New Boat 4 Sled

[sleddog]

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Where does this buffalo roam? If you answer "on the SHTP finish line at Hanalei Bay," you would be correct. Recent rains, 4"/hour, a record 28" in 24 hours have flooded parts of Kauai, including the Hanalei Valley. This buff was one of three escapees who swam out of his compound.

The historic rainfall was caused by an upper level low pressure just west of Kauai. So far, no lives lost. But many rescues, with homes damaged and several residences swept away. Landslides and sink holes have closed the North Shore Kuhio highway. The Hanalei River has gone rogue, and the beach and Black Pot Park have been severely eroded at the River Mouth/Pier.

http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/37959055/dozens-of-homes-damaged-on-kauai-floodwaters-close-roads

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[Harrier]

Skip
Your musings, remembrances and general interesting discussions are very much enjoyed. During my last ten (?) years worth of visiting Hanalei, I noticed that the old "buffalo farm" with the entrance adjacent to the Hanalei one-way bridge had closed. Don't know the story behind that, but have wondered. I have talked to many who seemed to think I was kidding when I mentioned it. So, at least, your pictures are proof that the critters were, at least, one there.
Fair Winds, Amigo Ken Roper (visiting my boat in San Pedro)

[Philpott]

How many people enjoy your thread, Skip? Well, today at noon = Views: 1,000,916

[sleddog]

Skip
Your musings, remembrances and general interesting discussions are very much enjoyed. During my last ten (?) years worth of visiting Hanalei, I noticed that the old "buffalo farm" with the entrance adjacent to the Hanalei one-way bridge had closed. Don't know the story behind that, but have wondered. I have talked to many who seemed to think I was kidding when I mentioned it. So, at least, your pictures are proof that the critters were, at least, one there.
Fair Winds, Amigo Ken Roper (visiting my boat in San Pedro)

Hi Ken,

There remains a 70 buffalo herd in pasture by the Hanalei River. Good news is the TV news showed Paniolos roping Buffalo on Hanalei beach. They have returned all but 3 to pasture. So the buffalo of Hanalei are not a figment of imagination.

The $14 million dollar homes down by the Hanalei Pier are history, and will likely not be rebuilt, now the Hanalei River stream bed has found alternative routes to the Bay.

~skip

[sleddog]

The record rain of 28" in 24 hours at Hanalei would have been greater. But the Weather Service rain gauge floated away and disappeared.

Yesterday, pro-surfer Laird Hamilton, a Hanalei resident, used his jet ski to pilot a Navy landing barge with bulldozer onto the beach at Wainiha, around the corner from Hanalei. From Hanalei to Haena, at road's end, the bridges are not strong enough for heavy equipment to cross to begin repairs. Everything will have to come by barge.

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[sleddog]

Poor thing. An exhausted buffalo was found yesterday swimming in the ocean off Hanalei, headed for Tahiti. Fortunately he was lassoed and redirected by a jet ski, taken to shore for some "Tree Time" at the beach park, then put in a trailer for the short ride home.

I doubt SHTP sailors will encounter buffalo on their approach, or under the Tree...but you never know. If anything's gonna happen, it's gonna happen out there.

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[sleddog]

Happy Earth Day!

A local definitive hazard to navigation for migrating whales, other than ships and orcas, are crab pots (lobster pots off Baja.) Unfortunately, crabbers use cheaper, poly line that floats. As well, there is usually 50-100 feet of slack in the line. We snagged one in broad daylight a few weeks ago on WILDFLOWER's rudder.

This morning, at dawn's early light, ENVOLEE, with Natalie and Synthia aboard, snagged a crabpot a few miles north of Santa Cruz while motoring on a delivery from Monterey to SF. I'd seen them earlier on AIS making 5.7 knots up the track, when a few minutes later they were DITW.

A call to Vessel Assist provided a tow for ENVOLEE to Santa Cruz Harbor, where they are now looking for a diver to clear their fouled prop. As Nat said, "too bad, we didn't even get to keep the crabs." Their lost crab pot will now join an increasing number "ghost fishing" on the ocean floor.

Unfortunately, whales can't call a diver for tail entanglement, and it becomes a life or death struggle. On the East Coast, Right whales are nearing extinction, partly because of entanglement and partly because of collisions with ships.

There are solutions to this floating line hazard, one being ropeless fishing. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/ropeless-fishing-snow-crab-whale-death-1.4590246

Unfortunately at the moment, at least off the West Coast, no one is taking pro-active leadership and enforcement. The crab pot we snagged a few weeks ago, 2 miles off Santa Cruz in 80 feet, was one of a dozen anchored in a line east to west, each with two white buoys and many feet of unneeded scope, essentially creating an oceanic fence a half mile wide.

https://www.earthtouchnews.com/wtf/wtf/ever-seen-a-whale-without-a-tail-we-hadnt-either/

[sleddog]

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Synthia and Natalie hanging out onboard Nat's Figaro 2 ENVOLEE this afternoon at Santa Cruz. The fouled crab pot line had been removed from the prop by a commercial diver, and they were waiting for the afternoon's fresh seabreeze of 20 knots to die out this evening for an early morning departure north.

In the background is Chuck Hawley's beautiful deep blue Alerion 38 yawl SURPRISE. As many know, Chuck was West Marine's technical and safety expert. And is now US Sailing's Safety at Sea Committee Chairman, as well as presenter at many Safety at Sea Seminars.

Chuck travels with a 2 gallons of regular gas in a plastic jerry jug in the back seat of his car. For a G&T, corn salsa and chips, and fresh salmon hors d'oeuvres on the deck of the CBC, why does Chuck carry this extra gas?

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1) Ever helpful, Chuck likes to be prepared in case he meets someone out of gas and can offer help.
2) Unlike the vast majority of sailors, Chuck likes the smell of gas from days as a kid running outboards.
3) Chuck's BMW has a two gallon gas tank.
4) Chuck likes to keep his ethanol gas mixture below 10%.
5) Chuck uses the gas to help start practice fires at his Safey at Sea Seminars, in order to demonstrate efficacy of different types of fire extinguishers.
6) Chuck has exhausted his yearly quota of AAA Service Calls and free gas to members stuck on the roadside.
7) #1,4, and 5.
8) The ENVOLEE price of gas has Chuck saving pennies.
9) The photo is not Chuck Hawley, but someone who calls himself "Boat Doctor."

[Howard Spruit]

I say it is none of the above!
Chick is driving a german car that does not have a proper size battery so the electric drive needs help from the gas engine, but there are germans in the car game that don't like Chuck and did not give him a large enuf petrol tank to supplement the undersize battery :>)

[sleddog]

I say it is none of the above!
Chick is driving a german car that does not have a proper size battery so the electric drive needs help from the gas engine, but there are germans in the car game that don't like Chuck and did not give him a large enuf petrol tank to supplement the undersize battery :>)

I'm sorry, but your answer is not correct and beyond the scope of comprehension of this family friendly forum. Try again if you like.

[BobJ]

I'll go with #7.

And I still want to buy his "southern" boat. Don't tell Rags.

[sleddog]

I'll go with #7.
And I still want to buy his "southern" boat. Don't tell Rags.

Hi Bob,
Good to hear you've survived Tuesday! #7 is a good guess. But I'm sorry is not the right answer.

[Dazzler]

Hello Sled,
The answer is quite simple #3. The BMW i3 range extender has only a 9 liter (2.4 gal) gas tank. Chuck is carrying a bit of extra fuel to increase his range. At least he’s not carrying it in the “frunk.”

Tom

[sleddog]

Hello Sled,
The answer is quite simple #3. The BMW i3 range extender has only a 9 liter (2.4 gal) gas tank. Chuck is carrying a bit of extra fuel to increase his range. At least he’s not carrying it in the “frunk.”
Tom

DAZZLER got it right. Congrats, Tom!

Chuck Hawley drives a BMW i3REx electric car. Since BMW needs the i3 REx to qualify as an Electric Vehicle and one of the qualifications is that the car have a smaller gasoline range than its electric range, and also to meet EPA requirements, the fuel tank capacity is 1.9 gallons.

That's the short version. Chuck's BMW is actually a fascinating study in electric cars of the future and their constraints. The reason Chuck is pouring 2 galllons of gas into his electric BMW gas tank at Marin YC in San Rafael is so he can drive round trip from/to Santa Cruz over the Highway 17 summit (190 RT miles) without worrying about stopping for gas.

Here's the poop: https://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-bevx-restrictions-plea-carb-unleash-rex/

[sleddog]

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I'm guessing Rob on TIGER BEETLE is thinking of the clear tropical waters he experienced in French Polynesia as he looks over BEETLE's side in his current moorage at Ala Wai Harbor, Honolulu. This appalling photo was taken two days ago.

Trash flowing down the Ala Wai canal has been a problem for many years. Bacteria contamination has caused illness and death for those who come in contact with the waters of this cesspool. Incredibly, this pollution is just feet from the front entrance of one of Hawaii's most exclusive hotels, as well as restaurants overhanging the waterfront.

Unbelievable there is neither an active solution in the works, nor the money to create one. Airlines and hotels used to contribute to clean up. But apparently no longer.

[sleddog]

I've seen strange ships at sea. But on a recent trip to S.Cal I stopped at San Pedro to take a look at something straight from sci-fi. How are photos from outside the guard shack:

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The ship, named MR STEVEN, appeared to be about 200 feet long with four giant claw legs sticking overhead. It was rafted to a decked barge the size of a football field painted with a giant bullseye and named JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.

These futuristic ships are used to capture parts of SpaceX rockets as they descend from the sky on parachutes. JUST FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS has successfully landed several rocket boosters that were then reused.

MR STEVEN will attempt to capture descending nose cone fairings into its giant net, akin to catching CALIFORNIA CONDER as it descends from an aerial drop from Heaven into a giant horizontal net.

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[sleddog]

As many have experienced, planning, prepping and executing an off-the-grid camp trip has remarkable similarities to sail racing and cruising a small boat. In our case a 15 foot, 2,000 pound trailer, "RUBY, " is currently receiving full attention as we prep for a drive to Utah to pay pilgrimage to Grand Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments as they are emasculated for profit by the current administration.

Tools, repairs, food, maps, home front business, family and contacts, finances, weather, possible overnight anchorages, power generation, stowage. The yellow legal tab list is 2 pages. At some point just ahead the "to do" list needs to be set aside, the dock lines untied, and "the rig" backed out the driveway.

Also similar is the proverbial desire to keep things aerodynamic, light weight,and simple (KISS). Mountain passes are like windward legs. If RUBY and tow vehicle (2000 Ford Expedition) had a PHRF rating, it would be about 200. Following winds and downhills are always appreciated

Mark Twain once wrote "travel and discovering new cultures and customs is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” This may sound dated. But really is not.

"It is a better world with some buffalo left in it, a richer world with some gorgeous canyons unmarred by signboards, hot-dog stands, super highways, or high-tension lines, undrowned by power or irrigation reservoirs. If we preserved as parks only those places that have no economic possibilities, we would have no parks. And in the decades to come, it will not be only the buffalo and the trumpeter swan who need sanctuaries. Our own species is going to need them too. It has never been man’s gift to make wildernesses. But he can make deserts, and has."
~ Wallace Stegner, 1955

[sleddog]

Greetings from Bryce National Park in SW Utah, a 16 hour drive from Capitola, and most wonderful place. Thousands of "hoo doos," tall, fantastically shaped spindly pinnacles of colored rock, oranges and red. Bryce also is known for its night sky, the darkest, most starry in the U.S, as well as it clear air views of mountain ranges 150 miles distant.

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Also at the highest point in Bryce, at 9,100', is an ancient Bristlecone Pine forest, the oldest tree species in the world, with some specimens over 2,000 years old.

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[Sleddog_sis]

Hey big 'bro, I am loving your posts. As always!
Where else can I see "hoo doos" and ocean swimming buffalos, and you sailing Koko (our dog) at Newport?
Thanks, and have a great trip!

L'il Sis
PS, I got first windsurf of the Berkeley season in on Thursday -- all great.

[chautauqua]

Living vicariously thru your blog...
Skip, It's the end of an era for this family, Mom passed on the 27th about when you were looking at all those beautiful stars. I did get down there in time. Haven't made the arrangements yet but thank you for the link to LIVELY. We will scatter ashes from her.

Mom ( Gingerlee Field ) will be remembered by many for her generous hospitality and immaculate upkeep of Dad's two schooners in Newport (LIVEY and HAWK). She died with the same gentle grace that filled all her days. it was nice to see that the sky was so beautiful where you were at that time.

[sleddog]

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With Wind Advisories for blowing dust and high fire danger, I doubt many RV's and high profile vehicles will be underway tomorrow in Southern Utah/Northern Arizona. Given the weather forecast, we have changed plans, and rather than heading for Lake Powell, we'll bivy here at Mike J's (MOUTON NOIR) pad in Moab, Utah.

Yesterday, Mike and Susan took us on an off-road adventure in Canyonlands National Park, something they enjoy, have the proper 4WD equipment for, and are highly skilled at. We wound our way from near Dead Horse Point on Island In the Sky, down narrow switchbacks with steep drop offs inches from the wheels to keep you honest. On our way downward to the Colorado River we passed nonchalant mountain goats at "Thelma and Louise" Point, where rumor has it the denouement of that classic movie was filmed.

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Thelma and Louise Point, Colorado River below

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Castleton Tower, a 400' sandstone tower, was first climbed Sept.16, 1961, by Layton Kor and Huntley Ingalls. Their route, rated 5.9, remains one of the 50 classic climbs of North America. photo by Ann Contos.

Thanks, Mike and Susan!

[sleddog]

Only in Santa Cruz: A deer swimming 1/4 mile offshore, with an inquisitive, adolescent (9') Great White shark circling. Apparently the deer had been spooked near New Brighton beach, and entered the water to escape. (Deer are good swimmers.)

A local shark researcher doing census counts was able to herd the deer back to shore, and no harm came to either animal...A day earlier, another shark enthusiast fell out of his kayak near the Cement Ship while studying a Great White, one of about 15 in the area. Again, no one was hurt. Why did he fall out of his kayak with a Great White underneath? Attempting to retrieve his sunglasses!

I sense a Darwin Award candidate in training. http://abc7news.com/great-white-shark-gets-too-close-for-comfort-with-kayaker-in-aptos/3450724/

[Gamayun]

I sense a Darwin Award candidate in training. http://abc7news.com/great-white-shark-gets-too-close-for-comfort-with-kayaker-in-aptos/3450724/

My brother once reeled in a 6-foot bull shark in the northern Gulf of Mexico off St. Marks. Took him a few hours and the shark was not happy throughout so it was a question to the end about who might "win out." The biologist in me feels badly that the shark died, but the sister in me is happier my brother quit trying to fish for sharks after that. Yet my family thinks people like us are nuts for sailing solo....sheeze

[sleddog]

What does Maine have to do with a race to Hawaii?

If you were looking at recent Eastern Pacific (EPAC) surface weather maps (seen below) for the last few days, you would likely note the ocean between the West Coast and Hawaii has been dominated by a giant high pressure = no wind.

As a Down Easter might say, "Ya all can't get theah from heah."

The Yankee would be correct: Had a race to Hawaii started this past week-10 days, things would be mighty slow. Like drifting....With no way around.

There's a reason Pacific races usually start in July. Experienced weather men have told us that statistically the EPAC High Pressure does not become firmly established in it's summer position along 40 degrees N latitude until the first, even second week in July.

When the route to Hawaii is blocked by High Pressure, what can be done other than sailing into the calms and waiting for the wind to fill?

In a litany of more than 70 TransPacs since 1947, the drastic measure of sailing deep south has only worked half a dozen times. In 1947, in the biggest upset of then Honolulu Race history, the undercanvased schooner DOLPHIN II made the drastic measure of purposely reaching deep south work by sailing to a position of 24-30 x 136-06, and carrying wind all the way to win first overall.

In 1979, Stan Honey navigated the 70 foot sled DRIFTER south around the "Great Pacific Parking Lot" that trapped most of the record 80 boat fleet that year, including DRIFTER's arch rival MERLIN, who drifted for 3 days, ultimately running low on everything but popcorn. DRIFTER was first to finish in the record slow time of 11 days, 18 hours, beating MERLIN by 31 hours. Another competitor ran low on water and was disqualified for accepting 15 gallons in jugs from another racing yacht.

In the first Pacific Cup Race in 1980 (then the San Francisco to Kauai Race), the heavy yawl KOTICK II made the southern course work by turning left outside the Golden Gate and sailing south for 2 days towards Southern California before resuming a south west direction.

And in the 2000 Pacific Cup, good friend Fred Huffman, double-handing his Contessa 35 LA DIANA, dove deep south the first 48 hours while the rest of the fleet wallowed for nearly 5 days. At one point, LA DIANA had a nearly 400 mile lead on the next boat.

What's it all mean? Despite usual consistent summer wind conditions in the EPAC, 1 in 5 TransPacs can experience delays. Enough food and water for such an eventuality, not just popcorn like on MERLIN, is a good look.

[sleddog]

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As a kid we used to sail the family L-36 out Newport Harbor. Near the Harbor Entrance was moored a particularly lovely, light yellow/tan, double-ended sloop. Her name was SERENADE, and my father, a marine insurance broker at the time, would tell us SERENADE was designed and built for violinist Jascha Heifetz in 1938 and that Heifetz's fingers were each insured for a million $. That number, and the sweet stern, made a big impression on the young sleddog.

SERENADE was ultimately connected to the first Singlehanded Farallones Race in 1977, but not as a racer. I will tell you how in the future in a trivia quiz. For now, feast your eyes on SERENADE's loveliness. http://www.sandemanyachtcompany.co.uk/yacht/203/Nicholas-Potter-N-Class-62-ft-Sloop-1938

For Transpac racers in the audience, I will say SERENADE had the first dedicated two pole spinnaker jibeing system, a self tacking jib, and twin headstays for fast headsail changes/twin jibs.

[sleddog]

"Made in Santa Cruz" week is having another go around, with the tribe of boats and builders gathering by the Yacht Club hoist Thursday afternoon at 4 pm. First off will be Jester dinghy races, that 7 foot dinghy ubiquitous to Santa Cruz.

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And Woodward Reservoir over Mother's Day Weekend.

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For those who remember, the first Moore Bros. Jester was # 30, built circa 1969 for Mike Winterburn, who used to build surfboards. Paul Tara won the 1971 “Jester Worlds” in #30 in the Upper Harbor when there were no pilings docks, boats, or obstructions. 40 boats, no problem. You'll see #30 racing Thursday under Paul's tillership.

Come on by, and meet the legends of Santa Cruz boat building and see their boats.

[Howard Spruit]

I sailed Jester #8 in the 71 regatta, but the first Jester event was "Jester Nationals" in 1967 on Swan Lake and Hosted by the Simkins at their Lakeside home.
We had competitors that traveled all the way from San Jose. I don't remember who won, even though it was the most important thing in my world at the time.

[sleddog]

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The first Singlehanded Farallones Race, April 9th, 1977, was sailed in a hat full of breeze: Bill Lee's ULDB sled MERLIN, in her maiden race, started and finished with a double-reef and storm jib. Not counting the El Toro, that never made it to the GG, there were two other "ultra-lights" in the fleet of 53 starters: a big blue 50' cutter and Cliff Stagg on the Santa Cruz 27 ANKLE BITER.

It was breeze and current "on" for the start, similar to this year, with a 4.3 knot ebb at 0803. WILDFLOWER started with her #4 and double-reef. Outside the Gate I shifted down to the cutter rig: a working staysail in place of the #4, which seemed sufficient for the long slog to the Rockpile.

Abeam Point Bonita, on port tack, I watched the big blue cutter sail close aboard through our lee. Her orange foul-weather clad skipper was on the foredeck, wrestling to get the jib top down and the staysail up. Suddenly, when the cutter was about 10-15 lengths ahead, she "auto-tacked" and her jib aback blew her bow off to a downwind course, her skipper trapped forward by billowing sailcloth.

I could see the big blue cutter skipper's alarm as his vessel and WILDFLOWER were approaching bow to bow. I quickly bore off and it was a near miss.

The big blue cutter's veteran skipper reported the next day, "I got cramps in my legs when I got close to the Islands and had to crawl around the deck on my hands and knees. Winds were gusting 40 knots."

"It took 40 minutes to haul down the jib in the gale, and another hour to reef. I was soaked and discouraged and turned back. Next time I'll be better prepared for this trip," he said.

The Coasties had a busy afternoon. The 28 foot tri CORA LEE capsized, the 41 foot SUNSHINE was taking on water, and a member of the RC dislocated his kneecap in a freak accident and had to be evacuated to Letterman Hospital.

WILDFLOWER rounded the Farallones 4th boat for boat, close astern the Cal 33 VICARIOUS (David Jesberg) at 4:15 p.m. My log notes "Wind NW 35." On the reach home, good friend Dave Wahle on the beautiful Wylie cold-moulded Gemini twin passed to leeward on a big surf, and we waved with big grins. Both Dave and I had helped build each other's boats.

The finish was down the Oakland Estuary, in front of Survival and Safety Designs (George Sigler.) After a long day of hand steering, WILDFLOWER finished at 10:53 pm, 3 hours, 48 minutes after MERLIN. There were 15 finishers of the original 53, the last being Paul Kamen on the Santana 22 MAMBA at 6:20 a.m.

WILDFLOWER won the race on corrected time and received the winner's prize, a Navy sextant mounted on a mahogany base with an engraved plate. This sextant trophy was to disappear when SSD's closed, and I don't believe has ever been replaced. A possible suggestion for suitable replacement for the SSS Farallone's Race Trophy might be a bronze firehose nozzle mounted on a bed of granite in the approximate shape of the SE Farallone.

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As promised, there's a trivia prize here for a bottle of CBC red wine to the person who can name the big blue cutter and/or her veteran skipper and early SSS member that nearly accidentally cleaved WILDFLOWER that windy morning in 1977. Here's some hints: The skipper's previous boat was SERENADE, Jascha Heifetz's boat as noted above, which he sold to the inventor of Jelly Belly candy. His new boat, the big blue cutter, was designed by John Illingworth of MYTH of MALHAM fame, was cold-molded by Camper Nicholson, and could carry a cutter or sloop rig.

Here's Illingworth's revolutionary two time Fastnet Race winner MYTH of MALHAM with cutter rig circa 1949 3437

And here's the mystery boat 25 years after the first SHF. 3438

Your marks, set, GO!

[Philpott]

First Farallones Race, 1977

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Thank you to Paul Boehmke, s/v Painted Wind

[tiger beetle]

Hi Skip -

I think the mystery boat is Axel Heyst III. That spinnaker is rather distinctive, as is the cabin.

I actually don't know who has her now, but if Jackie's post above is accurate then Harold Nelson was sailing the boat then.

Ah! - the shoe just dropped, that was Hal Nelson that had the Axel Heyst down in the estuary at Nelson's Boat Yard. That's where I would see the boat. It was a big boat! I did have to go look up if Hal had Axel Heyst (I didn't know that off the top of my head).

- rob/beetle

[DaveH]

Jackie may have beat me to it -
the boat is AXEL HEYST - Harold Nelson (as noted in the program)

Skip - interestingly enough, at some point Latitude 38 replaced the missing sextant trophy with the current perpetual bowl... when I went to pull the plate for engraving, I noticed that there is a blank space for 1977.
That will be remedied! 1977 - Skip Allan / Wildflower

DH

[sleddog]

Hi Skip -

I think the mystery boat is Axel Heyst III. That spinnaker is rather distinctive, as is the cabin.

I actually don't know who has her now, but if Jackie's post above is accurate then Harold Nelson was sailing the boat then.

Ah! - the shoe just dropped, that was Hal Nelson that had the Axel Heyst down in the estuary at Nelson's Boat Yard. That's where I would see the boat. It was a big boat! I did have to go look up if Hal had Axel Heyst (I didn't know that off the top of my head).
- rob/beetle

Winner, winner, chicken dinner to TIGER BEETLE by less than a minute over DOMINO. Honorary mention to Philpott who somehow has reached into her memorabilia and pulled out the entry list for the '77 SHF. How did Jackie do that?

AXEL HEYST, and her skipper Hal Nelson, is the subject of the trivia quiz. For many years, Nelson had Nelson's boatyard on Alameda, and was a tough, rugged sailor, as was his father, and son Carl, now manager of Channel Islands Boatyard and Marina south of Santa Barbara/Ventura.

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Says her current owner in an ad:

"Axel Heyst is a classic ocean racing boat that was one of the early applications of light weight cold molded construction. This is a very well built boat that is lots of fun to sail and can win races. I have raced her off shore in some pretty significant conditions and she hasn't complained at all. At one point (with a prior owner, decades ago) she was dismasted and rerigged with what is essentially a deck-stepped SC-50 rig and an oversized pole. She rates 96 in PHRF, but with a little wind can blow the doors off of a J-105. In fact, once I sailed well ahead of and around the front of the entire San Francisco J-105 fleet! With a bunch of wind this boat will surf in the mid teens. A project boat, but one that will result in a fast and beautiful vessel that turns heads wherever she goes. 8 foot draft, disp. = 23,000 lbs"

[Philpott]

"How did Jackie do that?" hehehe

[sleddog]

With at least 4 SSS'ers in attendance, including Commodore Herrigel, Christine, and Jonathan, a final chapter was drawn yesterday in Santa Cruz with a Made in Santa Cruz celebration, sponsored by SCYC. "MISC" began in the overcast and chilly afternoon with Jester and El Toro races down and up the Harbor, its narrow channel constricted even more by large visiting squid boats and two maxi O'Neill catamarans re-entering between sets of a Southern Hemisphere swell.

After 4 races, with Chris Watts winning the Jesters, everyone ascended to the club to view memorabilia and hear reminiscences. To standing room only, Bill Lee, Ron Moore, and Homer Lighthall all spoke, and there was much laughter, applause, and cheering Also recognized were the donors to MISC, and to a beautiful bronze sculpture by sailor/sculptor Courtney Scruggs in front of SCYC "dedicated to the designers and builders of ultralight displacement boats who changed the sport of sailboat racing."

We would be remiss not to remember the many hundreds of individuals who helped create and support the MISC industry during the 60's, 70's, and 80's, when the only thing bigger economically in our small beach town was being grown in the local hills. Laminators, craftsmen (Alvie, KT and Andre,) brokers, accountants, journalists, truck drivers, a new marine hardware store (West Marine). Keel pourers (Tom Carr, Doug Brower, and Dave Wahle), sailmakers (Kurt Larsen and Dave Hodges), sparmaker Buzz Ballenger, and dozens, even hundreds, more, across town and the West Coast..

As long as Santa Cruz built ultra lights surf Pacific swells, smiles will light up and Fast Is Fun will prevail. We all have our favorite boats and favorite stories from this era. Favorite boats? 505? Moore 24? Express 27? Santa Cruz 50? A little known piece of Santa Cruz trivia is Buzz Ballenger probably built more boats than anyone: between 40-50 505's and nearly 200 Banshees.. In addition, Bill Lee delivered 17 68 footers, based on his iconic MERLIN, as well as dozens of SC-27's, 33's, 40's, 50's and 52's, while across town George and Lyn were turning out O-30's, 25's, 29's, 34's and 40's and Alsberg was building Express 27's, 34's, and 37's. As Ron Moore recalled last night, despite the popularity of the Moore 24, his most famous boat was the winged wonder, the Moore 30, which with a crew of 12 would plane in a whisper or capsize, whichever came first. According to Ron, his Moore 30 (designed by G. Mull), made the cover of every sailing magazine of the day.

One of my favorite stories briefly lit up Santa Cruz Harbor one Friday afternoon after crew practice aboard SC-70 #15 MIRAGE. Owner Jim Ryley was enjoying driving his big sled under spinnaker at 16-20 knots as we approached the Harbor entrance. Our crew of 8 whispered a plot, and as MIRAGE spinnakered in the Entrance, we all slipped below, the spinny halyard tail and lazy guy in hand down the forehatch. Jim was all smiles as we passed the Crow's Nest and restaurant goers had their noses glued to the windows watching the spectacular entry of an apparent singlehander flying a spinnaker on such a large boat in such narrow confines. Jim waved and smiled a big grin to the crowd. But you could hear a note of concern in his voice as the Harbor Bridge approached. "Guys?" Hey, Guys!" "Guys!!!" Just then, as pretty as you please, the halyard was run and the spinnaker disappeared down the forehatch with no one on deck....Jim spun MIRAGE into her slip on F dock, and everyone appeared on deck, all grins Only in Santa Cruz.

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For your Friday trivia, there will be at least 26 Made in Santa Cruz entries in this summer's SHTP and Pacific Cup. 41% of the fleet of which race will have been built in Santa Cruz?

.

[DaveH]

From the posted entry lists, that would be the SHTP.

As an interesting side note, even if you mash the 2 lists together, Santa Cruz built boats account for over a quarter of the entries at 28%

DH

[Jonathan Gutoff]

Jesters and the paparazzi were out. (El Toros too.)344434453446

[JohnS]

The plaque/sculpture is aswesome. I bet that was a great party, sorry I missed it. Okay, back to work. There is a start line in the all too near future. (Do the lists ever get shorter?)

[Howard Spruit]

The lists keep growing and the check amounts keep getting LARGER!
Good luck, try to have fun.

[sleddog]

The Around-the-State Race is no more. This classic ocean race circumnavigated the Hawaiian Islands, leaving all 8 major islands to port, and was held even years in early August from 1972-1990.

There were miles of spectacular coastline passed close aboard in the Around-the-State Race, including the Napali Coast on Kauai and the north shore of Molokai with its thousand foot waterfalls plummeting into the blue ocean.

What stands out in my mind was one night in 1988 aboard the 45' Reichel/Pugh IOR sloop INSATIABLE. We had rounded South Point (Ka Lae) at 1310 hours with the 52 foot JUBILATION just ahead, wind 082 degrees, 21 knots. Ahead was the 65 mile beat up the Ka'u coast to Cape Kumakahi, the most eastern point of the Hawaiian chain.

From experience we knew there was less south flowing current on the beach than further offshore. But in the dark, with active lava flows, clouds of sulphur and steam, and a coast line that was changing on an active basis, all navigation was by guess, golly, and tearing eyeballs. We didn't want to get too close to the lava rivers in the dark as we short tacked the coastline. It was a spectacular sight from seaward.

3448.

Nearing dawn the next morning, we could see the loom of the Cape Kumakahi lighthouse, 156 feet high, flashing 15 sec., visible 24 miles. I had visited the Kumakahi lighthouse the previous year on a voyage with WILDFLOWER from French Polynesia back to Santa Cruz, with a stop in Hilo, 26 miles to the northwest from Cape Kumakahi. On my visit to Cape Kumakahi I learned its history and saw an amazing thing.

In 1927, annual petitions for a lighthouse at Cape Kumakahi had gone unfunded by the Hawaiian Territory’s delegate to the U.S. Congress. The importance of a light on Cape Kumukahi was significant, not only to the increase in shipping traffic since the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914, but also planes on transpacific flights. At the time, Hilo was the second largest port in the Hawaiian Territory.

Finally, on December 31, 1928, the U.S. Government purchased fifty-eight acres on Cape Kumukahi for the sum of $500. During the following year, a thirty-two-foot wooden tower capped with an automatic acetylene gas light was built at the cape for local use – not exactly the powerful landfall light the Lighthouse Board had envisioned years before.

Four years later, sufficient appropriations were at last made for a primary seacoast light for Cape Kumukahi. An asphalt road was built in 1932 to link the lighthouse to the nearest highway, and the following year, two five-room dwellings, water tanks, sidewalks, and a reinforced concrete foundation for the tower were completed.

Due to the frequent earthquakes associated with volcanic activity in the area, a unique foundation was designed for the lighthouse tower. Lava was first excavated and a massive concrete block was installed in the resulting hole. A second concrete block was placed above the first with a thick layer of sand in between. This design allowed the lower block to move with the earth, without transmitting shocks to the tower.

The following year, a square, pyramidal, skeleton tower was constructed of galvanized steel, and two, thirty-six-inch airway beacons were placed at its top, roughly 125 feet above the ground. To supply power for the light and keeper’s dwellings, three engine-generators units were installed in a corrugated powerhouse located at the base of the tower.

3449

With a strength of 1,700,000 candlepower, Cape Kumukahi Light was the strongest in the Hawaiian Islands, and only the concrete Molokai Lighthouse at Kalaupapa, at 213'. was taller. Veteran keeper Charles K. Akana, who had served at nearly every major light in the islands, was brought in to take charge of the new station. Due to the bareness of the landscape, the keeper’s dwellings were located over a half mile from the tower.

In 1938, Joe Pestrella was transferred from the lighthouse tender KUKUIi to the barren station at Cape Kumukahi. On his own time and at his own expense, Pestrella brought in soil and trees and succeeded in turning a desolate spot into a place of beauty. Included in his orchard were lemon, mango and tangerine trees, and a rare bay leaf tree.

Cape Kumukahi is included in Kilauea Volcano’s active east rift zone. In 1955, a lava flow threatened the station, but Pestrella remained on duty at the peril of his life to keep the light running. For his dedicated years of service at the station, he was selected as Civil Servant of the Year for the Hawai`i area in 1956.

On January 13, 1960, a fiery fountain of lava, roughly half a mile long, shot up in a sugar cane field, two miles east of the Kumakahi lighthouse and just north of the town of Kapoho. Bulldozers and fire hoses were used in attempts to divert and harden the flow. On January 21, the flow appeared to be heading north away from the village and the station. However, during the next week, the lava turned south and started to encroach on the station grounds. Pestrella’s wife and infant son were evacuated, but Pestrella remained at the station saying, “When my backside feels hot, I’ll move on. Not till then!!”.

When the lava set the station’s gate ablaze, Pestrella surely felt the heat, and on January 28, he wisely decided to place the light on emergency power and leave the station. The lava flow swallowed the keeper’s dwellings and incinerated Pestrella’s orchard. That same day, the flow engulfed the town of Kapoho.

On February 2, the heat from the flow caused the generator’s fuel tanks at the tower to explode, and the light was extinguished. As the river of lava approached within a few feet of the tower, it remarkably divided into two streams that flowed past each side of the structure, leaving the tower unscathed. The Kapoho eruption had covered over ten square kilometers and added two square kilometers of land to the island.

It was this astonishing division of lava flow in 1960 around the Cape Kumakahi lighthouse I observed in 1987. Locals were daily leaving gifts and wreaths at the base of the light tower to honor and appease the Hawaiian Goddess of Light and Fire, Pele, who they believed saved the lighthouse.

Today, after surviving the lava flow, the lighthouse is fully automated, and Pestrella, its last keeper was transferred to Makapu`u Lighthouse on O`ahu.

As we passed Cape Kumakahi and bore away to the northwest that morning in 1988 my log notes "squalls, wind 20-34 from 110 degrees. 37 sail changes to date. The boat is wetter inside than out."

[sleddog]

Hi Jackie,

Oakland's water, along with much of the East Bay, comes from East Bay MUD (Municipal Utilities District.) EBMUD water is from the Mokelumne Aqueduct, fed by the Mokelumne River in the Central Sierra, which ultimately enters the Delta.

85% of San Francisco's drinking water is from spring snowmelt running down the Tuolumne River, now damned at Hetch Hetchy Valley. The Hetch Hetchy watershed is entirely in Yosemite National Park. The water from this 160 mile infrastructure ultimately fills Crystal Springs Reservoir, south of San Francisco, near the Pulgas Water Temple. "Water Temple?" Yup, just off Highway 280.

If you are a SF Bay Area resident, one of 2.6 million residing in 26 cities in 4 counties, here is a graphic of where your drinking water is coming from, courtesy of this morning's Oakland Tribune.

3450
Hetch Hetchy

3451

[sleddog]

Good news is hard to come by in gridlocked traffic on a local freeway. On my way home from the dentist, traffic in both directions, including on and off-ramps, was stopped in both directions on Highway 1. No one moved for more than 30 minutes.

3454

Stranger yet, police cars were driving by in both directions on the shoulders, but without sirens or any great haste. The only news available on the local radio station was "hazardous situation."

I'm sure a lot of people were inconvenienced by the 12 mile traffic jam.

The good news is people were out of their cars talking with each other, kids were skateboarding, and leashed dogs were being walked. The other good news is the apparently distressed person on the freeway overpass was successfully talked down.

[sleddog]

From this morning's Vancouver Sun

VANCOUVER — The Transportation Safety Board has called for more training on fatigue in the marine industry after finding a crew member fell asleep and missed a planned course change before a tug boat ran aground off British Columbia’s coast.

About 107,000 litres of diesel and more than 2,200 litres of lubricants, including gear and hydraulic oils, leaked into the Pacific Ocean after the NATHAN E. STEWART partially sank near Bella Bella in October 2016 as it was towing an empty barge.

3456

Board chair Kathy Fox said the second mate had been working a schedule of six hours on, six hours off for more than two days, which didn’t allow for sufficient rest.

“It’s hard enough to work a six-on, six-off shift for days on end without getting a good night’s sleep,” she said Thursday after the board issued its report. “It’s harder still to do it without the means to recognize and combat the fatigue that this schedule inevitably generates.”

Alarms meant to alert crew members when a vessel goes off course weren’t switched on when the 30-metre tug ran aground, Fox said, adding regulations do not require them to be activated.

“They were sometimes turned off just to avoid what’s perceived to be nuisance alarms, but in this case could have provided warning to the watchkeeper,” she said.

The report recommends watchkeepers be trained to help identify and prevent the risks of fatigue and that all vessel owners have fatigue-management plans tailored to individual operators.

Fatigue has been identified by the board as a “casual or contributory factor” in a number of other marine accidents and Fox said this case was compelling enough to prompt a call for change.

“We think that just regulating time off isn’t in and of itself enough. It’s got to be part of a global strategy that includes education, scheduling principles and alertness strategies and other defences,” she said.

The second mate was alone on the bridge at night and did not have training that would exempt the vessel from needing a marine pilot, both of which are contrary to Canadian regulations, the report says.

Another investigation into the possible contraventions is underway, Fox said.

“Transport Canada is the safety regulator so it’s their responsibility to look at whether there was non-compliance and then what enforcement action may need to be taken after the fact.”

The board also said spill response and recovery efforts following the fuel leak were within prescribed time standards, but it wasn’t always clear who had authority over the operation.

“There was definitely a bit of confusion in the beginning,” said Glenn Budden, the board investigator in charge of the case.

The primary responders got the response organized as quickly as possible and the confusion didn’t cause a delay, but it did create frustration, he said.

The report recommends various agencies come together after a spill response to debrief and share lessons learned.

Chief Marilyn Slett of the Heiltsuk First Nation said she’s disappointed the report’s recommendations around spill response weren’t stronger. The fuel spill forced the closure of prime seafood harvesting and fishing areas, which continues to have devastating social, cultural and economic impacts on the community, she said.

“Our community has continued to pay the price. And we certainly, moving forward, would like to see more collaboration around providing environmental protection that should be here. We’re still left with that gap.”

Slett said the report should also have included more details about safety management procedures on the boat.

In November, the National Transportation Safety Board in the United States released a report saying Houston-based Kirby Offshore Marine had ineffectively implemented safety management procedures, which contributed to the accident involving its tug.

It also said there was a lack of documentation on safety rounds and no evidence that safety management rules were implemented on board the NATHAN E. STEWART.

Kirby issued a statement Thursday saying it regrets the incident but “took immediate steps to limit the potential for harm arising from it.” It says procedures, training, auditing and equipment have since been modified to limit the risk of future accidents.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Two comments, the first from a good sailing friend who has singlehanded many thousands of miles, including 2 roundtrips to New Zealand on his Trekka 21:

Note paragraph which states "The second mate was alone on the bridge at night and did not have training that would exempt the vessel from needing a marine pilot, both of which are contrary to Canadian regulations, the report says".

I wonder what the "training" they mention would be as the tug was transiting BC waters under a loophole in the pilotage regulations. 6 hrs on and 6 hrs off use to be pretty standard on tugboats. On the S/L Kodiak we (2nd & 3rd mates) would be "6 on & 6 off" when ever we left Dutch Harbor en route Tacoma (4 Day run) with a big reefer load as the ch/mate was required to monitor the reefer cargo full time (no reefer engineer). Winter time meant rough weather & adequate sleep was a joke. Generally, late getting into Tacoma. so a fast turn around to maintain schedule. It could really wear you down after several trips. Years after I got off that run, the ships went to 4 mates which helps spread out the work load.


The second is my own: I've singlehanded WILDFLOWER 4x to Hawaii. What I've found is the best total amount of sleep needed is >8 hours/24. Usually, sleep was in 1 hour increments, between the need to pee, which is greater with small boat motion. The most sleep achieved at one rest period was 3 hours. I also found that lying down, resting but not sleeping, was worth ~ 50% of sleep.

Once in Hawaii after singlehanding I would invariably find it took me an equal number of days as the total passage to fully recover. I also experienced approximately .5 pounds/day weight loss.

I would sleep with both the AIS and radar pizzo alarms on remote cables around my neck. Neither internal alarm was loud enough to wake me due to sound of wind and waves. The egg timer was also nearby, but rarely needed. All peeing was done below into a hospital urinal. We remember the SHTP competitor who went to the stern to pee, not fully awake. He got to the backstay, was waiting for the red pedestrian stop light to change green before he stepped off the curb to cross the street when he awoke.

I always sleep at sea with my head aft. That way if you collide with something, you don't injure your neck.

[sleddog]

I always sleep at sea with my head aft. That way if you collide with something, you don't injure your neck.

It was not only Lee and Bob making heavy weather of it offshore this past week aboard MORNING STAR. In news we really didn't need to learn, the 761 foot Ro-Ro container ship MATSONIA lost 4 empty reefer containers enroute Hono to Oakland sometime Tuesday or Wed. Being empty, insulated boxes, they will float, possibly on end with their heavy compressor machinery.

3457

From the MATSONIA's master: "Geographical location of lost containers unknown. It is likely they went overboard during the heaviest conditions between 0800/29 L35-39N, 129-14W and 0100/30 L37-21N, 123-32W. This area is between 320 and 45 miles seaward of San Francisco Pilot Station on the great circle from HON-OAK."

Just my rough guess that these containers will drift downwind/down current at between 1-2 knots, putting them 800-1600 miles SSW (~202 degrees T) of San Francisco on July 1, 2018. If true, the good news is these floaters should be well south of the SHTP, Pacific Cup, and Vic-Maui fleet tracks.

Me thinks there is a good argument that shipping containers should have solar powered, water activated, GPS/AIS locators. In this day and age of tagging great whites, mountain lions, shearwaters, monarch butterflies, and sail drones, not rocket science any more.

[Howard Spruit]

"Me thinks there is a good argument that shipping containers should have solar powered, water activated, GPS/AIS locators. In this day and age of tagging great whites, mountain lions, shearwaters, monarch butterflies, and sail drones, not rocket science any more."[/QUOTE]

GOOD IDEA!
The insurance companies may be interested in funding & or insisting that the tagging must be done.

[tiger beetle]

Me-thinks the shipping container folks need to re-learn their knots! That and come up with a significantly better way to anchor the containers to the deck, and provide protection from waves striking the boxes. I can understand putting boxes down inside the hull; who thought it was a good idea to stack containers on deck up to the bridge?

A ship off New Zealand lost 80 containers two days ago:
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/ship-loses-80-containers-off-nsw-coast-in-wild-weather

And I was unaware of another ship that lost perhaps 73 containers off North Carolina back in March:
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article203667984.html

That's no fun.

- rob/beetle

[sleddog]

As will likely be confirmed by TIGER BEETLE, SHTP finishing at Hanalei should not be impacted by the recent flooding. These photos taken yesterday by Capt. Bob show the Hanalei Beach Park and famous "Tree" (there are several) to be fine. Dinghy landing nearby, just north of the lifeguard tower, is unchanged.

3469
The "Tree" is to the left in the photo background, near the kayaks.

3470

Further down the Hanalei Beach, in the vicinity of the Hanalei Pier, it's a different story. Weke Rd. is closed to vehicles, and the Pier sits in a new lagoon.

And of course the sunsets beyond Bali Hai are just as lovely as always.

3471

[Daydreamer]

And of course the sunsets beyond Bali Hai are just as lovely as always.

3471[/QUOTE]

Ooh! Aah!

I can almost taste the fresh pineapple :) Yum!

[Philpott]

I was sorry to learn that Tiger Beetle will not be in Hanalei Bay when we will all be there. He plans to move on to Kodiac. How about Captain Bob? It would be nice to see him again! Thank you for the photos, Captain.

[sleddog]

The first "tropical" of the season has formed in the Eastern Pacific. TS ALETTA, soon to become a hurricane, is off the west coast of Mexico. It takes surface water temp 81 degrees or warmer for intensification. As well as light upper atmosphere wind shear. Which is why full blown tropicals rarely traverse north of 20 degrees latitude.

3472

[dolfinbill]

The first "tropical" of the season has formed in the Eastern Pacific. TS ALETTA, soon to become a hurricane

Geez Skip, you're just full of good news. RIMPAC, containers falling off ships in our path, now the first (and maybe second behind it) hurricane already. Hope we at least get decent weather to start.

Bill Meanley
Dolfin

[jamottep]

I think I recall somewhere that the RC would alert the fleet if a hurricane would cross its path. Is this just for hurricanes or lesser events too?

[DaveH]

The RC will attempt to alert the fleet via their email contacts (either aboard or shoreside support) of significant weather events that may affect the fleet.
Basically, if it has progressed to the point of being a named storm, we will send the location, predicted track and predicted intensity to all competitors.

The alerts will consist of the information in NOAA's EPAC Tropical Cyclone advisories... Sample info below
3474

DH

[sleddog]

3475

I marvel at this plant on my morning walks to the Cliff. It is currently 20 feet high, 10" in diameter at the base, weighs probably 200 pounds, and is growing at the prodigious rate of 6"/day.

It is an asparagus. With 5 gallons of mayo, it would likely feed the entire SHTP sendoff luncheon. If you like asparagus.

First to identify the proper name for this asparagus wins a Transpacific Fishing Kit, including hand line, ultra strong leader and feather and other shiny lures. Keep the kit for yourself if you intend to sail offshore and supplement your canned food with fresh fish. Or donate the kit to your favorite SHTP skipper.

3476

[Philpott]

That looks like it wouldn't taste very good. Not tender at all. But a GREAT prize to the winner of who ever is able to identify it.

“Agave americana, common names sentry plant, century plant,[4] maguey, or American aloe,[5].Although it is called the century plant, it typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spread around 6–10 ft (1.8–3.0 m) with gray-green leaves of 3–5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) long, each with a prickly margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce deeply. Near the end of its life, the plant sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms, that may reach a total height up to 25–30 ft (8–9 m) tall.

Its common name derives from its semelparous nature of flowering only once at the end of its long life. The plant dies after flowering, but produces suckers or adventitious shoots from the base, which continue its growth.”

[BobJ]

"Murder by Death" had a mushroom story. I have an asparagus story. But I need to find the photo that goes with it, which may be difficult.

The bottom line (accountants love to say that) is I hate aspergrass. Awful stuff...

[jamottep]

I'll go with: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_tequilana

It is rarely kept as a houseplant, but a 50-year-old blue agave in Boston grew a 30-foot (9 m) stalk requiring a hole in the greenhouse roof and flowered in the summer of 2006.[5]

[Intermission]

Looks more like an artichoke than asparagus.

[sleddog]

“Agave americana, common names sentry plant, century plant,[4] maguey, or American aloe,[5].Although it is called the century plant, it typically lives only 10 to 30 years. It has a spread around 6–10 ft (1.8–3.0 m) with gray-green leaves of 3–5 ft (0.9–1.5 m) long, each with a prickly margin and a heavy spike at the tip that can pierce deeply. Near the end of its life, the plant sends up a tall, branched stalk, laden with yellow blossoms, that may reach a total height up to 25–30 ft (8–9 m) tall. ”

Congrats to Jackie for identifying the Agave plant. I wonder how many quarts of mezcal this plant would make ...probably enough to get the entire SHTP fleet drunk at Tree Time.

What will Jackie do with an oceanic fishing kit aboard DURA MATER in the Delta? Do sturgeon like red feather lures?

[sleddog]

Further update on Hanalei from Captain Bob, on site. (Bob was part of the welcoming finish committee in the first SHTP in 1978.

"8-10 sailboats and several powerboats currently (6/07/18) anchored in Hanalei Bay. There is 3 feet depth (previously 6') at the outer end of the Pier and sand shoals all the way to shore at that end of the beach, a new surf break. Otherwise the usual anchorage has not been impacted, depths remain the same, and dinghy landing further south from the pier to the lifeguard stand should be fine.

3478

Due to the loss of their haul out spot at Black Pot, near the Hanalei River mouth, the Hanalei Canoe Club has relocated and half a dozen 6 man canoes and other craft are stored on the grass in the Beach Park, right where Tree Time usually congregates. The SHTP contingent will have to relocate to another area of the Beach Park."

No Biggee.:cool:

https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/hanalei-bay-resort

[Philpott]

Congrats to Jackie for identifying the Agave plant. I wonder how many quarts of mezcal this plant would make ...probably enough to get the entire SHTP fleet drunk at Tree Time. What will Jackie do with an oceanic fishing kit aboard DURA MATER in the Delta? Do sturgeon like red feather lures?

Jackie would never try to catch a fish off Dura Mater. Slimy fish guts would cause her consternation and DM would not like it, either. Instead, the oceanic fishing kit will be donated to some lucky Transpacker at the Farewell Luncheon at the Corinthian Yacht Club on June 22, 2018. Potential fisherpeople (not only men, because Carliane is a Transpacker, too) will put their names into a hat and one will be chosen. Remember that the gift is from Skip, Jackie is merely the deliveryperson.

[Gamayun]

Jackie would never try to catch a fish off Dura Mater. Slimy fish guts would cause her consternation and DM would not like it, either. Instead, the oceanic fishing kit will be donated to some lucky Transpacker at the Farewell Luncheon at the Corinthian Yacht Club on June 22, 2018. Potential fisherpeople (not only men, because Carliane is a Transpacker, too) will put their names into a hat and one will be chosen. Remember that the gift is from Skip, Jackie is merely the deliveryperson.

What an exciting raffle prize! I was just asking Michael Jefferson about fishing lures. One of my return crew is an Alaskan fisherman so I'm expecting mahi for dinner, fer shur....

Jackie, I'm also perfectly OK being called one of the guys. My dive team at the Sheriff's dept. (all guys and me) have learned it's just easier than "guys and Carliane." More inclusive, too :)

[sleddog]

3479

What is this? An entry in the upcoming Race2Alaska?
Nope. Just a creative camping rig recently seen at Hole In The Rock, south of Moab, Utah.

The R2AK starts June 14 from Port Townsend, WA. Too bad our SHTP doesn't have bios of the entrants like R2AK...If you haven't read the brilliant hilariousness, check out the R2AK fleet here: https://r2ak.com/2018-full-race-participants/

Rumor has it both DURA MATER and Sleddog will be onsite in PT to review the R2AK fleet. Is this the year a mono-hull will win the $10,000 first place prize over the multi-hulls? A Melges 32 is certainly a potent weapon. But how is TEAM SAIL LIKE A GIRL gonna fit 8 women crew and sail 24/7 on an open boat with minimum interior? Something doesn't compute. But neither do most other entrants in the R2AK, where traditionally only 35-40% of the entries make it to Ketchikan. Even Snortin' Norton Smith, first winner of the SHTP in 1978 in his Santa Cruz 27, couldn't get to Ketchikan in the2015 R2AK before breaking on the rocks..

[sleddog]

3480

If the all-women Melges 32 has boat speed to burn for the R2AK, the J-88 BLUE FLASH is the Space-X Rocket of the fleet.

BLUE FLASH's full throated bio of these kids is something else to read: Here you go:

Team BlueFlash

Team members: Sean Grealish, William-Patrick Blouin-Comeau, Maisie Bryant, Grant Gridley, Jack Holbrook
Hometown: Portland, Oregon, USA
Race vessel: J88
LOA: 29′
Human propulsion: Pedal drive
Connect: facebook, instagram

The Race to Alaska was started by sailors, and not the blue blazer, top shelf cocktail, valet park and a golf clap kind. We’re the kind of sailor that is usually preceded by “Swears like a…”—which was good practice for the race, because from the moment the applications come in to the moment the last racer finishes is a blue streak of epithets whose meaning is only understandable by the context, looks on our faces, and the pitch and cadence of “WTFs” we insert like tracer rounds just to keep track of the action. Slow and low with a shake of the head: disappointment. High and tight staccato: excitement. Wide eyed, open-throated on the inhale, with hang time on the last syllable: marveled disbelief.

We keep it PG for the public, but F-bomb for effect behind closed and heavily soundproofed doors. We’re not talking surgical strikes here—this is old school, Nixon-era “more is more,” scorched-earth obscenity deployment; we let them cascade out of the F-bomb bay doors like the things have an expiration date.

We swear at team’s race applications all the time, but usually in that decrescendo between disappointment and sad disbelief. If there was ever a team that had us swearing with enthusiasm as we read their bona-effing-fides, it was Team BlueFlash. We are so hooting excited about these motherflippers that it’s hard to calm down enough to type it out rationally and not just howl out the barbaric unprintable while we punch the keyboard until the buttons come off on our bloodied knuckles.

Let’s start with their boat. Team BlueFlash might have maxed the open source monohull supply chain with their choice of a J88, not just any J88, but as they describe it, “The most successful offshore racing J88 in the whole world.” The whole frictastic world. Over the last four years, the boat has campaigned 8 major offshore races and won 5. We read that and the skies opened: the H in Jesus H Christ stands for How in the Hell did they do tHat? This boat is slippery, pegged their GPS at 19.2 knots before the spinnaker carried away and they stuffed it. 19 knots on a 30-footer—fudging shoot!

Beyond choosing a race vessel that, to our knowledge, is the only unannounced contender for Space X that flies horizontal, it’s Team BlueFlash’s sailors that brought our obscenities to a level of volume and duration that, to this day, is peeling paint off of churches throughout the Midwest.

Let’s start with their age and experience. That all of them are more qualified than us to win this R2AFudgemuffin is one inspiring, annoying, and swearable offense. Navigator on ocean races, skipper on national dinghy campaigns, medical training, collegiate racing, etc. That all but one of them would need a fake ID to legally accept the beer we’d give them when they do win is another. 19,19,19,20 (but 21 at time of race) is insult to our ever-aging injury. When they party like it’s 1999, they blow out 1-2 candles, then smash cake on their face.

The most pants-impregnating truth of their entry is what they offered in their self-censored words:

“The Race to Alaska is something I have been dreaming about doing since I followed the first edition back in 2015. As someone who has been racing sailboats for his whole life, I’ve become disenfranchised with the money and snobbish protesting that takes place at regattas that are supposed to showcase the pinnacle of our sport. Race to Alaska represents everything that I wish sailing had more of: comradery, community, all-around badass people—even off the racecourse. I have raced across the Pacific Ocean, but as a teenage boy, there is nothing I can think of as a better use of my time than the 2018 R2AK. Our boat is solid, our team is the most knowledgeable group of young sailors put together for the R2AK, and we have what it takes to make it to Ketchikan as the youngest team to finish the race.”

Pound keyboard, pick a fight with internet, call a random number and unleash the unholy compendium from A-word to the yet-to-be-invented Z-word: this team is the schmidt.

Welcome to the R2AK, Team BlueFlash. At the request of your parents, your Ketchikan arrival will be heavily monitored by CPS, Liquor Control and the FCC.

[Philpott]

Yeah. That's why I'm going up, too.

[sleddog]

3484

Cock-a-doodle-doo.

If this is your first time to Kauai, you will likely be surprised at the number of feral chickens. These ancestors of ancient Polynesian voyagers are everywhere, even nesting on the towel in the back of your rental car, as my sister recently discovered.

Why so many chickens crossing the road? Rumor is they are escaped refugees from hurricanes Ewa (1982) and Iniki (1992) that destroyed local chicken coops.

Local Kauai chickens come in all colors and sizes, and have adapted to eat pretty much anything.

The chickens are harmless, although they will lay eggs in unexpected places: in hotel lobbies, in rental kayaks, in snorkel masks. Did I mention Kauai chickens can and will fly?

3485

I guess the chicken's worst offense is the one that pisses off tourists in their expensive hotels. Kauai chickens love to crow at all hours of the night, often right outside the window.

Kauai, the Chicken Isle. 3486

[sleddog]

Arrived in Port Townsend yesterday afternoon, a 15 hour straight thru drive from Capitola. PT town and environs are humming, with 120 paddle, pedal, and rowing craft (no sails allowed) underway in the leadup to the R2AK, the Seventy48 race, which started at 5:30 pm last evening in Tacoma, finishing at Port Townsend, 70 miles north as the crow flies.

The $12,000 first prize was claimed this 3:09 a.m. morning by 4X Olympic medalist Greg Barton on his EPIC V10 surf-ski. Greg paddled the 70 miles straight through the dark night at 8 knots to ring the finish bell at the City Dock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RswoODxPnXc

The rest of the diverse Seventy48 fleet, depending on weather, endurance, and speed, will be straggling in today, tonight, and tomorrow.
https://www.seventy48.com/race-explained/

I'm staying with SSS's Dan and Linda, both vets of the SHTP (Dan is a two time winner). Dan has a nice boat shop, where he specializes in exotic carbon fiber construction, including rudders, airplanes, and mega-yacht ladders. Presently he is building 9 carbon fiber rocket nose cones.

It seems satellite payloads for space launches are getting smaller. As technology improves and miniaturizes, satellites only have to be the size of cell phone to send back important information to Earth. With a backlog of 500 launches, there are currently not enough rockets available for these smaller payloads, the smallest the size of a golf ball. Here is one of Dan's carbon fiber nose cones under construction.

3494

[Intermission]

Arrived in Port Townsend yesterday afternoon, a 15 hour straight thru drive from Capitola.

Did you have spare fuel tanks and diapers? That's fast!

[sleddog]

It's pedal drive city here in Port Townsend in the leadup to tomorrow's start of the first leg of the R2AK. My guess is 50% of the 36 boat fleet has some version and sophistication of pedal drive.

Here's a Santa Cruz 27 that pedaled in Pt. Hudson yesterday:
3497

Larry Olson, SSS's only representative in the R2AK, has modified WILDFLOWER's pedal drive to work on the stern of his Olson 30 TEAM DREAM CATCHERS.
3498

Most impressive, the all-women crew on the Melges-32 SAIL LIKE A GIRL pedaled into town with two pedal drives, making an honest 4 knots. Their setup is gonna be a potent human powered engine when the winds go light. My prediction is Team SAIL LIKE A GIRL will be in the hunt to win this year's R2AK, the first mono-hull to do so.

SLAG's competition will be the J-88 TEAM BLUEFLASH, which has a pedal drive, two sets of oars, and the enthusiasm of youth to make it all work.

What of the multis? Russell Brown is going solo on his G-32, the fastest boat in the fleet. But fleet favorite Russell, even though an iron man, will be unable to sail/pedal 24/7, and unlikely a contender for the $10,000 first prize.

The rest of the multi's don't seem to have the racing chops to be competitive: I saw one tri yesterday with a dirty bottom, peeling decals and collision damage on the waterline, and a crew that have reportedly never sailed a multi before. Another tri, Team TSS, from Colorado, is impressively prepared, and carrying 15 gallons of gas for their cabin heater. They will be the only boat ever to race the R2AK with a cabin heater.

[Philpott]

There are so many very cool stories here at the R2AK that I can't type fast enough. Racers are currently standing around their vessels with rain dripping down their noses, waiting for the sky to clear. Here is SledDog showing off his new toy, a $15 DUI bike w electric motor attachment. The seat is either a living thing or something made of llama wool. The only thing wrong with this travel dream is that the dingaling doesn't work. Said Skip, "I've been riding around without a bell."

[JohnS]

That seat is some kind of scary. Reminds me of the first generation Star Trek episode "The Trouble with Tribbles." (And I hate to admit but for a moment there I thought you meant Skip when you said "the dingaling doesn't work" but that was just jealousy of the retired...) You guys are having too much fun up there.

[sleddog]

You guys are having too much fun up there.

We did the best we could. Jackie and I tag-teaming to help stem the bleeding of some of the R2AK fleet that seems predominantly ill prepared, unpracticed, and shaken down for the potential seriousness of what lies ahead. Comparatively, the R2AK makes the SHTP look a fleet of school teachers, with our Forum and participants posing and answering questions, seminars, qualifying passages, inspection, organization, etc. Little of that for the R2AK.

It was fun working with Jackie, whose goodwill and words of kindness helped sweeten my more "call it as I see it" approach. However, I think even Jackie may have been a bit taken aback when her new friends from Wisconsin pulled their spanking new sails from the bag to hoist for the first time.

Says Jackie, "they look beautiful!
Says me, eyeing the Precision sail logo, "Looks like someone mismeasured. They're two feet short on all dimensions...I hope you still have your old sails....."

Just some of what we saw today:

1) A Craigs List boat that seemed to be missing its spreaders. The crew had zero tools or spare parts. But had borrowed a hammer to cut a pallete

2) A trimaran whose newly purchased West Marine oars didn't reach the water.

3) An older IOR warhorse whose crew was building rough oars from 2x4's, and the glue wasn't kicking off.
3503

4) A Tornado cat that had yet to have its deck hardware mounted. Here's Jackie helping:
3504

5) A boat whose bow was damaged at the waterline, whose crew seemed unclear on the concept and were more attentive to proper arrangement of hors d'ouvres on their beautiful cabin table.

6) A missing entry eventually located as choosing to participate in a Reality TV show about his participation in the R2AK, rather than doing the real R@AK.

7) A singlehanded entry in the R2AK heading out with just the clothing on his back, intending to forage for food, water, and navigational positioning.

8) A multihuller who launched his trailer off the end of the launch ramp at this morning's minus low tide.

9) A prone (lie ontop) paddleboard "EXTREME SOBRIETY."

There was more, much more.

Good luck to all.

[BobJ]

Oh my. I suppose Stage 1 (to Victoria) will weed them out.
.

[dolfinbill]

Boy, all I can say is "what a circus"! Good for Jackie pitching in to help.

[pogen]

I thought a bit about this race -- for a singlehander, I think it is more difficult and hazardous than the SHTP. And as you show, people take it somewhat un-seriously. Like it is Burning Man on the water or some damn thing. Well it is interesting for those of us in the cheap seats.

[The Smokester]

"Comparatively, the R2AK makes the SHTP look a fleet of school teachers..."

All I can think of is the old saw: "Nothing goes to weather like a seven forty seven." Will we meet at The Tree this year?

[Howard Spruit]

Looks to me as though R2AK is two events running parallel.
One is to the bag of money, and the other one is the "Darwin award"

[sleddog]

The start of the R2AK first leg "Proving Ground" (37 miles) from Port Townsend to Victoria got underway yesterday at sunrise in light southwest winds and building ebb.

https://youtu.be/Ov_sw_LOA_M

Shortly after, I hopped the Washington State ferry SALISH for a 30 minute crossing to Whidbey Island. Then a 40 minute drive to Anacortes to visit good friends Gary and Ev.

By 10:30 a.m I was again on the road heading home, 970 miles south on I-5 through traffic in both Seattle and Portland. At dusk I dropped anchor at Yreka, near Mt. Shasta, rather than drive through the night. I was home this morning by 11 a.m., 18 hours for the drive.

3510

As I pulled into the driveway, my neighbor Justin, a commercial fisherman who lives across the street, was surveying damage to his 15 foot outboard.

"Hey Justine, what happened?" I inquired.

"With all the baitfish in Monterey Bay, a feeding humpback whale accidentally collided with my two salmon lines, towed me around, and broke off all the rigging and gear," Justin replied.

[sleddog]

Is this the next Scamp? Encouraged by Small Craft Advisor magazine, I was able to get a close up of the 15 foot Skate prototype, designed and built by Brandon Davis of Turn Point Design at Port Townsend. The Skate is a smaller version of the Transat Mini.

Here is their prospectus:
Skate 15

Skate 15, a kit boat designed by Brandon Davis as a collaboration between Turn Point Design, Small Craft Advisor Magazine, and Duckworks Boat Building Supply. Skate is a lightweight, rugged, high-performance plywood boat designed for amateur construction that includes a host of modern features:

• Rotating wing mast (for cost savings Skate uses a Hobie 14 mast)
• Port and starboard water-ballast tanks w/simple dump valve for tacking
• High-performance sailplan carrying 200 sq ft upwind, 440 downwind
• Ultra-light paulownia plywood construction (+/- 350 pounds)
• Watertight cabin with Lewmar cabin and transom hatches
• Multiple sealed chambers for flotation or collision
• Retractable bowsprit (uses old windsurf mast)
• Twin kickup centerboards and rudders for beachability and performance
• Boomless and spreaderless rig with Spectra rope shrouds
• Huge cabin with comfortable cruising accommodations
• Designed around pedal propulsion

Although the above looks like a good idea, there may be issues. The wide stern is certainly going to be major wetted surface drag that the Hobie 14 rig isn't tall enough to overcome . Rumor is a Hobie 16 rig is next to experiment with. A boomless main might be OK for a high speed multi-hull where the apparent wind remains forward of abeam. But IMO not appropriate for this small of a boat. Stay tuned.

[Howard Spruit]

My first take?!

• Huge cabin with comfortable cruising accommodations

Obviously… A huge cabin on a 15 foot boat is questionable.

I think this boat can be sailed very fast in a wide variety of conditions.

It looks to me that keeping it healed to 15+ degrees in light air will be required to minimize wetted surface.

The advertised weight is similar to a 505, and it has more sail area, so it should have speed potential.

HOWEVER, when rowing or pedaling the boat will be flat in the water, dragging it's tail, so a good skipper will learn to optimize light air sailing, mabie even rig the pedal power to function at a 15+ degree angle of heal.

[BobJ]

Somebody did a lot of work to make that little boat happen. I respect that.

My OCD is reacting to the twisted jib sheets, and the dock lines.

What's the little dark-hulled boat nose to nose with her - Sea Sprite?
.

[sleddog]

6/17/18

6 days to the start of the SHTP. Good news is the fleet is fortunate to not have started last week during strong coastal northwesterlies that saw 2 of 5 Great Pacific Race rowing entries abandoned in their race from Monterey to Honolulu. 40% of your race fleet is a pretty substantial drop out rate. And yes, the abandoned boats are out there drifting, but well south of the SHTP track.

Further good news is the SHTP is fortunate not to have started this weekend, when a 1024 mb High is blocking the SHTP track and would cause a southerly detour.

3516

Even more good news is at this time there are no tropical systems forecast to form in the near future (48 hours) in the EPAC, off Mexico.

So, knowing that even the best weather forecasts for the EPAC are only accurate out 4-5 days, what might an optimum SHTP route look like if an imaginary J-105 were starting next Saturday, June 23, at noon? This chart is in the "best guess" department based on today's forecast for 144 hours in the future, with accuracy not guaranteed and "use at your own risk" assumed.

3515

[AZ Sailor]

6/17/18

6 days to the start of the SHTP. . . .

Good stuff, Skip. Feel free to keep this up through Friday! Thanks.

[sleddog]

Race2Alaska aficionados are being treated to some superlative singlehanded performances.

Leading all day yesterday in smooth conditions was the pedal power only TAKE ME TO THE VOLCANO, Matt Johnson spinning merrily along right up the track at 3.5 knots.

3521

Also, in an amazing performance, is Josh Collins on Team TORRENT, an 18 foot Standup Paddleboard. Josh briefly took over the lead last night when TAKE ME TO THE VOLCANO stopped for a break. https://r2ak.com/2017-teams-stage-one/team-torrent/

3523

This morning, out in front with a 6 mile lead over second place SAIL LIKE A GIRL, is Russell Brown on the G-32 catamaran Team PT WATERCRAFT. Russ's virtuoso performance is particularly fun to watch. This is a sailor with his act together, a well prepared and shaken down boat, an impressive new retractable and belt driven pedal drive that gives an honest 3 knots, the fastest bottom in the fleet, and a knowledge of both weather and what lies ahead. Russell even has two 15 mile shortcuts in his pocket that few know about, or would confidently risk.

Russell anchored for a rest last night in James Bay on the N. end of Prevost Island when the tidal current turned foul between 10 p.m. and 3 a.m. Even so, he is now currently stretching his boat-for-boat lead over the rest of the fleet.
http://tracker.r2ak.com/

3522

[sleddog]

Stan Honey is a professional navigator/weatherman, SHTP winner, and genius at routing race boats across oceans. His Pacific Cup Weather Briefing is especially relevant to singlehanders racing to Hawaii and can be mined for nuggets both before and during your crossing. It can be found here https://pacificcup.org/sites/default/files/kbfiles/Pacific%20Cup%20Weather%20and%20Tactics.pdf

A caveat regarding this information. Stan is writing for fully crewed race boats, with full time navigators, professional foredeck crew, and plenty of power generation for downloading info onto computers running full time. This is not the case for singlehanders. The vocabulary of Stan's thesis is also not readily understandable for the average sailor.

But don't give up. Just because you won't likely be jibing "50 times" as Stan alludes to doesn't mean his suggestions are not relevant. Stan's first suggestion is going to be especially important this Saturday:

"Don't screw up the start, and get away for shore and out to the synoptic (gradient) wind before the evening glass off."

As often happens, the leading boats passing the Golden Gate accordion their leads over those left behind. This is because the breeze will lift (veer) and increase as you get more offshore. ("Rich get richer.")

Being slow out to the synoptic (gradient) wind just west of the Farallones will be fraught with danger this Saturday evening as a Southerly Surge builds northward along the coast, becalming those left behind as the wind turns southerly.

Its busy for everyone with only 5 days to go before the SHTP start. But not too early or late to begin thinking about the weather you will encounter the first 4-5 days. And no, I must say I am sorry, but I will not be offering suggested routing at Friday's Weather Briefing, just comments on the current and forecast weather likely encountered enroute. Your routing will be up to you, as you best understand the capabilities of yourself and your boat.

[Gamayun]

Good stuff, Skip. Feel free to keep this up through Friday! Thanks.

That's my sentiment exactly, and probably for the rest of us, too. Thanks!! I'm sooo excited to get going :)

[sleddog]

5 days to the start of the SHTP. Further good news. Once away from the coast and into the synoptic (gradient) breeze of "Windy Lane" past the Farallones, it looks like a fast race weather wise with a well developed EPAC High of 1030 mb anchored north of track. A hypothetical singlehanded J-105 could expect to be sipping maitais at Hanalei in 12.5 days, the night of July 5th, given today's information.

No tropical formation in the EPAC forecast for the next 5 days, i.e. no tropical storms or hurricanes anywhere in sight.

Here's the 96 hour surface map:

3524

And here is hypothetical routing for a singlehanded J-105 projected to start noon on Saturday, June 23. Take this with a grain of salt. I would probably be dipping a bit further south in the reaching breeze of days 1-3, adding distance in return for more speed and comfort.

3525

[Gamayun]

I love good news :cool: Kynntana loves Windy Lanes!!

[AZ Sailor]

The box on the 96 hour surface chart that blots out the Gate says DVLPG GALE. And according to ECMWF said gale will be fully developed by Saturday evening, with 30 kts of wind and 13 ft seas on an 8 second period. Assuming ECMWF is talking about the "significant wave height" that NOAA uses (average height of highest 1/3 of waves), this portends a one-in-one hundred wave nearly 22 ft high about every 13 minutes.

I'm very glad to have seen close to that on the last push up the coast at the end of May. We were motor sailing with a double reef in the main, wind and waves about 20 degrees off the port bow. It was not hard to envision the ride if we had hung a left and pointed towards Hawaii -- and it certainly seemed that Morning Star was up to the challenge.

[The Smokester]

Good times!

[Steevee]

It looks as if you guys are going to have a fast race. Those with windvanes will definitely be encouraged to use them. I say the first 5-7 days will be a challenge and after that you're all going to be flying by the seat of your pants in warm trades blowing 20-25 all the way to Hanalei. You can all do it! Have fun, be safe and encourage one another. I will definitely be watching.

[sleddog]

4 days to the start of the SHTP. It looks like Aeolus, who has yet to appear for the Race2Alaska fleet, will find the SHTP straight away, and give them a blistering ride toward the island of mai tais and coconuts.

3531

Not much change since yesterday. Here's the 96 hour forecast, which means this is the weather chart for Saturday, the day of the SHTP start.

3532

The only question mark I see at this time is the location of the "TROF" over the Central Calif. Coast. The closer this trough to the coast, the more likely there might be a "Southerly Surge" moving up the coast from S.Cal, potentially bringing southerly winds immediately adjacent to shore. We will not know until later whether this Southerly Surge will appear off SF.

50-60 miles offshore it's bolt your socks on. MORNING STAR is gonna like this: 25 knots of wind on the beam. Make sure your solar panels are tied with a safety line to the boat. I once had mine hydroplaning astern by its cord. Yiii Doggies.

It continues to look like a 12 day passage for my imaginary singlehanded J-105, a strong EPAC High solid and remaining north of the track.

3533

Here's a happy thought for DOLFIN, and everyone: A slim, almost non-exisistant chance of any tropicals influencing the race track. No cross swells from TS and hurricanes south of the fleet. These cross swells typically plague a trans-Pac 50% of the races.

And here's a science note for Carlianne on KYNNTANA. A 1979 NOAA Pilot chart shows the EPAC currents running .3 to .5 knots in your favor. That's just the drift current. Wind driven surface current can double that. For the first 4 days, with current on the beam or just aft, an allowance might be made for up to 12-15 miles of southerly set. That's a couple of degrees on the compass.

3534

I'm sorry to see the Moore 24 HOLOKIKI no longer listed as an entry. Presumably RR was unable to complete a qualifier in time?

[Tchoupitoulas]

My first take?!

• Huge cabin with comfortable cruising accommodations

Obviously… A huge cabin on a 15 foot boat is questionable.

I think this boat can be sailed very fast in a wide variety of conditions.

It looks to me that keeping it healed to 15+ degrees in light air will be required to minimize wetted surface.

The advertised weight is similar to a 505, and it has more sail area, so it should have speed potential.

HOWEVER, when rowing or pedaling the boat will be flat in the water, dragging it's tail, so a good skipper will learn to optimize light air sailing, mabie even rig the pedal power to function at a 15+ degree angle of heal.

Interesting take on a 15 footer compared to the River of Grass that I am building. It looks like it would haul ass, but in something like the R2AK would a singlehander benefit from an easier de-powered, simpler rig and 70 pounds of lead in the centerboard in the long haul?

RoG weighs 475 lbs and only carries 150 sq' upwind and down (although I plan a spinny option) compared to 350 lbs and 200 sq' up and 420 sq' down!
RoG has port and starboard water ballast at 80 lbs each, not sure what the Skate uses.

Do I see trap gear on the Skate? Bedard designed the RoG mizzen with a re-enforcement in the Mizzen mast for trapeze. Wow!

I would love to hear Howard's and Sled's and other's takes on these two designs.

[dolfinbill]

Thanks for the update Skip, and for reducing (but not eliminating) the influence of tropicals on our path. Now if you can just keep the wind in the range of oh maybe 18-25kts most of the way this could be a pretty fun race.

Bill

[Daydreamer]

That 35 knot barb looks like some kinda fun!

Windy shows a southerly surge building along the coast after midnight Saturday/Sunday am.

Lets see what develops .

[Philpott]

RoG weighs 475 lbs and only carries 150 sq' upwind and down (although I plan a spinny option) compared to 350 lbs and 200 sq' up and 420 sq' down!.

I had a real nice conversation with Jo, the skipper of Kairos in the R2AK. He had very interesting and complimentary things to say about the RoG. Once I get some time I'll transcribe what he said and post it here. In the meantime, here's his little vessel at 4:15 am just before he tucked into the water.

[sleddog]

3 days to start of 2018 SHTP.
Not much change in race forecast. It would be difficult to dial a better forecast, assuming reaching for 3 days in 20-25 knots is your cup tea.

Here is the 96 hour surface forecast. Whoever drew the map managed to rudely blank out our area of offshore Central CA interest with a "1007" tag.

3538

My imaginary singlehanded J-105 continues to speed along to Hanalei in about 12.5 days. It doesn't have to deviate much from Dead Down Wind (DDW) on the second half of the course. A broad 1032 EPAC High should be centered about 40.5 N x 138 W for the early and middle parts of the race.

Still no tropical activity to worry about.

3537

Getting out of SF Bay Saturday afternoon shouldn't be too tough. Present forecast is for "Variable winds less than 5 kt becoming NW 7 to 12 kt in the afternoon. Sunny." 85 degrees forecast for Tiburon. Hot inland, with triple digits temps.

Is your baro calibrated? Oakland Airport on VHF weather radio is best local source. At this time, no need to try and reset the ship's barometer if its not reading nearly the same as Oakland. Rather, note the error, and add/subtract the difference for each logged reading.

Typically, the baro will slowly rise as one sails SW. When halfway, and having entered the trades, the barometric pressure will then slowly begin to fall for the rest of the trip

[dolfinbill]

Skip, thanks for the update again. What worries me (there's always something) is the cut-off low that appears Saturday night and moves west, maybe faster than we do. It would be sad for anyone to get trapped in it so near the start. The "fast" boats get to start first and have the best chance of avoiding it. Doesn't seem fair for us "slower" boats.

Bill

[sleddog]

Skip, thanks for the update again. What worries me (there's always something) is the cut-off low that appears Saturday night and moves west, maybe faster than we do. It would be sad for anyone to get trapped in it so near the start. The "fast" boats get to start first and have the best chance of avoiding it. Doesn't seem fair for us "slower" boats.

Bill

Hi Bill,
Not strictly a cutoff low, but a weather phenomena called a "southerly surge" or trough of low pressure ("trof") on the lee side (ocean side) of the coast range during inland high pressure and heat events that initiate offshore flow. This trof brings a tongue of southerly winds, fog bank, and shallow marine layer (stratus) up the coast from S.Cal. Not a good scenario for the start of a race to Hawaii. But common.

3539

I have not seen the start order. You are correct. Being 15 minutes late, ~2 miles, could be the difference between being shot out of a cannon and left in the p-nut butter. We won't know until Saturday whether and when a southerly surge will appear.

I've been lobbying to start the slower boats first for a year. There is no reason they shouldn't be. C'est La Vie.

[sleddog]

Happy Solstice!

Who would have thought the Race2Alaska lead would be a battle between 3 mono-hulls, two of whom were built here in Santa Cruz.

An Olson 30, Team LAGOPUS is 3rd. the Melges 32 SAIL LIKE A GIRL is 2nd. And the wildcard is Team WILDCARD, a $2,000 Craigs List Santa Cruz 27 in the lead. Who said pigs can't fly? (Did I mention WILDCARD has a 240 pound crew member who likes to sit comfortably off the boat, slung in a trapeze?) Crazy stuff, like a 50 year old Columbia 50 just winning overall honors in the Bermuda Race.

http://tracker.r2ak.com/

[AZ Sailor]

I've been lobbying to start the slower boats first for a year. There is no reason they shouldn't be. C'est La Vie.

Perhaps the delay in issuance of the SI is due to reconsideration. No, the balloon doesn't ever land.

[dolfinbill]

Not strictly a cutoff low, but a weather phenomena called a "southerly surge" or trough

Thanks for the clarification Skip. I've heard you refer to "southerly surges" and now I have a better idea what they are (and I don't think I like them).

[sleddog]

Southerly Surges (one is due to arrive early Sunday morning off the Golden Gate) have benefits, just not for racers starting a SHTP. Southerly Surges are nice for doing deliveries up the Coast. You get a free tail wind. Southerly Surges also cool off the land which has been baking in a"heat event" for 1-3 days, which will begin tomorrow.

The last SHTP Southerly Surge event I was a part of was the start of the SHTP in 2008. The Southerly Surge trapped the entire fleet in drifting conditions for 30-48 hours. Boats furthest west got to the NW wind first and took off. Boats further astern had issues. AH on his SC-27 had a sea lion come aboard as he drifted. The sea lion wanted to relax, or crew, or both, and wouldn't leave. AH pretended he was a matador, and snapped his red foulie jacket at the offending pinniped, who eventually got the hint he was not welcome as rail meat in the light winds.

[sleddog]

48 hours to the start of the 2018 SHTP. The 19 boat fleet has assembled at CYC and "their excitement can be felt all the way across the Bay from here in Oakland."

Here is a quickie weather briefing. We've got fog in the eucalyptus in Capitola. But should be clearing by mid-morning. Hot temperatures are forecast to begin inland as a High Pressure ridge builds eastward over the state in the wake of a weak trough passing over the northern half of the state.

Here is the 96 hour forecast. If all goes well, the bulk of the SHTP fleet should be well offshore, 220-300 miles SW of SF, when this chart becomes valid.

3542

As is apparent from the chart, there will be plenty of wind just south of track, just less of it further south. When shortening sail on a reach, best to start with the main so as to minimize weather helm and draw on the AP or strain on the windvane. On my imaginary J-105, I could see a triple reefed main and jib led to the rail.

Here is the imaginary J-105 sailing on Monday, June 25, 48 hours after start. Not much change in routing over the last 96 hours. How come this J-105 can sail DDW after crossing 140W? My imagination has her flying twin jibs...

3543

So what of aforementioned "Southerly Surge?" A Southerly Surge will make an appearance off the Golden Gate on early Sunday morning, spreading its foggy tongue north and westward up the Big Sur Coast. Whether it will overtake the fleet's back markers is unsure. The NWS is being coy as to timing. Here is their current thinking:

The GFS, NAM, and local in-house WRF model have suggested the potential for a southerly surge pushing north along the Monterey County coast and continuing toward the Golden Gate during the day Sunday.

No tropical formation in the EPAC for the next 48 hours. If you want to experience a Mexican hurricane on your race track, you'll have to go see the film ADRIFT.

Any "briefing" submitted tomorrow at this Forum site will be early and brief; I'll be pedaling my battery assist bike to CYC for the skipper's meeting. CU there. And please remember not to pack your trash too tight: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0YKeegXlsM

[AlanH]

I used to check this fairly regularly before going out into the Wild Blue, particularly on LongPacs. it at least tells you what you're up against for a day or two.

http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

Station 46012 is right on the edge of the continental shelf, more-or-less due W of Half Moon Bay

Location: 37.356N 122.881W
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 20:50:00 UTC
Winds: NW (310°) at 9.7 kt gusting to 11.7 kt
Significant Wave Height: 5.2 ft
Dominant Wave Period: 7 sec
Average Wave Period: 5.7 sec
Mean Wave Direction: NW (321°)


Station 46214 is WSW of Point Reyes, also on the edge of the continental shelf.

Location: 37.950N 123.472W
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:30:00 UTC
Significant Wave Height: 7.5 ft
Dominant Wave Period: 7 sec
Average Wave Period: 5.7 sec
Mean Wave Direction: NNW (335°)

Station 46059 is about 350 miles out and probably 40-50 miles north of the track of most of the fleet, but it's not THAT far away...

Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2018 21:40:00 UTC
Winds: N (350°) at 11.7 kt gusting to 13.6 kt
Significant Wave Height: 3.9 ft
Average Wave Period: 5.5 sec
Mean Wave Direction: W (271°)


So no Gale, yet.... actually, looks kind of nice out there.

[sleddog]

Saturday, 7 a.m.

Off they go! Today's start sequence for the SHTP at CYC begins at 11 a.m., with 5 classes starting at 5 minute intervals, slower boats first. Weather looks good, with W-NW winds 15 -20 knots out towards the Farallones.

Winds will begin to slowly lighten this evening to 13-18 knots abeam the Farallones. Then under the influence of a Southerly Surge inshore, the winds will go light and back into the southerly quadrant early Sunday, and during the day Sunday. Here's the weather for Sunday evening.

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The northwest gradient winds will refill late Sunday, building NW-N, seaward of a NE/SW line ~60 miles west of the Golden Gate. The name of the game is to get west as fast as possible into this gradient breeze.

Once in the gradient wind, likely Monday, it's a fast trip all the way to Hawaii. A strong EPAC High will remain anchored at or north of 40x138. Pressure of this High varying 1030-1034 mb., a strong High which indicates good winds for the fleet. Here's the 96 hour map:

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No tropicals have yet formed, but one is about to SW of the Baja Penisula near 13Nx115W. It should not influence the race.

Winds this morning at Half Moon Bay buoy, 26 miles west of SF, are NW 17-gusting 21.

Good Sailing!

[Philpott]

Did I overhear someone say that the intervals are 10 minutes apart?

[sleddog]

Nice even start for all SHTP classes: everyone one to two minutes late, except for one boat that had misplaced his cell phone and was 7 minutes late.

The line was nicely repositioned by the RC, relocating the pin (outer end) further offshore in good SW wind of 8-10 knots, freshening to 18-20 at the Golden Gate. Everyone started on port tack near the outer pin end. The most wind, 15 knots, was further out yet, near Angel Island. And the smart money tacked out to gain entry into the windline, which even had ELIZABETH ANN rail down and charging.

Reporting buoy wind at Half Moon Bay and offshore the SF Bar is WNW 14, gusting 17. Not too shabby.

But here comes the anticipated "Southerly Surge" up the coast from S.Cal. its leading edge currently offshore Big Sur at 5 pm, and just passing overhead here in Capitola on Monterey Bay at 6 pm.

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When last seen visually off Lands End at 1 pm, it looked like IRIS in the lead. 2) CRININ 3) KYNNTANA 4) FUGU 5) DOUBLE EXPRESSO, 6th, just ahead of JAQUELINE was a frolicking humpback whale, and 7th was JAQUELINE.

Hopefully the tracker will get aboard, as its currently reporting times that are not synched, at least one boat is not being tracked, and another seems to be tied up at CYC. I can confidently report the accompanying whale is not carrying a tracker.

[sleddog]

This 6:30 a.m Sunday satellite view shows the Southerly Surge that has caught up most of the SHTP fleet, the Cal 40 RIFF RIDER and likely IRIS being the exceptions.

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The western edge of the Southerly Surge currently lies about 60 miles offshore and will be moving east this evening, bringing relief and building NW winds to much of the fleet, beginning with the boats furthest west.

1,500 miles north, in Ketchikan, AK, the all-woman's team has won the Race2Alaska and will donate their $10,000 prize to breast cancer research. Congrats and well done to them!

[Howard Spruit]

Congratulations to the Y2AK winners!
The realm of the Macho man sailing image has been severely dented.
Proving once again that you don't have to be a man to be successful at crazy things!
:>}

[sleddog]

Sunday evening, 6 pm, ~30 hours after sailing out of the Golden Gate, it's a 3 boat race at the front of the SHTP. Cal-40 RIFF RIDER leading by 8 miles over JOUJOU, with CRINAN another 24 miles back. All 3 boats making similar speed, going fast, averaging 7.75 knots. It's will be hard to catch this trio. But its a long race, and anything can and will happen.

One of SSS's staunchest and most loyal supporters is at Good Sam hospital in Los Gatos. We wish Susan W. the very best and a speedy recovery from sepsis. Her doctors fortunately caught it in time, and she is receiving 3 hourly IV antibiotic drips and accompanying blood tests to get rid of the bad bugs.

The sun never came out in Capitola today, "June Gloom" in full bloom. A big contrast from yesterday thanks to the Southerly Surge.

Something special in sailing happened late last night in Ketchikan, AK. We'll let Jake tell it first hand.

There was something different about tonight; everyone felt it. From the crowd of families and fans who gathered at the Alaskan Fish House to watch and wait, to the manager who stayed to keep the place open three hours beyond her normal, kids in tow, to support the proud and expectant crowd with the dry/booze/coffee of an Alaskan welcome, to the tracker fans from around the globe who stayed up well past prudent to be a part of this moment from whatever time zone their well-wishing required, until the moment seven women stepped simultaneous, arm-in-arm, off their Melges 32 to ring the bell of victory for First Federal’s Team Sail Like a Girl at 00:17 local time and became the fourth champions of the R2AK—from whatever moment along that spectrum of incredible—it was clear the spirit of community supplanted individual ambition as the central force carrying this year’s $10k winners into the rare air of R2AK glory. As much as this was a win for any one of them, to a sailor, they said, it was a win for everyone.

“Six months ago, I had my doubts,” a family member confided in the hours leading up to their victory. Before the New Year’s ball fell and ushered in a new calendar, Team Sail Like a Girl was an idea and a 20-year-old race boat purchased based on a single theory: let’s race a team of women to Alaska. The odds were stacked against them: a monohull had never won the R2AK, the pure speed advantage of multihulls loomed large as a forgone conclusion in a race with no handicaps. Beyond the boat, the crew assembled ran the gamut of experience. “Really, only about half of them were sailors when they started…one of them learned to sail just to be on the team,” a fact that led several potential crew with real deal experience to opt out of coming along. What chance did they have in a race with a history of heavy wind and sea conditions that routinely extinguished the best-prepared, breaking boats and sailors’ wills and sending newbies and veteran sailors alike running for mama? At least a few America’s Cup veterans on boats of note had bowed out as vessel fatigue and heightened competition made their bids for the crown fade from assured ascension to a fleeting hope at finishing. Why would anyone sign on to six months of boat work and training for the longshot chance of even making it to the starting line? Team Sail Like a Girl’s bid for glory was an uphill suspension of disbelief from the start. But yet, she persisted.

It’s said that for every 10 minutes of excellence, it takes 100 hours of preparation, and from its time of formation, the Sail Like a Girl crew followed a tireless schedule to work the boat and work each other, shaping themselves into a hard-charging team that drew strength from each other and the ever-growing community that surrounded to embrace them. After months of replacing every bolt and wire, designing and fabricating the twin screw bike-drive that would take them through the calms, and half a year of two-to-five-times-a-week training sessions crammed into already busy lives balancing the no-joke demands of careers and motherhood, it all came together when they raced Swiftsure as a shakedown.

For those of you joining our narrative from outside of the Northwest’s sailing world: Swiftsure is a bucket-list PNW contest against the region’s best sailors in some of the most exposed waters we have to offer. Unlike the mild weather of this year’s R2AK, Swiftsure 2018 shook off its “Drift-Sure” moniker to offer up a full dose of rough-riding sea state with some of the worst conditions the race has seen in recent memory. The women of the Girls sailed all of it and endured like the champions they were soon to become. “It was tough, they were tough, at least three of them were puking over the rail…” According to the weather service, the winds blew against the tide, building waves to hurling proportions. “They’d puke over the side, then get right back to work…they were so determined, I knew they were there.”

Gelled, hurl-hardened, and R2AK ready, from the Port Townsend start until the last few hours leading up to the the Ketchikan finish, they never got the conditions their boat was designed for but persisted nonetheless. They were as surprised as the rest of us that the wind never showed. “It was so flat, and so hot, for so long.”

By their estimation they human-powered through at least half of the race. “We did so much biking…” and did it with the all-for-one-and-one-for-all ethos that is often quoted and seldom realized in the face of actualized ego and gains to personal reputation.

They hammered the bikes, motoring in hot calms before Seymour Narrows and motorsailed in the fog-ridden light stuff beyond to fill their sails in the apparent wind they created themselves. To the end, the human power of their pedal drives drove them on for 13 hours straight in the final push.

Could they have done better and sailed faster? Overloaded for optimum performance from the sum total of gear/food/water/crew that a 700-mile trip up the coast demanded, their overgrown dinghy racer with strapped-on pedal drives was lower in the water in all the wrong places for the mathematical performance the armchair set was expecting, demanding, and mansplaining from across the internet. “They should…” was a de rigeur lead-in line for countless posts in online forum upon online forum. Their victory sidestepped the “Yeah, but they should have done this…” bullshit from couch-bound whoevers by shining on positive with the everything that went as right as it needed to. They were first to Ketchikan, full stop. Proof positive enough for them and the rest of us that the finish line was theirs by right. Could they have optimized differently? Sure. Did they make mistakes? Of course. Hindsight is somewhere between 20/20 and 50/50, and that their victory lap was a day or two slower than past years is as unquestionable as the the $10,000 they’ve rightfully won and will donate to breast cancer research once they’ve settled their expenses. Hell yeah. Whether you looked at absence of weather or the fullness of intent, this year’s race was different than any that came before, and their triumph was indisputable.

While the wind and a spineless element of the Internet might have failed them, the gratitude they expressed in their post-finish moments focused on the power of the community that carried them along. International encouragement poured in online from as far as New Zealand and Croatia, and their corporate sponsors at First Federal Savings and Loan stayed up well past banking hours to cheer them across. And then there were the ethereal spirits of female mentors whose names they’d scribed on their mast as a memory and for inspiration to keep going, the spirits watching from the other side of the mortal divide, and the female sailing heroes still in the making who might use this as a touchstone for their own accomplishments-to-be. “We hope more girls will get into sailing, be courageous, and follow their dreams.” Amen, sister, amen.

In these past weeks the crew’s moms have bitten their nails to nubs, and their own kids flew in from a coastline away to witness the way-past-their-bedtime triumph of their maternal heroes. Their husbands missed four out of the last five days of work because of tracker-driven, adrenaline-fueled nervous enthusiasm. How is he now? “My heart is bursting,” he offered in a tear-filled, pre-finish adulation mere minutes before reuniting with the sailing warrior he was as proud as he was humbled to share a ring with in her moment of glory.

“I don’t know if it’s a female thing or not, but we took care of each other.” Thank you’s, and other focused concern for water, sunscreen and sleep were the stories of the day. Despite fatigue and the need for hot food and a cold beer, they even stayed late to welcome in the Team Lagopus two hours behind. The mutual respect and celebration obliterated the lurking narrative of embittered rivals. It was hugs and high-fives all around. “We are so proud of you!” was the universal and sincere sentiment.

Whether you declare it a gendered stereotype or an aspiration for the whole of our society, Team Sail Like a Girl’s triumph was the victorious manifestation of what is possible when people take care of each other. From the deepest part of R2AK’s self-reliant spirit, we can only hope that the ripples of that lesson wash up on shores worldwide. We need each other, now more than ever. The lone rider can only get so far, regardless of whatever spectrum you place yourself on. Let this victory be a beacon for the power of together.

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[sleddog]

For SHTP Tracker Junkies:

JOUJOU and RIFF RIDER currently in a dead heat for overall handicap lead. RR owes JJ 12 hours 21 minutes for the course of 2120 miles. RR about .5 knots faster, so he gains about 12 miles/day...

In 12 hours, 21 minutes, at 7 knots, JJ can sail about 86 miles, a bit less if running downwind at angles.

With about 11 days to go, RR needs to gain about 8 miles/day over JJ to win.

Wind looks solid for the next 4-5 days, and likely beyond.

One note on the tracker: the reported speed is the average speed between displayed reports. IE, if the difference in reporting time is 4 hours, then the SOG displayed is calculated on distance run divided by 4 hours.
The boats are all displaying different reporting times and intervals, so interpolation is needed to figure out who's ahead of whom.

[BobJ]

Greetings Sled,

Have you been able to validate any of the calculations under the Estimated Finish button on the tracking page? It may be all there for us but I haven't spent any time with the numbers.

How times have changed. I remember listening intently for everyone's Distance-to-Finish numbers over the SSB and in a sleep-deprived state, trying to calculate how I was doing. Now it's probably all on their wristwatches. (Oh wait, what's a wristwatch?)

I think SSS should go to the R2AK model.

[Philpott]

I think SSS should go to the R2AK model.

Oooooh! Them's fightin' words

[pogen]

Greetings Sled,

I think SSS should go to the R2AK model.

No ratings, well funded fast boat with big crew wins?

I would not mind all the great publicity they get though.

[BobJ]

I'm kidding.

But regarding "well-funded fast boats" - you'd still have to beat those 50 year-old Cal 40's, and that is always a tall order.

[Philpott]

No ratings, well funded fast boat with big crew wins?

Yeah, and we have a girl, too, ya know. Maybe not eight, but the difference is still appealing: singlehanded unfunded beautifully appointed boat campaigned by Michael. Lots to like.

[Philpott]

you'd still have to beat those 50 year-old Cal 40's, and that is always a tall order.

Think of the muscles you'd need to pedal a Cal 40. Whew!

[pogen]

Never bet against the Cal 40.

He is tearing it up out there!

[Philpott]

New missive from Ray regarding a new refinement of his Jibest tracker:

"You can now pick your speed made good (SMG) average poison:

Average speed made good over: 6 hours 12 hours 18 hours 24 hours

Default is 6 but you can refresh using any.

Anything to keep people amused."

[DaveH]

For SHTP Tracker Junkies:
...One note on the tracker: the reported speed is the average speed between displayed reports. IE, if the difference in reporting time is 4 hours, then the SOG displayed is calculated on distance run divided by 4 hours.
The boats are all displaying different reporting times and intervals, so interpolation is needed to figure out who's ahead of whom.

This is almost, but not completely, accurate.
The estimates are based on the SMG (Speed Made Good) over a given period of time previous to the inquiry.
This was originally set at 6 hours; it is now user selectable at 6, 12, 18 & 24hour intervals with the newly implemented radio buttons at the top of the page.
As Skip notes, the trackers are not synced, nor necessarily pinging at the same intervals.
The added longer sample periods are intended to smooth the averaging out.

DH

[Jonathan Gutoff]

Is Jou Jou doing the right thing by staying south? I'm looking at weather and some models say it will get a little light on the north track. Not a lot but a little.

[sleddog]

So we all aren't on the same page, Ray says to me this morning:

"Because some trackers do not send the SOG or SPD, I treat all trackers the same - SOG is the average over the reporting speed. COG is the direction between the reporting period.
SOG[A] = Distance (Positon[A]) - Distance (Positon[A -1]) / Time (Positon[A]) - Time (Positon[A -1])
COG[A] = Direction (Positon[A-1]) to (Positon[A])

Since the trackers are Boat owned, they are not all set to the same reporting time - so the average time varies boat to boat. You can see the reporting time by check Markers - All Race.

Some trackers report the instantaneous SOG and COG but not all."

So I've changed tactics. One boat was making 10.6, then 5.5, then 10.3 at three successive 4 hour tracker reports, for a 24 hour speed average of 7.4 knots.

The most accurate way I can see is using plotting sheets, parallel rules, and divider. Like the old days.

I mentioned earlier "we have a boat race." in the SHTP. I thought also the R2AK was a boat race to Ketchikan, anything goes, including portaging. Team TRAK kayak has taken the rules to heart, portaged past Seymour Narrows, and between East and West Cracroft Islands with his 19' folding kevlar cloth kayak. Now he is going overland carrying his kayak into somewhere deep in the forested wilderness north of Vancouver Island.

I hope a bear doesn't "eat" Matt's kayak like one does here. Very annoying. The kayaker, not the bear.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/national/kayaker-bear-stop-breaking-my-kayak-please/2015/10/01/f1978da2-684c-11e5-bdb6-6861f4521205_video.html?utm_term=.be6ba3f4bcf3

[Philpott]

But still:
If we go up to the ESTIMATED FINISH section (upper left) of Ray's tracker, it is remarkably more sophisticated than the LEADERBOARD or anything else on the R2AK. More to think about for Tracker Junkies.

[sleddog]

But still:
If we go up to the ESTIMATED FINISH section (upper left) of Ray's tracker, it is remarkably more sophisticated than the LEADERBOARD or anything else on the R2AK. More to think about for Tracker Junkies.

Alternate reality.

In 1994, in probably the windiest SHTP, Stan Honey on his Cal-40 ILLUSION set the then mono-hull SHTP record of 11 days, 10 hours, 52 minutes. With over 125 Cal-40's having participated in various Trans-Pacific Races over the years, no one has beaten Stan's Cal-40 record since, crewed or singlehanded.

Though I hope I'm wrong, the Tracker estimation that RIFF RIDER will beat Stan's record by 3.5 hours is fantasy.

In '94, Stan also beat the first O-30 by 5 hours boat for boat, Bill Stange's INTENSE. Stange had previously held the mono-hull record of 11 days, 15 hours, since 1988 That's pretty incredible.

[pogen]

Is Jou Jou doing the right thing by staying south? I'm looking at weather and some models say it will get a little light on the north track. Not a lot but a little.

I'm going to say yes. JouJou is doing really great. He and the other leaders don't have too much to worry about, but if you go to the WINDY display and advance the forecast to Friday, the high pressure/light air ridge advances and may present another wall of dead air to the back half of the fleet. If anything, JouJou could crack off even more and aim to cross the ridge in a few days along the 1024 mb contour. I haven't heard about any hurricanes to keep frightened sailors north yet!

[BobJ]

"I am not really in this thing to race..." (http://sfbaysss.org/forum/showthread.php?2136-Divisions-and-SHTP-Ratings-Posted&p=20942#post20942)

:cool:

[pogen]

"I am not really in this thing to race..." (http://sfbaysss.org/forum/showthread.php?2136-Divisions-and-SHTP-Ratings-Posted&p=20942#post20942)

:cool:

Massive misdirection.

[robtryon]

What I remember about the 94' race is that Reed Overshiner sailed a IMF to HI in two weeks. That has to be a record for a Folkboat.

[sleddog]

What I remember about the 94' race is that Reed Overshiner sailed a IMF to HI in two weeks. That has to be a record for a Folkboat.

Reed Overshiner finished in 14 days, 18 hours, a 6 knot average. Astonishing for a Folkboat. One observation is with .75 knots of favorable current, he got about 18 extra miles free every day, 126 free miles/week, 252 miles for the race.

Current Tropical Depression Daniel, far south and east at 18Nx118W briefly became a TS yesterday. But as Daniel approaches cooler ocean temps near 20 N, he is rapidly dissipating and poses no threat to the SHTP fleet.

[sleddog]

The vanguard of the SHTP fleet is approaching the SE lobe (ridge) of the EPAC High. RIFF RIDER to the north, CRINAN south. The winds have softened a bit, 16-18 knots, reefs are shaken out, and spinnakers considered.

The next stage of the race is entry into "Slot Cars" Pick your line well, because it will be hard to get south until further west without slowing significantly. RIFF RIDER looks to be cutting the corner pretty fine. I like CRINAN's position further south for maintaining breeze with room to starboard to heat things up.

Note to self: DOUBLE X's tracker speed and course reports are wildly inaccurate. PJ is cruising along at 6-9 knots at average COG of 237 m.

[sleddog]

I don't know how many of the SHTP fleet are using routing programs aboard for predicting their future course to Kauai. Routing programs can vary from free to expensive. Their suggested route is predicated on "GRIB" files, showing anticipated future wind direction and strength cross referenced to the boat's "polars."

Their are some issues with routing that are easy to overlook but very important. The first is "polars" are generated for fully crewed boats sailing at 100% of their potential. When I attempt to use a routing program when singlehanding, I have to make my own polars, as most boats in the singlehanded fleet don't have commercially available polars that take into account sailing solo on a "bring what you got" boat that might be 40 years old.

Another method might be "borrowing" polars from a boat similar in characteristics/speed, and then "dialing" in a correction to your routing program. For example, using a J-105's polars and dialing them back to 85% for an O-30..

Another issue of routing to Hawaii is mentioned by Stan Honey, who cryptically writes "a Router will take you too far North. Understand why. Still useful."

If we understand Stan's caveat, he means a routing program like Expedition will take you the shortest, fastest course, which is right on the southern edge of the Pacific High. Kinda like walking on a cliff edge. If you get any further north, you fall off the cliff and into the Pacific High.

Looking at the 48 hour forecast below, there is definitely a cliff to fall off north of 30 degrees N. latitude, west of 135 W. if the barometer gets higher than 1023 mb. Why I prefer CRINAN's southerly position to RIFF RIDER's, further north.

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Note to readers of this blog: copying my comments to race participants not allowed.

[sleddog]

Day 3 (Tuesday, 6/26) of the SHTP. Everyone is reaching along nicely in 15-20 knots of wind from aft of abeam and seas have calmed. No more sneaker waves from astern as came aboard DOLFIN, entering the cabin and dousing Bill's electronics.

The sun is showing up for solar panels, and skippers are scheming how to go faster. Just reaching with a jib up when the TWA (True Wind Angle) is 130 degrees aft from the bow, and the AWA (Apparent Wind Angle) is 110 degrees is pedestrian, and 1-2 knots (25-50 miles/day) slower than an alternative. Unless of course you are CRINAN, with only one sail, one size fits all angles and windspeeds.

Alternatives to increasing boat speed in current reachy conditions, slowest to fastest, listed below. If anyone has further suggestions, give a shout.

1) Lead jib outboard, an outgrabber on the boom does this. Opens the slot. Speed increase .2 knts

2) Same as above, but use a short pole attached to the front of the mast as an outrigger. The Volvo boats use this. Speed increase .2 knts.

3) Set a staysail inside the jib. Speed increase .1 knts

4) hoist a higher clewed, fuller, lighter cloth reaching jib. Speed increase .2 knots. In conjunction with the outboard lead and staysail, you are now .5 knots faster, 12 miles/day.

But you can do even better. Hoist a spinnaker!

5) hoist a symmetrical spinnaker on a pole. Speed increase .75 knots. Plus you can sail 10 degrees lower. Disadvantage: hand steering is a must. If the spinnaker collapses, everything gained in the last 15 minutes is lost.
How long can you hand steer? Dan Newland holds the record: 36 hours. He won the race as a result.

6) Hoist an asymmetrical, gennaker, or "cruising" spinnaker, with or without a pole or sprit. This is the best deal, as the sail is shaped for a reaching wind angle, is ~1.5 times bigger than a jib, and doesn't collapse as readily as a symmetrical. It trims more like a jib, and is a weapon every SHTPer should have. Speed increase 1.2 knots, as well as opportunity to sail 10 degrees lower.

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Additionally, the beauty of an asymmetrical is that under autopilot, it allows going below for a rest, chow, or playing with electronics. And no need to hassle with the complexity of hoisting a spinnaker net. Asymms also work well with a snuffer, symmetricals less so.

Winner, winner, mahi dinner.

[Ian Rogers]

Alternate reality.

In 1994, in probably the windiest SHTP, Stan Honey on his Cal-40 ILLUSION set the then mono-hull SHTP record of 11 days, 10 hours, 52 minutes. With over 125 Cal-40's having participated in various Trans-Pacific Races over the years, no one has beaten Stan's Cal-40 record since, crewed or singlehanded.

Though I hope I'm wrong, the Tracker estimation that RIFF RIDER will beat Stan's record by 3.5 hours is fantasy.

In '94, Stan also beat the first O-30 by 5 hours boat for boat, Bill Stange's INTENSE. Stange had previously held the mono-hull record of 11 days, 15 hours, since 1988 That's pretty incredible.

Skip -- I do not mean to take anything away from Stan's Cal-40 record, its an impressive one, but I think Redhead (fully crewed) had a time of 10 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes in the 2016 Pac Cup. But the Pac Cup is a shorter course by a few miles as the crow files, Also in 2016 Nozomi finished in 11 days, 8 hours and 56 minutes, double handed.

[Submarino]

Thank you Sled Dog, immensely enjoy your thoughts & explanations! And like MotoGP, the technical host can add great value to the spectators.

Boat handling at this point: If I were a O30 or SC27, hand steering to get her on a plane, cracking off to catch a wave ride & help my southerly push. My rise in adrenaline would help offset fatigue. Would still need to cycle back & forth between hand steer & autopilot for rest/sleep.

[sleddog]

Skip -- I do not mean to take anything away from Stan's Cal-40 record, its an impressive one, but I think Redhead (fully crewed) had a time of 10 days, 19 hours, 31 minutes in the 2016 Pac Cup. But the Pac Cup is a shorter course by a few miles as the crow files, Also in 2016 Nozomi finished in 11 days, 8 hours and 56 minutes, double handed.

Thanks, Ian! I stand corrected. Impressive beyond words.

Ian is too modest to mention he and Mark sailed a Moore 24, MAS!, from SF to Kaneohe in an astounding 10 days, 14 hours, 30 minutes, winning the Pacific Cup overall. Another Moore, EVERMORE, finished in 11 days, 9 hours, 48 minutes.

In 1949, my father was weatherman about the 98 foot schooner MORNING STAR when they broke the "unbreakable" Transpac record and set a new standard of 10 days, 10 hours, 13 minutes. I remember as a kid seeing a congratulatory telegram (e-mail of the day) to the skipper and crew of MORNING STAR ending with "your record will never be broken."

I had the good fortune to be aboard the 72 foot ketch TICONDEROGA when we did break MORNING STAR's record, pushed along by Tropical Storm Beatrice, in 1965. We were in a boat-for-boat race with the famous ketch STORMVOGEL when the shit hit the fan.

Amongst other excitements, the spinnaker halyard winch ripped off the wood mast, taking itself and the pinrail to the masthead. The 34 foot, 300 pound, spinnaker pole also ripped off the mast, and shot through the mainsail, leaving us under mizzen alone doing 15 knots. In the dark, we stripped the 400 pound torn mainsail off the boom and wrestled it below, to restitch and put back together.

We thought the race lost, little knowing STORMVOGEL had broken her boom, and 3 other racers had lost their rigs.

100 miles out of Hono, who should break out of a squall just to leeward but STORMVOGEL. They were surfing waves much faster than the 50 ton TICONDEROGA, and again we thought the race lost.

In those days, navigation was by celestial only. Guessing STORMVOGEL didn't know their course to the finish, we dropped our spinnaker, hoisted the jib top and altered course 20 degrees to port. The rouse worked. STORMVOGEL dropped her spinnaker, dropped off her surfs, and crossed behind, 100 yards astern

Knowing the finish at Diamond Head was really 30 degrees to starboard, Big TI's crew surreptiously snaked the spinnaker down the leeward rail with no crew movement. At the cry "Hoist", up went the spinnaker (we had repaired the mast track with a charm bracelet of galvanized shackles) and off TI went on course.

STORMVOGEL's crew was rightly confused, and took 15 minutes to reset. Slowly they began overhauling TI again under two spinnakers (one on the mizzen), but no main on their shattered boom.

It was a horse race down the Molokai Channel, STORMVOGEL just astern of TI, her running lights glowing over our shoulders in a midnight squall.

One last jibe for the finish was to be in 35 knots of trades, big seas, pitch black night, and with a jury-rigged spinnaker pole lash up. Whomever pulled off their jibe successfully would break MORNING STAR's record, win the Barn Door, and sail into history.

We started the main in on its little winch, a 10 minute affair. With the main amidships, the cry went up "Trip!" We'd never done a dip pole jibe, using the then state-of-art 2 pole jibe. The pole tripped all right, but the reel halyard topping lift winch brake failed and the pole fell into the water, and smashed aft against the windward chainplates.

Holy shit, yiii doggies, we cranked the pole out of the water in one piece and swung it forward. But where's the bowman to connect the new wire afterguy? Oh dear, he's underwater as TI curtsied in a steep Molokai Channel breaking swell, dipping her entire 12 foot bowsprit, with bowman hanging on for dear life.

Somehow things got connected, the main eased on the new jibe. TI ran straight and true for the searchlight at Diamond Head, never broaching. The big ketch would run on rails with her sweet hull and full keel, and we'd previously watched in awe how she'd sail for minutes at a time with no one at the helm.

Close astern, we could see STORMVOGEL jibe her two spinnakers. Too late. Big TI broke the searchlight beam and swept across in the finish in 9 days, 13 hours, 51 seconds. STORMVOGEL finished 5 minutes later.
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The race wasn't over. 7 new"tupperware" boats, Cal-40's all, were racing for the overall win. PSYCHE, #3, finished in 12 days, 5 hours, winning the King Kalakaua trophy originally offered by King Kalakaua in 1886 to promote a sailing race from the mainland to Honolulu.

Seems like yesterday.:cool:

[sleddog]

Though hard to tell from the p- nut gallery, it appears we have a boat-for-boat slot car race at the front of the fleet. DOUBLE X has found another gear and closing fast, 10 miles behind RIFF RIDER.

30 miles further south, CRINAN continues to impress, ready to assume the lead if/when the two leaders fall off the isobar cliff.

And not that far back, JOUJOU, PASSAGES, and FUGU. all 30 footers, are within a few miles of each other, distance wise to the finish.

My predictions? Don on CRINAN will catch the first fish of the race on the red feather. Did he remember the Panko and lemons? Dave on PASSAGES will pull his sexy loose luffed twin jibs out of the bag and find downwind happiness while catching up on sleep. And Carliane will continue her run for the maitais and plumerias on the southern route, watching the boats ahead tempt fate with their approaching proximity to light winds.

Good sailing and good night.

[sleddog]

BobJ wrote on another thread:
"These folks are dancing with the devil. PassageWeather has the high breathing in and out but staying mostly stationary. I hope so..."

Exactly so. The EPAC "Pacific High" can overnight change it's shape, intensity, location. It's like a big scoop of living jello; soft on the edges and ready to slide hither. You could say so much as flying fish gliding or an albatross attempting to take off might influence the High and you wouldn't be far wrong.

The EPAC High is nicely drawn on NOAA weather maps. Again, mostly fantasy, much of the drawing based on inaccurate ship reports often from a bored bridge officer peering out his window from 10 stories up.

For example is this morning's Surface Analysis for 0500 PDT, below:
3576

There is the Pacific High, 1029 millibars of pressure, near 37N x 145W. Looking closely, there are two ship reports just East of the center of the High. The northern one is reporting 1025 mb (the 3 digit number) and > 30 knots of wind from the S (3 barbs on the arrow.) The southern ship report is for 1026.7 mb, with reported < 5 knots of wind from the NE.

What is a weather forecaster to do? Maybe these reports get averaged out. But NOAA goes to a lot of trouble to collect them, many dozens every hour using the Voluntary Observing Ship Program (VOS). https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/ship_obs.php

Back on the race track, there is a new fleet leader. PJ on the O-30 DOUBLE EXPRESSO had a good night, averaging 7.5 knots on a broad reach, a full knot faster than RIFF RIDER, who is now 13 miles back.

Winds and seas have lightened considerably, now in the 14-18 knot range from the NNE with 6 foot seas. Good for drying sodden gear on the clothes line. Are there any reports of spinnakers?

[sleddog]

Boat handling at this point: If I were a O30 or SC27, hand steering to get her on a plane, cracking off to catch a wave ride & help my southerly push. My rise in adrenaline would help offset fatigue. Would still need to cycle back & forth between hand steer & autopilot for rest/sleep.

Joe brings up an interesting point. On an ultralight boat in the SHTP (30% of the fleet), getting the boat to surf or plane by flying the spinnaker and taking off on waves, sometimes radically off course, is both fast and fun. But needs hand steering. Modern auto-pilots are good, but not that good.

The boat handling part comes when changing between poled out jib(s) and spinnaker, often a time consuming and involved change, especially at night and when the seas are up. A change-over can often take 15-30 minutes, even with practice and good conditions. When things go wrong, they really go wrong.

For example, some of the things that might need to happen when changing from poled out jib to spinnaker are changing from whisker pole to spinnaker pole, changing halyards, flaking and securing a doused jib, deciding if its worth hoisting a net, etc.

One reason I advocate hanks or roller furling on the jib is the greater simplicity in handling and stowage provided over just a plastic headfoil and jib luff tape.

Before the 2008 SHTP, I spent a day stern tied to a mooring off the Santa Cruz Wharf, practicing switching back and forth between spinny, poled out jib, and twins, all the while going nowhere and not worrying about traffic. I got my sail handling methods much reduced in time and simplicity. But it's still a chore on a bouncy foredeck. I appreciated greatly WILDFLOWER's 28" high lifelines.

[tiger beetle]

Hi Skip-

the satellite scatterometer data is also useful stuff for deducing sea level wind speed and direction, I have to believe that NWS is using that data in addition to sounding rockets and ship reports to work out what might be going on out in the middle of the ocean.

https://manati.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/datasets/ASCATData.php/

I'm sitting here in Nawiliwili at the other end of the race course, watching for a nice weather window to have a pleasant sail around Kauai and over to Hanalei. Right now there's an east-west ridge north of the islands that is keeping the tradewinds elevated - 20-21 gusting 26 from the ENE is what's happening here and the sea state looks wicked, supposed to be 8-9' chop out there and sure looks lumpy when I walk up the hill to see. Appears the ridge is a result of a frontal system hanging out north of the High - the front is forecast to move north and the pressure gradient is due to ease Thursday, with the forecast calling for a pleasant 10-12 knots of easterly breeze on Saturday; that's when I'll go around to Hanalei.

For the offshore racers it looks like they are going to see the ridge extending SE from the High swing over them as the High shifts northwards - all this should be the result of that same front moving NE.

Of particular interest will be what happens to the trades early next week if the National Hurricane Center has it right as regards two systems south of Mexico that are forecast to become storms (or stronger). The long range models have those new, transient Lows driving NW and eventually dying but not before create some compression between the Low and High, with re-enforced tradewinds resulting. It will be interesting to see if any of this happens; if the trades do come up the back half of the fleet should have strong running conditions in to the islands.

Do you look at the Navy FNMOC model runs? They have some ensemble model data that is publicly available (at least as graphics), and it is interesting to compare them to the GFS data, and then compare that to the WFax from the forecasters at NWS.

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/wxmap_cgi/cgi-bin/wxmap_loop.cgi?area=efs_nvg_epac&dtg=2018062700&prod=raw-ensm-pres_msl&tau=000&set=All

I wonder if Don has his fish yet! And it just rained on me, we have lots of squalls going through at the moment. When it's light trades and sunny, not so many rainy squalls. When the trades are in the 20's lots of squalls and lots of rain...

- rob/beetle

[sleddog]

Hi Skip-
the satellite scatterometer data is also useful stuff for deducing sea level wind speed and direction, I have to believe that NWS is using that data in addition to sounding rockets and ship reports to work out what might be going on out in the middle of the ocean.
https://manati.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/datasets/ASCATData.php/
Do you look at the Navy FNMOC model runs? They have some ensemble model data that is publicly available (at least as graphics), and it is interesting to compare them to the GFS data, and then compare that to the WFax from the forecasters at NWS.

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/wxmap_cgi/cgi-bin/wxmap_loop.cgi?area=efs_nvg_epac&dtg=2018062700&prod=raw-ensm-pres_msl&tau=000&set=All
- rob/beetle

Hi Rob,
Thanks for your analysis and on-site Kauai weather. It should be fun for BEETLE to rendezvous with the SHTP fleet and support committee!

I have looked at the scatterometer views. Not as good as the old one which gave a full Pacific Ocean view, rather than just narrow strips, almost invisible without a magnifying glass.

Yes, I have also looked at the Navy FNMOC charts. Their forecast office is nearby in Monterey. I visited once as a guest. All the forecasters were in small booths. As my presence was announced in the room, the forecasters closed curtains over their work, apparently not wishing me to see the location of the naval ships they were forecasting for.

Now when you attempt to get to the Navy FNMOC weather website online, one is greeted with

Your connection is not secure
"The owner of www.fnmoc.navy.mil has configured their website improperly. To protect your information from being stolen, Firefox has not connected to this website."

Does anyone know what that is about?

[AlanH]

What to do if your boat sort of doesn't really have a spinnaker? AS in, it's a Freedom 38, with a tiny foresail and a weensy spinnaker?.

Here's a photograph of a Freedom 36/38 spinnaker.

3577

Reach, reach, reach as long as you can?

[tiger beetle]

Hi Rob,
Thanks for your analysis and on-site Kauai weather. It should be fun for BEETLE to rendezvous with the SHTP fleet and support committee!

I have looked at the scatterometer views. Not as good as the old one which gave a full Pacific Ocean view, rather than just narrow strips, almost invisible without a magnifying glass.

Yes, I have also looked at the Navy FNMOC charts. Their forecast office is nearby in Monterey. I visited once as a guest. All the forecasters were in small booths. As my presence was announced in the room, the forecasters closed curtains over their work, apparently not wishing me to see the location of the naval ships they were forecasting for.

Now when you attempt to get to the Navy FNMOC weather website online, one is greeted with

Your connection is not secure
"The owner of www.fnmoc.navy.mil has configured their website improperly. To protect your information from being stolen, Firefox has not connected to this website."

Does anyone know what that is about? I hope military weather is not like military music, hihi

Yes, that's due to the US Navy having a self-signed SSL certificate, which nobody else trusts (would *you* trust them?).

I can accept their self-signed (DOD) certificate and continue on to view their site using the Firefox browser on my laptop. Not the smartest thing to do, but there it is.

That's fascinating that the folks there are providing boat-specific forecasts, which they did not want you to see. Kristen and I got to visit NWS Monterey, and we were introduced to 'Perfect Paul', which everybody has heard over the VHF radio. He's short, tan, and speaks strangely + he fits into a large computer chassis. Who would have thought?

I was introduced to FNMOC by a cruiser departing La Paz in 2017 headed for French Polynesia, he was one of the folks that worked on the weather model code and explained in great (and useful) detail how the ITCZ modeling of clouds worked and therefore how we might benefit from that information. Most interesting stuff - and he was correct, the data was seriously useful for my crossing to FP.

- rob

[sleddog]

3583
Not difficult to see why RIFF RIDER made a left hand southerly detour yesterday. It's beginning to look like the boats to the north will run their slot car tracks right to the edge of the cliff and into the grasp of the EPAC High. 10 knots or less of wind north of 32N and/or 1024 millibars may feel pretty slow after the windy reach.

Here is the 48 hr. forecast:

3584

The isobar (lines of equal air pressure) spacing is key. Closer spacing = more wind. Notice the wider spacing above the 1024 isobar indicating lighter winds, 5-15 knots, and the narrower spacing south of the 1024 isobar, indicating 15-20 knot winds.

Pretty much everyone in the fleet knows about this possibility. Still, it's fascinating watching it play out in slow motion. Even KYNTANNA, at one point furthest south, seems to now be intent on getting north so not to miss the pool party at the half way barge.

Where are the tradewinds? South of 29 degrees.

Carry on west at your peril.

An additional reminder. Not allowed by the race rules to share these charts or blog info with any race boat.

[Submarino]

Sled Dog,
Why is the majority of the fleet still pushing North? Is there routing software skirting them that close? Are we seeing something different than what's actually going on the water, i.e., our isobars are reading 1026, their actually in 1024. Is the High Center Barge offering free cold beers & cocktails to the first 10 boats?

Hmmm?

[sleddog]

Sled Dog,
Why is the majority of the fleet still pushing North? Is there routing software skirting them that close? Are we seeing something different than what's actually going on the water, i.e., our isobars are reading 1026, their actually in 1024. Is the High Center Barge offering free cold beers & cocktails to the first 10 boats?


Herbie's Halfway Barge remains a great attraction to sailors, especially with its 3 hour free tie-up, hot showers, organic iced fruit smoothies, and use of electric jet skis.

The Half Way ship used to be run by the government, and was a Coast Guard cutter on 3 month deployment calling itself "Ocean Station November." Ocean Station November had two main duties: radio weather observations to the weather bureau. And being at halfway, Point of No Return, between Hawaii and the West Coast, they were there to rescue aviators who had to ditch.

During Transpacs up until the mid-70's Ocean Station November would radio weather to the racing fleet on 2186 twice/day. I well remember one afternoon Ocean Station November missing it's appointed schedule. KIALOA's owner went apoplectic. Finally a sleepy guardsman answered KIALOA's plaintive calls.

The irate yachtsman demands "what is the position of the Pacific High?"

The guardsman radios back in a somewhat stoned sounding voice, "the High? The High? I do believe it's right here."

Here's a short video of Ocean Station November doing its thing, successfully rescuing the passengers and crew of Pan Am Flight #6 in 1956, when two of their four engines quit mid-Pacific and the crew was forced to make a water landing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6onMGIvRF0

[sleddog]

Sled Dog,
Why is the majority of the fleet still pushing North? Is there routing software skirting them that close? Are we seeing something different than what's actually going on the water, i.e., our isobars are reading 1026, their actually in 1024.
?

I don't know how many of this year's SHTP fleet are using routing software. Probably less than half. There is great attraction to trusting information coming over the sat com/computer with its pretty uniform lines of wind arrows. As reminded earlier, Stan Honey says, "Understand why the router always takes you too close to a High.."

Other attractions to be sucked into light winds associated with the Pac High?

1) "Everyone else is up here. Someone must know better than I." ( I call this the sheep effect.)
2) The "slot car" effect. Jibing south on an unattractive course perpendicular to Hawaii is a powerful disincentive.
3) Not everyone is receiving current weather info.
4) If Kauai is your GPS waypoint, GPS readouts give you the Great Circle course and distance, exactly opposite of reality, when you should be initially curving south, not north, the traditional "Reverse S" course, as my father named it in 1949 when he was TransPac fleet weatherman.
5) Despite advice, not everyone has a calibrated barometer. This is the "out of sight, out of mind" effect. Same goes with sailing along with plastic on your fin keel for hours/days on end.
6) Unless you are CRINAN, JACQUELINE, or KYNTANNA, jibeing is a 30 minute chore. Most everything has to be re-led. The wave angle feels odd. The sun is in a different place in the sky, and your solar panels are in the shade of the sails.

From current tracker positions, I believe the two lead boats have jibed to port and are trying their best to get south. Certainly RIFF RIDER has jibed to port. What about DOUBLE-X? Here's PJ's thoughts from last night:

"My watch barometer reads 1026.5 and when I vaguely calibrated it seemed to be 1 mbar too low. So that's 1027.5. That's really close to what the Grib files say. Baro has been going up and down over the day. I realize I'm really close to the eye but I'm staying below the routing based on Grib files.

I had planned to watch this over the night. The wind is supposed to veer, at which point I plan to jibe the main and pole out the 3 too. I almost did it an hour ago but the wind came back. The forecast is for the wind to come light behind me first then port so I'm trying to move West quickly. If speed drops I'll jibe. I'm going to get updated forecasts now."

[sleddog]

3585

Above is the current routing from a position near 32 N x 137-35 W. As opposed to yesterday's "Go North, young man, this route looks like "get South" to me. Even if following this southerly track, winds will only be in the 14 knot range until Monday, July 2, when they again begin to build into the 16-18 knot range.

Looks like a 13 day race for First-to-Finish.

A reminder: Any yachts trying to surf the web rather than the waves may encounter financial obstacles. A recent competitor in the S.California 300 Ocean Race from Santa Barbara to San Diego, an overnighter, was shocked to find they'd run up an $8,000 bill while continuously connected to their INMARSAT. Turns out the INMARSAT was downloading a massive Windows OS upgrade....

[sleddog]

Apparently PJ on DOUBLE-X did jibe south sometime this morning. Reading between the lines, I can tell he is tired and not thinking straight. Did he forget earplugs/headphones?

PJ's recent rig is a #2 jib whiskered poled to windward (starboard.) And a #3 jib spinnaker poled to leeward (port). Apparently in his sleep deprivation he decided when jibeing he needed to switch the jibs side for side. This means not only lowering and rehoisting, but also switching poles, luff grooves, halyards, and sheets.

A near impossibility by my reckoning.

PJ attempted anyway. Here is his description of the results:

"It dawned on me that the center of the high was forecasted to be 1029, only 2mbar up from my reading. I decided to pole out the 3 and jibe the main and come South, which I knew was against rule of thumb (stay in your lane during slot car). Good but it felt slow.

I decided to jibe the twin jibs and everything went South ... Nothing broke but it took me 90 minutes to recover. Mainly: 2 wrapped with sheets multiple times, lines entanglement galore, lines under the boat and trailing out. I kept clipped on, took everything down and back up. I was on course but with main only. I guess I lost 6 miles there, a lot of energy and confidence. I'll need to jibe this rig again. Don't know how yet. The problem is when I let out the pole then the 2 goes nuts ...

We're now doing about the same speed but will need to sail more miles.

Anyways it looks like all the boats North are still making good progress so I have doubts this was all worth it in the end. Passages, Joujou and Riff Rider appear South of me too.

Getting short on sleep. Too much noise.
Need to find a happy spot ...
PJ

3588

[Philpott]

OMG that is the funniest cartoon, especially when applied to our friend's predicament. PJ, PJ, I hope you get some sleep soon!

[Submarino]

"Ocean Station November" -- at first, I thought you were pulling our legs, but after looking at the video and doing a little more history search, it IS part of our actual history. Wow!

Regarding jibing DE's 2 poles/2 jibs, yes, that sleep deprivation will lead to some odd, repeated behavior. In 2014, my boom was pumping back and forth into the mast at the gooseneck. I could see the hole elongating, so my course of action was a Spanish windlass to compress/squeeze the boom into the mast more.

After a nap, I marveled at my hour worth handiwork with spectra, rigging tape and turning strut. But also with a clearer head, I could now see that all I needed was to pull the boom vang tighter. I had to chuckle!

[sleddog]

"Ocean Station November" -
After a nap, I marveled at my hour worth handiwork with spectra, rigging tape and turning strut. But also with a clearer head, I could now see that all I needed was to pull the boom vang tighter. I had to chuckle!

The only topic that gets more topic at Tree Time than auto pilot malfunction is sleep deprivation....one competitor came ashore from his Olson-30 with his saddle and spurs...said he had to go ride a rodeo, then do a vision quest up Mt. Wai'aleale. That was the last we saw of him for 3 days until he returned, barely recognizable and covered in mud. He's the same fellow who steered his planing O-30 under spinnaker across the finish, steering with his AP remote from his hammock swinging on the foredeck..

Sometimes I think I've seen it all. Then I remember the SHTPer who came ashore to Tree Time with his lawnmower, explaining he had to earn some money mowing lawns for rich people.

That wasn't the last of it. One competitor showed up with no anchor and wanted to borrow one. It wasn't he didn't have an anchor. Just his anchor (that apparently passed the safety inspection) was a miniature replica of the real thing that was 5" long and weighed 12 oz. I believe he was tossed by the RC.

[sleddog]

The eastern sky is just beginning to lighten for those singlehanders up early and enjoying a cup of coffee.

KYNNTANA continues her scientific research of the Eastern Pacific gyre, having gone from most northerly boat, to most southerly, back to most northerly. And now on a track south again, at much reduced speed of 3 knots, having made acquaintance with the Pacific High during her criss-crossing. I'm guessing her windvane is having difficulty coping with the weather helm induced by most or all of her sail area on one side of the boat?

The fleet has separated into two groups, with RAINBOW bringing up the back of the front, and IRIS the front of the back. Winds should be moderate today for the front runners, 14-16 knots, and lighter behind, 10-14 Knots, except even less for those more north.

PJ on DOUBLE-X should reach the happy nautical mile stone of halfway this afternoon with a nice lead. The skipper of DOUBLE-X, on his first small boat ocean crossing, is nervously looking astern for sails, jadedly considering any speed less than 8 knots as "slow."

Following DOUBLE-X are CRINAN, 11 hours behind. NIGHTMARE and PASSAGES are ~ 12 hours back; RIFF RIDER 14 hours; JOUJOU 21 hours.

JOUJOU is in "cruze" mode, reporting he earlier jibed S too close to high. "Spinnaker + AP + swells = chaos"

As is true in all SHTP, Auto Pilots are coming a cropper. CRINAN is down to his spare, and we hope that gets him downwind for the remainder of the Race.

The tradewinds, with their popcorn clouds and flying fish, lie just ahead and to the south: south of 29N, west of 140W. Then the big moon will make for delightful nighttime sailing.

[sleddog]

Congrats to our friend PJ (Phillipe), first in the SHTP Class of '18 to surf his DOUBLE EXPRESSO over the magical half-way stripe, through the rainbow portal, and enter the second and downhill half of the passage.

We understand DOUBLE EXPRESSO flew by Herbie's Halfway Barge shortly before 4 pm PDT, slowing only briefly to pick up a slice of Hana's delicious coconut and mango cake and a frosty can of root beer.

Said PJ in a brief interview with the Barge crew, "I'm new to this stress of racing .....has anyone come by before me? Look, there's a patch of blue sky. My guess is that's the light patch coming to get me. But the wind just picked up so I'm not sure. I've been sailing mostly DDW, regularly by the lee, to avoid losing miles by going South. The boat rolls quite a bit with the autopilot I'm fed and hydrated. I'm hopeful and will try to do the math to figure out my current position and how much I must gain on who."

Carry on PJ. It's all downwind from here and those Hanalei mermaids will soon have you by a nylon tow rope!

3589

[Submarino]

Very Happy for Phillipe! A refreshing surprise, the boat no, but the skipper, Yes!

Hard to believe there's more than 300 miles of distance between the front and back of the fleet.

After lunch Sunday, there appears to be a good chance for the back surfers to move up to mid fleet since they will be the first to get the 20 plus knots of wind.

I love arm chair racing!

[sleddog]

Wheeee! Here's a weathermap/forecast every TransPacific Racer dreams about, but rarely sees.

3590

This is the 96 hour forecast for next Tuesday, July 3. What it shows is downwind/surfing salivation. Enough wind, 20-25 knots for everyone, north to south, east spreading west across the course beginning late Monday.

Enough wind to blow the fleet speedily all the way to Kauai.

The Pacific High is strong, 1036 millibars, 12 millibars above average and providing a steep gradient. The High is anchored well north, above 40 degrees. And it is perfectly shaped, symmetrical and nicely rounded. The perfect pinwheel.

Wind blows out of a High at 15 degrees from parallel with the isobars (lines of equal pressure).

The steep gradient of this High is sure to erase memories of light winds of the early Southerly Surge. And provide unlimited stories for Tree Time and memories for months/years to come.

Singlehanders, re-check your gear. The Breeze she is a comin'. This is what we live for!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLYDq4PEJRM

[hodgmo]

Double Expresso appears to be hove to this morning. Perhaps Philippe is getting some sleep.

18069 - DOUBLE ESPRESSO - Latest Report
2018-06-30 04:49:00
29°17'30.84"N 142°56'55.68"W
78 Degs at 0.34 Kts
Last: 24 HRS 156.0 NM at 6.5 KTS
Distance to go: 988 NM

[sleddog]

Double Expresso appears to be hove to this morning. Perhaps Philippe is getting some sleep.

18069 - DOUBLE ESPRESSO - Latest Report
2018-06-30 04:49:00
29°17'30.84"N 142°56'55.68"W
78 Degs at 0.34 Kts
Last: 24 HRS 156.0 NM at 6.5 KTS
Distance to go: 988 NM

The tracker COG and SOG function has been malfunctioning since the start for DE.

[BobJ]

Could be the boom but DE's was battle-tested.

Or it could be the half-way party. I took ONE beer for the occasion and it kicked my butt. I got lots of sleep that night.

Edit: 17 knots on the last ping. Must have been the beer.
.

[DaveH]

Double Espresso is fine, confirmed to the RC via text inquiry. I am sure the 17 knots is catching up the average over a couple cycles.

[sleddog]

As has been the case for every SHTP, the majority of the fleet is experiencing auto-pilot/self steering issues. Electricity, salt water, and frequent and rapid tiller movements don't always make a reliable combination.

Except for those on a VHF or SSB sked, much of the fleet has little news of their competitors. Even if it were reliable and consistent, Tracker info not available to sailors.

The Pacific High will be increasing even further. 1037 millibars is strong indeed. Winds beginning to increase tomorrow, building to 15-25 knots tomorrow night through Thursday with 7-11 foot seas. Even the heavier craft in the back half of the fleet will begin to surf. Glad KYNTANNA has a boom brake and strong gooseneck for possible accidental jibes. Just hope the mainsheet doesn't wrap on the binnacle.

I believe one of the better downwind rigs in the fleet is aboard Dave Clark's O-30 PASSAGES: Twin jibs on a common, loose luff. Dave also has hanks, unlike his sister-ship DOUBLE-X and DARK HORSE, who have headfoils that allow the jib to be dropped in the water. PJ on the bow of DOUBLE-X is a fearsome sight: 6'5", 230. He doesn't fit in his pipe berth, but has found rest on the cabin sole.

TIGER BEETLE is already at anchor in Hanalei. Jackie and crew leave early tomorrow for RC duty in Hanalei. Synthia follows Tuesday. They won't have long to wait. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the first-to-finish should arrive late Wednesday night/Thursday morning.

Estimated 8,000 marchers in downtown Santa Cruz yesterday. Not enough room on the sidewalks...4 square blocks of downtown was packed...

3591

[sleddog]

Based on current tracker reports, here are approximate distances and sailing times behind DOUBLE-X the hounds are chasing the fox:

PASSAGES (93 miles), 12 hours; CRINAN (115 miles), 16 hours; NIGHTMARE (120 miles), 17 hours; RIFF RIDER (187 miles,) 27.5 hours.

DOUBLE-X owes CRINAN a whopping 48 seconds/mile or ~ 28 hours, 11 minutes for the course with 5 minute difference in start times taken into account.

It would seem CRINAN is currently the leader on corrected time.

Except for Cal-40 RIFF RIDER, the other top 4 boats were built in Santa Cruz....

This race is a long way from over.

[sleddog]

In the SHTP, Don on CRINAN is only 131 miles astern of PJ on DOUBLE-X.

For DOUBLE-X to win, PJ has to gain ~16 miles/day on CRINAN for the remainder of the race.

To date, after 8 days of sailing, DOUBLE-X has been gaining, get this, ~ 16 miles/day on CRINAN.

Both boats are about the same length, but DOUBLE-X has 2 feet more waterline and is 1,800 pounds lighter.

CRINAN may have a compromised auto-pilot. Or not.

If things continue as they have been, CRINAN and DOUBLE-X could be within minutes of each other for the overall (corrected time) win.

In the meantime, if you are looking for an indestructible metal boat for the NW Passage, I know a field in Eastern Washington where you can pickup a good project boat for cheap. (Truck is optional.)

3592

[sleddog]

It's full speed now for the fleet. Winds are 18-22 knots from the NE with plenty of squalls.

DOUBLE EXPRESSO briefly reports in, sounding busy, with less than 600 miles to go:

It's very squally. I think there may have been a few last night but this late afternoon there were 5, usually rain first then wind. I tried to feel the first few then set the autopilot on a course and closed the hatch. COG about 250T. Since then they just keep coming in ... The boat goes up to 11kts under what feels like wind alone. Then we drop to 7+ kts. Poled out 2 and full main. I took the 3 down to simplify cleaning up the mess, should something happen.


Don on CRINAN continues to impress, losing nothing to DOUBLE EXPRESSO overnight. Looking more like his race to lose, as he's only 17 hours behind DE and maintaining.

[Philpott]

The RC is en route, Coomodore Dave via Seattle, moi following on United, Synthia tomorrow and Kristen after that, all hoping to arrive in time to buy mai tai ingredients. Oh, and to do other things as well, like unpack the big anchors from David’s beautifully built crate and to meet up w the Crane Boss, Larry Conklin, who is also the crash .... er ... committee boat boss. Thank goodness Al Germain will also be in Hanalei Bay because he was the only person who knew how to get the boat into and out of gear in 2016. AND of course Dave Morris of “engine by Dave” fame will fly in. No more need be said.

[sleddog]

The RC is en route, Coomodore Dave via Seattle, moi following on United, Synthia tomorrow and Kristen after that, all hoping to arrive in time to buy mai tai ingredients. Oh, and to do other things as well, like unpack the big anchors from David’s beautifully built crate and to meet up w the Crane Boss, Larry Conklin, who is also the crash .... er ... committee boat boss. Thank goodness Al Germain will also be in Hanalei Bay because he was the only person who knew how to get the boat into and out of gear in 2016. AND of course Dave Morris of “engine by Dave” fame will fly in. No more need be said.

"No more need be said?" Understatement. I'll say more.

The bi-ennial Singlehanded Transpac Traveling Circus is coming to Hanalei. Besides the racers, this is an amazing rendezvous of people, support gear, and experience, unrivaled anywhere.

Here are just a few things now assembling in Hanalei.

The SHTP Race Committee, complete with its own Commodore, Finish Committee, Welcoming Committee, and radio gear.

The shipping crates, filled with goodies and trophies for everyone.

A welcoming and "follow me" boat, thanks to Larry C.

A crash pad just inland from the beach and finish line range. A lookout house and radio relay station on the Princeville Cliff.

A sail repair crew and equipment, thanks to Synthia and Beetle.

A reporter, journalist, and analyst.

A palm tree, shade, table and sunset for evening get togethers, aka "Tree Time."

A trophy presentation dinner complete with speeches and something for everyone.

A mile long, half moon shaped, tan sand beach for strolling and finding land legs.

A dozen or more waterfalls, with rainbows, appearing at any time of day on the Pali cliffs ringing Hanalei Bay.

The nicest people in the world. SSS of SF Bay, you rock!

[sleddog]

A brief e-mail from DOUBLE EXPRESSO raises more questions than answers. Reading between PJ's lines only partially hints at what is going on. The AP failed? What happened then? Why change from the #2 to #3? How was the headfoil damaged? Sheesh.

"It's been a crazy morning. Autopilot went off. It's back on and also charging batteries now with generator. #3 poled out, full main. Will put #2 back up after charging. It did damage the Tuffluff grove in a few places. Should still work ..
A little tired ... But good progress last night.
PJ

[Philpott]

Well, here I am at the Lihue airport. The big question: get on the bus for only 25 cents or wait for the commodore, who has rented a car? Hope it’s a corvette! Mahalo this, mahalo that! Everyone is happy to be here. I’m not in Oakland anymore! What a good place to end up after sailing! And I’m not even in Hanalei Bay yet!

[Lanikai]

Loving this color commentary and analysis, especially from Sled! Without it, I probably would have just checked the tracker once or twice and thought "The circles are moving toward Hawaii. E is winning. I'll wait for the Lat38 write up."

[Philpott]

Loving this color commentary and analysis, especially from Sled! Without it, I probably would have just checked the tracker once or twice and thought "The circles are moving toward Hawaii. E is winning. I'll wait for the Lat38 write up."
Ha! Christine won’t be here today! And Latitude doesn’t come out every day or 24/7 like people on this forum! Plus Latitude is edited! This isn’t! Over the loudspeaker the recorded message is “ have a safe and secure life and return soon” You don’t hear that at Oakland airport! Now where’s that corvette?

[sleddog]

Hope Jackie found her Corvette and chauffeur. If you can't arrive at Hanalei by boat, Jackie and the Commodore are proving you can arrive in style.

Also, gaining style points at the tail end of the fleet, MORNING STAR just crossed half-way. MS's displacement should increasingly help as Lee schusses downhill: ;)

Do you think an autopilot can outsail an experienced handsteering helmsperson when surfing downwind? I don't think so, especially when the AP is attempting to hold a compass course. The fastest way downwind is an "S" course, surfing to leeward on a wave, heading up for pressure as the wave passes, surfing to leeward on the next wave, always leaving the wave before it leaves you (by the lee.)

[sleddog]

Online news relayed from the SHTP fleet has been sparse to non-existent. I accidentally found the Bay Area online news forum Pressure Drop is publishing some reports from the boats I hadn't seen. If you wish to read further than the SHTP Forum, go seek out Pressure Drop at http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?8428-July-1st-SHTP-Update

It is not unexpected the two fastest rated boats, the Olson 30's DOUBLE EXPRESSO and PASSAGES, are leading the SHTP fleet. What is interesting is both skippers have sailed almost the minimum number of miles from SF to Kauai, shorter than any other boats in the fleet by a lot. At times, the tracker shows these two boats going straight, Dead Down Wind (DDW), for hundreds of miles with only minimum alteration to course.

DDW on an ultralight is not the traditional fastest way to Hawaii. Sailing extra miles but reaching up for pressure/speed is, helping the ULDB accelerate to surfing/planing potential, which can be several knots higher than theoretical "hull speed" downwind. (Hull speed doesn't exist for ULDB's).

So how are DOUBLE-X and PASSAGES able to maintain nearly an 8 knot average DDW while sailing singlehanded? Both PJ and Dave have bowed to their relative inexperience with spinnakers in ocean waves and are sailing exclusively with poled out jibs, preferring the simplicity and reliability of that rig to the uncertainties of a spinnaker.

Also likely factored into the non-spinnaker equation is the distance lost every time a sail change is made. Weight on the bow, bald headed in the fore-triangle, dealing with spinnaker nets, the inability of autopilots to steer with a spinnaker in a squall on a ULDB ....

Not saying this poled out jib technique is the future of singlehanded sailing. For example, Cal-40's with good AP's and instrumentation such as NOZUMI, GREEN BUFFALO, and ILLUSION, and expert and experienced sailing skills of skippers like Rob, Jim, and Stan, can carry spinnakers all the way to Hawaii, day/night, squalls, come what may.

It's part of what's fun about racing solo to Hawaii: different things can float your boat and there is more than one "right way" to get downwind.

[Submarino]

Yes, it's quite a strange race to see these modulated speeds from the surfers, but I am not out there and in their fatigue. At least the ULDB surfers are a somewhat level field amongst themselves - somewhat the spirit of this race, come with what you have in boat and experience.

I am envious of the 2-3 days of "surfs up" conditions, though. I never got those. In 2014, I was happy to be in squalls and could not get enough of them. A wet grin, sideways view (rods work better at night), and hand driving "S" patterns were both fun and scary. One particular night squall, I was surfing rather blind (could barely make out white wave wash) and relied on the wind vane and changes in boat speed to prevent a submarine into the back of a wave.

I expect Phillipe will accelerate ahead as the stronger winds will reach him soon.

I expect some stories from this quiet group, too!

[Dazzler]

Online news relayed from the SHTP fleet has been sparse to non-existent. I accidentally found the Bay Area online news forum Pressure Drop is publishing some reports from the boats I hadn't seen. If you wish to read further than the SHTP Forum, go seek out Pressure Drop at http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?8428-July-1st-SHTP-Update

Sled,
I think Pressure Drop is just reposting what’s being posted by the RC on the NEWS section of the SHTP website at http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/blog/ plus data from the tracker.

Tom

[sleddog]

Sled,
I think Pressure Drop is just reposting what’s being posted by the RC on the NEWS section of the SHTP website at http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/blog/ plus data from the tracker.
Tom

Thanks, Tom! Hitting "refresh" has updated my NEWS site, which was 9 days stale. Now I know "the rest of the story." PJ going backwards to Hawaii may not be a good look. At least he got turned back around. There is truth to the old adage "Keep the pointy end forward."

[BobJ]

I have the same issue (needing to refresh the page each time). It's always been that way with Christine and Jonathan's site, NorCalSailing as well. Not sure why.

[AlanH]

I have the same issue (needing to refresh the page each time). It's always been that way with Christine and Jonathan's site, NorCalSailing as well. Not sure why.

Thanks for the reminder about NorCalSailing.com


I haven't visited in a long time!

[sleddog]

Wow. Respect.

I just read Shad's reflection on why he is doing the SHTP on DARK HORSE. It is greatly moving and thanks to Shad's dedication and commitment has a happy ending. I'm just sorry that the Southerly Surge on Day 1 trapped DARK HORSE and her competitive skipper. It was only a matter of a mile and a few stray puffs whether you kept moving west. Or got stuck.

http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/2018/07/02/this-is-what-its-about-reflections-from-dark-horse/

We had light rain here in Capitola early this morning. Not drizzle but honest rain. No mention of precip by the NWS, although they are calling for arrival, beginning late tomorrow, of big southerly swells from current Cat 2 hurricane Fabio, southwest of Baja. Fabio will have no effect on the SHTP as he is too far east and south. But hopefully the wetness will help extinguish the out-of-control fires in Northern CA.

I had to laugh at Mike's recent experience on JACQUELINE of hearing pinging noises. Wrote Mike: "While catching some shut eye, I'm awoken by “ping, ping, ping, ping” what the hell is THAT!!!! Why its the mixer ball bearing in the MacLube can. Sir, fancy any lubrication today?"

I once had a similar, but different, experience short tacking WILDFLOWER through the pass at Raiatea. Somehow in the tool locker the lid on the can of WD-40 had come adrift, allowing the weight of a tool to press against the nozzle, filling the cabin with a fine, oily mist. As Mike says, "Fancy any lubrication today?"

They say you can use WD-40 for just about anything, including exterminating coackroaches, preventing snow buildup on your windows, lubing guitar strings, waterproofing shoes, cleaning and restoring license plates, removing barnacles from your boat bottom, catching more fish by spraying on lures and live bait, and renewing faded plastic furniture.

All the above may be true. But I really can't think of any good that came of WD-40 sprayed randomly inside a small boat cabin.

Ah, the Joys.

[pogen]

I have the same issue (needing to refresh the page each time). It's always been that way with Christine and Jonathan's site, NorCalSailing as well. Not sure why.

In general, your browser will cache the old content, and doesn't generally notice when a page has changed. One needs to hit the page refresh button manually.

I added a couple of plugins this morning, one that supposedly inhibits browser caching so that won't be such a problem, and one that displays the first picture of a news post with the short excerpt on the Home page. The Home page displays short excerpts (and now pics) for the 10 most recent news stories. I'm not sure if the anti-caching thing is actually working as it is hard to test.

I see that Ray has also done some behind the scenes work in the last few days to eliminate some of the annoying and weird popup behaviors of the embedded tracker. Thanks!

[BobJ]

You guys are great and are really adding to the experience for us desk-bound SHTP junkies. I do have a question however.

How come when I switch to Satellite view and zoom all the way in, I can't see the actual boats?



:)

[pogen]

Thanks Bob.

The pic excerpt thing is supposed to show on the first pic, but it seems like you see all the pics.

You get what you pay for .

[sleddog]

.
How come when I switch to Satellite view and zoom all the way in, I can't see the actual boats?:)

Bob,
Likely the reason you can't see the boats on satellite full zoom is you are looking where they were at the tracker report. Not where they are now.

I found RAINBOW just fine. https://videohive.net/item/lone-sailboat-on-the-sea-surface-aerial-top-view/21581991

Kidding aside, back in the day families and friends flying to Hawaii on United to meet their boats were invited to the planes' cockpits to talk with the racing crews far below on VHF. The fleet knew what time the flights were coming overhead, and would listen for their boat to be called by the United pilot. Exciting stuff.

[BobJ]

Oh yeah - that must be it.

Go RAINBOW!

[pogen]

RAINBOW is doing pretty well. I asked him at the picnic if he was going to beat the 1D35, since he was a cat and cats are fast. He laughed and said he usually finished mid-fleet. RAINBOW weighs 10,000 lbs, and probably has similar wetted area to a similar keelboat, although probably stiffer to the wind and maybe has a long waterline.

[DaveH]

This update from CRINAN II, just now to RC inbox...

500 miles: Accidental jibe, broke endless mainsheet.
Lost control of sail and wishbone.
Recaptured.
Jibing back , sail tore.
Choker broken.
Continuing

what I got, hot of the boat... greetings from Kauai.
Keep refreshing your browsers.

DH

[sleddog]

This update from CRINAN II, just now to RC inbox...

500 miles: Accidental jibe, broke endless mainsheet.
Lost control of sail and wishbone.
Recaptured.
Jibing back , sail tore.
Choker broken.
Continuing

what I got, hot of the boat... greetings from Kauai.
Keep refreshing your browsers.

DH

Wow! It ain't over 'til its over. Hope the sail isn't torn too badly. I wonder if he carries a spare? Or just one sail aboard.

[hodgmo]

Wow! It ain't over 'til its over. Hope the sail isn't torn too badly. I wonder if he carries a spare? Or just one sail aboard.

Or, if not, I hope he has a loaded awl and a large roll of sail tape.

[Philpott]

Or, if not, I hope he has a loaded awl and a large roll of sail tape. Well, Synthia brought her tools, her scissors, a hot knife and her skill, and she's here waiting for the fleet. This is a well oiled machine, the SSS Race Committee.

[sleddog]

Don's speed on CRINAN seems unaffected by his little accidental jibe drama yesterday. In fact, CRINAN is averaging .3 knots faster than DOUBLE-X. Apparently the mainsail tear is not a major issue. And Don should win the 2018 SHTP if he keeps things together, avoiding RIMPAC's practice torpedos and rocket shots.

RIFF RIDER has AP issues and is steering at right angles to course at 3 knots. My guess is 75% of the fleet has had AP issues at some point. Good thing the RC is an AP specialist/manufacturer. Hanalei is about to become the auto-pilot capitol of the world.

If all goes well, PJ on DOUBLE EXPRESSO should finish about sunrise tomorrow, HDT (PDT+3). Good time for waterfalls and rainbows. Less so for wind. My guess is PJ will be happy to run his generator one last time.

If you want to watch DOUBLE EXPRESSO cross, this webcam looks out on the finish. https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/hanalei-bay-resort

If you just want to listen to Hanalei Community radio, KKCR is a good bet. http://www.kkcr.org/

And if you hanker for some shave ice, there are 3 locations in Hanalei Village, all pretty much next door to each other. Wishing Well, Jojo's, and Shave Ice Paradise.

RC welcome boat gets launched today from Anini. No launch ramp available at Hanalei. The Commodore mentioned the RC welcome boat will get "slashed." Me thinks he means "splashed." But you never can tell with this SHTP group.

Radio watch begins tonight up at Princeville about mid-night. I don't believe they will have to negotiate private property in the dark, climbing ankle deep in mud, carrying an antenna as previously. But, again, never can tell.:D

[sleddog]

View from Pu'u Poa Pt., just east of Hanalei Bay. The imaginary outer end of the finish line is 1/2 mile seaward, through the two palms on the right, crossing from right to left.

3594

Not too early to be giving serious consideration to the 2020 Single Handed TransPac. Good boats available. Seems faraway. But time is short. Give it a go, and you won't be sorry. You might even meet the General!

3595

[sleddog]

It ain't over 'til its over. PJ's about to finish. That's big news. But CRINAN is broken ...no autopilots and no lights to steer by in the dark .....Making 2 knots on the tracker. Ouch. Don's OK and can still win. But its seemingly becoming chancy. Little margin left unless he gets an AP working, or hand steers the rest of the way.....An LED flashlite/headlamp should work for the compass light. But greater than 24 hours hand steering?

Latest from Don on CRINAN:

15:54 PST 7/4
More fun. The second tiller pilot died. Spend afternoon field stripping both.
15:55 PST 7/4
I’m now testing it to see how long it lasts. If it’s also place it will be a slow trip home.
22:43 PST 7/4
The tiller pilot lasted until 12:30. Try driving for a while but with no lights I couldn’t concentrate on the compass for over an hour.

[sleddog]

DOUBLE EXPRESSO smells the barn. Errrr. DOUBLE EXPRESSO smelling like the barn? Either way, PJ is only 7 miles from the finish at 0734 this morning, 0434 Hawaiian time.

DOUBLE EXPRESSO's finish time of less than 12 days is pretty darn good for a first time singlehander across the Pacific!

[sleddog]

From 2,000 miles away, exciting to see PJ round the corner on the live webcam and cross the SHTP finish line at Hanalei ~ 8:38 a.m. PDT, 5:38 a.m. HST

Despite the early hour, the full finish crew is at attention: Synthia and Rob standing by to help lower sails. David on the beach to time finish. Christine and Jonathan also there to photo...

Aloha and Congrats, Philippe Jamotte and DOUBLE EXPRESSO!

[Submarino]

Amazing!! Welcome to the warmth of Kauai, Phillippe! Congratulations! It was very nice to see DE finish in the morning light for him and us. Thanks for the web cam link, Sled dog!

[sleddog]

CRINAN is back underway and up to full speed, hand steering, after being hove-to much of the night. If my math is right, Don now has ~ 27 hours, 16 minutes to run 230 miles to win overall on handicap. That's an 8.5 knot average to arrive by 9:14 a.m. HST tomorrow, Friday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWtNtO5ELQw

[pogen]

Excellent job DX. Congratulations!

[sleddog]

Excellent job DX. Congratulations!

DOUBLE EXPRESSO averaged 7.9 knots for the course ....impressive for a 30 footer, solo.

3596
photo courtesy Synthia

[Submarino]

Congratulations Passages, Aloha! Very Well done sailing thru the Gauntlet! Great seeing you on the Hanalei evening Cam! You & Phillipe may be up all night again.

[sleddog]

With 3 racers now at anchor in Hanalei Bay, the RC can take a brief respite before CRINAN and RAINBOW appear over the horizon. CRINAN, without an auto-pilot, and possibly with a torn mainsail, is alternatively heaving to and drifting at 2 knots for rest, and surfing at 8.5 knot average while hand steering. Not easy sail handling for Don, lowering and raising his main in tradewind conditions.

Unofficially, at 9:14 a.m. HST this morning. PJ on DOUBLE EXPRESSO becomes overall winner of the 2018 Single Handed Transpac, completing his clean sweep of first-to-finish, first-in-class, and first-overall, something not done since Adrian Johnson did it in 2010 on his O-30 IDEFIX.

There have now been 21 different Olson-30's compete in the SHTP over the years. Easy to sail, strong, fast, and fun. Do we see a trend? There's seems to be a nice little O-30 fleet collecting at Nawiliwili YC. Is that where DOUBLE EXPRESSO will find a new home?

Meanwhile, thanks to CHAUTAUQUA for alerting us to a fun little story of ADVENTURE, a truly small boat on a big ocean crossing. The fact this little ship is missing at sea, takes nothing away from the accomplishment. And no, this is not a stunt but a wonderful fulfillment of two Scottish brothers' dream.

ADVENTURE's Yellow Brick Tracker stopped working 14 months ago, 30 miles west of Barbados. Readers in the Caribbean, keep your eyes out for ADVENTURE on a beach near you!

https://www.facebook.com/GIAdventure.Fans/videos/1751596171550905/

or https://qz.com/1259482/a-playmobil-pirate-ship-is-sailing-around-the-world-thanks-to-two-scottish-kids/

You can watch this short film without being a Facebook member, as I am not.

[sleddog]

If you haven't been following Mike Cunningham's SHTP adventure on JACQUELINE, you are in for a treat. Mike's sleep deprivation, his imagination, and writing ability has combined to make him the outstanding correspondent of this year's SHTP. Imagine his crew of Yellowcoat, the Chihuahuas, the Chipmunks, the Dude, the Drill Sargent, and goodness knows who else he has aboard....

When Mike hits the beach at Hanalei, you may want to offer assistance in the form of a cold drink. Meanwhile, Mr. Cunningham, a SHTP recidivist, is doing remarkably well, boat for boat ahead of a SC-27. He also holds the 2018 SHTP record for reefing/unreefing, 21 attempts and counting.

http://sfbaysss.org/shtp2018/blog/

[Submarino]

Looking at the estimated finishes, does it not appear that Rainbow will be the overall corrected winner (about 6 hrs ahead of Double Expresso)?

Nonetheless, quite an accomplishment for both. I would love to hear the stories at the Tree!

[sleddog]

Looking at the estimated finishes, does it not appear that Rainbow will be the overall corrected winner (about 6 hrs ahead of Double Expresso)?

RAINBOW, a catamaran, is handicapped under the MPPHRF, unlike the monos using SHTPR. RAINBOW will win her division and the Orcon Multi-hull trophy, but is not racing against the monos except for fun, and not eligible for overall corrected... That is my unofficial interpretation and has been true since the beginning.

This is RAINBOW's first, second, third, or fourth passage to Hawaii under Cliff's ownership? Prize for correct answer is a mai-tai with Synthia and Jackie at CBC.

[Intermission]

This is RAINBOW's first, second, third, or fourth passage to Hawaii under Cliff's ownership? Prize for correct answer is a mai-tai with Synthia and Jackie at CBC.

Second.

[sleddog]

Second.

Thank you, INTERMISSION, but this being the second passage to Hawaii for RAINBOW under Cliff's ownership is not the correct answer...

[Philpott]

Don Martin arrived just before dark. Synthia has learned how to drive the Sea Squirrel, which is no small feat! It requires a certain combination of sensitivity and tough love. There have been some questions about our little boat, such as, why is the bilge full of water? Do we have to worry about that? Why don't the running lights work any more? Do we have to worry about that? On the one hand, Syn's special solar lanterns with the Halloween designs are very attractive. On the other, we don't want to draw the attention of the Coast Guard any sooner than necessary.

Last evening (or the evening before ... they all begin to run together now), the Commodore and I headed out for our midnight swim to the Sea Squirrel to collect one of those pesky singlehanded sailors. On the way to the water we met up with two Hanalei Bay police officers. They were gently discouraging people from staying overnight in park.

We were dressed for success in shorts and ratty shirts, with headlamps on our heads. David veered over to reassure the police officers that we were not planning to sleep in the park, but were instead planning to swim out to a small boat and greet a sailor. "Oh, okay" they responded. "Let us know if you need anything." Huh? Thank you, officers. How about a bigger boat with more reliable electronics and a pier to go with that?

When Synthia and I were shopping for mai tai fixins she had a list of requirements that included pineapple juice, orange juice, grenadine, two kinds of rum (one big bottle and one bigger bottle), pineapple stalks and lime. My ONLY requirement was paper umbrellas. "Nah," scoffed Synthia. "Besides, those are hard to find!" As indeed they were.

We wandered up and down every aisle of Costco in Lihue, then in Safeway Lihue. I drove to Princeville in search of umbrellas, and searched every aisle of every specialty store in Hanalei Bay. No umbrellas. What is wrong with this picture? I whined. Synthia rolled her eyes and ignored me as she sampled and refined the welcome mai tais.

Greg Ashby and I both climbed aboard Don Martin's Crinan II as he slowed to a stop in Hanalei Bay. The first thing Don asked was, "Where can I get a shower?" Greg Ashby and I both laughed. I asked Don whether he was ready for a mai tai. His response? "Will it have an umbrella?" This man who had just sailed across an ocean, who hand steered non stop for the past nineteen hours, shares my keen sense of tradition.

[sleddog]

3597

[Submarino]

I believe Cliff was already an SHTP vet. Then, I remember that he sailed from the South Seas to meet the SHTP 2014 Nut Jobs, so that's two, now he will be on his 3rd passage to Hawaii I think.

I will forever be indebted to Cliff for saving my boat from washing onto the East coral of Hanalei Bay. I was knocked out in dream land while Cliff and the other locals & passage makers secured my drifting boat in the wee dark hours of the morning.

The next day, I took the second anchor and with Brian's help put 2 down. I dived it regularly to check its grab.

Thanks Cliff!

[sleddog]

I believe Cliff was already an SHTP vet. Then, I remember that he sailed from the South Seas to meet the SHTP 2014 Nut Jobs, so that's two, now he will be on his 3rd passage to Hawaii I think.

I will forever be indebted to Cliff for saving my boat from washing onto the East coral of Hanalei Bay. I was knocked out in dream land while Cliff and the other locals & passage makers secured my drifting boat in the wee dark hours of the morning.

The next day, I took the second anchor and with Brian's help put 2 down. I dived it regularly to check its grab.

Thanks Cliff!

Thanks, Joe. Yes, this is RAINBOW's third passage to Hawaii under Cliff Shaw's ownership. His first in the 2012 SHTP, his second in 2014.

Our friend Cliff is good to have nearby on the ocean if you have trouble. In 2008 he received the Arthur B. Hanson Rescue Medal for the following rescue:

The Officers, Directors and Members of US SAILING are pleased to present the ARTHUR B. HANSON RESCUE MEDAL
to Clifford Shaw & Gregory Yankelovich for the rescue as follows:Rainbow, a Crowther 10 Metre cat amaran owned and skippered by Clifford Shaw (Walnt Creek, Calif.), was twenty miles off the California mainland, in 12-foot seas, 50-degree water, and wind gusting to 30 knots, Rainbow was following the San Francisco Bay Area Multihull Association’s Doublehanded Farallones Race.

Shaw noticed a competing boat, Pterodactyl, sailing erratically near the Farallon Islands with no one on deck. He spotted two swimmers wearing inflated life jackets and threw them a Lifesling, but it fell short. He turned on his engines and circled the men until they grabbed the Lifesling. Shaw shut down the engines and with his crew, Gregory Yankelovich, pulled the men to the boat and helped them up the swim ladder. Rainbow chased Pterodactyl, which was sailing west, for 90 minutes until a Coast Guard 44-footer arrived on the scene. Neither crew wanted to risk boarding in these rough conditions. Shaw requested that the Coast Guard put Rainbow’s EPIRB (tracking transmitter) on Pterodactyl. The boat was subsequently spotted in the Pacific but not recovered and is presumed lost.

3600

[sleddog]

I watched CRINAN cross the finish and enter Hanalei Bay last evening on the webcam. Funny, I couldn't see much of a sail. Jackie reports " Don's main is literally in shreds. ."

Apparently there is no requirement to carry a spare main.

[sleddog]

Oh, dear. To add injury to environmental insult of minimal moon illumination, the Southerly Surge that vexed the back markers of the SHTP on their first night/day is about to make a reappearance just in time for the Wed., Thurs., and likely Friday starts of the upcoming Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Kaneohe, Hawaii.

The Monday (tomorrow's) starters should be able to get clear of the Coast and out to the Windy Reach without complaint. This includes 7 Express-27's, six racing DH. The crews of Classes B,C,D, and E, starting 2,3, and 4 days later, (63% of the racing fleet) may have the unenviable choice of choosing port or starboard tack to get clear of the Coast.

If the Southerly Surge does appear, it likely will assure the Overall Corrected Time Winner comes from Monday's group of starters. This is the bargain one makes with the weather gods when starting (or finishing) over a 5 day period.

The 14 entrants in the Kolea Cruising Division of the Pac Cup should not be bothered with potentially light winds. Motoring is allowed at any time, for any length of time. Absurd as it sounds, potentially possible for a Pac Cup entrant in this division to cross the start line under power and motor out under the Golden Gate with sails furled. Don't want to miss the finish parties. :cool:

[Howard Spruit]

"
Motoring is allowed at any time, for any length of time.

Wow, I have obviously been out of the loop on this one!
Are masts and sails required?

[sleddog]

"
Wow, I have obviously been out of the loop on this one!
Are masts and sails required?

H~
I am not about to parse the nuances of eligibility and requirements for the Pacific Cup. I don't see where masts are required. Perhaps they are assumed. Entrants are required to have storm sails, and at least one halyard that reaches the water.

In brief, the NOR says "The Pacific Cup is open to seaworthy monohull boats. Multihull boats may be accepted by specific request to PCYC. A boat must be seaworthy and capable of making a safe passage from San Francisco to Hawaii and return. Minimum length 23'9". Entrants will be required to comply with the Pacific Cup Equipment Requirements list."

"5.1 Cruising Division Boats entered in a Cruising Division are required to meet all requirements of racing boats except for ratings, and they may use any combination of sails and mechanical propulsion."

~~~~~~~/)~~~~~~~~^~~~~~~~~~

Theoretically, if a boat in the Cruising Division were fast enough, and carried enough fuel, she could be First-to-Finish. But Pac Cup cruisers aren't eligible for trophies.

I once knew the delivery captain of a 45 foot sports fisher. He loaded his aft deck with fuel drums and made it to Hawaii in 4 days by taking position along the aft quarter and in the lee and smoothed waters created by a California to Hawaii container ship traveling at 20 knots. I kid you not.

[sleddog]

The SHTP fleet's honest-to-god cowboy from Montana just finished on his DARK HORSE. Yiii Doggies, Congrats, Shad!
Closely followed by Tom on JOUJOU. Way to go, Tom!

It's gonna be a busy afternoon for the Hanalei Finish crew. All hands on deck as JACQUELINE, DOLFIN, CRAZY RHYTHM, and IRIS make their final approach. During daylight. What a concept.

Here's a video of Commodore Herrigel and his SHTP finishing and welcoming crew doing their thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk7yqlTMvp8

And here's another SHTP finish at Hanalei, from another day, another year....12:22 PM, July 28, 2008. An original oil by Ruth Petroka, Synthia's mom, of WILDFLOWER, my home, consort, and magic carpet for 33 years, 1975-2008.

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[sleddog]

Except for well earned Tree Time at Hanalei Beach Park, the Prize Giving at Nawiliwili YC, and getting the boats home, the Singlehanded Transpac is Pau.

Congrats to All: the skippers, their support crews of significant others and friends. And especially to Brian and Dave and their all volunteer shore crews at both the SHTP Start and Finish for running this memorable race to Paradise. What a Team! You are heroes, all.

At the same time, 2,000 miles north and east, the Race2Alaska has also just concluded. 21 finishers of 32 starters.

It may seem unfair that in both this years SHTP and the R2AK it was winner take all. But it's the stories, memories, and friendships that will survive. An all woman's team sailing (and pedaling) a mono-hull wins the R2AK? Yup. A relative newbie to racing and ocean passage-making winning the SHTP?

Both winning crews in these diverse adventure races had something much in common, not only with each other, but with everyone in their fleets: Commitment.

I wouldn't have given 2 cents for some of the R@AK boats I saw in Port Townsend making it to Ketchikan. A Hobie 20 beach cat? An SUP? A cloth, take-apart kayak that could be portaged along the way? I just shook my head in wonder. Except for Josh on the SUP who suffered medical issues at half-way, those boats and others stuck the course.

Something to be said for determination. I saw it in everyone's eyes at the skippers meeting and on the docks at CYC before the start of the Singlehanded Transpac. Goodness knows I saw determination and commitment in Shad, Mike, Lee, Carliane, David, PJ, Don, Mike, and all the rest who have spent so much time, effort, money and commitment to make their dreams happen.

Well Done.

[tiger beetle]

Except for well earned Tree Time at Hanalei Beach Park, the Prize Giving at Nawiliwili YC, and getting the boats home, the Singlehanded Transpac is Pau.

Hi Skip - we still have one competitor on the course and he's closing in on Hanalei as I type: Morning Star was 52 miles out a couple of hours ago, and is due to cross the finish line this evening - then everyone should make it to Tree! Lee has been active on the SSB net and Morning Star a particularly strong signal - now he has nobody to talk with as his fellow SSB-group have already finished.

Should be fun to have him in! Hopefully we can pick him up on VHF later on this afternoon as he approaches Kauai.

- rob/beetle

PS - your analysis and commentary have been fantastic reading, thank you very much for adding all the history and crazy stories of races past. Somehow I suspect there are even more stories that would be fun to hear!

[sleddog]

Hi Skip - we still have one competitor on the course and he's closing in on Hanalei as I type: Morning Star was 52 miles out a couple of hours ago, and is due to cross the finish line this evening - then everyone should make it to Tree! Lee has been active on the SSB net and Morning Star a particularly strong signal - now he has nobody to talk with as his fellow SSB-group have already finished.

Should be fun to have him in! Hopefully we can pick him up on VHF later on this afternoon as he approaches Kauai.
- rob/beetle
PS - your analysis and commentary have been fantastic reading, thank you very much for adding all the history and crazy stories of races past. Somehow I suspect there are even more stories that would be fun to hear!

Hi Rob,
Yes, I knew Lee on MORNING STAR is still at sea today, Tuesday, 17 days after the start. Just checking to see if anyone is paying attention...:cool:

Why do I think just about everyone associated with this year's SHTP will be at Tree Time and on Hanalei's beach sand this evening around sunset to welcome Lee and MORNING STAR across the finish and into the anchorage?

Lee will be coming into view on the right hand side of the webcam at https://hdontap.com/index.php/video/stream/hanalei-bay-resort ), probably an hour before sunset. Check the tracker. He was 33 miles out at 10:17 HST, making 4.7 knots.

While awaiting the winner of the Perseverance Trophy to round Pu'u Poa Point, here is a trivia for drinks and pupus on the deck of the CBC for the first correct answer.

As odd as it may seem, which one (1) of the below is not true:

1) A lady singlehander went overboard, was dragged alongside for 12 hours, and lived to tell about it at Tree Time.
2) A Coast Guard buoy tender once laid a red bell buoy for the Hanalei finish line.
3) A wood boat designed in 1926 and built not much later once won the SHTP.
4) Two vets of the SHTP married and celebrated their anniversary competing against each other.
5) A tired SHTP competitor sailed right by Kauai and onward over the horizon before discovering no island.
6) A blind sailor not only finished the SHTP, but trophied as well.
7) A SHTP boat was invaded by aliens, causing the skipper to step off his boat.
8) An Olson 30 sank off Hanalei, the skipper rescued.
9) Ken Roper, the "General," reputedly carried a golf bag of spare autopilots.
10) No schooners have ever completed the SHTP.

Ready, Set, Go

[BobJ]

A Toilet Seat 30 sank? Nah, I'm going with #8.

A Hobie 33 did hit the reef - I don't recall if it sank.

[Jonathan Gutoff]

No.10

[Philpott]

July 10, 2018 p.m.
boy oh boy, has this been fun! Our new best friend Dennis of s/v Pamela was worn out by all the calls for his little dinghy. When it came time to go out to meet Lee on Morning Star, for the first time Dennis didn't answer the radio. So we pressed Rob Macfarlane into service one more time. He grumbled a bit, thinking that he should be getting ready for Tree Time, but we whined about getting wet and so off we went up the beach to where his little Tiger Cub Beetle waited for us on the bank of the River.

We needed a ride on Rob's dinghy because Larry Conklin told us we couldn't motor the Sea Squirrel up the River. He said motoring up the river is Too Dangerous. As if anything is too dangerous for Synthia.

So there we were, Synthia, Christine, Rob and me out to greet Lee. By the time Sea Squirrel met up with him inside the surf line Lee had his sails down and neatly flaked. He was motoring with his Monitor windvane steering because something happened to his autopilot. Lots of issues with autopilots this race. His cabin was clean and neat, his anchor was ready to go on the bow, on top of the most organized pile of flaked anchor chain and rode I'd seen all week.

As we approached the lovely Morning Star, his Valiant 32, Lee smiled broadly and raised both arms in exhilaration. "Aloha!" he cried.

"Welcome to Hanalei Bay!" We responded.

Christine noted that he was wearing jeans. Just sailed across an ocean and he's wearing jeans? He made this race look easy, for crying out loud. When we boarded Lee told us that he had had such a great time the last three days that he considered finishing the race then sailing on except that he was out of water. Something about cooking and washing dishes and bathing Huh. That cabin looked a whole lot different than the cabins of the 30 foot boats, I can attest to that.

So, in case anyone thought we had forgotten about Morning Star, I promise you we didn't. That's a man who loves his boat. It seemed like he almost forgot about us, he was having such a good time sailing it.

[pogen]

Hey guys,

I'm giving a seminar Friday on shorthand sailing to our work group (my boss caught me looking at the SHTP tracker at work, and so my secret history was revealed), and I was hoping someone could refresh me on the story of they guy who decided to commune with the aliens. I remember hearing it, but don't remember any details.

Part of my talk will be on safety, and its my recollection that there has never been a fatality in either the SHTP or the PacCup. I know we've had people drop out for heath reasons. I don't think this topic is covered in "Not a Yacht Club".

Thanks!

David

[sleddog]

While awaiting the winner of the Perseverance Trophy to round Pu'u Poa Point, here is a trivia for drinks and pupus on the deck of the CBC for the first correct answer.
As odd as it may seem, which one (1) of the below is not true:

1) A lady singlehander went overboard, was dragged alongside for 12 hours, and lived to tell about it at Tree Time.
2) A Coast Guard buoy tender once laid a red bell buoy for the Hanalei finish line.
3) A wood boat designed in 1926 and built not much later once won the SHTP.
4) Two vets of the SHTP married and celebrated their anniversary competing against each other.
5) A tired SHTP competitor sailed right by Kauai and onward over the horizon before discovering no island.
6) A blind sailor not only finished the SHTP, but trophied as well.
7) A SHTP boat was invaded by aliens, causing the skipper to step off his boat.
8) An Olson 30 sank off Hanalei, the skipper rescued.
9) Ken Roper, the "General," reputedly carried a golf bag of spare autopilots.
10) No schooners have ever completed the SHTP.


Jonathan wins drinks and pupus on the CBC deck. Only #10 is not true. The beautiful black hulled Peterson schooner THALES competed and finished the first SHTP, 1978. As for #'s 1-9, they are factual.

Though details are sparse, #7 happened in the 2000 SHTP aboard SPACE COWBOY, a "bargain basement" Hobie 33 that had been wrecked on Lake Tahoe and rebuilt.

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When 400 miles out of Hanalei, SPACE COWBOY's skipper radioed the RC he had damaged rigging. The RC notified the CG. The next thing anyone knows is SPACE COWBOY's skipper abandoned ship, fortunately with his EPIRB in his raft.

The EPIRB signal triggered a search by Coast Guard and Air Force aircraft, and the raft was sighted by a search plane who directed a Navy frigate 50 miles away to retrieve SPACE COWBOY's skipper, where he was taken aboard and returned to the ship's homeport of Everett, Washington.

Another SHTP competitor aboard the O-30 STILL CRAZY temporarily abandoned the Race and went in hunt for SPACE COWBOY, which he intended to tow to port. The skipper of STILL CRAZY never found SPACE COWBOY and resumed his voyage to Hanalei.

Though I do not know the source, legend has it SPACE COWBOY's skipper, a software developer from San Leandro, heard voices which prompted his abandoning ship. Whether true or not, I could certainly understand a combination of sun, heat, dehydration, sleep deprivation, boat motion and noise, and possibly drugs may have contributed.

As far as I know, no one has ever heard further from SPACE COWBOY's skipper as to what happened.

Perhaps SoloSailor, Harrier, or Foxx Fyre, who were all in the 2000 SHTP, could shed more light on the incident.

[AlanH]

Ha!..funny. I'm also giving a talk on shorthanded sailboat racing here at work. It's in about 3 weeks.

[Lanikai]

Your places of work sound much more fun than mine!

[tiger beetle]

Perhaps SoloSailor, Harrier, or Foxx Fyre, who were all in the 2000 SHTP, could shed more light on the incident.

The additional pieces I was told:

The skipper was certain that space aliens were tracking his boat and were coming to get him - the boat was the problem as it could be tracked, he had to get away. To avoid abduction he took his EPIRB with him into the liferaft and abandoned the boat. Shortly thereafter the US Navy arrived and recovered him.

At least he took the EPIRB with him and used the liferaft - otherwise things might have turned out quite differently.

- rob/beetle

[sleddog]

If you want some brief sailing excitment this afternoon, check out the start of Class E of the Pacific Cup. These are five 70 footers and one mis-matched 40 footer, the big bucks programs. At least 2 of the boats will have $1,000/day pro crews.

How are they gonna fit 6 boats on the St. Francis YC start line, barely long enough for two? Tune in at 2:30 pm, PDT) for the 2:40 warning signal, and 2:45 pm start. http://12.201.135.206/Race%20Deck/siteproxy.html

Forecast is for 18-22 knots at the start. These biggees, especially the tender PROSPECTOR, RUNAWAY, RAGE, and PYEWACKET, are gonna be way tipped.

Here's the tiller-steered, 70 foot Tom Wylie designed RAGE.
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We haven't seen such excitement at a Pac Cup start since '96 when Lat-38's Max Ebb and crew of the Swan 47 TACONY PALMYRA accidentally got their recently stowed fenders fouled in the lazarette and ground them into the steering cables. This caused TACONY PALMYRA to lose steering and unable to tack as they crossed the St.FYC start line. The result was TACONY PALMYRA starboard tacking the St.Fancy bar, luckily stopping by going aground before sticking the bow pulpit through the plate glass window.

Speaking of fouled steering, SSS stalwart GREEN BUFFALO, with skipper Jim and his two sons aboard, found BUFF's steering cables inoperative on the Windy Reach Tuesday. No problem for Jim. He just put their Cal-40 on her reliable auto-pilot, disconnected the steering cables, and made repairs.

GREEN BUFFALO, one of the Pac Cup starters launched on Monday, is currently well north of Great Circle, and lies First Overall in Pacific Cup standings. Can Jim make his northern course stick? There's a big area of light winds directly ahead. How's he gonna get around that?

Someone from the Monday group is gonna win the Pacific Cup. The Wednesday and Thursday starters have been suffering light southerly winds from a weak and dissipating (1014 mb.) cut-off Low 200 miles west of San Francisco. Today's Class E will also be slowed by light west winds tonight and Saturday. Beating to Hawaii on port tack? You betcha.

Here's the Pac Cup Tracker, delayed 6 hours.
https://pacificcup.org/tracking.html

Although currently out of prizes, here is your Friday the 13th sailing trivia. What Class E 70 foot maxi in today's Pacific Cup start group once tipped over and crushed the owner's new Porsche? Was it PYEWACKET, RAGE, WESTERLY, PROSPECTOR, or RUNAWAY?

[pogen]

Thanks for the lore on SPACE COWBOY guys.

[BobJ]

One of the top-ten finishers in the inaugural Race to Alaska was Team Mau, racing a 17' Nacra beach cat. You might recall that much of that year's fleet spent several days pinned down by 30 knot winds in Johnstone Strait. I figured that to have still finished, Team Mau's skipper must be a special kind of over-the-top extreme sailing dude. So I was surprised when Phil Wampold's name popped up on our owners' forum a few months ago, wanting to purchase a relatively sedate J/92. I pointed him to a good example for sale in Southern California and the next thing I knew, he was sailing it up the coast to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, his home port. I'd offered to let him borrow Rags' trailer for the trip but he was fine with sailing it up the coast.

Soon after, Phil bought a couple used sails from me and started racing the boat, then mentioned that he planned to enter the 2018 Pacific Cup.

After a wild sail down the coast and through gale alley, Phil and three crew arrived at Richmond Yacht Club a couple weeks ago. Last weekend we took the two 92's out for a "sparring" session:

36073608

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[Philpott]

After a wild sail down the coast and through gale alley, Phil and three crew arrived at Richmond Yacht Club a couple weeks ago. Last weekend we took the two 92's out for a "sparring" session:

Very cool, Bob! Keeping those sails in the family! And there is Ragtime! with her perfectly trimmed sails, looking beautiful on the wild and wooley San Francisco Bay. Hanalei Bay was so calm by comparison!

[sleddog]

Last evening's proximity of Venus to the lower left tip of a 12% una moon was a highlite in the western sky after sunset. The distance between the two sky dancers was less than a finger's width at arm's length..

3620

I awoke to find the sky had something else in it. One of WILDFLOWER's two masthead, water-activated PFD's had inflated, despite the absence of rain for weeks. Both units live in a protective acrylic canvas bag that is intended to burst open along its Velcro seam when submerged.

3621

I think I need to investigate a 4.5 pound Russell Brown "Blimpy" for my 22 foot cat...Inside the fiberglas shell is a Davis radar reflector.

3622

3623

[Philpott]

I think I need to investigate a 4.5 pound Russell Brown "Blimpy" for my 22 foot cat...Inside the fiberglas shell is a Davis radar reflector.3623

OMG That is a lovely item, is it not? Nothing in a Cartier window is as beautifully made or displayed.

[BobJ]

Jackie, I think you secretly want one of Russell's PT-11s. I'll go halves with you.

I'll even let you pick which half you want.

[sleddog]

OMG That is a lovely item, is it not? Nothing in a Cartier window is as beautifully made or displayed.

Jacqueline, qui est Cartier?

I used to sail with IOR yacht designer Dick Carter on his RED ROOSTER. But Dick was a Yankee from Nahant, 15 miles north of Boston, and the windows in his design office were for telescopes in a six story cement tower.

No, that's not it. You must mean Jacques Cartier, the famed Breton sailor, explorer, and cartographer who made 3 voyages (1534, 1535-36, 1541-42) to the Newe World, and named and claimed Canada for the French, thinking he had reached China?

FYI: I believe Dick Carter is coming out with his autobiography in the near future. One of our Forum's correspondents, red roo, helped edit Dick Carter's story and restore historical photos.

3625

As for Carter's windows, his yacht design office in the six story tower in Nahant was once used for WWII Boston Harbor defenses and as a spotting tower for testing the new fangled radar being fine tuned by Raytheon in the main house adjoining the Tower.

3624

Nearby to the "Tower" was a gun battery at Nahant's East Point. The gun battery was only test fired once, as its concussions broke many windows of local Nahant residences.

[Philpott]

Jacqueline, qui est Cartier?

Yes, of course that Carter. Thank you for catching my misspelling, Clever Boy.

[sleddog]

If we didn't know better, we would be hard pressed to guess this smiling group of sailors just soloed from San Francisco to Kauai in the 2018 Singlehanded Transpacific Race.

3626

Thanks to Patty Meanley for sharing this photo which lets us put faces with boat names. L to R:
Bill Meanley (DOLFIN); John Woodworth (OWL); Mike Cunningham (kneeling) (JACQUELINE); David Clark (PASSAGES); Carlianne Johnson (kneeling) KYNNTANA; Lee Johnson (MORNING STAR); Chris Case (FUGU); Philippe Jamotte (DOUBLE EXPRESSO); Don Martin (CRINAN II); John Simpson (CRAZY RHYTHM); Greg Ashby (NIGHTMARE); Charley Casey (RIFF RIDER); John Colby (IRIS); Tom Boussie (JOUJOU); Shad Lemke (DARK HORSE); Not Pictured - Cliff Shaw RAINBOW.

The beautiful and historic trophies are front and center. We are so fortunate to have them as their plaques have special names, dates, and history. At one point this year our hard working Commodore David fended off a legal "cease and desist" challenge to the Singlehanded Transpac from another race that wanted the trophy plaques and bronze belt buckles sent to them to be melted down. Congratulations, David Herrigel, from all of us for all you have given to sailors of the SSS and SHTP.

[The Smokester]

...At one point this year our hard working Commodore David fended off a legal "cease and desist" challenge to the Singlehanded Transpac from another race that wanted the trophy plaques and bronze belt buckles sent to them to be melted down. Congratulations, David Herrigel, from all of us for all you have given to sailors of the SSS and SHTP.

Brings to mind: "... pry them from my cold, dead fingers."

[sleddog]

We don't need no stinkin' GPS. What looks below like a patch of unmown clover in the yard at Capitola Boat Club is actually a hotbed of celestial navigation.

3634

Though not visible in the photo, CBC's clover patch is filled with bees, as many as 35-50 on a sunny morning. Not a place to step barefoot!

As was first proven 80 odd years ago using painted bees, bees navigate with 5 eyes (2 big, 3 small) that compute the bearing of the sun. When a foraging bee returns to the hive, she performs a figure eight "waggle dance" consisting of a short run ending in opposing half circles that returns her to the beginning point of her run. The direction of her run, the "waggle," indicates the bearing of the food source with respect to the sun.

An observing sister bee remembers the angle between the sun. When she flies out of the hive, the sister bee takes a quick sun sight using her polarized sensitive eyes that allow navigation even on cloudy days, and buzzes away on a "beeline," at the same angle as her mates waggle dance. In addition, the longer the waggle, the further the food source. 1 sec of waggle equals approximately 1 km of distance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ijI-g4jHg

Next time you are enjoying a p-nut butter, sliced banana, and honey sandwich in the cockpit, you can thank a bee's ability to celestial navigate.

[skatzman]

Clover rules. No boring grass lawns. We need flowering plants everywhere!

[sleddog]

Clover rules. No boring grass lawns. We need flowering plants everywhere!

Right On.

Scotsman William Fife was one of the most famous yacht designers and builders of the late 19th and 20th centuries. His designs, more than 600, were built in Fairlie, Scotland, and were known for their beauty, speed, and unmatched construction. Included in Fife's portfolio were two SHAMROCK's for tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton's America's Cup challenges.

When you see a Fife design, you are seeing a masterpiece. They are unmistakable.

So I'm walking the waterfront, and there was a most lovely 70 foot cutter named CLOVER. I was sure it was a Fife and struck up conversation with CLOVER's captain, commenting on the beautiful name. He confirmed Wm. Fife as the designer/builder and told a fun story of the origin of the name.

It seems the wealthy English owner was not well liked in the Fife shipyard where CLOVER was built. When it came time for the yacht's name to be carved in her beautiful wood transom and embossed with gold leaf, the shipyard workers rebelled when the owner's chosen name "C-Lover" was revealed.

With Fife's approving wink of an eye, the name carver "accidentally " misread the work order and forgot the hyphen as he carved into the solid oak transom. The owner and his consort appeared several days later for the launching, and as the champagne bottle broke on the bow, CLOVER she became.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHHbYf5ZVCw

[sleddog]

Good friends were recently close-hauled sailing their S&S 34 MOLLY B off Santa Cruz in afternoon westerly of 20 knots when the upper shroud parted and the mast broke. Fortunately, no one hurt, and after retrieving rigging and sails, they were able to motor home with the bottom section of the mast still vertical, but bent double.

MOLLY B, #3 of the SPIRIT class, was built by Hank Easom and Derek Baylis in 1970-71. MOLLY B, with her narrow beam and long waterline, was at one time one of the stoutest and fastest small boats sailing SF Bay, and provided a great training platform for the Baylis kids, Trevor, Will, and Liz. Derek Baylis was a fine engineer (Barient winches, Monterey Bay Aquarium) and seaman, and MOLLY B's Famet aluminum mast had oversize standing rigging.

But salt water, metal fatigue, electrolysis, even a possible lightning strike, eventually do in the stoutest of rigs. When MOLLY B's broken mast was removed by crane, all sorts of issues were discovered. Hidden holes and cracks in the mast at the deck partners, swages with cracks, and a fork swage fitting that had completely failed.

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47 years old, MOLLY B's mast and rigging had exceeded it's lifespan. The owners had liability, but no hull or rigging insurance. Their current thinking is what they saved in insurance over 35 years will be able to buy a new rig....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~/)~~~~~~~~~/\^^~~~~~~~

Tomorrow will be a survey and sea trial of an immaculately and meticulously maintained 38 footer here at Santa Cruz Harbor. Despite the boat's pedigree and maintenance, the owners were vexed by a continual engine vibration. Alignment, engine mounts, and various manner of expensive remedies were attempted.

Who would have guessed a worn and asymmetrical zinc anode mounted mid-shaft can create unbalance in a propeller shaft? Lesson learned for those with propeller shafts: make sure the boatyard, or person responsible, mounts the new prop shaft zinc 1-3" in front of the Cutless bearing of the strut rather than mid-shaft.

[Howard Spruit]

I read the words "lightning Strike" relative to Molly B's mast.
Those words lead me to believe the mystery is solved:>}

[sleddog]

I read the words "lightning Strike" relative to Molly B's mast.
Those words lead me to believe the mystery is solved:>}

There is no record of a lightning strike on MOLLY B during her life span that I'm aware of. I was speaking in general terms about lightning strikes on masts, as I have seen stainless rigging components compromised by lightning, not noticed until months later. The reason MOLLY B's upper shroud fork terminal failed looks like a combination of age, corrosion, and likely stress fatigue, as that original fork was attached to a tang at the spreader tip (i.e "discontinuous" upper shroud.)

I don't care how taut the rigging is on any boat, lee side standing rigging is going to sway as the vessel sails over waves, eventually creating fatigue somewhere near the terminals/tangs whether using wire rope or rod.

[sleddog]

They're back. Last evening's cliff walk revealed an amazing sight just offshore: Dozens of pelicans, hundreds of terns, thousands of shearwaters in a feeding frenzy on baitfish, most likely anchovies.

Humpback whales enjoy anchovies too. Last Sunday, Howard and Yvonne, out for a day sail on their cat MOKU, had two humpbacks unexpectedly surface nearby, their maws filled with small, silvery fish. This is called "lunge feeding," and is one of the humpbacks' feeding techniques

MOKU was only 100 yards offshore the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. Howard said as one of the whales dove, it was close enough to reach out and touch.... I'm not sure you'll see a humpie riding the Boardwalk Merry-Go-Round any time soon. But they were close in to shore, like really close.

3638

FYI, if you visit Santa Cruz, the National Historic Merry-Go-Round is a fun deal and the Boardwalk's oldest ride, with 73 horses and two chariots, each unique and beautifully carved of wood in 1911 by Charles Loof.

3639

3 antique organs play and toss a brass ring through the clown's mouth, the bells ring, the lights flash, and you win a free ride.

3640

Never too old to ride the Merry-Go-Round! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em3kUBNWiPU

Winner, winner, Merry-Go-Round spinner? What Santa Cruz sailor and craftsman specialized in maintaining, repairing, and restoring the Merry-Go-Round's historic carved Loof horses while also servicing the venerable Moore 24 fleet by adding foredeck hatches, and being the first to take a Sawzall to open their transoms?

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[skatzman]

Gary, aka Garski, is the craftsman.

[Dazzler]

Since I’d searched to find the answer, I thought that might be cheating. What I found was a good story worth sharing from the Pressure-Drop website addressing the whole issue of “modernizing” older boats, particularly the Moore 24.

http://www.pressure-drop.us/forums/content.php?3398-Open-Season-For-Open-Transoms

Tom

[sleddog]

Gary, aka Garski, is the craftsman.

Gary Tracy, fondly known as "Garski," was a friend to all, good sailor, and fine shipmate aboard OAXACA when we won the Pacific Cup in 1990. Besides sailing, Gary enjoyed and was an expert and high speed waterskier, snowboarder, surfer, and skateboarder. Gary was the first to actively skateboard steep Monterey Ave. into Capitola Village as well as hold the downhill skateboard speed record.

Gary was also a fine craftsman, and fiberglass boat builder. During the heyday of Santa Cruz ultra-light boat building, Gary worked for Bill Lee at Santa Cruz Yachts, George Olson at Pacific Yachts, and Moore Bros.

At one point, ~1990, Gary bought an abandoned Moore 24 hull from Ron Moore, built a deck, cut out the transom, and created BRUZER, #127, the first Moore-24 with an open transom and Gary's patented flush beer can holders. BRUZER was later sold to Morgan Larson, and won the National Championships, a fine tribute to Gary, who passed away unexpectedly in 2005 at age 56.

Here's Gary Tracy's masterpiece, BRUZER, at Hood River.

3642

And here's some Moore BRUZER in the Double Damned under Morgan's command in a 40 knot puff.
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WILDFLOWER still sails with one of BRUZER's spinnakers ....curiously, this spinnaker, in it's turtle, was once lost at sea, drifted 16 miles downwind, beached at the Salinas River mouth, recovered by a beachcomber who knew nothing about sailing, was taken to church and handed off to a lady sailor, and ultimately found it's way back to Santa Cruz several weeks later...but that's an "All Things Lost and Found" story for another day.

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[sleddog]

Interesting weather activity in the tropical Eastern Pacific following four "tropicals" between Mexico and Hawaii.

Tropical Storm Illeana is dissipating 150 miles south of Cabo San Lucas. Hurricane John is approaching Category 3 near 18N x 110W. Tropical Storm Kristy, near 14N x 127W is forecast to become a hurricane on Thursday. And Category 4 Hurricane Hector, at 16N x 149W, is approaching southern Hawaiian waters and anticipated to pass 160 miles south of the Big Island on Wednesday. http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tcpages/?storm=Hector&stormid=ep102018

Hurricanes maintain strength in warm waters, specifically between 80.5 degrees and 82 degrees, which currently lie along 20 degrees N latitude. Any warmer water encourages intensification. Cooler water promotes weakening. Hector is forecast to weaken slightly as he passes south of the Hawaiian chain, then re-intensify again. None of these tropicals is currently a threat to land, although their large ocean swells should reach California south facing beaches in the not-to-distant future.

3,200 miles north, ex-SHTP first-to-finish 60' cutter DOGBARK has reached the northern point of Alaska at Barrow (Utqiagvik), as, after refueling, they now turn east across the Beaufort Sea in Graeme, Janna, Talia (12), and Savai (10) Esarey's family attempt at the NW Passage. http://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/Dogbark

Current temp in Barrow is a balmy 34 degrees, with a wind chill feeling like 27 degrees in the middle of summer. The edge of pack ice lies ahead. But a clear channel of ice free water seems to lie near the coast. Good luck to them! https://saildogbark.com/

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[Philpott]

That is the GREATEST selfie I've every seen!!!!!!!!

[jamottep]

That is the GREATEST selfie I've every seen!!!!!!!!

+1

[AlanH]

I have friends who live in north-central Alberta..north of Calgary. It's been in the high 90's for a week and a half. It's supposed to cool off over the weekend and then climb into the 90's again.

....in ALBERTA.

[sleddog]

Two things you don't what to cross when they come knockin'
The first is a polar bear at Cross Island, the polar bear capitol of the Beaufort Sea, where our fearless DOGBARKers anchored yesterday afternoon after a 24 hour run from Barrow, AK.

If you can find Cross Island, you have better cartography than I. It's apparently a small, low island 14 miles northeast of Prudhoe Bay and shaped like a comma, with good protection from most quadrants.

Cross Island is favored by the local natives as headquarters for subsistence whaling. While hunting migrating Bowhead whales, the Inupiat are themselves being hunted by the big, furry, white critters, called "nanuq.". Recently, a nanuq came knocking at one the island cabins. The residents inside refused to answer, but the bear came in anyway.

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There wasn't time for posing for a photo. Apparently, the interloping polar bear looked something like this:

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Even in the middle of the short, Arctic night, they're watching:

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http://wasillaalaskaby300.squarespace.com/journal/2010/9/23/cross-island-where-polar-bears-can-come-knocking-at-your-doo.html

The other thing you don't want to cross is Jackie Philpott when she is springing you from Alta Bates Hospital and getting you admitted and re-settled into a skilled nursing facility that will get you rehabbed pronto from recent hip replacement.

Jan B, Honorary SSS Race Committee Chair and no shrinking violet, just had to watch in awe yesterday as Jackie worked her magic in negotiating Jan's release and getting her moved from the 20th floor in Berkeley, to the 2nd floor in Piedmont. Though only four days post surgery, Jan is motivated. It seems Fenton's Ice Creamery is just down the street.

Heal fast, Jan!

[sleddog]

With the conclusion of the 2018 Singlehanded Transpac, those of us not at Tree Time in Hanalei are left with more questions than answers. What worked? What didn't? How would you do it differently?

Happy to say one singlehander, not a SHTP participant, has again invited us along on a recent solo voyage from California to Hawaii, and return.

Christian Williams' first book, Alone Together, was a wonderful read, and took us along on his 2014 solo passage around the eastern North Pacific aboard THELONIUS, his Ericson 32.

Christian, a professional writer and story teller, is back again with recently released Philosophy of Sailing, Offshore in Search of the Universe, an account of his 2017 singlehanded passage to Hawaii on a bigger THELONIUS, an Ericson 38. Again, Williams invites us aboard, and in a most readable, and wryly humorous style, details his exhausting prep, and ensuing events on both legs of his TransPacific voyage, as well as what happens in Hawaii when he first steps ashore.

It's not what you may expect from a solo sailor. With a forepeak of philosophy books, Christian Williams happily entertains us with brief interpretations on universal and timeless questions.

While Christian reads, writes and shares his enjoyment with the reader, things are happening below and above deck that causes sometimes dramatic attention. I will call them "mysteries," and we tag along with Christian as he applies his keen powers of observation, deduction, and well stocked tool box and attempts to put his mechanical and lifelong sailing skills to good use in figuring out "what's going on?"

How to repair a cracking gooseneck casting? What's the loud squeaking noise coming from the starboard side of the cabin? Why is THELONIUS slowly but surely losing it's windvane self steering capabilities? Why did the expensive new carbon fiber whisker pole collapse inward with no means of repair? What is that abandoned yacht close abeam with its barnacled bow sticking vertically out of the water? Why won't the engine start? What is that dramatic explosion on deck that sounds like either a collision with a ship, or the mast has fallen down?

Good stuff. I doubt when Christian set out on his well planned passage, he had any intention of writing a maritime mystery, partly unsolved to this day. I enjoyed the book. You may too.

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