Guest Author: Chris Miller
“Our AWA has swung around to 175 degrees. I think we should jibe the jib” says our captain, Brett. (Note: Those may or may not have been the exact words spoken.)
As the others jump into action I’m sitting there thinking, “Huh? What does any of that mean”? And so my introduction to sailing began.
When Brett and Kay asked if I might be interested in helping them sail their 52 ft boat from Vancouver Island to San Francisco I jumped at the chance. But not because I have a deep love of sailing. In fact it was just the opposite -- I had never been on a sailboat in my life. Not on a lake, not in a harbor, and certainly not out on the open ocean. Something I’ve never done before? An adventure to remember for the rest of my life? I’m in!
While my total lack of knowledge caused me some concerns (especially whether or not I would get seasick), I had total faith in Brett and Kay. I trusted that they wouldn’t be putting themselves or their crew into unnecessarily risky situations. Besides, they had assembled a strong and affable crew. There was Andy, an experienced sailor and a calm and steady presence. Steve, ever upbeat, curious to know everything, and willing to do anything. Brett himself is unflappable, always ready with a compliment and never thrown off guard no matter the situation. And, of course, Kay who in addition to doing all the meal planning and provisioning, developing and adjusting the shift schedule as needed, serving as a sounding board for Brett on all decisions, also took on her full share of watch duties. Pretty sure Wonder Woman calls her for advice.
After a couple days of easy sailing in the calm waters around Vancouver Island, it was time to point the bow towards San Francisco. The weather, wind, and wave forecast looked promising for a run south, at least for a few days, when we could better assess conditions that looked less ideal off of Cape Mendocino, a few hundred nautical miles south of our starting point in Bamfield, British Columbia.
The first day at sea was nothing less than magical. While we might have wished for a bit more wind, we couldn’t possibly have asked for more wildlife. We saw dolphins, sharks, otters, seals, sea rays, and most impressively, whales. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we spotted a hundred whales including dozens of full breaches, many not far from the boat. There were so many whales they became a legitimate navigation hazard for about 2 hours. A good problem to have!
After 8 hours of motoring we finally had enough wind to put the sails up. An offshore passage such as this is a 24 hour operation and for the next 3 days we cruised south under sail, with beautiful sunsets, gorgeous sunrises and starry skies in between.
The forecast for Cape Mendocino hadn’t improved and as we approached Crescent City, the crew was united in ducking in for a day till the worst of the wind and waves had moved out of the area. In the end, it was a much needed break from 24 hour watches and allowed us the opportunity to stretch our legs on land, eat a nice meal out, and take care of a few chores and errands.
After a day at anchor in Crescent City, it was time to move on. While Brett had carefully timed our run from Crescent City down to Cape Mendocino to avoid the worst of the weather, we were still expecting higher winds (gusts up to 30 knots) and bigger waves (8 foot swells) than we had previously experienced. While the little bit of seasickness I had suffered at the beginning of the trip had subsided by this point, these bigger waves had me nervous again. But in the end, it was nothing to worry about – the Beagle Spirit handled it all in stride!
After clearing Cape Mendocino, the next big landmark of note was our destination – San Francisco as marked by the Golden Gate Bridge. Crossing that “finish line” was thrilling – akin to finishing a marathon you’ve trained months for, or arriving at the confluence of the Middle Fork and Main Salmon rivers (for you rafters out there). In total, the passage was roughly 780 nautical miles (about 900 miles for you land lubbers) and took 7 full days, 6 of which were out on the open ocean. At our furthest most point we were about 75 miles off shore.
The majesty of the ocean, the thrill of watching whale after whale breaching, the exuberance of crossing under the Golden Gate Bridge will all stay with me for as long as I breathe. But I’m also happy to have had the opportunity to strengthen existing friendships and create new ones. I’d sail with this crew anytime. And next time, I’ll already know how to jibe the jib!
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