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Women at Sea

48K views 22 replies 16 participants last post by  TxSea 
#1 ·


Women at Sea
"Force 10 and Alone"

Carol Pieniadz, "Spirit Guide" (IP32-20)


Everything happens for a reason. I keep telling myself that little pearl of wisdom and now that I am back home in Florida I can almost believe it. But during my trip down the ICW last fall and winter it was really very difficult to swallow that wisdom. While moving north out of the hurricane zone and complying with the insurance company's geographical requirements, I experienced one of the most physically challenging and mentally exhausting times.

"I thought about dropping the second anchor, but found myself resisting. "

I had little incentive to depart from Pocomoke, MD and head south any earlier than November. My insurance required I stay above 35 degrees north until the 1st of December and by my calculations it would only take about a week to drop that far south. After several months tied to a dock I set out with the tide around noon on November 1st for a leisurely motor down the Pocomoke River to anchor for the night in Pocomoke Sound. It was a short days travel, but at that time of year the sun was setting early. The weather forecast called for winds 10-18 knots out of NNE and I was anticipating a nice beam's reach across the bay to Deltaville, VA in the morning. I awoke the next day to sustained winds of 26 knots, which increased throughout the day. So much for a gentle break in period! I crossed the bay in small craft warning conditions averaging six knots with the jib alone. Waves at 4 to 6 feet sent spray over the dodger and into the cockpit and air temperature was in the 50's.

By mid November I was ready to continue south and left Deltaville heading for Norfolk. Everything happens for a reason. I got a late start and motored into a headwind all day. With a forecast for near gale force winds by evening I changed plans and headed into Mobjack Bay instead of Norfolk. I traveled farther up the East River than on previous occasions and was glad to have done so. That night winds were 35 knots for me but in Norfolk they were clocked at 70 knots. More by the luck of over sleeping than planning, I missed being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But my luck was not going to last and five days later I found myself alone watching as winds over 50 knots made the water surface look like it was steaming.

There was a strong 20 knot breeze when I departed Pungo Ferry for the Alligator River, and the forecast was for gale force winds by that night. Planning to anchor in South Lake on the east side of the river to ride out the gale, I was already out of the sound and into the river when I realized my set waypoints were for my usual anchoring spot just off the channel to the west. I found the waypoint for the entrance to East and South Lakes, which are off the east side of the river and entered it into the GPS. The light was fading and I had about 30 minutes to sunset. In the fading light I could not see the entrance to the lakes, but trusted in the GPS - a big mistake. When entering the waypoints I had accidentally changed the N to S. By the time I recognized my error and turned north I could not make headway against the wind and waves and had to beat my way back north.

It was dark as I entered the common channel to the lakes, too dark to really distinguish the shoreline. While I have the Cap'n Voyager for planning on my laptop, the laptop is not visible at the helm. I made my way slowly into South Lake watching depth soundings closely and using the Garmin 76Map to give me some reference to the snake like shoreline. My first choice of anchorage was occupied by a powerboat without an anchor light. Not good. I finally dropped the hook with 100 feet of chain followed by 200 feet of nylon in a spot that I hoped would not give me too much fetch and gave me plenty of room to drag.

I thought about dropping the second anchor, but found myself resisting. I had never had the occasion that required two anchors and had never done this procedure with a crew person aboard, let alone solo. The wind was already blowing in the 30's and with such total darkness the gut just said, "Don't do it." However, I did pull the 2nd anchor's chain and nylon from the locker and coiled it on deck for rapid deployment.

Finding three bearing points for anchor watch was not possible. There were no houses, lighted channel markers or other reliable points of reference. It was uninhabited dark. I set the GPS anchor alarm but have never had faith with that system. Before turning in for the night, I took my other GPS and entering my current position and set the instrument to navigate to that point. By looking at my distance to waypoint I expected to get an early warning of any anchor drag.

" God answered my prayers and the winds starting dropping within the hour. "

How do you sleep when you are alone at anchor and the wind is rising? The answer to that question is "not very well." I knew that rest and sleep were essential but I was afraid I would not hear the anchor alarm. I was also worried about waking up disoriented and not being able to react quickly. I always have one salon light equipped with a red LED. That night I moved it to the bunk and left it burning all night. Sleep was easier and red light gave enough illumination to read the GPS. I set a timer to ring hourly. My sleep was light and I woke easily and looked at the distance to waypoint on GPS. Finding that distance repeatedly at less than 50 feet was very reassuring. At first I went out into the cockpit to check the wind speed but after a while I just listen to the sound the rigging made. And so the night went until about 4 a.m. when the winds seemed to settle into the low 40's and I set the alarm clock instead of the timer and enjoyed a nice three-hour nap.

The following day I had my first look at my anchoring choice. In the light of day I could clearly see I should have anchored farther to the north closer to the tree line. My perception of distance and proximity to the power boat anchored in that general area, as well as the distance between shorelines, had me err on the side of caution. My penance for arriving after dark was to endure the waves constantly rolling down on me. The motion of the boat was not comfortable, but bearable. Winds increased throughout the day to 40-45 knots and with heavy rainfall. Spirit Guide danced on her anchor and rolled in the increasing waves but never dragged. I went to bed that night feeling comfortable that my anchor was holding and a forecast projecting the gale would blow itself out soon.

I was too tired from the prior two days to do anything but sleep well and deeply that second night. But I went from comfortably relaxed to near panic when I reached for the GPS and found the distance to destination was 200 feet. Rushing to the cockpit, a quick visual confirmed that I had indeed dragged. It was no longer raining and I was mesmerized by the sight of foam and mist falling off the top of the waves. I expect that the heavy rainfall had dampened that particular sight the day before. Wind speed was now 52 knots. I had slept comfortably thinking I had reached the height of the storm. Now with about only 100 feet astern to the shoreline I became concerned for the first time that I might be in trouble.

Re-anchoring in that much wind alone would not be easy and could prove dangerous alone. I considered dropping the second anchor but was not sure of the continued depth of the 100 feet astern. Since all my anchor rode was played out I would need to motor forward to drop and set the second anchor. The deck was too unstable for moving rapidly with any degree of safety. I began considering ways of dropping the second anchor, which was not on the windlass, while I remained at the helm driving forward. Deciding that breakfast and coffee were the first priority I mulled over the situation and said a prayer for conditions to improve. God answered my prayers and the winds starting dropping within the hour. By 9 a.m. winds were abating, by 11 a.m. winds were at 10-15 knots and by noon I was traveling south again.

Given what happened I could have spent two days tied up at Coinjock and lost a day's travel but been well rested after the storm. Hindsight is always 20/20. I have learned a number of things from this experience. First, I can survive a full gale by myself without panic or fear. Second, I'm going to have to practice setting and retrieving two anchors alone in calm conditions. Next, I'm thinking about a buying or making an anchor kellet and using it routinely. I have already sewn an anchor sail. And finally, I'm going to find an insurance company who will permit me to drop down to 31N before the high winds of November.

Please feel free to visit Carol's blog at www.sailblogs.com/member/spiritguide .

 
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#2 ·
Women at sea - I can relate to that

Oh how I can relate to this wonderful article. As a middle aged women who loves sailing but who spends much of the time, when the wind is high, hanging on for grim death with her eyes closed.I could relate to everyones fears and anxieties about cruising. I love the grace and freedom of a yacht skimming across our beautiful Tasmanian bays and when the wind is light it is a period of indescribable joy. My husband and I sailed when we first got married 38 years ago but sold the yacht as domesticity settled in. We purchased a trailerable yacht in 2000 and had 4 years of pleasure although mostly just sitting on it for a relaxing Sunday afternoon in the Marina. When moving to Tasmania in late 2004 we again sold the yacht - but I really missed her. My husband has been racing with an elderly gentleman here and I occasionally got to sail with him too. In June this year we purchased a Columbia 27 and have been sailing quite a bit before the racing season started and only when the weather is good.

Recognising that I need and want to do more I emailed a female yachty at another club seeking someone who was willing to train and race with some amateur women against the men. So now we have an all women crew to race in the weekly Sunday pennant series and in fact I have more women like me who want to sail but need to build confidence. Thanks to our fantastically patient expert Anne, we will be taking the men on for our first race this week.
I cannot guarantee that I wont sail with my eyes closed for a while - but here goes nothing - maybe in 12 months I will laugh at the nerves that I show!
Thanks ladies for a laugh and a realisation that I am not alone.

Pat
 
#6 ·
Zeehag,

As a former professional cook, my best advice is to cook ahead and freeze. A moving boat is no time for creativity and presentation. The next to consider is shelf life: which veg or fruit will go bad fastest and use that first (hint lettuce and salad veg). Plan soups last with the long lasting carrots, celery, squash, etc. I keep lots of healthy snacks onboard: granola, B&J, raisins, crackers and cookies; sometimes it is just to rocky to cook.

Let us know how your trip goes! Good luck, Sanderling
 
#9 · (Edited)
is alll good to be a former professional cook..lol.....too rocky to cook?? ye donot reside aboard do ye?? ye has access to fridge and such in a land based operation. nopt all of us are as wealthy insofar as material goods is concerned--i choose not to have a house on land. i have a 41 ft dedicated cruising boat.
freezing stuff is all good if ye has a fridge on board that works.and if you are not a live aboard sailor...LOL... many who cruise do not have refrigeration..many do---i choose not to......be real about cruising on a budget..LOL....finger foods are great--but they arent a regular diet. the challenge is being on boatrd 24/7/365 and providing nutrition to all on board in a variety of ways. isnt like cooking at home but isnt camping out either. the potholders that come with many marine stoves do a decent job of holding the pots and pans on a stove. if one can cook in 30 ft rollers or in the gulf of mexico in a storm, then one is a good cook...lol--not everyone worries about presentation while cooking at sea LOL--i just have concern as to whether it gets into the bowl that is going to be used to hold the foods that are eaten ..LOL
must be nice to have a house AND a boat--but isnt my desire..lol...i prefer to be at sea rather than stuck in a dock or at home in a land based prison called a house. yes i am experienced at this!!!! i just choose not to write about it instead of experiencing it..lol--writing takes time away from actual sailing time.
we have anchored in brisk winds(*30 kts) with only one anchor--a 35 cqr, in a 37 ft sloop without problem--second anchor? no....not needed during these for us..some will need some will not need. depends on your choice of ground tackle and what you personally consider comfort.
in port of san diego in the alleged cruisers anchorage, 2 anchors were almost a necessity to keep from dragging into rocks at 0300. wind gets to be around 90 mph at times and the seas in that particular anchorage are very rough--can be 3-4 ft in height depending on wind direction. if from south---hold on--lol...have fun. be safe--if the little voice in your head says second anchor--then do it. if it is quiet in there--yer prolly fine.....trust your boat and trust the little voice that nags during a storm or other situation. is same as reefing before the big wind knocks ye down......
 
#10 · (Edited)
It is a weight that you attach to your rode to make the rode pull on your anchor more in the horizontal plane to reduce the risk of your anchor dragging. You can make one up by attaching a weight of say 20 pounds to some kind of roller that goes over your rode, and then attach a pennant to the roller so you can control where the kellet is on the rode from your boat.

Some swear by them, others think they are an unnecessary nuisance. I think if you have an all chain rode, they are much less helpful, but I can see that they could work very well if you use a rode that is primarily rope.

on edit: is anyone else surprised that the author of the OP's quoted article did not mention among her lessons learned that it was a mistake to rely solely on GPS (with her bad waypoints) for navigation? Wouldn't she have avoided her mistake in navigation (which eventually caused her to enter the anchorage location after dark which in turn caused her to anchor in a suboptimal location) by simply looking at a chart?
 
#20 ·
I'm new to all of this and am reading lots of threads so I can learn as much as possible about sailing. See, this was good for me to read...because I'm thinking, wasn't she just panic stricken enough to forget the most logical thing? Seems like that's a common thing to do. But I'm so glad you put it out there, because now I know you have another option. That was one horrendous ordeal. I imagine sailors go through that though, from time to time. It can't all be smooth sailing, or can it?

Diane
 
#14 ·
sailing south from ensenada to mazatlan was fun and at some points wild ride--- winds off cabo were 60 kts from nw-- wow-- we used only reefed jib n mizzensails and clocked 8 kts!!! cooking was less than optimal and i kept spilling the coffee everywhere..LOL... but got it done and enjoyed the sailing---- arrived in mazatlan with 3 gallons of diesel remaining in tank, and broken alternator mount bolts..LOL... jury rigging ddoes work. will prolly go to marina mazatlan for hurrycame season, at his point as i can get repairs done effectively there.
my only complaint, if that--is not being able to catch a dorado(or anything) between cabo and mazatlan-- winds disappeared and fishies were hiding under glassy seas.
 
#21 ·
Hi Zeehag,

I went to your site and was reading your blogs and can't tell you how impressed I am with your grand adventure on the ocean...pretty much on your own...and with Bubba daboatkat. I will be checking in on you intermittently to see how you're doing. Can I ask you how long you've been boating? Where did you learn your boating skills? I'm a bit old for the game, (63) but am wanting to be a part of it and experience the openess of the seas, the small, quaint towns (as you say...before they become known) the new people, the beauty of this earth...etc. So much beauty to see on this amazing blue planet of ours. I've been fotunate enough to travel via air, ship, train, car, but not by sailboat. There must be a lot to know.

Thinking of you and hoping your days are filled with wonder, awe, and adventures galore!!

Diane
 
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#16 ·
Are you kidding me????????????

My names James, i have in my possesion a set of building plans for the 29' cutter drawn by PAUL GARTSIDE. I intend to build her like the Famous PARDEY'S boat on the intereior layout and deck layout. I am looking for a female that has wooden boatbuilding skills or just a good passion for wooden sailing craft. No experiance is needed, just a passion for wooden sailboats and cruising, as i would also need a crew as well. If this sounds good to you and want to have a lot of fun building a boat and then have a lot of fun sailing to far away places, then i need you. I am planning on building her in arkansas and trucking her to texas for the launch. We will begin sea trials in the gulf of mexico. When sea trials have been complete, we will set sail for the carribian or the south pacific.
So if this sounds good to you, i will be happy to talk with you about. Also maybe if you have a sister or friend that would like to go as well, that would be ok. All interested females may contact me on this site and allso call me....479-774-2064 EMAIL ......seagypsy2012@gmail.com
THANKYOU VERY MUCH AND .......HAPPY SAILING !!!...
Your kidding right? Are you giving 50% ownership of the vessel for all her woodworking skills? Can you correctly spell "carribian"??? I can't think of anyone except maybe "Daisy Duke" who might want to join you. Go to "match.com" YUK
 
#17 ·
carol. I know the feeling, sailing alone on my Non Such 36 coming back north from the Bahamas I had two storms offshore which kept me up 48 hrs twice. for a sailor in his sixties it was exhaustion and no more single handling sailing for me. fortunately the Non Such is a very strong boat and even with two reefs in the gulf I could not slow her down over 9 kts for many hours with no moon. I also had problems on the ICW with 5ft 7 draft, because there are many area's not dredged because of cutbacks. I also have a centurion 32 sloop that is a great boat, but the non such is like a condo with all the equipment, 2 gen sets, water maker . Alt of stuff to take care of. Will have to decide what boat to use to go back to Keys and Exumas next season. I left Newport RI early in Oct. My insurance will not cover me 100 miles away from US no matter what month it is. Boats now in the beaufort NC where I have a house for sale. Newport this week visiting children and grandchildren. Don Clare SV Trinity
 
#19 ·
I cooked for only two. We had a thing called a sea swing. It is a small gimbaled pot with a small propane can on the bottom for fuel.

When it really blows it's great. The little pot goes all the way down in a bracket. That's usually the time for spaghetti. Boil it up and put can of clam sauce over the top and a little parmesan cheese. Goes down great when it's really blowing out.

At the start of this thread was a great sailing story. Yes, she could have looked at a chart, but did you understand that it was getting dark and she had little time? That's when mistakes happen. Also when it's dark nothing looks the same and it can really mess you up.

I was on Lake Erie, just as the light was giving out trying to make it into a little marina that had a break wall around it as the wind started to really whip up. Made it through the break wall gap just fine, and a police car came to the end of the breakwater and turned on his lights on to be helpful. It was completely blinding. Scary stuff. Sometimes you can plan all you want but things just don't happen the way you expect.

Glad she was able to ride it out.

Linda
 
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