Eclipse blog...

Best Days

Wed, 6 Nov 2013 11:06:30 -0500

"The two best days in a boat owner’s life - the day you buy your boat, and the day you sell your boat."

I can unequivocally say that this much used adage of the boating world is incorrect. Stepping foot on Eclipse for the first time, when she was finally ours, was certainly exciting. But next Tuesday, when Eclipse officially becomes the reason for someone else's "first" best day of their lives, it certainly won't be on our top-ten list. Eclipse is soon to begin her next adventure. And the Hufford family is already well into ours.

Of course no tale of the sea will end as simply as that. After months of keeping Eclipse scrubbed and polished, we had the expected rounds of offer/counter offer and finally this week, the sea trial. The trial date was selected to coincide with the lowest tides of the month, and on Sunday at 4 AM we left the dock to squeak under the bridges. Sunday afternoon was wonderful as we had the opportunity to raft up with friends boats and watch an air show. The rest of the family had things to do early Monday morning so I stayed alone on Eclipse at anchor.

The weather started getting rough. The tiny ship was tossed.(sort of) Through the weekend the winds were building. And by Monday morning they were blowing a solid 25 knots. I earned my anchoring merit badge that morning as I had to single-hand the raising of the anchor while buffeted about in the midst of other anchored boats. Running back and forth from the helm to the anchor windlass and filling buckets of water to clean the horrible sticky mud that came up with the anchor. I then (deftly and proudly I must say) brought Eclipse up to the dock, where I met her new owner and the yacht surveyor.

It is somewhat difficult to watch and listen to someone else dissecting your boat and commenting on everything they see. But the bottom line is that Eclipse is seaworthy, in great shape, and the sale is going through.

So you would think the adventure ends there. Right? The new owner joined me on Eclipse that evening to position the boat for a Tuesday a.m. transit. We talked for hours about Eclipse’s quirks and qualities and hit the bunks early. At 5:45 AM I was warming the engines and we putted to the bridge. A couple miles away in the ocean the waves were said to be raging up to 10 feet, And the winds were still blowing. The theory that we have formulated is that all this water pouring through the inlet makes it impossible for the river flow and tidal action to go out to sea. So the shocker that morning was the tide marker on the bridge read 18 inches higher than expected. Our best estimates for mast clearance on this bridge is under 12 inches of leeway when at the lowest tide.

It's Wednesday morning, and I am babysitting Eclipse for a couple more days watching the tide marker and hoping for one last chance to sneak under the bridge Thursday morning before the tidal cycle will make it impossible for another couple weeks.

The greatest of the lessons of the Eclipse Adventure is to take the winds, the seas, the breakdowns, the serendipitous events, and the unexpected opportunities, and relish them all as the flavors that made the last four years the “Best days in a boat owner’s life"

Some silly questions and answers

Mon, 3 Dec 2012 11:36:55 -0500

Most asked question (non-cruiser): How often do you come back to land?
A: Every time so far.

Number of waterfalls visited: 47 [ ok, I made that up. Lots ]

Worst injury: 15 year old son sprained ankle performing acrobatics while harnessed to the spinnaker halyard.

2nd worst: 13 year old son banged knee attempting "a double" doing the same thing.
[ perhaps there is a lesson here, but we didn't get it ]

Stubbed toes: every single one, at least twice.

Biggest fish: 50" wahoo, between Los Roques and Las Aves

Number of shark attacks: 0

Number of pull-ups in 2010: 4
Number of pull-ups in 2012: 20

Biggest blow while anchored: 50+ knot squall in Grenada (October I think?)

Biggest blow with hail while moving: 40+ knot gust front followed by golfball sized hail while maneuvering in the Dinner Key Marina mooring field. Note to self-"next time grab any available ball when you see it coming".

Best surfing: Not nearly enough. We were always anchored too far away.

Biggest maintenance headache: Fridge/Freezer - eventually bought a new compressor and had a pro install in Grenada. Fixed!!!

Approximate 1st year investment to get a ex-charter bareboat Leopard ready for extended cruising: $100k

Most amazing feast on board: they were innumerable, but I would pick Thanksgiving 2011 anchored in the western Los Roques for the most unlikely place to have Pecan Pie.

Sunsets: stopped counting after 100

Sunrises: stopped getting up after 30

Most sleepless night: spent several hours in the helm chair watching for any indication of dragging as breaking waves rolled by, putting us unexpectedly on a lee shore with the rocky section of Grand Anse Beach, Grenada. Anchor held.

Most interrupted night's sleep: Set alarm to get up and check every 30 minutes during a strong cold front while anchored in the tidal currents of The Mice, Exumas, Bahamas.

Cheapest groceries: Tobago and Panama.

Buggiest flour and pasta: Tobago

Most expensive grocery bill: Bonaire, because you are in stupefied awe after being in the E. Carib, and you don't realize tha liter of strawberries converts to $12, and the brick of Gouda that just arrived on a 747 from Holland is $18.

Would you do it again? In a heartbeat!

Operating Stats

Mon, 3 Dec 2012 11:31:42 -0500

If you are plotting your own sailing adventure perhaps these stats will give you some useful insight.

=== 2010 Statistics ===

Family lived aboard Eclipse: 250 days (including marina stays in Marathon and Stuart)
We operated the boat 125 days which means we were on the move 50% of the time.
We had 12 overnight trips.

Total Nautical Miles:    3375 (3881 statute miles)
    Estimated 5 knot average (miles / operating hours)

Total operating hours: 664
    Sailing             286    43%
    Motor sailing    208    31%
    Motoring          170    26%

Total engine hours: 742
    Port    343    46%
    Stbd    399    54%
    An estimated 270 hours were for charging batteries only.

Fuel used [I did not keep complete records]
    Fuel burn average = .5 gal/hr
    Estimated diesel used = 370 gallons
    Estimated gasoline used (outboard and generator) = 40 gallons

=== 2011 Statistics ===

Family lived aboard Eclipse: 330 days (including 14 living on the hard)
We operated the boat 116 days which means we were on the move 35% of the days. A related stat is that we operated (sail/motor) 626 hours which means we were moving 8% of the hours we were on board.
We had 17 overnight trips.

We celebrated New Years day 2011 as the sole boat anchored off an island in the Ragged Islands, Bahamas. Route from there: Long Island, Mayaguana, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Vieques, Culebra, St Thomas, St John, BVI, St Martin, Antigua, Les Saintes, Ominica, Martinique, St Lucia, Bequia, Grenedines, Carriacou, Grenada, Tobago, Grenada, Los Roques, Las Aves, Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba.

Total Nautical Miles:    3055 (3513 statute miles)
4.8 knot average (miles / operating hours)
26.3nm average trip distance
5.3 hours average trip duration

Total operating hours: 626
    Sailing             371    59%
    Motor sailing    68    11%
    Motoring          187    30%

Total engine hours: 627
    Port 296    47%
    Stbd 331    53%
    An estimated 350 hours were for charging batteries only (56%).

Fuel used
    Fuel burn average = 0.41 gal/hr
    Diesel used = 259 gallons
we paid from $6/gal in Grenada to $1.50/gal in Tobago, avg est. $4.50/gal
Propane = 10lbs will last us 30 days (we bake a lot)
    Rough Estimate gasoline used (outboard and generator) = 80 gallons
Curacao was $8 for gas, ouch

=== 2012 Statistics ===

Family lived aboard Eclipse: 180 days (including 50 living in a marina, or traveling inshore away from boat)
We operated the boat 69 days which means we were on the move 38% of the days. A related stat is that we operated (sail/motor) 559 hours which means we were moving 13% of the hours we were on board.
We had 16 overnight trips.

We celebrated New Years day 2012 in Aruba (with fireworks ash raining down on us, but we had a spectacular view from the water). From there: Colombia, Panama, Bay Islands, Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico, return to Florida in June.

Total Nautical Miles:    2843 (3270 statute miles)
4.4 knot average (miles / operating hours)
41.2 nm average trip distance
8.1 hours average trip duration

Total operating hours: 559
    Sailing 332    59%
    Motor sailing 73    13%
    Motoring 154    28%

Total engine hours: 315
    Port    155    49%
    Stbd 160    51%
    An estimated 80 hours were for charging batteries only (25%).

Fuel used
    Fuel burn average = 0.49 gal/hr
    Diesel used = 153 gallons
Propane = 60# in 6 months
    Rough Estimate gasoline used (outboard and generator) = 30 gallons

=== Full Trip - March 2010 - June 2012

760 days aboard
9273 nautical miles (10664 statute)
1684 total engine hours
782 gallons diesel burned
A meaningless but interesting stat: 13.6 miles per gallon

We did it! 2 1/2 incredible years, 10000 miles

Sat, 23 Jun 2012 22:23:30 -0400

Nothing more to say.

Triumphant Return

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:09:43 -0400

June 10
Just completed our second longest passages of the trip and among the hardest. 430 miles in 67 hours. But we have really been on the go ever since leaving Guatemala. Anyway, the ship and crew are glad to have a bit of a respite while we wait out some east winds. We faced everything from big choppy waves on the beam, gulf stream current ripping up a turbulent washing machine over the banks west of Cuba, 10 knot sailing in the lee of Cozumel, hard motoring into the wind when it shifted east... Eclipse is one tough boat. It was tough, but a very fast passage. I kept thinking of Eclipse like the horse that knows she is heading towards the barn. We also were kept busy keeping our distance from the busiest shipping lanes we have ever been in.

Key West may not be the best place to get reoriented into US lifestyle... Or is it common to see guys in pink speedos everywhere now? We have a couple more days in key west while we wait for a wind change.

June 20
We travelled in the Intracoastal Waterway yesterday up from For Lauderdale., 18 opening bridges! This afternoon we will negotiate a fixed 65' which is always a nail biting experience. Tomorrow will then be our final 30 mile push northward to hit the final two 65' bridges at the lowest low tides.

We will be triumphantly flying all of our country flags as we come up the St Lucie waterway and through the bridges to our new 'home port'.

June 22
On Thursday we completed our journey with the final leg taking us under two 65' bridges. We had it timed perfectly to transit the bridges at one of the lowest low tides of the month but it still is a hair raising experience.

In all, our journey was 10000 miles (9200 nautical miles) since Texas. I had dreamed of what it would feel like to sail back into our home port flying the colors - and I can tell you it really was a special feeling. Eclipse's crew was very excited and hoisting the flags was a thrill. Our friend Oscar was on board (he helped me sail Eclipse on the initial voyage from Texas) and our friends John and Sue came out in their boat to escort us in. When we cleared each bridge I blew the conch for all to hear.

Thank you all for watching our progress and making sure we reached each new port. We will let you know when and where our next adventure is headed.

Transiting one of the twenty opening bridges between Fort Lauderdale and Stuart.

Hoisting our country flags as we sail into the St. Lucie Inlet.

The men of Eclipse

… Antigua, Martinique, Dominica, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada, [Venezuela, Bonaire - missing], Curacao, Aruba, Colombia, Panama, [Honduras missing], Guatemala, Belize, Mexico

Jerome heading up the 65' mast to check bridge clearance.

Jerome in position as we approach the bridge at .5 knot.

Jerome signals that we have 6 inches to spare

and then, just 200 meters from the marina…. ERRRR. We had to hover in the current for 40 minutes while two trains went by.

Our poor tired flag that is retiring.

A view from the top.

Belize & Mexico

Thu, 7 Jun 2012 22:13:44 -0400

We are anchored a mile out from a small fishing village, Punta Allan. Incredible, huge platter of Ceviche for lunch!

The wind has been very strong for a few days and we pulled in here to rest up behind the reef. The trip from Belize was very fast with us making 8-10 knots but the waves were big on true beam so it was a rough night. Now we are rested and well fed, and gearing up for an overnight to Isla Mujeres, the last of our foreign ports. However, if conditions are good and the crew is up to it we may just get in the gulf stream and keep on going an additional two days to Key West putting us there on Sunday. And crazy as it sounds, if we are still game to keep sailing we will ride the stream as far as we can along the Florida coast. Wish we had another month to explore Mexico.

Fun in Antigua

Sat, 26 May 2012 23:07:26 -0400

May 26

Making Mayan Hot Chocolate

The nicest McDonalds in the world.

Ronald's courtyard

Jeep trip into the hilly coffee plantations

Scraping a neighboring truck's mirror

Why did we go up into the mountains? For paint balling of course.

Making chocolate.

Roast the beans

Grind the beans

a few steps later, mix the chocolate.

Antigua, Guatemala

Fri, 25 May 2012 23:03:11 -0400

May 24 10pm
We had such fun on the last bus trip that we thought the only way to top it is spending the night on a bus to Guatemala City. No harrowing tales to tell and everyone got a decent enough sleep.

May 25 am
The one critical piece of info we didn't catch in the guide book is that each bus company has their own station, and the bus we were hoping to catch left from the other side of the city. Of course there were plenty of taxi drivers willing to take us there. One guy was happy to pack the six of us and gear into his Nissan. Once on the road, it didn't take much of a sales job to convince us to triple the fare for door-todoor service all the way to Antigua. Worth-It.

We found our charming and inexpensive lodging, Casa Cristina, after several stops for the driver to consult with locals for directions. He wasn't very interested in the guidebook map which actually was spot on. We did eventually find it, dropped our stuff in the rooms and headed out to explore our corner of the city.

Antigua is beautiful with an old European feel. I tell people it is like visiting Spain for 1/3 the price.

Flores & Tikal

Thu, 24 May 2012 21:55:02 -0400

May 22
We left Eclipse anchored near Happy Times and under the watchful eye of Cheryl. The rest of us dinghied in to Fronteras town to brave the local buses on our latest escapade. The bus was a notch above the old retired school buses in looks but no better in comforts. And, it was standing room only. We were herded about half way back in the aisle and braced each other as the bus lurched forward. These buses make frequent stops so I imagined we could scamper and scoop up the seats when other riders departed, but at each stop another 10 bodies would cram on and no one got off. The aisle space was now filled with a person on each side teetering on the arm rest and another smashed standing between. The airflow doesn't make it up to head level, and you can't see out the side windows or the front so all you get is the constant lurching side to side as the bus makes its way over and around who knows what. I have no idea what the countryside was like in this part of Guatemala. Of all of our latin american bus rides this was the most miserable. It was well over two hours before any of our party got a seat. Michelle, the boys and I did tag team standing/lap-sitting/ arm rest sitting for the final hour until the bus dumped us out at the Flores bus station… almost. The driver said end of the line, although our tickets and guide book indicated there was one more stop where we were headed. "No, el bus stops here."

It was probably only a couple miles to our destination but we didn't know which direction, and after the painful ride nobody was gung-ho for a hike. So, after taking turns in Los Banos, we slung our backpacks and confronted the line of grinning taxi drivers. I picked the biggest vehicle that we could stuff six of us and gear into - being an old Corolla. Even negotiating him down a few bucks had us hugely overpaying - $15. The driver confirmed, "The bus does not like the island" which I interpret to mean that the drivers and taxis have a deal: drop the gringos at the station and get a kickback from the taxi drivers.

The island is very nice. We had nice cheap rooms that I found on TripAdvisor, and we spent the evening stretching our aching backs and surveying the many little eateries scattered around the periphery. The tour bus to Tikal leaves at 4:15am, purportedly to view sunrise over the pyramids.

May 23
Morning did come to soon. We took our seats in the tourist van with a few other backpackers. All seats were filled but we could see a couple guys negotiating with the driver and then they made their way to the van door with the intention of getting in. After our previous bus ride, the notion of cramming four bodies across for a two hour ride 'did not sit well' with any of us and we let the driver know. Nothing personal young fellow backpackers, but you need to find another way to the pyramids. They looked disappointed but acknowledged that theirs was a bad plan.

The sun was peaking over the tree tops long before we made through the jungle. I think the hype in the tourist brochures about watching the sunrise from a pyramid is just to get you to the park early so you'll buy breakfast and coffee there. We could have used those couple extra hours of sleep.

Tikal is amazing. It keep going and going with pyramids and other structures scattered for a couple miles. There are still a number of structures that are covered by jungle. Every now and then the howler monkeys scattered in the trees would make a terrific racket. I cannot think of a way to describe it - unearthly, demonic. Them seem very grumpy but perhaps to their ears its like Josh Groban.

Stretching our backs after that horrible bus ride.

We are the King! Flores has its share of tourists, and therefore a Burger King. Some fries and a shake sounded just right so the men were off to explore (don't bother with the shakes, they aren't very good). There was also a very fancy mall and multiplex with hardly a soul in it.

The pyramid complex at Tikal

Cool furry trees

The church tree. I forgot the story, but the tree is holy and somebody held their religious services next to it.

Climbing a pyramid

Tikal

Tikal

If the pyramids didn't prove it to you, we really are in Guatemala, Centro America

Rio Dulce

Sat, 19 May 2012 22:00:03 -0400

On Wednesday we motored up the Rio Dulce enjoying the striking gorge at a leisurely 3-knot pace. The boys scampered aloft (as they now seem to do several times a day) to take in the spectacular views. We had read about the Rio's beauty in many guidebooks and were not let down. This was Eclipse's first escapade in fresh water and she loved it. The clingy barnacles literally fell off the hulls and the unlimited water cleansed the salty decks. As we rounded the last bend the view opened up on Golfete Bay and we anchored as a squall came through washing the boat even more. We heard the marina nearby had a nice restaurant so we all dingyed ashore for happy hour, dinner and socialization. Dinner was weak, but the fellowship and internet were a plus. After a couple days of exploring we sailed across the Bay to marina area where thousands of boats are stored for hurricane seasons. Some looked like they came to die… We left Eclipse anchored near the marina Happy Times checked into for hurricane season and Cheryl was hired to babysit her, along with her own boat, while the rest of us travelled inland.

A bend in the Rio

Happy Times as seen from up our mast.

Morning commute to school

A view from Golfete to the highlands.

Canoes were constantly criss-crossing through our anchorage at Texas Harbor.

The children were very curious and would maneuver close enough to give us a good look.

Our backyard.

Venturing up one of the small tributaries that few sailboats visit.

Again, the local children got very curious and one-by-one came out to visit in their dugout canoes.

At one point we have over 15 kids aboard helping us with Spanish.

Jungle hike

San Felipe de Lara guarding the upper Rio Dulce as it joins Lago de Izabal

The land surrounding Lake Izabal.

The falls at Agua Caliente. We have been to hot springs, and caves, and many waterfalls, but here mother nature has really innovated - Hot waterfalls with caves hidden behind. It takes a while to find the perfect spot but there are a few where the cold water coming out of the cave mixes with the hot from the waterfall and you have a perfect jacuzzi.