Originally Posted by
jamottep
It looks like this is turning into the solitary transpac ... .
I hadn't thought of it those terms, but same applies in my case. No one is traveling to the Bay Area to see me off, no one will join me in Kauai, and it is unlikely anyone will be on hand to greet me when I get back to California. I certainly don't mind, and I doubt that such circumstances are unusual for this race. We are, after all, singlehanded sailors for a reason . . . or for several.
In any event, the company at the start and finish, plus the radio calls during the race (and likely during the return), add up to considerably more human contact than I typically have sailing. Singlehanded, yes, but far from what Webb Chiles would consider "entering the monastery of the sea."
Lee
s/v Morning Star
Valiant 32