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Thread: Interested in a boat for 2018 TransPac

  1. #611
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    Jiri Senkyrik upon arrival: First to finish, 2016

    https://vimeo.com/259483688

  2. #612
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
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    Arnold, CA
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    Quote Originally Posted by jamottep View Post
    Yes, reading Moitessier's book about rounding Cape Horn. I just interrupted that to read Black Feathers' account of his SHTP again. On the topic of reading I went through Party of One and it didn't exactly resonate with me.

    I am not sure what I want from this race anymore. Is it the idea of leaving that attracts me? Is it building a foundation for future escapades? Is it winning at all cost? I know I can cross that last one because I didn't write all the checks I could have.

    I don't think I like the idea of racing as in I don't like the prospect of losing :-) I haven't found a way to reconcile these two. If you have a magic mental trick please share it.

    In any case thanks for the kind words of encouragement and keeping this thread alive with fresh air :-)

    No mental tricks, but what experience has taught me. If I enter this race with expectations I will most likely be sorely disappointed if things don't go perfectly. I try to leave myself open to the experience.Yes, it is a race and I hope to do well, but I understand my lack experience and also my own nature. I am competitive and like to win, though not at the all or nothing level. There are a LOT of checks I haven't written. I'll be happy to get to Hanalei!

    The SHTP has been a process, from learning about the SSS and the race, to the idea of possibly doing it, buying a boat, learning to sail and prepare it for the race, to doing my first single hand Farallones race, then the Long-Pac,
    meeting the members of the SSS and other SHTP racers and hopefuls, attending the seminars to build my knowledge.
    Each step along the way I leave myself an opening to say, I've reached my limit, I don't need to go any further.

    Why am I doing this? It is a frontier. Someone else calls it a type of walkabout. (The General?)
    Anyway, it is such a complete divergence from my life growing up here in the mountains that I can't help but want to do this.

  3. #613
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Location
    Seattle, WA
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    296

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    Quote Originally Posted by jamottep View Post
    D-25

    Less than a month away and . . . sometimes I feel like I may end up like Crowhurst, big dreams vanishing in the ether offshore.
    Woah! Now you're scaring me, bro!

    I totally relate to the sense of fog and bandwidth overload you're talking about. Like you, I've never tried to prepare for and mentally gear up for anything like this. As I said elsewhere it has pretty much taken over life as I once knew it. But I've been sailing for 30 years or more! What you have done to close that gap in 18 months is astonishing.

    I'm with Nightmare on his recent post about the race mentality: I'll do everything I can to place well, and beat as many boats as possible. If I end up with the Perseverance Award, I'll accept with a smile on my face.
    Lee
    s/v Morning Star
    Valiant 32

  4. #614
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    D-18

    Less than three weeks away now ...

    My wife leaves Friday and my daughter Sunday, right in time for the two week countdown. I find myself lifted by strong feelings of excitement followed by waves of anxiety for I do not know what lies ahead. I can only plan now ...

    Thanks for sharing your perspectives; they help balance and ground this skipper.

    Last Saturday may have been the last day of sailing in SF Bay for Double Espresso. I took out a family of 3 and a friend of them. They had won a sailing excursion I donated to our daughter's soccer club. It was fun and refreshing.

    After that I did a few small jobs:

    1. Cleaned the bottom: Brickyard is now very dirty and staying in the water before and after hoisted leaves the hull dirty;
    2. Installed battery terminal eyelets for charging;
    3. Adjust tiller wand extension.

    I bought stuff: nut mixes, multi-vitamin, electrolytes, AAA batteries, etc.

    For the past two weeks I've done a significant amount of reading and writing, trying to anticipate what the race will be like.

    I have a few more things to do, most significantly test charging with the generator. And of course figuring out where all the stuff will go in the boat!

    Looking at the High's behavior and playing with SailGrib I remain confused but have made small progress, which I'm happy about.

    Excluding the days I have other things planned for ... I have 10 days left to be pretty ready ... And then ...

  5. #615
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    May 2015
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    I forgot to write that behind Double Espresso's parking spot is a nice shrubby tree, which just recently became the home of a family of birds. Of course DE makes a nice temporary perching or landing spot being right next to it and presenting so many places to take a dump and be lighter for take-off. Preparing for sail now includes a deck wash.

  6. #616
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Montara, CA
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    803

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    Quote Originally Posted by Daydreamer View Post
    The SHTP has been a process, from learning about the SSS and the race, to the idea of possibly doing it, buying a boat, learning to sail and prepare it for the race, to doing my first single hand Farallones race, then the Long-Pac,
    meeting the members of the SSS and other SHTP racers and hopefuls, attending the seminars to build my knowledge.
    Each step along the way I leave myself an opening to say, I've reached my limit, I don't need to go any further.
    Very well said. This has been my approach to it, as well as being receptive to all the new experiences, including the physical and mental ones. Someone told me today that dreams can get pretty crazy vivid when you're tired and quickly fall into deep REM sleep. That should be fun.

  7. #617
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    D-12

    And the family is off and about so I've got the home and schedule for me ... As we're now less than 2 weeks away I've "activated" my "D-14" plan.

    I'm also starting to close the storybook as a buyer has offered to acquire and donate Double Espresso to the Kauai Sailing Association. I've submitted my notice to Brickyard Cove. I will find myself without a boat when I come back. I would like to continue the 2018 SSS season; I don't know what the rules are but if someone wouldn't mind lending me a boat for the few remaining events I'll take the opportunity as I don't know that chartering companies would allow racing.

    Interestingly there's not much to share anymore about what's going on. I feel at peace with where I am, for the most part. Like everyone suggested I'm planning to try hard and have fun, whatever goes. There will always be faster boats, better sailors and one never knows where luck will land. And that's that; I'm looking forward to being out there and living the rhythm of the sea where everything appears random and organized at the same time, unwinding from land's grasp.

    Over the past month using SailGrib's weather routing feature I've seen "optimal" routes going North of the Great Circle and way South below 30N-130W. The most interesting point is that most often the routing goes further South the further out I request the routing to go. In other words if I route for 3 days I may end up at 34N-130W; for 5 days I'd get 33N-130W and for 8 days 32N-130W. After a route is computed it's been interesting to see how moving it further North or South affects the duration. There's a large window where the duration doesn't change by much, a few hours, which on a 14 day or so trip is insignificant (GRIB files past 3-4 days lose their value). The key thing I learned is that it's ok to dip more South to account for a "margin of error" but I'd need to sail the boat harder. It's also ok to go further North, as long as there are no surprises there. One of these factors is somehow under my control, the other is not. Stan says "you have to get it right" and I do wonder how one does get it right with the information available. Although science supports this decision making process this is more an art and I'm not even an apprentice yet. Navigators have my respect!

    What we're doing here is really cool ... Just saying ...

  8. #618
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Posts
    907

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    D-10

    I've looked at my past posts and I found I got a little emotional over the past few months or so. I'm sure that was too much information. But then Andrew's book's first chapter is "The mental challenge". I guess it's par for the course when single handing then. Emotions will be dealt with or they'll wreak havoc. I am starting to feel the excitement ... and that is super cool! While focusing on getting ready I think I forgot what I was getting ready for.

    Yesterday I finally got over the bump and got my compass deviation cards together. I needed to empty the gas tank of the outboard so I puttered about the marina on different headings, until the engine died. I wasn't done with my exercise so I put a bit of fuel in there. The cap's retainer string broke and pouf, no more tank cap. The buyer in Hawaii will have to find a new one (I'm sorry if you read this).

    I reapplied temporary anti-fouling and the second time was much easier. Scrubbing a hull for two hours left me a bit tired. That thing better worked!

    I tried the generator and the chargers. It all worked well until, while goofing about in the cabin, I got a bit of white smoke inside. I stepped out and stopped the generator. What happened? The generator was not level. My guess is that at some point there was not enough oil and it burned. The generator appears to be fine. I put a little more oil. When underway my assumption is that the constant movement of the boat will eliminate this problem. In any case, buy a two stroke next time. I hear they may make a come back.

    I looked around the cabin where I'd store all the good stuff and I think I have a good plan for most everything.

    As soon as the fleet assignments were out I got pinged. So here's the story. I'm selling my boat in Hawaii. The buyer needs a clean #1. I learned from Jiri that he damaged his. So I wasn't going to take the risk; it's a big sail and it would be easy for me to make a mistake. I was advised that I should get an updated PHRF rating if my biggest headsail was Lp/J < 125% and I did. Truth is, I think the change is worth less than 1 hr over the trip. The #1 is going in the crate. Murphy being always around ... I suspect we'll have a light wind start ... or the windy reach will be 5 kts. Anyways that's that. I need the money.

    Today I visited Dave H and dropped my crate items, which mostly are items that are part of the boat's sale.

    I could provide a longer update but it'd be a bit boring; I'm going through a list of small items, like buying a toothbrush. Here's a picture too ...Name:  IMG_20180613_175623757.jpg
Views: 579
Size:  1.27 MB

  9. #619
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    D-9

    And another trip to the boat ... I brought a few more things to the boat (mattresses, trysail, e-rudder, spare battens ...), pre-fed the e-rudder lines through the transom rings, installed the dodger, moved the small solar panel to make room for the bigger one, went up the mast to re-tape the spreader boots (first and second spreaders), did a rigging inspection and tightened a bunch of lose screws and pins, fully inspected the Dacron mainsail, brought the laminate mainsail to the crate (maybe I'm being too careful about protecting the good sails for the buyer in Hawaii).

    I did discover a couple minor problems. The USB chargers barely produce .3A each. There are 3 available. That's going to make some slow charging. The charging plug for the handheld VHF is corroded and I bought a replacement part. I probably should open that electrical box ...

    I have no idea how folks with a job and a family to cater to manage to get ready for this race. But you have my respect ... I had a somewhat easier task being unemployed and (now) with the family away.

  10. #620
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    D-8

    I keep driving to Richmond these days. I brought a few spinnakers, replaced the corroded 12V plug for the handheld VHF and opened up the "comms gear charging" box to "check it out". It's not really a box in that there is no rear panel; the hull is the rear panel. The socket that wasn't working simply had the positive terminal corroded; a pencil's eraser took some of it off and it worked again. I bought a new USB charger, which I'll connect directly to one of the batteries (with a fuse). I installed the fire blanket.

    Most importantly I deployed my sleeping bag and laid down. It felt really good; I think I yawned and was about to take a nap. It brought back memories from my qualifying cruise when I spent half of my time in the berth as when I'd get out sea sickness would kick in. Getting in and out the berth is the hard part, the contortionist's job.

    I brought the ditch bag, which is packed with: the EPIRB, the search light, the required flares, 1.5 gal water and food (taking from George Sigler's book I took a bunch of candies), a flashlight, spare battery for the HH VHF, a knife.

    The weather ...

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