In Hanalei Bay

[Philpott]

Although none of us are there yet, it is good to know that s/v Pamela is standing by, awaiting our arrival. And if anyone doubts the attraction of arriving in Hanalei Bay on a sailboat, look no further than this photo, taken yesterday, from one of my favorite sailing wastrels, Dennis Maggard.

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[Sailor Dennis]

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[Philpott]

This from Sailor Dennis
Now Jackie, which one of these is THE Tree?

**Update from Hanalei:**the canoe club that was here in 2018 has moved their big canoes away from the spot, and typically the only folks under the big Australian pine are the small contingent of homeless haole’s, one of whom is Kokapelli Steve who claims to have followed the arrival of the SHTP fleet since the very early days.

On week days the place is empty (because of the restricted auto access), while on Sundays there will be 500 pasty-white sunbathers just in from Dayton. And me drinking hard kombucha, waiting for your arrival.

[Philpott]

A photo from Hanalei today

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[Philpott]

We're here. Yesterday Greg Ashby and I arrived at Control Central via the bus from the Lihue airport. We had our blue wristbands and were prepared upon arrival, so they let us leave the airport. Kind of them. Very nice bus to Princeville, small bus: $2 /each. We were crammed in there with a buncha other people. It was air conditioned and I chatted for 45 minutes with Mary, a high school teacher.

The bus took us to Princeville where I found Christine Weaver in aisle 3 of the grocery store. Jonathan was waiting in their rental car in the shade. Thank you, Christine and Jonathan, for the ride to the condo. The cost of their car? $900/2 weeks.

Yes, we bought provisions while we were there: We are ready for anything now

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Brian's flight last night was delayed, he arrived late sans blue wristband, so they were reluctant to let him out of the airport. He had to wait an additional 45 minutes. But then? There was a car waiting for him at the rental counter. Go figure. If you have a rental car here? You are golden.

Early this morning we were up before dawn, Brian had hooked up the radio and taped a piece of red duct tape to the deck table. The line of sight from the red tape to the radio is lat/lon to the finish line. Very scientific. In 2018 the line of sight was from the small twig in the sand; in 2008 Synthia said she had purchased a badminton net for the same purpose. Bring what ya got. Use that high technology at your fingertips. That's the SSS.

Here are Brian and Greg celebrating the accomplishment

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Then Greg helped us access the wi fi: Turned the modem off then on again. Yeah. Now we were in business! Rested for awhile to celebrate

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Then we were off to collect The Queen of the Sea Squirrel from the airport. Collected her, went to the Poke bar for lunch.

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This running a race is hard work.

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More later

[dolfinbill]

Definitely hard work. Patty and I left home 5:30am from San Diego, waited on the tarmac in Lihue for 45 minutes, got our rental car at Enterprise, had lunch in Kapaa, got stopped just before Hanalei because of the mudslide work about 2:30 and waited till 5:30 to be able to pass on to Hanalei and finally got to the Hanalei Inn around 6pm. Patty is already crashed on the bunk but who comes riding up on their bikes but Chris and Johnathon in the room right next to us. In fact, as I recall their's is the same room that Jackie had in 2018. Anyway, the road from Princeville to Hanalei is closed from 11:30am to 5:30pm so we are really going to miss the Yellow House. On the other hand, after over 12 hours of travel, here we are and it's pretty easy to get into the Aloha spirit. Hope to see you at the big tree tomorrow.

Bill
sv Dolfin

[Philpott]

9:13 pm on June 30 from John Wilkerson

Hi Jacky

Your file seems to be too big. Thanks for sending regardless. I'm feeling better because we are ripping along tonight and I think I now appreciate that the wind builds through the day. That said I tied my spinnaker in a knot and dropped my jib over the side today. Oy!

[Philpott]

6:52 pm 063021 from Kyle on Aloha via his brother, Brian:


Brian Vanderspek
6:52 PM (3 hours ago)
to Racereporting

Aloha Day 12 Report

Another eventful evening last night has given way to a very, very mellow day.

For dinner last night I enjoyed Mountain House Mexican Rice and Chicken which for anyone who has been onboard for dinner knows the elevated levels of flatulence to follow. Fortunately this issue is dramatically reduced when one happens to be sailing alone.

Sometime around dinner, after I had written my last update about the blind rumble strip driver that was the autopilot, I decided to throw in the towel on that head unit for the pelagic and try out the spare one that I had brought in case the original one died. The spare one is borrowed off of Elliot James's boat Bloom County and is programmed to face a different direction. Because of this I had to basically duct tape it to the outboard back rest on the port side of the cockpit back rest. However with the "install" complete, I plugged it in and put it to use and it drove (and continues to) drive straight as an arrow! Such a relief to be able to relax knowing the boat will continue on its same course without constant attention from yours truly.

This unfortunately backfired on me some time around midnight as a minor wind shift that I didn’t feel let the spinnaker collapse and wrap itself about a dozen times tightly around the forestay. It couldn't have been wrapped/wrapping for more than a minute but the damage had been done and it required lowering, disconnecting and an extensive headlamp-lit struggle on the bow in the dark to get it unwrapped.

Eventually after getting it unwrapped and totally doused, then re-packed and re-set, we continued on our merry way with speeds likely never dipping below six or so knots thanks to the continued push by the main and staysail.

I have learned my lesson to avoid sailing deeper angles when attention is not fully on the sails. I can also now say I have totally changed my opinion of spinnaker nets which many shorthanded sailors employ to specifically prevent this issue. I have seen two very tight wraps in my time on other boats that end up back at the dock still sporting a spinnaker wrapped on the forestay, and I must say that I sympathize with them and hope dearly that I don't find myself in that situation ever and especially not while single handing.

At around 5am Hawaii time I decided to gybe back onto port tack, heading me back in a direction which more closely represents final approach towards Hanalei. I gybed a bit early as you might note if tracking closely, with the intention being that with wind accelerating as we approach the islands it will also shift to a direction more out of the due east and I will get turned a bit down towards Hanalei rather than the course towards more or less Kahului (Maui) that I am currently heading.

To add to the Spanish affair of the night before, I chose the MH Spicy Southwest Hash for breakfast, a nice spicy changeup from the blueberry and oats of days past. In the early morning around the time of the gybe, I ticked past 600 miles and still had decent breeze of the evening which would gradually give way to light air most of the day. Coupled with overcast skies, waves and wind chop that matched up with much windier conditions, it made for a very frustrating morning and early afternoon of painful progress at an angle that I was not quite hoping for.

That being said, it is my hope that while i may be suffering in the lighter air in the morning, I rather hope to not be alone in the struggles with other boats hopefully facing similar conditions that I am.

To pass some time this morning in the lighter air, I finally straightened up the boat a little to film a quick tour of the inside of Aloha. I should emphasize its brevity because there really is not a whole lot to see. After that, having finished the two books I brought, I opened up a book on my kindle app that I have already read, i must say times are getting desperate to pass time in the light stuff and I would so much more enjoy some serious breeze on sailing.

Inside of Aloha has gotten a bit warm and muggy, and gone are the nights of getting warm inside a sleeping bag, but now trying to rest during the heat of the day so I can take advantage of the cool and wind at night.

Lunch was a standard affair PB&J with a cliff bar and a water bottle. The last of the apples bid farewell over the side to hopefully be enjoyed by some happy apple eating fishies out there. Speaking of fish, during the early morning gybe I came across a dead squid up on the bow, and when moving the sail stack a few small flying fish had met their demise when washed up under the sails. Just when settling into the new gybe in the wee hours of the morning i heard something flying in and vibrating really hard and loud - scared the hell out of me before it bounced back into the bucket i have back under the tiller - a quick look down and i realized aloha had passed in the flight path of this unfortunate flying fish who was now flopping around in the bucket. I quickly threw him back, both to maybe keep him alive and but also prevent the whole cockpit from smelling too fishy. I'm not sure I was all that successful in either of those endeavors.

Dinner is yet to be determined for the night but I think I might tap into another freeze dried dessert to cap off the evening - I’m thinking either crème brulee or perhaps the dark chocolate cheesecake, only time will tell.

As for now, the wind has built a little in the afternoon hours and we are moving along at an acceptable pace. Winds are forecasted to improve the entire way into Hanalei so I am very much looking forward to that with not many miles left to get some good trade wind sailing in. Here's hoping for a good night and next couple days with good wind, wave, and and sunshine. Aloha out.

[BobJ]

Here's part of Ronnie's post from the 2010 Log:

It's over. I'm in Kauai after completing my first Singlehanded Transpac. Was it worth it? Yes. Was it everything I thought it would be? No. it was more. Was crossing the line in Kauai the best single moment in my life? It's a distinct possibility. Finishing this race, in that very moment, was the realization of a dream. Two years ago, this goal of singlehanding to Hawaii nearly killed me and it took everything I owned, stranding me in a foreign land with nothing. Except for the dream. And again this year, this goal of going solo across an ocean took a year out of my life, threw my life for a loop, depleted my checking account and actually started adding grey hairs to my 25 year old head. But now that I've done it, it seems like the time, money and effort involved in every facet of achieving this dream were all great investments.

My last night at sea was arguably my most enjoyable of the trip. The breeze went light, which was the only thing stressing me out. I needed 146 miles in 24 hours to make it in by next radio check and in before dark, which is something I was very concerned about. I stayed awake the entire night, drinking coffee and eating fig newtons, while listening to my iPod. I spotted a bunch of squalls right around dark, which has seemed to be the case while I was sailing in the race. After dark, the squalls seemed to play themselves out and I rarely saw squalls late at night. I watched all of the squalls closely; as they went behind me, in front of me, to port and to starboard. But none hit me. One was getting very close and looked inevitable though, so I dropped the kite. It missed me, but I poled out a jib anyways. I stood there in the companionway, watching the miles slip past my transom as I savored my last night of SHTP. I tried to sleep, but I was buzzing with anticipation and instant coffee-induced caffeine. No, I was not sleeping tonight. This was my last night as an ocean crossing virgin. Tomorrow I was making landfall.

Sun came up before our radio check, so I ran my spinnaker guy and spinnaker sheet, put up the wrap preventer, dropped the jib and got the kite on deck. All I had to do was raise the pole and hoist the kite. I went down below to give my coordinates at 9 AM radio check. I was 70 miles out, having made 76 miles throughout a building night time breeze. Immediately after check in, I hoisted the kite. It had never gone up so fast. I was so stoked for that kite hoist! I had one last kite run before hitting Hawaii. In 15 knots of breeze, I was making 9 knots over the ground. Very solid progress. The breeze started building, as did my boat speed. I called my girlfriend (who was with RJ) when I was 40 miles out. I told her I was 5 to 7 hours out, as I figured it would realistically take me that long. My boat speeds were staying very solid as the breeze started building more and more. In 25 knots true, I was blaring Rage Against the Machine and Tool on my iPod while hand steering the masthead kite towards Kauai. This was quickly turning in to the best kite run and best sailing of my 2.5 year old sailing career. I had turned on the handheld GPS and brought it into the cockpit. I was keeping the boat on a straight line to Hanalei while actively trimming and steering. We were flying. And then it happened. I spotted a line in the clouds. I knew I would see it eventually, and for me, it came at about 31 miles. It was Kauai's north shore on the east side, rising from the water and turning into a volcano. The clouds shifted and I couldn't see it again, but I knew it was there. At 28 miles it became visible again and then increasingly became larger and greener. Land ho!

We were extremely powered up with that much breeze and the masthead kite. Powered up enough to reach my highest boat speed ever in Warrior's Wish. I had seen 14 knots on 2 or 3 occasions, but when we started planing. And planing. And planing. And planing off of a very large wave, I knew we were going fast. Fortunately the handheld GPS was there to show that I was traveling at more than 13 knots for what honestly felt like about 30 seconds, indicating a highest speed of 15.2 knots. I was soooooooooo stoked to see 15 knots. I have seen 20 in a sportboat and 25.6 on a catamaran, but to reach 15 while solo on a tradewind swell in a 30 foot keel boat is a whole different ball game. That particular surf will go down as maybe my best pure sailing moment ever to this point. It was turning into a very good day.

I called Rob Tryon from my cell phone at 25 out. Then mom. Then Kat and RJ. Then various sailing friends. "Dude, I'm surfing to Kauai in cell phone range. Bye!" was my normal conversation. My friends all knew I was excited. We continued ripping to Kauai in grand fashion, with the island becoming larger and larger, closer and closer. Finally at 8 miles out, I got Jim Kellam on the VHF. That was a good feeling, being within VHF range. Still under full kite, I crossed the line at 8 knots. "Congratulations Warrior's Wish, you have just finished the Singlehanded Transpac. Welcome to Hanalei". The moment had been played over and over a million times in my head prior to it happening, but it still set me back. "It's over. This is it. I did it." I choked back tears and just said "thanks."

[Philpott]

That's a really nice reminder, Bob. Thanks.

We are still happy here in the ocean viewed condo. No sailors yet. Oh, too bad! More time to hike the trail along the water down to the River where Lee is collecting us for a sail aboard Morning Star to the Napali Coast. Really? Yes, really.

Hello, I love ya, ba bye!

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[Philpott]

The RC has collected the Sea Squirrel II from Larry Conklin and she is a beauty. A big RIB that won't tear up the sides of the arriving sailboats.

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And what are we watching closely tonight? No, not Dancing with the Stars. We are watching Ray Irvine's Race Finish Estimates here:

https://www.jibeset.net/gpssummary.php?FA=JACKY_T007588480_1_58311070

Synthia and Greg were aboard the Sea Squirrel II when she was launched this evening at the end of Weke Road. Synthia drove her over to Morning Star, where she will spend the night tethered to Lee's boat. In the morning Greg will hike down through the deepest darkest trail from Pali Ke Kua to Hanalei bay.

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He'll wade out from the beach and Synthia will collect him. Then they'll make their way around the reefs and into the Hanalei River, where they'll cross over to Coconut Tree # 7. That's where they'll collect Kyle Vanderspek's family, in order to take them out to greet Kyle aboard Aloha. Christine Weaver, racing editor at Latitude 38 will join them. A representative from Latitude has been aboard SHTP greeting boats since before sailing was invented. Why should this year be any different?

Unless he falls off his boat, Kyle will be First To Finish. Since we don't know exactly when Aloha will enter Hanalei Bay, this is a guessing game. How long does everyone want to circle around on a small boat, waiting for Aloha to land? My impression is that Kyle and his brother, Brian, have enjoyed parents willing to wait around during sporting events for their whole young lives. Why should this day be any different? It will be a pleasure and we're all looking forward to it. Because here at the SSS? It's like the General once said, "It's about the people."

More to come. All the SSS news that's fit to print.

[Werewolf]

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Aloooooooha!!!

[mike cunningham]

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Aloooooooha!!!

Congrats Kyle!!!

Great race, but what do you expect from a Cal Maritime alum?

[Philpott]

Well, this has been an exciting morning. Aloha finished: all of a sudden there he was, just below the condo deck! Margie Woods is here, she got so excited she spilled a tall glass of water on the slippery tile. So we just stood in puddles while we photographed and Brian read the script

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Brian made a new yagi antenna out of arrows and it's attached to the rail with a clamp.

This is a high tech operation

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and here's the view of the finish from the condo. This job is hard.

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[Philpott]

Here's a photo of Brendan Huffman at the start of the race.

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Photo by Margie Woods
It pays off to have your own private photographer

[Philpott]

From Will Lee aboard Sea Wisdom

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Not quite the conditions in which you expect to find most classic Hinckleys

[Philpott]

Results so far as of 8:47 Kauai time 070621

https://www.jibeset.net/show.php?RR=JACKY_T007588480&DOC=r1&TYP=html

[Philpott]

Waiting for Hula at Command Central. Chase Boat 1 (Sea Squirrel II) is on station, and they can see the boat. Up here in the expensive box seats we can't see nuthin. Yet. But it's a really gorgeous nuthin. We've been up since 5 am. Always prepared.

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[BobJ]

Watching on the webcam at 12:12 PDT. Hula just came into view with spinnaker flying.

Who is the dark-hulled sailboat leading Hula into the bay?

(And which client should I charge this time to? Oh, I know...)
.

[Philpott]

[QUOTE=BobJ;29615] (And which client should I charge this time to? Oh, I know...)[/QUOTE

Oh, no you don't! I already paid those invoices.
Don't know who the dark blue hull was. Maybe someone just hanging around in the bay. Word gets around. Maybe a boat friend of Mother Ship Morning Star ? The other day, as Lee was stowing his outboard in anticipation of greeting one of the boats, a family came buzzing over on their dinghy.

"Hi, Lee! We came over to help you stow your outboard!"

People here are like that. It's Hanalei Bay. It's wonderful. And warm.

[Philpott]

Have you heard the story about the rudder failure on the Hinckley during the 2019 LongPac? There's a video about that somewhere.

Oh. Here: https://vimeo.com/347607793

Well, it failed again on the way to Hawaii. And so the skipper has to make the hard decision: to put in at Nawiliwili or finish the race? Being a prudent sailor, he's torn.

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And then

Lee Johnson s/v Morning Star and Cliff Shaw s/v Rainbow, who are anchored in Hanalei Bay, immediately offered to accompany him to Nawiliwili once he finishes the race. If he finishes the race. Brian and Greg immediately got on the internet and started problem solving methods of repair.

The skipper of the Hinckley called Brian on the phone, asked if he could obtain a 6" by 3/16" bolt. Brian was standing just outside the Princeville Ace hardware and said, "Yes". Went inside and there it was: the bolt needed by the Hinckley skipper. And so it goes.

The next installment will be: Will Lee and Sea Wisdom Meet the SHTP. What Happened out There? Stay tuned.

Thank you to Erik Simonsen of Pressure Drop for the photo

[Philpott]

Falk arrived last evening, his anchor rode in a rat's nest. His wife, Vanessa Valdez, went along on the Sea Squirrel II to collect him. His daughter Melina, sat up on the bow and helped him untangle it.

This morning Falk spoke with Brian. Brian asked if he felt okay about his boat's holding. Falk's response:

"I don't care if the boat drags. I don't care if it drifts out to sea. I'm done with that boat."

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Falk said every muscle in his body hurts this morning. He said he didn't know he had so many muscles.

[Philpott]

Synthia and Greg are getting ready to walk down the road to the trail through the jungle, the jungle that leads to the Hanalei River. On the way down the 194 steps to the water edge you pass by the trail to the ruins of the old Club Med. Club Med is abandoned now, like Incan memories.

Once at the river Lee Johnson will meet them with his own dinghy, the Richard Parker. From there they go to Morning Star, where the Sea Squirrel II awaits. Jamie aboard Northern Star is due in @ 5pm with a spinnaker sock wrapped around the top of his headstay. This means that he has not been able to unfurl his jib.

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Thank you to Erik Simonsen of Pressure Drop

[talonf4u]

Is this a bad time for a lowball offer on an Olson 25?

[BobJ]

I almost listed Rags with a broker in Honolulu. A month later I thought she was the most wonderful boat in the world.

Falk just needs a little time for the amnesia to set in.
.

[Philpott]

Last night we collected Will from Sea Wisdom at about 1 am. The water outside the bay was relatively quiet, the swell not so intimidating as earlier finishes, but this was a boat with no steering.

We collected him and it was quite a wonderful scene, and to pluck a sailor from an ocean that didn't care one whit about how beautiful was his boat? Quite an emotional experience. Cliff on s/v Rainbow stood by and so did the crew of the Sea Squirrel II. More about that later.

None of us had much sleep the night before, and this morning we started the ferry back and forth between boats early, too. so more about all that later, after a good night's sleep. Many stories, all of them terrific. For the time being, here is the tired but happy crew of the Sea Squirrel II in the sunshine of Hanalei Bay.

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MJ, Synthia and Greg

[Philpott]

Greg and Brian left in the car; got into the long line @ 1pm that snakes down into Hanalei 3x daily. Their mission? To fix Will's boat. We've been retrieving other people and their boats and I think both fellas were missing the hands-on, fiddle with this, tinker with that aspect of being around sailboats. They could hardly wait. Here's a photo

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What does this photo tell us? I have no idea. Maybe Skip could make it a game. He's good about that.

[Philpott]

Here's the beauteous Sea Squirrel II outbound on the Hanalei River

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We have to give her back tonight. That is very sad because she has been particularly good, with her orange tie-died bimini and her big engine. Vroooom. Synthia and Greg have figured her out and drove her with a fine touch.

[sleddog]

Kudos to not only the sailors of the 2021 SHTP, but also and especially to the RC and all hands who turned to to make the extra effort in providing an Aloha Welcome to Hanalei. In the finest tradition of SSS and the Singlehanded Transpac, you, Brian, Jackie, Greg, Synthia, Larry, Lee, Dennis, Christine and Jonathan, and others you know who you are, You have done yourselves proud. Well Done.

~skip aka sleddog

[dolfinbill]

Actually not Hanalei but Nawiliwili. Arrived yesterday due to month's long reservation assuming awards ceremony might be here again. Not. On my afternoon walk of the harbor I was passed by Siren on a trailer heading out to be shipped home. Mountain was on 100 dock yesterday but is gone today, being delivered home? But there on 300 dock (aka the xSHTP Olson 30 dock) was Kato and this guy.

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[jamottep]

I was looking at the picture and thinking what a nice looking boat. I bet I could race that ... Then looked closer ☺️
Thanks for sharing the picture, I'm so glad to see DE still doing good!

[dolfinbill]

Nawiliwili again. On my afternoon marina walk I get through the unlocked gate of 200 dock and see this beautiful red boat. Hard to believe it has a bad rudder.

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Further down to starboard is this sleek Westsail 32 with skipper Bill on board. As I click this his better half Darlene walks up.

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Earlier today at Poipu Beach we meet this guy.

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[Philpott]

Miscellaneous photos from the past several days:

The Kahuna at work on the deck of the condo

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The view of the finish line with Brian's Yagi antenna made from arrow shafts

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Hula's finish

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A view from the Condo at Dawn

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Margie Wood and Brendan Huffman

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[Philpott]

Yes, yes, and we have photos of the sailors and stories about them, too. But we want to give them copies of the 8 x 10" color photographs Erik Simonsen took of them at the start, and they haven't seen them yet. So those will show up here once the racers have seen them first. In the meantime:

Here are Robb Walker and Jim Quanci

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Greg and Cliff fixing Will's rudder. Said Will, "But Bob promised me it wouldn't happen again! He PROMISED!"

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Here is Mary Lovely with friends Ian and Rene. Ian is crew on Green Buffalo back home and this time upon her return

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Christine Weaver interviewing Falk Meissner.

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At Tree Time, sitting with his wife, Vanessa Valdez, Falk let slip the cost of shipping Shark on Bluegrass home. Vanessa looked at him in shock. We looked at Falk. Avoiding her eyes and with a straight face he said to the group at large, "I've not been completely explicit about costs."

[Philpott]

Cliff Shaw, winner of the 2021 Singlehanded Transpacific Yacht Race, multi hull division

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In the finest SSS tradition, closing down Tahiti Nui. John Wilkerson, Brian, Synthia, Jamie Wylly, Greg and Jackie. Thank you to Jamie and John for picking up the tab.

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[Philpott]

Getting ready to carry all the trophies down to the River: Lee is doing laundry, Synthia is wearing a dress (!!), Brian is eating spicy poke, and Greg is drinking coffee.

We have burgees and belt buckles. Immediately after we arrived Brian cursed : "I forgot the buckles". Of course we didn't believe him because ... Kahunas don't make big mistakes. But it was the truth.

He called Simin Imen, his wife at home in Los Gatos, who crawled around in the garage carrying her iphone. She face timed Brian and they found the buckles. Finally.

We owe Simin big time because she drove to the Post office and sent them priority mail. So they're here.

In the meantime, here are some photos from July 2

Brian aboard s/v Pamela

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Greg and Syn

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Dennis aboard, playing guitar

Lee and Brian chatting

[Philpott]

Christine just sent this over from Latitude 38: https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2021/07/14/#back-basics-singlehanded-transpacific-race-awards

[Philpott]

Okay, where was I? Oh, yes, before the racers arrived there was a race committee meeting on the s/v Pamela. I was already out there chatting with Dennis and we invited everyone else to come visit, too. Here is our host

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Dennis had no food, but Tom Boussie was in town for another day, and he texted "What can I bring?" The response? "Food". So he did. He brought a ton of delicious barbeque chicken and beer, too. Here he is chatting with Lee's niece, MJ

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Someone brought rum. Dennis and Synthia mixed up a 2021 batch of the Official SSS Mai Tais.

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Then we all got back into the Sea Squirrel and Synthia dropped us off at Black Pot Beach boat launch (not really a launch, but close enough to shore for us to wade in).

Kuhio Highway, the connection between Hanalei Bay and Princeville, where the condo was located, had a restrictive enter and exit schedule. Monday - Friday you could drive between Princeville and Hanalei from 5:30-6:30 am, once again in the middle of the afternoon for an hour, then after 5:30pm until 11 pm when it closed completely. Weekends the road crews managed cars into and out of the towns every hour. The cars were lined up all the way back to the Princeville Village, but almost everyone was a good sport about it.

What did this mean for your intrepid race committee? Did we tell the sailors that they had to hove to offshore until we could arrive in the morning? No way.

We walked the three blocks from the old hotel, down the 194 steps to the beach below the hotel, through the deep dark jungle,

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arriving at the slippery rocks abutting the Mighty Hanalei River. Then we waited for the arrival of Lee on his dinghy, the Robert Parker, or Captain Synbad upon the glorious Sea Squirrel II.

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If you detect an obsession with small motorized dinghies, you would be correct. We were heavily dependent upon them. In the future I would recommend that sailors be advised to bring their own dinghies, and to use them.

[Submarino]

My drybag, swim fins and goggles got frequent use back and forth to Archimedes.

I also recall having Sea Squirrel 1 tied up to to the an anchored boat and having to swim out and back after use. The tiger sharks liked my dusk swims more than I did ; )

[Philpott]

Only five per post, so be patient

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[Philpott]

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[Philpott]

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[Philpott]

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There are sixty more but I have to catch up on my own work for now. Patience, grasshopper.

[Philpott]

While we were in Hanalei Bay my iphone kept freezing up. Coulda been because its screen was cracked and moisture kept intruding. Coulda been. Brian told me to bake it, and I did that six times. Heated up the oven at the condo, turned off the oven, turned off the phone and left it in there for awhile. Then it would work again until it didn't.

Luckily it kept working the whole time we waited for Will to finish. And we had a long wait, because the wind died. That was good for us on the Sea Squirrel II, no wind, I mean, because it meant we had a pleasant (but long) wait rather than one spent thrashing around, up, down, all around in the dark.

Will's wife, Chloe asked for a video of Will's arrival, so I have about an hour of darkness with a tiny light in the distance. You're welcome, Chloe, and I'll put it on Vimeo eventually. In the meantime, here's Will's happy face once Greg and I boarded Sea Wisdom. One happy camper

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[seawisdom]

In the meantime, here's Will's happy face once Greg and I boarded Sea Wisdom. One happy camper

Happy indeed! Looking at the photo, I must have put 20 wraps around the jib furler, with no intend of unfurling the jib ever again! LOL.
Really appreciate you all waited for me to cross the finish line that night. I'm glad I was able to closehaul without having to tack to cross the finish line. Tacking without the main rudder in the dark would be a challenge.
I'm heading back to Nawiliwili this week to bring Sea Wisdom to Oahu where she will get some maintenance work done at a yard in preparation for the delivery crew to sail her home.

[Philpott]

Good to know, Will! Thanks for the update. My understanding is that the water between Oahu and Nawiliwili is challenging. I'm sure you want your beautiful Sea Wisdom/the Boat home again. Fair winds to you. We all wish you well.

[seawisdom]

The "delivery trip" from Nawiliwili Kauai to Ko Olina Oahu is only 80 miles but we have 3 captains (2 USCG licensed captains + me) and my 16 year-old daughter. As challenging as the passage might sound, we might have too many chefs in the kitchen! I'm just sitting back to provide support to my delivery crew. But it will be my daughter's first overnight ocean passage. I think she is in good hands :) Thanks for the well wishes. I'm following Green Buffalo's progress, what an accomplishment to get back home!

[seawisdom]

Hi Jackie, where do we download the high resolution files of the 6/19 race date photos?
Thank you,
Will