'Fearless' delivery

I have been in Newport but two days and now am getting ready to go on another delivery. Hopefully it will not be crazy like last weeks.

'Fearless' is an Alden 72' currently for sale. Nice big yacht, looks like she wont fall apart like the race boats...

We left on 23Oct07 headed for Charleston, SC. The wind was coming out of the south again but with a little more velocity than last week. Our sea plan is to go through the 'Sound' and anchor for the night at Port Washington. I like to know what the safety measures are before heading offshore. I asked the captain about the usual; where are the life rafts, life jackets, dicth kit and flares. One thing i noticed that struck me as a bit odd; no jack lines. the captain told me that we would not need them and thinks they give a false sense of security. Interesting, I'll take this one in stride. The yacht has a rolling furler jib, controllable by one person in the working cockpit. The traveler and main sheet are also easily accessible. The radar is right there too.

When carrying on about the watch system we were told that it is going to be single man watches day and night. This struck me as odd. No jack lines and single person watches at night? Life is an adventure and I'll try it knowing that the captain's only feet away if I need help. Plus we have autopilot.

I try and drive most of the time on a delivery. This yacht was no different. We pull into the shelter of Port Washington early in the morning. My alarm woke me up in the morning. To my surprise and delight we were at anchor. I looked out into the 'Sound' and saw some big waves crashing into the bow of a barge. The wind was blowing around 25 knots. Our original plan was to wait for favorable tides to go through 'Hell's Gate' and down the East River. We just got through 'Hell's Gate' and the rain began. The temperature dropped about five degrees and was pretty nasty. We are making 14 knots over the ground and passing some cars on the G.W. Expressway. Not sure who the sucker is in this sitcho.

We look for shelter on the south end of the Bronks. A little marina where the water is an issue. 'Fearless' draws 12'6". We run a gound real soft and power through it. There we stay Thursday and Friday night. We played chess, drank coffee and went out and about.

Friday 17:30 we cast off the dock lines and are back on track. Hugging the New Jersey shore the sun drops beyond the horizon. With a reef in the main and 2/3rds jib I am back at the helm on watch. When the sun rose the wind went far right, almost NNE. Setting us up for a sweet reach into the Chesapeake.

Back on watch now with a full belly and a caffeine buzz trying to get this big girl to break 10 knots. The wind went back left and the waves followed. There was about 3 to 6 footers and some a bit bigger. Perfect conditions to surf down... I broke the 10 knot barrier and was looking for more. Soon it was twelve-two, twelve- eight sustained and then about eleven for a half an hour. I told my relief that I wanted to break fourteen before I went down, he was fine with that. It seemed to take forever but I got it. The perfect set up. We were going around eleven knots, came up to catch a wave on the bow and get sucked in. The stern got lifted up and the yacht was locked in. Coming down now right into a puff, 'Fearless' loaded up and off we go. Twelve, thirteen, thirteen-four, thirteen-eight, fourteen! Woo man that feels good. I stay on the wave and almost had enough power to run the next one over but she could not hang on any longer. I raise my hands into the air with a feeling of achievement. My relief and another fellow where up on deck and could not believe what happened.

Time to read a book.