Flashes of light burst, reflecting all around us and we kept away from the backstay. The cracks grew more spine tingling and the booms fiercer. Surely, even with my nerves, I told myself we’d been in this situation before. The beauty of the weather was all around us and just as I thought we might be getting a reprieve from the most intense of the lightning and thunder, one giant crack proved me wrong.
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We set out from Key West yesterday evening after making some final preparations and having dinner on the deck. We hoisted our sails in the midst of a fleet of catamarans and old-time schooners taking tourists out for a sunset cruise, which made for a very pleasant sendoff.
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The generator on Sea Dragon is a pernicious beast, a result of taking full advantage of the available space, which leaves next to no room to actually work on it place. Instead, once a year we spend 4 days or so dismantling the walls and ceiling, hooking up block and tackle to overhead beams, and after unbolting and disconnecting everything connected to the generator, haul its 400 pounds out of the engine room and lower it into the hallway where we can easily access all sides of it to check that all is well.
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We are here in Key West! Our sail lasted only three days, a short passage. The storm helped push us along; in fact, we clocked out at an all time high of 13.3 knots! I have never had so much fun puking, and would do it all again in a heart beat (may try a different nausea medication though).
Read More… A thick black line obscured the horizon, where just minutes before was nothing but grey overcast. We quickly rolled the yankee and got a first reef in the main before it hit, with horizontal rain and steady winds blowing 40-45 kts stinging our eyes.
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The evening of Day 2 underway found us just off the coast of Cuba, hoping for a favorable windshift that would allow an easy turn east and a quick reach over the next few days to Key West.
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On Sunday, we set sail from Grand Cayman! Weather was awesome, partly cloudy with a 17 knot breeze from the east; on a broad reach all day. Among the excitement was Shanley cleaning the poop deck three times.
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[In 1968], when the Sunday Times of London announced that it was sponsoring the first ever non-stop around the world sailing race, it wasn’t just the race, it would be the first time anyone had accomplished such a feat. The challenge and thrill of being at the frontier of ocean sailing brought together some of the great sailors of the era, and also some who were more armchair-sailors, dreamers or adventurers…
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Picture a coral reef. A manta ray glides by, flapping its wings majestically. Vibrantly colored fish hiding in the crevices of branching coral. Small patches of green seaweed called macroalgae begin to grow. They start small but begin to cover entire coral colonies, gradually cutting off their access to light. Eventually […]
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As the crew of Sea Dragon prepares for our next expedition with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, we find ourselves needing a little R&R. This has brought us to Virgin Gorda and the Captain’s favorite harbor in the Virgin Island chain. Repaired and replaced equipment needs rigorous testing, and sea […]
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I feel like people often write about all of their firsts when they travel, so I am going to write about some of my seconds. For instance, this is the second time I have left the country and so far it has been an absolutely amazing experience. I had no […]
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https://vimeo.com/80145347 The Ocean Cleanup with Pangaea Explorations from Pangaea Explorations on Vimeo. Sea Dragon is safely berthed in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, after a tumultuous but ultimately successful voyage from Bermuda. I’ve sailed with a lot of different crews over the years, and dealt with a lot of different gear […]
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