Monday, June 30, 2008

DATA AND WATCH KEEPING

Before untieing the first line to start the ocean voyage to Bermuda, a data sheet and a watch schedule were created.  The data sheet was created to make sure everyone learned as much as they could, as soon as possible about Wind Runner and the sea around her.  The sheet allowed us to keep good track of the boat, the ever changing sea, our progress, and our resources, just in case.  The sheet helped us keep the boat shipshape and helped us form the habit of checking, once, twice, three times, and more.  The sheet was a supplement to the ship's log.
 
The watch schedule was created to make sure all crew knew what was expected, when.  We wish we could share these documents but we can't figure out how to get them loaded on this blog.
 
The data sheet was kept religiously during the voyage to Bermuda.  Each and every hour we checked, and we wrote down important facts and observations.  On the way back, beginning in the heaviest weather we failed to take time to actually write things down every hour.  However we found the habits had been formed, and checks were continuous.
 
The watch schedule was kept religiously except during the heaviest weather.  The schedule worked great.  Three hours on.  Three hours off.  With pairs keeping watch between midnight and 6:00 am.  With four crew and the tandem watches, the time of day that each crew stood watch did not repeat for many days.  During the heaviest weather, the schedule was modified so the boys kept watch three hours on, three hours off.  The girls, importantly, watched out for and over the boys.  This adaptation of the watch for a relatively short period kept anxiety as low as possible.  It did put a bigger burden on the heavy lifters of the crew, but the extra burden remained very reasonable.

LIFE IS SIMPLE

Wake. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. AM Shower. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. Breakfast. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. Lunch. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. Happy hour. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. PM Shower. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. Dinner. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sleep. Sail. Sail. Sail. Sail. (repeat)

MORE PICTURES

Back to America.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

TWO MORE MOVIES

Dancing.
Tired.

LANDED NEWPORT

Check sailing to Bermuda off the Bucket List!

We landed Newport at 01:30 pm. It was interesting trying to honor Custom's dictate, do not get off the boat. Luckily we had West Wind Marina dock hands to tie us up and connect their end of the power cord and water hose. At least we could begin restoring Wind Runner to her clean and cool self.

While waiting for CBP, we popped a bottle of champagne, and cut the brie and white cheddar. Then we opened a bottle of Pinot Grigrio because CBP hadn't arrived yet. When the CBP officer did arrive, she understood the deliberate, slow, answers to her questions, and was tickled by it. All in all checking in was a nonevent. Just a quick look at our boat docs and our people docs.

Ah, to be back in America, on land!

Saturday, June 28, 2008

ONE DAY AWAY OR COMING TO AMERICA

The last twenty four hours have been good and interesting. In no particular order:

We saw a turtle as big as a Volkswagon on the surface of the water. His or her head was as big as a five gallon bucket. We saw a Sun Fish on the surface waddling his or her fin. Jim thought it was a shark, but he was quickly corrected.

The IP water system bane, crystals, have driven us crazy! We clean. We use water. The water stops. We clean. We use water. The water stops. Finally, we donated a pump and an accumulator to Davy Jones Locker, hoping this sacrifice to Davy Jones brings us good. We installed a variable speed pump, and we reworked the inlet filter to it, giving us running water for a longer period, also giving us a much easier assembly to clean. Addressing this issue once and for all has been discussed and detailed ad infinitum!With all of the water issues, we have learned it is true showers can be had with a half gallon of water, as long as you don't wash long hair.

It has been hot and too rough to open hatches or ports. We didn't bring enough sheets. Buy stock in Lysol! (Male crew wonders why we have had all the parts to fix all the stuff males usually fix and female crew didn't bring the parts to address the need for extra sheets, but male crew is not raising the issue.)

And the comical end, Customs. We cannot figure out how to get back into America. First, we call a CBP office in Maine, who is supposed to handle all entries back into New England. They name Stonington, Groton, Mystic, New London as places we can land. However, they unnamed those places quickly. We have to enter at Newport or New Bedford! Say what? The New York CPB office, who handles all of Long Island including the east end, has such new employees they have no idea what we should do.

So, we are navigating to Newport, for Customs, for a slip, for long hot showers and footing that does not move beneath us. We are going to find a good restaurant where we don't have to hold onto our plates while we eat. We should arrive Sunday early afternoon. All on board are looking forward to landfall. It has been a bit long on the ocean. But, it has calmed down enough that we can almost brush our teeth without hanging on. We expect calm conditions for the rest of the voyage unless we can't outrun the weather that is coming. Sail trimmers won't let that happen.

06/28/2008
22:48:30 GMT
39° 23.32' N70° 26.48' W

Friday, June 27, 2008

UUUGHHHH!

Last night the seas began building at about 8:00 pm. And the winds freshened. And the seas grew higher. And the winds blew stronger. Before long, we were motorsailing in near gale force winds and ten to twelve foot seas. It was a long and tiresome night, and it lasted most of today. But finally it has calmed down, and we are sailing along nicely.

We have been making great time! Except for a spot where we were unsure of which way to go, in which configuration, for comfort, instead of progress, we were beating our to-Bermuda average of 6.7 knots. Amazing. But we were riding up huge mountains of waves that would slow us, and then we would slide, sometimes crash, down the other side. If you can believe the GPS Trip feature we saw 21.4 knots Maximum. Jim Juliet Whiskey keeps repeating, "I just can't believe this boat!"

We are booking for Block Island sometime Sunday to beat the next round of weather. Hopefully we will be snug in the anchorage before dark under Q Flag for showers, food, and sleep before heading out at first light Monday in home waters to find Customs.

06/27/2008
23:31:15 GMT
37° 13.42' N
68° 41.75' W

Thursday, June 26, 2008

ONE DAY OUT

Wind Runner departed Bermuda for America at 10:00 am yesterday after taking on 80 gallons of diesel at the last moment. We thought we would have good winds from the beginning to take us first north then northwest, where we would miss adverse currents. We stayed on the favored tack. The opposite tack had us heading nearly back to Bermuda. Expecting the winds to change any minute, we pushed on farther north and east than we wanted.

So now we deal with a bit of adverse current motorsailing, and wait for the higher winds that have been forecast. In any event, it looks like we will enter Block Island Sound between Block Island and Montauk Sunday late or Monday early.

On the trip over we were lucky to have no issues to deal with while in the middle of the ocean. In the beginning of the trip back we have had two. The boom vang bottom attachment bolt let go. The vang is a Garhauer vang, attached with a top half inch bolt and a bottom one. The bottom bolt eased out and then fell to the deck, along with two hard plastic spacers. The vang hit the deck and began tracing an arc back and forth across the cabin top. Amazingly the vang did no damage, and the bolt and spacers were laying within an arm's length of where they reside. The spacers could not be properly fitted while bouncing up and down and around. They were arranged differently as a temporary measure. The bolt was reset, and the whole assembly was wrapped with nearly a whole roll of rigging tape. This fix may last the whole way back.

The other issue is more mission critical. We lost sixty gallons of water overboard. We searched but have not determined where. It could have been a tap, leaky plumbing, or a leaky toilet. For the balance of the trip we will turn the water pump off between uses, and find and fix the issue when back at the dock. Shame on us for not keeping the water pump off between uses as a practice, as a good seaman would.

We still have plenty of water and will not have to touch the emergency water. We may only get one more shower each while offshore.

06/26/2008
16:27:21 GMT
34° 21.22' N
66° 19.18' W

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

FIXING THE BROKEN STUFF

There were no breakages on Wind Runner that would mean, NO GO, returning to America. There were on other boats, a boom gooseneck, a furling gear link, autopilots.

There were things to fix if possible and renew on Wind Runner before the voyage back. The light on the tachometer burned out. The oil pressure warning alarm stopped beeping. After finding a failed pressure switch, we had to find a Yanmar store.

We didn't find a Yanmar store, but we found Harrison, a Yanmar agent. It was literally like playing Twister or doing the limbo, walking with him through his 1200 sq ft shop. Halfway to the parts we needed, we called out to Harrison who was way ahead, "we shouldn't be following you, should we." Harrison replied, "probably not." We went back the way we came and waited in no particular spot. There was no customer service counter.

Soon Harrison came back with lights and switches. Two each. One to be installed. One to be put in Wind Runner's spares bin. When we asked how much, he said the switches were $16.00, we could have the lights. We gave him $40.00 and left amazed.

Once back at Wind Runner, the lightbulb was easily changed. The pressure switch was low and aft on the starboard side of the engine. We enlisted the skinnier fingers, hands, and arms of mechanic Toby to change it. Even he had to wrestle with several possible tools and then hold his mouth right to get the bad switch out and the good one in.

Once the stuff we knew was broke was fixed, the engine oil was changed. Then we slowly looked over Wind Runner. We didn't go inch by inch. We did go foot by foot, cleaning while we went. All appeared shipshape.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

SAIL WITH WIND RUNNER

Night Sailing
Day Sailing
Day Sailing
Day Sailing
Daily Chores

HERE'S PICTURES

Our first pictures,


are here:
BLOCK TO BERMUDA CANON CAMERA
BLOCK TO BERMUDA SONY CAMERA

YEE HAW WE ARRIVED!

At 07:28 EDT, 08:28 Local Time we crossed the line between Green 1SG and Red 2SG of the Town Cut of St George's Harbor. This was important to note because it was the line chosen for the various wagers amongst crew and management regarding time of arrival. Debbie and Craig were closest with guesses of the exact time. Debbie won all bets with her 03:05 Friday choice. Craig was a close second with his 12:00 Saturday choice. Debbie's choice was only 9 minutes better than Craig's!

Once into St George's Harbor we went to the Custom's dock. After clearing in we dropped the Quarantine flag and began flying the Bermuda flag. Formal arrival!

Now the boat is med moored at Bermuda Yacht Services and neatened up. All bodies are washed and dried.

The Champagne has been popped! One of Jim's lifelong dreams half done, all glasses were raised high, to him and wife Vanessa. Under Jim's Captainship and Vanessa's Admiralty, Wind Runner screamed from Block Island to Bermuda, averaging 6.7 knots over four days, making 160 nm per day. Even though we just got here, all are eager to begin reviewing weather patterns for our return to America.

Friday, June 20, 2008

THE FINAL BEAT TO BERMUDA

We are on what we think will be the final leg of our ocean voyage, before we begin navigating around the northeast corner of Bermuda, heading for Town Cut and the Customs Dock. We are motorsailing, beating into three foot waves. It has been a great day. We have made good progress. There was rain, but no weather that we had to change course for. It was another day of sails out, sails reefed, sails in, then do it over again.

About six hours from now we will check in with Bermuda Harbor Radio, who will have already begun watching us on radar. They will control our entry into St Georges Harbor. If we arrive before 08:00 they will quarantine us in an anchorage until Customs opens.

Once we land it looks like we will have purely sailed about 40% of the time, motorsailed 55%, and motored 5%. We recognize we could have purely sailed an even greater percentage of time. Seasoned by the passage over, this crew likely will enjoy more motor off time on the passage back.

Look for the pictures once we get near high speed internet service!

06/20/2008
22:02:38 GMT
33° 33.56' N
65° 28.26' W

ROCKING AND ROLLING

Yesterday was a day of changing conditions. First it was just sunny, easy, and smooth. Then two squalls appeared, which we had to try to outrun. We were only successful outrunning the first one. The second one got us. While outside the squall the boat was rocking and rolling. Once in the squall the water beat the seas down, and it was smooth. In the end the boat was fully rinsed.

Yesterday the winds were flukey. Sails went out. Sails went in. Sails went out. Sails went in. Only late in the day did the motor go off for any significant period. But then it stayed off for most of the night. This morning at about 03:30 we started the engine to charge batteries and make hot water for another round of showers. We are doing well with water here near the end of the voyage, so we can afford the daily showers.

We are also doing well with fuel. It is likely we will land with half a tank or more. We expect to use about 80 gallons total, at a rate of about 1 gallon per hour.

This morning we learned all about two boats wanting the same acre of water even though we are in the middle of the ocean 500 miles from any continent. We had to change course to avoid a tanker, only the third one we have even seen in three days.

Right now we are moving well, motorsailing. We have about 160 miles to go. We are thinking landfall tomorrow morning. Then champagne!

06/20/2008
10:46:37 GMT
34° 35.48' N
66° 30.45' W

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A BIT OVER HALF WAY

Jim and Vanessa got us to the mid point of our voyage in the middle of the night. This morning Debbie got us under the 300 miles-to-go mark. Right now Debbie is motorsailing east of the rhumb line looking for that cold eddy that will flush us into Bermuda as early as Friday night. It is not likely we will find it so we expect landfall Saturday morning.

The seas are light. The motion of the boat is very comfortable. We are all sqeaky clean in new underwear after midtrip hot showers.

Lunch/Dinner today is Georgette's Surprise. The packaging on the the provisions is such that we just can't tell what we are having until it is thawed. That is just fine with us as it gives us something to anticipate that we know will be great.

06/19/2008
11:48:23 GMT
36° 28.05' N
67° 56.46' W

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

FLYING SPINNAKER GETS CHECKED OFF BUCKET LIST

While the winds have remained too low to suit our purpose of getting to Bermuda with a large reserve of fuel, today wasn't a total bust. We hoisted the spinnaker for the first time! Winds were almost heavy enough for it. It dragged the boat along at mostly under 4 knots. The motion wasn't great because it wasn't pulling hard enough in the light winds. The spinnaker collapsed and popped periodically over about two hours before we lost hope that the winds would fill in. We went back to the iron genny.

We have motored or motorsailed 24 hours. We have burned about 20 gallons of fuel and have about 140 gallons left. We are 380 miles from Kitchen Shoal.

Just in as this gets typed, the temperature went up several degrees to 81. Gulf Stream entered at 6:32.

Our big meal was early afternoon. Georgette's Lasagna. Fabulous!

06/18/2008
22:39:46 GMT
37° 32.41' N
69° 07.37' W

WIND DIED

We were having a heck of a sail. Now we are having a heck of a motor. We are having the time of our lives anyway.

Last night the winds died and the seas got lumpy. The sails were taken in. That made the boat too rolly. The main was taken out and sheeted as tight as a drum. That settled the boat into an easier motion.

Today the seas have laid down nearly completely. The sea is smooth. The motion is as easy as it could possibly be.

Because we are having to motor and nobody can tell us where any new wind might come from, we are heading straight for Bermuda. The warm eddy helped. We are getting conflicting reports about whether the cold eddy might be there for us. We just don't know whether to make some easting or westing.

For our landlubber friends who are not following the position reports, we started out with about 640 miles to go. We have about 400 left before we get to the east end of Bermuda.

Jim and Vanessa spotted porpoises this morning. Other than the birds and two flies that are now fish food, we haven't seen a soul.


06/18/2008
15:46:11 GMT
38° 06.18' N
69° 37.86' W

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

ROUND OF WATCHES

A round of watches has been completed. Day watches are solo, three hours on, nine hours off. Night watches will be tandem, three hours on, three hours off.

The boat is moving very well. A mixture of mostly sailing with a variety of sail plans and a bit of motorsailing. Our hope is to keep speed up until we burn about a quarter of our fuel, then do some calculations and begin managing fuel carefully. If we get into the east wall of the warm eddy that our weather consultants are heading us to, we may not need to manage fuel much at all, except for considering the cost of it in Bermuda.

Vanessa and Craig saw a fin, but the fish it was attached to was not identified. The fin was longish and thin. A tuna?

Dinner tonight was Georgette's Stew. It was fantastic.

06/17/2008
23:14:36 GMT
39° 52.93' N
70° 58.68' W

BEAUTIFUL TUESDAY AFTERNOON

06/17/2008
18:29:49 GMT
40° 23.22' N
71° 14.53' W

Jim is on watch, sailing us along at about 7 knots SOG, 50 degrees AWA, in four foot seas, with full dress of genoa, staysail and main. The sun is shining. Not a cloud in the sky.

YEE HAW WE DEPARTED

06/17/2008
10:59:09 GMT
41° 05.49' N
71° 36.83' W

We started the engine at 0500. Drove to Champlins for water. Had our first MOB drill, saving a fender that the dock wanted.

Once out of The Great Salt Pond, we put the main up. Minutes later we put the genoa out and stopped the engine. Then the staysail came out. We are making 5 knots Boat Speed and SOG in about 10 knots true wind speed. It is expected we will be able to carry full dress for several days.

Debbie is on her first watch, having come on at 0600.

Monday, June 16, 2008

GEORGETTE AND DAVE

Tonight is the second night we have eaten Georgette's food. Georgette and Dave Goodale own Marlborough Country Bakery. Georgette provisioned this boat for our voyage. Last night we had Meatballs and Bowtie Pasta. Ooh, La, La. Tonight we had Lemon Chicken. A wonderful light meal after a long pleasant day. Jim supplemented the meal with new talents making B52's, layered properly with a bent spoon.

IT'S NINE O CLOCK ON A SATURDAY

Well, actually it's ten o'clock on a Monday . . . .

The storm that the Bermuda Cruising Rally's professionals warned about is here. Winds were up to 42 knots. "Seas" in the Great Salt Pond were 3 feet. Wind Runner sat watchful but comfortable on a mooring. As expected there was radio chatter about boats dragging and getting caught up.

Now, we think we can go!

A DAY AT THE BEACH

We failed to actually make it to the beach.  However, we had a nice walk to the Mohegan Cafe.  Lunch was salads and sandwiches with a fabulous brownie desert.  Way too big for one.  Four spoons made it disappear.
 
After doing the town, crew dove on Wind Runner to check the bottom, prop and zincs one more time.  Plus, the block for the ATN Tacker was installed on the anchor roller guard, and the aft turning block was fitted.  We anticipate being able to use the new asymmetric spinnaker in the light winds forecast during latter part of the passage to Bermuda.
 
All participants of the Bermuda Cruising Rally are now here in the Great Salt Pond.  Our 8:00 PM sked tonight will be in person at The Oar!  Departure is expected tomorrow early.

DEPARTURE DELAYED

Wind Runner sits on Block Island Mooring 49. The Rally's professionals are holding us in the gate until Tuesday morning.

Because of the delay, we were able to top off fuel, fill the stomachs, and fully replenish the sleep reservoir yesterday. Today we are going to the beach.

Sunday, June 15, 2008

COMMUNICATIONS AND RADIO FREQUENCY

The skeds, or scheduled communications, of the Bermuda Cruising Rally will occur by Iridium Satellite Telephone at the following times:

0800 EDT
2000 EDT

However, we will also maintain a listening watch on the HF radio. There may or may not be discussions in the thirty minutes following the sat sked on the following frequency:

6.224 USB SIMPLEX

Tim Hasson, radio name LANDSHARK, will conduct the skeds on the sat phone and the radio.

CHRIS PARKER WEATHER FREQUENCIES

Chris Parker is along as a weather router for the Bermuda Cruising Rally. We will contact him at the times and on the frequencies following:

1030 UTC (0630 EDT) 4.045 MHz
1100 UTC (0700 EDT) 8.137 MHz
1200 UTC (0800 EDT) 4.045 MHz
1230 UTC (0830 EDT) 8.104 MHz
1300 UTC (0900 EDT) 12.350 MHz

Saturday, June 14, 2008

DEPARTURE DELAYED

As for weather, professional forecasters Dane Clark and Chris Parker say to wait until the next low pressure system comes through on Monday night or Tuesday morning before departing for Bermuda. That system will likely produce squalls and thunderstorms and have some gale force winds associated with it. But boats are moving. Miracle and Daydreamer are leaving Mamaroneck tomorrow morning heading our way. Wind Runner is departing Westerly for Block Island tomorrow afternoon or Monday morning. Wind Runner will have a day at the beach before Miracle and Daydreamer catch us.

As for ocean currents, professional forecaster Jenifer Clark says we stand ready to have a great ride right down the rhumb line directly to Bermuda. There is a perfect set of eddies in place, one warm eddy north of the Gulf Stream, and one cold eddy south of the Gulf Stream. We will ride the eastern edge of the warm eddy, and the western edge of the cold eddy. We may get a four knot boost for a substantial part of the voyage.

SATELLITE TRACKING

The satellite transponder was mounted on Wind Runner Thursday. The system was engaged Friday night. See http://charthorizon.com/m/cz/map?vessels=_ALL_VESSELS&history=Latest_position&v_scope=2008_BCR.

Friday, June 13, 2008

QUANTUM V5 ARRIVED


Just as UPS promised, our new-to-the-boat Quantum V5 Asymmetric Spinnaker arrived today, the last business day available before we depart. Here we are laying it out on the lawn to check it from corner to corner to corner. All is well!

If wind speed is below about ten knots and wind angle is between about 70 and 170 degrees apparent, we will launch this sail, which alone is equal in area to the total of the other three sails on the boat. Simply put, this is more horsepower, to help us drag our eighteen tons across the ocean, without gift to the oil producers.

TOBY DOES WIND RUNNER

Because Wind Runner chose not make the formal starting location, Toby visited the boat yesterday in Westerly to inspect. Being a few days early, several items on the punch list were still open, and Toby found them all. But by departure, Wind Runner will have all the required gear, properly operating and stowed for the offshore passage to Bermuda and back.

While at the boat Toby also did Wind Runner a great favor! Toby went up the mast to install the spinnaker halyard block, and thread the spinnaker halyard down the mast. The sentinel worked, although there were a couple of tense moments when the halyard stuttered. It had to be jiggled up and down to free it and keep it coming.

Now, we only hope UPS doesn't stutter. The new spinnaker is supposed to arrive today, the last business day available before we are out of range of Brown! Superstitious souls might be wondering about the day and date. Friday and thirteen. It is good that none of the sailors on Wind Runner are superstitious.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

DEPARTURE DELAY?

We received a discouraging weather update today which may result in a departure delay on Sunday. It is too early to be overly concerned and our excitement about the upcoming trip remains high. All attention is around packing and provisioning the boat to keep the crew happy and strong.

Monday, June 9, 2008

SWEET DREAM SELLS CRUISING SPINNAKER TO WIND RUNNER

The Bermuda Cruising Rally is a rally, not a race. But, any time two sail boats are within sight of each other, leisure sailing turns into racing. Wind Runner did not have a spinnaker in her sail inventory until Sweet Dream put her lightly used Quantum V5 Sail up for sale on www.ipphotos.com. In one shipment by UPS, Wind Runner will get all the gear she needs to double the square footage of sail carried on board, and provide the option of sailing when we might be wallowing, or worse, motoring.

The only issue will be getting the spinnaker halyard installed before departure on Sunday. Island Packet does a fine job of preparing the mast for the spinnaker halyard, but we still have to thread sixty five feet of line through a block, a fairlead and an opening at the top of mast, to an opening at the bottom of the mast. As long as the tracer, sentinel, monkey (whatever you call it) was properly arranged it will be a thirty minute job for two crew, one on deck, one sixty feet in the air. Otherwise . . . .

WHERE IS THE WORLD IS WIND RUNNER

Wind Runner and other participants of the Bermuda Cruising Rally will be tracked by satellite while sailing to Bermuda, and then again while sailing back to the good old U S of A. Boat positions will be updated about every other hour from departure to arrival. To find out where we are at any given time, visit www.iboattrack.com. On that site, click on the link for our rally for our track and latest position.

OUTBOUND TO BERMUDA

Provided weather permits the rally to begin as currently scheduled, Wind Runner will depart Pier 65 Marina, Westerly, Rhode Island, sometime Sunday, June 15. We have chosen not to sail twelve hours to the formal starting point of the rally in Mamaroneck, New York, only to sail twelve hours along the reverse course to get back to where all boats will exit Long Island and then Block Island Sounds for the Atlantic Ocean. This is a rally not a race. It is just a collection of boats sailing together, and starting can be informal. We will depart so we remain part of the pack.

Once we exit Block Island Sound east of Montauk and west of Block Island, we will have about 620 Nautical Miles to go on a course of about 160 degrees Magnetic. However, our course will meander as we sail to take advantage of the current and wind, or to avoid uncomfortable seas and weather. We will arrive in Bermuda on Friday if our Velocity Made Good is 5 nautical miles per hour(knots). We will arrive in Bermuda on Thursday if our VMG is 6 knots.

Wind Runner carries 160 gallons of fuel and burns 1.5 gallons per hour motoring or motorsailing. We just might be able to drive the boat the whole way to Bermuda, but we will manage fuel to maintain a reserve. Given the price of diesel fuel right now, it would be grand if we could get to Bermuda using the engine only to charge batteries.

Once in Bermuda Wind Runner will be berthed at the new docks of Bermuda Yacht Services. Almost as soon as we arrive we will begin reviewing the weather and planning for the reverse voyage.

STAYING IN TOUCH DURING THE BERMUDA CRUISING RALLY

Wind Runner has several radios and telephones and internet services on board. VHF radios will be used to talk with other vessels and harbor services that are nearby. An SSB radio will be used to talk over long distances.

Blackberry and Verizon cell phones will be used for voice and data communcation while in port and near shore. For voice communications offshore a satellite telephone will be used. Skype will also be used for voice calls while in Bermuda.

For data communication offshore Skymate will be used. Skymate will allow us to send simple emails, including automatic positions reports. It will also allow us to collect weather data.