Dirk Husselman and the Kahuna at Command Central.
Dirk Husselman and the Kahuna at Command Central.
Nice!! Have you gone snorkeling yet? Found the lava tubes? Wondered to the Secret Baths? Seen the lighthouse and the frigate birds? Walked the spectacular botanical gardens? Picked up some lilikoi at the farmer's market? Come'on girl, real pictures next time....we need ACTION pictures and stories!!!
Dirk Husselman collecting a sup from Command Central. Carliane, if I'm photographing I'm not DOING.
Our crash boat - oops, our greeting boat - is not quite here yet. But that's okay, right? Cuz the first boat won't come in until, oh, say another 7 hours. So we have a plan B ready to go. We've inflated Temerity's big dinghy, which we have tucked away around the side of the house out of sight of local predators (kind of like living in my neighborhood in Oakland, but with a mahalo at the end). We are waking every 2 hours (kind of like single handing across the ocean but drier and more comfortable, with hot showers and not so rolly) in case someone radios in. Jonathan Gutoff and I accompanied Brian to the bluffs of Princeville( through a lot of muddy puddles and bushes is where we went!) In order to try to reach the front runners over his Yagi, which is constructed of slim PVC piping and old used arrow quivers. Or so I'm told. Well, it didn't work there so then we drove through this intense rain, a squall, to a swanky neighborhood because it was on higher ground, slogged through high wet grass with the Yagi and all its cords again, and tried again: "boat name, boat name, this is the Transpac, do you read me?" Well, nobody responded, so we high tailed it out there before we got arrested. We've got the radio on scan here in the kitchen, the rain is just pouring down outside and it must really be something out there on the water.
So we're ready to roll, or at least paddle Temerity's dinghy out to greet the first finisher(s) who seem to be flying toward us. We have our headlamps and vhf radios ready. There's a finish sheet on the wall at Command Central that mimics Skip's finish sheet from 1978. I hope everybody will record their own boats' finish times when they arrive because I'm going to bed.
Last edited by Philpott; 07-15-2016 at 02:24 AM.
Here is a photo of our radio, scanning its little heart out from its perch on top of the
Plastic cooler on the kitchen floor next to the bag of recycling. Wow. This must be what it's like to be part of the Pacific Cup organization, huh? Except I don't see no thick carpeting nowhere.
This morning, Facebook showed up with the post I made in July 2012 about the surf lessons. Nice to have the memory refresher. So, if you decide to go, you can take lessons on Kiahuna Beach next to the Marriott. Looks like a couple of outfits are set up right there and it's a long nice, easy break, if you're a surfing weenie beginner like me.
But I'm sure there are way more important things to do right now. Have fun
Anyone done? Yeah, dinghy! The General outta be there any minute, he'll have a dinghy... Glad you are finally whooping it up.
Hoo boy, that was fun! Staying at Command Central was like living in the Pink Palace in Berkeley in the late 70s but without the drugs. This time around everybody had credit cards, though. Susan kept the fridge full of nutritious food and beer. Sleep deprived bug lighters would disembark the Sea Squirrel and descend upon the little yellow house. They'd eat everything in sight then crash on the closest couch or chair. At one point there were three Davids snoring in one corner of the house or another. There were toys in the shed, things like boogie boards and stand up paddle boards, snorkels and fins, chairs with cup holders and three bikes, one with a basket for groceries. We were right across the street from the tree with a big yard that held five or six cars. An outside shower with hot water and a special little shower for our feet. It was perfect for the Singlehanded Sailing Society.
Last edited by Philpott; 07-19-2016 at 04:38 PM.
The crash boat/recovery boat/Sea Squirrel was very hard to start. Only the Kahuna and the Commodore were able to figure it out. Some kind of special training in using foul language and quickly shoving the handle up and down at the same time the key was turned. It was quite a show. And we could not tie it up anywhere for fear of theft, so instead it was tethered to the stern of Ventus. That meant that someone had to paddle out to get it every time a Bug lighter appeared on the horizon of Skip's patio high above the cliffs of Princeville. So Skip would text us when a boat showed up. When that happened at 2 am someone had to paddle out to get the Sea Squireel. When a boat appeared at 4 am someone had to paddle out to get the Sea Squirrel. Do you "get" the picture? It was a cold nasty job, but someone had to do it. Here's a photo of the Kahuna eyeing the tracker: "Seriously? Can't these people arrive in the middle of the day when it's warm and sunny? No, they always come in the drizzle or the middle of the night. Maybe we can ask them to circle around for awhile." Good thing the Kahuna is a surfer. Those people are nuts.
Last edited by Philpott; 07-19-2016 at 04:40 PM.