks playing slots.My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the Road
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My 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadMy 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland. Home Again, Sunday Morning. I found a parking space that someone had shoveled out to get their own car out. The Jeep is our Dauntless of the RoadPrepared for Deep Snow
The weather forecast, at least for the NYC area, has been on track for at least 5 days.
First Time I’ve looked at local news; I never realized the view was so good. The Sunset that it.
In the old days, we would spend that time preparing for it, proud to be able keep business as usual.
Nowadays, it’s constant fear mongering, hunkering down and buying groceries like we will never be able to buy food again.
It’s the 372nd Storm of the Century. Which for those of you paying attention, means we get one about every three years.
The constant refrain: It’s dangerous, Watch us, We’re keeping you safe.
But never-fear, with thousands of reporters and even the Governor, risking their lives to tell us how dangerous it is, but don’t worry, they are out there protecting us. Even worse, they attack anyone on the streets, people who actually feel they should go to work.
If I hear “we’re keeping you safe” one more time…
You wonder, why do I care? How can it hurt?
Because it dilutes the term, keeping us safe. We lose all sense of reality and perspective.
There are those who are truly keeping us safe, those men and women, deployed around the world, whether on some mountain top or watching remotely in a command post, continue to do so, without fanfare or even notice.
Peter Pan, yes, the story of someone who did not want to grow up. Having reached that magical age of awareness, he/she was now perfectly content to freeze that reality forever.
“Rene” the Bar in Budoia. The only changes in 40+ years are the owners.
These days, as I walk around my small little village of Budoia, population 2500, it is as it was when I first moved here to Italy 40 years ago, so I am reminded how things change and how they remain the same.
Nowadays, even in the smallest villages, it is not uncommon to see Africans and Chinese, here and there going about their daily business. The Chinese are running many of the bars, where Italians get their coffee, newspapers, aperitif, etc. during the day, from dawn till late into the night. Probably why the Chinese prosper, as the long hours no longer seem to appeal to the younger European generation. There are also Romanians and others from the Balkans, but Africans and Chinese stand out for obvious reasons.
With all the angst of the refugee crisis and immigration in general, I realize that for the 40 years I have been coming to Italy, I have always seen Africans here, even in small towns like Budoia. Chinese are a more recent phenomenon, first appearing in the outdoor markets 20 years ago and now in significant numbers in the bar business. I have heard no complaints about the quality of their coffee and at least here, there is an acceptance that speaks to human migration.
Now, let’s rewind a bit.
From reading this blog, many of you know that Dauntless was docked right next to the Viking Tower in Waterford.
Waterford is Ireland’s oldest city and was founded by the Vikings (actually Danes) in the 9th century. It was taken over by the Anglo-Norman invaders in the 12th century and was one of the most important ports in Ireland until just recently due to its deep water port.
Waterford is the only town in Ireland that kept it’s Viking name. A few hundred years after its founding, The Anglo-Normans came to Waterford to kick the Vikings out, who in turn had dislodged the few Celts who lived there.
Who were these Anglo-Normans? The Anglos were made up of Saxons, originally from Saxony in Northern Germany and Engels (from whence we get the name “English” and the language), who came from the area of northern Germany, Denmark (from where the Vikings came from) and a bit of Friesland Northern islands north of Germany and Holland). The Normans of course were from Normandy, the NW corner of France.
So, these groups of people from northern France and Germany, after a stopover in England, decided to kick the Danes/Viking’s out of Ireland or at least Waterford, since it was a good place to be.
Now the Vikings who had settled Waterford, really liked Waterford. It was much warmer and nicer than where they came from. So when the English/Normans pushed them out, they didn’t move far, just up the road about 3 miles north of town, to a neighborhood called Ballybeg. Now, what is interesting about Ballybeg nowadays, is the number of times I was warned about the “that neighborhood”. I’m guessing that people in Waterford have been talking about “those” people in Ballybeg for the last 900 years. The fact that Waterford kept it’s Viking name, which means large port and the Celts also called it, “Lairge Port” speaks to the fact that even after the Anglo-Normans arrived, the Vikings were more assimilated than replaced.
In fact, a recent issue of the BBC History Magazine talks about how the Vikings may have assimilated as much as raped and pillages over the years, throughout the northern world. Who knew?
So to look at it as dispassionately as possible, as we go back in time, when did migration/immigration start? Yesterday? Last year? 10 years ago? 100? 1000? 10,000? With Columbus? With …? Get the picture?
Immigrants are so labeled by those who migrated before them. Humans have been moving to find better climates, better food, better jobs, better lives, for at least 200,000 years.
Now related to all those humans, is that this week 190 countries have “struck a deal over that weekend that ushers in a broad, new international effort to wind down the fossil fuel era to limit global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”
Being an Atmospheric Scientist myself, I marvel at the thought that mankind thinks we are so powerful. Much like Prometheus bringing fire to humans. But with that fire, we also got evils.
Clearly, the planet is warming. Mankind’s activities have clearly warmed the planet over the last 10,000 years. We are presently about 2 degrees above the Ice Age temperatures. And that’s my big rub, had humans not existed, what would the temperature be now? Probably close to Ice Age temperatures, probably colder, as the inter-glacial period would have been ending, thus ushering in a new, 5th Ice Age.
Now, everyone of course, knows that 56 million years ago, the planet was 5 degrees warmer than today and there were no ice caps, with forests extending from the farthest north to Antarctica.
My point being that the planet has been far warmer and far colder.
Humans are a part of the environment, just as the whales or birds in the sky. With the rise of agriculture and industrialization, the planet has warmed and will continue to do so; without it, we could not have supported the population the world now has.
We also may have averted the 5th Ice Age.
No matter.
We can all sit back and marvel at the hubris of people today. For having warmed Earth, the two degrees necessary for life to be successful; we now want to stop the planet warming and further interfere with the climatic processes that have been going on for over 4 billion years.
That’s hubris.
We want industrialization with only its benefits and not the disadvantages. A warmer planet with more CO2 in the air will grow more food crops, but for those who are not hungry, that’s not a consideration.
Why do we differentiate between a political and economic refugee? Evidently, we as a society have already decided that starving to death is a better outcome than being thrown in jail for one’s beliefs?
Migration was OK until it wasn’t. We can’t allow further migration because we, who have already migrated, are happy with the status quo.
The climate has always been changing, but now we must stop it. Why, because we like it just so.
I wish our society were debating these issues.
We can’t see the forest for the trees. So let’s cut them down.
But then, now, having re-read this countless times before posting; I see a third option:
We tackle those subjects we have no control over because it diverts attention from the true everyday tragedies that we do control and cause. Like Bread & Circuses.
If we concentrate on changing the temperature 100 years from now, nobody pays attention to the hundreds dying every day from being denied basic human rights!
WOW. That’s too cynical for even I. So let’s just give them the benefit of the doubt.
We have chosen this moment to freeze in time. Just like Peter Pan.
It’s been a terrifying two days, but knock wood, I have survived so far.
The road to New Ross
Crossing the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea was a piece of cake compared to driving on the left hand side of the road.
Shifting with my left hand feels as weird as blowing my nose with my left hand, in fact I really can’t.
A little road, a little town
Now, I have driven in left hand drive countries before, UK, Scotland and Ireland. Years ago, when I had my own right hand drive in Europe, I found it easier to drive that car on the left, since it allowed me to concentrate on staying on the correct side of the road.
Though coming upon a traffic circle, round-about in England, I still had a tendency to go right without thinking if there was no other traffic to remind me.
The most perilous times are right hand turns and pulling out of driveways. Both of those situations have found me close to catastrophe, as I pulled up to the street, looked left, saw no cars approaching and then proceeded to let the car roll forward as I looked right and turned all simultaneously.
Only fast feet on the brakes averted a head on collision as the on-coming car flashed by.
New Ross, Ireland coming up. Yes, it is two way street.
Nowadays I visualize where and how I am getting there with each turn practiced in my head. I use the same rules I have used since last year in Ireland as a pedestrian, look both ways twice before taking step into the street.
I’ve done the same with the car the last two days.
With only tomorrow’s early morning drive to Dublin and the airport, my odds are looking good. But I know the numbers and the reality is that the two-hour drive tomorrow is far riskier than what we have done or will do in the coming months, years and miles in Dauntless.
Knock wood.
The link below has a very nice history of right and left hand driving.
Now, as to the restrooms, for a gas station, these are certainly beautiful.
But in the heat of the moment, not looking at them side to side, is it so obvious which is which? and I think the camera highlights the blue and pink more so then in real life.
Twelve hours from now, I will be snugged into an aisle seat on Delta Airlines, watching the minutes drag by like hours.
As many times as I have taken the red eye to Europe over eh past 30 years, I still dislike it, a lot. In fact, I’d rather go to the dentist.
Now, I do like my dentist, a lot. Sometimes I even dress us just for her. One has to stay in the game, even if only in the dugout. When I stop flirting with people, it’ll be time to swim with the fishes.
Speaking of which, in spending more countless hours trying to get my pictures organized once again, I ran across some of our Atlantic Passage pictures.
The water was so blue even with the wind causing some white horses, as many Europeans call whitecaps.
August 28, 2014 250 miles SSW of Ireland
I know it was only months ago when I was gazing at the map in dismay, seeing I have over 1200 miles to do, alone, in September. With summer long gone and autumn rearing it’s windy head I was not looking forward to those miles.
Now I miss it. I can’t wait to get underway again. Listening to the purr of the Lehman, the quiet swish of the Krogen hull cutting through the water like a hot knife in butter, is truly music to my ears.
But I still have 5 months for that to happen.
Tomorrow morning, I will arrive in Dublin, even rent a car, for the first time in years in Ireland. I need to go to New Ross, check on Dauntless, so some winter stuff, minor stuff, defrost the fridge, etc. Talk to the people working on the hull making her look pretty again. And for the right price we will even paint below the cap rail. On Wednesday, I’ll go to Waterford (about 20 minutes away, 3 hours by boat) for two days.
But as much as anything, I am going to Ireland for these four days just to be there, to wish a Merry Christmas to so many of the wonderful people I have met in Waterford. I spent about half my winter last winter in Waterford. IT turned out to be a good mix (half in US, half in Waterford). This year I am already a bit bored in NYC. There is only so much I can do here.
So the plan is New Ross tomorrow, Wednesday & Thursday Waterford, then on Friday fly to Treviso and drive to my friends in Budoia, the little town, very little, that is as much as my home as NYC is.
Three weeks in Italy, almost all with friends will be wonderful, though to mix it up slightly, Julie, who join me on the 23rd, and I will spend New Year’s Eve and day in Venezia. Then taking the water bus to the airport on January 2nd. That will be a first for me. I hope it’s foggy, fog is fun when someone else is doing the driving.
The pictures of interest column on the right posts my Instagram pictures and I will try to post a picture a day to give you an idea of my latest hi-jinks.
And the dollar is getting stronger and oil is in freefall. Can’t ask for much better than that when you have a motorboat that still must cross two oceans and a few seas!
Should be a no brainer. AW was my old life; PM my new one. I love reading about boats, cruising in boats, living on boats and of course, crossing oceans on small boats.
From the Deceember 4th, issue
Now, this article in PM about another Kadey Krogen 42 is a great story.
This boat, in the above article, was the boat built just before Dauntless and they have made many of the same modifications that we have done on Dauntless. Hopefully in two years, we will be able to spend some time with them cruising the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia.
But the problem has been that while this is a great article, I find myself spending less and less time reading PM. Why, simply put, the magazine seems not as interesting to me as before.
Now whether that is a function of me having increased my knowledge base over the last few years or the magazine is simply not as interesting remains to be seen. Though I suspect it is the latter. PM seems to have more fluff pieces, with positivity, but with no real critical questions or thinking. I think in the past year; I have not spent more than 30 minutes reading any particular issue.
Aviation Week on the other hand, after all these years, still seems the place to get news viewed with a critical eye. I can spend an hour or two on a whole range of things from commercial or military production to airlines and load factors.
Look at all these luscious headlines in the current issue:
Who wouldn’t want to read about: New Space Pioneers, new turbofan engine technology, new aircraft accident information, Russian deployment of anti-aircraft system to Syria, etc.
A cornucopia of interesting things. I think I will subscribe to print version also. I like leafing thru the pages, looking at the pictures, the headlines and sub headers at a glance.
But for me, Science News is still number one. Always interesting, a thin 25-page issue still captivates me for hours. It used to be a weekly, but is now every other week. Always a treat that covers the broad topic of science and scientific studies ranging from nutrition to plate tectonics and everything in between and out of this world.
So one of my dedicated, alert readers emailed me and asked the obvious question, “Since you want to spend time in the Med, why not go to Korea via the Suez Canal and Indian ocean?”
Great question. It’s been more than a year since I last looked at the charts and the route to the east.
So, I just looked at it again. Nothing changed. Sometimes Plate Tectonics does not work as fast as one would wish for. Probably have to wait another few hundred million years before the Horn of Africa is considered another continent. But then the Pacific will be smaller by then also!
Don’t think I’ll wait.
Gibraltar to Yeosu, Korea via the Suez Canal, 10,000 nm.
So why don’t I want to go east:
Even though it’s about 30% or 3,000 miles shorter, and
we could spend a good time in the Mediterranean.
The disadvantages:
Avoiding the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. I have read many accounts of boats transiting both; none of them very positive.
I don’t like dusting. We don’t like deserts or hot dusty climates.
The Red Sea would be difficult; the Indian Ocean would be impossible. Jimmy Cornell’s book, “World Cursing Routes” is my bible. It shows the difficulty of trying to go west to east against the prevailing winds 11 of 12 months in the northern Indian Ocean. Trying to time the one month of “good” winds is a fool’s errand.
Though the pirate situation is better than it has been and is now not much better off the west coast of Africa, it’s still an issue on a problematic coast.
Straits of Malacca. Even more lawless than the Horn of Africa.
We want to enjoy Korea before seeing Southeast Asia.
Gibraltar to Yeosu, Korea via the Panama Canal, 13,000 nm. Though longer, why do we want to go this way:
Like a magic carpet ride, the trade winds will whisk us from the Canary Islands all the way through the Caribbean to the Panama Canal. winds
Sometime in Central America will be nice.
Looking forward to seeing the west coast of the US; a coast that I have driven along numerous times, yet have never seen from the sea.
Spending time in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska.
Crossing the north Pacific in July should be easier than the Atlantic. Also, the Aleutians provide stopping spots. The Bering Sea has a little east to west counter current.
Now, if your first thought is, “I wonder how I missed the first 136 lessons learned?” you wouldn’t be wrong. While almost all of the posts related to cruising on Dauntless have some lessons learned, I don’t label them as such.
So, as mentioned I have fleshed out a general cruise plan for the coming year and into 2017. In a nutshell, we’ll be cruising the west coast of Europe from north of Scotland to southwest Spain by year’s end.
Now, every day, without much else to do, I look at the map, longingly; like porn, maps grab your attention and won’t let go.
I imagine sitting in Dauntless on the Algarve or Cadiz next winter. I know the Med is no fun in the winter. But the spring? The following summer 2017?? How can I not go check it out? A few miles here, a few miles there.
Then, the cold hard facts strike home:
$1.10 per nautical mile fuel cost crossing the Atlantic
$1.34 per nautical mile in fuel cost in Europe this past summer;
$4 per nautical mile for all costs.
So this means that while a good rule of thumb is $1 per nm when crossing oceans; this past summer, cruising along the coast, stopping for the night, eating, drinking and general shenanigans cost money on the order of $4 for every nm traveled.
Sure, this coming summer, I will average less than half the miles every month then we did this past summer. But 30 days on the road is still 30 days on the road. My travelling less, I save fuel money, but that’s it, at only 33% of total costs.
So that $4 figure, may get as low as $3, but won’t go to $2, let alone $1.
Another issue, we still want to be in the Pacific by January 2018! That means, being in the Canaries in October 2017. So, if we are in the south of Spain Jan-Feb 2017 and then maybe go as far as the Balearics in the Spring of 2017, as weather permits, what next?
So I longingly gaze at the charts. I would love to see the Adriatic and Greece by Kadey Krogen. I have friends there. How neat would that be!
So Close, Yet So Far. The red track shows the un-doable trip The Black track is our proposed trip so far.
But the distances! 1,000 miles just to Sicily. One way. 1300 nm to Greece, 1800 nm to Venice. Now double all those numbers, as we have to return.
And now multiply by $4. $12,000 to see the Greek Isles; not happening.
Too many miles, too many dollars, too little time.
But the year not spent in Europe, will be a year spent in the Pacific.
New places, new faces and new friends to make. It’ll be a fun time.
These last weeks in NYC have been the quietest I have ever seen; maybe in my life.
George of the Lydig Diner, puts out the day’s donuts. Never a day old donut.
I have virtually nothing to do. Oh, I must get my tasty donut and coffee in the morning at the Lydig Diner and talk to the owner, George a bit. Then, wave at the Korean couple at their dry cleaning business, as well as the Russian shoe making couple.
And on the really strenuous days, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, I must even move our parked car from one side of the street to the other at the bewitching hour, which in this neighborhood is 10:00 a.m.
Yes, living under the threat of Alternate Side Parking (ASP) helps me understand repression in much of the world. Where is the ACLU when you need them? What stopping the City from adding Wednesday to ASP? What’s next? Waterboarding?? Or, horrors of horrors, forced to eat day old donuts!!!
I found this picture of the narrow passage that I was afraid to take. Thought I would include it just to show I have some sense.
So, it took two car rides, four trains, one bus and two airplanes to get home, having spent the last month in Ireland, Germany and England.
It’s great to have the ability to travel; it’s great to visit my wonderful, generous friends and it’s great to be home. None are mutually exclusive. Just the way I like it. I’m just an inclusive type of guy.
So, sitting here, with Squawk Box on CNBC in the background, I thought I would write about the evolution of our plans over the last few weeks.
This link is one of the Chrome tabs that open on my computer each time I am on-line.
I like getting a sense of the general weather patterns over the areas we will be traveling. Also, it gives a sense of how the situation changes or not, from one day to another. In this case, I’m concentrating on the western coasts of France and Spain, as well as the trade winds that will whisk us back to North America and all the way through the Panama Canal.
The long range plan has never changed; but as they say, the devil is in the details.
Before we even acquired our Krogen 42, the overall plan was:
First summer in New England, Nova Scotia
First winter back to Florida and Bahamas
Second summer crossing the North Atlantic
Wintering in northern Europe, the Netherlands.
Third summer in the Baltic
Pretty much as gone according to plan; Ireland replaced the Netherlands and has been the absolutely best choice.
This past summer has taken a bit more money, energy and bruises than anticipated.
This link shows the movement of Dauntless since July 2014. (Note: As you zoom in, the level of detail increases as to the actual route).
As I had already mentioned: first time is nice, second time is great, third time is an anti-climax. So as wonderful Ireland is, both in the people, the country and the cost; it’s time to move on.
Attending the Krogen Rendezvous in early October, helped us decide to keep Dauntless in Europe one more extra year through 2016 and much of 2017. My recent trip to visit sailing friends, Andreas & Annette in Germany and John, Jenny & Ben in England, have further revised our thinking:
First, my original plan of getting Dauntless’ bruises fixed and back in the water ASAP, was scrapped. I came to understand that time out of the water was good and it also made the work schedule for the boat yard easier and therefore less costly for me. So Dauntless will be on the hard until March.
Assuming all is well, then in April we will start our 2016 cruising season, which right now, may not end until we get to South Korea in August 2018 at the earliest.
So right now this is what the general plan looks like:
Year
Season
Locations
2016
Spring
Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Orkneys, Shetlands,
Summer
???, west coast France
Fall
NW Spain
Winter
Portugal, SW Spain
2017
Spring
SE Spain? Med?
Summer
TBD
Fall
Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands
Winter
Lesser Antilles, Panama Canal, Costa Rica
2018
Spring
When winds allow moving North along west coast to SE Alaska
Summer
Cross Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Japan, Southern coast of Korea
So that’s it in a nutshell. 20,000 nm, (36,000 km) in 29 months, 700 nm/month. That’s seemingly a lot, but there are some very long legs, with about 10-12k miles over only three months. Also the last 9 months of the trip will take us halfway around the world. Ummm, that’s a lot. So it may happen that we will add a year in there probably in the Pac NW or British Columbia.
This allows the first 20 months, from April 2016 to November 2017, to be cruised at very comfortable pace.
So stay tuned. Mark your calendar and if you want to do more than just read about our adventures, drop me a line. There will be a lot of miles and days that are better done with company than without.
Sunset over Southern Sweden, Anchored Next to Island
But before talk about the upcoming cruise 2016 and & 2017, we need to take a step back and look at what for me, made this summer so successful, my friends/crew who joined me and made the trip fun and interesting.
With Julie’s limited cruising time, but with us wanting to take advantage of seeing as much of Europe as we can while Dauntless is here, having friends, and even strangers aboard, makes the traveling fun.
I like the company, not only to pass the time, but also to teach. And I even eat and drink better with company.
So my goal is a simple one: I want my friends/guests/crew to enjoy themselves, have a bit of doing something different, that they would not do at home, like even watching Korean Dramas and learn some skills about running our Krogen 42.
Julie and I did a 4 day trawler school a few years ago. Then I joined the USCG Aux and learned the basics of being on a boat crew. I also got my USCG Captain’s and Master’s 100 ton license. So I hope my friends leave with some of those same basics that I have
Karla waiting for the water to return
learned.
Ivan securing lines. He was cold.
So our cruising ends up in part like being in an extended trawler school.
To that end I have been relatively successful. People like helping and learning the basics, like line handling, navigation, etc. And everyone leaves with a little more knowledge than at the start. Some couples, like Karen and Jason have been with us three times.
Docking is by far the most stressful time on a boat. I continually strive to do a better job of communication with all on the boat. It’s important to describe beforehand exactly what will or can happen and lay out possible courses of actions. Included in that is the best and worst case scenario and what we will do in case such and such happens. Also, to make sure everyone understands how to handle contrary instructions from those on the dock trying to “help”.
So let’s talk first about those who were on Dauntless this past summer.
Dauntless Finds a Buddy Too
In a nutshell, I had people with me from the time I left Ireland in late May until the very end of August.
I am very grateful to all those who spent time on Dauntless. Everyone contributed something. Here is the gist of time spent. Of the 125 days of the cruise from May 25th to Oct 1st, I had someone on board for 90 of 125 days. Of those 90 days, couples were on board for 60 days, I had singlets on board for almost 40 days.
That is further broken out in chronological order:
Larry and Karla, from Waterford to Honfleur, France
Pierre-Jean, helped me move the boat up the English Channel, from Honfleur to Oostende. He lives in Paris and had contacted me just to spend some time on a Kadey Krogen. I was happy to oblige. He also brought me some exquisite wines and cheeses. It was also his misfortune to spend the two roughest days of the whole summer.
Ivan and Bas along a Dutch Canal
Ivan, the youngest at 14 years old, grandson and son of my Italian friends, met me in Holland in June. The good news is that Ivan, after having spent 28 days aboard going thru the canals and locks of Holland, Friesland and Germany, returned home with most of his limbs and body parts intact.
Bas, oldest son of our Dutch friends, joined Ivan and I in Friesland, the province of his father. He left us after the Kiel Canal (Ost-See Kanal) passage, at the end of June. I’ve known Bas for all of his 25 years and it was a joy being with him in his father’s birthplace.
With their help, I got to the start of the Cruising Association Baltic Rally on July 5th in Rugen, Germany.
Martin fixes my charger by plugging it in
Eve and Nigel, joined Dauntless as the end of the Rally on the same day that Ivan left to return to Italy after an exciting month on Dauntless. Eve and Nigel then left after 10 days in Gdansk, where Julie joined us.
The time lines for these three weeks were largely built around Julie’s vacation time and our desire to see the Baltic States, Latvia and Estonia in particular.
Karen and Jason then met us in Riga. This is their third cruise on dauntless having also joined us previously in the Bahamas and Maine.
We ended up spending a lot of time in Helsinki. Far more time than it was worth. I was disappointed in that it was
Eve and Nigel in Poland
the plan I had made up. But Karen and Jason left from Helsinki, Julie left a few days later and Dana and Peter arrived from New York.
Dana and Peter only cruised in the one country, Finland, as the weather was not conducive to return to Tallinn as I had planned originally. We cruised east and west of Helsinki. At the end of their 10 days, they took the fast ferry back to Tallinn and Leonie and Martin arrived on the ferry from Tallinn.
Leonie and Martin then cruised with me in Finland, the Aland Islands and Sweden, two weeks later they left from Stockholm and I was all alone for the first time in three months.
Julie and Dauntless in Liepaja, Latvia
I already commented on September above. It’s interesting to read that now and know that as unhappy as I sounded, it was actually worse.
Finally a month later, Jennifer, daughter of my dear Alaskan friends of 30 years, spent the last week on Dauntless as I got back to Ireland. I have no pictures of her on the boat because they were lost when my phone died cruising up the river to Waterford.
Having spent the month of September alone, I was really happy to have someone for the last week of the trip. It makes it a little easier to finish everything up. It was a great way to end the summer, as we flew to NYC together and she stayed with us in the Bronx and we even had a great Korean dinner the next night in Flushing.
So the trip ended where it began 4 months and 6 days earlier.
This is probably the last time for quite a while that we will go full circle. From now on, we will be making slow, but steady progress towards a destination.
What I had done this past year was to make a tentative plan, then send it to anyone who had expressed any
Peter and Dana in HelsinkiThe Stars & Stripes over Estonia
interest in joining us at some point. As plans were solidified, I built the final plan around my guests as they bought plane tickets, made vacation days, etc.
I know it’s not good to cruise on a schedule, but it was not so bad and the times we had to make minor adjustments, everyone understood. The main problem was the pressure I put on myself, which is something I must work on. This coming year, I’ll probably let people lock in the time they will be on Dauntless, but not the exact location for arrival and departure. I’ll give a country and probably port, but make sure all know it’s subject to change.
Julie watching her eyelids. She loves the KK42 because of its Pilot House
We averaged 1,100 nm (2,000 km) a month this past summer. Too much.
My goal and tentative plan will be closer to 600 nm per month, once cruising season starts in April and ends when we get where we are going.
Leonie & Martin and our $100 solution to getting off DHelsinki Ferry Terminal. Not a Crew Member
Jennifer and I in Waterford. That’s her hand. I’m not clear why she was not included in picture.Leonie seeing only blondes in Helsinki
Dauntless at Sea 