04 Jul Soup
Soup
Last night at 2330 local I set about gybing the boat North. Not Northwest or even North Northwest. North. Capital N due North. The price to pay for this much-wanted change in direction was pea soup fog. It has been with us ever since.
Unlike the fog that usually forms over land, this here soup is good ol’ fashioned, West Coast advection fog. In non-technical terms, it’s here to stay until the wind blows from a direction other than south. In practical terms, it turns everything it touches to a dripping, sodden mass in no time flat. By the time I had the boat gybed and settled at 000T, I was soaked.
It’s one of those days when you look out the window and decide its a good day to stay indoors. Or bake bread. Maybe both. The cabin could certainly use some drying out as temperatures this morning hovered near 63F and relative humidity near 80.
Suddenly it is cold again. I am back to wearing wool and fleece. Sleeping requires a blanket and my all over tan acquired while sailing to windward in the tropics is rapidly becoming an all over pale. How quickly the tide has turned despite our prosaic progress. ( Sorry Mr. Lal, couldn’t resist that last bit.)
In another 24 hours or so, we should be able to make good a course with at least some East in it. My sojourn North could well end by then and have us pointed squarely at Brook’s Peninsula on Vancouver Island. I cannot believe it. The next landfall will be one I’ve made at least a half dozen times before. I’ve sailed the West Coast of Vancouver Island, landing where Cook and Vancouver landed, surveying where Bligh surveyed. It is familiar but now foreign.
Unlike all the other times, in the wake is the world.
Follow my tracks in real-time:
https://bit.ly/svseaburban
BT
Posted at 10:41h, 02 JulyBert, you are amazing! Following you progress and posts with great admiration for you courage and wishing / willing you success. You are on the downhill run now. All the best from an Aussie follower BT ( 2 degrees of separation from your Uncle Joe).
Sandi Lyon
Posted at 03:20h, 06 JulyThat looks about right. When it’s hot out in the ocean, its foggy and wet on the Wet Coast. That means you’re on the right track, heading the right direction. Finally. Woohoo.
Anita Kuntz
Posted at 00:10h, 08 JulyFollowing you journey and am truly amazed.
Suzan Persons
Posted at 15:43h, 09 JulyWhat an amazing journey!!
Karin Hill
Posted at 15:27h, 13 JulyBeen following you for a couple of months now. What an amazing journey! Your blog is insightful and humorous. Almost home. Safe travels!
MountainJack
Posted at 19:52h, 14 JulyHas to be an amazing feeling to be so near home, Bert.
Have spent months at sea “steaming”, not sailing, gaining my sea legs with the constant motion just became second nature. Getting back to a stable platform at dockside or over on the beach left me wobbly for a day or two. Cannot imagine how you’ll feel after a year of hardly ever being stable. There is that other thing having been on your own for that long; the familiarity of constant aloneness , the feeling of approach avoidance, being forced back into humanity. Might feel as though you could just extend a little bit more and savor the experience just a little longer…naw, probably not.
Welcome back home, Bert. You’ve completed one heck of a feat.
Arthur Oliver
Posted at 04:33h, 15 JulyGetting oh so close. What’s the ETA?
estelle C whiddon
Posted at 02:58h, 16 JulyBert, your homecoming Saturday will be a joyous occasion! I have followed the voyage daily and hope your arrival home brings much joy.
Peter Jungschaffer
Posted at 07:19h, 18 JulyThis has been so great. Thank you!!!
BT
Posted at 09:50h, 18 JulyHi Bert, you are just a few hours away from home. We are cheering for your most successful journey. We are especially amazed at the sailing conditions below Australia and New Zealand, as we can have some very big polar blasts hit us at this time of the year. Cannot imagine what it was like to sail through that type of weather. Can only take of hats off to you I amazement. Hope that you make it to Oz for a visit. What a wonderful achievement you have accomplished. /bt
Antonio Corbelletta
Posted at 16:15h, 18 JulyCongratulations! What an adventure! Well done. I have enjoyed tracking your voyage everyday just wish I would have know about it earlier, from the beginning.
Suzan
Posted at 18:13h, 18 JulyYeahhhhhhhhh Bert!!! You have done it!!!
Happy Homecoming – And stay safe!!!
It isn’t the same world that you left!!
I’m going to miss reading your travels and your adventures!! But thrilled that you’re home (almost) safe and sound!!
Next trip around the world, hope that you’ll stop along the way and post your photos of the locals and the ports!!
Raegan Elford
Posted at 19:23h, 18 JulySoldier who has logged more sea time than this Navy sailor.
What an incredible accomplishment (the journey vice logging more sea time than I)
BZ
Marianne Scott
Posted at 18:25h, 19 JulyCongratulations on your accomplishment! I guess we will have to put up a plaque commemorating your voyage on the Victoria Harbour wall.
Hope to see you this week.
Marianne Scott
Tom Cory
Posted at 07:40h, 23 JulyCongradulations Bert from Annapolis MD. A Great Adventure.
Mark
Posted at 12:24h, 29 JulyI don’t think that anyone that attended Estevan Junior High could have imagined that this was in the future for one of it’s students. I checked in at different legs of the journey and was fascinated every time. Congrats!
Marcel Neamtu
Posted at 07:14h, 06 DecemberWhat an adventure! But i do have a comment about the structure of the blog: it’s very hard for a late reader to read your earlier posts in a timely order or something. Very annoying to scroll all the time to your earlier posts..is there anything or I can be done? Am I missing something? If yes, pardon my ignorance.
Cheers and take care!