Larry wrote:

"Roger Long" wrote in
:


Has anybody done this in a sailboat? I'm wondering things like
whether public sighting reports are available, probability of seeing
anything, etc.



It was 3AM. I'm alone on the midwatch about 90 miles off the Georgia
coast headed North to Charleston in an Endeavour 35 behind the helm about
half asleep on a nice broad reach with a steady breeze and 4'
seas.....staring at the blank Raymarine display.

The usual slapping of the waves against the hull and wind in the rigging
is suddenly, unexpectedly, broached by this huge air venting out in the
pitch black, inky darkness straight out to starboard. This is followed
by a HUGE splash in the dark that sounds like a fast attack submarine
doing an emergency blow and jumping out of the water at full ahead.....at
least it did sitting there alone just off the waves lapping at the stern
right behind me.

Larry had NO trouble staying awake until past dawn, his watch long over
as he let Lloyd, the only other sailor aboard, sleep in the v-
berth....his system supercharged with pure adrenalyn surging through his
arteries. Even my toes tingled.

It must have been one of your buddies headed for the P-town
tourboats....far away.

Larry
Many years ago when i was into windrush 14 cat's
i was doing a solo run to rottenest on a gloriest
day you could want for sailing about 14knt sw which had me on a near
perfect beam reach belting along with one hull just tipping the waves
when this great black lump rose in front of me my first thought was heck
its a sub. (navy base near by)

I let the sheets go and luffed up to avoid smashing into it then it
rolled onto its side lifted its eye out of the water looked directly at
me seemed to wink then rolled back all without the slightest thought of
hurting me as it seemed more interested in me than i was of it. (by the
way they have the most beautiful brown eyes)

Then ever so gently it slid back under me and down and turned south.
After my quaking subsided i thought it was safe to continue
when once more i was belting along as only a cat can do with spray
flying all about when i heard the sound of rushing air behind and to the
south and there was this whale again this time with his/her mate coming
up behind me and the pair of them paced me no more than 6 feet off my
port hull for a few minutes (felt like a life time)then slowly drew
ahead and curved of to the west towards the deep water channel.

and all i can think of was the whale saying to his/her mate see i told
you there was daft bugger on a cat out here.
Shaun