Kindred Spirit

It’s a long overdue farewell. Last month was hectic. We put Kindred Spirit on the market. The broker in La Rochelle is a licensed Ovni dealer and the boat is displayed on the dry in their boatyard. We spent whole 3 weeks to unload our stuff and to polish the boat inside out. She looks almost like new.

Parting with Kindred Spirit was heart breaking. In 25 months we’ve been through so much together. She won our respect and affection through her tough character and rich substances. We pushed her a lot and she always quietly delivered. In high winds and big seas, she would show you what she’s made of. She was big part of our confidence because we knew that she would always keep us safe. We wish the next lucky owner will take care of her as much as we did.

The aftermath of cruising is exciting. Chris’ former employer offered him a position to run one of their businesses in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . So we are now in the United States . Within a month our life transformed from sea gypsies to cooperate executives. With renewed energy and new perspectives for life, we are back in the work force.

We would like to express our hearty thanks to all our readers, known or unknown. We never felt alone since we knew you were there traveling with us. We sincerely encourage those who dare to dream, make your choice and go for it. Once you made up your mind, you’ve done the hardest part.

We are contactable through email lynnlinjingli@yahoo.com . Please feel free to contact us if you pass by Pittsburgh . Your supports deserve our hospitalities. Goodbye and dream on!

Lynn & Chris

Cleaning the sails & bilge

Unload gears & last lunch on board

Haul out

Loaded on a tractor trailer

In transport & final destination: Grassi Bateau

Horta is a must stop for trans-Atlantic boats. Every inch of marina concrete is covered with paintings from boaters who proved themselves simply by being there. We left our mark too. After so long at sea, we enjoyed immensely simple pleasure of hot showers and convenience of laundry and even using garbage dumpsters. We left Horta on July 11 and headed for our final destination France . The first 4 days we sailed NNE and tried to climb up to 44N to catch westerly wind. It was a hard sail, cold and wet and windy.  The rest of the trip was very easy once we turned to due east. We sailed 1400 miles with average 6 knots in less than 10 days. We pull in Les Sables D’Olonne, the same place where we started our cruising journey two yeas ago, with great satisfaction and mix feeling of both happy and sad. We will be back in the work force and our adventures draw to an end. Lynn

1) Horta 2) Artist at work

Our first visitors in France, Jerome & Isabelle

Flores , literately means flowers, is the furthest west of all 9 islands of Archipelagos of Azores. The island is volcanic with green steep hills. Through generations, the locals worked every inch of their land and transformed the island into an idyllic place. It is not easy to come here unless by boat. There is no direct flight from major cities of Europe and the beauty of the island is under publicized. In a way it is amazingly undiscovered. Let’s keep it this way. Lynn

A small harbor can accommodate 2 dozen boats, The whole island is covered by blue flowers of hortensia

Pastures with sheep and cows roaming around

Beautiful stone works

Many volcanic crater lakes and cascades

Santa Cruz harbor, an excellent restaurant in a village serving authentic Azorean food. Fried kelp and Morcela (blood sausage with rice) are the most delicious.

After 3 weeks of waiting, finally, Tropical Storm Berry put a torque on the weather system and the wind turned to southeast. We rode on the tail of Berry and left Marsh Harbor on June 3 just after squalls cleared. Since we didn’t have much time left, we decided to bypass Bermuda and go straight to Azores . Crossing back to Europe over North Atlantic is much trickier than the other way around.  You can either take southern route sailing on the rhumb line; or the northern route sailing north to latitude 40 and turn east once you get westerly wind. The northern route usually has steady wind but is cold and wet. Southern route is a lot warmer but the risk is lack of wind or sailing windward.

We opted for the northern route at the start and set the course of NNE in 25 knots of breeze. The sea was very lumpy and confused with 7-9 feet swells. I had pre-cooked big pot of beef stew and some lentil salad, so I didn’t have to worry about cooking for a few days. On day 2 to day 4, the wind eased to 15 knots and the sea calmed down. We made good progress and climbed up to latitude 32 N.

Day 5 was the turning point of the whole passage. A low pressure was developing north of Bermuda . This year is very unusual. The Azores High had not yet established. All the low pressure from north Atlantic moved much further south.  So we turned east and from day 5 to day 13 we sailed due east between 31 N and 32 N. We only headed NNE to Flores  for the last 6 days.  Our route tracked much further south than any recommended route but we enjoyed generally good wind and warm weather except in the last few days where the wind came forward of the beam at 25 knots and send us careening along at 8 Knots over big rolling seas.

20 days went fast and already seem a blur. The highlights being almost running over  two whales which we missed by a few meters, having a chat in Chinese with an Oil tanker from China, and Chris having to dismantle the whole toilet and unplug the pipes in rolling seas and pouring rain!

As we got close to Flores , the island was shrouded in mist and impossible to see until we were about a mile from it. Then the cliffs and the jetty of the little harbor we tucked in appeared as dark cutout in the haze. We dropped anchor, had a shower and a quick meal and crashed  in our sea berth only to emerge 12 hours later. There are about 15 boats in the anchorage most coming from St Martin and Bermuda , quite a few French, some American, Canadian, British, South African and Kiwi. There are quite a few single handers, including Mike an American we had met in Las Palmas 18 months ago and who has been cruising for 16 years; and William a young British on a 24 feet boat! It is refreshing to talk with these guys and it makes us realize we travel in great comfort. We ask William how he manages sleeping and keeping watches. Well  he goes to bed at night and wakes up in the morning. No watches!

It is good to be on land again. Flores is a flower garden set in a volcanic panorama. All the land is terraced with beautiful dry stone walls. We love it. In the next few day we will move to Horta , another Island of the Azores, then we will set sail NNE  again toward the west coast of France . Lynn & Chris

Every second day we washed with sea water and rinsed with solar-heated warm freshwater in shower bag.

Cooking and chart work

Arriving Azores in the mist

Drying the beddings during our first lunch

Having our laundry done, propane refilled, water and fuel tank fully filled up and food well stocked, we were ready to push off Abaco shore and cross the Atlantic again. Like Chinese saying “Wan Shi Ju Bei, Zhi Qian Dong Feng”; that translates as “everything is ready, just missing easterly wind”.  In our case we just miss southerly wind. It is almost June; we haven’t seen the trace of Southeast trade wind. As if to test the limit of our patience, Mother Nature had thrown a tantrum of strong Northeasterly wind for two weeks. What can you do? Good sailors wouldn’t do anything against the strong will of Mother Nature. While waiting patiently for the SE trade wind, we sailed up and down the sea of Abaco , checked out a few beautiful anchorages and local attractions and met some very interesting people. Lynn     

a). Treasure Cay

b). A small trail led to a lighthouse near Little Harbor. The vegetation is so lush that reminds me French Impressionist painter Henri Rousseau’s jungle scene. Our friend Joan commented that to make it real I had to have my clothes striped off.

a) In the 70^th, an American sculpture artist Randolph Johnston moved his family in a barge to Little Harbor in Great Abaco Island and set up his studio and a successful art gallery.  His son had turned the barge into a beach bar. Charming!

b) In little harbor we met a young Quebecois on board his 26 feet Contessa “Joshua”. The boat is engineless and the only drive of the boat is wind. The salon is a size of a bathtub and he had sailed offshore up and down the US east coast 3 times. We offered him a tow to get out of the harbor since the wind was almost on the nose. The entrance is very narrow and shallow and there are many rocks around. He politely declined. When we got out of the harbor and we just couldn’t believe our eyes. We saw that tiny Contessa with her full sails up slowly sailed out. I told Chris that we had to invite him for dinner. Hearing his adventures made us feel that what we did is nothing. So on the way back to Marsh Harbor , we deliberately didn’t use our engine and tacked and jibbed our way in 30 knots of wind. On that trip we took this photo of “Joshua”.

Most of the Bahamas if made of lime stone. As a result there are many caves connected to the sea and full of water. In some instance the roof of a cave has collapsed, creating a circular hole in the ground. Typically a blue hole is about 50 meters in diameters (150 ft) and depth varies but can reach a few hundred feet. The water is salty at the bottom and fresh for the last 10 meters (30 ft) to the surface.  Blue holes do not sustain any vegetal life so the water is crystal clear.  We rented a car for a day and went in search of blue holes with our friend Joanne from the Trimaran “Three Cheers”.  We found a beautiful one after beating around the bush for sometime. We had brought our snorkeling gear to explore. It was around 1 pm the sun was high in the sky and you could see shaft of light going straight down the limestone wall. I love skin diving, and I can get down deep and long enough to explore underwater features. The first 3 meters (10 feet) the water is warm, and then it gets a lot cooler. As you get deeper a large cave appears on the wall, with massive stalactites and stalactites, some forming pillars from floor to ceiling, like a magnificent underwater cathedral. I took several dives to admire this mysterious and enchanting edifice. I am not sure how deep I went, but the water being very clear it was easy to go deeper than you thought: swimming back to the surface took what seemed like a long time! Lynn was quite worried to see me disappear in the darkness of the hole every time.  This was, I think the best dive I ever did. Back on the boat, as I lay down in bed searching restlessly for sleep, these underwater sights kept showing in my head. These kept me awake and I did not sleep very well that night. Chris

We left Marathon on April 27^th in 10 knots of SE wind. The sea was dead flat and we maintained 4 to 5 knots of boat speed in such light condition. We hit the Gulf Stream near Key Largo and suddenly we were going at 9 knots. We crossed Gulf Stream 4 times within 11 month, and this crossing is the most eventful one. Around 11 pm, we were boarded by US Coast Guard in search of any Cuban and Asian passengers. Although they caught one Asian, they were disappointed to find out that I have Canadian Passport.

Chris installed an AIS transponder receiver on the boat that proved to be the most worthwhile investment. AIS (Automatic Identification System) is compulsory for all ships over 300 tons. It sends out information of ship name, destination, course, speed etc. The system calculates the closest distance to our boat and approximate time of closest encounter. It is  integrated to computer chart plotter. One can see very clearly all ships on computer screen and anticipate their movement. On my watch from 12 midnight to 4 am, we were traveling in the busiest shipping channel near Miami and Fort Lauderdale . I was flat out checking AIS and radar. If any ships pass me within 1 mile range, I would call them on VHF by their boat names to make sure they had seen us. With only an AIS receiver, I could see them but they couldn’t see me. It made the night watch much more fun and in control. At one point I had 15 ships within 20 miles range. On computer small arrows representing each ship shot at me from left, right and center. I saw a ship called “Chemical Supplies”. Oh, no one wanted to collide with her! “Carnival Triumph” brightened the night with all the lights; she would cut in front of me because her destination was Fort Lauderdale . “Lombok Straight” came straight from my back with 23 knots of speed; in 20 minutes she would run over me. So I called “Lombok Straight, Lombok Straight, This is Kindred Spirit. My position is … You are on a collision course from my stern. Can you see me? … I am changing course…”

Bahamas welcomed us with turquoise green water and amiable mild weather. This is the 3^rd time we cruise here within 11 months and each time costs us 300 bucks for cruising permits. Strolling on pristine beaches and snorkeling around spectacular coral reefs, we understand why we keep coming back here. Chris caught his first lobster when he dived yesterday. We really enjoy the last stage of our cruising. In two weeks time we will head to Bermuda . Lynn

Bahamas Blue

Lentil Emmanuel; First lobster

In general, Florida marine services prefer power boats over sailing vessels. They can make much more money serving sports fishing boats which consume massive amount of fuel. People taking two weeks fishing holidays flush their money without thinking.  They spend so much money on fuel that other expenses like marina slips and restaurants seem relatively smaller. Why not, they are on holidays. As for sailing vessels, we get wind for free and we know how to set the anchors. Live-aboard is a life style not a holiday. We expect our money stretch long way.

Marathon is the only place in Florida Keys where cruisers can truly feel at home. Boot Kay Harbor is set in a totally enclosed lagoon with two narrow and shallow entrances. The harbor is filled with tightly spaced mooring balls which eliminate boats longer than 42 feet. The city marina offers services targeting live-aboard cruisers. There is WIFI on board for a small fee. Marathon is the destination for sail boats that don’t bother or are no longer fit enough to cross the Gulf Stream to Bahamas . Many boats have been here for years. You can tell those port rots from the amount of barnacles growing on their hulls and even dinghies. A popular hair style for male is ponytail. People are very friendly, although I wouldn’t say inspiring. People wonder aimlessly around marina or drink under the tree near rubbish dump in the middle of day. A sailing trip to Key West seems to be the adventure of the season. Dry Tortugas is way too adventurous and we have not met one single boat which has gone that far! ….we feel a bit out of place.

We’ve been in Marathon for 7 weeks, by far the longest stay we have ever made in any port. Marathon is the place we started to plan our return to a life of  dirt dweller. We needed a safe place for the boat and reliable communication in order to make trip to Australia and France . Marathon served the purpose well and we are grateful everything went smoothly. It’s time to move on. Our next destination: Bahamas again. Lynn

The trip to Australia was like a dream. When we boarded Qantas (best airline in the world) and heard that familiar accent, we already felt at home. Life has moved on in many ways since we left Sydney two years ago. But the place and people are still the same. Quite noticeable, we found that people are happy, up beat and friendly. Why not, they have nice weather, healthy life style and very good social program.

We had immense pleasure to see many friends and ex-colleagues. I wish we had more time to see them all. We visited many our favorite places. The food is so good and Chris complained that he had put on weight in a week. At Sydney Opera House, we bumped into an usher to whom I befriended with before and he still remembered me. Within his power, he allocated two premium seats and we saw Mozart’s opera “Marriage of Figaro” for free. Lucky us!

Australians are very lucky. One has to leave to realize how good the place is. Lynn