All blogs in this category refer to sailing DH
The boat was rolling from the 6-8 foot waves. I had just completed locking the propeller shaft so it could not slide back and jam the rudder again. Fighting off seasickness, I was able to put the locker back together. Its contents stowed neatly. In less than 10 minutes, the wind was over 30 kts! …
I had a good weather window and enough time to quickly prepare for my departure from Bermuda. Wednesday, December 28th, 2022 was the day. I planned to depart around noon. On Tuesday, I brought Distant Horizon to the quay. There, my top priority was to fill the water tanks. Then, I would do last-minute provisioning. …
Thanksgiving Dinner When I arrived in Bermuda, my stress level was very high. In my view, many things failed along the way. I spent a solid two and a half years going through every system on the boat and so many failures… My spirits were low. I cleared Customs and docked the boat on the …
It’s noon on Saturday, November 17th. Noon is a historically significant time when voyaging on the ocean… Ancient mariners would fix their position by the noon sun using a sextant or quadrant. They would shoot the sun… a minute later, they would shoot it again. If the sun moved up, it was before noon. The …
After breakfast, I checked my position. I was 980 feet from the waypoint I had set before departing Virginia. Luck… I know… but still amazing! Maybe luck will be on my side now. That waypoint was out of the Gulf Stream According to satellite imagery. I should be on the western edge of an east-going …
I was hoping to depart Currituck Beach around 4 pm. It was now 6:30 pm. I was starting a long journey. So, I had to stay positive, telling myself those two and a half hours were lost 12 hours ago. Distant Horizon has made good time. We are heading for the Gulf Stream. The winds …
I was sailing south on the Atlantic Ocean. Just three miles offshore from Virginia Beach. There was a nice breeze off my starboard quarter (right rear corner). The wind and current were both flowing south, making this a nice gentle sail. I knew this wasn’t going to last. The forecast said the winds would drop …
Final Preparations Distant Horizon and I have been in the southern Chesapeake Bay area for the last four years. During that time, I rehabilitated my shoulder, injured during my previous attempt to cross the ocean. For the subsequent two and a half years, I have been preparing Distant Horizon for our final attempt to sail …
It has been two years since I last sailed on the ocean. Major work was done on the boat; both structural and rigging. Although out of my way, sailing to Bermuda seems to make a lot of sense. It is roughly a five-day trip. This would give me time to get my sea legs back. It would also serve as a good test for all the work I’ve done to the boat.
Over the past several years, I have made three attempts at fulfilling a lifelong dream. My dream is to sail across the Atlantic Ocean and return to Scotland. This voyage is to honor my uncle Edward who taught me about boats and sailing and to complete a journey he had planned for the two of us, albeit in reverse. Uncle Edward passed away over 20 years ago, but I have kept the dream alive. I am doing this in memory of him.
