Sailing All Night!

Sailing All Night!

Carl and I left around 10pm for our sailing all night adventure! Before we left we made sure we had extra supplies and gasoline. I always carry extra jackets and food, so I wasn't too concerned if we forgot something. The one thing you don't want to forget when your sailing all night is an extra supply of water - which we definitely had.

There was some wind blowing when we left so we sailed out into the marina, but it was fairly light, so we then turned on the engine and sailed out to sea where the wind seemed to now be blowing quite nicely. We sailed out into the dark night heading for R2 buoy three miles away. After reaching that we kept going on toward Redondo Beach - another three miles away. It was now my watch and Carl was to sleep for a couple hours or until we reached Redondo Beach - which ever happened first. I was okay with being alone for a while as I enjoy the solitude. However, after sailing much of the night, I began to get sleepy and got up and made something to drink to keep me awake. We had hot water already made so we could make coffee of hot chocolate. I made sure to keep the Captains Log up to date whenever the wind shifted or whenever I altered course. When arriving a mile away from Redondo Beach, I altered course away from the harbor as the wind was coming directly from there and it would have been difficult to go there tacking straight into the wind. Instead I headed for the more mysterious Point Vicente Light Beacon a couple miles south toward Catalina Island.

Suddenly a bunch of dolphins showed up and cleared the water with blasts of air. I immediately woke Carl out of a deep sleep (as it was his watch anyway now) and he came out to see. By now the dark clouds had cleared and the western sky was ablaze with stars. Long four foot swells passed under the boat and ran past the boat on there way to shore - miles away. At night they had a silver tone to them and the big rollers were fascinating to watch. Along with the dolphins and the stars, it was a magical moment! This is what sailing all night was all about.

     We were now out by San Vicente near the second red buoy from MDR. The oscillating light beacon could be seen shining out to sea in our direction every 17 - 20 seconds or so. I remember sailing out here one night on my way home from San Diego and losing my wind here all night. As I didn't have an engine at that time, I was helpless to get underway and slept and awoke keeping watch off and on all night long. Other times on the way to Catalina island I remember passing here just before heading into the shipping lanes. And the one time I will never forget being here was in that terrible gale with giant twenty foot waves pushing us on toward Redondo Beach. The wind was howling in the rigging and the white water atop the huge waves behind us threatened to submerge the cockpit. I remember being almost numb to the seasickness and roller coaster like motion and suddenly seeing that red buoy floating atop a huge wave as we passed it by about a mile or two to the north west.

I shared some of my memories with Carl about this spot and then at last laid down in the V-birth and gave the helm over to Carl. Every once in a while I peaked my head out of the forward hatch to see how he was doing but I was not disappointed as he did a great job and kept the boat headed for the ships lights and home. I closed my eyes and put my hands under the blankets to keep warm. The sound of the waves moving under the boat and along the side were very relaxing and interesting to listen to. I tried to completely shut down and sleep but my mind was still too excited and I had a very hard time. I had thought that if I sailed all night with a friend, that I would be able to sleep - but surprise, surprise!

Eventually Carl needed some assistance with the sails and I got up to help him. After pulling the head sails in tighter, I then went up to the bow and held on to the bow pulpit watching the waves pass us by. Looking up at the stars, I was surprised how many had disappeared already in only a couple hours by the dark rain clouds coming in!

In little less than half an hour, we passed the big ships once more. The dark night sky was turning grey and then gold as the sun was slowly arising in the early morning sky. I took a picture of a sudden burst of gold coming through the rain clouds just above the still brightly lit ships. It was an amazing picture!

Soon the morning wind that had been so constant all night finally began to subside and we turned on the engine and revved it up to full blast and headed for MDR harbor. As we entered the marina and sailed down the channel, I had had such a great trip with Carl and even though we were both tired and worn out we continued to talk all the way back to the slip.

~Albie
http://albiessite.blogspot.com


Thanks for leaving a message about our sailing all night trip!

Mysterious Winter Sailing!

Yes its a very peculiar sailing day. I'm almost the only one out here sailing over the seas in the falling drizzle. I'm coming up to the seals on the R2 buoy near the anchored ships a mile out at sea. Its really strange - the wind is blowing from the east so its creating small waves in the face of the westerly swell! Very strange indeed! So in other words there are waves coming from the east and waves coming from the west! When I left the marina, since the wind was coming from the east, I thought that by heading south I would have the 'weather gage' (advantage) by sailing the first half of the journey in the harder direction (as I thought the wind was coming more south easterly). Then on the way back, I thought the wind would be blowing a little behind me (from the south) and across my beam so I would have full control over what direction I wanted to go. But on the contrary, I seemed to have a very easy sail heading out and a harder sail coming back in! What really happened was that when I turned around, I found myself sailing a more difficult tack into the wind on a close reach because the wind was coming more north easterly. What a shock! On the way back there was a Hans Christian sailboat passing me to starboard. It looked like he was coming back from Catalina Island. They are really strong boats - made to handle heavy seas with a stern pointed like the bow. How beautiful it appears, with full sail set, sailing over the waves! The white sails stand in direct contrast with the dark grey clouds behind it. I pulled in a little harder on the ropes controlling the sails (jib lines). I thought about some of my friends reactions to wanting to come sailing with me. Its interesting because some of them didn't want to go sailing these days because its too cold. But my response to them was: "Are u kidding me! This Is the best sailing! Lol! I wear two jackets and have hot chocolate made to warm up my innards and hands ! Ha ha! Its great! =D" I mean, here I am going four knots through the gentle seas. Little birds are shooting across the small waves! The wind is blowing about ten knots (MPH). Its drizzling here and the water is beautiful and mysterious. I can't really explain it except that its an amazing feeling! After a while darkness came upon me and the boat. The mysteriously dark grey skies and strange watery world I was surrounded by, were now cloaked in darkness and now the only horizon in view were the lights way off on land. They sparkled over the water and waves. As the dark waves passed under the boat, the heaving seas were silhouetted against the shore lights. With two jackets on, a baseball cap, a snow hat over that and a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, I was nice and snug! But take those off and the wind chill sweeping through the sails and over the deck would be enough all by themselves to make you immediately cold. Tacking hard into the wind back and forth a few times finally allowed me to enter the harbor. What a beautiful day/night it has been on the water! Maybe some day you can join me and see for yourself how amazing it is. :-) ~Albie http://lovethishomebiz.com PS: thanks for leaving a message. I would love to hear from you!

Opposing Forces.

       Night Sailing!

      Check this video out

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•  Opposing Forces.

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  Tonight out at sea, every ripple on the water glowed from the phosphorus -  a magical green color as the boat motored through the waves. It was beautiful and majestic and it has been a year or so since I remember seeing it. Last time I remember it, I was sailing through dense fog at night and could see nothing except the magical looking green light streaking through the water as dolphins made their way like torpedo's to their destinations.

The wind had died about an hour ago and I now motored through the waves back to the harbor. I was going to get back in the Marina and then turn off the engine and wait for the wind to come back out. But as I came down the harbor entrance toward my dock, the wind gave no trace of coming back. So I kept on going till I got near Chase Burton Park and then killed the engine as I saw the wind making patterns over the dark water.

I was thrilled to turn off the engine and to watch the wind fill the sail again and be off. There's nothing quite like sailing with the wind. Its quiet and beautiful but must be watched and nurtured to make sure the boat stays on course with just the right amount of wind powering it. Otherwise without careful maintanance the boat will end up going in circles. Eventually I got it all balanced perfectly and could take a few minutes out and go sit on the bow and watch the boat and I glide through the dark mysterious wind blown water on our way around the marina.

     After an hour and a half, I took the boat up to G - Basin and turned on the engine again as sailing up this stretch of water meant battling the wind head on the whole way. Last week I had run out of gas and had been forced to sail up this against a strong tide and opposing winds that were not strong enough to even beat the tide. So though it had appeared like I was moving forward - I had actually been moving backward with the strong current! As I was grinding my teeth in slow agony to try and beat the tide and get home I thought about it in a philosophical way. Here I was making every effort to get ahead and every inch that I actually won was HARD earned. Life is like that. Sometimes it gives you joy and beauty and everything you want on a platter but other times you have to struggle for every inch you get and in the face of imminent failure. But you must press on. In the case of the ocean - the sea will get you if you give up. I'm so blessed writing this now as it encourages me in a financial situation I'm in right now that feels very much the same.

Interesting thing is that after persisting through the the head winds, I eventually got to a place where the land caused the wind to come from a different direction and gave more power to the boat. And in time the wind became stronger too and then getting back was not as hard. So this also can be understood that after a certain mount of persistence, life will often change and SUPPORT you instead.

Thankfully tonight the engine purred like a cat and all these heartaches from last week were just memories. Tonight the engine caused the bow to push through the opposing forces and soon I turned the tiller hard and the boat rounded up into the slip. Ah - now to put the sails away and then heat up some hot chocolate! I couldn't wait!

~Albie
http://www.albiesonlineincome.blogspot.com

PS: Thanks for your comments! :-)

Catalina Gale: Part IX The Last Two Hours...

After Eight Hours In the Gale:

 I tried to let Brad rest as long as possible but when I saw the blue Whale wall, I cried out through the raging wind:

"Brad! We're nearly back!"

 Soon his head popped out of the hatch and placing the doors back in, he climbed up the very steeply sloping cockpit and joined me on deck. After clicking his harness into place, he looked around. I was used to the loud hissing of the wind beating across the water at forty miles an hour but I'm sure to Brad (after resting in the semi peaceful cabin for a couple hours) the sound was startling. Besides this, I know he was interested to see how the huge waves were towering from behind us now.

 "Brad we're going to need to let out the mainsail." I cried above the roar of the waves. "The wind is starting to come from off our back quarter."

 Brad looked at the sails and the waves with a grim face. "If we're not careful, the force of the wind will tear off the mast." He almost yelled. "But you better do it! We don't have a choice."

 Quickly, but carefully I let Brad hold the tiller while I let out the main sheet and sail. We were thankful when the sail and mast held against the furious wind that was now blowing from astern. Atop a giant mountain of a wave, Brad looked forward as I pointed to the Blue wall of Redondo beach. He looked at me with a happy grin. But the war was not over yet! I had been losing strength and was so glad to see Brad come back on deck. I was feeling very sick and had almost begun to care less what the waves were doing beyond my peripherial vision. I had enough strength left to focus on steering the boat through the waves in front of me but that was almost all the strength I had left. Now that Brad was back, its as if I came back to life again! With pleasure I handed the tiller back to Brad to take us in.

 We still had a little ways to go with huge waves still bearing down on us but we were so close to safety we could taste it. All I had tasted up to this point was a non stop deluge of salt water in my face, mouth and eyes each time we passed through a waves white foaming water. Now we were almost home! I still could not believe we were this close. An hour ago I was not at all sure we would make it back. It had only been five hours back when I had prayed and found Gods peace. Home had seemed like a thousand impossible miles away.

 And though it was not all that sudden, to me time had seemed to speed up. Redondo's bell buoy appeared among the foaming waves. The huge waves pounded with fury into the stone breakwater to our left. And then we about surfed in the entrance on this cresting wave. With a simple turn of the tiller the boat heeled dangerously to broadside along the wave as we sped into the still waters of Redondo Beach harbor.

 Suddenly, all was still...like an impossible stillness - like...heaven! No more falling and lurching up and down twenty foot waves and feeling the wind whip across your face at terrific speeds. The peace was startling and so sudden and so majestic. We all seemed to breath freely again. Inside all of our hearts the confirmation we had made it home safely was now spoken. I pounded on the hatch and then opening it, we all began to laugh at the terror we had just passed through.

 "This has been the worst day of my entire life." Max yelled laughing.

 "Well at least you now have one!" I laughed back.

 Later in the jacuzzi at Brads marina, we all sat and laughed in amazement of what we had just survived. The spa water was so hot and relaxing - we couldn't believe we were there! Only an hour ago we had been cold and wet and battered. The warm water was quickly taking off the years of stress and white hairs we had added to our bodies in the eleven stressful hours it took us to cross the channel. The Catalina Gale had been implanted in our minds for all time and we all knew it!

 ~Albie

 PS: Thanks for your comments!