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 3,800 miles down . . . 300 to go After 33 days at sea onboard his 21 foot mini Genasun, having sailed more than 3,800 miles alone, American Sailor Alex MeVay is less than 300 miles from his destination, Port Camargue, France. His laptop computer was giving him a bit of a hard time so he was unable to send his daily e-mail reports to post on the Minis in America website ) for several days. But he got it sorted out and is now back in communication. The clock is ticking for Alex as he needs to make it to Port Camargue by July 22nd for the start of the Mini Med, a 500 nm Classe Mini sanctioned race. To qualify for the 2007 Mini Transat (La Rochelle, France to Salvador, Brazil) Alex needs to complete a total of 1,000 nm of Classe Mini races. He passed through the Straits of Gibraltar during the night of July 13-14, making the passage across the Atlantic in just under 28 days. The conditions in the Med have been no less challenging than the Atlantic - it blows 25 knots, then 0, often with very little in between. In Alex's words - "I feel I really can't trust this sea." Assuming Alex make it to Port Camargue by Saturday, he won't have much time to rest before heading off for another 8 or 9 days onboard Genasun. Jeffrey Dingle
Well, I made it through Gibraltar, and spent some time sailing along the African coast. I'm back over by Spain now. North and South are pretty much free since I'm heading upwind to the East. My laptop's been pretty flaky, which is why I've been out of touch. Some shit about non-condensing environments? The winning formula was to wrap it up in my sleeping bag with its power adaptor and let it charge for a while so it could cook itself dry with the heat generated. The package of cookies I'm eating says, "Made to Share!" Oops. - Alex July 12th The wind shut off just as I was approaching the Straight of Gibraltar from the south, so I spent a few hours drifting off the coast of Africa in ridiculously steep 5 foot seas (in a calm?!), becoming food for biting flies. The Straight will be more fun at night anyway. Apparently, it would also be more fun in a gale, which is exactly what I got when the wind finally filled in just before sunset. So, instead of sleeping, I spent the night beating upwind under triple-reefed main into 35-40kt winds dodging ships and ferries while admiring the lightning. Later on in the night, the wind subsided to 15-30kts, which was apparently because the current had turned, and was now flushing me back into the Atlantic. I spent a few more hours beating upwind while moving backwards. By early AM, the current switched again, so the seas picked up and the gale returned. July 13th The wind gradually subsided, and I was able to make some progress, while admiring the beautiful cliffs and mountains of Morocco's coast. I passed by a small town between Tangier and Ceuta, which I will have to look up, which was building an enormous sheltered harbor, and had an extensive wind farm. Occasional thunder and lightning most of the day. Passed Punta Almina in the afternoon, marking the end of the Straight. Saw the Rock of Gibraltar on the north shore through the haze. At night, the wind shut off, and I was drifting for a while in moderate seas. Later on, the seas rapidly built to a steep, breaking 5-8 feet. In a calm. The question occupying my mind was "WTF?". I was answered soon enough, when the wind that had caused the seas filled in, and began blowing 25kts. July 14th Beating upwind to the east. I feel I really can't trust this sea. Every day, it blows 0, and it blows 25, often with very little in between. Sometimes there are oscillating 90 degree wind shifts. The sea is usually heavy and steep, and often independent of the local wind. There is a lot of shipping traffic. I spend most of my time heavily reefed down, because conditions change so rapidly. A reefed solent (jib) and a triple-reefed main are about right for upwind in 25kts, and they do equally well in calm, though the combination is a little lacking when the wind is down to 20kts. July 15th Passed by Isla de Alboran this morning. It's a barren island maybe half a mile long, with just a lighthouse, an out-building or two, and apparently a small harbor of refuge on the far side. What fascinates me so much about tiny islands like this? Maybe the simplicity. Sailed in behind Cabo de Gata and had enough shelter from the waves to make some rice and pre-made Indian food for dinner. Sailed to a mile or so off of Almeria, and tacked to port to head offshore once I reached the 30m depth line. It's a pretty cool looking city, with lots of development underway (many many cranes). There are huge mountains just a few miles from shore, and a 7,000' peak a little further in. Too bad Boston isn't more like that. I saw a big (the size of a small cruise ship) ferry come in towards port. A pilot boat approached the ferry, then came right alongside, and somebody hopped off the pilot boat and climbed up a rope ladder into a door halfway up the side of the ferry. Damn.Maybe that's standard practice?! July 16th Winds a little lighter today, thankfully. Crossed the Meridian late in the evening! July 17th Downed a few Red Bulls for breakfast, because I found that the bottoms, not being plastic-coated like the rest of the can, had corroded through and were starting to seep. This is truly beautiful sailing. Winds picked up to about 10kts in the afternoon, seas 1-2 feet. Flat, clear, and just about fully powered up. Dry decks; portholes and hatches open. It seems strange now, looking off to the horizon, that there's land a day or two away in almost every direction. Buzzed by a twin-engine prop plane in the afternoon. Looked to be private. The radar alarm works on planes too! Deutschland sends the most beautiful radiofaxes I've ever seen. I guess I'd send some pretty nice radiofaxes too if I had 20kW. Made a pound of pasta for dinner... July 18th . . . and lunch, and . . . Damn...I wish I had decided to bring my 12V fan. Hot! |