Volvo: Qingdao to Rio - 40 days

Ericsson 3 and Ericsson 4 finished 1-2 in the Qingdao to Rio leg.  12,300 miles of glorious sailing, danger, and discomfort.  40 days - February 14 - March 26.  40 days without a hot shower.

The hobbled Telefonica Blue was still 600 miles from the finish in light air when the Ericsson boats landed.  A particularly welcome landing for Ericsson 4 skipper Torben Grael, the great Brazilian Olympian and America's Cup skipper, who was greeted by his wife and daughter.

Pilots in the Penobscot Bay

Tugster's recent post about Sandy Hook pilots reminded me of a smoky afternoon in summer 2005 as I headed single-handed in the 18 foot Parker skiff down the edge of the West Penobscot Bay shipping channel - bound for North Haven for a look-see.  Out of the mist appeared a huge bulk carrier with a pilot boat escort.  When something like that appears suddenly at 11 O'Clock one mile off it is alarming.

The size of the ship that is shown by the way it dwarfs the little (80 foot?) PenBay pilot boat.

The Peking - under tow - and at the Horn

The Peking is a legendary ship - one of the last great cargo ships to ply its trade under wind power.  And because of the legendary film footage (below) by Capt. Irwin Johnson who went aloft in horrific conditions to document the storm we know something of its adventures.

The ship belongs to South Street Seaport Museum and resides next to the Wavertree.   Tugster's partner caught her under tow in January 2008.  

The last time we had a Tall Ships visit to NY (was that 2000?) the Wavertree was cleared by  the Coast Guard to put up some canvas, but the Peking not.

At least it's in the water - unlike the great Danish warship the Fregatten Jylland - perfectly preserved but sitting in a dry concrete berth, in Ebeltoft, Jutland.

Bowsprite has posted these lovely watercolors (and more), with conscientiously drawn and delighful details of the great ship.  

And  Tugster has historical shots of the old bulk carrier.

Volvo: Around the Horn w/o a Forestay

Bouwe Bekking and the crew of Telefonica Blue have rounded the Horn.  They did the last 2,000 of the 10,000 mile jaunt from Qingdao with no forestay.  A jury rigged jib halyard did the job.  2,00 miles to go to Rio.  One hopes there will be a stop in Ushuaia for a new fitting, though no announcement yet.

Presidio Yacht Club

At the base of the north tower is the Golden Gate Motor Lifeboat Station, U.S.C.G., and the Travis Marina, home of the Presidio Yacht Club.  It is affiliated with the Travis Air Force Base, the heir of the Ft. Baker garrison which once manned the fearsome batteries that guarded the approaches to San Francisco Bay from Point Reyes to the Gate.

There I spent five days aboard the Herreshoff H-28 Fjord, a fine boat whose captain earned his slip under fire forty years ago.

The full slide show is here

Volvo: Green Dragon rounds Horn on St. Paddy's Day

Four of the five boats still racing have rounded the Horn.  Telefonica Blue - amazingly - is still racng - though 700+ miles from the leader and 500 miles from the Cape.  Impressive when you know they have no forestay.

And the Irish-crewed, Chinese-built Green Dragon rounded on St. Patrick's Day.  Normally I hate images of leprechauns and silly hats, but you have to forgive this one.

Here's the link

A Day's Work for Katherine Walker

Buoy tending at the GWB - replacing the ice buoy with the lighted tower in the morning, heading home at 18:00.

How to top Southbound 650 - hoof it

Southbound 650 was a great feat - Kawasaki 650 from Roxbury, NY to Tierra Del Fuego.

But Comrade Li hoofed it - horse hooves from the  Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia to Beijing.

There are more pictures here of the modern Marco Polo's journey to the east, the proud arrival in Beijing of the mixed Chinese-Russian rider who crossed Eurasia on horseback.

Goliath crane under tow to Romania

On March 7 the tug Allie B headed out to sea from Boston with the giant Quincy shipyards crane on a barge called Brooklyn Bridge, bound for Romania.

Tugster has all the details and links to photos.

Images above courtesy of Kreative Licence Art Studio where the entire voyage is tracked here

Volvo: Iceberg at 2 O'Clock

Green Dragon (the Irish/Chinese consortium) is sailing at 50 degrees South - what should be above the ice zone (that's why there are ice gates - to keep boats out of the ice zone.  But the icebergs don't know about the rules.

They saw three last night - and then these during the day.  Here is the video