Gulf of Maine: 07 Jul - A Light Touch

We departed Hull YC at 1330, intending a 280 NM leg to Shelburne, Nova Scotia. I am familiar with Shelburne Town and have made the jump from Provincetown MA to Shelburne twice. The leg from Hull is about 50 NM longer and will probably be the longest on this cruise.

We motorsailed comfortably into a light headwind until 1900 when we set the # 2 Genoa (130%) and were able to lay 090 M, due east (magnetically speaking), and our desired course to Brazil Rock off Cape Sable, Nova Scotia. Brazil rock isn't in Brazil, but it's the standard landmark when approaching Nova Scotia from the west. An hour earlier we'd encountered a somewhat unusual two-masted steam yacht about 90 feet on deck (left photo) who crossed us right to left (that is, he was the stand-on vessel). Strangely he gave little or no radar image, and I was almost surprised by his appearance. I politely dipped under his stern and continued on, neither vessel formally acknowledging the other.

By 1945 we had picture-perfect sailing: the self-steering windvane was doing all the work as we close reached on starboard tack into S winds of 8 to 12 knots, laying our course and making 4.8 knots over the bottom (photo at right). Were we to maintain this speed we would arrive in Shelburne much too early for both daylight visibility and for customs, but it was too soon to consider slowing down. About 2 hours later, the sea made the decision for us and we tucked 2 reefs in the main and one in the Genoa (to about 110% LP). Winds were S about 12 to 16 with bumpy seas, and I don't like bumps.

In this fashion we passed the remainder of this first day at sea.