Although the temperature was only 76ºF/24.4C when I biked down to GANNET this morning, Hilton Head Island has entered the sweating season. Interior ventilation was not a high priority when Moore 24s were designed and below deck, even with the hatches open, GANNET does not get much air. I do sometimes wonder how water gets below so easily and air does not.
Nevertheless I managed to mount the Evo on the stern and arrange GANNET’s interior into a new configuration, neither harbor nor passage. I am skeptical about hybrids, but hopefully this will be good for the short distance. I have moved the anchor and rode deployment bag to the v-berth, filled one 5 gallon jerry can and tied it in its standard position on the v-berth forward of the port side of the main bulkhead, moved a clothing and a freeze dry food bag from the port pipe berth to the v-berth.
I have a second 5 gallon jerry can of water tied between the pipe berths and below the cockpit.
While doing this I inventoried the clothes bag and found that I have enough of everything except underwear which I will carry down with me tomorrow.
During her circumnavigation and even after when she was still in San Diego, GANNET was fully stocked, but since bringing her to Skull Creek I have removed a great many things from her. Some into the dock box. Some the condo. It will be good to live on board her for a week and see if there is anything else I am missing.
I also fit the Evo onto the transom. This was the third time I have done this and went well. I have learned that it is easier to attach the battery to the shaft when the shaft is turned at right angles. The distance to be reached is less and the groove on one side of the shaft onto which the battery must slide can be seen clearly.
I neglected to mention in the last post that last week I ordered and received various supplies, including Tanka and RX bars, both of which were brought to my attention some years ago by Steve Earley, for which I again thank him, and twelve cans of very superior Rio Mare tuna which I was told about by Tom Head, for which I again thank him, too.
Keeping my options open, I bought three courtesy flags: Iceland; UK: Canada. At a cost of less than $10 each from Amazon I can afford to be a big spender.
I also bought a new American flag. The one used during GANNET’s circumnavigation is too faded and worn, though honorably.
So few yachts visit Iceland that it is difficult to learn proper Immigration and Customs procedures. I found a contact page on an Iceland government site, asked some questions, and a day later received a courteous and useful reply, although it neglected to respond to my asking if they require a clearance from the last port. The US does not require US yachts to get Customs clearance before departing, but most countries want that piece of paper. I was hassled in Panama for not having it. I expect I can get a clearance from a customs office in Savannah, though it will be an expensive Uber ride there and back.
I have said that I have never taken an uncalculated risk. In thinking about the sail to Iceland I have realized that is not true. There is no way to calculate the risk of the hurricane season. So it is more accurate to say that I have never taken an unconsidered risk.
To use the Yellowbrick one must pay a monthly fee of £12 and one must also buy credits which are used for each position update or email. If you are wondering, only Carol has my Yellowbrick email and during a passage we exchange only a brief email once a week, usually on Saturday. I send, ‘I’m fine.’ She sends back the same. And that’s it. I don’t go to sea to have conversations.
Not having been sailing, I deactivated my Yellowbrick. I have now reactivated it and paid for the next six months. I still have several hundred existing credits.
I will turn on the Yellowbrick for the sail to St. Marys and the return. I will set it to transmit a position every three hours.
If you want to follow, the tracking page is: https://my.yb.tl/gannet
4 comments:
You'll want a Scottish flag as well.
That is a very good point. Despite Laphroaig 10 year being my favorite liquid, of the three possible returns the British Isles are the least likely. I generally seek to avoid political controversy. However I will say that were I a Scot, I would have voted for independence. Were I an Australian or a New Zealander I would vote to become a republic. I have no admiration or respect for monarchs who are merely descends of brigands who happened to be in place when the music stopped.
In the above ‘descends’ should be ‘descendants’.
Nice 'hop' from the condo to the boat when you activated the YB...at least the 4/26 set of positions. :)
Oh..FYI - US Customs. It may be a little more convenient than Georgia if you are sailing north/from the north..I believe there is a US Customs office just inside the lower Chesapeake Bay Bridge, in Little Creek, VA. I know some friends that check in there when they are returning to MD home waters from Bermuda. I have zero knowledge of the procedure, however.
Enjoy the voyage.
-Shawn
Solomons, MD
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