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S/V Magic going south

22K views 181 replies 34 participants last post by  SVAuspicious 
#1 ·
Our esteemed moderator Donna F and her partner John are on board S/V Magic with me and additional crew T John leaving Annapolis for St Thomas. You can follow us at SPOT Shared Page
 
#10 ·
Spot indicates they haven't moved on yet, although, it may not be on or operating properly. Possible they are waiting for a warmer window. SVAs last post time stamp suggests he was up at 3am. Anchor watch?

I hope the crew finds this to be an adventure, not an ordeal. Moral is everything.
 
#13 ·
We are working hard to keep this from being an ordeal. My apologies for not keeping y'all up to date.

Between the weather and scheduled repairs all three fuel docks in Annapolis were closed when we left so we planned to head for Solomons for fuel and water and keep going. We arrived in the middle of the night and grabbed a T-head at Zanhisers. In the morning we moved to Calvert for fuel and water. Customer service was outstanding. The frost free water spigot turned out not to be frost free. They COULD have said "Sorry, no water." Instead they got someone in with a torch. When we discovered that their hose had split they sent someone out to buy a new one.

In the process we discovered that the water tanks on this boat stupidly (<- opinion) vent into the bilge. We also found the bilge pumps weren't working. We also found that the fuel transfer system, which I had fixed once before, wasn't working.

Tools and materials lacking we moved back to Zanhisers for some help. The team did a great job.

The crew asked to stay over night so we went out for a nice dinner and went to bed. I think everyone was asleep by 8. (*grin*) Oh - I post in the middle of the night because I always post in the middle of the night. I sleep in fits and starts so I'm up a lot.

No Mr. Hyde here.

We're taking pictures. The icing is really amazing. Warm inside the boat.
 
#17 ·
Geez... they're pulling out into 30 knot southerly around Cape Hatteras

Mid-winter.



M a d


As a note to cruisers who are not very experienced delivery captains... my thoughts are one should only sail in the best season. This is not the best season for either the northern part nor the southern part.

If you are newer to cruising or planning your escape from the east USA to the tropics watch this thread, download Grib files, passage weather etc and ask yourself 'what would I do now'.
I know what I would be doing: sitting in the bar because I left mid-November, the correct time to do this passage.

All the best to Magic crew. Its gunna be a passage to remember.
 
#29 ·
Geez... they're pulling out into 30 knot southerly around Cape Hatteras
Nope. We've had some shake down issues and are behind. There is no point in waiting in Annapolis for weather - get to Norfolk/Hampton/Little Creek in sheltered water and wait there. By the time we push the weather systems that are so ugly will be NE and we can go - as close to 135 T as we can going more north if we have to.

This is a delivery. As long as it is safe we'll go, even if a little bumpy. We've got three days of warmer temps which gets us across the Gulf Stream and everything is better.

We aren't "rounding Cape Hatteras" (which I've done dozens of times). We'll be well North until we cross the GS.

Fmy thoughts are one should only sail in the best season. This is not the best season for either the northern part nor the southern part.
People hire delivery skippers to move boats. Backhaul from Bermuda. Backhaul from Cortez. Heading to the Caribbean in winter. I don't go if it isn't safe.

download Grib files, passage weather etc and ask yourself 'what would I do now'.
What you should do is not bother with GRIBs. The GFS model does not show fronts and fronts are what we care about most. Synoptic charts are THE way to go. Best weather information available.

Sure hope someone remembers to turn on a camera for pics/video of the trip. :)
Lots of pictures. You won't see them until we get good Internet in STT.

SVAs last post says its warm inside the boat. That's good. Now that temps are just above freezing and rising, spray should stop freezing when it hits the decks. That's great. Cheers to all.
The bow is still a solid block of ice but conditions in the cockpit are now benign and all the ice is gone aft of the shrouds.

Many thanks to Steve for agreeing to take our email over HF/SSB & Pactor and keep y'all up to date once we cross the two-bar line.

I just wanna see the thermometer :)
I think we're up to about 34F.
 
#24 ·
SVAs last post says its warm inside the boat. That's good. Now that temps are just above freezing and rising, spray should stop freezing when it hits the decks. That's great. Cheers to all.

I'll be interested to see their routing, with southerlies for the next few days. Perhaps ESE to cross the stream asap. Although, I haven't looked at progs below Bermuda yet to know if that's going to be a good place to be.
 
#33 ·
@MarkofSeaLife - I didn't intend to over react.

I am watching weather carefully - weather fax (HF/SSB) on the boat plus Internet while I have cell. Weather fax is plenty and really does beat GRIBs. You have to know how to interpret synoptics. GRIBs are easier but what difference does easy make when important data is missing?

My favored departure from the Chesapeake is 135 T or higher until across the Gulf Stream. I don't understand why so many people--including the Caribbean 1500 and Soggy Dawg Rally--run the beach. Why on earth cross Diamond Shoals when you want your easting early anyway?

I do suggest one of the big take-aways is that leaving a boat on the hard for an extended time is really hard on the boat. All kinds of things fail and the accumulated work is horrific.

I also suggest that just because something is common knowledge does not mean it is correct. I'm not impressed at all with the performance of this boat for example.
 
#36 ·
My favored departure from the Chesapeake is 135 T or higher until across the Gulf Stream. I don't understand why so many people--including the Caribbean 1500 and Soggy Dawg Rally--run the beach. .
Exactly. And 850nms 135 puts you 40nm north of the spot I crossed 65W :) leaving from Beaufort.

Its not a lonely spot out there. I had 2 other sailboats pop up at the 'intersection'.
 
#38 ·
From where I sit, the southerly winds over the next several days look favorable for crossing the Gulf Stream on your preferred 135' course SE. Radiofax charts shows some surf out there associated with a low which will hopefully move on by the time you get there.
So it would seem that now is a good time to wish you(SVAuspicious), Donna, John & Lief a swift, safe passage. If I had to be "out there" this time of year I can't think of anyone that would make me feel more confident than having SVAuspicious leading the expedition.
We will all be checking your progress and hoping for the best, most auspicious outcome.
 
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