Delorme

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Northwest Providence Channel

We left Little Stirrup Cay at 8:00am with wind coming from the northwest, which is the exact direction we are headed.  It was only 55 miles so we figures we would just tack a few times to stay on course.  By 4:00pm we still had 37 miles to go and had been fighting a strong current all day.  We decided if we put the sails away and motored we would get to Freeport by 1:00am and if we kept going how we were basically making 3/4 mile per hour we would get there in 3 days!  We started motoring and the sun set shortly after leaving us in the dark of the night with no moon and billions of stars.  About 25 miles off the coast we were joined by not one, not two, not three, but 6 cruise ships all moving within a 12 mile radius.  This does not include the smaller crafts and handful of cargo ships that we only saw on the radar.  At one point I was calling a cruise ship that was 1 mile off our starboard headed for us and got no response.  Shortly after they did alter their course and crossed directly behind us and then turned course to follow on our port for 9 miles.  Just after he crossed behind us and was on our port we heard a call on the VHF for the sailing vessel going 4 knots headed at 340 degrees northwest at our exact gps location.  I responded and was asked to alter our course to 305 degrees as he would be passing on our starboard in 20 minutes.  I altered our course and sure enough 30 min. later we had 2 cruise ships flanking our sides and 2 headed toward us with 2 more a few miles behind us.  I was very happy our radar was working and all of our running lights.  They all came and left just a fast but for the 10 miles we were on edge looking 360 degrees every few seconds.  We pulled into our "home" or the marina we stayed at for 3 weeks just after 1:00am tied up and hit the sack.  It had been a long day of fighting the wind and current.  No matter how many times we adjust our plans to go with the weather it always seems to change and we have a rough passage.  One thing is for sure and that is we have had the most amazing sunrises and sunsets any of us have ever seen.  The sunset on this day takes the cake.  What is that old salt saying?  "Red sky at night, sailor's delight.  Red sky in the morning, sailor's take warning."

What does it mean when the sky is on fire?





4 comments:

  1. We know about the wake of a tour boat, how was the Cruise Ship?

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  2. So should I wait until you get here to make chili verde, or should I just make it for Monday?? Hmm what to do! lol

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