Page 25 of 628 FirstFirst ... 152122232425262728293575125525 ... LastLast
Results 241 to 250 of 6278

Thread: New Boat 4 Sled

  1. #241
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    Okay, I won't tell you that. Besides, technically a tryst is something you keep, not something you have.

    Seeing the ladder up against the house, the next-door neighbor called over to ask if we were eloping. I said "No, I'm bringing her back" - which was true - she'd locked herself out of their house when we left on our date.

    Perhaps Tad was aboard when the MATSONIA altered course to take pictures of RAGTIME! mid-Pacific on 3 July 2006. The e-mail with the photos (below) was signed by Reese Jones, Radio Officer and Capt. Norman Piianaia, Commanding.
    Last edited by BobJ; 11-21-2012 at 04:53 PM.

  2. #242
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default



  3. #243
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    San Rafael
    Posts
    12

    Default

    What a great shot, at a great time!

  4. #244
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    166

    Default

    Yeah, that shot is a definite keeper. But back to the interesting part. A tryst is something you DON'T have? Really? How do you "keep" it if you don't "have" it?

  5. #245
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    I'm thankful for dear friends, sailing and otherwise. Wishing all a Happy Thanksgiving!

    Onward.

  6. #246
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    My Virtual Vendee racer SLEDCAT crossed the Line on Thanksgiving and is now sailing in the SE Trades. The Virtual fleet has split, with some going east down the coast of Africa. Smart money looks to be on the traditional western route, down the coast of South America. SLEDCAT's current position of 159,554 is unrealistic, as the Great Circle based rankings heavily favor the eastern most boats. All will become clear when we transit the first "ice gate" south of Cape of Good Hope. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/

    On the water, Vincent Riou's Vendee race favorite PRB has hit a half submerged metal buoy. The collision caused a large gash in the bow, and damaged the starboard standing rigging. It is going to be a difficult repair. But if anyone can do it, 40 year old VR can. http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/news/a...etal-buoy.html

    I'll be sailing tomorrow with Synbad. This week we recut an old Moore 24 #1 to fit WILDFLOWER. I trialed it yesterday in its wind range, TWS 6-10, and things checked out. Synthia Petroka (EYRIE) is not only a great shipmate, but a true pro on the sail loft floor. I cannot recommend her highly enough for canvas creations and sail repair projects.
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-24-2012 at 01:55 PM.

  7. #247
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    30 years ago yesterday marked the anniversary of Hurricane Iwa. Iwa, south of Kauai, made an unforecast 90 degree turn, and went north directly over Kauai. Neighbor island, Oahu, on Thanksgiving, was blacked out without electrical power. Honolulu, in the right hand or dangerous semi-circle, had all its harbor buoys blown ashore.

    Kauai was wiped out. Nawiliwili took major damage, with every boat, including the Coast Guard, either blown ashore or sunk. The top of yacht masts littered the harbor for weeks. Port Allen, on the south shore, took the brunt. The rock breakwater was destroyed and nothing was left of the harbor. The largest piece of any boat found the next day was my friend Chester's forehatch from his 26' sloop MO'A.

    For unknown reasons, with hurricane warnings flying, Matson sent its little (346') inter island ship MAUNA KEA on its regularly scheduled run from Hono to Nawiliwili. In the best of conditions the underpowered MAUNA KEA could only make 10 knots, and that was downwind in the Trades. They hadn't even gotten mid-channel when the bridge anemometer was registering 80 knots. 30 foot seas broke the lashings on the container gantry, and the heavy steel structure threatened to go over the side.

    The captain, asleep in his cabin, had left instructions with the bridge not to be woken until an hour before arrival in Nawiliwili. Luckily on watch were two real sailors/surfers and long time shipmates, Bob Buell and Al Thoma. Bob, harnessed in, went aft with chains and comealongs, and rodeoed the wayward gantry .

    The anemometer pegged at 110 knots. The sea was white. The captain was awoken and sleepily took the bridge. There was only one thing to do. Bob and Al knew they had to jibe ship and run downwind back towards Oahu and suggested such to the now very much awake captain.

    They waited for a lull in the seas, which were threatening to break through the bridge windows. They began their turn to jibe MAUNA KEA and run off. What happened next, I'll let Capt. Bob continue the story. I later received a handwritten letter from him describing how, at this moment, he “saw God.”
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-25-2012 at 08:28 AM.

  8. #248
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Posts
    15

    Default Capt Bob

    Yes, it was 30 years ago, and was reliving that Hurricane Iwa story with Sleddog by phone this am, he in Bekeley and I on the beach at Kahuku Point, Oahu.
    This small inter-island ship the "Mauna Kea" was underpowered for such conditions, but we made weekly trips to Kauai, Maui, and Hilo on Big Island, reloading in Honolulu each trip.
    The Captain, George, was a great ship handler and did his own piloting in/out of each port, but was not a sailor and surfer like myself who was chief mate, or Al Thoma 2/Mate...
    So when the sun went down in Hurricane 100+ knot winds, I suggested to Capt George we jibe during a lull in these huge sets of waves breaking over the bridge, as we were basically hove to in those conditions even under full power on the twin screw Caterpillars. We decided to run off before it, and seek the "Lee of Oahu" about 30 miles to the NE of us.

    She rode nice in that downwind mode, and a few hours later the 3/Mate called me to ask what the light was ashore, as I lived on the North Shore, and still do...It was the only light on
    the island that night with the power all out, and I saw that it was the Comsat satellite dishes above my house at Sunset Beach, as they had a generator, that bearing and radar range gave us our position, as we made our way around a darkened windward coast to Makapuu at sunrise...When we entered Honolulu harbor around 0700, safe but beat up, we noted all the entrance buoys on the beach, that normally mark the reef. We called USCG station just inside harbor and told them, they were surprised we were inbound w/o buoys in place,
    but we said the capt has lots of practice in/out of there daily.

  9. #249
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    The conclusion to the Hurricane IWA story is the Honolulu office of Matson Lines thought they had possibly lost the MAUNA KEA with all hands. They didn't know MAUNA KEA's radio gear/coms had been blown away.

    The next morning after MAUNA KEA had circumnavigated OAHU seeking a lee from Hurricane Iwa, she steamed bravely backdoor into Hono Harbor approaches from the EAST (not the
    West from whence she had departed the day before). The Matson office personnel and family members were not dry eyed and more than a bit thankful......
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-25-2012 at 12:03 PM.

  10. #250
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Capitola,CA
    Posts
    3,338

    Default

    A fun sail yesterday with Synthia. Initially the fog was thick and the wind light as we made our way out of Berkeley Marina. Somewhere outside we encountered a solo paddler in a yellow kayak. We came alongside and found it was Latitude 38's "Max Ebb." Max was detailed to start the Berkeley YC Chowder Race. But couldn't see the other end of the line. We offered him some persimmon cookies and drifted on.

    The wind filled, and the fog cleared. Not much wind, but enough to hear the wake gurgling. Synthia told about her early sailing history when a student at Cal Poly SLO. At that time, they wanted her on the team, because for every three guys, you had to have one gal.

    We set the recently repaired spinnaker, the one we blew out rounding the north end of Orcas Island a couple of months back. With Syn steering, we did reach to reach jibes back to Berkeley and sailed into the Harbor on a fine afternoon. There on the dock was BobJ (RAGTIME) and Jackie (DURA MATER). BobJ, a veritible used marine hardware store on wheels, was delivering Jackie her new spinnaker pole. We had a nice visit before I set sail down the 880 freeway to Capitola. I didn't want to again listen to Berkeley Marina's shrill diaphone that blows everry 10 seconds, all night, when the fog is in.
    Last edited by sleddog; 11-26-2012 at 10:13 PM.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •