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1730 Monday, September 11, 2023
First, a bit about our last 24 hours. Then, PLEASE read below about some of the people who have supported this expedition.
Last night and today have been comprised of a lack of wind and an abundance of fog. At night we take turns at the helm, often letting the autopilot steer as we motor westward across the Gulf of Maine. Sometimes we can set the mainsail and/or the jib if the breeze fills in enough off the bow to give a boost.
In the night hours we watch the compass, glowing yellow, just in front of the GPS chart plotter and radar display. Other instruments glow giving wind and speed information. From time to time, we have to alter course to avoid collisions with fishing boats, tankers and cargo vessels plying these waters. At night the petrels circle close to the boat, sometimes visible flapping by in the glow from our navigation lights. The fog coats the boat, our clothes and faces.
In the daylight it changes from a world of black to one of grey. The boundary between sea and sky is hard to decipher; the two blends into one in the mist of dewy fog that is all about us. We have been visited by a constant stream of greater shearwaters that glide in out of the fog, their wingtips gliding a fraction of an inch above the glassy sea. A few photos below attempt to give a sense of things. The good news is we are closing the distance between Tazzarin and home. With luck, we should be in by late tomorrow, Tuesday, night. I will update that as we approach shore tomorrow.
My Thanks -
I cannot name everybody who helped make the voyage possible for me. To return to the waters far to the north has been a long-held dream for me. I could only do it with the help of others.
First, Annie has been supportive of this effort that has taken me away for months. She helped to prepare the boat. A joy to me was her participation in the sailing, last summer and again this summer. She is wonderful!
My parents instilled a sense of appreciation and adventure around the sea. They saw my growing passion at a young age and fostered it in a myriad of ways. They read each day's email, wishing, in part, they could be here with me.
My brother, Bob, has been there when challenges arose. He came to Newfoundland last fall to unrig and haul the boat while a hurricane blasted the area. He came this spring to launch and rig Tazzarin and do a quick sea trial. He is here now, pushing home beside me.
My crew has been comprised of some of my closest friends and amazing sailors. Each gave of their time, skill and friendship to sail these thousands of miles. Carl Doane, Greg Bover, David Martz, Mory Creighton, Charlie Newhall, JJ Jaques and Annie and Bob. Hats off to all of them!
Rob Gorman and the crew at Dion's Yacht Yard in Salem helped over two winters to do projects to get Tazzarin ready. Kathy Evans and the crew at the Royal Newfoundland Yacht Club took me in and arranged to store the boat over the winter.
My thanks to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nunatsiavut who became my friends.
Jesse Hicks, an amazing, young mechanic from Newfoundland became my friend and solved engine issues over the past year. He was a savior!
Last summer and this summer both John Winchester and Yati Harsono did the task of serving as my shore communications team. They made sure you were able to follow the voyage through photos and my daily log entries.
I also want to thank YOU! Each and every one of you who followed my sailing expedition helped to keep me going. Knowing you were there kept me going. Many of you wrote thoughtful, compelling and uplifting messages to me. I had not expected 500 of you following my wake each day. From Teg in Cape Town, South Africa to Robert in the Canary Islands to Richard in England to Mary on Vancouver Island to Barbara and Cheryl in John's Bay, Maine to Elizabeth in New York to Karen in Colorado to Cath in Cambridge and others across the globe, each of you made a difference. Thank you all for being there!
Now, back to my turn on watch on deck to cover the last miles...
Bill
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