Tuesday, October 30th

Intermittent rain and gusty winds from the southwest dominate the weather in Hampton today.  The effects of Sandy are still being felt, but clearly the major impacts of this storm here in Hampton are history.  In 2011 we were in harm’s way, but we survived Hurricane Irene without incident.  In 2012, we survived three days of Sandy in relative comfort.  For this, we are profoundly grateful.  Our thoughts today are with those who have suffered losses as a result of Sandy.

Today we attend a seminar on health and wellness aboard ship, which provides common sense measures for dealing with illnesses, emergencies and evacuation at sea.  Subsequent seminars dealt with diesel troubleshooting, rigging precautions (including chafe) and jury rigging in the case of dismasting.  These discussions reinforce the resourcefulness that is required of everyone that goes to sea.

Steve Black conducts the Weather and Gulf Stream Forecasting seminar.  He discusses ocean currents in general, followed by a detailed discussion of the characteristics of the Gulf Stream that we will experience on Sunday when we enter the North Atlantic from the Chesapeake Bay.  Last February, we crossed the Gulf Stream in the Straits of Florida where the northerly current in the Stream is about 4 knots.  This year, we will encounter about 1 knot of current in the Stream as it bends to the northeast after passing Cape Hatteras.  In his presentation, Steve brings the Gulf Stream to life as he discusses the temperature, humidity, cloud formations, eddies and creatures that inhabit this vibrant, weather-influencing river within the ocean. 

Tonight, the Caribbean 1500 social event is pizza night at the Hampton Yacht Club.  This is yet another opportunity to spend time with new friends and meet additional participants in the rally.  It is a chilly but dry walk home in 45 degree temperatures with brisk winds from the southwest.  A brilliant moon in the sky overhead provides hope for a clear day tomorrow.

Monday, October 29th

Heavy wind-driven rain continues to be the primary feature of Hampton’s weather today.  As predicted, Sandy has moved to the north of us and is now beginning her final approach to landfall on the coast of New Jersey.  The amount of moisture associated with this storm is incredible.  It has been raining incessantly in Hampton for 48 hours and additional rainfall is predicted for the next 24 to 36 hours.  Within a few hours, Cutter Loose will no longer enjoy the protective lee of the nearby Crowne Plaza Hotel as the wind shifts to the west later this afternoon, then to the southwest after midnight.  As this point, the dock lines on our starboard side will be placed into service, providing a much needed reprieve to the port dock lines which have been doing the heavy lifting since we arrived at our slip last Friday. Winds are gusting to 35 knots this afternoon. Since Cutter Loose is exposed to the west and southwest, all indications are that it will be a bumpy ride in our slip tonight.

As a practical matter, Sandy is making life difficult for 15 of the registered Caribbean 1500 boats that have not yet arrived in Hampton.  Eight of the fifteen boats are hunkered down in various harbors on the Chesapeake Bay.  One vessel is riding out the storm on the Hudson River.  The remaining boats have not communicated their current position to the rally sponsor.  It will be interesting to see whether these boats arrive in Hampton in time for the November 4^th departure.  We are now beginning to look beyond Sandy for weather patterns that will affect our departure.  Currently, the long-range forecast calls for light winds on November 4^th.

After morning shopping trips to the grocery store, West Marine and Lowes, we attend an afternoon provisioning seminar in the Crowne Plaza ballroom.  Julie Palm, a veteran of the Caribbean 1500, offered suggestions for purchasing, preparing and storing food for an offshore voyage. 

This evening’s entertainment is a reception at the Hampton Auction House.  This unique downtown facility is used primarily for antique auctions.  But tonight there is a band, libations, an outstanding catered seafood dinner and a hearty welcome from City officials.  The Auction House is an outstanding venue for this social gathering.

During the reception, we have the opportunity to enjoy a conversation with Steve Black who founded the Caribbean 1500 in 1990.  Steve has since transferred management responsibility for the Caribbean 1500 to the World Cruising Club in order to pursue his love of singlehanded transatlantic crossings.  We enjoy reminiscing with Steve about the 1995 Caribbean 1500, when I sailed as a crew member aboard Relationship, an Island Packet 40 owned by friends Chuck and Jeanne Berrington.  It was during this voyage that I discovered the joy of offshore sailing.

Tonight’s event is yet another enjoyable reminder of how the Caribbean 1500 builds friendships and a sense of camaraderie that extend well beyond the rally itself.  We are pleased to be a part of the 2013 Caribbean 1500, the fulfillment of nearly two decades of dreaming and planning.

Sunday, October 28th

Non-stop rain continues overnight and throughout the day in Hampton as Sandy continues her movement north along the coast.  The City of Hampton has declared a state of emergency, which means that non-essential travel is prohibited.  Everything is closed until Tuesday.  The corridors inside the nearby Crown Plaza Hotel are littered with 5 gallon buckets to contain the flow of rainwater dripping from the ceilings.  At high tide, the water in our marina covers the fixed docks, making it all but impossible for owners to gain access to their boats.  Local news programming is dominated by scenes of flooding throughout Hampton Roads.  Certain tunnels, bridges and low-lying roads have been closed.

Despite the inclement weather, the process of preparing for departure moves forward.  Today we welcome Caribbean 1500 officials aboard Cutter Loose to conduct the requisite safety inspection.   The safety standards of the World Cruising Club are quite demanding.  As a condition of participation, each boat in the Rally is required to meet certain safety requirements and carry specified safety equipment. This includes communication equipment, an emergency life raft, signal flares, tools, first aid supplies, lifejackets, safety harnesses and a fully equipped ditch bag.  In addition, inspectors brave the pelting rain to check the boat’s standing rigging, deck hardware, through hull fittings, emergency steering and stowage of gear that may become displaced in heavy seas.   All summer, we have been accumulating and installing the required safety equipment.  Our preparation has paid off.  After the 1.5 hour inspection, WCC officials declared Cutter Loose to be in compliance with Caribbean 1500 safety requirements.  Although WCC requirements are demanding and costly, we have become more safety conscious as a result of the experience.  In the process, our confidence level in undertaking this voyage has been elevated. 

During our evening social gathering at the Crowne Plaza, the conversation  among the skippers and crew centered around the deteriorating state of the weather .  In our little protected area of the marina, wind speeds have hovered around 30 knots for most of the day.  Rainfall has been moderate. This evening, the wind remains out of the northeast, but the gusts are more frequent and more intense.  A line of squalls is moving from the ocean inland through Hampton. According to local forecasters, these conditions will persist through Monday afternoon. It appears that we will be in for a noisy and rolly night aboard Cutter Loose.

Saturday, October 27th

The day begins with an early morning check of the weather forecast.  There are so many variables and alternative sources of information relative to the track and forecasted intensity of the storm that it is difficult to decide on an appropriate defense.  Our morning chores involve preparing Cutter Loose for a middle-of-the-road wind and tidal surge prediction.  Based on information currently available, we expect to experience sustained winds of 35 to 40 knots with higher gusts along with storm surge of 2 to 4 feet.  Given the forecast and our protected location, we decide against the defensive measure of removing  headsails and the canvas bimini and dodger.  Here in Hampton, we will be impacted by tropical storm force winds, not hurricane conditions.  Besides, there is an enormous amount of work involved in removing and reinstalling canvas.  Time will tell whether this strategy is sound.

Since the Caribbean 1500 is sponsored by a UK-based organization, the event is well-organized and highly structured.  The staff of the World Cruising Club has established an office presence in our marina. This morning, we stop at the office to schedule a 1 PM appointment to officially check in at this event.  At the check-in, Mia provides us with a schedule of events leading up to departure.  We also take this opportunity to schedule a safety inspection aboard Cutter Loose for Sunday afternoon at 2 PM. Seminars are planned each day and social events are scheduled every evening.  All of the events are provided at no cost to participating yachts, but reservations and tickets for each event are required.  In adapting to this process, we are getting to know WCC staff on a first name basis.

There are a few early morning arrivals at the marina.  These boats and their bleary-eyed crews have sailed all night in order to make Hampton before the onset of Sandy.  Only 20 of the 41 boats bound for Tortola have checked in to date.  No other boats are expected to arrive during the next three or four days given the weather forecast.  It is unclear whether these boats and their crews will arrive in Hampton in time for the November 4^th departure.  But with or without them, the show will go on.

Today is homecoming at Hampton University.  For most of the morning, the marching band has been parading along Main Street with the homecoming queen and her court.  Directly across the river from our marina is the attractive campus of the University.  We can see the lights of the stadium and we can hear the antics of the play-by-play announcers from our vantage point.  Today, the Pirates of Hampton University (2-5) defeated the Tigers of Savannah State (1-7) by a score of 21-13.

Although the center of Sandy is now located near the border of Florida and Georgia, her influence is already being felt in Hampton.  By 3 PM, a steady rain is falling but wind speeds remain generally less than 20 knots.  These initial signs of Sandy have put an end to informal gatherings on the dock.  Everyone has retreated below decks to escape the inclement weather and tackle preparatory projects.  We use this opportunity to take a stroll around the waterfront district, including a stop at the historic carousel next to the Air and Space Museum.

At 6 PM, we participate in well-attended cocktail and hors d’oeuvres welcoming party in the hotel ballroom.  We use this opportunity to chat with WCC staff and compare notes with crew from other Caribbean 1500 boats. Everyone seems friendly and genuinely interested and at ease in conversing with other participants. 

It is now 10 PM and we are experiencing rain and northeasterly wind gusts in excess of 20 knots.  Sandy will continue to make northerly progress along the coast over the next few days.  On Tuesday at noon, the center of Sandy is expected to be due east of Hampton.  We will continue to feel the effects of this storm until Wednesday of next week.  One can only wonder whether we will feel the residual effects of Sandy in terms of wave heights when we finally depart for Tortola.

Friday, October 26th

This morning, we move Cutter Loose the short distance into the Hampton River en route to our slip at the City marina known as Hampton Public Piers.  Along the way, we pause to top off the fuel tank and fill jerry jugs with a supplemental source of fuel if needed during our voyage to Tortola. 

At the City marina, there is already a small gathering of Caribbean 1500 boats on the docks.  After brief introductions to our new neighbors, it is time to wash the salt and mud from the decks of Cutter Loose…  by-products of our four day cruise from Rock Hall. 

The buzz in the marina today has nothing to do with voyage preparation.  Instead, preparing for Hurricane Sandy is uppermost in everybody’s thought process.  Cutter Loose is ensconced in a spider web of doubled dock lines and fenders…our defense against the pending storm. 

There are many things for which we are thankful at this time.  The timing for our trip south on the Bay could not have been better.  We enjoyed four pleasant days of delightful Chesapeake cruising, arriving in Hampton the day before the effects of Sandy will begin to be felt. The sturdy floating docks here at Hampton Public Piers eliminate the need for constant adjustment of dock lines during the storm.  Furthermore, our marina is well inland in the Hampton River and our slip is well-protected from a Nor’easter.  Not more than 30 yards to the north of our slip is the seven-story Crowne Plaza Hotel with its attached four-story parking structure.  These buildings will help to buffer Cutter Loose from the strongest winds which will be from the northeast, north and northwest.

There is one more piece of encouraging news.  The center of Sandy will pass to our east, making landfall well north of here.  This means that we are located on the less intense side of the storm.  Nevertheless, the forecasted tropical storm force winds (50 knots) and projected storm surge (4 feet) are not to be taken lightly.  Tonight we break from storm preparation to enjoy dinner at the Taphouse with our new Caribbean 1500 neighbors, Ken and Laurie aboard s/v Adagio.

Thursday, October 25th

[caption id="attachment_3780" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Wolf Trap Light"][/caption]

Today begins with haze, light fog and a heavy layer of dew on the deck of Cutter Loose.  The anchor is up at 8 AM in Jackson Creek.  The wind today is out of the east at 8 to 12 knots.  Cutter Loose is sailing south on a beam  reach  towards our destination of Hampton Roads.  By mid-morning, we leave Wolf Trap Light astern , enjoying the relative silence of making 6 knots of speed over ground.  The Chesapeake Bay ship’s channel is located well to the east of our position.  Navigation is made easier today because there is little traffic on the western shore of the Bay. 

At 11:15 AM, we are treated to our first pelican sighting of the voyage.  As if on cue, four brown pelicans fly across our bow in perfect formation.  We believe they are encouraging our southerly migration.

[caption id="attachment_3781" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Thimble Shoal Light"][/caption]

At Thimble Shoal Light, we douse the sails and motor west just outside of the Thimble Shoal Channel.  Big ship traffic is everywhere.  Soon Old Point Comfort appears on our starboard side.  This is the home of Fort Monroe.  This six-sided fort surrounded by a moat remained active as an Army post until it was decommissioned in 2011. Confederate President Jefferson Davis was imprisoned here.  A reuse plan for this historic site is underway.

 

[caption id="attachment_3782" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Old Point Comfort Light at Fort Monroe"][/caption]

Cutter Loose is at anchor in the shadow of Fort Monroe.  Tomorrow morning, we will take a slip at nearby Hampton Public Piers where we will remain until we depart for Tortola on or about November 4th.  This marina is the official staging site of the Caribbean 1500.

Hurricane Sandy is weighing heavily on our minds this evening.  One forecast model calls for the storm to ride the Gulf Stream north along the east coast, then veer to the northwest, making landfall just north of our location in Hampton.  In any event, strong northerly winds in the 40 MPH range together with storm surge appear to be likely here beginning Saturday through Tuesday.  Stay tuned as we follow the progress of Sandy.

Wednesday, October 24th

The anchor is up at first light in Back Creek.  With 60 miles to travel today, an early start insures adequate daylight to reach our destination in Deltaville, VA.  As Cutter Loose makes her final approach to the Bay from the Patuxent River, an orange ball begins its ascent above the watery horizon.  This is one of the day’s finest moments of cruising.

The VHF radio is crackling with activity this morning.  As luck would have it, the Navy is conducting bombing raids on electronic targets just south of Cedar Point.  Navy patrol boats have established perimeter control of the security zone.  Every vessel transiting the area is intercepted and diverted to the east of the Chesapeake Bay ship’s channel near Hooper Light.  This diversion adds several miles to our trip today…our contribution to military preparedness.

By noon, we leave the Maryland portion of the Chesapeake Bay astern and enter Virginia near Smith Point.  We have been shedding layers of clothing all morning as the temperature climbs rapidly into the upper 70s.  South of Smith Point, the cargo vessel Lin Jie passes nearby Cutter Loose as she makes her way south in the Bay en route to Bruges, Belgium.

On today’s journey, we pass the Potomac River, the Great Wicomico River and the Rappahannock River en route to the town of Deltaville on the Piankatank River.  At 4:30 PM, the anchor is down in Jackson Creek, a snug setting where we are surrounded by tree-lined shores and attractive homes.

Tuesday, October 23rd

Early morning at our home port of Osprey Point Marina dawns clear and sunny… a precursor to a gorgeous autumn day on the Chesapeake Bay.  Cutter Loose is underway from her slip at 7:30 AM, steaming south into light southerly winds.  By 9:30 AM, the Bay Bridge passes astern as we thread a course through the anchored ships off of Annapolis Harbor. 

Today is day one of our winter cruise…a day for reflection on voyages completed and for anticipating that which is in store for 2013.  After five months of living ashore, our focus today is on adapting to the routine of moving the boat.  We stand alternating one hour watches at the helm to allow time for correspondence and relaxation during the off watch.



[caption id="attachment_3758" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="CG Cutter Block Island cruising at 20 knots"][/caption]

As our southerly progress takes us past Eastern Bay, the Choptank River and the Little Choptank River, we are reminded of a time when these tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay were destinations unto themselves for a summer cruise.  One could spend an entire season gunkholing these waters without putting a dent in all that the Chesapeake has to offer.  Sadly for us, they have become memories recalled while transiting the Bay en route to warm winter destinations.  Someday, we must take the time to re-explore these treasures.

The temperature climbs to 70 degrees in mid-afternoon as we leave the Bay and steer west into the Patuxent River en route to our overnight anchorage in Solomons, MD.  With 59 miles under her keel for the day, Cutter Loose is anchored in Back Creek.  The sounds and vibrations of military aircraft practicing takeoffs and landings at nearby Patuxent River Naval Air Station reverberate throughout the anchorage.  At dusk, we are treated to a crimson sunset.  It is good to be back on the water.

We are closely monitoring the movement of Tropical Storm Sandy, currently located near Jamaica and expected to move north towards Cuba and the Bahamas in the next 24 hours.  Looking ahead, this storm could bring high winds to the east coast of the U.S. for the weekend.  Even though the start date for the Caribbean 1500 is still 12 days away, the possibility of a late season storm is the most frightening aspect of an offshore voyage in the North Atlantic.  We will be keeping a close watch on the weather map during the days leading up to our departure.

Prologue: Winter Cruise to the Caribbean

For wanderers, the seeds of the next adventure are often planted during a travel experience.  During our return to the Chesapeake Bay in the spring of 2012, discussion frequently focused on where we will position Cutter Loose during the winter of 2013.  Should we return to the Bahamas to further our exploration of this enchanted archipelago?  Or should we select a different warm weather destination?

Cutter Loose was designed and built to carry its crew comfortably across oceans to distant destinations.  The boat is not a limiting factor.  But, what about the crew?  Because we both continue to be blessed with good health and a desire to see what is beyond the next bend, the time seems right to select a new destination that will challenge our skills and reward us with memories. 

In May, 2012, we reached the decision to participate in the Caribbean 1500 sailing rally sponsored by the World Cruising Club headquartered in the UK.  In November, Cutter Loose will be one of some 40 yachts that will sail offshore from Hampton, VA to the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.  As the saying goes, there is safety in numbers.  Although the boats will be scattered across the North Atlantic and out of sight of one another during this 11 day offshore passage, we will participate in daily rally communications using the high frequency single sideband receiver on Cutter Loose.

Registering for the Caribbean 1500 was the easy part.  The summer of 2012 has been dominated by voyage planning and preparation.  The number of boat tasks aimed at preparing Cutter Loose for ocean sailing and for cruising in the Caribbean is seemingly endless.  Along with routine maintenance requirements, we decided to purchase a wind generator in order to take advantage of the constant trade winds in the Caribbean as an additional means to keep our battery bank charged.  Of course, setting sail to a new destination requires the purchase of new charts and cruising guides.   Another major category of voyage planning involves the acquisition of specialized gear to meet the World Cruising Club’s rigid safety requirements.  Securing boat insurance for multi-year coverage in the Caribbean is a major task unto itself. 

Then there is the issue of securing two competent and compatible crew members to help us keep the boat moving 24/7 for 11 days in the open ocean.  After considerable research and screening, we narrowed our search to two gentlemen that are veterans of the Caribbean 1500.  Once underway, the crew needs to be nourished while at sea under conditions that will not be conducive to preparing meals from scratch.  This means planning, preparing and freezing home-cooked meals for a crew of four for 11 days. 

Last but not least, there are the normal preparatory measures involved in being away from home for six months.  One major category of responsibility involves cramming 12 months of preventive health care measures into a 5 month period, including dental checkups, dermatological body scans, colonoscopies, eye exams and our annual physical exams.  Anyone who has navigated the health care landscape can appreciate the commitment of time devoted to scheduling and following up on appointments and the invariable need to interpret the language and complexities of the health care insurance industry. 

Fortunately, the summer involved some play as well as work.  We enjoyed spending time in Duck, NC with family.  Back in Pittsburgh, it was fun to catch up with friends and former colleagues, revisiting many of our favorite restaurants in the process.  There was also time for tennis, bicycling, enjoying the company of guests and appreciating the comforts and conveniences of living at home with access to a vehicle.  Just being able to wash and dry clothes without trekking to a laundromat is a convenience that we will never again take for granted. 

[caption id="attachment_3745" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Pittsburgh friends Chuck and Jeanne Berrington"][/caption]

Just a few days ago, we fulfilled our final landside responsibility by casting absentee ballots in the Presidential election.  Pittsburgh friends Chuck and Jeanne Berrington delivered us to Rock Hall with our final load of provisions to be stored aboard Cutter Loose.  We are grateful for their willingness to return our vehicle to our garage for the winter.  We are officially liveaboards once again. 

These last few days have been devoted to stowage of gear and provisions.  Our final pre-departure checklists are vastly diminished in scope and content.  Soon we will be casting off our lines here at Osprey Point Marina to begin our winter cruise.

There is a certain amount of apprehension that is a normal part of commencing a six month voyage of this magnitude.  Have we equipped Cutter Loose adequately?  Is the boat provisioned with everything that we will need?  Are we prepared for the rigors of this cruise?  Along with this apprehension is the growing excitement of commencing a voyage to one of the world’s most picturesque cruising grounds.  From experience, we know that every voyage is completed one day at a time.  And that is precisely how this cruise will be accomplished.

In a few days, Cutter Loose will be headed south in the Chesapeake Bay.  Our interim destination is Hampton, VA where we will spend a week staging for the Caribbean 1500 rally.  We invite you to follow along with us this winter as we travel to and through the islands of the Caribbean.

2012 Winter Cruise Epilogue

Each year in October, boaters queue up at the Annapolis Boat Show to begin their journey south for the winter.  For over two decades, we have witnessed this migration of friends and fellow boaters with interest and wishful thinking.  

This year has marked our transformation to winter snowbirds, sailing south in search of warm temperatures, sunny skies and clear, aquamarine-colored water.  Looking back, this journey has been one of the highlights of our lives.

Our winter cruise aboard Cutter Loose began in Rock Hall, MD on a brilliant autumn day in late October, 2011.  Our journey took us south along the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, making new friends, renewing acquaintences with old friends and visiting towns and remote anchorages along the way.  Special places such as Portsmouth, VA, Beaufort, NC, Charleston, SC and a cruiser's Thanksgiving dinner in St. Mary's City, GA added to the enjoyment. 

In early December, Cutter Loose departed Cumberland Island, crossing the border from Georgia into Florida just in time for a Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Fernandina Beach.  In the ensuing days and weeks, we visited the Kennedy Space Center, St. Augustine and cruiser-friendly Vero Beach.  Further south, we enjoyed a stop in Palm Beach and a layover in Fort Lauderdale where the generosity of friends made us feel particularly welcome.  By Christmas, Cutter Loose called at Miami Beach before moving on to Coconut Grove and some wonderful sailing in Biscayne Bay.  The gorgeous weather caused us to pinch ourselves frequently.  Is this winter?  Were we dreaming?  Or is this a dream come true?

After pausing in Tavernier on Key Largo for New Years, we sailed Cutter Loose south to Marathon alongside the reefs in the delightful and colorful waters of Hawk Channel.  At the Harbor Cay Club in Marathon, we reunited with friends and set off on an Island Packet flotilla cruise to the west coast of Florida, visiting the Snake River in the Everglades, Marco Island, Naples, Fort Meyers Beach, Pine Island Sound, Cayo Costa and the town of Punta Gorda, tucked neatly into the northeastern corner of Charlotte Harbor.

After retracing our steps to Marathon and Coconut Grove, we sailed Cutter Loose across the Gulf Stream for a two month visit to Grand Bahama Island and the Abacos.  Without a doubt, our visit to the Bahamas was the pinnacle of our winter cruise.  Our Bahamas Epilogue posted on April 19, 2012 summarizes this unforgettable experience.

We re-entered U.S. waters on April 17th, making landfall at Fort Pierce.  From here, we returned to the Chesapeake Bay via the AICW and an outside run from Fernandina Beach to Port Royal Sound and the attractive village of Beaufort, SC.  In Beaufort, NC, we took a few extra days to enjoy an overnight anchorage in the bight at Cape Lookout. 

On May 21st, we departed Hampton Roads and entered our home waters of the Chesapeake Bay, only to be plagued with a diesel engine problem that forced us to sail north in the Bay to our home port of Rock Hall, MD.  On the morning of May 25th, we docked Cutter Loose in our slip at Osprey Point Marina, just in time for the Memorial Day holiday.  Subsequent diagnosis of our engine problem revealed a malfunctioning turbocharger, which has since been repaired.

Our winter cruise covered 3,641 nautical miles and spanned 215 days.  Taken together with our cruise to Maine during the summer of 2011, we have lived aboard Cutter Loose for a total of 309 days while exploring nearly 5,500 nautical miles of the U.S. east coast and the Bahamas.