ROMARIN'S LAST PASSAGE
Long Ago and Far Away
copyright 2013 Edwin P. Cutler
TO PUT ROMAIN UP FOR SALE IN FORT LAUDERDALE
(this is straight out of the 1995 log. To maintain authenticity
Errors and missing words
have not been corrected)
2 July 1995: Sunday In English Harbor, AntiguaEd cuts Wendy's long hair to a bob. She sheds a tear but then realizes a free feeling. Her hair now dries in five minutes instead of overnight. We are planning to go to Spokane, WA for Valerie's wedding.Shall we leave Romarin in Antigua or sail to Ft Lauderdale. We decide to sail to Ft. Laud and plan the passage.
3 July Monday: English Harbor, AntiguaIt blew and poured at 3:00 am but quit by the time we put the dodger up.Wefax shows more clouds coming from the S.E. Jol holds little hope for more rain.There is a Tropical Wave 58W S17N (?)Ed says the clouds S.E. of us are high clouds.We snorkel at north end of Pillars of Hercules where it is 10-30 feet deep with clear water. Lots of boulders and fish. Better for snorkeling than farther out where it's much deeper. We saw 2nd phase ^ bluehead wrases swim together then swim part over and over. The Fishwatcher's Guide says the are mating in a free for all. we also saw scrawled filefish which hid under a rock when we dove. Ed installed a new wheel for mizzen halyard: Edson wheel, stainless steel pin, screws in wood with head overlapping pin. We visit Bell on Adventuress, also Merrit and ______ chartering, and had a drink, dinner and talked until midnight.
4 July 1995 Celebration in English Harbor with fireworks.That high cold cloud we saw yesterday came barreling through at 50 knots as recorded by someone at 5:00 am. Thank goodness it was dawn and we could see boats dragging.Adventuress dragged & SYC guy helped Bill reanchor after reachoring an SYC catamaran that drug from Freeman's Bay taking a mooring ball with them. They moved and the mooring ball is floating off our port quarter. Hope no one tries to use it. Raised mizzen to top & popped bolt with NO effort. Ed replace worn halyard roller with a 3 1/2" Edson cable wheel. Edson has a deep slot which should prevent cable from jumping out.
Elvis returns our Suzuki outboard which runs great. John Holt sells $1100.00 box to pick up satellites, we don't buy it. Ed replaces main roller with another Edson wheel.
5 July English HarborWE go to St John's on a jitney bus. WE enlarge Theophilus and copy Romarin 4-up.develop film Call Kim Stecko - she's fine, boy Jachary Elias born 7 May six weeks early, now weighs 9 lbs. She's going back to work at the end of August. Liat says computer got on plane in Antigua but never got off in Miami, and it wasn't insured.
6 July 1995 English HarborLunch with Lisa & Desmond __________ at the Inn.Ed ordered info on Hoot.Jim Riley: enter Fr. Lauderdale, turn left, go 1 1/2 miles, turn right, go 1 1/2 miles, tie up at Tugboat Sally's Rest.
7 July 1995Ed goes ashore.He buys 10 foot gaff pole from Robert Gordon.Ed order ticket for 1 August to Spokane, 8 August to Maryland, 12 Aug epc to Ft. Lauderdale, 12 August Wendy to Shelby and Children in North Carolina. Ed shows WEFAX to Jol Byerly.Ed finds downwind sail plan in Wanderer III p.20 Dinner at The INN
8 July English HarborWE grocery shopTop off water & fuelWE reanchor & reanchor to get away from Sanctuaryclean chain
9 July We're off to Ft. LauderdaleWe're off! wind E16, sky hazy white. Jol says to keep looking over our shoulder for dark clouds. We must like to make long passages, we do it so often. VI radio: A low level wind surge spread African dust rapidly west into the Caribbean. This haze holds the warm air in, making for hot humid weather.TW 57W S17NTW 41W S17N lo at 11,41 1012TS Barry 105nm SSE Halifax WE see hundreds of little not flying fish splash as we crest each wave.
10 July 1995 St. Martin to N. of St Croix, US Virgin Islands04:41 Hove to off SW corner of St. Martin and wait for day light.We run away wing on wing on wing but stow mizzen after preventer breaks in hopes that we can "self-steer" better.12:00 17 59.8 63 37.2 noon positiondmg _________ days to go ___________Virgin Island Radio: TW 62-63W S17N TW 44-46W S12N lo at 14, 45, 012 TW 30W S17N TW expected Wednesday night or Thursday at Virgin Islands with rain and thunderstorms. 16:30 A coast guard helicopter buzzed us. 18:00 Later it landed on a Coast Guard ship which is off our port quarter about a mile. 19:30 As it gets dark the CG ship, #324, approaches, circles us with searchlights and puts over a small boat which comes up on our starboard quarter. Ed starts telling them what he (we) think and I hit his legs until he calms down. The large inflatable approaches and puts four young men aboard. They are very polite. They want to do, will do, a safety check. They go below & check flares (1988) but don't test them or there will be flare sighting reported, ilio(?), we all know they are good -- just out of date. Next they test our fire extinguisher -- okay -- we passed, even though I don't think it would do a bit of good in a real fire. By now two of the guys are seasick, one physically right over the side. they insist on sitting on the dinghy on the starboard side as we run downwind. I say on a broad starboard reach to assure the main boom doesn't sweep them off. The boom is prevented but that's no guarantee. These guys idea of safety has little to with a sailboat. One man is sitting at the cockpit table writing; the second asks to see our life preservers which are stowed forward -- old & tags torn, also all tied together even child's also out of reach. Strongly suggest we get two new ones & keep them handier. The sick guy is taken off into their dinghy -- each to his own ride. I don't bother to say we're going downwind in 18 knots & it's great. They should try upwind in 20+ knots. We get our "41 " showing we have been boarded. We shake hands & they gratefully get back in their dinghy. We heave a big sigh of relief. What a useless potentially dangerous farce. We should write up Aunt Nanny and Uncle Sam.
11 July Tuesday N. of St Croix to Salinas, Puerto RicoWe head west. We sail, we sleep, we eat. I do the 3am-6am watch. What a gorgeous sight -- the moon setting ahead of us, the stars wheeling slowly overhead. What are those stars in the east, one east, one NE. The Pleides are halfway up. The sky lightens turns pink and it's day. Our doctor tube self-steering is doing pretty good but with the genny poled out the sheet doesn't quite have the correct motion so we half steer. Plus the wind shifts back & forth & we need to adjust for every shift. Ed saw the wind generator upper support sliding on wire & went up mast in chair to replace wirelamp(?) Picture of Silhouette on Main.
e've decided to put into Salinas for the night. I think Ed wants to see what the tropical wave will do. It's not a depression, but it's strong. Tomorrow we'll reevaluate, tonight we rest. We go between red buoy and light pole & head north to 10 feet and drop the anchor at 17 56.5, 66 16.4 after the sun sets & watch the rising moon. dmg = _______, DTG = _________ We had raced a thunderstorm along the coast but it piffled as he got here. WE told the coast guard we going straight to Ft. Lauderdale. I hope they don't report us missing.
12 July, Wednesday in Salinas, Puerto Rico What a glorious sunny breezy day with a SE 10 knot wind. Maybe there was a tropical wave over us yesterday. [wind NE ahead of TW, SE after TW] The SE wind picks up. (yesterday we had decided we could anchor here as long as the wind is not SE.) We decide to move. Ed starts the engine & I start the anchor up and the engine slows down and quits. We switch. I drop the anchor. Ed tries engine but no go. He raises the main & anchor and we sail at 6 knots around to just inside harbor entrance at 17 56.95, 66 17.44. There's a shallow spot to our port. We're backing toward it! It's moving? Three manatees stick their noses up. Are we dragging? Ed dives on anchor but its muddy he hits bottom before he sees it. He rigs float, string & weight, tide bottle and wrench, and I dive & follow chain which is buried in soft mud. I finally get to anchor, lose it & have to start again. An eleven foot manatee comes within four feet and looks at me. It slowly turns and ambles off. It had eight inch fish swimming underneath. I find anchor which is buried in soft mud and tie the string to the chain.VIR: TW 73W S20N-W15It is to be in Puerto Rico Thursday at noon. TW 56W air force finds no circulation. but 30-40 kts in squalls. TW 43W TW 19W New
13 July 1995 Switch engines Calm all night & into the am. Then a zephyr from S which swings to SE as trades picked up. WE spend the morning switching engines - 25hp now pushes romarin [what engine?], checking wind generator -- okay, grease steering, and adding Mona Passage to GPS route 1 list. At 13:00 we up anchor & sails & we're off, heading west hugging the coast.VIR: TW 78W S20N->W10-15 TD#3 63.3 S24N->WNW at 2100 Zulu TD#3 is at 20.7N, 64.4W TW 49W S20N->W10-15 TW 23W S17N->W10-15 Wow! WE made 28 miles today and got rained on. During the night, NEOC sent "offshore" images just to Mona Passage. We hove to & make 1 mph N.
14 July 1995, to Guayanilla, Puerto Rico07:30 We're still sitting here with a bare zephyr: heading South, going north 0.3 kts. NEOC is back to North Atlantic images. Batteries down to 12.2 volts last night.05:00 Tropical Storm Chantal 21.3, 65.2 heading WNW7, 35g40, 125 miles on NE side, 50 elsewhere. WE dive over & hang onto ladder. Under Romarin we see lots of 2" fish. Noon position, 17 53.5, 66 49.1 30.3, total 304.6 [dmg?] Ed has changed sails; started with poled out genny on starboard then poled out genny (2nd) on port, then mizzen staysail with tack & sail on starboard. Wind if veering- presently SSW! We're beating. Wind backs, drop staysail, raise main, pull in tight, West is best we can do, but we want to get offshore before it goes calm. Ed tacks. We wander SW-SE all night.10:00 am. TS Chantal #5 21.3, 65.2 -> WNW 290(4 kts)(?) 1009, 35g40. Ed said he sees himself writing a couple of successful novels, getting rich and doing whatever we want. I said I had also had that thought, but hadn't wanted to burden him. TWs 31, 41, 54, 82 [we are at 67, between two TWs and appr. 195 miles south and 128 miles west of Chantal or 233 miles away]
15 July 1995 S. of Guayanilla to R2 Cabo Rajo, P.R. Wind south! and we want to go NNW.7:00 We're heading NW for Isla Mona.8:00 Ed's up, we're sailing wing on wing on wing NNW x1/2 kt.0500 TS Chantal #8 21.7, 67.0 -> NW 305(5), 1006, 45g55 34: 100 125, 25 100 [what is this?]1700 TS Chantal #11 23.3, 68.3 ->WNW 330(7), 1005, 45g5534: 100 125, 25 100 [what is this?]12:00 noon, 17 56.38, 67 20.43 29.9nm total 334.6 17:30 We're finally on a starboard broad reach.We started up the Mona Passage on a port broad reach then a run as the wind (8-12kts) backed from S-SxE to SSE.We'd pray for a wind like this going east.
16 July Sunday R2 Cabo Rojo to off Cabo Engeno, D.R.A beautiful night and morning. Wind backed a point to SSE. We sailed on a port tack until noon. Then wing on wing on wing.12:00 noon 19 3.1, 68 32.1 95.3 nm, total 429.9 to go 834.713:30 Mad Max(NMN) is still doing the last report (13) on Tropical Storm Barry from last Sunday! I wish I could call them. It takes five minutes! [for what?]10:00 Tropical Storm Chantal#14 25.8,69.1->NNW(335)8,50g60 14:00 "Wendy, come up here." A black cloud comes up behind us. Ed releases preventers & drops pole &we prepare for a blast. It comes from the SW-25kts, not so bad, we reach NW. Next cloud comes - not much wind but a deluge. Ed holds the wheel, I go below - then it really starts raining. It rains until 16:30. Ed dries off & goes to bed.Light SW wind backing.
17 July 1995 Monday, off Cabo Engano to off Cape Viejo Frances Early am. We're on a broad port reach with our "self-steering" tending the helm. Cape Viejo Francis is ahead to the west. The moon is directly behind us & we leave a silver wake in the gently following seas. Is there a more beautiful or peaceful place?10:00 TS Chantal 29.8, 70.8 -> N10 50g75Wind keeps backing. Try wing on wing on wing, then switch to broad starboard reach. Wind is out of the east after four days. Sky is getting white.12:00 noon 19 43.05, 69 40.96 76.3@302 total 506, to go 760It is 420nm at 291 degrees to Cayo Lobos on the S. Bahama Bank. No change in course for 420 nm! Of course the wind will shift so we'll have to change sails. TWs@32, 52, 72, 96A TW will cross Virgin Islands tonight and Puerto Rico tomorrow, Tuesday.
18 July 1995 off C. Viejo Francis, DR to off Ile Fortune Haiti We're sailing wing on wing (no Mizzen) & the"self-steering" doesn't so we're having to steer. In the morning the wind backs & freshens. We come over on a port tack. The wind continues to strengthen and we decide to drop the main. We're going as fast but without the pressure. I go up front and watch swells blot out the sky behind Ed at the helm. Sometimes they break on either side, but our wake keeps them from breaking on us.12:00 noon 20 30.7, 72 38.6, 626/643m 85 mpd, 7.6dtg(?)17:00 T.S. Chantal#23, 35.2, 66.9 ->NE(45)15,996, 50g60 34:75 25 125 100 [?] We're heading too far south and come over on a starboard tack. Now we're aiming for "off Gt. Inaqua" The wind has veered south of east as a tropical wave goes over us. USVI calls it a TW aloft and it seems to be high high clouds. A busy not poetic day.
19 July 1995 off Ile de la Fortue, Haiti to off Great Inagua00:00 20 24.7, 72 45.6 6.2(290) 56.7(283) to off GT Inagua We sailed on a starboard tack all night. In the a.m. we picked a new mid-channel waypoint - off Liecrecia and we're heading for it. First two foresails wing on wing, but the wind veered to SSE so now on a port reach with mizzen & two big foresails - honest - sounds dumb but it's working. the inner genny is tacked to the eye on the deck by the main mast. Wind has gone light.11:00 We see Gt. Inagua way to the North.12:00 noon 20 47.9, 73 34.9 110.2nm@279.3, 736/528, 87.7 mpd, 6.2 dtg (?)Chantal As the day progresses, the wind slows to 6 knots(4?) and we drift NNW toward Gt. Inagua. Ed wears ship so we head SW away from the island. Sails: tanbark genoa on forestay, white genoa pegged on deck by mast & mizzen. rig: The main sheet/topping lift holder - one of the sheet arms broke. Ed rerigged for one sheet arm. (?) At sunset the wind picked up to 12-13 kts U& we're sailing WNW 4.5-5.0 kts.
20 July 1995 off Gt. Inagua to not quite off C. Lucrecia A good sail all night. Tanbark genny to port used to steer us, white genny pegged on deck and polled out to starboard and mizzen to port. We've sailed like this since sunset - WNW-NW.
06:30 Sun rose thru haze, lots of cirrus. Going to sleep listening to the swish of swells and the gurgle of the hull.08:00 21 10.0, 74 42.1 Going NNW, switch self steering to to WNW. ad/ Suggestion 1 ROMARIN: Classic(1938) wooden boat. Our only home for eleven years as we sailed the Caribbean. Well maintained (except for brightwork). Reasonable offer telephone# (or P.O. box). 12:00 noon 21 19.0, 75 5.1 6.0(290), 826/438, 87.9 mpd 5dtg Today we crosses the sun - it's now south. Because of the haze & therefore limited visibility we've only seen Cabo Engano, Cabo Viejo Francis & Gt Inagua. The rest of the time we might as well be in the middle of the ocean. ad/ Inexpensive liveaboard sailboat for cruising the Caribbean Sea. (30K firm) Ed has spent the day on the foredeck changing sails & poles. He can balance himself & the heavy pole while we're rolling & pitching like carnival ride -- impressive -- he looks like a young man.
21 July 1995 Friday not quite off C. Lucrecia to . . .00:00 21 31.6, 76 7.6 4.8(289) 73.0(293) to Old Bahama Channel. Ships passed both ways all night. They must pass in the day also but we can('t) see them without their lights. Saw a few shore lights & an aero radio beacon(?) It was white & rotated sometimes, other times no light12:00 noon 21 49.7, 77 5.0 4.5(301),942/326,90.6mpd 3.6dtg13:30 83.5, Exs13(?), all over hazy, 10% ch, vis <12 miles. No sail changes except to pull the mizzen & genny sheets a couple of times.17:30 Finally sighted Cayo Romano - a thin grey line on the horizon to the west.20:00 22 11.8 77 35.8 Sighted Cay Verde & lighthouse to west. Cuban lights work, but no light on Cay Lobos.
22 July 1995 Saturday to off Cayo Frances Ships parade by all night. In the morning we saw condominiums(?) red roofs white walls on Cuban Cayo ________12:00 noon 22 46.5, 78 32.8 3.9(314) 99.1(305), 1041/225,mpd 91.3, dtg 2.5 Still genny & mizzen - we're hesitant to raise main. We go thru a bunch of thunderheads - they go across us. Then the wind backs to east & picks up to 13 kts. Parade of ships continues as we enter Santaren Channel.20:00 78 57.6 Sunset - exactly!10:00 Ed sails west thru thunderstorms. Still on course. Without a GPS we'd have to hove to.
23 July 1995 Cayo Frances to . . .07:00 Clear skies light SSE wind03:00 pm. Now it's my turns - rain & wind, wind & rain for an hour and a half. I steer at first then let the "self-steering" take over. At least it doesn't jibe.08:00 pm. The clouds that caused all the thunderstorms have gone west into the Gulf of Mexico. The TW which was at 81E yesterday - slanting NE-SW - is now half in the Caribbean and half in the Pacific.23:00 Another thunderstorm. Afterwards both the main & mizzen caps are glowing and three distinct separate blobs of light on the triadic stay. St. Elmos fire.
24 July 1995 to Pier 66 Ft. Lauderdale Wow! We're doing between six and nine knots! We're doing 2 to 4 kts over the water. There are at least 4 freighters in sight at all times.07:30 Off Miami at 07:30 heading for Ft. Lauderdale. 13:00 the tide is low an we enter Port Everglades on the last of the ebb & the start of the flood. 03:15 pm We're here! Docked at Pier 66
Ed says he has his most beautiful thoughts sitting by the wheel in the cockpit at night. Customs# 724950063tel# 1-800-432-1216Cruising Decal 5 508458 15 days since leaving Antigua