Moonbeam's adventure continued

The Pacific is beckoning and the boat departs on January for the big 2013 adventure. Look for regular updates on the passage as well as google maps showing the boat's location. Here's the link:

www.sailblogs.com/member/moonbeam

Nov. 8, Thursday

Here is the crew. With Moonbeam, back on its home dock in Marco Island. At last.

As noted, the trip was definitely not the"dream" sail the crew had hoped for between Oyster Bay and Marco. This time: detours on the ICW, headwinds, slow days and more.

And yet, with another hit in store. After passing under the Channel 5 Bridge in the Florida Keys on Wednesday afternoon, and with the boat headed north, fates continued to send troubles. This last leg to Marco proceeded against a cold front with 30K winds (on the nose, of course). Ugggh.

Arrived just before noon on Thursday at the Marco dock. The crew is happy to tie up the boat and step across to dockside.

Nov. 6, Tuesday


Making good time down the coast of Florida.  Doing over 7 Kts SOG.  Will pass Miami around 5 AM Wednesday

Nov. 5 , Monday

After an arduous time since departing Oyster Bay, the crew is overjoyed to have crossed the northern boundary of the state of Florida. They finally arrived in the"south". Left Jackonsville to starboard.

A great day, moving well at 7kts with the crew in shorts!

At this point, the blog leaves Moonbeam to continue on without daily posts. All is well.

Nov. 4, Sunday

It is a tough slog as Moonbeam follows the South Carolina coast south.

Capt. Ken wrote this morning, " We are getting hammered again off Savannah with 30-40 kt headwinds. Making average less that 3 SOG."

Position update:
Latitude 32° 1.344" N, Longitude 80° 7.769" W
This position report was received Sunday November 4 2012 at 6:33 PM GMT

Nov. 3, Saturday

Late morning, report:
Wind switched late last night to 20 out of the north. running 7kts sog with jib and staysail (and motor). Sunny but still chilly out here. Expect to pass Charleston around 6PM.

Good morning:
The blogger has been sitting in the car in a gas line since 5:00a.m., here in northern NJ. Nothing to do but check email on the IPad. At home, no power, no heat, no water, no cooking, and 9 big trees down in our yard. By 7:00, we finally got gas.

In the email box: a message from last evening. Capt. Ken writes, "Updates....at noon on Friday we went thru the Beaufort bascuile bridge (tides too high at highway bridge - only 63 feet clearance). Forecast looked good to go offshore calling for 10-15 kts winds W - WNW and 2-3 ft. seas. Wrong again! We are bucking a 40 kt wind on the nose with 6-10 ft seas. UGH - will be a miserable night."

Be safe Moonbeam and crew.

Nov. 2, Friday

Mid-afternoon report:
Just received a skymate position report showing Moonbeam just south of Beaufort, but on the inside. Looks like the decision was to stay on the ICW tonight. More later, if we get an update.

Latitude 34° 35.226" N, Longitude 76° 45.192" W

Nov. 1, Thursday

Evening report:

ROB AT MASTHEAD.

Rob went to the masthead to replace gear taken down in order to clear Wilkerson. Overnight in Oriental, NC. Tomorrow, heading to Beaufort and offshore again. OK, just posted his photo on Friday afternoon.


Cleared the Wilkerson Bridge at 10:20 a.m.:
All fixed bridges on the ICW were built with a clearance of 65 ft. A good plan, except that this bridge did not end up at spec. Its clearance is only 64 ft. and always a concern for high masted sailboats like Moonbeam.

Capt. and crew shouted "YEAH" when the boat cleared safely through.

Oct. 31, Wednesday

Evening report:
Safely anchored at the entrance to the Alligator Pungo River Canal for the night. All is well.

Morning report:
From Capt. Ken, "We're on the move again. Left Coinjock and headed south to Albemarle Sound, and the Alligator River. Don't yet know where we will be overnight. But someplace safe.

"Seas aloing the coast of North Carolina have calmed some and so, may be good for us to go outside when we get to the Beaufort area in two days. We'll see."

Oct. 30, Tuesday

Moonbeam departed Great Bridge at 07:00 and made 40 miles to Coinjock, NC.  The rain stopped, but the wind continued from the south at 30-40 Kts and the temperatures ran from the high 40's to the low 50's.
BURRRRR!

Oct. 29, Monday

Afternoon report:

Staying in place for the day. Parking lot next to Moonbeam's dock is flooding and became a waterfall today. Mooring sign time limits are being overlooked.

Morning report:
Still pouring outside. Staying put for now.
As we look at the impact of this storm on Delaware and New Jersey and New York, we are so glad to be this far south and in safe haven.

Oct 28, Sunday

Afternoon report, 1:00 P.M.:
Weather is ramping up here, but we are still safely tied to the dock:
It is pouring (not just raining) and with consistent wind at 20-30 kts.

Morning report:
The decision for today is to stay hunkered at the docks south of Great Bridge Lock. Current weather is rain with windgusts to 20 kts. even in this sheltered area. Weather only 10 miles north of our position, in Norfolk, is much more extreme. How glad to be inside on the ICW, and not offshore in heavy seas and winds!

Below, a NASA Oct 27th satellite image of Sandy, now being called the "Frankenstorm". It is easy to see how vast a region this storm covers -- essentially one third of the entire northeast US.

HURRICANE SANDY, A CATEGORY #1 HURRICANE,
ABOUT TO LAND ASHORE EAST COAST OF U.S.

Oct 27, Saturday

GREAT BRIDGE LOCKS BEHIND

Afternoon report, 3:00 p.m.:

Moonbeam is tied up at the public docks after passing through the Great Bridge Lock, the only lock on the ICW. Capt. Ken says they are hunkering down for the night till Sandy passes.

Morning report:
We arrived at the Chesapeake Bay entrance as predicted this morning. Heading on through Norfolk area and to Mile Marker 01 of the Intercoastal (ICW). Planning to make max distance before dark and get well south of hurricane expected path. All is well.

Oct 26, Friday

Noon position:  came down the Jersey coast and now about to pass entrance to Delaware Bay entrance.

Sunny, 10-15 kts port beam
Motor sailing at 7.5 kts to maintain speed to reach entrance to Chesapeake Bay entrance by Saturday morning, before Hurrucane Sandy arrival. Then down the Intercoastal Waterway for three days and out again for offshore sailing at Beaufort and maybe even more south than that. Depends on conditions.
39° 03.62' N
74° 31.99' W

Moonbeam heading south

After years of summering in Oyster Bay, Moonbeam has just departed on a last trip south. Next summer the boat willl be in the Pacific.

(L to R) DAVE FINEGARD, CAPT. KEN BARDON, RAY JAMES AND ROB REILEY

Jim Drinane did taxi service for picking up Ken at home and crew from LaGuardia and delivering them to Oyster Bay and the boat. Under nice weather, the boat and crew of four departed the marina on October 25, early afternoon. All is looking good and they will be out of the Northeast before Hurricane Sandy does it mischief here.

Capt. Ken said, "We're watching Hurricane Sandy and anticipating a conservative approach to the offshore legs. If necessary, we will be prepared to head in to safe harbor and wait out storm."

Every day departure is getting closer

It is only a little more than three months until departure for the Pacific, and the list of projects to be done is getting shorter.

Every day another is checked off as "completed". Today onboard, with the help of crew Bob, all the tools were organized, all the spare parts looked over, and access to the important mechanics of the boat was examined.

From the launch, a shot of Moonbeam on the mooring in the calm waters at Oyster Bay.

Planning ahead

 Preparation for Pacific crossing 2013


WE EXPECT TO SEE MANY OF THESE

   

HAULING FOR INSPECTION SURVEY

RIGGING INSPECTION BY BILL

 







NANCY AND THE NEW SAFETY LADDER

In August of 2012, Moonbeam was hauled in Oyster Bay New York for both an insurance survey inspection and a rigging inspection. All systems passed inspection, and the minor suggestions by the "PROS" were all taken seriously and added and/or corrected. Before these checks, Moonbeam had spent the month of July cruising in Maine. The future float plan is a follows:

2012:
Oct 26 / Nov 6 - Oyster Bay to Marco Island

PACIFIC  2013:
January 13 - Depart Marco for Panama and
      cross the canal
March 11 - Depart Panama for the Marquesas
Late April - Depart Marquesas for Tahiti
Mid May - Mid June - Cruise Tahiti and Society
      Islands
Mid June - Mid August - Depart Tahiti for Fiji via the
      Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga
Mid August - Cruise the Fiji Islands
Mid September - Depart Fiji for New Zealand

NEW ZEALAND 2013/14:

We plan to leave Moonbeam in New Zealand until Mid March 2014 and then commence the rest of the circumnavigation.