Right now I'm in Jacksonville Beach, Fl. I got here last night. If you told me yesterday I would be here today I would tell you that you were nuts. Alama'r almost sunk 50 miles south of cape fear, North Carolina last night. It was the most intense thing yet to happen. It started after we left Beaufort, NC 5 days ago. We broke out of Beaufort inlet like a bat out of hell against 15 ft breakers and headed south east despite the locals warnings. Alamar took them like a champ and progressively the sea got bigger and bigger until we were sailing over 30 ft monsters .The ship bell would ring over every giant. We had the biggest smile on our faces as the adrenaline pumped through our veins. Cheers went out over every bell ringer as we watched Alama'r conquer the ocean. We were here! This is what we all dreamed and waited so long to see! We were so small in the middle of the vast ocean. Those smiles were wiped off our faces as the sun went down out there. We tried to sail all night but I got nervous navigating over these giant waves in pitch black darkness. So I decided to throw anchor is steady 25 ft waves. Which was not the smartest decision. Alama'r got thrown into a fight with the ultimate heavyweight. She fought all night as we were thrown across the cabin and prayed for her to hold together till the sun rise. I new I had to get back in the inlet but I couldn't navigate the inlet until sunrise. At 3:30 am I decided we had enough so I kicked on the motor and started raising anchor in 30 ft seas unknown to me that I had a hairline fracture developing on my keel from battling the sea all night. I will never forget Kayne and Tyler on the bow kissing the water and then going 30 ft up in the air till they hit the moon and free falling again. After a hour the anchor was up and we turned around started surfing 30 footers back to the inlet for the next couple hours. As we neared the inlet we watched the most amazing sunset and all had the feeling that we were blessed to live another day. Once into port Kayne and Tyler went to sleep and I kept sailing south on the inter coastal. After two days we were on the southern side of Cape Fear so we decided to resupply and get back out there to make the 130 mile passage to Charleston, SC. We came out of the mouth of the Cape Fear River at 10 am to Big Blue again. It was a beautiful day with no clouds in the sky and only 1 to 2 meter waves to worry about for the next two days. We departed with joy and talking about the future on the sea in the islands. We watched the most breathtaking sunset on the water as Alama'r drove south. It was about 9:30 when I had Kayne check the bilge. He told me we were full so I pumped it out and 20 minutes later the bilge was full again! We were taking on water somewhere at a very large rate! I thought fast, downed the mainsail, changed direction for shore and went down below. I started ripping up the floor boards looking for the source. I was about to rip up my gas tank when I found it. I had a 3 ft crack in my haul with water gushing threw every wave we hit. It was a terrible site to see. My life started flashing before me as I sat 50 miles off the coast of South Carolina. It was going to be a long night! My 9000 pound keel was shifting back and forth on every wave and I knew any 10 ft wave now could rip the keel right off opening up a 8 ft hole in my boat witch would doom us all. I started wedging 2 dollars of pocket change in the cracks to stabilized the keel. It worked! The keel stopped moving. I cut my hands open as I forced silicone in the jagged crack to slow the water coming in. I got the flow down to a trickle and went back to the helm. I found a inlet 50 miles away so we started our 6 hour limp back to shore. We pumped out the water every 30 minutes and checked the keel for movement. We all talked about life and how much we appreciated this right to live. When death faces you, know that it is peaceful and calming! I thought it would always be the opposite till then. We all vowed to live lives worth living, no pretending just the raw with no bullshit. Letting every thought known and following our hearts. At 3:00 am we neared the inlet with a pink moon on the horizon. It was beautiful! We were so thankful to the universe to giving us one more chance. I told Kayne and Tyler that we were going back to Jax beach after we get her out of the water to see our friends, get a little R+R, and get our minds straight before we went to fixing Alama'r. I pulled her out of the water north of Myrtle Beach South Carolina were we met a guy named Jack who is advising us on the rebuild.He told us of a 56 ft Hatterous that went down that night with 5 on board all passed to the Ironman as he called it. It struck hard when he told us it could have been us! He reassured us that we could get her into better condition then she was before the incident fixing the damage, strengthening her along with a new paint job before putting her back in the sea were she belongs.
On the ride home with our buddies Thomas and Ryan who came to get us, I realized that we had gone against the renaming ritual of a boat and that it might have something to do with the bad luck. Apparently there has been a ritual going on for some 5000 years on what to if the name of a vessel is to be changed. Its a long lengthy process that involves a lot of champagne and friends, to call upon the gods of the sea and wind in order to change the ledger of Poseidon. Then toast the sea in order to grant safe passage of the new vessel If you rename without the ceremony the boat will be cursed with problems that eventually could bring her down to the ocean floor. The whole time on the trip, on the vhf, to bridges, people we meet, and even in this blog we have been calling her Alama'r. So from here on out Tyler, Kayne, and I vowed to call her original name Jin-Ju and not say her new name till the renaming ceremony in her home port of Jax Beach. So while she dries out we are here in Jax getting all my tools together and supplies for the bottom job.
Life takes you threw awesome experiences here on this planet. I am so happy to be alive and to make it through. Two days now in Jax. I was able to party with my friends and go to the beach but all I keep thinking about is getting back on her. I get the chance to build her with MY hands now and give her my touch! As a carpenter I've dreamed of the chance to do this. I'm about to learn so much with the month long task before me.
I LOVE MY LIFE!!!!!!
I will keep you all posted on the re build with plenty of pictures,
Peace and much love,
Brian
