MAY, 2003

SOLO

After 7 weeks of hard labor on the Malta Yard it was time to set sail again and depart for Greece. I had planned to be in Greece one week before my first charter. For some time it was clear that I was going to do this trip solo for the frist time. A piece of sea of only 350 miles. A boat of only 57 feet. And no modern gadgets like radar, furling sails or selftailing winches. And still I was looking forward to this. For some years to be exact. I wanted to know what it is like; to be out there on your own, on the boat, making progress while amongst other things having to sleep……

Well, I would come to find out, but first we had to finish the boat. The deck was recaulked by the yard, we had replaced the complete chainplate on starboard (opening the complete hull) AND we had “played” again with the hydraulic steering and the autopilot. For more than 2 years this had been giving problems. First we changed the steering to hydraulic, with a hydraulic cylinder which turned out to be too small. Than the helmpump was blown up. Than we had the autopilot fitted and it turned out that we blew up the complete computer. Sylphe certainly does not like modern electronics. But we had it all replaced, with bigger gear. A bigger autopilot pump which turned out to be too big, in combination with a too smalle tillerarm….. you can imganine the problems….. But this year was going to be the year of the truth, and that autopilot was going to perform and give us the comfort that we had been looking forward to for such a long time. So once again we had the yard make the tillerarm to the right length, bought and installed the correct size hydraulic pump and had the whole system bled. All while still on shore.

The last days on the hard were panic, as usual. The yard people are frantically working to get everything done, I have some last minute request like a new flagpole, as our last one got stolen in Sicily, Sikaflex caulking everywhere, hydraulic oil everywhere, varnish, etc, etc and in the mean time trying to figger out what one has forgotten. But finally still 12 hours to go. Food and supplies have been bought, boat has been launched and is waiting to be taken out to sea…….

“Royal Tara” ,another sailing yacht, was also planning to go to Corfu. We have known them for years. And although she is somewhat bigger and certainly a lot more comfortable, the plan was made quickly to sail together. She has a full crew of 4, which would allow me to sleep more comfortably as they would have radar and a full watch. If necessary they could always try to wake me up by VHF. So, I still do not know whether it was out of pity or just for the company that they offered to sail together. We agreed to leave on Thursday morning. Over the last days we had watched all weather sites on the internet and finally the easterlies would stop and the normal NW wind would start, and that is actually what one needs if you want to go NE. To bed early and everything looked fine.

Because of a “small” error on my part (forgot to pay the yard bill) I was not able to leave that Thursday morning, bank transfers take some time after all. Royal Tara called in from outside Malta saying that they were heading into 22 knots of wind, with a rather rough sea. No intention on my part to go out for “a sea trial to Corfu” in conditions like that. 7 hours later the bill was paid, the wind had died down a little bit and I was free to go. No more excuses.

So, at six that evening I untied the mooring ropes and gently left the dock. Carefully trying to see and figure out if at least the manual steering was working normally. After all, I had dismantled it completely. But after a couple of turns through Valetta harbor it all seemed to be working. So the olive oil, with which I had topped up the system on my way to Malta, some two months before, had done no damage. I had heard and read all kind of horror stories about the sensitivity of the hydraulic system, valves, rubbers, etc.. I was only too glad to notice that at least the manual steering was working. Now we had to find out about the autopilot part….but for that I had to go to open sea. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating”, as the English say.

So, I hoisted the complete mainsail in the lee of the Valetta fortifications en turned out to sea. A nice sea was still present and I had not even hoisted a jib and we already had green water on deck. Switched on the autopilot to go forward for hoisting a staysail. Doing 7 knots. Due to having hoisted only the staysail the boat wants to luff very strongly, so the autopilot was giving rather some weatherhelm. And putting a reef in the main is too much work and also not really necessary under these circumstances. I sail into the first hours of the night and I brace myself with every wave that hits the boat. Is the autopilot coping, are we returning on course, is this sound normal?? Yup, everything works. After three hours at sea I open the floor above the hydraulic system to check for oil leakages. There is some oil on the floor. Was that there, is it new, is it leaking??? I mop it up and will check again in an hour. I will open that floor over the next two days at least a dozen more times. But for the time being we are on our way to Corfu.

The distance from Malta to Corfu of 350 miles is just a little too much for our diesel engine. Besides, I have a sailboat after all. Two years ago, I sailed with Marit from Malta to Zakinthos, about roughly 50 miles less. During that trip, the autopilot broke down after 50 miles, the B&G instruments quit working after 100 miles and all in all it was no fun trip. That image still haunts me and I hope we will not repeat it. This time I am on my own and I want to sail, really sail and not just motor to Corfu.

Those first few hours are the most exciting. Does everything work, does it hold up, wooow the waves are high, is the wind going to increase?? All but questions and no answers. There is but one answer and that is simply to continue. But still those first hours were not the happiest in my life. Does the rigging hold up, after all we had replaced the SB chainplate and for that we had opened the complete hull. What if we had not made it strong enough? The Port running backstay (also replaced) is getting a full load. The autopilot has to work hard in these conditions. But we continue mile after mile There is no turning back anymore. How much Amps is the autopilot drawing, can the batteries cope, when do I have to start the engine to recharge. Questions, fears, more than one cares to have. But still there is no choice. You are out there and no help around, or anyone to share your fears with.

Thankfully, the first nightly hours it is busy at sea. A lot of traffic. It keeps one busy and the hours tick away quickly. At 1 in the morning the wind dies down and the boatspeed comes down to 2 knots. I happily start the engine and the staysail comes down. I leave the main for some stability. After an hour I am used to the rolling of Sylphe and I decide to go sleeping. But I have no radar, and I am on my own. This time no “pal” to keep watch, while I am at sleep. So, I set the alarm for every 20 minutes. Remarkably I sleep well, but every time the alarm goes off, I guiltily and quickly look outside. Only to conclude that the sea remains empty around me. Back to sleep for another 20 minutes. The sun comes up and the wind increases to some 7 knots from the NE….and that is exactly the direction I want to go. I hoist the staysail again and switch the engine off. Yankee is hoisted and close hauled we are doing 2,5 knots in direction North. Not really where I want to go, but hey….no choice. The sun quickly warms me and I make some coffee and have a full breakfast, including eggs and bacon. Around noon, I am dozing off next to the helm and for the first time this season I get a sunburn, it won’t be the last.

The wind remains NE, frustration becomes part of me. During a few hours I become active and do some more jobs on deck. The sun slowly lowers and the colors of the sky change. I take a glass of wine to celebrate the first day at sea, but no more than that. The wind dies down, the jibs come down and the engine is started. Course is again straight for Corfu, that is the advantage of the engine. The first 24 hours have brought me less miles than expected, only 100 instead of 170, but Poseidon remains boss. I am having a pork chop with beans and potatoes, a more Dutch meal is unimaginable.

That night I go to bed earlier and by 10 I am off for y first 20 minute sleep. No traffic around and that makes it more dull. I have checked the hydraulic oil and opened the floor again. I have finally traced the “bonking” of the helm down to a problem which is not serious and can be fixed easily in the next port. The autopilot has been working brilliantly and is drawing far less Amps than I had expected and more importantly makes a lot less noise than the previous one. All but good news. I put the alarm on 30 minutes and the night slowly passes by. One time I slept through the alarm and wake up after an hour……..horrified….but no ships around. And in this way a new day breaks and the sun reappears in the East.

At 7 that morning I hoist the yankee and the staysail again, switch the engine off and try to advance with 3 knots direction Corfu. Not much speed and not really in the right direction, as the wind is only 6 knots from the N. The weather forecast on the VHF talks about NW winds, but I can not find them……… During that day we continue slowly and difficultly. The “old” waves still come from the NE and every time we hit one the boat slows down, jus6t after we had just gained some speed. Seldom the log indicates more than 3,5 knots and the wind never reaches more than 7 knots,…..but I am not complaining, it could have been worse. This day passes by quickly. The rhythm in which one falls. I again do some small jobs on deck. I check the hydraulic system, but that works wonderfully. So, this is what it is like to sail with an autopilot. I have not touched the helm in more than 36 hours….

The sun sets en the wind dies. Staysail comes down, but I leave the yankee and the main. Engine on and course is again for Corfu in a straight line. Still 100 miles to go. I make myself a nice noodle diner with a lot of spices. And again around 9 I am in bed, alarm set for 30 minutes. I have not seen another ship in more than 24 hours en no land for 45 hours. At midnight the wind seems to pick up. I hoist the staysail again, switch off the engine and enjoy the full moon. We are finally doing 5 knots in a direct line for Corfu under sail. I go back to sleep. An hour later we are doing 7 knots, and I go back to bed. An hour later we are doing 9 knots and I do not dare to go to bed anymore. Finally the wind is NW and with 17 knots……… We chase the waves, follow the moon and are deeply enjoying this ride under autopilot. By six in the morning the island of Paxos shows at the horizon. We are still doing 9 knots…….

An hour later, with the sun just above the horizon, I go forward to drop all sails. Twenty minutes later I am sweating to get the mainsail on the boom. We turn around the headland and into the bay of Lakka. Everything in the village is still asleep. Some twenty boats at anchor. I drop anchor and park the boat stern-to at the townquay. I have 10 cm of water left under the keel, when all ropes are attached. 350 miles. 73 hours non-stop alone at sea. With wind and without wind, with moments of happiness and joy, but foremost with moments of anxiety and some worries. Can I do this, can the boat do it?? What if……….

Well, I know the answers now……………

AHOY,

Roland