Sailing on Stap Isi

Departure from Mobile – March 18

On Wednesday we got an email from our friend Eric at the National Weather Service in Mobile stating that it looked like starting Friday we would have about a seven day window in which to reach Isla Mujeres. The only caveat was that due to a weak front moving across the Gulf on Tuesday the 22nd, it would be good if we could be below 25 north latitude by then. That gave us four days to make about 300 miles. No problem we thought so we quickly made the final preparations for leaving on Friday.

There is an old sailors superstition that it is bad luck to start a voyage on Friday. But we did not want to cut a day off our weather window to cater to a silly superstition. Bad move. Friday morning early we cast off from the fuel dock and started down Mobile Bay. We had 45 gallons of fuel on board, enough for about four days of motoring. I had considered buying another couple of 5 gallon containers before we left but decided that 4 days of fuel to make a 6 day trip should be plenty. Certainly in 6 days we would get a couple good days of sailing. Bad move number two.

The First Two Days – Wind on the Nose

The first couple of days were really fairly uneventful. What little wind we had was right on our nose so we kept the motor going and headed south. At this stage in the trip we did not have the luxury of taking our time since we wanted to be below 25 north by Tuesday.

We saw a lot of dolphins the first day and surprisingly they turned out to be the only dolphins we saw on the entire trip. There were a lot of pelicans and gulls and an amazing number of oil platforms. Through the first day and almost all night we were never out of sight of one or several platforms. It was sort of reassuring to look out and see them there.

On Saturday the wind had started to pick up and we put up the sails a couple of different times. But since the wind was still from the south, sailing required tacking and that added miles to the trip. So for the most part we continued under motor. By Saturday night the wind was blowing at 20 knots from the south and the seas had picked up to 4-6 feet. It made for an uncomfortable night and neither of us slept well.

Dawn Sunday found us still motoring and making good progress against the wind which had now picked up to about 25 knots. The seas were in the 5-7 feet range and increasing. We were starting to get a bad feeling about how things were developing.

The Perfect Mesoscale Convective Complex – March 20

That bad feeling proved justified. A little after noon we could see storm clouds gathering in the west and soon could see a squall line approaching. Kyle watched it carefully and it was obvious after a couple of minutes that it was roaring down on us. We had the main sail up at the time to give the motor a bit of a boost so we decided that this would be a good time to get it on the deck before the line hit. We got it down and secured just before the squall line arrived.

Suddenly our world turned inside out. The wind increased to 30 and then 40 knots and then higher yet. There was a weather buoy just south of us and we found out later that it recorded gusts as high as 56 knots. The seas began to build quickly and by 3 PM we were in 15-20 foot waves. The wind was ripping the tops off the waves and foam and spray were being blown across the water. It was at once the most terrifying and awe inspiring sight we have ever seen. It is not often one gets to experience first hand the incredible power of God’s creation. And it is not something that we ever hope to see again.

There was no question of continuing on course through this. We kept the motor on and simply ran with the storm, trying to keep the stern to the waves. Studies have shown that boats are least likely to be capsized by a wave when they are stern on to the direction the waves are traveling. We were hoping that the studies were correct.

By dusk Kyle had been fighting the storm at the tiller for six hours. The power of the waves were just too much for Kathy to handle. And after six hours Kyle was beginning to wonder how much more he had left. There was no way that he could continue at the helm for another six hours. We began discussing whether to call the coast guard to see if they could give us some advice. If the storm was predicted to continue, we might need to consider having them come and assist us. Finally after another hour with no sign of the storm letting up Kyle made the decision to make the call. With having gotten little or no sleep the previous two nights and now with almost 8 hours of fighting the helm, he was done in. He told Kathy to come up and take the helm for just a bit while he made the radio call.

Just at that moment, the wind seemed to die down a bit. We waited to see what would happen. In a few minutes it was clear that the wind was abating. With new hope came new strength and Kyle was able to continue at the helm for another couple hours during which time the wind dropped to 25 and then to 20 knots and the seas began to calm. As soon as things had settled to where the autohelm could handle the tiller, Kyle turned it on, pointed it west to continue running with the seas, and we both collapsed into bed. We kept no watch that night – neither of us really cared if we were run down by a freighter or not.

Go West Young Man – March 22

At first light the next morning, it was clear that the seas had subsided enough for us to alter course and start heading southeast again. We had lost almost 75 miles to westward during the storm; over 12 hours of sailing time. But there was nothing else we could have done. During the day we continued to make our way to the southeast trying to make up the ground we had lost the day before. The goal of reaching 25 north by Tuesday, which had seemed so easy just a day ago, now seemed a bit questionable.

We were able to get the sails up again and finally shut off the motor. In the first three days we had consumed over half of our fuel on board, but we thought there was still plenty left for the rest of the trip. As the day wore on, however, the wind continued to drop until finally there was no choice but to start motoring again.

Each day we made a phone call via our Iridium satellite phone to Eric in Mobile for a weather briefing. Tuesday morning he told us that the mid-week front that was to move through was looking stronger than earlier predicted and that our best move was to be as far west as possible. That would keep us out of the area where it would intensify. After Sundays little affair, we’re all for staying away from intensifying storms. So we headed west.

Tuesday started out with enough wind for us to be sailing, but once again as the front approached the wind dropped to nothing. On went the motor again. Kyle was beginning to get the first feelings that maybe he should have bought that other 10 gallons of fuel, but was still confident that we would make it.

That evening the front approached and we could see cells of thunderstorms lining the horizon. As it got closer we could also see areas where there was no lightning. The plan was to aim for those and hopefully get beyond the front without encountering a storm.

It worked. By 8:30 PM the storm had passed and we heaved to and got a good nights sleep, planning to start east again in the morning.

Now East East East, Faster – March 23 – 25

When we talked with Eric the next morning, he emphasized that we must be into Isla by Saturday. The next front would be coming through on Sunday and it was not one to mess with. We were beginning to be thankful that we had waited for a weather window. We certainly would not want to attempt a Gulf crossing when the weather was actually bad.

So we started east again. We had three days to cover the 300 miles to Isla Mujeres and only about 13 gallons of fuel left. That was about enough for 24 hours of motoring if necessary.

That first day was the best sailing day of the trip. Fifteen knot winds blew from the north and Stap Isi flew along at over 6 knots. We began to think that if this kept up we could cover most of the 300 miles in a couple of days and have plenty of fuel in reserve.

But it did not keep up. By early morning on Thursday the wind had died and we had to start up the motor. Thursday was a day of trying to balance the need to make headway east with the dwindling fuel supplies and the flukey winds. We sailed when we could and motored when we had to and all the time kept an eye on the fuel gauge. We wanted to have at least 12 hours of fuel left when we made that last turn south towards Isla Mujeres. That should leave us a few hours in reserve.

Finally on Friday the wind started to pick up and we were again able to sail almost all day. That was good since we were down to only 12 hours of fuel on board. Still it looked like we would make it fine.

Those three days took a lot out of us. The stress of avoiding the coming storm kept us from sleeping well. We were constantly tweaking the sails or adjusting the course to try to get every knot and every mile out of the boat. By Friday night we were both exhausted. But we were looking forward to spending Saturday night on the dock at Isla Mujeres.

Mexican Marine Rescue Service – March 26

At dawn on Saturday we made the turn south towards Isla Mujeres and ran into a wall. The wind was blowing hard from the south and we were running against a knot of current. The wind was raising the seas up to the 4-6 feet level and each time we pounded into one it lifted the water over the boat into the cockpit. We were soon a couple of drowned rats. That was of less concern to us than our fuel supply. Because of the wind and current we were having to run at higher rpms to make headway, and that was consuming fuel at a higher than normal rate. Kyle was thankful that he had left a safety margin of several hours of fuel.

As the day wore on, though, he began to be concerned whether or not that margin would be enough. We continued to plow on through the waves and wind and we continued to watch the fuel level drop. Finally at 11:30 we saw the large hotel at the northern end of Isla Mujeres. Kyle pointed it out to Kathy and told her that we should be there by one-thir… putt putt silence. The fuel was gone.

To the south was a reef with large breakers roaring over it. To the west was the shore of the Yucatan Peninsula. We were in fairly shallow water so Kyle kicked off the anchor to secure the boat while we got a plan put in place. It was a sail boat after all so we should be able to sail the last eight miles to the harbor. But in judging the strength and direction of the wind it was clear that we would not be able to make the harbor by nightfall. And coming into a strange harbor, threading our way around reefs and shoals, under sail, at night did not sound like a healthy thing to do.

Well we thought, we are only eight miles from Isla Mujeres. We can see it right over there. We will just call on the radio and get someone to come and bring us out a few gallons of fuel. So we called on the marine vhf. Nothing. Call again. Nothing. We tried the marine HF emergency frequency. Nothing. Kyle reminded Kathy that this was the Saturday of Easter weekend. Not the best of times for getting help. There were sport fishers around and each time one went by we fired a flare or two. Nothing, they just went on. This was getting frustrating. We used the satellite phone to call the Coast Guard in New Orleans for the phone number of the Mexican Coast Guard. The number they gave us connected us to what sounded like a bordello in Tampico.

Finally in desperation we called our daughter Melissa. “Get on the internet and look for telephone numbers in Cancun and Isla Mujeres,” we told her. “Then start calling and see if you can find some help for us.” She did and after an hour of calling random hotel numbers found a travel agent in Cancun who knew the person in charge of the rescue service in Isla Mujeres. Melissa gave him our coordinates and he promised to have them come to our aid.

The day wore on and we had about given up hope of receiving assistance when just at dusk the rescue service arrived. They had brought ten gallons of fuel in a huge container. In the high wind and seas we were experiencing, there was no way we were going to get the fuel transfered into our tank. So we asked if they could just tow us in. They were happy to assist and soon we were on our way again, being towed by the rescue service.

At 7:30 PM we arrived in Isla Mujeres and the rescue boat expertly got us along side the fuel dock. Finally after eight days, our passage was over.

The Little Yellow Bird – March 24

I think that the worst day of our trip was not the day of the storm. It was Thursday, the day of flukey winds. We were exhausted and completely stressed out about making Isla Mujeres ahead of the coming front. It just seemed that every step of the way we were hitting obstacles and our options were fast disappearing.

That afternoon while we burned precious fuel motoring for a couple more hours, Kathy told me to look aft. There on the wind vane was a beautiful yellow bird about the size of a canary. It showed no fear of people, hopping down into the cockpit and sitting on Kyle’s leg. It picked a bit at the hairs on his arm and then found a comfortable place out of the wind behind the beanbag chair, put its head under its wing, and went to sleep.

We were amazed. What was a bird like this doing hundreds of miles from the nearest shore. This was not a long distance cruiser with large powerful wings to soar on the air currents. This bird had to work hard to get where it was going. What was it doing here!?

All afternoon the bird slept. Occasionally we had to trim the sails and we scooted it out of the way. It sat patiently and when we were done it hopped back to its place behind the chair and went to sleep. It was our mascot and we were happy for its companionship.

And then early Thursday evening we looked and it was dead. The little thing had come to our boat, spent its last hours sleeping quietly, and died in its sleep. At first we were crushed and it seemed like just one more in the litany of setbacks. But then we were reminded of the scripture in Matthew 10 – “Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Therefore do not fear; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

We both knew at that point that God would bring us through. He had sent His messenger to remind us that the very hairs on our head are numbered and that He holds us all in the palm of His hands.

March 4 – Leaving Mobile

Sailors tend to be a superstitious bunch and one of those superstitions is that starting a voyage on Friday is very bad luck. We thought of that as we pulled out of Dog River into Mobile Bay on Friday morning. Of course all that superstitious stuff was just silliness, but it is a big ocean out there and to be honest if we had had the option of waiting a day we probably would have. But we had a six day window of good weather in which to make a six day trip so cool rationality won the day.

Other than being Friday, it was a beautiful day to start the trip. We had light winds and calm seas as we motored down Mobile Bay. Because the bay is so large, it took us six hours before we came to the last buoy marking the end of the Mobile Ship Channel. Now we were officially in the Gulf.

As soon as we cleared the last buoy, we hoisted the sails and shut off the motor. In the light winds the speed soon dropped from the 5 knots that Stap Isi was making under motor to under 3 knots. That simply was not going to do. Because of time constraints we really needed to average 5 knots or about 120 miles a day to make our window. So down came the genoa (a large foresail) and we fired up the motor again.

The rest of the afternoon was spent making final preparations for the first night. Kyle ran jacklines from a bow cleat to heavy stern cleats. With harnesses and tethers, these jacklines allowed us to remain tied to the boat at night and in heavy weather. We have a rule that anyone on deck by themselves, at night, or in heavy weather clips onto a jackline. By dusk, the boat was squared away and we were ready for our first night on the Gulf. The winds were still light and we were still motoring. With our fuel on board Stap Isi could make about 450 miles so there was no concern about running out of fuel on this leg.

Kathy took the first watch of 6 PM to midnight. Kyle dragged his sleeping bag up on deck and got a few hours sleep while the boat gently rolled and the motor droned. At midnight Kathy went below and Kyle settled in for the midnight to 6 AM shift. There were a million stars and the boat was moving well a over 5 knots. Night watch is a great time to sit and think and pray. A couple times dolphins would come by and swim along with the boat, their presence detectable in the darkness by the splashes when they jumped. It was a beautiful night and a wonderful way to start the journey back to PNG.

March 5 – In the Gulf

A little after midnight the wind started to pick up and we were soon in 10 knots of wind. The seas also picked up to 2-4 feet. Kyle was thinking about raising the genoa again and proceeding under sail but did not want to wake Kathy. (We have another rule that no one goes forward at night without getting the other person up on deck. Our biggest fear is for one of us to wake up one morning alone on the boat.) At 3 AM, though, the quiet of the night was broken by the beeping of an alarm. At first Kyle thought it was the autopilot acting up again. It had stopped working earlier in the day and he had been able to fix it. After a couple of minutes of hitting all the buttons on the autopilot to no avail, he realized the beeping was an engine alarm. He checked the control panel and found the low oil pressure light blinking and beeping.

At first this was not a concern. The alarm had gone off one time before while coming down the river and it turned out to be a loose wire. Kyle went down below and checked the connections but the alarm continued. By this time Kathy was on deck and she shut down the engine so Kyle could check the oil. The dip stick came up completely dry. Suddenly it looked like we had a situation.

Where would three quarts of oil disappear to? At first there was no evidence of a leak, and the engine had not been smoking excessively. Finally Kyle found oil sprayed on some fittings and it became clear what had happened. The raw water strainer (the device that filters seaweed and debris out of the engine cooling water) had broken off its mount, fallen and punched a hole in the oil filter.

At first it did not appear that this would be a big problem. Our biggest concern is that we had run the motor for several minutes after the alarm started sounding before we identified the source. Hopefully the engine was not damaged. We had spare filters and more oil so it should be a simple matter to put on a new filter and refill the crank case.

The raw water strainer, however, proved to be another thing entirely. There was no way to secure the heavy brass filter without getting into the battery compartment and removing one or more of the 50 lb deep-cycle batteries. By now the wind and seas were up and the idea of working on the motor while loose batteries galloped around interior of the cabin was not a pleasant prospect. In addition to that, the close work on the engine in the heavier seas had given Kyle a roaring case of sea sickness. So the work on the motor was punctuated by mad dashes to the rail.

Finally at about 4:30 AM, Kyle gave up the fight and crawled up to the cockpit, covered himself with the sleeping bag, and tried to get a grip on his stomach. We had left the main sail up and with the better winds the boat was still making 3-4 knots. Kathy kept an eye on things while Kyle tried to recover from the sea sickness. Finally at about 6:30 AM with the sun rising he felt a bit better and was able to tackle the strainer again. But he still could not find a good way to secure it. It was OK just sitting there, but if seas really got heavy there was the potential that it would start banging around in there and damage something else. Finally with nothing else to be done, he positioned the strainer as well as possible, closed up the engine compartment, and went on deck to get the genoa back up.

We figured that if we had fairly gentle seas (under 5 feet or so) for the duration of the trip, we could make it Isla Mujeres and make the repairs there. But if it looked like the weather was going to deteriorate it made better sense to return to Mobile for repairs. So our trip all depended on the 1 PM weather briefing we had scheduled with Eric Esbensen at the National Weather Service office in Mobile. He had been watching our weather window for us and would let us know how things looked further south.

It was a beautiful day for sailing and the boat was making 5-6 knots under sail alone. The sun was out and it was picture perfect. We enjoyed napping in the cockpit or reading while we waited for 1 PM. Finally Kyle called Eric on the satellite phone and got the briefing. It looked like we were going to soon encounter 20 knot south winds that would continue for a day or so. With those winds we could expect at least 5-7 feet seas and a lot of pounding as we proceeded to windward. That was not the news we had hoped to hear. When Kyle told Eric about our engine problems, he recommended that we abort the trip and return to Mobile. There would be another weather window later on.

So 100 miles into the Gulf, we turned the boat around and plotted a course that would take us back to Mobile. The wind vane (a kind of autopilot that works by wind power) was steering the boat and the conditions were great for sailing. During the day the wind continued to strengthen as it slowly veered around to the North.

As dusk approached we squared everything away and got ready for the night. Again Kathy would take the early watch and Kyle the late one. As the wind continued to veer we had to sail closer and closer to the wind in order to make our course. That meant a rougher ride as we beat into the waves. Spray was blowing over the boat and the occasional wave would wash over the bow. Finally the wind shifted to where we had to make a decision. We could either start tacking under sail to maintain our course or we could lower the genoa and start up the motor. We decided to go with the motor so Kyle clipped onto the jack line and carefully moved up to the bow. Kathy lowered the halyard while Kyle wrestled the sail to the deck. With the waves washing over the bow he got the sail down and tied securely to the deck.

• March 6 – Back in Mobile

The rest of the night was not a comfortable ride. We pounded into the waves with the wind directly on the nose. Kathy went below to try unsuccessfully to get some sleep. It was good to see that the motor was doing well and that it apparently had not been damaged by running with low oil pressure. Finally light began to appear in the east and soon, just as we were approaching the entrance to Mobile Bay we were treated to an absolutely stupendous sunrise.

Entering Mobile Bay we were out of the larger waves. It was a pleasant six hour trip up the ship channel to Dog River. Kathy got out the camera and took a bunch of pictures of lighthouses and fishing boats. Soon the channel markers appeared that indicated the channel into Dog River. We radioed ahead to the marina to inform them we were coming and they were ready to help us get tied up when we arrived.

The first order of business was to get the boat squared away. Because of all the spray, everything was coated with salt crystals. So we took the hose and gave the boat a fresh water bath. Then it was time for a hot shower and a rest. Just before dinner, Greg and Gloria, some friends we had met here in Mobile stopped by to invite us out for dinner. After dinner we went to bed and slept for 14 hours.

Right now we are working on the boat and waiting for another weather window. It looks like it could be the third week of March before it is safe to try it again.

January 11-15, 2005 – Mobile, AL

This week we are working on maintenance on Stap Isi and preparing it for the next leg of the trip. Since we knew when we left Moline that we would be making the trip to Mobile almost entirely by motor, we had not worried about getting the sails and rigging all set up. Now it is time to do that. We are sending our main sail to a local sail maker for some modifications, checking all the lines, sheets, halyards, and standing rigging, and basically getting the boat ready to sail. By next week we hope to be ready to take it out into Mobile Bay for a shakedown cruise. Our plans at this point are to be here for about two weeks and then start on the trip to Panama.

January 16-22 – Mobile, AL

One of the questions we are asked frequently concerns how we will keep the batteries charged while on the ocean. Being strong believers in having redundant systems, there are three methods available on Stap Isi for charging our battery system. The engine has a 40 amp alternator so an hour of running the engine would replenish about a day’s usage. We also have a 1000 watt gasoline generator on board that can power the battery charger. While under way, the main method of keeping the batteries charged will be a wind generator. This is basically a small wind-driven alternator mounted on a long pole at the stern of the boat. In strong winds it can generate up to 40 amps of current.

Since we had been running the motor so much up to now, we had not worried about installing the wind generator. But when we leave Mobile it will be under sail power so it is time to get the wind generator up and running. This is one of our big projects for the week.

On Monday we finally got connected to the wireless internet system at the marina and were able to download two weeks of email and also to upload the logs to the web site. Everything was put on hold for a bit while we worked through a large backlog of emails.

The rest of the week was spent on various projects on the boat. Mobile has several excellent marine stores so we were able to find or order all the items that we need. On Saturday a cold front with high winds came through and as soon as the temps come up and the wind dies down we will be taking the boat out into Mobile Bay to do some shakedown sails.

January 23-29 – Mobile, AL

On Wednesday we were finally able to get the boat out onto Mobile Bay and get the sails up for the first time. We spent a few hours just sailing along on different points of sail and trying everything out. It all was going well until a shackle holding the main sheet broke and sent a block whistling over Kathy’s head. That was the end of the sail for the day. We got the main sheet cleated down, dropped the sail, and motored back in.

We had been saying that one of the goals for this time in Mobile was give everything that had a mind to break a chance to do so. It is much easier to replace parts at a marina in Mobile than it will be on the Gulf or in the Pacific. As soon as we got back in to the marina we replaced the broken shackle and then just to be safe went ahead and replaced all the rest of them on the boat. We also re-checked all the of the hardware to make sure that everything was fastened down tightly.

On Saturday we had a chance to visit the National Weather Service office in Mobile. Through a friend of a friend, we got to meet Keith and Eric, two of the forecasters at the NWS office. Eric is an avid sailor and was able to give us some advice about routing to Panama this time of year and also helped us out by introducing us to some of the weather resources on the web. When we get ready to head South, he and Keith said that they would assist us with choosing a good weather window.

Now that the boat is sailing, our plan at this point is to get it out on the bay every chance we can. Again, we mainly want to make sure that everything is functioning perfectly before we leave and to fix anything that is not.

February – Mobile, AL

February was spent putting the finishing touches on the boat and thoroughly testing everything on Mobile Bay. We alternated between sailing and working on the boat, installing something and then going out to test it on the bay. By the third week of the month everything was ready to go and we were just waiting for a weather window.

The trip across the Gulf of Mexico to Isla Mujeres should take us five to six days so we are waiting for a window of at least five days during which the winds and waves are manageable. Eric, the National Weather Service meteorologist, is working with us to find a safe window. Originally we had hoped to leave Mobile on February 27th but the NWS models showed two weather systems moving through the Gulf that week. Not a good time. So we are looking now at the first weekend in March.

While we are looking forward to being on our way back to PNG, we don’t want to take unnecessary chances. The goal is to actually get to PNG. So as February comes to an end, we are waiting and taking the opportunity to sail on the bay every chance that we get.