|
23 May 2003
No Plan, Man! - Atlantic Crossing
|
|
Unlike the poor old schooner in the photo,
we sailed safely from Sal to Mindelo on April 25th. Here Mac
left us and our CC2CV expedition had its work done.
With Tony still aboard, and George
and Mary-Emma, we had to decide our course of action.. But
that trade wind whistling round the Cape Verdes, force 5/7,
and a wee squint at the weather prospects, killed off the
idea of heading straight for the Azores.
|
If the fresh to strong northerly failed, though
a fine big anticyclone building to the west of them made this doubtful,
the prospects were for very light and variable wind to take its
place. If the ocean is sloppy, as it usually is, that might be even
worse; but last autumn’s experience made me even less willing
than ever to undertake a long bash to windward.
 |
It’s funny how a chance remark made
in the presence of a youngster can stay with him for life.
I’m thinking of an old fisherman from Swanage in Dorset,
whom my father and I happened to encounter on the beach there,
as some bright spark headed out round Anvil Point into a fresh
south-westerly. A fair tide is scant consolation in those
particular circumstances. “If I were a ‘gennelman’,
I’d ne’er turn to win’ard!” The intriguing
ramifications of the old British class-system apart, the bloke
knew enough from thumping round the same corner to reach his
lobster pots; don’t do it if you can avoid it!
|
As in most small ships, in the Anna M one has
a choice between getting very damp indeed below decks as well as
above (as opposed to just damp), or just about suffocating. The
crew are liable to get seasick while the skipper winces for the
thumps on the old ship’s timbers, and the progress horribly
slow. No, it is laid down how a sailing ship should get around the
Atlantic, and only foolish and arrogant modern man would think of
doing it any other way.
|
Give the lady her way and she will
reward you. We had an idyllic sail to Antigua, leaving Mindelo
in the evening of April 29th and arriving at English Harbour
on the morning of May 13th , 2105 nautical miles in a fortnight.
We had a perfect slant on the wind most of the way, the boat
was dry and airy, the crew ‘lying at their leisure with
no work to do’. Only for the last 150 miles or so did
the wind lose its puff, and become fickle and variable or
dead astern. That’s when the rolling gets tiresome, especially
without a good breeze which at least will master it if one
can lay off on one tack or another; but besides one doesn’t
even want to do this when the goal is getting close.
|
 |
 |
It was great to get a fine
dorado or ‘dolphin fish’ on the second day out. Nothing
to do with real dolphins, I hasten to add. But our fishing in
mid ocean was not successful; we didn’t catch another till
we were this side of the ocean. It was a another kingfish, as
was Matthew’s catch near Sal that we mistakenly took for
a blue marlin. (see skippers Log 24.04.03) We learnt better
in the books that Patricia Smith, a Canadian whose transatlantic
voyage ended prematurely on the rocks in Mindelo harbour, very
kindly let us have, along with charts for these Carribbean parts;
a real Godsend when we were in doubt back in Mindelo.
|
I wouldn’t have dared tell the customs
officer here in Nelson’s Dockyard that we only made up out
minds to cross the Atlantic in such an haphazard way at the last
moment. He was
scandalised that I hadn’t decided exactly how long we were
staying and where we were going next. “What d’you mean,
you come all dis way an’ you got no plan, man?”
|
It’s a beautiful and charming
place, but bizarre, like some harbour in the English West
Country all got up in tropical attire, patrolled by frigatebirds
and dive-bombed by pelicans, who thus reveal their somewhat
improbable kinship with our gannets. The old dockyard buildings
are enjoying a massive new lease of life as a yachtie mecca.
The contrast with the Cape Verdes is astounding; they have
so much in common, yet are so different. Whereas there the
trade wind is hard and dusty, here it is altogether softer,
with delicious showers occasionally and plenty of growth ashore.
Then of course it is heightened by the peaceful affluence
of this particular spot.
|
 |
Here we have a tranquil anchorage at last, with
a good place to swim on one side of us and all amenities on the
other. The only thing lacking is the bundle of cash necessary to
sit around enjoying it. Maybe it’s just as well. I’d better
work on dat plan, man!
Joe Aston
|
