Overnight to Key West- finally underway

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Trip Start May 07, 2007 Previous
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  Key West, Florida, United States
Saturday, May 12, 2007

The first night in a new bunk is never easy for me.  With bad bones (back and neck), I like a softer bed, but I did sleep like a baby...for at least 4 hours.  Then I woke up and was just ready to go...lets "bring it on".   But I did fall back to sleep and it wasn't long before I heard Dave milling around and getting ready at 0600. 

The weather was hazy with little wind.  The fires in northern FL had brought a very heavy cover of smoke. It reminded me of being in Thailand the year before where the air quality was so bad because of the burring of the tropical forests.  The smoke spoiled what could have been a beautiful sunrise.  So after an hour of final 'get ready' activities, I heard the big diesel come to life.  Unlike the diesel on my vessel which we affectionately call the "dragon" because it sounds angry, the diesel on Adventure seemed to purr more than roar. 

Like all Nordhavns, she is built for stability and range.  This is not a go-fast vessel or engine.  It's one made to run for days or weeks without stopping.   Perhaps I had not mentioned, but these vessels have a single large diesel engine with a small backup or "wing" engine for emergency or occasional use should the main engine fair.  I say occasional because it is not only used for emergency, but also for powering some hydraulics like thruster and windlass. 

So we cast off lines about 0930 and we were under way under overcast conditions.   The first thing Sue and I learned was how hard it was to "make up" lines with the lines are 1 1/4 braid.  This is heavy stuff and getting the coiled and neatly put away took leaning a new skill.  

After a small computer glitch a mile or two off the dock, we made our way out under the bridge into the Gulf of Mexico.  Yes, computer glitch.  This vessel has a high degree of computerization and most systems are maintained with redundant or backup systems.  We had a small issue getting the nav computer talking to the auto-pilot.   But like most computer issues, we unplugged it and re-booted.  ....problem solved. 

Personally having made my career in the software business, I would just as soon have fewer computerized systems than more.  But, hey, that's just me.   I always found computers frustrating.  Some how though, I made business systems career.   

One we went and we had a about 24 hours of motoring ahead of us.   Adventure was making a nice 9.5kts through light seas of 1-2 feet.  I had expected this to be a 'milk run' as most of the time the Gulf of Mexico is not home to big seas.

We started our normal watch sequence of 3 hour watches.  This means that each person "stands" watch in the wheelhouse for that period of time before being relieved by the next.  What do you do?  Well, primarily watch for traffic, monitor gages, look at the radar.  Like many things on a vessel, most of the time there is no major activity.  But if shipping comes on the radar at 0300 in the am, our job is to do a radar plot and potentially get on the radio to collaborate with crew on the other vessel.

I was lucky to have early watch so I hit the bunk at 2200.  The next thing I knew it was 0600 for my morning watch.  We were 10 miles off of the Key West sea buoy.  We had completed our fist overnight passage.  It was easy.  I knew it would likely be the easiest passage we will see.  The Gulf is not like the Atlantic.

Our day in Key West was spent touring around.  We hit the Hemmingway home and walked Duval street with is as close to Bourbon street as you can get.   Here is our dinner picture with Dave and Karen. .

Capt Dave, Karen, Sue and Gary

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