7 foot seas & Lila not happy & Currents I get it!

        Lila trying to not think about the bucking bronco boat!

         Sid, another sailing mentor and nice guy that has two pet birds each day come to get some morsel of food.

Tides and Currents – no problem!!! Finally!

Ok so this picture is of Sid.  He works for the mooring place in Mystic. He’s an old guy that has many a good tips for sailing.  He used to instruct little kids. His son is now a big sailor and boat deliverer etc.  Any way here are some words of wisdom. If a crab/lobster buoy lays down it is from the wind, if it disappears it is from current. Now I can look out and see the current or wind.  If you get too much weather helm let your sails out. (which I do) He taught me line handling while docking.  Humm he wouldn’t really look at your … well who can tell when you have sunglasses on. He talked slow because you could see he was thinking how to say what he wanted in as few words possible. Me I talk in as many as possible a few times over.

One thing he quizzed me on was the Eldridge book of Tides and Currents.  He said what is the deviation at stonington. Ok here in the blog I can tell the truth… I said, “minus 30”! He was shocked I got it right and to tell the truth I was shocked I got it right too.  Then he said have you read the book. I replied, “Read the book? It is charts and tables.” He look at me… “read the book the Eldridge book of tides and currents the whole book then read it again!”

Ok people all the time give us advise, they say, “Watch your currents and tides from now on!” “ make sure you follow the currents.” “Don’t get caught in the wrong current.” Etc. etc… but no one tells you what to do or why it is important. I heeded his advice.  I got out the Eldridge book and read about currents for Matha’s Vineyard or “vineyard sound” and “buzzards bay”. I read the same few pages over and over and over until I understood the current chart and the deviations AND finally I got it right!!!! We left at 8am hoping to be south of Cutty Hunk by 9am at which time the flood begins and we will have a hefty current to help us along. Starting at slack all the way to 3 knots!! Yahooo! It did what it said and that means I read it right … finally!! Here is the difference. The winds were only 10 knots at our back once we were in the sound. 

Let me back up the winds were a strong 20-25 with seas of 7 feet! Swells every 2 seconds. We motored into big waves into wind. The boat went way up and then slide down the side of the wave and our bow sprit dove into the water and splash. It is just like being on a roller coaster that goes up 7 feet and down but one with water.

Poor Lila was so angry this morning! She went to her normal hiding spot under the kayak and it got so rough under there she poked her head out and cried get me out of here. I went and got her. She went down below and literally was tossed up and down.  I went down to make a nice “cave” or nest for her to hide in.  That is the picture.  That was not good enough. Then I put her in the corner of the soft saloon curved bench seat where it has green velvet like material. Then I put a pillow up against her so she was sandwiched in so she felt save.  She dug her nails in and looked up at me and said,  “I hate you… make it stop!” She cried as if to yell at me.

Then we hit the vineyard sound and the wind died to 10knots. Perfect and we had a strong 2 knots of current. So we were making 4 knots with the wind and 2 more with the current sometimes 3 knots.  So to go 15 Nautical miles it took under three hours, if we timed it wrong it would have been 2 knots an hour or 7 ½ hours to go the same distance. Also going through small water ways with current pushes your boat in weird places and sometimes takes over if you are not careful. 

It is cute how God gives us what we can handle for the day. He sends people in our lives for the lessons we need to know for that day and when the student is ready the teacher will appear! Ben did not get sick today but then again I suggested he just drive the boat since that helps keeep your mind off of the seasick.  He was good. 

We are now in famous Martha’s Vineyard and I don’t know why it is famous but it is.  Tomorrow we will find that out as we stay a night. Seems like good enough weather so we won’t drag the anchor like we did last night!! That could have been a catastrophe. It is never good to drag your anchor and how embarrassing too cuz you could hit rocks – other boats – drift off to sea… it is scary.  So here is an example of God wanting us to learn better anchoring drills.  We have two anchors but not sure how to use them exactly at the same time or for different bottoms. Oh Dad, I’ll give you a call about the electrical.  We were in high seas today and no cell phone coverage until we hit the bay.

I’m so tired cuz I didn’t sleep well at all!!! Too much wind 20-25 all night plus I was worried we would drag. And we did!

All is good. Peace Pam (For all you wanting Ben to post something - I bugged him enough today so he is now blogging for you all!)