Second Star
Captain Johne Phelps
First Officer Aeon Phelps

Captain's Log

7 Feb 2009

After waiting 10 days I made the decision to move Second Star from Whiskey Creek to San Carlos Island. A series of cold fronts had kept the tide from rising to the needed heights during the daylight hours. So at 2340hrs I began the start sequence for the main engines and ordered the lines to be set for casting off.
The night ; cool and clear . A clocking breeze from the northeast meant that the river was calm and with three days before the full moon the sky luminous . The waters of the Caloosahatchee River looked like smooth translucent steel. Ursa Major fixed the Pole star while Orion sits midway to the horizon familiar and, beckoning. In a moment of reflection I remembered the first night watch I stood after crossing the Equator. It was likewise a moon full night. The small sailboat I was accustomed to surged with delight among the long rolling swells. As my gaze shifted from the rigging and set of the sails to the sky I noticed that Polaris was no longer visible. My known world had changed. For my whole life the stars had been a familiar backdrop to my place on the planet. Stepping away from a campfire in the Utah wilderness a skyward gaze would find the stars I knew and tell me where the sun would rise. No longer was that true. Tonight I felt that same sense of change in my world. The next chapter of the Second Star adventure has begin.

Second Star moved smoothly down river to the Gulf of Mexico in solitary silence. It seemed like just Aeon and I were alone in the world. Approaching the “miserable mile” three porpoise came to escort us riding the bow pressure wave. We took turns going out on the bowsprit to watch them and it seemed that they took turns rolling on their sides and gazing up at us. Out and around the sea buoy and back up the Matanzas Pass brought us into Rick's Marina just before 0300 hrs. Slack low tide meant lots of sand bars but we slipped Second Star into her berth, secured the lines, shut down the engines and secured her for the night.

The next ten days were taken up with getting Second Star ready for sea. A myriad of details. Inventories to be taken, provisions, supplies and spares to be purchased and stored. Aeon worked diligently on keeping up with the inventories; doing the storing and logging each item into the computer data base.

Many friends came together to help with the preparations. Of special note are: Rick Pitts who generously gave us a slip, took care of our dive equipment needs and made his crew (Matt and Vic) available to change our props and clean her hull; Ken Idle (my welding mentor and brother in arms) who cajoled and nagged me into the VA medical system, let me use his tools, equipment and space to work and fabricated for us the parts I was too overwhelmed to get to: Tom Siler, who made all our canvases and cushions; Ken Lazinowsky, my wood working mentor who made things when time got short and Harry Nellis who put aside so much time to work on Second Star that he became crew for the trip to Guatemala.

The three days, beginning on the 15th of February were filled with everything but sleep. Many people worked tirelessly on the last minute preparations. It is just a blur of activity and projects and checklists. Harry moved aboard on the night of the 17th and stowed his gear in the VIP cabin. The 18th dawned clear and calmer than the previous days, although the wind was still blowing out of the NNE at about 10 knots. By dinner time I made the decision that it was time to leave Ft. Myers for points south. We had a weather window and I didn't want to miss it.
18 Feb 2009 - 0145 hrs latitude 26 º 28.15' longituude 81º 57.10'
weather clear and cool
wind SSE @11 knots

Quiet and dark in the marina. Harry and Aeon are on the deck lines. Cast off at 0154 hrs. Back into the channel and pivot to starboard. Engage transmissions for forward thrust and we are underway, making way.

Everyone is to excited and exhausted to sleep. We gather on the bridge to negotiate the narrow channel with a moon rising very orange over Florida. Aeon is on the spotlight and calling channels marks while Harry keeps a lookout for debris. There is no traffic on the water, just the three of us and Eve (although she is hiding).

Clearing Bowditch Point Second Star begins a gentle surge, a precursor of the waves in the Gulf of Mexico. I set the watch of 2 hours on 1 hour off to keep two crew on the bridge at all times. At 0300 hrs I sent aeon below to rest while Harry and I settled into a routine of sharing helm duties, navigating, and checking systems. Off Naples the waves had built to 3 to 4 feet. A little wet at times but not uncomfortable. It was impossible in the darkness to see the set of the waves.

As dawn approached and the eastern horizon brightened it was apparent we were dealing with two wave sets. One from the south and one from the east south east. The later running in sets of 5 to 7 waves around 5 to 6 feet. That explained the occasional wet decks during the darkness. With dawn came some issues from the night before. The wine bottles were shifting in the racks. Harry went into the main bilge to make them secure. Being in there brought about some nausea. I went forward into the forepeak to secure the portlights that were leaking from the waves running up the hull sides in the bow. No horizon and a rolling vessel means nausea for me. We all went to the bridge to get fresh air and a turn on the helm to settle the inner ear.

Aeon went down to make lunch and found the port salon cabinet had shifted. Apparently I had failed to lock the screws down. She and I spent the next thirty minutes getting it back in place and everything shipshape. Adding to the general queasiness. I issued meclazine hydrochloride and the nausea slowly subsided.

By mid afternoon we were coming under the effect of the Florida Keys on the sea state and things smoothed down considerably. The closer we approached Key West the smoother the sea until it was very calm and pleasant. We saw numerous dolphins, turtles
We made the Key West Sea Buoy just before 1700 hrs and proceeded into the anchor roads as the sun was setting. Second Star had arrived. Aeon fixed us a hot meal of chili and fresh corn bread. Jimmy Buffet was on the stereo. We sat in the salon for dinner. Tired but happy, a sense of accomplishment and relief to be here. After dinner hot showers were in order and bed for a very exhausted crew.

Several times during the night I was up to check the anchor. The wind had veered to the North as another was approaching. Wind gusts over thirty knots made me anxious for the hold of the anchor but all was well.

And we're off.....

....We have left Ft. Myers and have made our way to Key West. We were hoping to only spend a day or two here, but are stuck waiting on a part to come in. Hopefully by the beginning of next week we will be under way again. Next stop...Dry Torgugas.

Here is a map link to show our progress so far:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116720699176963035391.000463381e48f325b80eb