About 12 hours after my last entry I was able to climb the mast and fix the jammed furler. I really don’t like climbing a wet slippery mast in 3 foot seas with no one below to tail me. I’ve been up my mast a dozen times this trip, mast steps save the day. They also foul my halyards but its a small price to pay. The winds have been light since Barrow Point (it is really Point Barrow). I’ve spent half my time on the tiller motoring away and the other half the time I’ve had enough wind to motor sail using the Monitor windvane to steer the boat. I spent most of that time curled up in my sleeping bag, reading a book on the history of Carthage on a kindle. Evidently, they were good merchants and bad politicians. Wealth alone is not enough to sustain a nation, without good leadership any country can fall apart.
There is a major storm system moving in so as you might have noticed I’ve stopped heading south. Alaska has a northerly current that stretches the length of its entire west coast. The current is strongest at the Bering straits, in some places flowing faster then the Gulf Stream off Hatteras. The problem is the winds are going to be gale to storm force and coming out of the north directly opposing the current. There is also a funneling effect caused by the land north of the Bering straits which will smash the waves together as they approach the straits. If I were to have continued south at my previous speed and heading I would of entered the Bering straits at the beginning of the storm and it would of been like sailing into the 7th circle of hell.
Plan B. Im going to deploy my parachute sea anchor off Cape Thomson and ride it out up here. Cape Thompson should give me some protection from the worst of the waves. At least it will for the first day. Eventually, l’ll drift far enough south that I’ll lose the Lisburne peninsulas wave shadow. Once the heavy weather begins I’ll hang out in my sleeping bag and read a book about Charlemagne. By the time the weather passes I should know his whole life story. The heavy weather will not start until the 4th and it looks like it will blow hard out of the north until the morning of the 8th. Weather forecasts in the Arctic are sketchy at best, but a big system like this is easy to see coming. I’m not sure how far this system will blow me south. I can drift 100 miles before I’m shipwrecked. I rode out a bad gale back in 2009 in the Bay of Biscay on this very sea anchor while sailing my Pearson 323. I drifted back at a little less then half a knot. At that rate I should have plenty of room to the south. It looks like I’ll have a weather window on the 8th and 9th to get through the Bering straits and into the Bering sea before the next big system comes. Well, Alaska isn’t known for its pumpkin pie. Its known for its big mountains and big seas, I don’t think it will let me down. All I can do now is wait for Poseidon to show up and start the festivities.
FORTITUDINE VINCIMUS
Update
I just found out the storm system is really a typhoon that left Japan and hopefully will weaken by the time it gets to Alaska. Looks like I’m in for one heck of ride.
Good luck with the storm. We will be with you vicariously. I just purchased a Jordan Series Droge for essentially the same purpose. I guess it depends on weather to want to go backwards or forwards. Probably the sea anchor is easier to deploy but equally onerous to retrieve.
Anyhow we will be watching you and hoping all goes well. Get some rest, you will need it.
What type of mast steps do you have ? Good luck getting some rest in the storm.
Is Thompson Point way down south of the straits, Matt? Point Hope is aptly named when the natural state of a body of water is enough of a challenge, even when there is no storm to provoke it. Hope comes naturally enough it seems. Rest & breathe.
Matt, according to the latest Gribs the real wind will come Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. If you can continue along the coast where you seem to be headed you should be able to find some shelter from the strongest northerly winds.
Good Luck God speed. I love my little Vega too
Looks like Matt is in for a tough night or two:
PKZ215-060200-
KOTZEBUE SOUND-
303 AM AKDT MON SEP 5 2011
…SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING…
.TODAY…NW WINDS 10 KT BECOMING N 25 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 4 FT.
.TONIGHT…NW WINDS 30 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
.TUE…NW WINDS 30 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
.TUE NIGHT…NW WINDS 30 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
.WED…NW WINDS 30 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
.WED NIGHT…N WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 5 FT.
.THU…N WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT.
.FRI…S WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
$$
PKZ220-060200-
WALES TO CAPE THOMPSON-
303 AM AKDT MON SEP 5 2011
…GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING…
.TODAY…N WINDS 35 KT. SEAS 9 FT BUILDING TO 12 FT.
.TONIGHT…N WINDS 40 KT. SEAS 14 FT.
.TUE…N WINDS 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT.
.TUE NIGHT…N WINDS 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT.
.WED…N WINDS 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT.
.WED NIGHT…N WINDS 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT.
.THU…N WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT.
.FRI…S WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT.
$$
CF/DJH SEP 11
Meanwhile, down here in Central Texas, we have a raging fire about two miles from our house but the winds are blowing in our favor. We don’t know yet how many people have lost their homes during this intense blow spinning off of the hurricane.
Hey Matt,
Your Moms going to be worried to death as well as your supporters. Please give us updates when you are able.
In an earlier post someone suggested a resupply rendezvous. I think that is a great idea. Any suggestions out there about organizing it?
Dave
Yes, let’s do it! I would rest easier if Matt had a backup watermaker, a new autopilot, a replacement for the rope he lost, starter for the engine, and some fresh food for a change even though Shelf Reliance foods have worked out extremely well. Any ideas everyone?
I wonder how his mainsail is doing…did he patch the hole? And the leaky fuel bag? Wish we could send a team of tiny elves to magically patch and clean!
I’m still for it. I could offer up a couple hundred dollars in support. I just don’t have any contacts in Alaska to hire a boat to meet him somewhere. I live in Maryland so getting the money to the right people shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s see if it can be done. I watch everyday wondering what I could do. (I still will donate to CRAB.) My sister was handicapped and I applaud the efforts to make sailing accessable. Go Matt GO!
Duane
P.S. I sent an email to Mike running the site with my email address. Since he’s away for two weeks is there someone else I can contact to see if we can start up an effort?
Duane
Looking at google maps there is a small town called Kotzebue South of where he is right now. Their town hall is:
Kotzebue City Hall
258 Third Avenue, Kotzebue, AK
(907) 442-3401 I wonder if they had some ideas. Or perhaps that town would not be good timing?
Here’s a cool Weather Underground animated wave map for the Alaskan coast:
http://www.wunderground.com/MAR/PK/220.html?map=wave&animate=1
I would be willing to contribute a few hundred to the rendezvous. I think we need to communicate with Matt to find the best place and timing as well as his needs. I would think most ports would have a boater willing to earn a few bucks and involve themselves in this great adventure.
Dave Sterling
Matt just called me with a request for some basic equipment. I have got the ball rolling in Alaska … Just so we aren’t working indepentently of each other which will be counter productive any one interested in assisting call me 410-212-9579 or email stredwards@gmail.com
We have just a few days to get this together as Matts course from Alaska will not be passing anywhere close to a port for several thousand miles. Thx
I have sent Simon an email and voice mail. I am pledging some financial support but I’m sure he could use more. Keep us up to date as to the status.
What an amazing journey you are on! Thanks for sharing your story with us, and we wish you the best in your travels. We would love to see some picutres of your journey soon.