There are two primary factors that decide my schedule: weather and boat condition. Especially on a longer crossing – other considerations are secondary, at best. People’s schedules, people’s desires, flights, holidays, weekends, day or night – none of this really matters.
Waiting to Cross
And so we waited on weather. Longer than we would have liked. Damo was on a schedule, so we considered leaving a bit earlier – but the seas were 3 meters + and that makes crossing seem more like bullriding – for five days.
So we waited.
We pre-cooked food. We did last-minute boat repairs. I charted and re-charted our route. We got fishing gear ready for any eventuality. We burned trash. We recycled cans. We organized the decks and checked sails and reefing gear.
We waited.
Then, it was time to get underway. The waves were still 2 meters +, and the wind was on the nose at 15 knots. But we were so ready to move, we just did it. Outside we dropped lures back behind the boat and got the first taste of the short-period beam sea that we would take for the next 5 days.
620 nautical miles was our route. That’s a long ways. Even in a car that’s a fairly long drive. But a sailboat is hardly a car, the ocean hardly a road. There aren’t any rest stops. No gas stations. No roadside restaurants. No tow trucks to call. You can’t call an ambulance if someone gets sick or injured. There aren’t mechanics in the middle of the ocean.
It’s between 4-6 days of open ocean. No land in sight.
We planned, based upon weather predictions, an average speed of 5.5 knots. That’s not too hard to do in this boat, and it gives us a little wiggle room in case we hit a bad current or have an engine failure or the wind doesn’t cooperate. At 5.5 knots we were looking at just over 4.5 days of open ocean sailing. Our worst-case calculations put us there a bit over 5.5 days (4.5 knots average).
Onward to Caymans
Our first day we just motored against a 15 knot headwind and cursed the weatherman. We were averaging 4.5 knots with both engines giving us everything. Then we lost an engine. Naturally, the boat was bucking and pounding through the waves, making mechanical work painful and frustrating. When a diesel engine dies, assuming you maintain it halfway decently, the first things to troubleshoot are fuel and air. If you keep a diesel engine cool, give it clean air and clean fuel – it will last forever.
So I changed the airfilter. No dice. So I changed the fuel filter. No dice. So then I was forced to pull off fuel hoses and start sucking on them – hoping to get diesel in my mouth. I found the clog, blew it out, bled the engine and sure enough – we were back in business. Of course, at this point I was bleeding and bruised from being repeatedly smashed against the engine in the beam seas. But we were moving again. Crawling along at 4.5 knots.
We lost the same engine twice more over the crossing – all related to the black, nasty fungus that grows in diesel here. This is despite my using the anti-fungus diesel additive. But, fuel problems are easy to diagnose and relatively easy to fix – so I prefer them over more serious issues…
Damo was on the edge of seasickness the entire time. Ana got a touch of seasickness, but it passed. I, despite working on the engine and sucking on diesel hoses – avoided seasickness altogether. The first twelve hours we motored with a headwind and a beam sea which burns diesel, has a horrible motion, and adds a level of stress (what’s going to break next?). And at 4.5 knots, we weren’t going to be getting to Caymans (on the way to Cuba) anytime soon…
But soon the wind shifted to 35 degrees. And NOMAD, surprisingly enough, sails at 35 degrees. And 40 degrees. And at 60 degrees she flies. Very few people believe this, until they sail with me. And even then they have a hard time accepting what the gauges and numbers show. But the proof is in the pudding.
Over the next few days and nights we would spend most of our time bashing through seas. At 8-10 knots. Read that again. In winds under 20 knots, in the open ocean with steep, short period swells, in a catamaran pointing into the wind, with only 37 feet of waterline – we spent our time sailing between 8 and 10 knots. I, for the first time, saw 11 knots on NOMAD. It was exhilarating. And surprising.
Speed
Then we broke our boom topping lift. That doesn’t seem like a big deal. But with a catamaran like mine – the boom topping lift serves as a partial backstay, helping to strengthen the rig. So. After I noticed this I watched and listened and debated. Climbing the mast in these kinds of seas with this kind of wind, in the open ocean – is a little bit challenging. It’s also a bit dangerous, and definitely painful. Minimally you’ll be beaten against the mast, or you’ll fall or you’ll get tangled in the rigging.
The only thing that’s guaranteed is that it won’t be fun.
Watching and listening and thinking I decided to let it go for a few hours and catch some shuteye. Afterall, the wind was no more than 15 knots.
That evening when got up from my nap I could hear a creaking in the mast that didn’t inspire confidence. And the wind was increasing. And so I woke up Ana, and I climbed the mast to replace the boom topping lift. I was right – it was painful. But I didn’t fall and after a few bumps and bruises and a couple of mistakes – the boat was moving along with all of her rigging intact.
I was limping for a couple of days, though.
By day three we were all in the zone. Wake-up, make coffee, eat something quick and get into the cockpit for your 4-hour shift. Then you read or fish or do something else to pass the time. Then, when your shift is over – you relax and lay around or go below and take a real nap.
Meals are really snacks. Sleep is really naps.
And then, almost suddenly, we could see Grand Cayman. Land! We joked about how in a few hours we’d be drinking beer at an actual bar. There would be real grocery stores. People would speak English. People might even be friendly.
We were stoked.
Grand Cayman Port Security guided us into a dock. We tied up NOMAD and proceeded to do our paperwork. Then they casually told me that they would bring the canines to search my boat. I told them I had nothing to hide, but that I’d like to just be done so I could shower and have a beer and get some real sleep.
The Grand Cayman Customs guys are jerks (and there are better words for them).
They are the Customs equivalent of the guy who was picked on in highschool so he becomes your hometown police officer and now gets off on over-exercising the limited amount of authority that should have never been granted to him. Such a cliché.
Their first words to me were: “I hope you don’t have any plans today.” I told them my plan was to drink a cold beer at an actual bar. The main-guy, a clear example of someone that seeks to make other people as miserable as himself retorted with: “So you think you’re getting out of here today? Ha!”
Whether you’re a criminal or not, when you’re treated like a criminal and somebody is tearing apart your boat and bringing (not one, but two) sniffing dogs through your entire boat (including letting the mangy mutts on your beds) – it’s makes you feel like a criminal. It makes you feel like you have something to hide. It makes you nervous the way having a cop follow you on the highway makes you nervous. But worse.
Way worse.
Eventually these Customs agents, so clearly frustrated with their position in life and so intent on abusing the limited power they have – they left. The boat was in shambles. Ana and Damo were stressed. I was exhausted and furious. But also relieved. Knowing what I know now, though – I suspect my next encounter with these gentlemen won’t be so one-sided.
But. We made it.
Soon enough we were walking through Grand Cayman and marveling at the grocery store and the marine store and the bars. Then we were drinking a cold beer and connecting to WiFi. I downloaded weather and found that I wouldn’t be leaving Cayman for a week… Damo found out that he would be leaving from Cayman, rather than from Cuba.
Two nights of going out and drinking led me to abort any future drinking missions. Rather than drinking at the overpriced bars, I decided to spend my time fishing (and drinking – a little) on the boat. So after Damo returned home, our friends Jacko and Crystelle jumped onboard and we headed out to the Twelve Mile banks for some trolling and drifting.
Skirted BallyhooSkirted Ballyhoo
Fishing Dogs
I made an early mistake and lost a nice fish, but we made up for it with a nice Bull Mahi later in the day. Then we spent an enjoyable evening drift and bottom fishing. Then there was champagne to celebrate the Caribbean circumnavigation of Jacko and Crystelle.
Jacko and his Mahi
Champagne on the water
And after all of that was done – it was suddenly time to get ready to go to Cuba.
Onwards To Cuba
Now we’re back to the present. And tomorrow, at 6 AM, we’re dropping our mooring here to sail to Cienfuegos on the Southern coast of Cuba. And we couldn’t be more excited. It’s about damn time.
So – I’ll update again when possible, but we’ll be back to sailing remote and beautiful islands with limited connectivity.
Which means it may be awhile before another update. Try not to hold that against me.
Onwards - To Cuba
