Post 17

The Untold Story.

Before I started on this adventure, I listened to an interview of a seasoned sailor who enjoyed doing many transatlantic crossings. The reporter asked about the risk of such an event and whether the risk were too great. The sailor’s response to this question stuck with me. When asked similar questions by friends and family, I borrowed his response to the reporter, “the greatest risk is the risk of not doing the crossing.” For me, this is something I saw myself doing since I was 12 years old. While I new this trip would have risk - as any proper adventure should - this one is definitely one for the books and will provide for many grand stories around the fire place with family and friends to be passed on to others for years to come. 

I am about to tell you what I have avoided sharing until now, so as not to worry others. After all, since we were a few thousand miles out to sea there was not much others could do to help. We had to manage, and as you we see - we did. 

Today is May 26, 2023. We started the transatlantic portion of this journey on April 15, 2023, which included sailing 1280 nm from La Rochelle France to Madeira, arriving on April 24, 2023.

Two days ago, Anthony, Jerry, and I completed the 4500 nm transatlantic crossing stage of our adventure, arriving for an “unplanned” stop in French Town  USVI. If you read my last update in Post # 16, you will recall that we were navigating through several days of squalls with 620 nm left before we would stop in the USVI for “unplanned” refuel and repairs.

You may be thinking - Refuel? Repairs? We were supposed to have enough fuel to sail and motor from Madeira to Annapolis. JUST LIVE is a new boat, why do we need to stop for repairs?

In short, the reason is found in chemistry books, not in books or blogs about sailing adventures - until now! Chemistry! I am thinking God really wanted to test us on this one. Oh I won’t down play the normal risk of high seas, squalls, heat, etc., but you anticipate those risks and challenges. 

In early May (see Post # 14), I shared that in choppy windy seas, sailing at a steady 7 knots with the sun starting to rise……our auto pilot quit and we would  be steering by hand for the next 30ish days, i.e., 3000 miles.

Without an auto-pilot, we each had to take our 3-hour watch up top outside at the wheel, steering Just Live manually.  Sounds rough, but still manageable, right? Well here is the untold portion of that update.

The auto pilot quit because we lost our starboard rudder. Let that sink in for a minute. How do you steer a sail boat with no rudder for 3000 nm? Good news, Just Live is a catamaran. She still had her port rudder.

With only one rudder we had to lower the main sail and sail and motor at a reduced speed with only the jib sail. The net effect on our original plans to go nonstop to Annapolis were quickly calculated and we determined the slower speeds, reduced navigation capabilities without the use of our main, extended use of fuel, and added number of days for the crossing meant we need to stop somewhere on the other side of the Atlantic to get a new rudder and refuel.

So what does chemistry have do with all of this? 

Let’s play jeopardy! What is electrolysis for $3,000?

Electrolysis is a chemical decomposition produced by passing an electric current through a liquid or solution (like salt water) containing ions.

In plain language, it caused the strong thick stainless steel shaft of our rudder to decompose and snap off like a twig. You can see this decomposition and break point on the shaft in one of the pictures that I have included. 

So let me sum up. We sailed approximately 3000 nm across the open ocean and all of its elements and challenges on a “normal” crossing, but we did it without a starboard rudder, auto pilot, or the use of our main sail.

In a post-debrief casual discussion with the crew, I was interested to hear what each really thought the risk level was of the events that were now behind us. I thought this would be interesting data because as these events were unfolding and through the many restless days and nights that followed, the entire crew was calm, focused, positive and in good spirits, and determined.

From the Captain that has done this trip 55 times now and raced for his country all over the world, Jerry who has done several crossings, and meself who has been in a few challenging sea conditions, but never at this scale, we all agreed. Without debate, on a “difficulty/challenge/risk scale” of 1 to 10, this trip was 8. 

If you ask me now, after experiencing a level-8 risk adventure like this if I would do a crossing again, I will tell you my answer is unchanged - “the greatest risk is the risk of not doing the crossing.”

Today, with great appreciation and thanks for the folks at Annapolis Cruising Yachts (ACY), WayPoints, and Fountaine Pajot (FP), we slipped our berth in Frenchman Harbour, refueled in Crown Bay Marina and left at 1320 UTC. Our new estimated time of arrival in Annapolis is June 6. Our auto pilot is working again (by design, it had quit working under the excess load caused with only one rudder vs two) and we are sailing nicely under full main with our “new” rudder that was shipped from FP in France and installed by the expert staff of the ACY and WayPoints team in one day. 

🤙

Just Live (hull # 211 of the FP Astrea 42 model) is one heck of solid sailing vessel! Hats off to the folks at FP in building such a sea worthy and safe sailing vessel. Think about it; Just Live got us across the vast ocean safely with only one rudder, working overtime to do it. She is now tested, proven, primed, and ready for many more exciting adventures ahead!

With another 1500 nm to go, I can’t wait to see what other challenges (i.e., gale-force winds off Cape Hatteras from a few north easterly low frontal systems) and fun lie ahead for for us in the coming days. As a nasty storm is forecasted off the east coast around North Carolina in the coming week (typical), we should get another large boost of wind to carry us along and up to the Chesapeake Bay or into shelter to wait out the storm. We will decide in the next few days.

For now, it’s my turn to cook again and I can start fishing again!

Cheers, 

Paul

P.S. Remember, you can click on this tracker link to follow us across the Atlantic on an interactive map via Iridium Go - thanks to Captain Anthony.