So as you can see I’m over the 10k mark. I’m also south of Annapolis and the starting line at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Over the last few days I’ve had the most drastic weather change of the trip. I’ve been losing a layer a day and now im barefoot with just a pair of shorts on. This temperature is perfect. I’m soaking up as much as I can, soon I’ll be sweaty and uncomfortable, but thats better than freezing and numb.
I’ve had fog and rain for the last few days. I’m surprised by the fog, im 500 miles from the closest piece of land. But this fog is a weakling compared to the fog beast that lives in the Arctic. The sea is strange looking right now. There has been light wind for 48 hours so the choppy waves are gone but there’s a 10-14 foot rolling swell coming out of the NW and misty rainy fog. Its eerily beautiful. Theres also some huge birds around here, the biggest sea birds I’ve ever seen. There were more about 500 miles north of here. I couldn’t tell you what type of bird they are, I really need bird book next time.
Some good news, I was looking through my I pod touch that my sister got me and I noticed a kindle app. Some how my sister backed up most of my kindle books on my I pod. Reading a book 3 sentences at a time takes some getting used to but its a whole heck of a lot better then nothing. My sister is one of my biggest sponsors. She’s my older sister but she looks younger. If you met her you would think she’s some sweet innocent girl, but she’s a powerhouse in the business world making six figures and kicking butt. My sister and I are both driven and ambitious, we just have different goals.
I did have a little scare, I ate a bunch of peanuts that ripped up my intestines like broken glass. I pooped blood for three days. I don’t mean to be disgusting or anything. I’m better now, although I still hurt inside a bit, needless to say, it gave me a fright. Don’t worry I’m fine.
One of my biggest problems is chafe. At night when I’m sleeping the chafe monster comes out and chews on my lines. I’m always shifting around and inspecting all my lines. They aren’t large diameter lines so they chafe through quickly. Someone needs to invent chafe monster repellent.
My sails are made by Hyde sails. My original sail sponsor welched on me (reneged) at the last minute and it put me in a bad position (I had no sails). Scott Steele came through and hooked me up with Hyde sails. It really saved the trip. It was such a last minute scenario that I literally didn’t have my sails until the day before I left. Talk about a close call. Scott gives private sailing lesions. Now a lot of people can give you sailing lessons but hes’ the only instructor I know that won a medal in the Olympics for sailing. If you can learn from the best, why mess with the rest? Scott had a bit harder task then my other sponsors because I’m very picky about my sails. In my mind you should be……I’ve also been a sail-maker so I know what I want. Not that I was the greatest sail-maker, me and a sewing machine never got along very well, but I was good at hand work.
In the next few days im going to step up my fishing game and see what I can catch. Ill also take advantage of the warmer weather and do some spring cleaning to get rid of some of this mold (the mold has completely taken over the V berth). The waters no longer green its returned to a beautiful color of blue. Life is good.
Fortitudine Vincimus
Matt
Nice to read an upbeat report on October 12th. Isn’t that the day some Spanish guy landed in the New World after a sailing adventure? Sail on and keep posting reports. There are more people than you think who look for them every day. Master Doug of the good ship Godspeed is rounding up donations for minutes on the phone. PS: some mold can make god cheese so keep that in mind in case you encounter any cows.
A special thanks to Rachel Annie for including the books on a second source. Wow!
Glad to see your connections are up and running again. It is a great relief to. E able to see your speed and that reassuring dot moving again on the map!
Its good to see you’re up and running again brother. Enjoy the warm weather
Great to know where you are, again, Matt. I had been keeping track of your start point, and wanted to be the first to let you know that you had gotten to that same starting latitude . . . and “Voila”, I check today, and you’re already pretty well south of: Annapolis MD Latitude: 38°58′22.6″N
I had pasted that latitude just below your URL so that every time I opened it up I would be able to compare it with Annapolis’ . . . but then your PredictWind locator was not working and the last position you posted, yourself, was still north of it!!
Regarding that problem with chafe . . . you don’t happen to have any spare clear plastic tubing (with a large enough id) that you could cut to such a length that you could put the lines through, that might protect them seomewhat?? Even if you sliced the tubing lengthwise and just wrapped it around the line. (I realize that there may be other reasons why this might not work, and may just cause more areas to chafe, this time, because of the tubing, it was just a thought for you to consider) (Obviously rubber tubing would probably work the same way)
Well, Matt, I’m so glad that you’re now having beautiful warm weather, and I hope that you can enjoy it for a long, long, time!!! Also happy that your sister, Rachel was so thoughtful as to load up the phone with all that “good stuff” (just in case). Earlier in your trip, I had Googled her when I noticed the support you were being given by The Rachel Rutherford Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, but I didn’t know if she was you sister . . . and/or if the foundation is named after a grandmother, or some other relative with the same first name.
Also, I can see that she has achieved great success in her own area of interest and expertise as a musician. We’re being able to put all the “pieces” together from your updates, as well as from the various comments that have been submitted, and see that this is quite a remarkable family you come from, Matt!!! A family of achievers!!! Very inspiring! I’m sure your parents are extremely proud of their children’s accomplishments (and each other’s) . . . and well they should be!!!
Godspeed, Matt . . . probably be a good idea to go easy on those peanuts!!
Carol Florida U.S.A.
My wife says Peanuts can have a mold on them that can cause what you had. Glad you got your position working and you can read again. You might catch tuna by now sence your parallel with Catalina island, good eats. They like checking our your bubbles so don’t fish too far from your boat, a good hand line will work well with 150 lb test line and bungy. Good luck fishing
Glad to see that you had passed Home Office last night. Even though I am in St Petersburg, FL, I wave and salute you… Just finished Lin and Lary Pardeys trip and I am now reading Sir Francis Chichester and his story about Horn at the age of 65.
GOD SPEED and GOD BLESS your journey…
Hello Matt,
I was at your current location about five years ago and encountered heavy seas. It was the first and only time I have been sea sick. I’m glad it is better for you. Good luck with the fishing.
Dave
Hey Matt!
I read you are saving satellite minutes..
so not really expecting a comment back..
but, if or when you do start answering questions again?
I was wondering, for single-handing as you are doing,
how much of a concern the traffic is lately,
500-700 miles off the western coast, Oregon, California etc?
and if you’ve had any problems along the way with traffic?
Glad for you that you are well out of the ‘ice zone’ .
I hope you got your mold under control now.
Cheers!!
Good news to hear that you have some reading material again, Matt. I hope that the Pacific continues to treat you well. I can’t wait to hear some fishing reports. Best of luck to you.
Mark