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“Voyage
of the Sheila C”
by Arthur Smith
Originally, the voyage was
to start on July 9th and be completed in about 15 days.
The Sheila C was christened on schedule on June 3rd.
All seemed well until we went to start the engine. It had a
major problem. We had some very good minds working on it. The
problem with the engine persisted and finally, after three weeks, it was
decided that a new engine would have to be installed as quickly as
possible.
Norman Lidstone had worked
long hours on the engine. He now played a new role; get a new engine
on its' way and install it quickly. Norman,
with the help of Hinkley Yachts and Brewer Sakonnet Marina,
got the engine up and running within two days. At this point there
was only one week before the departure date, which had now slipped to July
15th.
Sail Newport could
not accommodate our needs until July 15th. Channel 12
meteorologist Tony Petrarca and the Clarks were concerned about me leaving
this late in the season. However, we had to work with this date and
plan on leaving no later.
Departure time came and many
people were there for the send off. Just before the ceremony, Dane
Clark called Tony and told him not to let me leave as a storm was forming
in my path. Perhaps I could leave on the 17th with a
better weather window. The weather worsened and Tropical Storm Beryl
developed and further delayed my trip. The Clarks called on the
afternoon of the 23rd of July and said that a departure on the
24th looked safe.
I left at 11:00 am on July
24th with a beautiful southwest wind and had a relatively
uneventful ride out toward the
Gulf Stream
. Although the boat bounced
around a little bit, all went well and Tony and I talked on schedule that
night. By noon Tuesday things were not so well. Tony asked me
to move to the northwest as fast and as far as I could. There was a
disturbance developing ahead of me that would also cover my immediate
vicinity. At this point I was well over 100 nautical miles
out. He felt that I would get hit less by moving to the storm’s
weakest side and that I should stay to the northwest for at least 24 hours
for it to pass.
Later in the day Tony got my
coordinates and explained that if I did get to the other side of the
Gulf Stream
I would be faced with high winds and big seas for most of the trip.
This weighed heavily on my mind, as I knew that fatigue would become a
major issue, as sleep is luxury that can only be afforded for 15 to 20
minutes at a time. Also, I wondered how would I get back if I made
it? Was it going to be possible to get a good weather window for the
return trip? The project was becoming too dangerous due to the
timing of my departure. It
appears that it had become too late in the season.
Although it was
disappointing and painful, I made the decision to turn back and head north
late Tuesday night. There was little sense in taking unnecessary
risk as I had been given the best information available from Tony and Dane
and it was not encouraging.
If I could avoid the
impending storm I would arrive in
Newport
sometime on Thursday. When I talked to Tony on Wednesday morning, he
expressed his support concerning my decision. He also seemed a bit
surprised that my boat was able to reach beyond the edge of the storm.
I was in sunshine with the cloudy front behind me. At my
lowest emotional moment on my return trip home, a whale came up from
behind in perfect alignment with the center of the boat. It was a
spiritual feeling.
I passed buoy number 2, off
Brenton point, at 6:45 am in fog and moving at a good clip. Rosemary
Bowers from A Wish Come True was waiting along the shore for my
return. She flashed her headlights and I returned the signal and
proceeded to
Fort
Adams
State Park
, the original place of my departure. I
left the Sheila C there as I was quite tired and needed
rest. Rosemary dropped me off at home. My legs and body needed
to re-adjust to land.
The trip was over. I
had not met my full goal. However, it would have been foolhardy to
continue. Tony Petrarca and the Clarks did a wonderful job of
keeping me as safe as possible. I
hope you understand that this is a very dangerous activity and that I made
my decisions based on experience and information from the best ground crew
that I could possibly have.
In the end, we raised about
$18,000 with the Sheila C. This money will provide
four to five wishes for children who are facing life-threatening
illnesses. I hope that this little
ship of “sorrow and
hope” continues to bring in donations for a long time as she
plies the waters of
Narragansett
Bay
and beyond as the names are remaining on her sides for all to see.
She no longer belongs to me; she belongs to all of you that have helped
grant the wishes of these courageous children. I sincerely thank all
of you.
See
pictures below:
My crew is
sad that we must turn around. I enjoyed having them aboard. (Wish Bear and
Ducks)
The final leg of the trip from
Fort
Adams
brought the Sheila C home on Friday, July 28th.
A thunderstorm with plenty of wind, lightening and rain cleared as
I approached the point of land where she is now moored, the sky cleared of
the thick fog and the sun came out. A
beautiful rainbow formed and I could see the full arch. It seemed as
though I was being welcomed home. Again, it felt like a spiritual
moment. Here is a picture of the left side of the rainbow.
We’ll just call it Mary’s Rainbow.
Thanks to all of you and especially Rosemary Bowers for putting up
with this for so long.
Arthur
Smith
“Thank You from Arthur Smith”
To all supporters
of the Voyage of the “Sheila C”
Please take another minute
to read below as I would like to thank all of those who supported me and
my project throughout the fourteen long and difficult months that preceded
the voyage. I only regret that I was unable to complete the voyage
as planned.
Sincere thanks to the following:
My family,
friends and everyone who sent in donations to support the wishes that
are now going to be granted!
Tony Petrarca,
chief meteorologist at WPRI TV 12, who watched over me and
communicated via telephone twice daily.
Jenifer and Dane Clark of Jenifer Clark’s Gulf
Stream from
Maryland
, well known in the sailing world as being among the best if not
the best off-shore routers, worked with Tony to keep me as safe as
possible.
Ross Forbes, R.
J. Forbes Industrial &
Commercial Painting in
Norton
,
MA
and his sons Ross and Weston painted the Sheila C as well as
provided the materials. She is now a one of a kind - standout.
Stephen Crowley, my nephew, laid out the design and
helped put the names on the boat. Also,
he was a major fundraiser.
David Wilson, of Sign Guild Inc.,
Lincoln
,
RI
, who made all of the names and logos, and donated his time. David
even came down and put the special graphics on that he could not trust me
with - ha. That was a good idea!
Sharon DeMedeiros of Gypsy Rose Decorative Arts,
spent hours painting the names of her family’s loved ones. She put
a special spin on each one. I am glad that she got the smoke from
Uncle Bob’s pipe going in the right direction. Her artwork added a
special touch.
Chris Manghan of Hinkley Yachts in
Portsmouth
for helping out when the hour seemed darkest and the project seemed
doomed. Two weeks before sail
date my engine had problems and could not be repaired. Hinkley
Yachts got the new engine on its way from
New Jersey
and helped in many ways with this major undertaking.
Norman Lidstone, a very dear friend, took my engine
problems on as if they were his own. He worked on the problems each
day just like it was a paid job but he was donating every minute for the
kids. Without him, there would never have been a trip. He is the
dearest friend a man could have.
Brewer Sakonnet Marina in
Portsmouth
,
RI
- Jay Burns was forever patient with my being unable to get the
boat under way on its own. From the christening to the engine
replacement he and his people were there. They saved me a great deal
of time, money and aggravation. They are special.
Sail Newport Inc. provided dockage for
viewing. They also let me keep the boat there until the departure
date. In addition, they allowed me to leave the boat there for a
couple of days when I returned.
West Marine in
Newport
helped out with some equipment. When I was having trouble getting
through to a manufacturer for help, they came to my rescue.
Aaron Jasper of Jasper and Bailey Sails in
Newport
donated a beautiful sail cover and helped make a racing boat manageable by
one man at sea. Aaron was also an excellent resource for
information.
Reverend Edward Thomas and Sister Judith Costa
officiated at the christening and the send off.
They were a special part of this project.
Equipment loans were made by:
Givens Survival Life Rafts –
Tiverton
,
RI
Mr. Joseph Baptista
Chip
Jim Wallis
As you can see the list of people and companies that
helped with this project is quite lengthy. I am forever grateful for
them. If it were not for them, there would not be a project.
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