April SITREP
Boat projects, packing up, shipping the boat, transitioning off active duty, ready to head to France…what a month!
Final Boat Projects: April started with the final boat projects, which continued until the last day packing up! There is not a part of this boat that will not be improved for performance, safety, or to follow class rules by the time we hit the race course. We finished the new rudder install, which was a large project itself. This started months ago with ordering new rudders to be built in Argentina by the boat manufacturer Riotecna. The boat work consisted of reinforcing the rudder area in the stern, carefully lining up new brackets, and securing the brackets to the new rudders. This meant precise drilling and lots of sealant to keep the boat dry. Certainly a project you don’t want to rush!
Fawcett Boat Supply, as the main sponsor worked with Harken to provide all new blocks and hardware on the boat. While most of these will be replaced in France, we were able to complete the install of the new mainsail traveler track. Pre-bent at the Harken factory in Wisconsin to precise dimensions, this new track looks incredible and I cannot wait to get it on the water!
With the help from Jason Tomchik of Yankee Marine, we also finished most of the electric re-wire job. It was a long process and required a significant amount of wiring for such a small boat. The boat is powered by two sets of solar panels and a hydrogen fuel cell, has a full set of NKE sailing instruments, an NKE autopilot with remote control, an AIS transponder (so ships can see my position), and a radar detector (so I can detect the direction of other vessels’ radar if they are not on AIS). The electronics in this boat are a critical component to successfully sailing offshore and I am confident that all the hard work in rewiring the boat will help ensure a safe passage.
Pack out: The main focus of the first week in April was packing up the boat. This meant making sure we had all the necessary equipment to sail (much of it from our incredible sponsors!), tools, and spare parts. Once all the items were ready to be loaded onto the boat, the next challenge was to secure everything so the gear and boat are not damaged during transit. With the boat being strapped down to the trailer (which was reinforced in February), if anything heavy was not tied down there was a big risk of damage. This would mean additional time and costs in France to fix any issues. Hopefully this is not the case! Big thank you to the U.S. Patriot Sailing team in Annapolis for lending a hand to pack up the boat. The teammates made a lot of trips up and down the ladder to get everything inside the boat!
Boat Transport: Monday, April 5th was the big day! But the story really began a few days before that though. On Thursday (two business days prior) I received a call from my freight shipment coordinator that we had to change ships and the boat was now going to arrive in Belgium (not France). The situation with the Suez Canal being blocked for so long finally reached the car carrier ship schedules in the US too, which caused lots of logistical unknowns at the time. After last minute quotes to see if any other options were available, we went with this new option for the boat to arrive in Belgium. With the last minute change in ports, this caused a waterfall effect of changes that had to be made on the European side of things. This included changing the country where the boat would unload at port, almost doubling the driving distance from the port to the marina, new customs considerations, and another border to cross. With available options reducing, trailer permits still a concern, and no one wanting to a US drive a boat/trailer combo that far, this led to the decision to order a flatbed truck that would haul Terminal Leave and trailer from Zeebrugge, Belgium to La Trinité-sur-Mer, France.
After making the final decision to stick with the shipping company and organize the logistics from Zeebrugge to La Trinité, we added the last few things to be packed in the boat and then had her shrink wrapped for transport. The shrink wrap is crucial in protecting the boat’s exterior and to keep it secure with so much gear stored inside. Even though the boat is transported inside the car carrier ship, we wanted to protect the boat from any possible stains from rusty water dripping onto the boat and staining it. The shrink wrapping also helps protect the boat from curious onlookers while waiting in the customs lot to clear and when driving on the highways. Diversified Marine did a stellar job in wrapping the boat and we have no doubt that she will be in good shape when I get to France to see her.
By the time the boat arrived at the Port of Baltimore in the middle of the afternoon, the port’s escort service (required for driving into the port) told us they decided to close early that day. Another unexpected challenge. Luckily after a few phone calls we were able to drive the boat down the road 10 miles to a boatyard in Essex who was able to drive the trailer into the port the following morning. We could not see Terminal Leave drive onto the ship, but were told she made it!
On 30 April the ship carrying Terminal Leave made it to the port at Zeebrugge, Belgium! Little did we know the hardest part was yet to come.
The day before the ship arrived, I received an email from the representative responsible for filing the appropriate paperwork that would allow the boat to clear customs saying I was going to have to pay over 10,000 Euros in tax to the European Union to import the boat! After a flurry of phone calls and emails, fast forward ten hours and we found a company to process an ATA Carnet, which is a French/English term meaning "Admission Temporaire/Temporary Admission” for any goods under one year. From that a courier took the completed Carnet to US customs to stamp it and shipped it overnight to another logistics company in Belgium, for that company to hand deliver the Carnet into the port the next day. Thankfully the boat cleared customs and will be trucked to France soon. Not an easy process!
Transition From Active Duty: The other big milestone that occurred during April was my transfer off active duty in the Marine Corps. I am officially on terminal leave (the reason behind the name of the boat) and pursuing this campaign full time! My final day in the office at the Pentagon was 26 April and it consisted of my last time showing up just after 5 am and reviewing the morning’s intelligence for senior Marine Corps leadership…along with other daily tasks. It was surreal as I experienced my final day at the Pentagon. I know while at sea, I will have the time to reflect on my last 10 years in the Marine Corps, but for now let’s keep the focus on getting to France.
Ready to Head to France: The final week of April consisted of packing my bags, moving out of my condo, and getting ready to head to France. I was also fortunate do a little video shoot with Quantum Sails which I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Since I am dedicated to racing at the highest level in the Mini class, I have ordered a new set of sails from Quantum. Scott Nixon of the Annapolis loft has been awesome throughout this process and connected me with Gildas Dubois from the loft in Lorient, France. They are going to help share my story and spread the message of U.S. Patriot Sailing!
As some of you know, I was planning on flying out on Wednesday earlier this week. Despite support from the Mini class and an invitation from the French Sailing Federation, I am still waiting for my visa to get approved by the French consulate here in Washington, D.C. I remain hopeful they will process this request since I meet all of the requirements and will let me into the country soon! My bags are all packed and I am ready to fly over at a moments notice.
Thank you all for your continued support!
