[Public-list] Misery Cruise

[Gordon Laco]

Well the 2005 edition of the Misery Cruise is history; and I am pleased to
report that it qualified in nearly all categories for the title.  Here is
the story...

We motor sailed north from Midland in light air and mist to Watcher's Reef
sea buoy.  There we made the decision to proceed in the open upon reception
of a not-too-bad weather forecast.  Once committed to the Western Islands
the weather forecast began to deteriorate (ain't that always the way...)

Arrived at Western Islands about mid afternoon.  The Westerns are a string
of rocks way the heck out in the void that are one of my favourite places in
the world.  Part of the group is in the form of a loose circle offering
indifferent shelter; sailors in the late 1800's fastened iron pins in the
rocks to which it is possible to moor.  The 'harbour' is very deep and
carpeted with house sized boulders so anchoring is out.

Moored bow and stern to iron pins; clambered ashore to walk around.  Were
astonished to see a flotilla of kayaks approaching islands from the east.
Upon talking with them discovered that they were an organized expedition
(kayaks - offshore - mid-October - yikes).  By this time the forecast was
solidly bad.  I suggested to the expedition's leader that we would have to
leave in the morning (we would have left that afternoon if there was shelter
we could have got to before dark) and that if he chose to go too we would
escort them.  He accepted the offer and we set a radio rendezvous for the
next morning.

All was well until 0230 when a cracker of a squall came through followed by
the forecast solid blow, and we spent quite an anxious night with the boat
awkwardly pinned broadside to the wind (there is no anchoring there).  We
could see the Kayakers were having fun to by their dancing lights.  At dawn
the weather forecast was for a solid gale with wind over 40 knots...the
mooring was untenable for us.  The kayakers were quite safe hauled ashore so
long as they did not attempt a passage but we could not stay.  We set
another radio rendezvous and I told them that I would be in the vicinity the
next two days if they wanted company for their crossing to the mainland.

About 0900 off we went - oh what a relief to be free of the rocks and the
awkward pose poor Surprise was in.  Before we left there were waves breaking
over our starboard side...even with only 100 yards fetch the chop in the
harbour was whipped up that much by the wind.  Once away, her motion went
from hard jerking and tugging (with hungry rocks all around) to that
wonderful swooping and galloping you get when broad reaching in heavy seas.
Away from the rocks and the pins Surprise was in her element and without
sounding sappy, we felt she was as relieved as we were; she picked up skirts
and galloped.  The forecast was for 3 meter waves but they certainly looked
considerably larger.  Comfortable and under complete control with just the
genny set we surfed to O'Donnell Point lighthouse in record time.  The knot
meter was pegged at 10 knots with monotonous regularity and upon arrival we
found that we averaged over 8 on the passage.

We spent a cold night in the safe anchorage at Wreck Island, shot down the
coast next day to Beausoliel Island and then to home.  We were never able to
raise the Kayakers again on the VHF; not too worrisome as they only had a
hand held VHF and were quite safe so long as they stayed put.  I phoned
their office as soon as I got ashore, they told us that the expedition
stayed put for two days and then safely got home despite the usual missed
flights, upset employers etc.

Surprise performed very well, and I can say that looking back over boats and
ships I have sailed all over the world there really is not a boat I would
rather have done this trip in.  At anchor she was a home and a feeder...and
no sailor can say more of his boat than that.  Under weigh in the gale she
was fast and nimble; only filled the cockpit once and we were able to clear
that right away by bearing up to heel the boat and dump the water out (I
want larger drains some day) that is a trick I learned in a blow on a
Bermuda trip once.

We were towing the Whaler Squall dinghy on an 80' nylon tow line.  I was at
first quite concerned that it would threaten us.  I was resolved that we
might have to cut it away at some point, but although it often surfed and
caught up a few yards, the bight of line in the water, and the funnel set up
kicked in and spoiled its aim every time. It never came within 50 of us and
never jerked on its tow line.

The Atomic IV was terrific.  On the day of the gale we had to motor dead to
windward for a few hundred yards in a significant chop to get in... At 3/4
throttle we barged through at 4 knots with power to spare for the turn.
(standard two blade prop) Also, while leaving the Westerns, we had to do
some fancy wiggling as we recovered our mooring gear - I was able to spin
the boat in its length on two occasions using hard over helm and burps of
throttle ahead and astern... And that is in a chop with a 35+ knot wind
trying to blow the bow away.

Great boat - we asked a lot of her and got it.

Gord #426 Surprise


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