S/V NAVIGATOR, our Island Packet 40 departed Norfolk Virginia at 1015 on May 28, 2022 after two preparation days. The crew members are: Captain Tom Tursi of Pennsylvania (Skipper), Captain Tim Cook of Washington DC (First Mate), and student crew members (pictured left to right) Chris Daly (Massachusetts), Jamey Kabisch (Montana), Laura Lee Olsen (Maryland) and Michael Acker (Pennsylvania). NAVIGATOR will make the passage to Bermuda via a non-stop ocean route. The cruise has an estimated distance of 670 nautical miles, and will take approximately 6 days, sailing both day and night. We will discuss the route, weather and actual progress here on our blog as it happens, so please join us! To follow the discussion, see the COMMENTS to this blog post. To follow their actual progress on via SPOT, click HERE.
18 comments:
Hello all! Be sure to click on the spot link above to follow the progress of NAVIGATOR and her crew. One note on the SPOT transmissions… The SPOT is far from infallible and a loss of signal is quite common. There have been times where we had no position update for more than a day. Reasons can range from a weak satellite signal, a sail bag inadvertently shifted and blocking a clear "view" of the sky, or SPOT batteries getting weak. The crew checks in with me electronically at intervals, and we will address such issues. Also, sailboat tracks are affected by wind direction, current, etc. and rarely result in a straight-line course. I’ll post updates here which will include position reports from the crew. ~ Rita
Captain Jochen Hoffmann, a long time Maryland School Ocean Instructor is providing weather guidance to the crew. I'll include his reports to the crew here on the blog, beginning with this one relayed prior to departure:
From: Jochen Hoffmann
Subject: BDA1 WX 5/28 TO 5/30
Date: May 27, 2022 at 9:27:44 PM EDT
To: MD School, S/V Navigator
5/28 W 5-10, SC Advisory ends noon
5/29 N 7 THEN E PM
5/30 ESE 5-10 THEN S LATE
Safe Voyage. Jochen
From: Navigator IP40
Subject: Status 5/28
Date: May 28, 2022 at 7:14:18 AM EDT
To: MD School
Good morning Rita and Jochen. We are prepped and ready to go. Wx looks fairly calm.
Captain Tom Tursi aboard S/V NAVIGATOR, Norfolk Virginia
Have a great voyage. I hope you get to see a Bermuda Longtail flying above you before you make Landfall!
Have a wonderful and safe voyage! Special congratulations to DELMARVA alumni Jamey and Mike!
Have Fun - Capt. JERRY NIGRO
Transcribed conversation with Captain Tom Tursi by phone Saturday May 29, 2022, 2100:
We are currently motor sailing in light winds. Very light winds are forecast for the next few days. All four students spent time practicing with the sextant this afternoon. They have a lot more to learn but they made very good progress.
The watch schedule is as follows:
Midnight - 0400: Jamie and Chris
0400 - 0800: Michael and Tom
0800 - 1200: Tim and Laura
(Repeat for daytime hours.)
Jamie and Chris started our Dead Reckoning (DR) plot this afternoon and we have, of course, been keeping our logbook.
Captain Tom Tursi
Aboard S/V Navigator
Enjoying memories from our trip last year. Best wishes for fair winds and following seas to Capts. Tursi and Cook and the crew. Charles Zapf
From: Navigator IP40
Date: May 30, 2022 at 6:55:28 AM EDT
To: MD School, Jochen Hoffmann
Position 3459.7N/7320.7W at 0645 on 5/30
Winds continue light at 5 kt from east. Last evening we had a heart thumping 8 kts from the NE so we put out all sail and motorsailed overnight on a course of 150M, which was about 30 degrees south of our bearing to BDA so it reduced our VMG to BDA by half. Not very efficient sailing, but it was good for the spirits to be kind of sailing for a while. This morning we admitted to the frivolity, struck sails and headed toward BDA under engine power alone. Still hoping for some favorable winds. But it looks like another beautiful sunny day good for celestial shots.
Captain Tom Tursi
Aboard S/V Navigator
From: Jochen Hoffmann
Subject: WX 5/30 TO 6/2
Date: May 29, 2022 at 8:36:47 PM EDT
To: S/V NAVIGATOR, MD School
5/30 & 5/31 Variable less then 5
6/1 W 5 to 10 becoming SW 5-15
6/2 W to SW 5-15
No Tropicals
Jochen
From: "Navigator IP40"
Subject: Short Status 6/1
Date: June 1, 2022 at 9:42:26 AM EDT
To: MD School, Jochen Hoffmann
Today we have no sailing wind again after a night of pleasant sailing in 10 to 15 knot winds. Fuel is still a concern since we will be motoring again all day. We contacted CG to alert them to our situation and position. Crew buoyant with lots of mocking and camaraderie.
Captain Tom Tursi
Aboard S/V Navigator
From: Jochen Hoffmann
Subject: Wx 6/2 to 6/4
Date: June 1, 2022 at 10:36:19 AM EDT
To: S/V Navigator, MD School
Text forecast
6/2 SW 10 to 20, NIGHT SW 15-25
Graphic forecast
6/3 E 15 becoming SE 15
6/4 E 15
From: Navigator IP40 (Transcribed)
Date: June 1, 2022 at 7:15:28 PM EDT
To: MD School
We had a little bit of wind last night and this morning, but it wasn't very productive. We have not had much wind at all for the entire trip. We have 250 miles to go and we are plugging away under engine power at 4 knots. I'm still concerned about fuel consumption. NOAA wind prediction and Jochen's information agree but it's not happening yet. We're supposed to get 10-20 knots SW tonight and then tomorrow predicted to be 20-30 from the southwest, and both of those would be very good so we're hoping to some of that to push us past the hump.
The entire crew has been doing a lot of celestial work. Jamie got a beautiful shot within 2/10s of a mile and Laura has taken a lot of shots and is getting some reasonable accuracy as well. So that's about it. We've been eating and sleeping, taking celestial shots and driving the boat!
Everyone is getting along well and having a great time with each other, and the crew is blending very well as a team.
Captain Tom Tursi
Aboard S/V Navigator
From: "Navigator IP40"
Subject: We Are Sailing!!!
Date: June 1, 2022 at 9:46:48 PM EDT
To: MD School
In 15 knots of breeze and a bright crescent moon shining down!
Captain Tom Tursi
Aboard S/V Navigator
From: Jochen Hoffmann
Subject: Wx Revised 06/02
Date: June 2, 2022 at 8:48:57 AM EDT
To: S/V NAVIGATOR, MD School
Reply-To:
Low currently FL Panhandle move ENE. 06/05 forecast low 1003mb at 28N 75W possible tropical cyclone. 06/06 TROUGH, connected L at BDA 1005mb possible tropical cyclone; winds NE quadrant N 25-30
Jochen
[Note: Captain Jochen is saying here that he is seeing a developing low pressure system that the crew needs to keep an eye on.]
Voice message from Captain Tom Tursi aboard S/V NAVIGATOR (Transcribed)
Thursday 6:45 PM EDT Thursday June 2, 2022
The wind filled in last night night about 8:00 and was coming from the west, blowing about 10 - 13 knots so we tested the direction out with just the genoa and it held pretty well. So we took the genoa in, put the mainsail up double reefed, then put out the genoa and had a very nice sail broad off the wind. We sailed that way all night. This morning, we put the whisker pole out and went wing on wing and had a very nice sail all day like that. We're having beautiful weather, beautiful sunny skies, warm but not hot, actually a little cool and comfortable. We had a good time! So right now the wind has moderated a bit. We took the pole down and we are sailing on a braod reach. We turned the engine on to charge so we are motor sailing right now. We have about 125 miles to go to Bermuda. We were making 6-7 knots overnight, and moved along very smartly, so we've made good progress. Our ETA in Bermuda is Friday early morning.
Hello all,
Our SPOT is having some issues. After clicking on the link, you may need to click on the button that says "Load Limited Data". That should give you the most recent positions.
From: "Navigator IP40"
Subject: Status 6/5
Date: June 5, 2022 at 8:51:06 PM EDT
To: MD School
After some excellent night sailing off the wind on Wednesday, the winds again dropped below 5 knots and we returned to motoring the remainder of the cruise to Bermuda in bright sun shiny days. Passage into Town Cut Channel was an all-hands evolution with Mike at the chart plotter; Jamey spotting the NavAids with assist from Chris and Laura; Tim at the helm keeping the boat on track; and Tom as interlocutor between cockpit and navigation station. This nighttime entry into Town Cut was a challenge in view of the narrow entry and poorly maintained buoys (worn out reflective tape) that were hard to spot. We arrived at the Customs Dock about 3 AM local time, and checked in, but we could not complete entry requirements until we showed hard evidence of negative Covid PCR tests before leaving Norfolk for the cruise, and this we could not complete until the Covid offices opened in the morning. Also we were told to get off the Customs Dock until morning. So we proceeded to a nearby anchorage and all fell fast asleep in our tracks until 8 am when we contacted the Covid office and got that squared away. Then all of our student crew departed for home and we docked at Hunters Wharf.
Captain Tom Tursi
Aboard S/V Navigator
Congratulations on making the night passage entry into Town Cut Channel
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