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American Spirit II - Day 468; A Great Day Sailing, We're Off the Coast of the Dominican Republic, We Use Civetta II's 'Ascender' for the First Time, & I Start Log Book No. 8; Sunday, April 19, 2015



One year ago today:



"Day 106; Computer Problem, Belvedere View Point, Looking for the Waterfall, Top Dive & Stephen Cooks Fabulous Dinner; Saturday, April 19, 2014. We left for an island tour in the Avis rental at 9:00 AM. We drove by a spectacular view spot where busses and cars had pulled over to take pictures. A high overlook over the ocean, with fabulous colored reefs and thatch huts (hotel rooms) over the water. These thatched huts have glass for some of their floor space, so you can see fish swim by from your room. How cool is that! An expensive resort. Probably the most expensive one on the island. The view was spectacular, and included some anchored sailboats and a pass thru the reef."



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Up at 6:00 AM to relieve Darlene. She says she had lightning during her watch over the Dominican Republic; that it looked like flash bulbs going off during her 3:00 AM to 6:00 AM watch.



Sunrise at 6:18 AM. A red orb sunrise, so no green flash.



At 6:25 AM I put the jib out. The wind is on the port,aft quarter at 7 knots. We're motor sailing at 5.7 knots thru the water and 6.4 over the land. Another beautiful day.



At 7:09 AM the wind is 15 knots and we're motor sailing at 6.2 knots thru the water and 7.1 knots over the land.



At 7:15 AM I feel an unusual vibration from the propeller or propeller shaft. I put the boat in neutral, then in reverse; then into forward again. The vibration stops. Probably some seaweed fouling the prop.



At 7:20 AM we're 14 miles from land; on the port bow is Cabo Tres Americas on the Dominican Republic; which sticks up and points NNE after the Bahia Escocesa. Haiti occupies the western third of Hispaniola, while the Dominican Republic occupies the eastern 2/3rds.



At 7:38 AM I turn the engine off. The wind is 11/12 knots and we're sailing at 5.l knots thru the water and 5.7 knots over the land.



At 8:04 AM I hear someone talking continuously on VHF channel 16, possibly in French.



At 8:05 AM the wind is 10 knots and we're sailing at 4.7 knots thru the water and 5.5 knots over the land.



At 8:17 AM I lay out a frozen rock solid filet of Mahi Mahi; for dinner tonight.



At 8:32 AM Land Ho! I sight a mountain on the Dominican Republic thru the sea mist or haze, 10.7 miles away. The land is called Cabo Frances Viejo. The wind is 14 knots and we're sailing at 6.2 knots thru the water and 6.7 knots over the land. This is great! Sailing again.



At 9:00 AM I have phone service and send and receive text messages to Janet and my granddaughter, Kayden. Life is good! Janet confirms that Yellow Brick still has us in the BVI. Bummer. We're really not still at Foxy's Bar having drinks. Really!



Darlene gets up at 9:40 AM.



Breakfast is at 9:45 AM and consists of 3 eggs, cut up and spiced up potato with left over chicken and a bacon hamburger patty throw in; chilled pear halves and cinnamon bread.



At 10:30 AM the wind had moved aft so we jibe and put a pole up on the port side. We're now wing-on-wing with the boom on starboard and jib and whisker pole on port. The wind should be from the northeast but its from the southeast. Go figure. Joel says a front and the 'land effect' are probably causing the anomaly. We're moving at 6.8 knots over the ground. Who cares what direction the wind is from with movement like that.



We used the Civetta II 'ascender' for the first time today. Vlado, who climbed El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California 2 times, used this ascender device he gave me to climb that mountain. We used it to change from an inside jib sheet under load to an outside one. It was a lot simpler to use than running another sheet to the aft, rear cleat. Much simpler. Thank you Vlado!



At 11:15 AM I typed one log and some emails.



Our noon position is 19 degrees, 54 minutes North; 70 degrees, 11 minutes West; and we're 702 miles from Key West. We traveled 151 miles since yesterday at an average speed of 6.3 knots.



At 12:50 PM we send the log and emails and a GRIB weather forecast request over the satellite phone. It was slow and took 3 tries to get it done.



At 1:11 PM the wind is 8 knots and we're sailing at 3.8 knots thru the water and 6.2 knots over the land. A 2.4 knots current in our favor. Cool.



At 1:25 PM we jibe the main and jib. The main and boom are now on the port side and the whisker pole and jib on the starboard. The wind is 15 knots and we're sailing at 4.8 knots thru the water and 6.9 knots over the land.



At 1:30 PM I pulled out the knot meter from the forward hull as Joel thought it might be clogged and giving us inaccurate water speed readings. It wasn't clogged.



Lunch at 1:50 PM consisted of hot dogs cooked on the propane grill by chef Joel.



I napped from 2 to 3:30 PM.



At 3:37 PM the wind is 17 knots and we're sailing at 6.0 knots thru the water and 7.0 knots over the land.



Joel goes down for a nap at 3:40 PM.



At 5:01 PM the wind is 15 knots and we're sailing at 5.3 knots thru the water and 6.0 knots over the land. We're 9-10 miles off the north coast of the Dominican Republic.



At 6:01 PM the wind is 14 knots and we're sailing at 4.8 knots thru the water and 5.5 knots over the land.



I have to start a new log book as number 7 is full.



Dinner is at 6:35 PM. We have Mahi Mahi, garlic instant mashed potatoes and spiced green beans.



The sun sets at 7:03 PM, a big red orb sunset. But no green flash. There is too much moister or spray in the air for there to be a green flash.



I nap from 8:15 PM to 8:45 PM, then relieve Joel at 8:55 PM. The wind is 15 knots and we're sailing at 5.3 knots thru the water and 6.4 knots over the land. The stars are out in full force.



Since we're wing-on-wing with a whisker pole out, we have to be extremely vigilant in paying attention to the auto pilot. If it cuts off, as it is prone to do, the boat will round up and the whisker pole will break...again. So no reading tonight. During my watch, I can't even leave the cockpit to use the head. Its a solid 3 hour watch. The same will go for Joel. However, we'll drop the pole when Darlene comes on watch so at least she won't have to go thru what we're going thru.



At 10:01 PM the wind is 17 knots and we're sailing at 6.1 knots thru the water and 7.2 knots over the land. Its now cloudy and most of the stars are gone.



At 10:59 PM the wind is 15 knots and we're sailing thru the water at 5.5 knots and over the land at 6.1 knots.



At 11:27 PM I see on the AIS a 755 foot tanker called the Aramon, going to Houston. Its 10.7 miles away; aft and to our starboard; heading our direction. I can see the ship visually, barely. The CPA keeps changing from a half mile to hundreds of feet. I'll have to keep an eye on the ship. I see that his course is to the left of ours by 10 degrees, so a collision is a real possibility.



At 11:58 PM I call the Aramon on VHF channel 16 as the CPA (Closest Point of Approach) is now a steady 500 feet. I ask if the ship has us on AIS and state that I am the sail boat on his port bow at 7 miles. He acknowledges that he has us on AIS and then changes course 5 degrees to starboard, avoiding a collision. AIS, never leave home without it!



Joel relieves me at midnight.



Brian Fox


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