We booked our BVI bareboat charter vacation with The Moorings, but I had never been on a sailboat other than on Grand Lake, Oklahoma. The biggest waves I had encountered were the wakes kicked off by motor boats – 2 to 3 feet, maybe. Hence, my decision for more sailing education and some ocean/ offshore experience.
My brother, Monty, and I scheduled our ASA Advanced course through South Coast Sailing Adventures. We were introduced to Cpt. Lucy and Cpt. Mike, our instructor. The plan was to sail from Kemah, TX out into the Gulf of Mexico approximately 10 miles offshore and south to Freeport, TX. We would dock in Freeport, spend the night and return through the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW). It all sounded pretty simple with two big exceptions: 1) it was really windy (20 to 25 sustained) and 2) offshore water conditions were very rough.
Monty and I provisioned the boat for our first night sleeping aboard Mike’s Ericsson 30. It was mid-April and the Texas Gulf coast air was pleasant and comfortable. We went out for a bite to eat with Mike and got to know him a bit over a few drinks. It was an early night; however, as we planned for an early morning start with some class work and to get familiar with the boat’s systems before we embarked on our 70nm sail to Freeport.
The evening was peaceful and I slept well on the boat– something that I have learned I like. We rose for an early breakfast and began reviewing materials covered in earlier ASA classes. We also covered the boat’s systems and prepared to leave the marina which we did by 10:30 AM. Soon thereafter we were passing the Kemah Boardwalk and were on our way navigating through some of the busiest shipping lanes in the world and on into the Gulf of Mexico.
The 20 knots of sustained wind was more than I had experienced in my lake sailing– when it got that windy I simply did not go out. We had a double reef in the main and perhaps about one-half of the roller furling jib out. But, what really got my juices flowing were the waves once we got off-shore. The waves rolled in just forward off our stern to port and where 7 to 9 feet. They seemed massive – especially as we would slide down the face of one and looked up at the peak of the next. This impression was compounded once the sun set and the night sky and water surrounding us were ink black, but for the speckle of stars above. Also, Mike’s boat did not have an auto-pilot so we took 2 hour shifts at the helm for a total of 14 hours before arriving at the marina in Freeport just before 1 AM. The sail was exhilarating. It was also exhausting.
The next day was an easy motor-sail up the ICW. Early that afternoon we anchored just behind the Galveston Yacht Club (Monty and I grew up in Galveston and it was interesting to see the island from this perspective) and finished our course work and studied for the test. It was a great evening. We grilled steaks and drank wine with our new friend, Mike. The next morning started with the test which Mike graded on our way back to Kemah.
I continued my education and gained some valuable sailing experience all leading to more confidence. I also had a great time with my brother.
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