Open the below photos in a full-screen slideshow in Flickr
November 10th, 2009 – At Sea, 14 37N, 061 31W
by Rick Fleischman
They weren’t torpedoes, of course, but they certainly looked like them. But last night, in the darkest spell of a very dark night, before the waning moon made a fleeting, cameo appearance, the porpoises gliding alongside Ocean Watch looked like underwater missiles. In fact, they were, and their streamlined bodies, darting to and fro, radiating bursts and contrails of phosphorescence, were the best souvenirs of a long night at sea.
Since yesterday’s submission, the crew of Ocean Watch has left to port the islands of Montserrat, Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, Dominica and Martinique (above). These are islands I have not visited before. These are islands I will not visit today.
We are, however, zeroing in a Caribbean isle, for on Tuesday, as Ocean Watch continued southward, the crew was bound in the short term for a pit stop at Rodney Bay on the island of St. Lucia. The ETA for St. Lucia is for later this evening. It will be a relatively quick turnaround before setting a course for South America.
For this leg of our journey, we’ve been joined by Alaskan sailors Rick Fleishman and Jen Price, who’ve operated charter adventures aboard their Catalina 50 sloop, Sailboat Bob, in the incomparable waters of Southeast Alaska and Glacier Bay for over two decades. They say we get one chance to make a first impression, and with that old saw in mind, here’s Rick’s take on the outset of his adventures aboard Ocean Watch:
First Impressions by Rick Fleischman
For two days into our trip aboard Ocean Watch, I’ve been watching pretty much the whole crew hunched over their computers, pounding away on laptops, screening photos, and monitoring data. Now, with an open spot at the salon table, it’s my turn as I power up my ancient HP laptop sitting like a dinosaur amongst the sleek Macs.
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| Rick Fleishman riding a snow blower in Sitka. |
Wow-we’re not in Sitka any more, Toto! As has been amply documented, it is pretty hot here as we sail in light air through the Caribbean Sea with the occasional outline of a tropical paradise breaking up the constant line of the horizon. I’ve been impressed with the light air performance of the 44-ton Ocean Watch, as we glide along with a gentle roll at 6+ knots with under 10 knots of true wind. I expect that the boat will really take off when we finally get to the trade winds that should be waiting for us somewhere ahead.
I’m also impressed with the work of the crew. Dave Logan seems to keep everything running smoothly and is the only one with enough sense either not to have a laptop with him or not to use it. I spent my first three-hour off-watch sweltering on my bunk. The two-position wall switch for the fan produced no movement of air in either position. Slithering off my upper bunk at midnight, I asked Dave if there was a problem with the fan. He gave a quick look in the cabin, diagnosed operator error, and showed me the small toggle switch on the fan that I had been overlooking all night.
When Jen and I arrived at the boat, we found Herb McCormick comfortably ensconced in the mid cabin about the size of a small closet. Jen and I promptly moved in with him, hot berthing on the upper bunk. I’ve read and enjoyed Herb’s stuff for years, but after watching him for a couple days, I have a newfound appreciation for the time and effort he takes to spin entertaining, informative, and humorous looks at life aboard Ocean Watch.
Our onboard scientist, Michael Reynolds walks around the boat with a copy of a Patrick O’Brian novel. But for two days, I haven’t seen him have any time to read it as he is constantly monitoring the impressive volumes of data being gathered by instruments and machines that he designed, which are doing things and taking measurements that I can’t begin to imagine. On top of that he stands the same watch schedule as we all do.
David Thoreson, thrill seeker extraordinaire, has an impressive list of accomplishments. It’s obvious that his skills in high-latitude sailing, adventure biking, hiking, and climbing around the oceans and mountains of the world are first-rate. He is also a talented photographer, videographer, and writer. David has a genuine interest in all people and all things and his enthusiasm is infectious.
And then there’s our fearless leader and captain, Mark Schrader. Mark is the reason we’re all here. Ocean Watch is the result of his vision of a trip Around the Americas, traveling through the Northwest Passage on a mission to gather raw data about how the world’s oceans are reacting to global climate change. Mark makes all the tough decisions on board-when to motor, when to sail, which sails to use, and right now whether to stop in Martinique or St. Lucia for fuel. Mark does it all with a smile and a flair for doing things the right way.
We’ve had recent conversations with friends and family and know not everyone believes that climate change is
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| As an Alaskan, Rick knows first hand the significant changes brought about by global warming. |
happening or that human activity is accelerating the process. As Alaskan residents, we see first hand significant changes that are happening right now. In the 25 years I’ve been sailing in Alaska, I’ve watched tidewater glaciers that used to be active – thundering, as icebergs calved off tall blue faces of ice at the water’s edge – become silent slabs of ice, now quiet and covered with dirt and gravel as they have receded onto dry land. There are numerous pockets of dead trees marring our lush temperate rain forest. Yellow Cedars, with their shallow roots, are susceptible to freezing. As our winter temperatures rise, snowfall decreases. Without the insulating snow over their roots, global “warming” is causing these trees to freeze to death in large numbers. Natural systems are complicated. With no real scientific background, I have no idea whether these changes are natural or man-made. I do know that changes are happening and it is important to investigate fully the how and why.
If my wife Jennifer and I were sailing now in our home of Sitka, Alaska, we might be sailing through Chatham Strait in a southeast blow with winds gusting to 50 knots, wiping slush and snow from the windshield of our Catalina 50, Sailboat Bob. Instead we are fortunate enough to be sailing through the Caribbean under sunny and warm skies. We appreciate the way the entire crew of Ocean Watch has welcomed us and made us feel at home. The boat is awesome and the crew a talented bunch. We are lucky to have the opportunity to help out in any way we can without getting in the way of this top-notch, finely tuned sailing machine.
Humbly submitted…
- Rick Fleischman with photographs by David Thoreson
This crew log submitted by Iridium OpenPort and Stratos
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