Shipping crate to Hanalei

[AlanH]

In 2004 (2006 as well?) a bunch of us got together, built a 4 x 4 x 4 crate out of plywood, on a pallet and loaded it up with "stuff"....outboards, anchors, inflatable dinghies etc. etc. and shipped it to Hanalei.

Do I recall an hilarious discussion regarding the owner of a terribly elegant Swan yacht of impeccable pedigree who opted to ship over some paper towels?

Anyway, I'd sure be interested in doing that again. I don't want to haul my outboard and dumpy little vinyl dinghy across in my SC27. I'd throw in a couple of changes of clothes, too.

1. Is anybody else interested in doing this? We can split the cost.

2. Anybody got the details of who actually shipped it, how to get it there etc. etc.

3. I assume someone drove into Lihue with a truck, or something, to get the crate to Hanalei? What DID y'all do, anyway?

[sleddog]

Another point of view, from one who has built crates, and shipped boat gear to Hawaii, is the time, effort, and expense can be better spent. Arriving in Paradise chasing down a displacement crate in a warehouse yard, that may get held up by shipping schedules, is a logistical anathema to being ocean sufficient. If one doesn't want to carry a small vinyl dinghy and paper towels, both can be bought for cheap at Nawiliwili K-mart. Changes of clothes for the tropics can be put aboard in a waterproof plastic bag. We've cruised with an engineless SC-27 all through the Islands, and a motor isn't needed to sail tradewinds to Keehi. I'll be sailing my 27 footer home, and carrying aboard all equipment needed for living aboard at Hanalei and return passage, including anchors/ground tackle, Avon dinghy, fuel jugs, awnings, and library. Granted your boat is a ULDB, but that's my 2 cents. KISS

[cr1]

Good thoughts above... I am undecided about my outboard for the dinghy. I also have a small 26 footer and would secure it in the v-berth with the dink if i were to take it. Question, how hard is it to row back and forth with wind etc. I've got a cheap flat bottom dink with no keel. I'd be interested in shipping the dink and outboard along with others if the price is right? I'm also going to sail back on about the 9th or 10th of August after a vacation with my wife who is meeting me at the finish. Is anyone coming back that late?

Thanks,
Rich
Horizon
Contessa 26
---------------

[tiger beetle]

In 2004 (2006 as well?) a bunch of us got together, built a 4 x 4 x 4 crate out of plywood, on a pallet and loaded it up with "stuff"....outboards, anchors, inflatable dinghies etc. etc. and shipped it to Hanalei.

Do I recall an hilarious discussion regarding the owner of a terribly elegant Swan yacht of impeccable pedigree who opted to ship over some paper towels?

Anyway, I'd sure be interested in doing that again. I don't want to haul my outboard and dumpy little vinyl dinghy across in my SC27. I'd throw in a couple of changes of clothes, too.

1. Is anybody else interested in doing this? We can split the cost.

2. Anybody got the details of who actually shipped it, how to get it there etc. etc.

3. I assume someone drove into Lihue with a truck, or something, to get the crate to Hanalei? What DID y'all do, anyway?

Hi Alan -

I arranged the shipping for the 2006 race crates. I will happily supply all details, if you want them.

It's straightforward - build up the crates - 4x4x4 cube will hold a lot and we shipped over 3 in 2006 - , load them up, deliver them to Hawaiian Express freight forwarder in Hayward (Phil Macfarlane and I did this in our pickup trucks), Hawaiian Express sends them over on Matson, Matson drops them in Lihue, and Hawaiian Express arranges a truck to deliver the crates to a street address in Hanalei. In 2006 the street adress was the car port for Dwight Odom's rental house.

About the most difficult part of the endeavor is locating a place with an overhead crane that will allow you to pack the box on the ground, then lift it up to the pickup truck bed. At Hawaiian Express they drive up with a forklift to take the box out.

Expenses were around $200/skipper, including box costs of 1/2" plywood and drywall screws. We shipped something like 1,700 pounds. I can look for the receipts and provide precise weight/cost numbers, if needed.

- rob

[BobJ]

If I don't ship the boat back, I'll probably want to participate in the crate for the extra main, etc. Still working on all that though.

I hope Seabird is taking the profiteroles. It's the least he could do what with the frozen side of beef, ice cream, pizza oven, grand piano and billiard table he'll be carrying.

[AlanH]

Note that this is for shipping stuff TO Hawaii, not for shipping stuff BACK from Hawaii.

which I will also have to do since I'm leaving the boat there and selling it, barring a small miracle

sleddog, I hear you. But the thing is, for me this is a one-way trip. It wasn't always so, I had intended to sail back in 2004, and so carried a mess of stuff that I otherwise wouldn't have. But this time, I'm sailing a boat from point A to point B, and that's it. To paraphrase some America's Cup skipper, if the boat crosses the finish line and falls apart, then it did it's job.

The only reason I hope it doesn't do that is so that I can sail it to Ko Olina and sell it for a few thousand bucks. BTW, the only reason I would ship the outboard motor across is because I understand that the sail from Kauai to Honolulu is quite "vigorous" until you get to the lee of Oahu, say around Kaena Point and the last 30 miles or so can be REALLY slow.

but maybe that's not true.

[Alchera]

Good thoughts above... I am undecided about my outboard for the dinghy. I also have a small 26 footer and would secure it in the v-berth with the dink if i were to take it. Question, how hard is it to row back and forth with wind etc. I've got a cheap flat bottom dink with no keel. I'd be interested in shipping the dink and outboard along with others if the price is right? I'm also going to sail back on about the 9th or 10th of August after a vacation with my wife who is meeting me at the finish. Is anyone coming back that late?

Thanks,
Rich
Horizon
Contessa 26
---------------

If you've got a cheap vinyl dink like Sevylor makes, I can tell you for a fact that it's *really hard* to row those things to shore when the wind picks up. At times I was unable to make hardly any progress at all, the windage of my body combined with the dink combined with the poor rowing characteristics was just too much. When the wind picked up I found it was easier to get in the water and swim to shore dragging the dink behind. Easier than rowing, that is, it was definitely not easy!

Going out is much easier of course, so long as you start at a point directly upwind from your boat! Just pray you manage to grab on when it goes by, or you'll be blown out the harbor.

Quite often it's calm in the morning, so if that's all you have, that's the time to get your trips done.

- Mark

[Alchera]

BTW, the only reason I would ship the outboard motor across is because I understand that the sail from Kauai to Honolulu is quite "vigorous" until you get to the lee of Oahu, say around Kaena Point and the last 30 miles or so can be REALLY slow.

but maybe that's not true.

It was certainly true when I made that trip.

- Mark

[Kuewa]

If the trades are blowing, there will be a sizable lee off the Waianae coast from somewhere south of Kaena Pt almost to Barbers Pt. Since the lee is caused by the island, the further offshore you are, the smaller the lee. I've sailed that route far enough offshore to avoid the lee completely. Once you get to Barbers Pt. the wind picks back up again and it's yee haaa sailing again, closehauled but with smaller waves than the Kauai Channel, until you get up to Keehi lagoon, around 2-3 hours or so. Of course, if you've been staying offshore to avoid the Waianae lee, you've got more tacking to get to Keehi. But at least it's nice and warm....

Tony