PAVEL  REZVOY

NEWS FROM THE ROUTE

 Page 2. Caribbean Sea. From Barbados to Cuba

Page 1. May 14 - May 27 2006
Page 2. May 28 - June 9th 2004
Page 3. Cuba. Puerto de Chivirico and Santiago de Cuba
Page 4. Caribbean Sea. From Cuba to Jamaica

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WEATHER ON ROUTE and there click on 'America'

2:30  Everything’s going according to the plan: I am rowing slowly east – southeast, so that to move a little bit from the land and to secure the overnight stay. The current has turned southeast, so there is no more tension. The wind has almost disappeared and I am taking advantage of the moment.
The mountains resemble me the Central Asia, though they are woody. Lights of rare cars are crossing the slopes, and I can hear waves breaking against the coastal rocks, and dogs barking.
My arms are aching...

11:12 What a good morning! – during the night I drifted only 1 ½ miles southwest, and now with southerly wind I am rowing due east. The sky is blue with some light cumuli, but mist creeps down from the mountains – just the way it does in the Pamirs [mountains. Pavel worked there as geologist for 20 years]

14:09 Here we are again – all of a sudden a fresh southeasterly gale has encroached upon my fragile kingdom, and all my so lovely gained miles to east have been irrevocably lost.
Straight in front of me there is some sort of a resort in the marina. It’s already for three days that people from over there are watching me. I wonder what they may think – that I am a crazy fisherman, going backwards and forwards, and fussing around? Well, whatever, but nothing flattering, I am afraid.

15:45 Villainous southeasterly goes on, and for now I am further west than I was last night. Even with sea anchors the west drift is about two knots! – it becomes senseless, and rowing by circle can last forever. I am withdrawing the attempt to land in the marina, which I am circling around for three days, and set course due west to Puerto de Chivirico. By having this current plus wind I can well make a landfall tonight. But – one never knows… Weigh sea anchors!

Distance to Puerto de Chivirico - 3,4 miles (5.5 km) (2.9 n/miles)

At 22:24GMT "Marion-Lviv" dropped anchor in Puerto de Chivirico.

Mountainous coastline of Chivirico

 Whenever I feel tired, I'll have a nap. The light house at the entrance to Santiago harbour is well visible from here, but gosh… quite in a distance – it must be 20 odd miles from where I am.
 Thus, the most important thing for now is –no more surprises. Such as -  to have a sudden southerly wind (that has yet never occurred), which can easily  make me “moor” on  the rocks

8:40 I am already under a shelter of the island and air is light, the speed of the current is so low that it’s already for 4 hours that I have been sleeping, and I think I can afford myself to relax until the dawn: the boat is drifting west at speed not more than 1/10 of a mile per hour.

11:11 I am up. I had my breakfast, pulled out sea anchors,  turned the bow northeast, and – off I go. There’s going to be a hell of a job ahead… The wind is pushing me away from the shore, but – we shall see… 

13:43 Rowing-rowing-rowing… Head wind is pushing me backwards, but I am rowing. If I stop for 5 minutes, I then have to row extra 10 to catch up. I think I am ready to look for a place to get ashore.

16:27  "It’s a rainy day, it’s nasty weather. The island is making a dismal impression – high dark woody mountains … But it may be just a reflection of my mood."  [ Punta Tabacal is the site of a conical hill, comprised of dark wooded slopes and topped by a grassy summit, that rises to an elevation of 129m.]
"I am 1 1/5 miles from the shore – it’s steep, rocky, with a belt of breakers. There are some scattered villages, but no boats! Until now I haven’t seen a single vessel at sea or off shore.
I am proceeding east, but the current - just opposite to what I would  expect it to be according to the charts - is pushing the boat west. With fresh strength I am able to row 2 ½ miles per hour, and the speed of the current flow is 1 mile. So it’s these 1 ½ miles that I am winning towards progress east.
If only before the sunset I could be granted with any other but head wind, I would have transformed it and rowed the leg to Santiago in no time. Otherwise I’ll have to drop sea anchors again and stay over night, and no doubts within several hours to loose all the miles I’ve earned today. "

The situation is rather complicated – the coast Pavel is next to right now, is dominated by the rugged mountainous Sierra Maestro which everywhere rises steeply. There are no bays, and the closest to Pavel landing points are situated 9 miles to the east and to the west. But Pavel has rejected the suggestion to follow the wind and the current and to row west - to Puerto Chivirico. Yet under these weather  conditions it doesn’t look possible for an exhausted rower to row 9 miles against the head wind eastwards - to Bahia Aserradero

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12:10 This morning, right after the dawn a gale-strength wind has suddenly risen – the moment the sun showed himself, all this has begun. But now I can see some rays of light in the sky, so hopefully this wild outburst of elements will not last long.

21:40 The weather is wonderful, breeze is gentle and I am not in a hurry – there is only 11 miles left to the shore. If I don’t see a suitable bay amidst the rocky coast ( it will be dark by then and a bay can be easily recognized by the lights at sea level), I will drop anchors and current will drag me along towards Santiago – off shore current is changing its direction here and moves  east.

10:20 Yesterday evening and half a night I was rowing due north, but at a certain moment both current and wind - in agreement -  turned south and at that point there was noting I could do. Now at last a more or less tail wind has arrived and I started to make some slow progress northwest again. Isn’t it frustrating – to be so close and yet so far from the goal…

20:11 Good news – I have reached and passed by my yesterday’s positions and I am moving further northwest. Bad news – I never know what it will end up with tonight. But for now I am fine; after all I am not in such a rush, though the hurricane season has already officially started [since June 1st], and with amount of food that I have onboard (thanks to fellow-oceanrowers!) I could have dared an around-the-world row

23:22  I am pushing forward – boat’s pace is slow but steady – all the way north… I have realized, that yesterday I made a mistake – I had been rowing my heart out until 3am and when the northerly wind arrived, I was too exhausted to resist. So today I am sparing my strength and we shall see …

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14:00 It is utterly windy. I can’t row north ‘cause of head wind, and the best I can do is to transform it into the progress northwest. I am already at the longitude of Santiago, but just to cast sea anchors and to overstay at this spot is not possible – the moment I stop rowing, strong current immediately starts to take my boat south. So I am trying to move constantly, hoping for the wind to change.

20:08 I was able to make not a bad break-through northwards and continue to consolidate it. Every mile takes a real effort, but its high time I was there – I want to approach coast as soon as possible, as far as over there the current turns eastward and I will be able to relax at last – it’s not until then that I can. But in general the weather is fine, the sun is shining, though it’s pretty windy and I have to keep my hatches closed all the time – just in case…

"Wind". Artist: Hongye, Xian

01:45 Perfect wind – northwards, northwards, I am heading northwards! It was a mere luck that I'd been rowing like crazy before the thunderstorm approached me four hours ago. It has passed by literally aft the boat, - gloomy and chilly, like a touch of frost.

11:45 The night turned out to be abominable. I was making a good progress, gaining more and more northerly miles, and was feeling quite satisfied and proud of myself. And then at 3am a cutting North wind rose, and there were no more chances to move forward. With all the sea anchors being cast, I was drifting South with 4-6 meters high waves. I thought it would never end, but it stopped short – as abruptly as it had begun, and two hours ago the wind  changed as well. But – alas! –  7 miles have gone…

Now my boat is progressing all right, and I can afford myself a proper coffee-break.

17:33 Little by little I am creeping, overcoming lateral wind, but I managed to make up for miles lost at night. If this night slips through with no surprises and necessity to cast anchors, I will be completely all right with the mileage. It’s very hot here during the day, and I have to take a ten-minute-break at the end of each hour and to cool myself down.  I am drinking water in fantastic quantities…

Physically I am in full order, and it’s only my spirits, that is sometimes oppressed by the situation

21:00 Weather is fine, I am rowing north-northwest, and keeping an eye on the horizon – over there, in the south, there is a storm front. It looks like it’s far away, though we’ll see, what it will end up with.

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12:00 It's already for two hours that I have been rowing. And I was rowing the whole night long until 6am, and made 6 miles north, but then suddenly there came a thunderstorm front with heavy clouds and wind. I cast all sea anchors but yet was blown 5 miles back south. And it was only at 11am that wind changed and I was able to regain two miles ( so far) out of those lost. What a shame! - You can try your hardest, hours and hours, and then loose it all in no time. If further on I am still going to get such surprises from the weather, nobody knows how long it will take me to get to Santiago. A step forwards - two steps backwards...
OK, I am going to have my breakfast now: beef with potato and onion from "Mountain House", - still too busy to cook something by my own.

And what a thunderstorm I had last night - a rare performance, I believe I've never seen anything like it! All the clouds were brightly lit by hundreds of simultaneous lightning bolts, and the rumble of thunder made me imagine myself standing under a railway bridge with an endless train passing by above my head.

18:15 And once again I am under a powerful push southwards, the wind comes straight from the North. I made such a good progress today - and have lost completely all the  miles I had gained. In spite all my efforts. So now I drop all sea anchors and sit with my legs dangling in the water☺. I managed to maneuver so well, that even when a thunderstorm covered me I went on rowing North with the wind. And then - out of the blue - wind changed drastically, and here I am...

I was watching a new waterspout being born in half a mile from me, then it poked its finger into the water and started to twist it all around with lots and lots of sprays... Not a comfortable neighbourhood, I tell you.

23:00 A short break. Looks as if I managed to restore my status - I am moving due north. Feeling myself like being on an ice-slop: all the time hoping that I am getting to the top, and then - flop! - on the bottom, and sliding down. But - never mind...

Something sinister is amassing itself again on the horizon. It’s a pity you can't hear it - a continuous roar; and flashing light zigzags tear asunder the sky. But hopefully this front has already passed me by  - in the direction from where the wind is blowing there is blue sky, and the night is promising to be calm.

It’s already for several days that I haven't seen a single flying fish. Today a not-much-to-look-at dolphin called on, but there is no birds here any more. And a lot of all sorts of garbage is floating around - plastic bags, cans, boxes, bottles of various types... Oh yes, no doubts - it’s much more pleasant to row an ocean.

This night's going to be a working night - I brewed a mug of good coffee, I will drink it and some rum, and I will row and steer - I have to break out from this captivity; it’s just a shame - to be so close and yet to be stuck this way.

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19:40 Yesterday and today the whole day long both wind and current are against me. They keep taking me in various directions. I am resisting, but yet move southwards, and no help can be expected from the sea anchors. No way to move North, so I have to hope for better conditions

20:46 During this hour the South wind was blowing and I managed to regain two miles against the lost ones. But generaly speaking it's useless to fight and the only thing I can do is to use any single favourable moment to move North, and the rest of the time just to wait on sea anchors ( little as they can they yet do reduce a southward wind drift )

23:09 I am holding on to wind - not letting it go, rowing up and cherishing it as the apple of my eye ...
Of course my spirits depends on a situation: when its good - I am in a good mood, when my efforts turn out useless, I give no sign ..and so still do not loose my good spirits:)
The conditions keep changing rather often today and I had time only for a quick snack - after several day's break for dorada I had come back to 'Mountain House' and cooked "Rice and Chicken".
I managed to eat only half a dorada - it's too hot and the fish started to go bad, even salted parts of it. Now I am looking for something different - for another fish, lets say - not a big tuna, for a change.
Yesterday a barracuda was making her way next to my boat, but I didn't shoot her - I still had some dorada left,- so I frightened her off and told her to go back where she had come from.
The wind is 4-5 knots, not strong, but enough to carry the boat N-W and to oppose the current, which is rather twisting here.

11:59 The night was quite unpleasant, I was wound around - the wind was counteracting the current, and it was difficult to keep the course. But now I'm all right - further from the island my boat is standing due north-west-north, and it looks like my arrival point is going to be Santiago de Cuba. But I still have a day or so to ponder over it.

21:00 The American Army (to be precise - the American Coast Guard) paid me a visit this afternoon. A Navy ship approached me - I mean a huge ship (not a cutter!) with a helicopter on board - and contacted me by VHF radio. I am afraid I was not in my best with English, but most probably they knew all they needed to know about me in advance. I guess the conversation with me was transmitted by loud speakers - the whole crew lined up on the deck and hoorayed me three times! What an experience!

The current in the channel is running in whatever direction it wants, but the wind "rules the wave".

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May 31st 2004

We reminded Pavel, that it's worth to keep clear of the shore not only because of banks and islets, but because of the existing possibility of undesirable visits of local pirates. Here is, for example, what a solo yachtsman, who approached too close to the island ( exactly to the coast that Pavel is passing now) has written regarding this sort of visit: " I even had to use my shot-gun to prevent closing in to my yacht by a local boat with a group of not too polite people, ready to board my vessel"

 The good news is that all this works in proper direction. I am doing nothing else but holding firm the rudder, having fixed my gaze upon the sea in front of me - so that not to bump into a bank. A bank itself is of no danger, speaking about depth, - I'd pass it over easily. But there usualy appear horizontal waves, which can turn the boat with its side to the wave and then I will capsize as I did it when I was next to Santa Lucia.
In the middle of the [Jamaican] channel there is a small deserted islet Navassa with an abandonned light-house on it. I'll try to round it from the west. The islet is not a friendly one, with not a single beach all around it - just 15-meter high coastal rocks, so its much better to keep away from it.

21:47 Just now have rounded Navassa, rowing the strait between the islet and Haiti - from the east, as it appeared to be more convenient for me, - and can still see it from the port-side: "undersized", lifeless bold-patch of land.

Thus, I've cleared all the places of danger and I can head strait to Santiago de Cuba. - for now, at least, and we'll see what's happening later. The sea is rather rough here, nothing in common with the Caribbean. To-morrow, according to the situation, I shall decide where exactly I am aiming .

Good night to everybody, and I still have full sunshine here.

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12:12 "The night was calm, with even wind, light waves and fog. And now I have a beautiful sunny morning, bright-blue sea and container-cargo ships passing by on the horizon. I had my breakfast, drank hot chocolate, you know...Quite imposing :)
Being as wind is East for now, I adjusted the rudder and I am moving North-West, heading South-Western cape of Haiti - Point A Gravois.

22:14 A wonderful day - light mist and the sun is scorching not so fiercely. East wind, and I am easily making it West.

I'VE FINALLY CAUGHT MY DORADA!!!  22 kg or thereabouts, it's like two buckets full of water. It has all but smashed my boat into pieces, but I lead her out properly and now my catch is "ready for use" - one part will be salted, another one - cooked. I took photo of it - the head is as big as mine. And it's 1m 23-24cm long. There is one bad thing about it - it is so big, that for the next several days I need not to fish at all :)

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May 29th 2004

Today is 36th birthday of  Pavel's second son - oceanrower and ORS webmaster Theodore Rezvoy.

 Happy Birthday, Teddy!!!

12:05 GMT "Night was quite all right, talking about weather, and then a magnificent dawn broke, but all around me there was a lot of garbage  floating at sea: pieces of wood, palm branches, etc - all this had been washed away from the island during the rains.

Yesterday, before going to bed, I checked - as always - my fishing line, and of course in the darkness I failed to notice that there was a Portuguese-Man-of-War reeled on it. Well, it was just a slight touch. During day-time I would see it for sure -  it's very colourful and, in fact, really beautiful: its "sail" resembles a balloon of oval shape, up to a feet in diameter, filled with air - transparent, with violet pattern and bright red dots, - and long dark-blue tentacles, which go  in the water for several meters down.
So, I touched it with my hand and the whole night long it was itching mercilessly. It was only ointment "Rescuer", that gave me some relief. Now it's better - the redness has gone though the hand is still swollen a bit. But - never mind, it is passing already.
Now I am enjoying my prolonged breakfast - with a cup of gooood coffee and a cigarette - and I am completely happy!"

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