LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 30:
Tuesday, March 07, 2000
0600 We load up the dinghy with Dawn& Bob's gear and head ashore to meet their taxicab.
0626 Sunrise
0630 The cab shows up right on time; Dawn and Bob are on their way to the airport and then headed back to Boothbay Maine.
0645 I return aboard and start making preparations for getting underway. I hoist the dinghy aboard and secure it bottom up on the foredeck. I scrub the oily grime from the dinghy's bottom. This mess all came from the harbor at Saint Barts, which is a surprise in a way, since St. Barts is one of the nicer destinations I have seen to date.
0940 Lord's Prayer is underway bound for Road Harbor at Tortola Island in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) - a trip of 90 NM.
0950 I make sail but keep the engine running as the wind is quite light. There are many little yellow butterflies flittering about. These creatures have been in evidence during the past week at the last several islands we visited and during the transits in between the islands. We think this is a migration - but from where to where we do not know.
1200 I rig the wind vane and pass steering control to it.
1740 The wind has freshened to 12 kts out of the north. I secure the engine. The boat is sailing close-hauled on the starboard tack at slightly over 4 kts. At Position 18-14N 063-46W, Sint Maarten is sunk astern. The volcanic cone of Saba is still visible some 50 NM to the SE and the highest peak on Tortola is now in sight 50 NM ahead. The distances all seem so much greater today than they did some 20 years ago when I was here flying A7 Corsair aircraft from the deck of
USS Nimitz (CVN-68).
1820 Sunset
2008 The night is dark and moonless, as a tiny sliver of moon has already set. There is some light though. Lights from islands over the horizon both ahead and behind provide kind of a loom of light at the horizon. Stars are visible through breaks in the clouds and there is luminescence in the water - caused by those interesting little sea creatures that illuminate like fireflies when they are disturbed by a bow wave. The air is warm and dry without any evening dew.
2025 A VERY large sailboat under power of its engine and a jib, which can be seen illuminated by the bow light, overtakes me from astern. From the profile I suspect it may be "Blue Gold", a ketch of about 200' that was anchored in Simpson Bay when I left there this morning.
2045 I am passed close aboard port to port by another sailing vessel showing a single tricolor light at its masthead. This vessel appears to be headed toward Sint Maarten in the Leeward Islands. Initial detection is via radar at something less than a mile - the close proximity suggesting the absence of a radar reflector. Visually I am initially able to see only a white light at the masthead; this ordinarily indicates that I am looking at the stern of the boat but the range on this one is closing and that is confusing. Initially on radar it looks like the contact is going to cross my bow close aboard and then pass starboard to starboard. I turn on my spreader lights to illuminate my sails. Apparently the contact turns because now I am looking at a green light, which I would ordinarily see if I were looking at the boat's starboard bow, but on the radar the contact now looks like it is going to pass port to port. I step behind the wheel and disengage the wind steering vane in case I have to maneuver to avoid a collision. I hold my course steady and the contact passes down my port side. As the vessel comes abeam its green light changes to red. The problem now becomes clear. The tricolor light at its masthead is improperly installed. It needs to be rotated 90 degrees clockwise. I attempt to raise the vessel on VHF Channel 16, but there is no response.
2115 Two more sailing vessels pass me port to port headed toward the Leeward Islands - but not as close as the previous vessel. There are 9 vessels in sight now, which is interesting since none were sighted during the hours of daylight once I cleared the vicinity of the Sint Maarten
2140 The wind freshens to 18 kts and veers to northeast. I crack the sheets and adjust the wind vane to keep her on course. The boat is now on a starboard beam reach making over 6 kts.
2220 Position: 18-17N 064-06W.
END OF LORD'S PRAYER LOG, Part 30


-------------
Via Pinoak Digital - Advanced technology SSB radio digital wireless email.
In reply please do not include text above or attachments.
For further information on our service visit www.pinoak.com