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Thread: What might have been.

  1. #51
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Day 13 1200 Posit 22-37 N x 158-21 W. 24 hour run 172 miles run at 241 degrees. Wind 18-20 knots from 88 T.
    25% cloud, 1018 mb. Hanalei Finish is 67 miles ahead. ETA 9:40 pm PDST or 6:40 pm HST.

    It was a fast night with wind 18-20 knots on a broad reach on port gybe. Squall formation took the night off.
    Though I can see cloud buildup ahead, likely over Mt. Waialele on Kauai, we are still too far away to see dirt.

    Captain's Dinner celebrated last evening with carrot, raisin, apple and mayo salad; instant rice and Trader Joes Jaipur Vegetables in a pouch; tapioca pudding with Triple Ginger Snaps, and a beer.

    The instant rice and veges are a one pot affair. I heat the pouch of veges in boiling water. Then remove the pouch, lay it aside, and add the rice to the leftover boiling water. When the rice is done, I fluff it, then stir in the veges. Usually I eat directly from the pot. But this celebration called for a real plate and utensils.

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  2. #52
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Capitola,CA
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    Land Ho! Mountains on E and NE side of Kauai coming into view ahead and to port. A nice day, azure seas, and hot sailing angle of 150 AWA with twins, genoa staysail, and full main, averaging 7.3 in 20 knots of wind. I can hear Rob chuckling approvingly when I report a red feather lure now being towed astern.

    Happy to hear the RIMPAC naval exercises usually happening in these waters at this time have been scaled back to August 17-31, instead of the usual five weeks of events from late June to early August. All we need is some live weaponry and 25 foreign navies, including Tonga and Sri Lanka, and air support charging around Kauai offshore waters, usurping right-of-way for their drills.

    In 1997 in Neiafu, Vavau, Tonga, I invited Captain Mike Moore of USS FREDERICK over for an evening get together. He sailed over in his Laser, which I had noticed moored astern of his anchored ship. We had a fine gam, and I asked him how his maneuvers and "forging ties" were going with the Tonga Navy, which had two 90 foot patrol boats of indeterminate age.

    "Well," the Captain said. "Today we were to land an assault team on Kapa Island to ascend the ridge on Mt. Tesina. And the Tongans were to ascend from the other side of the island and meet us on top. But when our boys got up the mountain to the designated ridge, there were no Tongans in sight, nor Tongan Navy vessels below

    "What happened to the Tongans?," I asked.

    Replied Captain Moore, "we radioed them for an explanation. It seems their crew sighted birds flocking and bait fish across the bay. And decided "going fishing" was more important than getting all sweaty climbing some hill."

    WILDFLOWER is currently running about 18 hours ahead of her 1978 SHTP time, but 7 hours behind Norton Smith's time of of 13 days, 2 hours, in his SC-27 SOLITAIRE. WF's best day's run in '78 was 175 miles, about a mile more than this year. She was lighter then, with no engine and less of an interior, about 5700# DISP compared to today's 6,100#, about double a Santa Cruz 27.

    This has been a fast year. Steady breeze never below 10 knots, and a nearly straight line course possible with fewer gybes than usual.

    As Bunny Rigg used to say, "those Hanalei wahines have us by a nylon tow rope!"

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

    At 9 pm PDST/6pm HST we are 5.5 miles from Puupehu Point finish, making 6 knots in 12 knots of breeze. The wind began to drop an hour ago, as it usually does about this time each evening within 5 miles of the North Shore of Kauai. An hour ago I dropped the twins and reset the spinny, port pole on the headstay. I can see wind all the way into Kalihiwai Bay, about 3 miles abeam. Things are about to get busy..Sleddog on WILDFLOWER signing off from the 2020 Singlehanded Transpac. Aloha!
    Last edited by sleddog; 07-11-2020 at 06:50 AM.

  3. #53
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    WILDFLOWER' finish:. 13 days, 9 hours, 52 min., 31 seconds. Thanks to Ruth Petroka, Synthia's mom, for the memorable painting that hangs here at CBC.

    And thanks to norcalsailing.com for the photo below. Good times!
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    Last edited by sleddog; 07-10-2020 at 09:57 PM.

  4. #54
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Los Osos
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    62

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    Congratulations, friend, for a race well-sailed! And thanks for all of your help over the years, Sensei.

    C&V&C

  5. #55
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Seattle, WA
    Posts
    5

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    Congratulation sleddog! Thanks again for going through the exercise and sharing your experience. I "sailed" my own race and learned a lot going through the exercise. I'm currently at 26-57 N x 151-26 W, and am hoping to get in on the 15th. Not having a better plan, I sailed rhumb line and I've suffered quite a bit with lighter winds. On days 5-13 where you had on average about 16 knots of wind, I had 12-13. I think even in a heavy boat like mine, I would have benefited from going further south. I also realized I need to spend a lot more time (really) sailing my boat downwind in lighter conditions and working on my set-up!

    Tim

  6. #56
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Bodfish, CA
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    436

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    Thanks for taking the time to simulate the race!

    Despite plenty of coastal passages, I have never completed an offshore voyage. Well, now I can say the armchair version is done. Hmmn - I never got wet, cold or seasick, but I think the experience feels great.

    Excellent job! I hope other aspiring bug lighters take advantage of the opportunity to learn.

    Ants

  7. #57
    Join Date
    May 2009
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    284

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    Nice job with the sailing and narrating. Thanks for doing this

  8. #58
    Join Date
    May 2015
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    907

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    Quote Originally Posted by AntsUiga View Post
    Yes, I would be interested in any comments from Stan Honey on barometer watches. I have used a Suunto version for about 30 years. The barometric function measures elevation as well as barometric pressure. How does the watch know if I am moving vertically or the weather is changing. The elevation increment is 20 feet so when I drive past an elevation marker on the road, the watch shows an elevation within 100 feet of the road sign.

    The only weird variation was while driving through AZ mountains and thunderstorms. The watch was about 2,000 feet off and took about a day before it settled down.

    The weather and barometric device you have looks nice. I think I will look to see if any like it is still made.

    Ants
    I did see the answer on barometer watch. Some phones have barometer sensors. The Pixel for example uses this:
    https://www.bosch-sensortec.com/prod...-bmp280-1.html

    Specs sheet shows good accuracy.

  9. #59
    Join Date
    Feb 2015
    Posts
    49

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    Maybe a rough ride back? Would prudent sailors already be out of the way? Cheers Jan

    https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/23/weath...ion/index.html

  10. #60
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
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    3,485

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    Cliff Shaw s/v Rainbow [aka the Hanalei Bay MotherShip] had initially planned to sail directly to French Polynesia. Then he decided to go via Hawaii. He is using the InReach, and here he is this morning:

    Clifford Shaw (via inReach)
    4:58 AM (6 hours ago)
    to me

    Rainbow safely hove-to 200 miles North of Hawaii awaiting demise of hurricane Douglas. All is well. Cliff

    View the location or send a reply to Clifford Shaw:
    https://explore.garmin.com/textmessa...tt%40gmail.com

    Clifford Shaw sent this message from: Lat 25.289701 Lon -158.529625

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