Test #1

[chris mac]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Thanks for confirming that, Boatie. I thought so myself, but I don't think I've ever seen anything but a picture, so a live one in the ocean is really unusual, eh.



Is it true their "sting" (which is actually a form of electrocution) can kill a human?



LW77

Once while snorkelling in Hawaii my hand and wrist felt like it was being electrocuted. There was a blue line wrapped around it and I could barely think straight it hurt so bad.
I brushed it off and headed to the charter boat. They told me it was a free floating man-of-war tentacle, just a single one floating around broken off from the jellyfish. I can't imagine how painful it would be to get entangled in an actual live man-of-war!
Strangely, the welt it left on my hand was in the shape of a line drawing of a fish

[Be Free]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Thanks for confirming that, Boatie. I thought so myself, but I don't think I've ever seen anything but a picture, so a live one in the ocean is really unusual, eh.

Is it true their "sting" (which is actually a form of electrocution) can kill a human?

LW77

They were pretty common in Miami when I was growing up. Doubt if that has changed. I can testify that they HURT if you get stung by one.

[thomm225]

ArmySailor so if you do plan to continue this single handed offshore sailing you may want to check out the Jester Challenge races.....

https://jesterchallenge.wordpress.co...ter-challenge/

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by thomm225

ArmySailor so if you do plan to continue this single handed offshore sailing you may want to check out the Jester Challenge races.....

https://jesterchallenge.wordpress.co...ter-challenge/

He'd have to do a Transat to enter and compete..

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatman61

He'd have to do a Transat to enter and compete..

Mini Transat?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Mini Transat?

Jesters are run Plymouth UK to Azores and Plymouth to USA so he'd have to sail from the US to the start line in Plymouth.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Jesters are run Plymouth UK to Azores and Plymouth to USA so he'd have to sail from the US to the start line in Plymouth.

Yeah I saw that.

It would be quite a lot of sailing.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Yeah I saw that.

It would be quite a lot of sailing.

Well.. he could sail across in 2023 via the Azores and spend some time in Europe then head for the UK and compete in the UK-Baltimore Challenge in May 2024..

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Well.. he could sail across in 2023 via the Azores and spend some time in Europe then head for the UK and compete in the UK-Baltimore Challenge in May 2024..

Right.

All the sailors no matter where they start will have to do at least one round trip.

In Steven Callahan's Book Adrift, he spoke of sailing his 21' boat Napolean Solo over to England with crew for the Mini Transat race he entered which is where he lost his boat about 400 miles West of the Canary Islands then drifted in his 6 man Avon Life Raft and somehow survived the other 1800 miles or so

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Well.. he could sail across in 2023 via the Azores and spend some time in Europe then head for the UK and compete in the UK-Baltimore Challenge in May 2024..

Don'cha just love how the guys are effectively waxing poetically about all the [very demanding] future sailing you might do, Army?

Geez, Guys! How 'bout a Summer pootling around the Chesapeake? (Gorgeous.) Or a hop up to Long Island Sound and a Summer exploring the Sound...?

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Don'cha just love how the guys are effectively waxing poetically about all the [very demanding] future sailing you might do, Army?

Geez, Guys! How 'bout a Summer pootling around the Chesapeake? (Gorgeous.) Or a hop up to Long Island Sound and a Summer exploring the Sound...?

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

Well, he is still young and retired......and can handle going for 30 hours without sleep!

He did sail down from the Northern Chesapeake though starting not too far from where the racers that are headed to Bermuda right now started.

Summer sailing the Chesapeake is my thing and perfect for older single handers where we can pull over most anytime and get some sleep.

It was fun though sailing out a few miles into the ocean trying to spot his arrival back either visually or on AIS. (just happened to be a busy day for shipping that day. Even the dredge ships were working in or on the edge of the channel plus the cranes barges for the new tunnel construction and their support boats)

I did see like 5 -6 boats arriving though. One was a Canadian on a Lagoon 40, He came over the tunnel as I was exiting. I happened to see his boat later at a marina near me on Saturday. He and his wife had sailed all the way up from the Bahamas on the outside.

He had 1000 watts of solar nicely mounted facing up over his cockpit providing shade there. He had multiple Victron Controllers and spoke highly of them.

The boat that came in with ArmySailor was also there on another dock

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Don'cha just love how the guys are effectively waxing poetically about all the [very demanding] future sailing you might do, Army?

Geez, Guys! How 'bout a Summer pootling around the Chesapeake? (Gorgeous.) Or a hop up to Long Island Sound and a Summer exploring the Sound...?

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

Just responding to Thoms initial suggestion about the Jester Challenge and pointing out the complications facing a prospective US entrant..
Should also say.. there's no big presentation or Cup at the end, just the personal satisfaction you won or placed.. or just competed.
There is also no real rules or standard of boat fit out to enter.. if you think you and your boat can do it that's good enough.

What is the Jester Challenge?
Ewen Southby-Tailyour once descibed it as ‘a modern experiment in old-fashioned self-reliance, self-sufficiency and personal responsibility’ whereby single-handed sailors pit them selves against the worst the Atlantic can throw at them to reach The Azores or North America.

Every two years a group of hardy sailors head for Plymouth to sail the Atlantic. The Challenge in 2022 will see them head off to Newport, Rhode Island. 2024 will likely see them head to The Azores, and in the intervening odd years several hardy sailors will head off to Baltimore in Ireland, usually to coincide with Pirates Week. That is about it. It is not a club. Each sailor takes responsibility for him or herself. There are no boat safety checks, no entry fees and, famously, no rules, although there are guidelines. As somebody once said, they are just a bunch of delightfully mad people who enjoy the self-sufficiency and the solitude of sailing.

This year, presumably thanks to Covid there were only 4 entrants, normally it's between 20 and 30 boats.

[GordMay]

All four entrants, to the Jester Challenge, have retired the race. So, there will be no finisher this year, for the first time in the history of the Challenge.

The figurative Jester pennant was lowered from the figurative yardarm at about 0830H this morning [June 1/22], as the last remaining participants, Bernie Branfield and Louisa, signalled their retirement.
➥ https://jesterchallenge.wordpress.co...trep-5-1-6-22/

[ArmySailor]

Originally Posted by thomm225

ArmySailor so if you do plan to continue this single handed offshore sailing you may want to check out the Jester Challenge races.....

https://jesterchallenge.wordpress.co...ter-challenge/

Thomm, Thank you for this! I'd never heard of it. Sounds like a nice group of like-minded folks. Yeah, it does look like I'd need to do some initial sailing in order to do some...more sailing. )


But I love the idea of doing something as a bonding experience with other sailors.

[ArmySailor]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Don'cha just love how the guys are effectively waxing poetically about all the [very demanding] future sailing you might do, Army?

Geez, Guys! How 'bout a Summer pootling around the Chesapeake? (Gorgeous.) Or a hop up to Long Island Sound and a Summer exploring the Sound...?

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

Hah! Hi LittleWing, long time no see. Yes, this conversation makes it easy because I don't have to plan, I just need to see what the committee decides for me.



I've done enough summers putzing around the Chessie. I am ready to keep spreading my wings. A trip to New England is on the list, not sure if that will happen due to other (land based) adventures on the calendar. But next year, the priority is the big one - from Norfolk to the Azores. (no stops in Bermuda). We'll see how the planning and fitting go this winter. But I can do it. I want to do it. I will do it!.