| Date: August 13, 2002 | Summary: Singlehanding to Nantucket. | |||
| Crew: Curtis. | ||||
| Comments: Wind was light to very light, generally 6-8 knots, at times under 5 knots, and from the southwest. Visibility was 50 yards to a few hundred yards in morning to mid afternoon fog and about 2 miles in late afternoon and evening haze. Seas were reported to be 1-3 feet. Little progress was made between 10 AM and 1 PM, sailing upwind against current. Polluck Rip was entered slightly west of RW"GRS" at about 2 PM, which was the time of slack. Navigation to Polluck Rip and through it was primarily by GPS with visual confirmation of markers. At 5 PM, Polluck Rip GC"11" was within sight. Of the next three and a half hours of sailing, all but 18 minutes was sailed on a starboard tack. Following that, a few tacks toward Nantucket Harbor were made. Nantucket Harbor RW"NB" Mo(A) was reached in total darkness. Entrance to the channel was delayed to allow a towed barge and then a ferry to pass through. The chart was carefully studied while waiting. The channel was entered at around 10:00 PM. The range lights were used to keep to the starboard side of the channel. The channel was an upwind sail mostly on a starboard tack with occasional short port tacks as indicated by the range lights. A hand held search light was used to spot the markers. Each nun and can was accounted for up to RN"10", then the turn to port. The can near Brandt point was missed. Passing significantly to port of this mark (while still looking for it) resulted in a soft grounding (this was at low tide). After looking back and seeing the missed marker the boat was walked to deeper water (nice thing about drafting only 27 inches). From there she was motored to the back (southeast) side of the anchorage area and anchored. It took four tried to get a spot with good hold due to weeds in other spots. | ||||
| TIME | BEARING/FIX/OBSERVATIONS/COMMENT | COURSE | TIME | |
| 0954 | Chattam Break, outer marker | C 110M | (6 min) | 0.1 hours |
| 1000 | -- | C 130M | (18 min) | 0.3 hours |
| 1018 | GPS fix N 41° 40.271' W 069° 54.226' | C 180M | (12 min) | 0.2 hours |
| 1030 | GPS fix N 41° 39.862' W 069° 53.715' | C 330M | (3 min) | 0.05 hours |
| 1033 | initial attempts to use Davis Tiller Tamer didn't point well | C 200M | (9 min) | 0.15 hours |
| 1042 | apparent wind 7 knots, SOG 2.5 knots before bearing away | C 180M | (18 min) | 0.3 hours |
| 1100 | GPS fix N 41° 39.32' W 069° 52.97' | C 140M | (3 min) | 0.05 hours |
| 1103 | tack due to poor progress upwind | C 270M | (3 min) | 0.05 hours |
| 1106 | getting used to tiller tamer | C 145M | (24 min) | 0.4 hours |
| 1130 | GPS fix N 41° 38.902' W 069° 51.247' | C 270M | (48 min) | 0.6 hours |
| 1218 | GPS fix N 41° 39.018' W 069° 54.331' | C 165M | (42 min) | 0.7 hours |
| 1300 |
GPS fix N 41° 37.051' W 069° 52.235' headed toward RW"PR" Mo(A) Whis |
C 180M | (60 min) | 1.0 hours |
| 1400 |
GPS fix N 41° 34.789' W 069° 50.831' north and slightly west of RW"PR" |
C 280M | -- | -- |
| Due to the upwind course, a lot of tacking was done in the channel up to Buttler Hole. GPS crosstrack error was monitored to avoid straying from the calmer deep water of the channel. Although the tacks were longer in the channel after that point, headings and fixes were not recorded until exiting the channel near RN"10". | ||||
| 1700 |
GPS fix N 41° 30.495' W 070° 02.027' within sight of GC"11" |
C 180M | (102 min) | 1.7 hours |
| 1842 |
GPS fix N 41° 26.409' W 070° 05.273' near G"15" Fl G 4s, avoid nearing Great Point |
C 270M | (18 min) | 0.3 hours |
| 1900 |
GPS fix N 41° 26.494' W 070° 07.023' northwest of G"15" Fl G 4s |
C 180M | (60 min) | 1.0 hours |
| 2000 |
GPS fix N 41° 23.094' W 070° 05.296' hourly check, about 1.5 mile west of Great Point |
C 180M | (30 min) | 0.5 hours |
| 2030 |
GPS fix N 41° 21.193' W 070° 04.018' northeast nearly 3 miles from harbor entrance |
C 290M | (30 min) | 0.5 hours |
| 2100 |
GPS fix N 41° 21.391' W 070° 06.569' north 2 miles of harbor entrance |
C 180M | -- | -- |
| It was not yet clear which light was RW"NB" Mo(A) Bell. As it drew closer it and Fl G 4s at the end of the jetty were clear. Navigation from here was by these lights, then the channel range lights and markers found using a hand held search light. This was used until the turn at RN"10", followed by a minor grounding missing GC"11", then the well lit harbor was reached. | ||||
Photos and a brief narrative are available on the August 2002 page of the Photo Gallery pages, under Nantucket Solo.