Here is the previously promised report from Ervin's Trans-Atlantic
It all started because I forgot my Oakcliff Spinlock Deck Vest on the boat after our delivery back from Bermuda. I had to get it back so I drove into Manhattan, parked on the West Side Highway and sprinted to the boat docked, hoping my car wouldn't be towed. I jumped down the companionway and Luka, the boat's captain, quickly explained that a space had opened up and I was invited. Instantly I indicated, I was DTS (down to sail) for sure!
A few days later, after a celebratory 4th of July I headed back to NYC with bags packed. Little did I know my first task was to be the translator for customs officials. We docked out on the 7th with a light Westerly and by the time we passed Ambrose Light I had pieced together that records were going to be doubtful, but I could still learn and maybe drive a sweet boat fast. After about 5 hours of sailing down the south shore of Long Island, which was not part of the plan, we ran out of breeze and the Russians insisted we turn the engine on and motor south to breeze. The crew consisted of 9 Russians, 7 French and 1 flexible American so after several hours of motoring South we found a solid breeze coming off of our starboard quarter, set sails blasted along for five full days!
I took my first deck shower of the trip ... AND shaved my beard but preserved the mustache and then on Day 6 we gibed to sail into a warm front. A short hour after the gybe, the wind clocked from 250ish to 030. There was a scramble on deck as the A3 was traded for the Code 0 then eventually the Jib #2 during. This was the only time during the trip we sailed upwind and it only lasted for 18 hours: then it was right back to Code 0 reaching around the top of the high-pressure system.
The funny thing about setting a kite on the Med Spirit is it takes an army of sailors. Just to move the sail on deck takes four guys, then you have to rig the sheets and guys. After that you and four or five friends get together to move the pole forward. After that the tack line and topper are rigged as well as the jockey pole. Once all of this setup is done it's finally time to hoist. The hoist takes 6 people grinding the halyard and two more ready to grind the sheet. After inflation the crew rushes forward to drop the jib, but only after inflation because if you wrap the spinnaker around the forestay you are going to have quite a dilemma.
By Day 8 it had cooled down a bit but I had also had convinced all the other Frenchmen that mustaches are the new trend and they were "stached" up!:-) OUI
Days 9-11 were cold and foggy. It was not as windy as the former half of the crossing, but the waves became more serious. It was always overcast, and the breeze would fluctuate depending on the altitude of the cloud cover. It was a slog that the whole crew endured for three days, and it was interesting to see how everyone's attitudes changed during the grayness. It wasn't until we were 50 miles from Lizard Light that the fog lifted and the jovial spirits re-emerged.
We passed the Lizard at a quarter pass 20:00GMT (15:15EST). Our elapsed time for Ambrose to Lizard was 11days 2 hours and 15 minutes. In Falmouth the showers were warm, the beer refreshing, the sense of accomplishment high, and the facial hair trend was mustaches all round - Russian and French and me. It was a pleasure sailing with the crew of Med Spirit, and although we couldn't speak together we shared the language of sailing, which made everything surprisingly smooth.
