Dear Friend of CHARIAD:

Spring Boat Work

The Spring Boat Work is finally underway to get the mighty CHARIAD ready to splash back in the water. We are convening tomorrow morning at the Dion’s Yard in Salem for a big push to get her ready. Let me know if you want to come by and help out – lots of fun with beer, etc. afterwards.

The hurricane damage repairs are underway but the Dion yard has been very slow in starting the repairs to the cockpit area. The boat was finally moved into their paint shop yesterday. Lots of scratches and dings in the paint where the mast and rigging scratched the deck.

The mast has been repaired at Hall Spars in Rhode Island and the stern pulpit the wheel are being repaired now.

CHARIAD’s Connection to OSTAR Race

The OSTAR race is from Plymouth England to Newport RI – singlehanded. The start of the race is May 25.

You saw my note that Jonathan Green has sailed his 35 foot Beneteau Oceanis 351 from Salem, MA, to Plymouth to do the race. Jonathan’s boat is Jeroboam. Jonathan was one of the key CHARIAD crew members when we sailed the Marblehead to Halifax race.

CHARIAD has a connection to another boat in the race. Sunrise is a Farr 37 that is skippered by Krystian Szypka. Krystian lives in Poland. Sunrise and Jeroboam will be competing against each other all of the way across the Atlantic to Newport. If you’re– here you will see the profiles of the two skippers and their boats.

CHARIAD normally has a crew of ten when we do the day races in Mass Bay or Buzzards Bay. We have a crew of eight when we do the long distance races like Halifax. Think about racing one of these boats by yourself for 3,000 miles across the Atlantic mostly beating upwind. During the clipper ship era the route from Europe to North America was to sail south to the Azores and ride the trade winds across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and then ride them up the east coast. Most of the OSTAR boats will sail a northerly course closer to icebergs to get some favorable winds.

As an example of what these guys are dealing with, Jeroboam was flipped over by a huge wave on the crossing to the UK and had to go into the Azores for repairs before continuing on to Plymouth. Did not lose the mast but did lose the autopilot and Jonathan had to hand steer the boat for the last part of the leg.

Both Sunrise and Jeroboam will have transponders so we can track their routes across the Atlantic. I assume the OSTAR web site will have a link to see the progress of the boats. I know you can see Jonathan’s progress on his web site and blog.

Krystian said he would make contact with Jonathan when he got to Plymouth. Jonathan is there now and will see this note. When they get to Newport, I will gather some supporters and admirers of these brave adventurers and join them in Newport to celebrate their completion of the race.

We finally have warm weather and can look forward to getting on the water.

My best,

Rick