Fishermens Familys memorial

Did you know that 10,000, East coast Fishermen have been lost at sea, Most of these men where lost, up and around Sable Island, I Place I visited  a couple of months ago.

If you can read this, It will make you shiver with fear and respect, remember these men where the best at what they did, True Saliors.

The Story so far 14,500 miles

N.Ireland, Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Holland, Belgum, France, Spain, Portugal, Poro Santo, Maderia, lanzorote, Tennerife, La Gomara, Antigua, St Martin, USVIs, BVIs, Porta Rico, Bahamas, USA, Canada, Nova Scota, Gloucester they say, its an Island

Fishermens Familys memorial

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This is a most beautiful sculpture, a tribute to the women and children, of Fishermen lost at sea.
The expressions on the Mother and sons face's say so much, she is looking out wondering will he ever come back, and how will she cope, if he doesn't.
Where as the son has a completely different look, he is thinking, I need to go to sea and be a Fisherman.

Although after visiting Maine and Nova Scotia, I think it should be Fisher folk, due to the amount of women fishing now days

Wind!

Well Mr Earl, did not amount to anything, at most 30 knots.

At home in Ireland, i live in a house on the top of a hill,at the shore, and there  is wind there all year round.

Looking at the weather reports, they still say Tropical storm, but we are not getting anything like that, it's about 25 knots max here.

                                        Just look at that sky at the minute,

The one main factor about weather on this latitude is heat, I come from 55 degree's, and when there's wind it's cold and normally wet, well goodbye Earl, I wish they where all like you.

03/09/10 19.30

Front moves in

19.30 and the front starts to move in, a steady increase in the wind, not a lot but steady.
You can see by the picture the rain and mist is closing around us, and the wind is shifting

Gloucester is 20 miles north of Boston, you can now see the hurricane skimming the coast, i think it has lost some of it's forward momentum, this is current.

Friday 15.30

 The Sky darkens

The wind has just moved more to the East,
although it has not really picked up that much, It's a cooler breeze.
All along my Grib files have been say something different to the American media weather machine.
and I have used these file for a long time now, but when every other part of the media is telling you Cat 3 or 4, tropical Storm, It's raises doubt in you head.
Grib.US tells me all along that it going to be in and around the 40 knots mark, and most of the bad wind will be offshore, also I think it's going to be NE backing W and that will suit also, but later post might prove me wrong.
I am going to eat and sleep now, because I can, and i also think I will still need it.

Gloucester, mass.03/09/10  8.00am  The Mooring field,
 Lots of sails and canopy's still up, and a fine, but grey morning, wind 7 to 10 knots from the S. E. couples are on there boats having breakfast, I hope tomorrow morning looks the same.

I would like to offer a boat swap for 2 days, Flights payed for, and this is Gloucester's festival weekend, any takers

Mr Earl

2nd of the 9th Thursday, 13.00 hours A beautiful day light breeze and a blue sky, in the very high 80's.

I have just stripped above decks, main, head sails all off and stored and all the rest of my deck clutter is going to, this boat carries enough windage with out all that as well, it will also give the chance to look closely at my main, to check for wear and stitching problems, my big Genoa was 13 months old and the stitching was rotten, and had to be restitched.

I am going to try and document this hurricane, as it passes  Gloucester, and me at anchor, I have never been in one before, so I'm sort of excited, I see one other boat putting out an extra anchor, but I think I will wait until the anchorage is full before I do that, nothing worst than trying to haul in an emergency and stuck under someone else's,  the rest of the boats seem to be as normal.

 Mr Clooney's pier

This is the Pier, That Mr Clooney, and co, left on the fateful voyage of the Andria Gail, in the movie, The Perfect Storm. I think the city likes to remember the real crew, more than the movie, although there is lots to see, relating to the movie, like the Crow nest Bar, and that is full of memorabilia, and very good beer.

some guy called Earl

Labour day weekend in Gloucester is a big deal, lots of wind machines turn up for this weekend, and already there is 5 or 6.
but there is one slight problem, some guy called Earl is going to crash this party.
I am at anchor at the end of the mooring field, as I usually am, and my Rocna anchor, is going to have it's sternest test, i will keep you filled in on the details of that.

Next week I fly back to Ireland, and there I pick up my two Daughters and son, and then fly to Greece, where my youngest girl has decided to get married.
A couple of years ago I told her of my plans, and she thought about them a lot, and then proceeded to ignore them completely, leaving me with fights across the world.

I hope to leave my boat on a mooring in Gloucester, and  have a couple of friends I have made, look after it for me.
I wonder, is Guinness hot in Greece, and also I hope my Father of the Bride speech is not all about this guy Earl.
That's if he lets me go!

What a big eye you have got,

Boston 22/08/10

I took a trip back to Boston, for a couple of days.

It's a great city, with a super anchorage, and very friendly people.

On the way back to Gloucester, I seemed to go back in time

What a beautiful sight.
After that, I had a 25 knot close beat, back to Gloucester.

Here is a picture of a porthole with my rail in the water, it looks like the Moon.

Gloucester, Mass,

I am now lying in Gloucester, Mass, for a couple of weeks, what a beautiful place.

I have just come back down from Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, after leaving Lunenburg , I sailed out to Sable Island, not to stop just to go there and get a feel for the place, I was asked why i sailed there, my reply was, I walked on the Beach's of Normandy as well, it's just getting  the feel of  the history,

                                                                     Lunenburg

I then sailed back to Maine, Is Au Hauth, Before slipping on down to Boston, I stayed there for a couple of days, before heading back to Gloucester, some great sailing.