Log Entry May 2000
Regatta Al Sol May 5th, 2000
The Prelude
Here it is the fourth of July 2009 and I’m just getting around to documenting one of Sovereign’s
greatest triumphs. So many things in my life have changed since then. Sovereign is in an extended phase
of restoration and I often worry if I have the resources and time to finish. My beloved First Mate Beverly
passed away at the start of 2002 leaving an emptiness in my soul that hasn’t yet been restored. With the
passing of time it’s difficult to remember all the details, but this experience has been the high point of my
life thus far. However, this triumph didn’t come without extensive planning, work, and organization by my
First Mate, and me.
I mostly did the planning, and Beverly mostly did the
preparations. Although we began planning for this regatta in the
summer of 1999, my job required me to be in Palmdale California for
three months just prior to the trip. We inventoried and made lists of
needed equipment, planned the menu and began to purchase the
required provisions. On an occasional trip home, I would see
equipment and provisions piling up along a wall on the living room
floor as she packaged loose items in Ziploc bags to keep them dry and
wrote the contents of canned goods on their lids in case they became
wet loosing their labels during the voyage. I wondered how all these
things would ever fit aboard Sovereign. She also managed a new
baltoplate bottom job with the help of the crew a couple weeks before
the race.
Having a lot of spare time in Palmdale leading up to the race, I
was able to acquire the needed electronic charts and plan my strategy.
I downloaded lots of other useful reference material on my laptop and
mapped out my plan. As May approached, a very favorable loop
current began to develop in the Gulf Stream that I thought I could take advantage of. The Gulf Stream
Loop current becomes very pronounced in the spring and can easily be seen when looking at thermal
images produced by NOAA satellites. This spring the current ran north very close to the Yucatan
Peninsula and turned slightly to the west as it meandered north towards the Louisiana coast, then looped
to the east and dove back south heading for Straights of Florida between the Keys and Cuba. An eddy
developed to its northwest corner forcing the loop further
north than normal. My plan was not much different than
people who often do this race; ride the south bound loop
until you started getting pulled to the east and then head
for the finish line while staying out of the north bound side
as long as possible. Where I thought I had an advantage
was being able to calibrated the NOAA thermal images
into my laptop navigation program and being able to see
Sovereign's GPS position on top of the thermal image.
However this proved to be problematic about halfway
through the voyage when the laptop stopped working. I
think spilling a scotch and water on it while delivering
Sovereign to Pensacola a couple of days before the race
didn't help matters. The laptop's performance was, to say
the least, intermittent up until it finally gave it up. Luckily, I
could still manually plot my position on gray scale copy
after that.
I felt I had adequate experience and knew what to
expect since I had made five previous crossings from Isla
Mujeres to Gulfport Mississippi in Sovereign, but, with the
exception of Craig, no other of my crew had made this
long a single passage in a sailing vessel before, much less both ways. Five days or more at sea to race
from Pensacola, Florida to Isla Mujeres, Mexico can offer a wide range of experiences – some expected;
some not. Preparation can make the difference between having a safe sail and finishing the race, or
having the temperament of your crew turn sour causing you to dropout early and motor to the island; or
worse yet – turn back for Pensacola The crew consisted of mostly old and trusted friends divided into two
three man watches. Beverly was cook, bartender, crew motivator and icebox gatekeeper. I was captain
and navigator. Neither Beverly nor I were dedicated to a watch but were always on call.
John Bogil was one watch captain with Kevin Jordan and Donald under his charge. John has been a
long time friend and we have shared many experiences together both before and after this regatta. I
would trust his judgment and ability under any circumstances.
Kevin Jordan was another long time friend who helped make it possible for me to purchase Sovereign by
buying my previous boat Rush, a Lindenberg 30. He has much offshore experience and is an independent
thinker. Donald was a relatively new crewmember of Sovereign but exhibited a very dependable and
confident character.
My old friend Craig Cohen led the other watch with Daryl and John Clark at his side. Craig was a
fellow in his field but a down to earth person who shared many of my perspectives on things. He was
familiar with Sovereign and had made one of the return trips with me before. Craig suggested we ask his
good friend Daryl who was one of Craig’s regular crew if he could make the race also. Daryl
enthusiastically accepted. He is an American Indian and a heck of a sailor. He never drank and had
amazing control – we’ll talk about that later. John Clark was a work buddy of mine and crewed for both
Kevin and me regularly. He was excited to go and I was excited to have him.
Sovereign was in the racer/cruiser fleet which started in Pensacola Bay at 10:30 on Wednesday May
the 11th. All the crew arrived Tuesday evening for the skippers meeting and party. Beverly and I slept in
the van while the crew slept onboard. The morning was a flurry of last minute preparations. Blocks of ice
were put onboard, propane tanks filled, and last minute repairs and provisioning was accomplished. I can
remember we ere going to top off the fuel but there was some problem (my planning I think) so we shoved
off with only ½ a tank (approx 12 gallons) of diesel for the trip. Well, we were racing and only needed fuel
to charge the batteries – besides, Sovereign was already well below her waterline boot stripe.
The Race Day One (Wednesday)
We had a good start and a nice beat through Pensacola bay. It was a fetch out the channel into the
Gulf and we were off. There were about 10 boats in the A & B cruiser/racer fleet and about 10 more in two
non-spinnaker classes behind. We thought our biggest competition in Class A was Tiare, a Cal 45. It was
about 13:30 when we had a chance to settle down and set the watches. Beverly fixed a round of drinks
and we all had a toast to celebrate the voyage ahead. We then began the watches with John and his crew.
His first watch would go to 18:00. We decided to use the “Dutch Watch” system, which ran three 4hr.
watches from 18:00 to 06:00 and two 6hr. watches from 06:00 to 18:00. This system allowed the watches
to rotate throughout the voyage so no one watch was stuck at night. The weather was fair and we were
making nice way on a starboard tack. Beverly began working on dinner. We had put a lot of effort into
preparing the menu in hopes of winning the best menu prize during the awards ceremony. While Beverly
was working on dinner, a call came from the head identifying a serious malfunction, in fact, it would not
flush. I trouble shot the system and identified the likely problem as being a clogged thru hull. This was
truly a stroke of bad luck forcing us to use a bucket for the remainder of the trip. It also offered some
moments of levity while establishing a buddy system for the immediate and safe disposal of the effluent
following an event.
This evening’s meal was the Cap’ns infamous “Land Lubbers Lure”:
This special Lasagna will woo the crew aboard whilst Cap’n Ed cast off the mooring lines and heads out to
sea. The entrée is provisioned with three tangy cheeses, a handsome portion of meat and is guaranteed
to abate any barnacle brains appetite. Served with tasty frenchie bread awash with the Cap’ns favorite
toppings and a fresh tossed salad.
Day Two (Thursday)
The morning of day two was met with light variable winds from the south and smooth seas.
Sovereign’s progress was slowed to under two knots at times. Around ten in the morning, I decided to take
advantage of these light conditions and go overboard to service the thru hull. I had just jumped in and
found it when a southeasterly breeze started filling in causing me to get back on board. The boat’s track
backed to a more southerly direction and the speed increased up to around four knots. During my brief
excursion to the thru hull, I was able to feel a cluster of barnacles inside the opening. Although we had a
freshly done bottom job, the thru hulls had not been properly cleaned. At 12:00 each day we were required
to attempt radio contact with any of the fleet we could raise and report our position. Today we contacted
the boat Sabadaba, a 42-foot Beneteau out of Southern Yacht Club racing in cruiser/racer class B. She
reported her latitude as 28° - 36 ‘putting her about six miles ahead of us. We had no word of any other
vessel’s position. The rest of the day was fairly quite and uneventful except for the occasional cry of a
Bucket Buddy demanding room as he ran through the salon holding his breath to the cockpit with a bucket
of toxic waste for disposal. The weather remained clear and we continued on a southerly track heading for
the top of the loop current. During the night, with the southeasterly winds, our course held to a south
southwesterly track as we crossed over the weak northerly loop and into the middle of a weak eddy on the
west side of the current by morning.
Thursday’s vitals featured “Myan Surprise”:
Can you guess what’s in it-- only Eddie knows? Might it be Italian, or could be Cajun, or maybe it's Iguana
meat. Fat Green Peppers crammed full of Eddies mystery mix will delight your pallet this evening while
you try to guess at his secret ingredients. Rafted alongside the main entrée will be bread stuffing and, of
course, more French bread.
Day Three (Friday)
As morning broke, the weather and
seas were a bit more brisk. John and
Daryl were now the only holdouts
refusing to go to the bucket
demonstrating substantial control. The
winds were veering more to southeast
and increasing a little. Our speed was
up and Sovereign was at her best. At
12:00 we tried to make radio contact with
the fleet but nobody acknowledged our
call. We charged batteries during lunch
and I noted we still had ½ tank of fuel
remaining. The wind continued to build
and the apparent wind was now at 20
knots so we changed to the number 2
Genoa. Our course was due south at
nearly eight knots. I recall seeing for as
far as one could see ahead, thousands
of dolphins heading north. They were
jumping forward as they swan and
passed around us for at least 15 minutes
-- this was picture perfect. I noticed a spot of white on the water to the north. I took my attention off of it for
several minutes and when I looked at it again, it seemed to have halved its range and you could make it
out possibly to be a Coast Guard vessel. It seemed like within 15 minutes of spotting her on the horizon,
the Coast Guard Cutter Zodiac was along side hailing us on the VHF. I missed it at the skippers meeting
but Beverly told me the Zodiac was officially escorting the fleet to Mexico; this was a relief. After all, there
was that one time when Soverign was boarded by the Coast Guard when getting too close to Cuba. We
checked in with the Zodiac and asked how we were doing in the regatta; they wouldn’t give us our position
but said we were doing pretty well. She then throttled up and left us as fast as she had appeared. The
wind started to moderate a little in the late afternoon and we started the engine to charge the batteries.
This is always a good opportunity to get our present position and plan for the evening course. It was
during the activity just before dinner that the laptop stopped working completely and I had to break out the
charts.
Dinner: “Dead Men Tell No Tales”:
Clear the decks, batten down the hatches and man the fire hoses. Cap’n Ed's serving his feared three
alarm Jambalaya this evening. Those that would prefer the “Cat of Nine” to this extra spicy staple risk
running afoul of the Captain. Them’s that run afoul of the Cap’n sometimes shows up missing. This Cajun
statement be served with Corn Bread and an extra cup of grog to quench the flame.
Day Four (Saturday)
During the night we took about a 12 mile knock to the west. This was probably caused by the dog leg
bend in loop current as it headed to the southwest before it turned back to the east for the Florida Straits.
The winds had also backed somewhat to the south and the wind speed was down but the boat speed was
still respectable as we yet had good position in the currents southerly flow. At noon we made radio contact
with Sabadaba; her position was less than a mile ahead of us but she was about 25 miles to the east. It
seemed like we were in a slightly better location with respect to the current; only time would tell. Taking
that westerly knock during the night did put us closer to the north bound side of the loop and my data was
about five days old now. After lunch I changed course a little east of south trying to cover Sabadaba in
case she had better info. According to the five day old thermal image, now we were now in the benign flow
between the northbound and southbound loop. The night before and during the day, I was getting
considerable feedback from some of the crew wanting to take the rhumb line straight to Isla. Notionally, I
knew staying out of the northbound side, even it meant we had to go a little further, would be quicker.
These days when each crew member has his own handheld GPS, they all want to be navigator. We
continued on a track east of the rhumb line of about 170 to 160 degrees through the afternoon and into the
evening making good way.
Saturday’s dinner: “El Pollo Loco”:
This delightful creation (AKA Chicken Surprise, Bilge Chicken. not Chicken again) is assured to get your
attention after a cold, lonely, and wet watch. Plump boneless chicken breast covered with bacon and
mushrooms baked almost into submission. Just prior to completion, the breast are topped with special
cheeses and finished to a pleasing perfection. Baked potato, salad and rolls will add to the experience.
Day Five (Sunday)
The conditions were light and variable as the morning broke on day five. Boat speed was down and
we were charging the battery when the engine alarm buzzer went off. Water was pumping out the exhaust
and the oil pressure was good but I turned off the engine anyway wondering what the problem might be.
The winds had backed to the east quite a bit allowing us to hoist the spinnaker. We dropped it about an
hour later as the winds were still variable. I started the engine again and charged the batteries for about an
hour with no alarms going off thankful the engine had apparently healed itself. We hoisted and dropped
the spinnaker a few more times in the morning before the wind finally filled in. Around noon, the winds
were steady and fresh from the east allowing us a fast spinnaker reach. It was time to make our move to
the finish line. We were making enough way where I hoped the current pouring out of the Yucatan would
have negligible effect. Our track was generally south southwest into the current with boat speeds between
five and six knots. As the sun started to set, it looked like we could see several sail boats off to our west.
This made us believe that the fleet had caught up and our finish may not be that good. We continued to
sail fast with the spinnaker and were anticipating finishing within the next ten to twelve hours.
Dinner was light as we were out of prepared meals: “X - Marks the Spot” was the last menu selection.
We should be there by now. Wake up the navigator, get out the charts, keep a good lookout and break out
your hand lines 'cause it's Fisherman’s Choice tonight. Will it be Tuna, Mahi-Mahi, Swordfish, Mackerel or
leftovers from Saturday? Eddies catch of the day could be most anything and probably will. Although the
Cap’n didn’t plan for another stinking night at sea there should be plenty of leftovers. Thought I saw a cash
of Denty Moore's Stew in the port locker. And those biscuits in that Ziploc, so there a little hard -- there not
green. Who's got the spare batteries for the GPS?
The evening passed quickly as I was fixing our position every thirty minutes. We dropped the spinnaker
and went back up with the number 1 Genoa around midnight.
Day Six (Monday)
I continued to watch the GPS and plot our position on the Isla Mujeres chart as we neared the island.
Weather conditions were clear so all we needed to do was stay on course and watch for the finish. Around
01:00 we could start to see the glow of the island and mainland. Around 02:30 we made radio contact with
the race committee to let them know we were approaching. The finish line was described as being a white
flashing light located approximately 1.5 miles north of the green flashing Anvil Rock Light at north point and
an amber flashing light on the stern of the Mexican Navy's gun boat. As we approached within two miles or
so, we still could not pick out the finish as it was lost in all the shore lights. Thank God for GPS and
accurate charts as we confidently kept heading for the described location. About a mile from the finish,
Craig spotted the amber flashing light on the gun boat and we knew the finish was near. We finished in the
pitch dark around 04:00. Horns blew and several multicolored bottle rocket variety fireworks ascended off
the stern of the Mexican Navy's gun boat as we crossed.
Click the Next button for the the island party and return trip
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