To be continued.
Please check back soon, I have 55 days worth of handwritten
notes to sort out and type into Word.
Pictures will follow soon.
June 8th,
2007 Day 14
Kept the jib poled out last night and got some speed and
distance but the tiller was very finicky and left no time for rest on either
watch. After a quick breakfast of
oatmeal we decided to put up the main and run wing on wing and this brought our
average speed up to 4.6 knots. We ran
the water maker again for an hour and 10 minutes.
12:00
Noon Sighting
31:44
160:59
Our dinner last night was canned Beef soup with
crackers. I added some walnuts and dill
for extra flavor. We ate supper sitting
in the cockpit watching the sun go down.
Sweet!
Chuck is re-rigging the downhaul as the line is starting to
fray. Using our new inverter to charge
the camera batteries for the first time so well have to see how long it takes
and how much juice it will use. Clouds
are big and fluffy today and are the most we’ve seen the whole trip. Barometer is holding steady so we’re not
expecting any major changes in weather.
I wish my butt would stop hurting, this is getting really old.
Bree has my watch schedule down and is awake to greet me
when I come in and it doesn’t take her long to settle into my lap as soon as I
lie down. Its been so dark the last
couple of nights. Have to get your
clothes organized at hand and in the order you put them on. Can’t be looking for lost items when someone
is just waiting for you to relieve them
from watch.
Finally got Chuck into the “inside” and “outside” clothes
routine. I have one set of on deck
clothes and one set set of cockpit clothes and another set for inside and
sleeping clothes. Makes all the
diference for sleeping comfortably. Also
ensures no salty clothes ever get into bed.
The whole key to staying comfortable is to keep the inside of the boat
dry. Saltwater never dries out and once
its wet it is always wet or feels wet until it is laundered.
I think pancakes for lunch today..because I can!
4:20pm
Tiller lashed and we are running 340-350 at 6 knots. Sweet!
Adjustments have to be made every minute or so but its not continual
hand steering which is a major break.
Way to hard to keep on the same point on a compass heading for hours at a
time.
Decided against pancakes.
I had laid down to rest and ended up nodding off for over an hour. By the time Chuck woke me up with “Honey, I’m
starving” it was 3:00. Lunch took an hour to make from start to
finish.
Penne Pasta with Salmon
2C cooked Penne pasta
1 small jar Artichoke hearts
1 can baby corn
1 Can salmon
2TBSP maple syrup
3TBSP parmesan cheese
Pour Aartichoke juice into pan along with maple syrup and
parmesan. Heat for one minute on
low. In sauce pan add cooked pasta and
mix. Place pasta into bowls and top with
artichoke hearts and baby corn. Sprinkle
with pine nuts.
Almost sunset, I love this time of day best. Hot water is already in the pot for
tonight. Just finished supper of cheese
quesadilla with sweet hot chile sauce followed by coffee and 2 squares each of
a Rutter chocolate almond bar.
We both are wishing we had a working tiller pilot. That would make things go much easier. But I ltlhink the experience we’ve gained by
not having it running during this leg have been invaluable. We now know what the best conditions for the
tiller pilot and whe its best to just lash the tiller. We’ll visit West Marine when we get in ,
exchange the unit and be smarter for it’s dying.
7:15pm
Sun going down later now.
Got the tiller lashed and running well enough. Currently running 3.2 – 4.8 knots.
Compass bearing 340. Temp. is 75
degrees inside the cabin. Not as
cloudless night as previous two and don’t expect “mist of doom” to descend this
evening which is good, wet sheets suck!
June 7, 2007 Day 13
We had oatmeal with raisins and walnuts around 9am for breakfast.
Hove to all night and now just waiting for the winds to pick
up. Chuck has had to sleep with the
sound of flogging sails again since 4am. Had a great evening though, after we hove to I
made some hot chocolate and we buttoned up against the “Mist of Doom” as we are
now calling it and shared a small bag of Famous Amos cookies. We’re currently crawling along in extremely
light and variable winds making barely 1 knot but at least it’s in the right
direction. We finished the last of the
fresh bread with our supper last night.
I made grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. We have 1 ½ packages of tortillas left, I
wish I had gotten a few more packages.
Chuck decided to put up the whisker pole around noon. We
had been making 1 knot and have now doubled our speed. The wind had better start cooperating soon or
we will end up taking 45 days. No
deadline at all would be better. I’m
really enjoying the time alone with Chuck, about as sweet as life gets,
absolute privacy and nothing but time.
Now, if we just had a bit of wind and my butt would stop hurting. After we poled out the jib Chuck was ready
for lunch. It had a breakfast feel to it
so I decided to make corn beef hash and eggs.
Chuck slept better last night. I had a hard time waking him for his watch he
has been so exhausted. Its been fairly
relaxing the last few days so hopefully he is fully rested. I think the slower trip has been better for
me. I’ve gotten way more hours at the
tiller and had an easy learning curve. I
think once we reach Seattle the
sailing will become, not harder, but more complex. We will be a good team by the time we
arrive. We ran the water maker for an
hour and 15 minutes today.
June 6, 2007 Day 12
4:10am
Yuk, strange weather, looks like we’ve gotten into some kind
of front. I had the 10:00 watch and the skies were clear but by 11:00 both the wind and waves had completely died. Ocean is glassy calm and a misty cloud has moved
in which completely covers all light from the stars and most of the moon. The jib was banging around so badly I knew
Chuck couldn’t be getting any sleep so I called him on deck and we pulled it
down. Much quieter but now we are just
bobbing around waiting for wind. I
figure Chuck will just barely get to sleep and the wind will pick up
again. Put on my wool socks for the
first time tonight, not so much because my feet were cold but they were feeling
damp and I slept much better for it.
We had a visitor early last night. I saw a small bird literally tumble onto the
deck with no grace at all. He was gone
when I went forward to take down the jib.
I hope he flew away but it had looked so exhausted when he landed I’m
pretty sure he fell into the water.
Bree came out into the cockpit tonight. I was tidying the jib sheet and caught movement
out of the corner of my eye. She stayed
out for a minute sniffing the lines and taking a quick peek over the side then
hopped back inside. Hopefully in another
week I can use her for a lap warmer while on watch.
6:30am
The winds picked up again around 5:30 shortly after I took over the watch. I got Chuck up again so we could reset the
jib. Tiller is lashed once more and it
looks to be another beautiful day. A
welcome sight after the eerie night we had last night.
12:00
Noon sighting
30:40
161:43
Heading between 30 to zero degrees at an average speed of 4
knots. Skies are clear with no change to
the barometer. Cabin temperature is 72
degrees. Waves are 2-3 feet and we have
mild sea conditions. 650 miles to first
waypoint.
Chuck was in excellent spirits this morning even with his
lack of sleep last night. I gave him an extra
hour to sleep in this morning and then crashed for an hour myself. Oatmeal definitely wouldn’t cut it this
morning so I made Chili and Eggs for breakfast.
Chili and Egg Bowl
4-eggs
2-tortillas
1 Roma tomato
1-can chili
Chopped onion
Scramble eggs along with tomato and onion. Line bowls with tortilla and fill with
scrambled eggs. Heat chili and pour over
eggs. Sprinkle with fresh parmesan
cheese.
Bree is back to normal and starting to lounge around lying
on her back. I gave her a good brushing
this morning and decided it will have to be a part of our regular routine. Cleaning up the cat litter is bad enough.
Chuck has figured out how to fix the plug for the solar
panels using the cigarette lighter plug that came with the panels. Funny, we almost threw it away before we left. He has made another wire harness with what
spare wire we had available in our electrical box which was just long enough to
do the job. Thanks to our electrician
friend Strider who gave us bag of assorted connectors for a going away present
Chuck had what he needed to do the job.
After Chuck finishes his repair we’ll put up the main and see if we can
make up some lost time from last night.
We’ll run the water maker again for an hour. Our water consumption has settled into a
pattern and running the maker every other day seems to work fine. Most of the water is seems to go into the
thermos every night so we have hot water for tea or cocoa during the night.
4:00pm
Num, just finished a lunch of green apple, dried apricots,
cheese and tortilla. House batteries
ran down to 12.5 after running the water maker for an hour and 45 minutes. We just tested the batteries again and they
show back up to 14.5 so Chuck’s repair worked.
My Captain ROCKS!!
8:45pm
Hove to at 30:56 and 161:34.
Another night identical to last.
The night is clear with not a cloud in the sky and a deep blue in all
directions. As soon as the sun went
below the horizon the mist moved in and instantly there was not a breath of
wind. The mist completely soaks
everything and the towel hanging over the door is dripping wet. We lit the lanterns in the cabin to try and
keep the moisture down but it’s not helping much, just making it warm and wet.
June 5, 2007 Day 11
11:00 am
The sun is out and it is another beautiful day
We had a bit of a shocker this afternoon. Chuck noticed some large rust stains on the
aft deck which weren’t there when we left.
The deck plug for the solar panels has completely rusted away in 11 days
causing the wiring for the panels to short.
Chuck pulled the plug out and the wires were melted and had a
distinctive burnt smell. Great! However, Chuck is determined to repair the
wiring rather than use the engine to charge the panels especially this early in
the trip.
We ran the engine for an hour so we could run the water
maker and Chuck took an inventory of the items we had on board to make repairs. I took advantage of the smoother ride while
we were motoring to pull out the alcohol and refill the stove. The pans for the stove were mostly full when
we left but not completely so we’ve gotten 11 days of regular cooking for
approximately 1 pint of alcohol per burner.
Not bad.
Bree was, of course, very unhappy when we started the
engine. She is still buried in the
bottom of the hanging locker. Hope she
didn’t pee on anything.
12:00
Noon sighting
29:57
162:19
Average speed 4 knots Consistent N.E winds of 10-15 and
clear skies.
Running on a heading of 30 degrees at an average of 4 knots,
we’re rolling around a bit but not bad.
705 miles to our first waypoint.
2:00pm
Ahhh, sunshine! We
got to dry out our foul weather gear which we’ve not really need for the last
few nights. Hoping this dry weather
holds as there is nothing like a lot of rain to ruin your day.
I’m very lucky to be able to sleep anytime, anywhere, with
any amount of noise and in any position.
Chuck didn’t sleep well again last night and is down below sleeping
now. He got queasy again while diagnosing
the problem with the solar panels.
5:30pm
Freighter spotted heading 270 degrees. Not quite close enough to make out the name
but looked like Morning Star.
6:30pm
We had an early supper of tuna melt sandwiches then went on
deck for our nightly deck check. Chuck
made some adjustments to the jib and we were able to point more North. I heated some hot water so we could freshen
up then we settled down with a cup of hot cocoa and cookies. The tiller, which had been lashed all day, took
this opportunity to start acting temperamental so Chuck had to gear up again
and go out to reset the tiller which generally takes 20-30 minutes. He had just gotten it reset and the winds
died
Chuck says it seems the winds stop to watch the sun go down.
8:00pm
Winds have picked up again
10:40pm
Winds have completely died away.
June 4, 2007 Day 10
4:30am
Chuck is sick again.
He didn’t get any sleep before his last watch and that was just enough
to push him over again. We’ve been
running an average of 5 knots all day and so far this evening the winds are
still holding. Our heading of 0-30
degrees puts us on a direct heading toward our first waypoint and “The
Turn”. It is another beautiful night but
one spent huddled in the companionway.
Enough waves are coming over the bow you need to keep your head
down. The moon is still full but there
are many clouds this evening so we’re not getting much benefit from the light. Tiller is lashed and only needs a gentle push
or pull once in a while. We passed thru
a fishing fleet and have seen three fishing boats tonight. We used the VHF to contact the long liner
Maluhea based out of Hawaii to
find out if they had fishing gear in the water.
Originally we had planed on passing in front of them but it turned out
they had their gear off the bow, good thing we called! We passed close enough by her stern to wave at
the people on her deck. Aloha
Maluhea. The other two vessels were
distant enough that we didn’t need to contact them.
6:30am
Another great sunrise.
We’re still on a heading of 0-30 degrees. Swells are 3-5 feet coming on the front
quarter. Generally Lealea is riding well
with only an occasional lurch or roll.
Bree sat on my lap this morning on the top step of the
companionway and watched the sun come up.
She is now curled up in her new favorite spot on the spare mainsail up
forward.
8:00am
I’ve just finished a solitary breakfast of cold leftover
beans. Still on watch as Chuck is again lying
prone on the floor. Man this is getting
old but at least he is letting me talk to him, things are looking up.
Captain Chuck’s quote of the day
“Beans not good”
Put the video camera in its waterproof case today. Spray is constantly in the air now and
everything is starting to get that damp feeling, tolerable only if it continues
to be nice during the day so we can dry things out. So far it’s been a beautiful morning. The temperature in the cabin is 75
degrees. There is a brisk slap in the
air and the barometer is rising.
I heard Chuck groan from below and poked my head in. “Doing O.K.?
“I’m ruining your trip”, Chuck says.
I love him so much, he isn’t ruining my trip, I’m having a
blast but I’m sorry he isn’t having the fantastic time I am. This trip was, after all, HIS dream many
years before I ever came along. The
bummer was I had spent most of my watch dreaming up something great for
breakfast and ended up with cold beans.
“You aren’t ruining my trip; I’m having a great time. I just wish you could come out and play”.
Captain Chuck’s Description of Seasickness.
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Nausea
Vomiting
Vomiting some more
Dry heaves
Just kill me
(Not always felt in order)
Chuck usually gets sick when we go out and I usually bring
enough ginger ale and ginger cookies to get him through it but I never planned
on his getting sick for 10 days and didn’t bring enough food that, as Chuck
says,”are good both ways”. Scrambled
eggs, mac ‘n cheese, ginger ale and soda crackers.
Well at least we aren’t at work!
11:00am
Ran the water maker for an hour and a half today same as
yesterday.
12:00
Noon Position
28:57
163:08
Average speed 4 knots heading due North. 793 miles to first waypoint.
2:30pm
Course change to 010, winds are light. Spotted a tanker headed 325 degrees but was
easily 12-15 miles away. Bound for Hawaii?
9:00pm
We had a nice casual afternoon. Chuck got the tiller lashed again around 2:30 and we both went below. Lealea has been steering herself all day and
so far through the night. I’m sitting in
the companionway writing and Chuck is crashed on the couch. A mellow night with light winds and the tiller
is steady so we decided to cancel formal night watch and get some rest. I made freeze dried Beef Stroganoff with
noodles which we shared out of the pot and a little red wine. Hot cocoa and Hawaiian cream cookies for
dessert. We snuggled under the blankets
on the couch and took turns every 10-15 minutes getting up to check outside for
traffic. Yep, this is a hard life.
June 3, 2007 Day 9
Lealea is rolling along, literally.
Last night we thought maybe it would be smoother with the
jib down so I went forward and dropped it but the roll was noticeably worse so
back up it went. We went below, put on
the anchor light and I made a 1 pot supper of Chicken Corn Chowder and added an
extra can of corn. We sat together on
the bunk and ate out of the same pot sharing the spoon and a tortilla. The boat was very cozy while we were bundled
under a blanket with the lamps lit. After
supper we snuggled on the couch for a while with the cat snoozing comfortably
in our laps then we both fell asleep.
We’ll have breakfast and hot tea (hot cocoa for me) before
we get started. By getting started I
mean going forward and hauling down the #1 jib and putting up the working
jib. Hopefully we can make some distance
in the right direction today.
11:00am
Both of us benefited from a good rest last night but
unfortunately Chuck is still having frequent bouts with nausea. It has turned out to be a beautiful day and
I’m currently on watch snacking on my favorite dried fruit and nut mix. Chuck’s clothes are laid out in the cockpit
attempting to dry. He got hit with a
full body soaker a little while ago. The
tiller is lashed and we are sailing comfortably at 5 knots our heading between
300-330. Waves are subdued compared to
yesterday and Lealea is moving smoothly.
My fluffy cumulus clouds are back and a welcome sight. Does it get any better?
We are still wearing our capilene shirts and shorts during
the day. It was pretty chilly last night
but I’m not sure if that was simply because of the crappy weather or a
permanent change. Our routine has pretty
much come together and by choice we keep the same watch every day. After my 4-7am
I come below and make breakfast after which I tidy the galley, stow our night
clothes, put away the bedding, clean the cabin and run the water maker . Usually I have about 20 minutes to relax
before I’m on watch again. Since I
didn’t finish all my chores yesterday Chuck is running the water maker this
morning.
Chuck and I are getting much more efficient sail handling as
a team. We set 3 jibs yesterday and
another this morning. Getting the
routine down so both of us know the order of things and who is responsible
without a bunch of hollering back and forth is NICE. I love my Henri Lloyd jacket I bought at West
Marine just before we left. It got
soaked going forward this morning and was completely dry before I got back into
the cockpit.
Bree takes turns sleeping with Chuck and I during the
night. Cozy! She is acting about 85% normal but still not
eating her normal amount of food and has noticeably lost weight. I spent some extra time with her this morning
generally giving her some extra lovin and trimming her nails. 10 years old and just now she is becoming a
spoiled lap cat.
12:00
Noon Position
27:18
162:58
906 miles to our first waypoint which is where Chuck
approximates our turn East will be.
6:30pm
A perfect day of sailing.
We are currently running at 6 knots on the working jib alone and running
perfectly with the waves with only the occasional roll or jump. Again, the sky is full of cumulus clouds as
far as the eye can see and still we have not spotted any other ships. I saw a dolphin for a moment but he was
obviously on a mission and didn’t hesitate as he passed by. P.B sandwiches for early dinner along with leftover
soup from last night. Chuck is still not
eating much.
7:45pm
Ship spotted bearing 330 about 5-6 miles away, turned on the
tri-lights.
Thought Chuck might be hungry so I heated a can of
beans. He had a few bites then needed to
lie down again. O.K. maybe the beans
weren’t such a good idea.
June 2, 2007 Day 8
11:00 am
Last night ended “normal” enough but this morning started
out completely different. Currently
heading North at 5 knots and this will not be a lazy day. If this is the way the sailing will be the
rest of the way it will be fine with me.
We’ve had a whole week of easy sailing and lazy days which gave Chuck a
good chance to recuperate. We’ve done
more sail handling in the last week than in our last couple years of sailing
together. Cocky, no, but definitely more
comfortable. I think Chuck is over the
worst of his seasickness and we can finally put in some good distance and have
some fun.
Bree ate from her bowl on the top step this morning even
with the increase in lean angle and speed, did her morning duty then found a
cozy spot up forward among the sailbags.
Yep, back to normal.
Noon Position
27:19
162:15
Course 330 degrees average speed 4.6 knots.
2:30pm
We’ve been beating into the wind all afternoon on the jib
alone. We changed from the Genoa
to the working jib just after breakfast.
Working on deck beating in 5-6 knots…ya baby!!! Had the Genoa
down and working jib up in under 40 minutes.
The first week was cruising, now THIS is sailing!
Still haven’t seen anything at all except the occasional
bird. Found a baby flying fish on deck
this morning. I tried giving it to
Bree. She was very interested in it but
wouldn’t go so far as to take a bite. A
cat who won’t take advantage of a morsel of fresh fish, where did we go wrong?
4:45pm
Hove to, it’s just not worth the effort. We’re hanging out waiting for the either the
winds or waves to change direction. One
or the other has to before we go any further.
We are here. 27:25
162:15
7:00pm
27:22:320
162:41:246
UGH!
June 1, 2007 Day 7
I think my honey is back, he hasn’t been queasy all day.
Tiller remained lashed all last night until around 8am this morning. Another beautiful night. Chuck took first evening watch which means I
got the 4-7pm again. We both seem to like our watch and are
falling into a regular pattern. This way
gives me time to put away the evening dishes, get coffee made for the evening,
make the bed then fall into it. Chuck is
able to sleep in now that he is no longer sleeping on the floor. I can go in and get anything I need without
disturbing him.
Had oatmeal with walnuts and raisins for breakfast and by
the time we finished the wind had completely died. We decided it was a good time to pull some line
out of the locker and make reefs for our main.
Before we left Chuck had taken the main in to have some extra reef
points added just in case we needed to take a deep reef. So far we haven’t needed to but who knows and
we didn’t have any lines made up for the job.
This was also a good time to break out boat soap and give the boat a
good scrubbing as we only had time to give the boat a quick hose off before we
left. Afterwards we decided it was time
for a bath ourselves. There was still
not a breath of wind after we got cleaned up so we dug out a larger awning and
rigged it for shade. It’s was so big it
was hard to find any good tie points and would not be good at all with any
amount of wind. We must have looked like
a Winnebago at sea! At least we were
shady and cool.
12:00
Noon Position
27:05
162:41
3:00pm
Winds have just picked up a bit and making maybe 2
knots. Very light winds but tiller is
lashed and sailing comfortable so we decided to both go below and rest our buns
on nice soft cushions for a while.
4:00pm
Winds have died completely again and jib is backed. Nap
time!
Bree is nearly at that “old hat” stage and now walks around
the cabin instead of skulking. She has
come out into the cockpit for a look around and a quick peek over the side
during both Chuck’s watch and mine for the last two nights. She tends to meow a lot when I’m in the
cockpit and Chuck is trying to get some sleep.
As soon as I come below she climbs into my lap or into bed with me and
snuggles.
7:30pm
We tacked at 5:30
and are on a new heading of 20 degrees reaching with the Genoa.
We had Chicken Burritos for lunch using the last of the
cooked chicken followed later by a snack of granny smith apple with Vermont
cheddar cheese, dried apricots and walnuts.
Chuck has the7-10pm watch but it is such a beautiful night I
sent him below for a quick snooze. Red
sky at night, Sailor’s delight. Breeze
is soft and consistent and I’m wearing shorts with a fleece jacket. Perfect!
May 31, 2007 Day 6
Chuck still feeling queasy.
I’ve decided the 4-7 watch is my favorite since I get to watch the moon
go down and then the sun come up. Wiped
down the cockpit and got Chuck up at 7am
so I could go below and get breakfast started.
We had oatmeal with blueberries and the last banana. After breakfast I tidied up the galley and
cleaned the cabin then ran the water maker for an hour to top off the day
tank.
We had a good run last night with an average speed of 4.5
knots and we were able to maintain a compass heading of between 330-340 for
most of the night. Barometer has held
the same since we left and temp is 82 degrees.
I’m still rigging the sunshade every morning by 9am to keep out of the sun. We’re wearing shorts during the day and foul
weather gear at night. It’s been cool
but not uncomfortable and we are still both going barefoot.
Made canned chicken with instant noodles last night for
supper, nothing to complicated with the movement of the boat.
12:00
Noon Position
26:12
162:21
3:30pm
Chuck decided to take down the jib and put up the larger Genoa. Motion of the boat is much smoother now than
with the working jib. We’re holding the
same course with a 2 knot advantage.
I finished off the leftover salsa dip from yesterdays lunch
along with more pita chips. A great
snack! Had ½ an apple before we did the
sail handling and a P.B. sandwich after.
Chuck is still ill and only ate ½ his sandwich.
We lost our white bucket this morning. The knot came undone and poof it was
gone. We used the opportunity to
practice a man overboard drill, notice the bucket is still gone. Great practice we both needed and I’m sure if
it happened again we would have gotten it.
We actually got turned around and passed right by within about 5 feet
but it was partially submerged and by the time I spotted it, it was too
late. Note to self, make sure the boat
hook is handy next time (DUH!).
May 30th,
2007 Day 5
Chuck still sick and frankly I am really sick of him being
sick. Both of us are shorter in temper
than usual. I just want my husband
back. Tiller pilot (not Scotty anymore)
cut out just after dark last night.
There goes our cushy trip as one of us must now be at the tiller at all
times. No more meals where both of us
can go below and enjoy. Well, it was
sweet while it lasted. To bad Chuck
didn’t have a chance to enjoy it. West
Marine shopping trip now expanded to returning the water jug and Tiller Pilot
and buying new cushions. Sigh, new
cushions….oh, my buns are so sore! Bree has
also not had a good morning. No tiller
pilot means the ride is not as smooth and she has started feeling ill again.
Made 3 burritos last night for supper and had one for a
breakfast after Chuck finished his 7 am
watch. I was starving and knew Chuck would
want to just go below and sleep. We
finished the last papaya later in the morning but that was all I could get
Chuck to eat.
12:00
Noon Position
25:03
161:55
Average speed of 5 knots.
Weather is gorgeous with fluffy white cumulus as far as the eye can see. Swells 5-7 feet
Ate P.B and honey on a tortilla for lunch, unable to cook in
these swells.
Currently have the tiller lashed, not as efficient as the
tiller pilot but it works, however the ride is not as smooth. Brought the main down last night around 5pm and are sailing on the jib only. Buns are still extremely sore.
Ran the water maker for 45 minutes yesterday and will run
again tomorrow. We still have one 6 gal
and three 5 gal water jugs plus what we have in the water tank.
May 29, 2007 Day 4
Last night was beautiful and just cool enough to be
enjoyable. Nearly a full moon which set
completely by 4:15am and the first light of the morning started promptly at 5.
I wiped down the cockpit with a wet rag just after
sunrise. How Bree got so much cat hair
in the cockpit without stepping a paw outside I will never know. Our stern dock lines were still attached to
the cleats so I removed them and got them stowed. Bree came out of her hole and ate from her
bowl which I had moved back to its regular place on the top step. She sat looking straight up at the sky for
quite a while then hopped tentatively into the cockpit for about 20 seconds
then jumped back inside again. She is
looking normal and is back to her “regular” sleep pattern during the day.
Made French toast for breakfast and Chuck ate all but the
last two bites. I figure we may as well
enjoy a good breakfast while the weather holds and the fresh supplies last.
Noon Position
24:13
160:13
Winds light and variable
2:30pm
Had a snack of dried nut and fruit mix bought from Costco
then made some salsa to go with pita chips for lunch.
3:00pm
We’ve been lazing along at 1-2 knots for most of the
day. Wind has just now picked up and
Scotty is on duty again.
7:00pm
Winds have been light and variable all day but picked up again
around 5pm as it has for the last
three evenings. We were prepared tonight
and had just finished reefing the main.
If the winds hold to this timetable we will have a regular routine
soon. We are currently sailing 270 with
winds from the South. Moon is already up
for the evening but still 2-3 days away from being full. Puffy cumulus clouds in all directions as far
as you can see.
Made Chicken burritos for dinner. Pre-cooked chicken we brought is still cold.
Chicken Burrito
1 C dehydrated refried beans
1C cooked chicken
½ small plain yogurt
½ C diced onions
1 C diced tomato
Hot Sweet Chili sauce
Sautee chicken with chili sauce then add yogurt and let
simmer. Warm tortillas; add hydrated beans,
chicken, onions and tomato.
Chuck is still not feeling quite right. I think the long hours every day during the
last few weeks of prep before our trip are adding to the seasickness. I’ll try and give him a few extra hours of sleep
tonight. The most annoying and
unexpected problem we are dealing with are sore butts. The red throw cushions are nowhere near
comfortable enough for the long hours we’ve been sitting in the cockpit. Chuck actually has bruises on his buns. A shopping trip at West Marine or a camping
store is in order when we get in. I’ve
been using a small fender in the cockpit as a foot rest/brace as the balls of
my feet are sore as well from bracing against the hard surface hours on
end. Dug our Goat Roper hats out of the
storage locker tonight, yep, the weather is definitely getting cooler. Tonight’s waves are choppy and swells are
increasing but I expect in another few hours it will be glassy calm with light
variable winds. We’ve s till have seen
no marine life.
We ran into a squall this afternoon. Chuck was wearing his new long sleeve Columbia
shirt I bought him for Christmas. The
rain was hard enough that I was able to take a shower but his shirt did not
soak through and his capilene shirt underneath was completely dry.
Sewed Chuck’s safety harness today and will do mine
tomorrow. The pocket that holds the CO2
cartridge does not have enough Velcro to hold the weight of the cartridge and
both of our harnesses keep popping open.
I also added a stop to the end of our crotch straps so the end isn’t
able to slip through the buckle under weight.
There was enough of a lull in the wind this afternoon we
actually toyed with the idea of breaking out the computer and watching a movie
but decided it was more trouble than it was worth. We stowed the anchor on the floor in front of
the door to the head and would have to move it over 3 inches before we can dig
out the movies.
Reefed the main again around 5pm,
only took about 20 minutes.
May 28, 2007 Day 3
10:30 am
Another beautiful morning!
Currently on watch sitting in the cockpit sipping on one of our last cold
ginger ales, Chuck is resting below. He
thinks he is done throwing up but still feels uncomfortable sitting up for more
than five minutes at a time. He had the 4-7am watch, I woke up at 6:30 and watched him for a while humped over in the
cockpit. We had both opted to spend our
watches wearing foul weather gear. I
heard a pathetic “meow” come from Bree’s latest hidey hole. I called to her a few times but she wouldn’t
answer back. Chuck poked his head around
hearing I was up, “Morning Honey”. Well,
he acts like he is feeling better.
I relieved Chuck at 7 and he went below to start the long
process of getting his foul weather gear off battling with the bouts of nausea
between each layer peeled off. I gave
him a full hour of rest but couldn’t wait any longer for breakfast. I was famished and desperately wanted a cup of
coffee. “Hey Hon, how hungry are you,
Oatmeal hungry or French toast hungry”?
He thought about it a moment and came back with French toast hungry. This is going to be a good day! Made two and a half pots of coffee, Chuck and
I split a cup and the rest went into the thermos for later.
11:15am
Wind is light and variable.
We put the main up after breakfast and galley duty was done. Decided we may as well take the reefs out of
the main if we wanted to pick up some speed.
Only took 20 minutes this time, at least I remembered the wrench this
time while I was putting on my harness.
While making lunch I made another discovery. I needed another set of pot holders for the
stove, without the second set I couldn’t use both burners at the same time, funny
this had never come up before. One of
the collapsible 5g water jugs has developed a leak. Luckily I caught it early and it didn’t make
too much of a mess. We’ll use that jug
first.
11:40
Mr. Scott or Scotty has been relieved and Chuck is at the
tiller. Winds are light and hard to
catch for more than a few minutes at a time.
We’ve rigged the awning and put on some Jimmy Buffet.
Noon Position
23:34
159:48
Running along with a northerly current and averaging a speed
of 2 knots.
Bree is still being heard but not seen hiding deep in her
hole de jour. I’ll have to coax or drag
her out soon to give her more water.
We ate noodles and tuna with fresh grated parmesan cheese
last night for dinner. One mango is
getting pretty ripe and needs to be eaten tonight. We’ve 4 bananas left and they will have to be
used in the next few days. Weather
permitting I’ll try to make banana/oatmeal pancakes tomorrow. Next off watch I have to inventory and turn
vegetables, check forward storage and water jugs and then clean the boat.
Currently on the 1-4 watch, winds are almost non existent. I have such a hard time with light
winds.
2pm
Winds have picked back up.
Fresh breeze has put us on a course of 330. Scotty is on again and performing like a
trooper out in the hot sun. Display was
acting up earlier but working again now so we’ve decided to keep it covered
when ever we’re not adjusting it. Chuck is
below getting some sleep. The sunshade
I’ve rigged is not as effective now that the main is up but I’m handily tucked
a corner that has the most shade. Two
float cushions and a pillow later and I’m comfortably settled in for watch.
We had a Booby land on the bow just before dark. Amazing how they can look perfectly
comfortable sleeping until you focus only on the movements of their tails. Only then do you wonder how they make it look
so easy. How such a big bird can clutch
onto a one inch stainless rail and get any rest is beyond me. Mr. Booby kept Chuck company through the
night, slept in late and was gone by 7:30.
Full moon in a few days, the next few evenings should be
spectacular if the weather holds.
2:30pm
Winds picking up again, adjusted course to 333. Swells picking up from our starboard quarter,
average speed 4 knots. Lealea’s interior
is making her rhythmical sounds letting you know she is on course and happily
moving with the wind. H.M. Bark
Endeavour had her own sound underway and Spike Africa had hers but Lealea‘s pleasant-sounding
creaks are my favorite melody.
We still have a few cold drinks left in the cooler and the cold
ginger ale tastes pretty good right now.
5:00pm
Around 3:00 winds
died completely and Lealea was in irons.
We decided to leave her that way so Chuck could have a shave and a
hotpot shower while I made dinner, our first real meal in days.
Penne Pasta with Chicken.
2 C cooked penne pasta
1 C cooked chicken
1 small plain yogurt
3 TBSP Dijon
Mustard
2 TBSP honey
Dill, fresh parmesan
This is a 1 pot meal. Cook pasta, drain and leave in strainer. In the pot mix yogurt, mustard and dill to
taste then add chicken and heat. Place
pasta in bowls and cover with sauce.
Sprinkle with parmesan. Note,
also good when sprinkled with pine-nuts.
Bree came out of her hole around supper time and tried hard
to look pathetic but couldn’t quite pull it off she really does look much
better. She sat in front of her bowl
which is sitting on the floor, not its normal place, and started meowing. I gave her some plain yogurt, one of her
favorite “people” treats served on the lid.
She dug in and cleaned it up.
Seems her and Chuck are on the same seasick schedule.
Evening is my favorite time of day. Winds are freshening from the south with a
hint of chill but thankfully no rain.
The ocean stretches from horizon to horizon with no sign of birds or
boats. In Las Vegas
at The Venetian hotel they have a ceiling painted to resemble the sky. It has special lighting which adjusts for
morning, afternoon and evening. Its
funny, the painting is so obviously a fake when you are standing under it but
somehow the painter managed to capture the subtle changes of blue in the sky
perfectly. We are surrounded by cumulous
clouds in all directions, perfect weather, and funny enough tonight the sky
looks exactly like that painting.
This afternoon Chuck took a reading with a manual knot meter
he had purchased years ago and never used.
It gave us a reading of 5 knots.
We are certainly not setting any speed records but have been very
comfortable so far. Besides being
physically away from the dock and a few other lifestyle changes, most notably my
not exercising 4 hours a day, we are living on the boat as we usually do. Chuck is not fully recovered and still has
grumpy “just leave me alone” moments but at this rate I’m hoping he’ll be back
to normal tomorrow. We are still
receiving the weather station on VHF.
Scotty is amazing, keeping the boat on a perfect heading with few
hiccups, definitely the best helmsman as he can hold his concentration for
hours at a time. Chuck is a close second
and I am a distant third. It is
difficult not to let my mind drift and lose the best point of sail then it
takes me a while to find it again.
Scotty never has to correct himself which helps our overall speed and
distance covered.
Got the cockpit cleaned up and cut more non-skid for the
galley. Bilge is dry but needs to be
cleaned. We ran with the forward hatch
open for a few hours to circulate some air.
We’re both having a hard time getting in the habit of always putting
things back in their place. The only way
to find the item you need is to make sure it is always put back in its place; sounds
simple enough but a hard habit to break.
I’m hoping Chuck will be feeling well enough tomorrow to start on the new
lifelines. Engine temperature alarm
solved. When Chuck installed the new thu
hull for the engine saltwater intake he left it closed. Well, that’s a new item
to add to our checklist before starting the motor. Hindsight, I’m glad we didn’t turn back or
pull into Kauai for something so simple.
6:30pm
Getting buzzed by two Boobies looking for potential roost, maybe
we’ll have more guests tonight.
May 27, 2007 At Sea - Day 2
11:00 am
Chuck and Bree both, well, sicker than dogs.
Got off yesterday at 6:40am. Jesse and Diane came down to see us
off and Jesse insisted I get on the boat so he could toss off the
lines. I hope Chuck knows Jesse is to him what Leah is to
me. I hope coffee doesn't stain non-skid, I just lost half a cup
of coffee! Our neighbor Gus came out and waved us off. I
let out a loud yell when we passed the last boat on D dock and turned
toward the channel and I'm pretty sure I heard Jesse's laugh in return.
We were doing great until we passed the first channel marker and then
the engine alarm sounded. Now remember "oil change" was on the A
list of thing to do before we left. Hmmmm, first lesson so early
in, Must do on the A list is just that. Anyway, wind was good so
we just switched off the engine and I ran forward to put up the
jib. Handily done if I do say so and we easily cleared the 2nd
set of markers. All I could say when I jumped back into the
cockpit " I take full responsibility". Chuck just replied "we'll
figure it out on the way". Should be interesting to see at the
end of the trip if that turns out to be a major mistake or not.
Was it a fluke or maybe Lealea just letting out her own yell at leaving
as well. Wouldn't have been my sound of choice.
Weather started off briskly and we decided to just sail on the jib and leave the main down (and it still is)
Not even 30 minutes out and Chuck was already getting queasy and within
45 minutes Bree was drooling great gobs of slime, letting out mewling
howls that timed perfectly with Chuck's retching in the cockpit.
Now I take seasickness seriously and hope it never happens to me but it
was hard not to laugh at the perfectly synched noise. The winds
eased off a bit around 2pm and the waves flattened out enough that we
decided to put a reef in the main to have it ready but leave it
down. Now Chuck has used the roller reefing before several times
but I've never done it. So in 3-4 foot seas I'm taking directions
in between retching sessions from Chuck who clearly wants to do
absolutely nothing else but go below and sympathize with the cat.
I went over the procedure step by step in the cockpit and then repeated
it back to him. I made my way to the mast and mentally went
through the procedure. Just needed to clarify one point but was
able to visualize how it worked. Took about 45 minutes to an
hour. Needed to loosen the mast plate and slide it back so when I
lowered the main I was able to remove the three slides from the sail
track. Holding on the both halyard lines, which used to be one
continuous line with two ends but Chuck had changed it to one
continuous loop, the one item I needed to clarify with Chuck prior to
the start. He had changed it but forgot to mention it to me so I
was having a hard time since I was looking for one line. I needed
to first raise the main, loosen the mast plate then lower the halyard
while at the same time crank the roller reefing on the mast while
making sure the three tracks and three tracks only came off.
Tighten the mast plate back in place, secure the lines and we were
done. I know Chuck was getting aggitated with me for the lenght
of time it took but I didn't want to screw it up but I also know he
threw up at least three or four times while I was forward and he just
wanted to ge tit over with. If I've learned anything over the
years from both diving and racing, prep is the key to making sure
everything goes as planned.
After we reefed the main Chuck went below and I took my first turn at
the tiller. It took about two hours before I was able to relax
enough and regain the feel for the boat and I was comfortably steering
with my feet. I caught an unfamiliar sound from forward and then
it was gone. I heard it again a few minutes later and studied the
rigging again, nothing. The sound grew more frequent and I was
able to focus in. Rats! I mentally calculated the wind and
seas and the length of time it would take to go forward and fix the
problem. I would have to wake Chuck so we could get this done
before dark. I mentally went through the steps needed to get the
job done, re-arranged the sequence of one and wentthrough the procedure
again. O.K. ready, time to wake Chuck. "What's up?" he
answered when I called him. "Sorry Hon, 3 hanks have come off the
forstay on the jib and we need to get started on it now". "Crap"
was the reply as Chuck came out, vomited in the bucket and looked
forward.
We had not rigged the jacklines yet and there was no way I was going
forward to fix the hanks unless I was tied on so that had to be done
first. This took about 30 minutes and Chuck was dry heaving by
the time I was finished. After the jacklines had been run Chuck
and I went over the procedure. He nodded at each point andtold me
to hurry up and get on with it. (Seasickness talking) Of course we have
to come into the wind to bring down the jib so the bow started dippping
with each oncoming wave. Awww ya baby, I must be wierd but I love
this stuff. Jib came down easily enough and I dug into the mass
of sail to find the hanks. Took me a few moments to find them and
another few to get them re-attatched, of course getting completely
drenched in the process. Took about 30 minutes and we were back
on course with our jib fully functional again. With a sigh I sat down
drenched with saltwater and looked at the riggingonce more. With
horror I followed the portside sheet from cleat to clew and back again,
now how on earth had I missed that before? I know why Chuck
missed it with his head in the bucket all afternoon but we had tacked
several times and I couldn't believe I had not noticed it before
now. The sheet was running inside one of the lifelines. For
the third time that day I mentally went through another
procedure. "Honey", I called again th Chuckwho had just gotten
below and laid down again. "What now, Dammit" came the
response. (Again the Seasickness talking) "We have to tack
and fix the sheet". "Why can't you just leave me alone" was the
response this time as he poked his head into the cockpit, grabed the
bucket and heaved again. I kissed the top of his head and gave it
a pat, "Come on Chuckie, lets get it done" I seriously hope this
was the last thing that was going to come
up.
May 21, 2007 Honolulu
Well I’m feeling a bit sore this morning. I finished the Honolulu
Triathlon yesterday in a total time of 3:05 and 18th overall in my age
group. Swim went great, running start from the beach which was a bit
hectic but not as bad as I thought it would be. Pack evened out
pretty quick and I was in my own space for a while until the 40's men
came plowing through. I got run over by two guys that had to
weigh 200lbs each. Total swim time 39min. The bike went
smooth, at least I didn't stop and chat with anyone this time.
The worse part is the rough roads, lots of potholes to avoid. 1
hour 16 min. Run.....well by this time it was close to 90
degrees. I hate running bad enough but running when its hot is
unbearable! I did not see one person who looked like they were
having a good run, everyone was dragging. Lots of water stops
along the way and one guy with a water hose to run through. My
legs cramped up again in the first 10 min and I had to stop and walk
them out. I could actually see the muscle
twitching...aaaaaargh! Chuck tried to get some video
again but he said EVERY TIME he set up to take a shot someone stood in
front of him so there will be no video of this one. We even
forgot to take a finish picture. Went to I love Country again for
breakfast after and had a pancake for the first time in a year. Came
home and took a nap then it was time to head to the Harbor Pub for our
Bon Voyage party. We had about 50 people come and just hang
out. Good friends and good fun. Leave date has been
extended until Thursday, wind being the factor. No wind expected
for the next two days it should start picking up Wed. afternoon and be
perfect by Thurs. We've got all the major items done so now it’s just a
matter of getting cleaned up and slimmed down. Will be shopping
for supplies sometime Tues or Wed and then spend the next day playing
jigsaw puzzle. It will be so much easier concentrating on the boat now
that I don’t have to worry about training or eating every two
hours. Off to the storage locker today to start sorting and
tossing. Still need to sell the truck but we got a few bites
yesterday so things are coming together.
May 19, 2007
We’re just finishing up a second cup of coffee before we get the day
started. Both of us are headed in different directions for most
of the day. We had another surprise last night when Chuck went to
Demo the truck. We’ve had that truck for 6 years now with not one
moment of grief and when we get the first prospective buyer the battery
dies. The truck is our last major hurdle as we need to sell it
before we leave. Worse case will be to take it to the dealer (JN
Chevrolet) but we won’t get nearly as much for it. Considering
we’ve had nearly $800. in unplanned expenses we need everything we can
get for it.
Today is going to be extremely busy for both of us. Chuck must
get the truck running first thing and then start on wiring in the solar
panels. I’m hoping the truck will be running by this afternoon so
I can take the bike for one last practice run down Lagoon before I have
to check it in this evening. If not, it will be learn as you go
tomorrow which won’t be as bad as it sounds since it is the same bike I
used for the Tinman last July. My chore for today is just to get
started on getting all the junk off the boat and get it sorted and
stowed.
Walked to the post office to check the mail and stretch my legs I’m
feeling strong and ready for tomorrow. Still have the butterflies
though.
May 18, 2007
Took Bree for her Health Certificate this morning. Not nearly so
traumatic as her vet visit last March. We were only there for an
hour and a half this time compared to four hours last visit. The
Health Certificate cost $40.00 and is good for one year and her Rabies
shot cost $25.00. I still need to go back and get the flea and
tick medicine since I didn’t have enough cash on hand at the
time. Had just gotten back to the boat and John Morton arrived
promptly at 10:00. If all goes well we should be wired and ready
to rock by this afternoon. Must spend all day cleaning tomorrow,
race on Sunday, supply and stow on Monday and hopefully gone by
Tues. Chuck will also have all vents installed by this
afternoon. Nick from Moonraker should have the settee backs done
by today or tomorrow. Chuck thinks he can have them installed in
a day if they are built to measurements which we are both confident
they have been. Rented a couple of movies last night since both
of us needed to just forget about the boat for a few hours. No
lists, no “What’s the plan for tomorrow” discussion, just a few hours
of mental vacation. Time is getting short and our leave date has
already been extended until Tuesday since the Harbor office is closed
on Monday. We want to keep our shower keys for as long as
possible. Even if we leave Tues eve or first thing Wed we will
still have pulled off something pretty spectacular. I don’t
believe anyone in the harbor expects us to leave for at least a few
weeks yet. Looking at the boat as she sits today I wouldn’t
believe it either. Once again sitting at Starbucks, this time I’m
simply getting out of the way while John and Chuck finish the
wiring. I’ve taken two days off training and feeling antsy.
Need to do a light bicycle ride tonight just to refresh my
memory. I’ve not been eating as well as I would have liked the
last 2 weeks but have not been bad either. Missed my last two
scheduled workouts but I’m not going to get worked up about it and
Chuck seems to feel it wouldn’t have made any difference either
way. Must trust my trainer and not doubt myself as it’s ALL mind
games from this point on.
I walked to the Hyatt to pick up my packet for the race. After
sitting through a 15 min race briefing I picked up my number and headed
home. Butterflies still there.
May 17, 2007
Crunch time! Have to get the fuel tank polished today.
Heart attack, $200.00, but totally our fault for not fixing the fuel
gauge hole in the top of the tank. Good chance we’ve got water in
the tank when we had our “leak”. Absolutely NOT going to take a
chance and take off without getting it taken care of. Chuck got
all the wiring run for both watermaker and tiller pilot so when John
Morton arrives they just need to be wired into our main panel.
Chuck did a great job on both installations. He has been working
very hard and I’m very proud of him. Bree has been running off
early every morning and showing up later and later every evening.
I’m going to have to get up early and find out where she is
headed. She must to the vet tomorrow for her Health
Certificate. I’ve got to get some laundry done today and start
cleaning interior lockers and wood. Time to start getting the
boat cleaned and ship shape. Our next major concern is the
storage locker. We’re almost to the point of saying “screw it”
and just leaving it in place but the idea of paying $100.00 p/m
is unacceptable. If all goes according to plan we are still on
track to leave Tuesday.
I’m currently sitting at the Ala Wai fuel dock doing laundry.
With all the other stuff that needs to be done we still have the
everyday chores to keep up with as well. Dropped off lunch to
Chuck, Brian was still there polishing the fuel. I hope it was
all going well but chickened out and coped a “Don’t even want to know”
attitude. So I’m going to sit and stew for a few hours and watch
the driers turn. John Morton called and won’t be able to come by
today so wiring postponed until tomorrow.
May 16, 2007
Two days until we should be ready. Tiller pilot should be
installed by today. I’m hoping John Morton will be able to stop
by tomorrow to get the wiring hooked up. Chuck has done a great
job on the watermaker installation and running the wires. I got
the weather stripping done on all the cockpit lockers yesterday and
need to finish the cockpit sole today.
May 14,2007
Well, this whole afternoon did not go as planned. Started first
thing in the morning when Bree decided to miss her Vet
appointment. Damn Cat!! It was like she knew something was
up. Saw her at 8:00 am and she went MIA until noon. We
checked every locker and even opened a can of tuna and used the fan to
waft the odor around the boat. No show! As a result we
missed our appointment at Blue Cross which I made over a month
ago. We’ll have to go as “walk-in’s” and wait. We took an
unseen trip to the lumberyard to buy material for the navigation
station and pan locker. .
Honolulu Hardwoods 1211 Kona St. 808
589-2722.
Nick from Moonraker seems happy to help out and I know Chuck is glad to
pass the project on. I got the forepeak board bolted in when we
got back from the lumberyard. Honolulu Hardwoods 1211 Kona
St. 808 589-2722.
Chuck is currently hip deep in the lockers installing the
watermaker. I helped run one wire but quickly realized I would do
us both a favor if I just got out of the way. So, here I sit at
Starbuck’s on the corner of Hobron and Ala Moana enjoying an iced
coffee. One of my last at this location. Excited,
Yes! Anxiety about making the deadline we set, YES! I would
like to be able to do more but I think my main job is to keep Chuck on
track and keep him from stressing anyway I can. (Kisses, hugs,
and cold drinks). We are still on track for departure date.
Well, 20 min. break is over and must get a move on. Still need to
swim and bike this afternoon.
May 12, 2007
We started the morning with an early breakfast. Strider arrived
early and we walked to Ala Moana park for the Jamba Juice Banana Man 5K
Chase, a popular prep race for next weekend’s Honolulu Triathlon.
I was aiming for a finishing time of 26:30 or better. My
finishing time last year was 27:43. My actual finish time was
24:13 avg pace of 7:33. I’m pretty happy with that! I’m
sitting at the Ala Wai fuel dock doing laundry while Chuck is running
to Sears in Ala Moana Shopping center. We must get our list of
items either started of completed this afternoon or we will really
start getting behind.
Cut Chuck’s hair last night, what fun! He was a bit squirmy but
did O.K. He was happy enough with the cut so he should be a bit
more relaxed next time.
Sold the generator! Dropped it off to our boatyard neighbor MoeMac, the $400.00 will pay for the batteries
May 11, 2007
My last day at West Marine, Chuck came in and we bought the last of the
items on our list. Positive nothing else will come up but
hey….can’t get in the trap of thinking we need to stay because the boat
isn’t finished. Lesson #1 The boat will never be finished.
You can always ting of one more thing that needs to be done.
May 10, 2007
Aaaaa, I’m 41!
May 9, 2007
Chuck got the awning back up today. Nice to have the new zipper
on, Thanks Janice! I’m getting that awful feeling that we are
quickly running out of time. We are currently on track and I
still believe we’ll have everything done by the 18th. It’s going
to be a lot of work but it is an achievable goal. But, it
will still be down to the wire.
May 8, 2007
Got back in the water last night at 6:00 and raced back to the
slip. I left Chuck to clean the boat up and jammed to work.
Worked until 10:15 then raced home for a long hot shower. I had
not showered after my morning swim and run and was still wearing the
same clothes I had on all day in the boatyard. Forward bunk was
still stuffed so decided to sleep on the floor. Woke up at 4:00am
with Bree jumping on my feet and yeowing. Still asleep my first
thought was that she had peed on the sheets but I really woke up when I
realized I was lying in a pool of water. Woke Chuck up with a pat
on the shoulder saying ”Honey, I think we’re sinking”. While Chuck
pumped the bilge I made a pot of coffee and then we got started
on tracking the hole down. I had to leave for work at
5:30am. Chuck cleaned the boat and pumped the bilge every hour
until Les Vasconcellos was able to arrive at 2:00
Les Vasconcellos Boat Bottom Services 808 955-3512
Chuck said it took him less than 10 min to epoxy the hole which had
been caused by a thru hull screw which went in a bit to far. Got
off work at 2:oo and went to the D.M.V to re-new my drivers
license. Got home and Chuck and I headed to the Pub. I had
my 2 beef patties and fell asleep while Chuck watched a Yankees
game. Sigh, Now it’s time for a work out.
May 7th, 2007
Went for a swim while Chuck ran to West Marine for a zinc, we almost
forgot to get a new one. I just need to touch up the bottom paint
and install the zinc and we are ready to go back in. Can’t wait
to get everything off and getting it sorted and cleaned. Wow!
Only 12 days until the Tri and 13 until we expect to leave, these next
two weeks are going to fly by.
May 6, 2007
Another dirty day in the yard. At least we got a good night’s
sleep as we just took all the crap up forward and tossed it on the
settee. Up at 5:30 to gather everything up for the swap meet at
the Ala Wai fuel dock. The swap meet is held the first
Sunday of every month and can be a great way to pick up some cool stuff
or sell any unwanted items. We made a total of$225 today.
We sold my spare computer for $100.00 and got rid of my scuba equipment
which I’ve not used for over 10 years for $60.00 plus a set of Henri
Lloyd foul weather gear for Chuck. Hard to part with the
equipment but it all needed to be serviced and we don’t have the time
or money. The guy working on MoeMac next to us wants to buy our
generator which will help in paying for the yard bill. Chuck just
finished putting in the last thru hull, everything else can be done
once we are back in the water. MoeMac has been grinding
fiberglass since we got here so we’ve had fiberglass dust wafting in
continually. Now we are dirty, disorganized AND itchy!
May 5, 2007
Well, at least I got in my swim today. It’s 7:30 and I’m sitting
at Starbuck’s after a horrible dinner of McD’s
cheeseburger, sm. Fries and sm. soda. No willpower tonight
whatsoever. Chuck went to his last Renegades meeting
tonight so I’m on my own. Finished the bottom, more or less, I’ll need
to ask the yard if they still sell bottom paint by the pound like they
did last time we hauled out. Just need to do some quick touch-ups
around the rudder and thru hulls. Watermaker is turning into a
challenge as to where we should mount it, I was hoping under the bunk
but its just a bit big. Chuck knocked out the valve and thru hull
under the bunk and will replace tomorrow. Unfortunately, the
board that goes on top is such a major pain to get back in. I
remember being horribly frustrated last time we had to remove it.
If Chuck gets home first I have no idea if he can replace it by
himself. I left a note “I tried, I cried, I went to
Starbuck’s”. Not the best way to handle things since it will have
to get back in tonight or we will have no place to sleep. Sigh…I
hate the boatyard. Swap meet in the morning. Hopefully we
can sell a few things and make a bit of cash, if not they will have to
get tossed as we have no extra room. Got the stove mounted
today but still have to make a flame deflector so the stove knobs don’t
melt open again. Chuck is getting a bit frustrated that we
haven’t gotten more done. I wish I could help more but the boat
is just to small for us to be working in the same space. Things
on the list are not getting checked off fast enough. Thru hulls
are the only things that MUST be done before we go back in so I’m
pretty sure we can get back in by Monday.
May 4, 2007
Chuck picked me up from work at 2:00. Got back to the boat and
took a quick nap. I’ve been sleeping on the floor and did not
sleep well last night. Got the spice rack, lantern, and our
coffee pot mounted today. Chuck got all thru hulls pulled out
today. It took most of the day to get out with the aid of a
hacksaw, pipe wrench and a lot of swearing. Tomorrow we have to
move the boat stands ourselves so I can finish painting. Chuck
asked the yard to move them twice this morning but they didn’t.
May 2, 2007
Had to work from 6-2 and then get in my workout. Feel bad I got
nothing done on the boat today. Chuck removed the ball valve in
the engine compartment as it was pretty rusty. Watermaker should
be installed this weekend. We got the transom cleat on yesterday,
looks pretty good and will come in handy. Bree is doing very
well. She was out in the cockpit on the first night watching the
traffic go by and doing laps on deck by the second. Work tomorrow
but I don’t have a workout planned so should be able to put in the
bracket for the coffee pot and get the spice rack installed.
Finally found the mounts for the black lantern, it’s been missing for
over a year.
May 1, 2007
Got up at 7:00 and had breakfast with a second cup of coffee then we
got to work cleaning the boat in prep for haul out this morning.
Arrived at the slip way at 10:00 and tied up. There was another
boat in the sling so we decided it was a good time for another meal and
headed to the Pub and back by 11:30. No sign of John and Nanci’s
boat yet.
12:30
Still waiting….
Got out and on the blocks around 2:00, bottom was spotless and in great
shape. John and Nanci’s haul out did not go so well. The
rear sling slipped twice and the boat dropped several feet. Scary
since they had to remove their forestay so they could fit in the travel
lift. They got the boat out and found their rudder had been
damaged. We got the transom cleat installed, bottom sanded and
the first coat of paint on. Thank you Russ for sanding the bottom
and thank you West Marine for the 2 cans of “damaged” Trinidad blue for
$25.00 each. Score!!
Chuck took the templates for the windows to be cut but turns out they
mis-quoted us. Original quote was $160.00 but they said the
correct price was $560.00 which included the cutting but not the
companionway door. OUCH!! We’re going to wait until we get
to the west coast to put them in. No workout today. Ate
well for most of the day but difficult to stay completely on
track. Had to break down and eat a ham and cheese sandwich
immediately after painting the bottom. We met Scott and Johnny
for dinner and went to Shanghai Bistro on Ala Moana. Nummy...Kung
pau Chicken w/a tiny bit of white rice. Probably our last “nice “
dinner for a while I think.
Arghhhhhhhh., boat yard life. I always remember how much it sucks
and even after the third time I am amazed that it’s worse than I
remember!
April 25, 2007
Lists, lists, lists and more lists which consist of lots little things
and a few big ones. Haul the boat on May 1st. Chuck’s last
day is on Monday. No time for relaxation as everything is going
to happen faster and faster from this point on. Every day has a
“last” of some kind and is sad in some ways but we are looking forward
to all the “firsts coming our way. Unfortunately have to work
today. Power went out on all of Sand Island yesterday and both
Nanci and I were “requested” to make the time up. Would much
rather do things on the boat. Yak, like clean it! That must
be done by the weekend!! Went to Down to Earth today to price out
some items and look around with a cruising eye. Found a couple of
dried soups we haven’t tried yet and some dehydrated refried
beans. No cans! Finished my supply list for
groceries. Can’t find any flaws in the numbers and just hoping
once I buy everything I don’t find my list was bigger than my
boat. Not to worried about the haul out but worried about running
out of time. We’ve been doing something on the boat every day
since Chuck gave his notice but work is SO getting in the way.
Example, today, this was supposed to be my day off.
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