A Passage Through the English Channel

The recent passage from the Kiel Canal in Germany to Oostende, Belgium and then to Jersey, a Channel Island, was an unusual one. We had lots of shipping traffic, calm weather, a broken autopilot, and a new watch keeper to teach. 

The most prominent difference from earlier passages was the number of boats. Sailing next to one of the most active shipping channels in the world meant we usually had a dozen boats in the area. We had to check each one to see if it was moving, if it would come close to us, and what type of boat it was. We needed to avoid big ships that were moving fast, steer around anchored ships, keep a careful eye on the constantly maneuvering fishing boats, or hold our course for other sailboats. It sometimes felt like playing dodgeball on our own with two dozen players on the other team. We zig zaged in all directions, avoiding the nearest then dodging the next.

The calm sea state is another reason that this passage was special. Waves only get large when they have a significant fetch, which is the distance the wind blows to build up the waves. We had easterly winds blowing off the European continent, which meant there was very little fetch and therefore tiny waves. This made for smooth sailing. We had only one seasickness incident. After using a sextant, Ben threw up once, and then quickly recovered. Nobody felt more than a few twinges before or after the incident.

Though the wind and weather was ideal, the third thing that made this passage special was a problem on board. We have three ways of steering Sila. The first is by hand. Though it is not challenging, it can be tiring or boring, and requires all of the helmsman's attention. With one person steering, we need another person on watch to adjust sails and keep an eye on other boats, a set up that taxes our small crew. Our second system is the wind pilot, affectionately known as the wizard on Sila. The wizard steers incredibly well without drawing any power, but it only works when we are sailing (not motoring) and fails in light winds. The most reliable steering is usually the NKE autopilot. It steers beautifully, rarely has problems, and unlike the wind pilot, is easy to start. At the beginning of this passage, it broke. Unable to fix the NKE while underway, Daddy set up the wind pilot as darkness descended on our first night. It worked for the night, but the wind eventually died, leaving us to hand steer again. Having the autopilot break made me appreciate it far more. 

Here is the Rabbit at the helm, hand steering, during his watch.

Currently we have a visitor on board named Ben. Ben is a twenty-two year old HMI alumnus and the son of Doug and Beverly Capelin, long-time friends of my parents.

Although he understands the basics of sailing, we have had to teach him how to keep watch on Sila. To learn the art of watch-keeping, he would sit on deck and ask questions about what we were doing. Understanding something well enough to do it and well enough to teach it are two completely different levels. I am not sure whether teaching Ben how to keep watch has helped Ben or me more. All and all, it was a great passage. -Porter