Phil MacFarlane
Member III
This is a log I kept of my 2004 Single Handed Trans Pac Race from San Francisco to Kauai. I thought you might enjoy it.
6/24/04 Pre race
Well my voyage begins. As I write this I am bashing up the Bay. Motoring with 27 knots
on the nose. The GPS says I might not meet the 18:00 hour deadline. All systems seem to
be working well. I am playing with the new radar.
6/27/04 Day two of race.
Too rough and seasick to write yesterday. It’s freaking windy out here. Over thirty knots
all day yesterday. Down to 20s today. Everything very wet, boat, bed, clothes, and me.
Sun is out, dolphins jumping out of water all around boat. 35'39N x 124'47W course
somewhere around 220' true. Speed between 6.6 and 9.5 Really rough water. Under 2000
miles to go.
6/28/04 Day three of race.
E-mail working only part time, don’t know how long it will last. Starbuck out of race.
Wenlimer out of race Coast Guard searching for him. My main sail ripped at second reef.
While replacing reef line the zipper of my only foulie jacket ripped out. One GPS of three
not working. 33'30N x 126'52W 215t at 7.5 knots.
Not having fun yet.
Later same day.
Mostly cloudy, sea from behind for first time. Wind on beam at 18 knots apparent. Air
temp 65 water temp 65 was 59 at gate. Sailing with 105% jib and double reefed main,
can’t shake reefs. Foot off gas pedal. Enjoying no green water on deck for first time, just
some spray. Still in foulies, afraid to remove for what I might find. Doing 6-7 knots at
210 true.
Later same day.
Monitor wind vane steering for first time. Going straighter than with autopilot at same
speed. Solar panel running radios, stereo, instruments and plus 4 amps to battery. Light
rain. Washed hair in fresh water. Hopefully have seen last of coastal gale. Wind 15 on
beam. Full main with hole. Fishing line deployed. 502 miles off Dan Diego.
6/29/04 Day four of race.
06:00 Had toast, fried eggs, spam and coffee at dawn. 15 knots pleasant conditions. Email
not working, spliced new connector to computer, still not working. I give up.
Thinking of doing a headsail change, decide to put it off for now. 655 miles off Cabo
Colnett Baja Mexico.
13:00 Changed to 150% jib top, picked up 1.5 knots. Finally figured out why it’s so hard
to do a headsail change on starboard with wind on a reach. The main halyard rides over
the jib halyard at the top of the mast causing great friction. Life is good on Sail a Vie. I’m
naked.
14:00 Put up # 105% to weather on a pole. Broad reaching in light air with twins and full
main. After role call tonight, I found that I had lost ground to everyone. Took down
105% and went back to beam reach with jib top.
23:00 Close call with ship. Collision course at less than a mile. Gybed behind him.
6/30/04 Day five of race.
10:00 1-1/2 oz. Spinnaker up. Heading 240 true, pretty good ride. Went to put on dry
shoes, found they are all wet. Make another cup of coffee instead.
12:00 Changed to old 3/4 oz. spinnaker the pink one. Much better that 1 and 1/2 oz. Slept
for six hours last night. Longest sleep of trip so far. Still woke up very tired.
14:30 Spinnaker requires constant attention. Light air sailing less terrifying than gale but
more work. Don’t know how I'll get any sleep now.
7/1/04 Day six of race.
09:00 position 29'15N x 133'21W 5.6 knots Light air with overcast skies. Spinnaker up
24 hours now, not getting much rest. Morning role call says I made back all miles lost
and am now one mile ahead of closest competitor. Some boats flying twins. Have engine
running to charge batteries. Started meeting the crew* last night. Makes for good
conversation. Watched Silverado in cockpit last night, the midnight movie. Volume on
the laptop could be better.
*The crew is all the different characters in my head that only come out when I’m alone
for a while.
13:00 O.K. just finished a couple and a half hours of work on the fore deck: took 150%
jib top off roller furler, put twins (two head sails on one luff tape) up on furler, then put
155% tape drive to port. Took down spinnaker and set three headsails. Two are twins
flying as one sail and then the 155%. Both on poles each with their own topping lift and
foreguys. I don’t think I am going any faster but I don’t have to tend to these sails all the
time like the spinnaker. I flew the chute for 27 hours straight. That’s a first for me, I like the new Alpha Auto pilot. But still didn't really get more than a few minutes sleep. Now
if the wind comes up to say 15 or more apparent I will dowse the 155% that is on the
spinny halyard and fly the 110% twins. Doing all this work got me away from the engine
noise.
I am celebrating my work with a slightly chilled beer. This is definitely the last cool drink
for the next week or so. We are in tropical weather, spotty sunshine, hot and humid.
Currently 4.4 knots of wind over the deck. Wind chill factor 84.2 degrees f. Thin high
cumulus cloud cover but bright hot sun shining through.
14:00 Still running engine to charge batteries. I really don’t like the engine running. I
noticed that the regulator is only putting in 20 amps. The battery bank is almost 1000
amp hours and is only at 68% of full charge. O.K. I have to reprogram the controller. I
find that in the rush to leave I left all literature on my entirely new electrical system on
shore. Oops! I can't believe I did that. Oh well. Rick Dalton of S/V Iowa has been coming
on after the pm roll calls on SSB. Last night he patched through a phone call to Joann at
home. We could talk just fine with Rick holding the mike to the phone in the slip in
Redwood City, me in the middle of the ocean and Joann in our living room. Modern
technology, isn't it great? I will ask her to bring the lit. I need to Kauai.
The last few roll calls have been very interesting to listen to the seeming mood of the
person talking. For example, one of the Moore 24s this morning definitely sounded like
reality had hit him. Been out 6 days in a 24-foot boat. Been through two and a half days
of gale force wind and seas and now is all most becalmed. And only 1600 miles to go! To
me the going may be slow but this still beats working any day. Ken on Harrier reports
seeing tropical birds yesterday. Mark on Alchera reports sailing with squalls. Bill on Ergo
reports filtering gasoline through six separate steps using coffee filters and it seems to be
working.
The guys that went way south seem to be rethinking their strategy and making a bee line
for the finish as some of us slow boats are well ahead of them on distance to go. All and
all life is good on Sail a Vie. It’s just hard to imagine that in a week from now I will be
sitting here doing this same thing. I am sitting in the rear of the cockpit in my sporta seat
chair in the shade of the solar panel. My eyes are about four and a half feet off the water.
I don’t know exactly but I can’t see very far on the horizon. It’s hard to visualize where you
are. I mean this is so much water. You feel that land is not far away. Then you look at the
chart and see that the closest land is Baja California at over 1000 miles away. It’s just
strange.
14:30 Just shut off the motor. Hallelujah!
20:00 I feel good. I slept this afternoon for 3.5 hours straight. That’s the second longest
sleep I’ve gotten since the start. Still flying a full main and 155% and 105%. Wasn’t
happy with how the very long expandable pole was holding out the 155%. So I put the
155% sheet through the out grabber at the end of the boom. Then I put the expanding
pole on the 105% to starboard. I think I picked up 3/10 of a knot. Racers. Last night, flying the chute all night and all day I really felt like a racer. And I was making better
miles than anyone in my division by a lot. Then today my foot is off the gas pedal again,
just taking it easy. It’s a long race. The port water tank went dry today. It had about 15
gallons in it. Now using the 25 gallon starboard tank. 20 gallons of diesel left out of 25.
1421 miles to go. All the hatches are wide open for the first time.
20:25 I sit here in the middle (latitude wise) of the fleet, thirty minutes until role call.
That will tell the tale of who had more wind today, the north or the south. Its huge at this
point in the race to be in the right spot in relation to the forming/building pacific high. To
many this is win or lose. I sit on the fence quite sure I am the only one in precisely the
right spot.
The solar panel is at full trans pac angle, 90' to the horizon. Its 8:30 pm and the solar
panel is running the autopilot, stereo and all instruments. Plus is a few square feet of legal
unrated sail area. Hey, it’s a cruiser not a racer!
7/2/04 Day 7 of race
08:00 Slept good last night for six hours, and only had to get up twice in that time, and
one of those was for old man reasons not sail trim. Gybed over to port this morning. Now
expanding pole on 155% to weather with light air. Boat speed down to 2 knots. Sails
acting like flags instead of sails. Shaking rig and boat. Forgot to mention during
yesterdays fore deck work, I found that the spinnaker halyard was all most chaffed
through. I hope it is long enough to keep shortening. At this rate I might make it in time
to say good-bye to Joann in Kauai. Ahrg!!
10:00 Well I’ve been flying the twins and full main since yesterday morning, roll call
says I put miles between me and every boat in my division, I guess they are working
well, although it doesn’t feel fast.
15:30 Wasn’t happy with the half to 2 knots boat speed I was making with the twins.
Took down the 155%, rolled up the 110% twins and hoisted a spinnaker I had never seen
before. A friend loaned it to me. He said it was good for really light air. As it came out of
the bag so did a rusty old clothespin. I thought, oh this is going to be good. It looks like it
was made around 1965. The cloth is so old and soft that it is absolutely silent, which is
kind of nice. Its up and flying and I’m doing 4 knots, but I had to come off some 30' to
fly it. With the greater boat speed and light true wind, it puts the finish line almost dead
up wind. This isn’t supposed to be happening here.
18:30 The wind is up to about 15 knots for the last few hours. I am bombing along at 6
knots to the finish. This old spinnaker is at its limit. I just hope the head doesn’t blow out,
because that would mean a trip up the mast to retrieve the halyard.
My dad served in the army air corps and then the navy during WWII. After the war he
was a merchant marine. He used to tell me his favorite run was from San Francisco to
Hawaii. Back and forth for years. I can’t help but think about him when I’m out here. I
feel as if he is here with me retracing the steps he took over 50 years ago.
20:00 Wind up to low 20s. Took down 40 year old spinnaker. Now close reaching with
twin 110%’s as one sail. On course at 6.5 knots. Spinny drop went very well. No sock on
that one, lots of wind and just one corner got a little wet.
20:15 I’m so glad I dropped that chute. The wind is up. I am on a beam reach, and am
taking water over the front half of the boat. The water is pretty flat but if this wind keeps
up, it wont be for long. Making 7.5 knots good. Flying fish flying out of wave tops.
22:30 Well roll call tells me that Ken on Harrier has been hauling ass all day and has
made up 9 miles on me. Now he is only 4 miles behind at 16 miles away. After roll call I
call him on SSB and suggest we try talking on VHF. We had a crystal clear conversation
on ch 69. I asked him how his day went. He said he had got the wind right after morning
roll call and had been going fast ever since. He had a half once chute up for two and a
half days and just took it down before tonight’s roll call. I asked him, since he tracks all
his competitors, does he push harder when I get ahead? And dose he back off when he is
ahead? He said “Well maybe” I said well I definitely try harder when he is ahead. He said
he saw that I had snuck up on him, so he did push a little harder. I said I really liked
racing him and he said “Well that’s what it’s all about.” He said he was under white sails
now and could use a bigger headsail, but that he was going to have a much nicer night
this way.
That conversation with Ken made my day. To have that kind of fun/camaraderie is more
important to me that the race itself. A note about Ken, He is I believe 73 years old and
this is his eighth SSS trans pac race.
23:50 Ten to midnight. With Ken close by and me not believing him about taking it easy
tonight, I think its time to set my old 3/4 oz spinnaker.
7/3/04 Day 8 of race, just after midnight.
Well that was fun! NOT! I got the chute up. It didn’t go really well but I finally got it up
and flying. As soon as it went up the wind picked up. The autopilot couldn’t really keep
up and I all most round down three times. Once the main gybed over. This is not a good
thing. I was able to get it back. Then I decided that this was not going to be my last night
here on earth. I dowsed the chute and set the twins. While the chute was up I hit 11 knots
a few times, really exciting.
08:00 Batteries are low. Turned on engine to charge them up. After running about ten
minutes the engine alarm sounded. I went to look at the idiot lights to see what the
problem was, low oil pressure, over heat etc. The light that was lit said waterproof. I have no idea what this means. The engine seems hot to the touch, so I am letting it cool down
before I work on it. I hope I can find the problem because I’ve gotten really used to the
electric autopilot, radar, SSB, computer and stereo. All of which I will loose with out a
running engine.
13:00 It’s been a busy morning at 28'15N x 138'23W Roll call said I put one mile on
Harrier over the night. As I thought Ken did not take it easy last night. He set twins as
well. I have been sailing within sight of George on Cookie Jar, a Moore 24. I finally
passed him and got some photos 1200 miles from Hawaii.
I removed the salt-water pump from the engine and found that when the shaft would turn
the impeller would not. I replaced it with a new one and reinstalled it. The bolts that hold
it on the engine were too long to get out of the engine compartment. So I had to drill a
hole in the engine room to stick the bolts through. I sliced open my thumb on a hose
clamp while doing this job. O.K. problem fixed right? Wrong. Fire up engine, alarm goes
off. Replace thermostat with a new one. Alarm sounds. Remove thermostat all together,
alarm sounds. I have a new fresh water pump on board but I can’t imagine that the one
that’s on there isn’t pumping water. I'm taking a break from the engine for a while. Its 104
degrees around the engine right now. If all else fails I will have to run the engine for
about 10 minutes at a time, then let it cool down for a few hours. It will put about 100
amps an hour into the batteries if I do this. Did I mention I hate the engine? Right now it’s very sunny out. The solar panel is running two VHF radios, cd player, two GPS’s and
the autopilot. If it were only sunny 24 hours a day I wouldn’t need a stupid engine.
15:00 I removed the heat exchanger, it was clear. I removed the fresh water pump it was
fine. I removed the salt-water exhaust injection elbow it was clear. Start engine, alarm
still sounds. I removed the wire from the temp. sending unit and the alarm still sounds. I
think the engine is not over heating. I think it is a false alarm. If I am wrong it will cost a
small fortune. Since dawn this morning I have been working on the engine. As I lay on
top of it tensioning the alternator belt, my sweat soaked t-shirt touches the engine and
steam rises. Conditions are perfect for sailing and I am working on the boat. Some things
never change. Cookie Jar wouldn’t sit still for me passing him. He set a chute and has had
it up for about two hours now. I don’t think he’s gained a boat length. He’s about a mile
back and directly behind. Ken on Harrier has been in VHF contact with me all day with
suggestions on what to do with my engine. What was I saying about camaraderie?
15:30 Just had a salt-water shower in the cockpit. 50lbs of pressure through my new salt
water wash down pump. Then a sun dry. I hope George wasn’t offended. Geeze, you
come all the way out here and you have some guy tail gating you.
16:40 George seemed to be catching me. I folded the 110% twins into one sail and raised
the 155% to leeward. George hasn’t caught me yet but if he does I will get some good
shots of him as he goes by. I am watching him round up on about every seventh wave.
16:50 Just had a three way conversation with George and Ken on VHF. Ken asked what
my position was, after telling him I was reclined in my chair in the cockpit, I gave him
my lat and lon. Turns out I put two miles on him while I was below working on the
engine. Does this mean I should stay below and just let the boat drive her self more
often? Lots of laughs with those guys today. This is just too cool.
18:30 I was wondering if I would go faster with the main down. That would give the
leeward jib some air. I dropped the main. While I was folding it on the boom I noticed
that the leech at the top third of the sail had ripped away from the body of the sail. I put
some sticky back tape on both sides of the rip. The boat is about a knot slower. Back up
goes the main. During this I noticed that one of the blocks that the preventer sheet runs
through had blown to pieces.
Evening roll call says I put miles on every one in my division accept Jim on Haulback. I
owe Haulback 24 hours and he is currently only 113 mile back. He could easily sail 113
miles in 24 hours.
7/4/04 Day 9 of race
03:00 Wind shift. Can’t stand going north any more when I should be going south. Down
with 155%. Split twins, set second pole and gybe main. On course again on port tack.
05:30 Wind shift, gybe to starboard tack. Sigh.
08:30 Squall, fairly heavy rain.
09:30 Morning roll call say Haulback only 110 miles behind. This guy worries me. He is
the over all winner of the 2002 race. Ken on Harrier now 15 miles back, was 8 at roll call
last night. Ken usually hangs out on the radio after roll call to chat. As soon as roll call
ended he comes on and says Harrier signing off to go play with sails. Ha ha, got him
going, I’ll give him a call on VHF shortly.
11:30 Talked to Ken a while ago. He set a chute right after roll call and then a windy
squall over took him. I finally rigged two preventers from the end of the boom to the bow
of the boat and back to the cockpit. Now I can gybe without leaving the cockpit. You
want to exit squalls on port tack but favor starboard most of the time. Now I can do this
easily. Its been raining on and off all morning.
15:00 Cookie Jar is back. Back behind me that is. He’s about two miles back with the
same chute up.
19:35 I have been sailing in and out of squalls all day. Gybing to get in front of them,
gybing to stay with them. Much more wind in squalls. Still running twins. It will be
interesting to see if Ken kept the chute up and if he has made or lost ground on me.
23:00 Zipping along at 6-8 knots, dead down wind. Must be 20-25 true wind.
Break Break.
As I write this the wind has dropped to about 15. Boat speed down to 5-6. Dang it !!!
Any way tonight’s roll call revealed that Ken Had made up one mile in the last twelve
hours. After roll call he says "Sail a Vie, Harrier" the common call for another vessel. I
say "Harrier Sail a Vie" he comes back with, “got back a mile” what makes this so cool is
that he said it on SSB when he knew the whole fleet was listening. So if they didn’t
realize it before they now know that Harrier and Sail a Vie are in a drag race to the finish.
We switched over to VHF and had a long conversation; we are only about 14 miles apart.
After roll call this morning he went and set his biggest chute. Then a squall came and
messed it up. He set it again and another squall came and messed it up. And then the
whole thing once more. He gave up on that and set two head sails as twins. He lost his
real set of twins in the 2000 race when he was dismasted. (At that time he was about 5
miles ahead of me to the south.) Then he lay in his bunk all day reading a book and still
made a mile on me. This guy is going to be trouble. We both stacked on miles on every
one else in the division. Also after roll call I had a long conversation with John Gratton
on S/V Nakia. He and his wife Linda are in the great north west anchored in a place
called Princess Bay. It sounded nice. Gotta like this long range radio stuff.
7/5/04 Day 10 of race
01:45 Just broke the four digit mark. 999 miles to go. Its 1:45 am I’ve been up since
yesterday at 03:00, mostly in the cockpit. I was just sitting out there now to see the GPS
click over the 999 miles to go. It was pouring rain. I was in my foulie jacket with the
broken zipper, a base ball cap and shorts, no shoes. You gotta like the tropics. At about
11:00 last night I had fresh steamed artichokes done in my pressure cooker for dinner.
Now I am going to lie down until the next squall wakes me up. Good night.
14:15 I was shaken out of bed many times last night by squalls. Roll call says I put five
miles on Ken last night. Ken says the weather fax says light wind ahead and to the south.
At 10:00 this morning I set the 3/4 oz kite. It is taking me quite a while to get used to the
autopilot driving with the kite up. I have this feeling of impending doom, just waiting for
the round down that goes too far. But so far so good. Hot sunny squally.
20:00 Had all I could stand of the chute today. When I got pinned down by a squall I
decided it was time to take it down. By the time I got it down, I was in the calm behind
the squall feeling I had made a mistake. Ten minutes later another squall and 8.5 knots
boat speed with the twins. Taking down the chute was a good call. I might not be here
righting this if I hadn’t. I am on port tack now so I moved my bed to the port side.
7/6/04 Day 11 of the race
08:20 I was too tired to make an entry last night so here is an update. Role call told me I
put another 4 miles on Ken yesterday. Now I am 23 miles ahead. Guess all that scary
spinnaker work paid off. Also put miles on everybody else in the division except Bill on
Ergo. Ergo is the other Ericson 35 like mine. He gained one mile but is still 67 miles
back. This mornings conditions are too rough for me to put up the kite. Lumpy seas, good
breeze. Am making 6-8 knots boat speed almost on course.
12:00 Roll call revealed I put more miles on every body but Haulback, he gained 3 miles
over night. I caught a 18 inch yellow fin tuna this morning. Its about time after dragging
that line for all most 1600 miles. The course is just above a beam reach, to high for twins
and I haven’t had much luck flying any of the spinnakers above the beam either. So down
with the twins up with the 155%. Now I’m sailing a little high of the mark. I will
probably fall off and set a chute later today.
14:00 I don’t know what I was thinking when I set the 155%. I put it in the port side
groove. Now I wanted to go twins with the 155% and 105%. I’m on port tack so the
105% has to go in the port groove. Down with the 155% back up with the 155% up with
the 105% on a pole to weather. It’s really hot and muggy. Progress is very, very slow in
the light hot air.
18:00 105% down, 155% rolled up, 3/4 oz kite up. I’m getting a little tired of this.
19:00 Well the boat is finally moving along at five knots. I should have put the kite up
this morning, but I was so worn out from yesterday’s spinnaker fun that I was a little
hesitant. No squalls today so far. Hopefully I will carry the kite through the night into
tomorrow. It has been a very frustrating day, every thing I do is a fight. I have been out of
VHF range with Ken for a day or two now. I miss talking to him. I tried hailing him
today on ch69 and Carlton on Audacious answered. He was eight miles to the south. We
had a nice talk but he’s not in my division. It really keeps you going when someone in
your division is close by and you can talk.
I fully expect that at tonight’s role call I will find that I lost ground to all my competitors.
Also I forgot to mention that last night around 02:00 I saw lightening to my north, maybe
10-15 miles away. I am very tired. I have only been getting about three hours sleep out of
24, and I am grumpy because of it. The beer ran out days ago. I am into the second of
three bottles of rum, but am having the last coke with some now. After this I have
nothing to mix it with but V-8 juice or water. I am also running low on bottled water. I
brought 60 16oz bottles but I didn’t expect it to be this damn hot. I have two bottles of
wine but no cork screw. If it comes down to it, I will drill out the corks. I wish I had some
horse’s to throw over board. I had yellow fin tuna for lunch with wasabi and soy sauce. I
planned on cooking the rest but it was so good raw I think I will have the rest the same
way.
7/7/04 Day 12 of the race
02:00 Spinnaker down just got a little too wild. 155% rolled out 105% raised for twins.
10:00 Good morning. It’s a beautiful morning with about 10-15 knots of wind on the
beam. I lay down last night around 03:00. This morning Carlton on Audacious calls on
the VHF just to say good morning. He woke me up, I jumped out of bed to get to the
radio, and I was fairly disoriented. He comments on how the wind had shifted and how he
was on a beam reach now. While talking to him I look out the companionway up at the
rig and see that I too am on a beam reach and going nowhere. The sails, twins, are set for
dead down wind. I am just drifting along making 1-2 knots. When I get off the radio with
him I take down the 105% I had set to weather and trim for a beam reach. Roll call says I
put another 2 miles on Harrier but both Haulback and Ergo have gained on me. Ergo is
the other Ericson 35 like mine. He has been gaining on me for days now. He is currently
58 miles back down from a high of 79. If this keeps up he will beat me. He isn’t even
flying a spinnaker, just regular sailing under white sails. I don’t do this event as a race,
but, being in the lead really lights the fire. I don’t think I have ever tried so hard to win.
To have the lead and then watch it slowly slip away is killing me. I have been dreaming
about winning my division and even over all. I am trying as hard as I can to hang on. For
the last hour since roll call I have been averaging 7 knots. If I can keep this up I’ll be
doing good again. After roll call I called Audacious and told him he woke me up and that
I probably would have slept right through role call. I asked if he knew when the wind had shifted. He said about 03:00. That means as soon as I went to sleep the wind shifted and I
came to a stop. Now wonder I slept so good, the boat wasn’t moving and it was silent.
From now on it’s the egg timer at 20 minutes.
13:06 3/4oz kite up
14:20 Main down in effort to keep kite full. Wind 1-2 knots over the deck.
15:30 Main back up. Wind 5-6 air temp 83'F water temp 78.
19:10 It has been light and hot all day. Sailing across the ocean one breezy patch at a
time. A little breeze comes up, you change course adjust the sails and sail along at 3-5
knots for twenty minutes. Then the wind dies and you drift on the swell till the next
zephyr comes your way. I think I’ve been doing a good job of staying on it today. I only
hope that every body else has the same conditions or I’m screwed. It’s really beautiful out
here to day. All most no wind waves for the first time of the trip. And a gentle five foot
swell. As the boat gently rocks, my eye lids get heavy. As soon as they close I go into
some kind of dream state. I come in on the middle of a dream, and they’re really strange.
So far they all have people I know in them. Then my eyes open. I think I’m only out for
less than a minute. Currently making five knots to the finish.
7/8/04 Day 13 of the race.
10:00 O.K. lot to talk about. I couldn’t write last night so here is what’s been going on.
Remember what I said about getting screwed? Well I am. Last nights roll call says all
most every body made ground on me again yesterday. After role call I heard a vessel
called SS Steeves talking to a freighter that I could see eight miles to the south. The
Steeves it turns out is the communications boat for the pac cup, a crewed race
from SF to Hawaii. A little while after that the radar showed a ship steaming right up my
butt. I had been thinking of gybing to starboard for quite a while and that did it. I did (for
me) a very quick gybe. Then I turned on my masthead strobe. Just then the Steeves calls
me on the VHF. It was he who was steaming up my butt. We talked for a while and he
confirmed that yes he did see me on his radar and in fact had been tracking me for twelve
miles. And yes he saw my strobe the second it went on.
I spent a wild night in the cockpit. Taking 8 minute naps with the egg timer. Around
03:30 I saw another sailboat on about my same course and closing slowly. Starboard tack
wasn’t working out any way so I gybed back to port. Some time during all the flogging
around in light air yesterday I ripped the foot tape completely out of my favorite old pink
spinnaker. Its still up and flying but it may let go at any time.
This mornings roll call says that in my division its now all most anybody’s race. Every
thing has evened up with 535 miles to go.
16:00 The wind has been good all day at about 10-15 knots apparent. About half an hour
ago it died. It’s now 1 knot apparent. Back to sails flogging all around. 497 miles to go. I
am ready to be there. I would pay $20.00 for an ice-cold beer.
17:30 Dropped spinnaker down on deck to check chafe on halyard. It is chafing one hand
width up from the shackle. It was two thirds chaffed through, the outer jacket was gone
and it was cutting into the straight strand core. I shortened it again and wrapped many
layers of electrical tape around where it would chafe. I hope this helps because I am
running out of halyard.
17:40 Spinnaker up.
17:45 Checked main fresh water tank today, it’s all most empty. Second water tank
already dry. Bottled water running low. Having Jamaican coffee instead.(coffee with
rum, not bad)
18:50 Jamaican coffee improved attitude, now enjoying trip again. Sailing course of 240'
true. Finish line bearing is 253'True but I am heading south to create more apparent wind.
Boat speed through water is 5 to 7.5. VMG, Velocity Made Good is 5-6. That means I
am approaching the finish line at 5 to 6 knots over the ground or earth. If I pointed the
boat right at the finish line I would only be closing on it at 3-5 knots and the sails would
be flogging around more than they are now. 482 miles to go. Yesterday while applying sunscreen I missed a spot on the inside of my right ankle. Earlier today I cut open a
blister the size of a silver dollar but not quite round and 3/8 to _ inch deep. Feels better
now. All and all rope burns hurt more on sun burned skin than non-sun burned skin.
23:50 I am making up lost ground on my division. Made ground on every body but Ken
who is holding steady at 29 miles back. I will spend the night in the cockpit again tonight,
taking 8-minute naps. This is more for sail trim than traffic. The weather is definitely
livelier at night. I am picking up quite a few AM radio stations out of Hawaii, 450 miles
away.
7/9/04 Day 14 of the race.
01:36 It’s a wild night. Wind is around 25 true. Autopilot steering lock to lock. Rounding
up and almost rounding down. The pedal is to the metal. Averaging 7 knots made good
with bursts to 13 through the water. Can’t believe that old (18 years) 3/4oz chute with a
ripped out foot is still up.
04:20 Wild and crazy!!! Just noticed the spinnaker has two rips in it near the port side
leech near the top. The end may be near for my dear old friend.
08:50 Man, what a night! Sailed eighty miles since roll call last night! And this morning’s
catch was a three-foot Dorado or mahi mahi. Now wind is down and seas have calmed
but still making 6 knots to the finish.
10:25 I just can’t say enough about last night. Conditions I would never fly a spinnaker
in. I don’t know why, I just had no fear. I guess its like Zen, pretend you are a yacht racer
like Ted Turner or Stan Honey and go, go fast. That old kite is still up. What a testament
to its makers, Larsen sails out of Santa Cruz. 18 years old, 3/4oz, ripped out foot and two
rips in the leech and still hanging on. I gained miles on every one in my division last
night. 22 miles on Ergo, 10 miles on Ken, 20 miles on Miss Laney. I just hope my guts
hold out for two more nights.
14:00 Pac cup boat goes zooming by. Couldn’t get them on VHF.
7/10/04 Day 15 of race.
10:20 I sit in the cockpit, basking in the morning sun, drinking coffee. Last nights roll
call says I gained more miles on every one in my division. Around 12:30 last night I
decided to take down the spinnaker for the first time in three and a half days. It was going
to be another wild night with the boat going all over the place. You literally can’t sit in
the rear of the cockpit because the G forces want to throw you out. Anyway, like I said
the kite was up for three and a half days, and on Sail a Vie that means you are too, except
for the eight minute naps. Eight minutes comes from: I set the egg timer to fifteen
minutes; I shut my eyes and am out in the middle of some weird dream. Then I am woken
up by sails making noise or the boat shaking. I jump up, look at the egg timer and it has seven minutes left on it. This happens with out fail, every time. So last night I am so tired
I just have to sleep. I drop my old friend on deck and roll out the 155% and raise the
105% to weather. I slept for six hours and only got up once in that time. Even with the
twins I still averaged 6.2 knots made good through the night. This morning’s role call
says I put more miles on every one in my division except Jim on Haulback. I owe Jim 24
hours. He is currently 112 miles back and holding steady. He has been sailing about 140
miles a day. So unless something changes it looks like he will beat me. I have done all I
can do in this race. I feel good about my effort. Some times you are just lazy, so you
don’t do some thing you know you should. In this race I have done everything I thought I
should do. No laziness here. So win or lose, I know I gave it my best.
19:30 Still sitting in cockpit. Around noon today I took down the main. I ran the sheet for
the 155% through the out grabber at the end of the boom. Then I pushed the boom as far
out board as I could. I did this because, I am running dead down wind and the boat kept
getting rounded up by the air pressure in the main. While at the same time the 155% to
leeward, or in this case behind the main was starved for air. I think its working good. I’ve
been averaging 6.5 since the change plus was able to take several hour-long naps. I'm still
feel very tired but am more relaxed now. Haulback is probably gaining on me with
greater sail area. And Harrier is probably getting ready to zoom down from the north on a
screaming reach. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. This is a single-handed sail to
Hawaii and back. If someone beats someone else on a correction factor designed by
people who aren’t even here, does that mean he or she had less of an experience? Maybe
they had more of one. For example, the first boats to finish finished two days ago. Am I
getting more of an experience than them? I think so, maybe. O.K. So it doesn’t matter
anyway. That said I hope I KICK ASS. And you know why? Because I’ve done this race
before. The most asked question, especially from other sailors is, How did you do? and of
course you want to be able to say you did well. That’s the best reason for wanting to win
that I can think of. Not much of one.
20:00 I turned on the radio to the AM stations out of Hawaii. I heard the political news. I
heard how they are still killing hostages in Iraq and how Americans are still dying there.
It was two weeks ago today I sailed away from that world. I turned the radio off and went
back to CDs.
21:30 There is a real cool sea bird. He was flying around the boat looking for dinner in
my wake. He felt he needed a break so he landed on my solar panel high above the
cockpit. He wasn’t afraid of me and allowed me to go below to get my camera. Then he
posed for several shots. I don’t think he thought my boat was much of a rest. The boat is
wallowing 15 degrees side to side for a total of 30 degrees and the course at times swings
90'. The cool bird left. O.K. and role call says I put good miles on every one. Twins and
no main you say? Yep just hold on!
22:55 It’s just getting dark out here. My friend the bird is back. He came back shortly
after the last entry. He has been meticulously cleaning every feather. Reminds me of my
cat. He has left a deposit on the solar panel and it appears he may spend the night. I hope so. Where is he from? Hawaii? China? Midway? Alaska? South America?... What does
he do for water our here? Where does he rest if there is no ship around?
7/11/04 Day 16 of race.
10:15 My bird did spend the night. Up on the solar panel rocking back and forth with his
head tucked into his back like a duck. He left at sunrise this morning, and then I cleaned
up after him. I put more miles on every one over night, but Harrier is on his screaming
reach from the north. And I don’t think I have enough miles on Haulback. I think I will
get Ken , but I think Jim will get me. 68 miles to go. Still with twins 155% and 105% and
no main. Averaged 7 knots over night.
11:00 to 12:30 main up, 105% down, 155% down, twin110% up and set on two poles.
Prepare ground tackle. Man what a lot of F____ing work!!! Sweating like a pig.
15:10 LAND HO!!!!!!! I can just make out the cliff disappearing into the sea ahead. If I
didn’t know there was land there I would think its just another cloud disappearing over
the horizon. 34 miles to go.
15:45 Made contact with race committee on VHF ch 69. Expect to finish in next few
hours.
Days later: Well the darndest thing , I won , My division , and the race over all.
you just never know
6/24/04 Pre race
Well my voyage begins. As I write this I am bashing up the Bay. Motoring with 27 knots
on the nose. The GPS says I might not meet the 18:00 hour deadline. All systems seem to
be working well. I am playing with the new radar.
6/27/04 Day two of race.
Too rough and seasick to write yesterday. It’s freaking windy out here. Over thirty knots
all day yesterday. Down to 20s today. Everything very wet, boat, bed, clothes, and me.
Sun is out, dolphins jumping out of water all around boat. 35'39N x 124'47W course
somewhere around 220' true. Speed between 6.6 and 9.5 Really rough water. Under 2000
miles to go.
6/28/04 Day three of race.
E-mail working only part time, don’t know how long it will last. Starbuck out of race.
Wenlimer out of race Coast Guard searching for him. My main sail ripped at second reef.
While replacing reef line the zipper of my only foulie jacket ripped out. One GPS of three
not working. 33'30N x 126'52W 215t at 7.5 knots.
Not having fun yet.
Later same day.
Mostly cloudy, sea from behind for first time. Wind on beam at 18 knots apparent. Air
temp 65 water temp 65 was 59 at gate. Sailing with 105% jib and double reefed main,
can’t shake reefs. Foot off gas pedal. Enjoying no green water on deck for first time, just
some spray. Still in foulies, afraid to remove for what I might find. Doing 6-7 knots at
210 true.
Later same day.
Monitor wind vane steering for first time. Going straighter than with autopilot at same
speed. Solar panel running radios, stereo, instruments and plus 4 amps to battery. Light
rain. Washed hair in fresh water. Hopefully have seen last of coastal gale. Wind 15 on
beam. Full main with hole. Fishing line deployed. 502 miles off Dan Diego.
6/29/04 Day four of race.
06:00 Had toast, fried eggs, spam and coffee at dawn. 15 knots pleasant conditions. Email
not working, spliced new connector to computer, still not working. I give up.
Thinking of doing a headsail change, decide to put it off for now. 655 miles off Cabo
Colnett Baja Mexico.
13:00 Changed to 150% jib top, picked up 1.5 knots. Finally figured out why it’s so hard
to do a headsail change on starboard with wind on a reach. The main halyard rides over
the jib halyard at the top of the mast causing great friction. Life is good on Sail a Vie. I’m
naked.
14:00 Put up # 105% to weather on a pole. Broad reaching in light air with twins and full
main. After role call tonight, I found that I had lost ground to everyone. Took down
105% and went back to beam reach with jib top.
23:00 Close call with ship. Collision course at less than a mile. Gybed behind him.
6/30/04 Day five of race.
10:00 1-1/2 oz. Spinnaker up. Heading 240 true, pretty good ride. Went to put on dry
shoes, found they are all wet. Make another cup of coffee instead.
12:00 Changed to old 3/4 oz. spinnaker the pink one. Much better that 1 and 1/2 oz. Slept
for six hours last night. Longest sleep of trip so far. Still woke up very tired.
14:30 Spinnaker requires constant attention. Light air sailing less terrifying than gale but
more work. Don’t know how I'll get any sleep now.
7/1/04 Day six of race.
09:00 position 29'15N x 133'21W 5.6 knots Light air with overcast skies. Spinnaker up
24 hours now, not getting much rest. Morning role call says I made back all miles lost
and am now one mile ahead of closest competitor. Some boats flying twins. Have engine
running to charge batteries. Started meeting the crew* last night. Makes for good
conversation. Watched Silverado in cockpit last night, the midnight movie. Volume on
the laptop could be better.
*The crew is all the different characters in my head that only come out when I’m alone
for a while.
13:00 O.K. just finished a couple and a half hours of work on the fore deck: took 150%
jib top off roller furler, put twins (two head sails on one luff tape) up on furler, then put
155% tape drive to port. Took down spinnaker and set three headsails. Two are twins
flying as one sail and then the 155%. Both on poles each with their own topping lift and
foreguys. I don’t think I am going any faster but I don’t have to tend to these sails all the
time like the spinnaker. I flew the chute for 27 hours straight. That’s a first for me, I like the new Alpha Auto pilot. But still didn't really get more than a few minutes sleep. Now
if the wind comes up to say 15 or more apparent I will dowse the 155% that is on the
spinny halyard and fly the 110% twins. Doing all this work got me away from the engine
noise.
I am celebrating my work with a slightly chilled beer. This is definitely the last cool drink
for the next week or so. We are in tropical weather, spotty sunshine, hot and humid.
Currently 4.4 knots of wind over the deck. Wind chill factor 84.2 degrees f. Thin high
cumulus cloud cover but bright hot sun shining through.
14:00 Still running engine to charge batteries. I really don’t like the engine running. I
noticed that the regulator is only putting in 20 amps. The battery bank is almost 1000
amp hours and is only at 68% of full charge. O.K. I have to reprogram the controller. I
find that in the rush to leave I left all literature on my entirely new electrical system on
shore. Oops! I can't believe I did that. Oh well. Rick Dalton of S/V Iowa has been coming
on after the pm roll calls on SSB. Last night he patched through a phone call to Joann at
home. We could talk just fine with Rick holding the mike to the phone in the slip in
Redwood City, me in the middle of the ocean and Joann in our living room. Modern
technology, isn't it great? I will ask her to bring the lit. I need to Kauai.
The last few roll calls have been very interesting to listen to the seeming mood of the
person talking. For example, one of the Moore 24s this morning definitely sounded like
reality had hit him. Been out 6 days in a 24-foot boat. Been through two and a half days
of gale force wind and seas and now is all most becalmed. And only 1600 miles to go! To
me the going may be slow but this still beats working any day. Ken on Harrier reports
seeing tropical birds yesterday. Mark on Alchera reports sailing with squalls. Bill on Ergo
reports filtering gasoline through six separate steps using coffee filters and it seems to be
working.
The guys that went way south seem to be rethinking their strategy and making a bee line
for the finish as some of us slow boats are well ahead of them on distance to go. All and
all life is good on Sail a Vie. It’s just hard to imagine that in a week from now I will be
sitting here doing this same thing. I am sitting in the rear of the cockpit in my sporta seat
chair in the shade of the solar panel. My eyes are about four and a half feet off the water.
I don’t know exactly but I can’t see very far on the horizon. It’s hard to visualize where you
are. I mean this is so much water. You feel that land is not far away. Then you look at the
chart and see that the closest land is Baja California at over 1000 miles away. It’s just
strange.
14:30 Just shut off the motor. Hallelujah!
20:00 I feel good. I slept this afternoon for 3.5 hours straight. That’s the second longest
sleep I’ve gotten since the start. Still flying a full main and 155% and 105%. Wasn’t
happy with how the very long expandable pole was holding out the 155%. So I put the
155% sheet through the out grabber at the end of the boom. Then I put the expanding
pole on the 105% to starboard. I think I picked up 3/10 of a knot. Racers. Last night, flying the chute all night and all day I really felt like a racer. And I was making better
miles than anyone in my division by a lot. Then today my foot is off the gas pedal again,
just taking it easy. It’s a long race. The port water tank went dry today. It had about 15
gallons in it. Now using the 25 gallon starboard tank. 20 gallons of diesel left out of 25.
1421 miles to go. All the hatches are wide open for the first time.
20:25 I sit here in the middle (latitude wise) of the fleet, thirty minutes until role call.
That will tell the tale of who had more wind today, the north or the south. Its huge at this
point in the race to be in the right spot in relation to the forming/building pacific high. To
many this is win or lose. I sit on the fence quite sure I am the only one in precisely the
right spot.
The solar panel is at full trans pac angle, 90' to the horizon. Its 8:30 pm and the solar
panel is running the autopilot, stereo and all instruments. Plus is a few square feet of legal
unrated sail area. Hey, it’s a cruiser not a racer!
7/2/04 Day 7 of race
08:00 Slept good last night for six hours, and only had to get up twice in that time, and
one of those was for old man reasons not sail trim. Gybed over to port this morning. Now
expanding pole on 155% to weather with light air. Boat speed down to 2 knots. Sails
acting like flags instead of sails. Shaking rig and boat. Forgot to mention during
yesterdays fore deck work, I found that the spinnaker halyard was all most chaffed
through. I hope it is long enough to keep shortening. At this rate I might make it in time
to say good-bye to Joann in Kauai. Ahrg!!
10:00 Well I’ve been flying the twins and full main since yesterday morning, roll call
says I put miles between me and every boat in my division, I guess they are working
well, although it doesn’t feel fast.
15:30 Wasn’t happy with the half to 2 knots boat speed I was making with the twins.
Took down the 155%, rolled up the 110% twins and hoisted a spinnaker I had never seen
before. A friend loaned it to me. He said it was good for really light air. As it came out of
the bag so did a rusty old clothespin. I thought, oh this is going to be good. It looks like it
was made around 1965. The cloth is so old and soft that it is absolutely silent, which is
kind of nice. Its up and flying and I’m doing 4 knots, but I had to come off some 30' to
fly it. With the greater boat speed and light true wind, it puts the finish line almost dead
up wind. This isn’t supposed to be happening here.
18:30 The wind is up to about 15 knots for the last few hours. I am bombing along at 6
knots to the finish. This old spinnaker is at its limit. I just hope the head doesn’t blow out,
because that would mean a trip up the mast to retrieve the halyard.
My dad served in the army air corps and then the navy during WWII. After the war he
was a merchant marine. He used to tell me his favorite run was from San Francisco to
Hawaii. Back and forth for years. I can’t help but think about him when I’m out here. I
feel as if he is here with me retracing the steps he took over 50 years ago.
20:00 Wind up to low 20s. Took down 40 year old spinnaker. Now close reaching with
twin 110%’s as one sail. On course at 6.5 knots. Spinny drop went very well. No sock on
that one, lots of wind and just one corner got a little wet.
20:15 I’m so glad I dropped that chute. The wind is up. I am on a beam reach, and am
taking water over the front half of the boat. The water is pretty flat but if this wind keeps
up, it wont be for long. Making 7.5 knots good. Flying fish flying out of wave tops.
22:30 Well roll call tells me that Ken on Harrier has been hauling ass all day and has
made up 9 miles on me. Now he is only 4 miles behind at 16 miles away. After roll call I
call him on SSB and suggest we try talking on VHF. We had a crystal clear conversation
on ch 69. I asked him how his day went. He said he had got the wind right after morning
roll call and had been going fast ever since. He had a half once chute up for two and a
half days and just took it down before tonight’s roll call. I asked him, since he tracks all
his competitors, does he push harder when I get ahead? And dose he back off when he is
ahead? He said “Well maybe” I said well I definitely try harder when he is ahead. He said
he saw that I had snuck up on him, so he did push a little harder. I said I really liked
racing him and he said “Well that’s what it’s all about.” He said he was under white sails
now and could use a bigger headsail, but that he was going to have a much nicer night
this way.
That conversation with Ken made my day. To have that kind of fun/camaraderie is more
important to me that the race itself. A note about Ken, He is I believe 73 years old and
this is his eighth SSS trans pac race.
23:50 Ten to midnight. With Ken close by and me not believing him about taking it easy
tonight, I think its time to set my old 3/4 oz spinnaker.
7/3/04 Day 8 of race, just after midnight.
Well that was fun! NOT! I got the chute up. It didn’t go really well but I finally got it up
and flying. As soon as it went up the wind picked up. The autopilot couldn’t really keep
up and I all most round down three times. Once the main gybed over. This is not a good
thing. I was able to get it back. Then I decided that this was not going to be my last night
here on earth. I dowsed the chute and set the twins. While the chute was up I hit 11 knots
a few times, really exciting.
08:00 Batteries are low. Turned on engine to charge them up. After running about ten
minutes the engine alarm sounded. I went to look at the idiot lights to see what the
problem was, low oil pressure, over heat etc. The light that was lit said waterproof. I have no idea what this means. The engine seems hot to the touch, so I am letting it cool down
before I work on it. I hope I can find the problem because I’ve gotten really used to the
electric autopilot, radar, SSB, computer and stereo. All of which I will loose with out a
running engine.
13:00 It’s been a busy morning at 28'15N x 138'23W Roll call said I put one mile on
Harrier over the night. As I thought Ken did not take it easy last night. He set twins as
well. I have been sailing within sight of George on Cookie Jar, a Moore 24. I finally
passed him and got some photos 1200 miles from Hawaii.
I removed the salt-water pump from the engine and found that when the shaft would turn
the impeller would not. I replaced it with a new one and reinstalled it. The bolts that hold
it on the engine were too long to get out of the engine compartment. So I had to drill a
hole in the engine room to stick the bolts through. I sliced open my thumb on a hose
clamp while doing this job. O.K. problem fixed right? Wrong. Fire up engine, alarm goes
off. Replace thermostat with a new one. Alarm sounds. Remove thermostat all together,
alarm sounds. I have a new fresh water pump on board but I can’t imagine that the one
that’s on there isn’t pumping water. I'm taking a break from the engine for a while. Its 104
degrees around the engine right now. If all else fails I will have to run the engine for
about 10 minutes at a time, then let it cool down for a few hours. It will put about 100
amps an hour into the batteries if I do this. Did I mention I hate the engine? Right now it’s very sunny out. The solar panel is running two VHF radios, cd player, two GPS’s and
the autopilot. If it were only sunny 24 hours a day I wouldn’t need a stupid engine.
15:00 I removed the heat exchanger, it was clear. I removed the fresh water pump it was
fine. I removed the salt-water exhaust injection elbow it was clear. Start engine, alarm
still sounds. I removed the wire from the temp. sending unit and the alarm still sounds. I
think the engine is not over heating. I think it is a false alarm. If I am wrong it will cost a
small fortune. Since dawn this morning I have been working on the engine. As I lay on
top of it tensioning the alternator belt, my sweat soaked t-shirt touches the engine and
steam rises. Conditions are perfect for sailing and I am working on the boat. Some things
never change. Cookie Jar wouldn’t sit still for me passing him. He set a chute and has had
it up for about two hours now. I don’t think he’s gained a boat length. He’s about a mile
back and directly behind. Ken on Harrier has been in VHF contact with me all day with
suggestions on what to do with my engine. What was I saying about camaraderie?
15:30 Just had a salt-water shower in the cockpit. 50lbs of pressure through my new salt
water wash down pump. Then a sun dry. I hope George wasn’t offended. Geeze, you
come all the way out here and you have some guy tail gating you.
16:40 George seemed to be catching me. I folded the 110% twins into one sail and raised
the 155% to leeward. George hasn’t caught me yet but if he does I will get some good
shots of him as he goes by. I am watching him round up on about every seventh wave.
16:50 Just had a three way conversation with George and Ken on VHF. Ken asked what
my position was, after telling him I was reclined in my chair in the cockpit, I gave him
my lat and lon. Turns out I put two miles on him while I was below working on the
engine. Does this mean I should stay below and just let the boat drive her self more
often? Lots of laughs with those guys today. This is just too cool.
18:30 I was wondering if I would go faster with the main down. That would give the
leeward jib some air. I dropped the main. While I was folding it on the boom I noticed
that the leech at the top third of the sail had ripped away from the body of the sail. I put
some sticky back tape on both sides of the rip. The boat is about a knot slower. Back up
goes the main. During this I noticed that one of the blocks that the preventer sheet runs
through had blown to pieces.
Evening roll call says I put miles on every one in my division accept Jim on Haulback. I
owe Haulback 24 hours and he is currently only 113 mile back. He could easily sail 113
miles in 24 hours.
7/4/04 Day 9 of race
03:00 Wind shift. Can’t stand going north any more when I should be going south. Down
with 155%. Split twins, set second pole and gybe main. On course again on port tack.
05:30 Wind shift, gybe to starboard tack. Sigh.
08:30 Squall, fairly heavy rain.
09:30 Morning roll call say Haulback only 110 miles behind. This guy worries me. He is
the over all winner of the 2002 race. Ken on Harrier now 15 miles back, was 8 at roll call
last night. Ken usually hangs out on the radio after roll call to chat. As soon as roll call
ended he comes on and says Harrier signing off to go play with sails. Ha ha, got him
going, I’ll give him a call on VHF shortly.
11:30 Talked to Ken a while ago. He set a chute right after roll call and then a windy
squall over took him. I finally rigged two preventers from the end of the boom to the bow
of the boat and back to the cockpit. Now I can gybe without leaving the cockpit. You
want to exit squalls on port tack but favor starboard most of the time. Now I can do this
easily. Its been raining on and off all morning.
15:00 Cookie Jar is back. Back behind me that is. He’s about two miles back with the
same chute up.
19:35 I have been sailing in and out of squalls all day. Gybing to get in front of them,
gybing to stay with them. Much more wind in squalls. Still running twins. It will be
interesting to see if Ken kept the chute up and if he has made or lost ground on me.
23:00 Zipping along at 6-8 knots, dead down wind. Must be 20-25 true wind.
Break Break.
As I write this the wind has dropped to about 15. Boat speed down to 5-6. Dang it !!!
Any way tonight’s roll call revealed that Ken Had made up one mile in the last twelve
hours. After roll call he says "Sail a Vie, Harrier" the common call for another vessel. I
say "Harrier Sail a Vie" he comes back with, “got back a mile” what makes this so cool is
that he said it on SSB when he knew the whole fleet was listening. So if they didn’t
realize it before they now know that Harrier and Sail a Vie are in a drag race to the finish.
We switched over to VHF and had a long conversation; we are only about 14 miles apart.
After roll call this morning he went and set his biggest chute. Then a squall came and
messed it up. He set it again and another squall came and messed it up. And then the
whole thing once more. He gave up on that and set two head sails as twins. He lost his
real set of twins in the 2000 race when he was dismasted. (At that time he was about 5
miles ahead of me to the south.) Then he lay in his bunk all day reading a book and still
made a mile on me. This guy is going to be trouble. We both stacked on miles on every
one else in the division. Also after roll call I had a long conversation with John Gratton
on S/V Nakia. He and his wife Linda are in the great north west anchored in a place
called Princess Bay. It sounded nice. Gotta like this long range radio stuff.
7/5/04 Day 10 of race
01:45 Just broke the four digit mark. 999 miles to go. Its 1:45 am I’ve been up since
yesterday at 03:00, mostly in the cockpit. I was just sitting out there now to see the GPS
click over the 999 miles to go. It was pouring rain. I was in my foulie jacket with the
broken zipper, a base ball cap and shorts, no shoes. You gotta like the tropics. At about
11:00 last night I had fresh steamed artichokes done in my pressure cooker for dinner.
Now I am going to lie down until the next squall wakes me up. Good night.
14:15 I was shaken out of bed many times last night by squalls. Roll call says I put five
miles on Ken last night. Ken says the weather fax says light wind ahead and to the south.
At 10:00 this morning I set the 3/4 oz kite. It is taking me quite a while to get used to the
autopilot driving with the kite up. I have this feeling of impending doom, just waiting for
the round down that goes too far. But so far so good. Hot sunny squally.
20:00 Had all I could stand of the chute today. When I got pinned down by a squall I
decided it was time to take it down. By the time I got it down, I was in the calm behind
the squall feeling I had made a mistake. Ten minutes later another squall and 8.5 knots
boat speed with the twins. Taking down the chute was a good call. I might not be here
righting this if I hadn’t. I am on port tack now so I moved my bed to the port side.
7/6/04 Day 11 of the race
08:20 I was too tired to make an entry last night so here is an update. Role call told me I
put another 4 miles on Ken yesterday. Now I am 23 miles ahead. Guess all that scary
spinnaker work paid off. Also put miles on everybody else in the division except Bill on
Ergo. Ergo is the other Ericson 35 like mine. He gained one mile but is still 67 miles
back. This mornings conditions are too rough for me to put up the kite. Lumpy seas, good
breeze. Am making 6-8 knots boat speed almost on course.
12:00 Roll call revealed I put more miles on every body but Haulback, he gained 3 miles
over night. I caught a 18 inch yellow fin tuna this morning. Its about time after dragging
that line for all most 1600 miles. The course is just above a beam reach, to high for twins
and I haven’t had much luck flying any of the spinnakers above the beam either. So down
with the twins up with the 155%. Now I’m sailing a little high of the mark. I will
probably fall off and set a chute later today.
14:00 I don’t know what I was thinking when I set the 155%. I put it in the port side
groove. Now I wanted to go twins with the 155% and 105%. I’m on port tack so the
105% has to go in the port groove. Down with the 155% back up with the 155% up with
the 105% on a pole to weather. It’s really hot and muggy. Progress is very, very slow in
the light hot air.
18:00 105% down, 155% rolled up, 3/4 oz kite up. I’m getting a little tired of this.
19:00 Well the boat is finally moving along at five knots. I should have put the kite up
this morning, but I was so worn out from yesterday’s spinnaker fun that I was a little
hesitant. No squalls today so far. Hopefully I will carry the kite through the night into
tomorrow. It has been a very frustrating day, every thing I do is a fight. I have been out of
VHF range with Ken for a day or two now. I miss talking to him. I tried hailing him
today on ch69 and Carlton on Audacious answered. He was eight miles to the south. We
had a nice talk but he’s not in my division. It really keeps you going when someone in
your division is close by and you can talk.
I fully expect that at tonight’s role call I will find that I lost ground to all my competitors.
Also I forgot to mention that last night around 02:00 I saw lightening to my north, maybe
10-15 miles away. I am very tired. I have only been getting about three hours sleep out of
24, and I am grumpy because of it. The beer ran out days ago. I am into the second of
three bottles of rum, but am having the last coke with some now. After this I have
nothing to mix it with but V-8 juice or water. I am also running low on bottled water. I
brought 60 16oz bottles but I didn’t expect it to be this damn hot. I have two bottles of
wine but no cork screw. If it comes down to it, I will drill out the corks. I wish I had some
horse’s to throw over board. I had yellow fin tuna for lunch with wasabi and soy sauce. I
planned on cooking the rest but it was so good raw I think I will have the rest the same
way.
7/7/04 Day 12 of the race
02:00 Spinnaker down just got a little too wild. 155% rolled out 105% raised for twins.
10:00 Good morning. It’s a beautiful morning with about 10-15 knots of wind on the
beam. I lay down last night around 03:00. This morning Carlton on Audacious calls on
the VHF just to say good morning. He woke me up, I jumped out of bed to get to the
radio, and I was fairly disoriented. He comments on how the wind had shifted and how he
was on a beam reach now. While talking to him I look out the companionway up at the
rig and see that I too am on a beam reach and going nowhere. The sails, twins, are set for
dead down wind. I am just drifting along making 1-2 knots. When I get off the radio with
him I take down the 105% I had set to weather and trim for a beam reach. Roll call says I
put another 2 miles on Harrier but both Haulback and Ergo have gained on me. Ergo is
the other Ericson 35 like mine. He has been gaining on me for days now. He is currently
58 miles back down from a high of 79. If this keeps up he will beat me. He isn’t even
flying a spinnaker, just regular sailing under white sails. I don’t do this event as a race,
but, being in the lead really lights the fire. I don’t think I have ever tried so hard to win.
To have the lead and then watch it slowly slip away is killing me. I have been dreaming
about winning my division and even over all. I am trying as hard as I can to hang on. For
the last hour since roll call I have been averaging 7 knots. If I can keep this up I’ll be
doing good again. After roll call I called Audacious and told him he woke me up and that
I probably would have slept right through role call. I asked if he knew when the wind had shifted. He said about 03:00. That means as soon as I went to sleep the wind shifted and I
came to a stop. Now wonder I slept so good, the boat wasn’t moving and it was silent.
From now on it’s the egg timer at 20 minutes.
13:06 3/4oz kite up
14:20 Main down in effort to keep kite full. Wind 1-2 knots over the deck.
15:30 Main back up. Wind 5-6 air temp 83'F water temp 78.
19:10 It has been light and hot all day. Sailing across the ocean one breezy patch at a
time. A little breeze comes up, you change course adjust the sails and sail along at 3-5
knots for twenty minutes. Then the wind dies and you drift on the swell till the next
zephyr comes your way. I think I’ve been doing a good job of staying on it today. I only
hope that every body else has the same conditions or I’m screwed. It’s really beautiful out
here to day. All most no wind waves for the first time of the trip. And a gentle five foot
swell. As the boat gently rocks, my eye lids get heavy. As soon as they close I go into
some kind of dream state. I come in on the middle of a dream, and they’re really strange.
So far they all have people I know in them. Then my eyes open. I think I’m only out for
less than a minute. Currently making five knots to the finish.
7/8/04 Day 13 of the race.
10:00 O.K. lot to talk about. I couldn’t write last night so here is what’s been going on.
Remember what I said about getting screwed? Well I am. Last nights roll call says all
most every body made ground on me again yesterday. After role call I heard a vessel
called SS Steeves talking to a freighter that I could see eight miles to the south. The
Steeves it turns out is the communications boat for the pac cup, a crewed race
from SF to Hawaii. A little while after that the radar showed a ship steaming right up my
butt. I had been thinking of gybing to starboard for quite a while and that did it. I did (for
me) a very quick gybe. Then I turned on my masthead strobe. Just then the Steeves calls
me on the VHF. It was he who was steaming up my butt. We talked for a while and he
confirmed that yes he did see me on his radar and in fact had been tracking me for twelve
miles. And yes he saw my strobe the second it went on.
I spent a wild night in the cockpit. Taking 8 minute naps with the egg timer. Around
03:30 I saw another sailboat on about my same course and closing slowly. Starboard tack
wasn’t working out any way so I gybed back to port. Some time during all the flogging
around in light air yesterday I ripped the foot tape completely out of my favorite old pink
spinnaker. Its still up and flying but it may let go at any time.
This mornings roll call says that in my division its now all most anybody’s race. Every
thing has evened up with 535 miles to go.
16:00 The wind has been good all day at about 10-15 knots apparent. About half an hour
ago it died. It’s now 1 knot apparent. Back to sails flogging all around. 497 miles to go. I
am ready to be there. I would pay $20.00 for an ice-cold beer.
17:30 Dropped spinnaker down on deck to check chafe on halyard. It is chafing one hand
width up from the shackle. It was two thirds chaffed through, the outer jacket was gone
and it was cutting into the straight strand core. I shortened it again and wrapped many
layers of electrical tape around where it would chafe. I hope this helps because I am
running out of halyard.
17:40 Spinnaker up.
17:45 Checked main fresh water tank today, it’s all most empty. Second water tank
already dry. Bottled water running low. Having Jamaican coffee instead.(coffee with
rum, not bad)
18:50 Jamaican coffee improved attitude, now enjoying trip again. Sailing course of 240'
true. Finish line bearing is 253'True but I am heading south to create more apparent wind.
Boat speed through water is 5 to 7.5. VMG, Velocity Made Good is 5-6. That means I
am approaching the finish line at 5 to 6 knots over the ground or earth. If I pointed the
boat right at the finish line I would only be closing on it at 3-5 knots and the sails would
be flogging around more than they are now. 482 miles to go. Yesterday while applying sunscreen I missed a spot on the inside of my right ankle. Earlier today I cut open a
blister the size of a silver dollar but not quite round and 3/8 to _ inch deep. Feels better
now. All and all rope burns hurt more on sun burned skin than non-sun burned skin.
23:50 I am making up lost ground on my division. Made ground on every body but Ken
who is holding steady at 29 miles back. I will spend the night in the cockpit again tonight,
taking 8-minute naps. This is more for sail trim than traffic. The weather is definitely
livelier at night. I am picking up quite a few AM radio stations out of Hawaii, 450 miles
away.
7/9/04 Day 14 of the race.
01:36 It’s a wild night. Wind is around 25 true. Autopilot steering lock to lock. Rounding
up and almost rounding down. The pedal is to the metal. Averaging 7 knots made good
with bursts to 13 through the water. Can’t believe that old (18 years) 3/4oz chute with a
ripped out foot is still up.
04:20 Wild and crazy!!! Just noticed the spinnaker has two rips in it near the port side
leech near the top. The end may be near for my dear old friend.
08:50 Man, what a night! Sailed eighty miles since roll call last night! And this morning’s
catch was a three-foot Dorado or mahi mahi. Now wind is down and seas have calmed
but still making 6 knots to the finish.
10:25 I just can’t say enough about last night. Conditions I would never fly a spinnaker
in. I don’t know why, I just had no fear. I guess its like Zen, pretend you are a yacht racer
like Ted Turner or Stan Honey and go, go fast. That old kite is still up. What a testament
to its makers, Larsen sails out of Santa Cruz. 18 years old, 3/4oz, ripped out foot and two
rips in the leech and still hanging on. I gained miles on every one in my division last
night. 22 miles on Ergo, 10 miles on Ken, 20 miles on Miss Laney. I just hope my guts
hold out for two more nights.
14:00 Pac cup boat goes zooming by. Couldn’t get them on VHF.
7/10/04 Day 15 of race.
10:20 I sit in the cockpit, basking in the morning sun, drinking coffee. Last nights roll
call says I gained more miles on every one in my division. Around 12:30 last night I
decided to take down the spinnaker for the first time in three and a half days. It was going
to be another wild night with the boat going all over the place. You literally can’t sit in
the rear of the cockpit because the G forces want to throw you out. Anyway, like I said
the kite was up for three and a half days, and on Sail a Vie that means you are too, except
for the eight minute naps. Eight minutes comes from: I set the egg timer to fifteen
minutes; I shut my eyes and am out in the middle of some weird dream. Then I am woken
up by sails making noise or the boat shaking. I jump up, look at the egg timer and it has seven minutes left on it. This happens with out fail, every time. So last night I am so tired
I just have to sleep. I drop my old friend on deck and roll out the 155% and raise the
105% to weather. I slept for six hours and only got up once in that time. Even with the
twins I still averaged 6.2 knots made good through the night. This morning’s role call
says I put more miles on every one in my division except Jim on Haulback. I owe Jim 24
hours. He is currently 112 miles back and holding steady. He has been sailing about 140
miles a day. So unless something changes it looks like he will beat me. I have done all I
can do in this race. I feel good about my effort. Some times you are just lazy, so you
don’t do some thing you know you should. In this race I have done everything I thought I
should do. No laziness here. So win or lose, I know I gave it my best.
19:30 Still sitting in cockpit. Around noon today I took down the main. I ran the sheet for
the 155% through the out grabber at the end of the boom. Then I pushed the boom as far
out board as I could. I did this because, I am running dead down wind and the boat kept
getting rounded up by the air pressure in the main. While at the same time the 155% to
leeward, or in this case behind the main was starved for air. I think its working good. I’ve
been averaging 6.5 since the change plus was able to take several hour-long naps. I'm still
feel very tired but am more relaxed now. Haulback is probably gaining on me with
greater sail area. And Harrier is probably getting ready to zoom down from the north on a
screaming reach. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. This is a single-handed sail to
Hawaii and back. If someone beats someone else on a correction factor designed by
people who aren’t even here, does that mean he or she had less of an experience? Maybe
they had more of one. For example, the first boats to finish finished two days ago. Am I
getting more of an experience than them? I think so, maybe. O.K. So it doesn’t matter
anyway. That said I hope I KICK ASS. And you know why? Because I’ve done this race
before. The most asked question, especially from other sailors is, How did you do? and of
course you want to be able to say you did well. That’s the best reason for wanting to win
that I can think of. Not much of one.
20:00 I turned on the radio to the AM stations out of Hawaii. I heard the political news. I
heard how they are still killing hostages in Iraq and how Americans are still dying there.
It was two weeks ago today I sailed away from that world. I turned the radio off and went
back to CDs.
21:30 There is a real cool sea bird. He was flying around the boat looking for dinner in
my wake. He felt he needed a break so he landed on my solar panel high above the
cockpit. He wasn’t afraid of me and allowed me to go below to get my camera. Then he
posed for several shots. I don’t think he thought my boat was much of a rest. The boat is
wallowing 15 degrees side to side for a total of 30 degrees and the course at times swings
90'. The cool bird left. O.K. and role call says I put good miles on every one. Twins and
no main you say? Yep just hold on!
22:55 It’s just getting dark out here. My friend the bird is back. He came back shortly
after the last entry. He has been meticulously cleaning every feather. Reminds me of my
cat. He has left a deposit on the solar panel and it appears he may spend the night. I hope so. Where is he from? Hawaii? China? Midway? Alaska? South America?... What does
he do for water our here? Where does he rest if there is no ship around?
7/11/04 Day 16 of race.
10:15 My bird did spend the night. Up on the solar panel rocking back and forth with his
head tucked into his back like a duck. He left at sunrise this morning, and then I cleaned
up after him. I put more miles on every one over night, but Harrier is on his screaming
reach from the north. And I don’t think I have enough miles on Haulback. I think I will
get Ken , but I think Jim will get me. 68 miles to go. Still with twins 155% and 105% and
no main. Averaged 7 knots over night.
11:00 to 12:30 main up, 105% down, 155% down, twin110% up and set on two poles.
Prepare ground tackle. Man what a lot of F____ing work!!! Sweating like a pig.
15:10 LAND HO!!!!!!! I can just make out the cliff disappearing into the sea ahead. If I
didn’t know there was land there I would think its just another cloud disappearing over
the horizon. 34 miles to go.
15:45 Made contact with race committee on VHF ch 69. Expect to finish in next few
hours.
Days later: Well the darndest thing , I won , My division , and the race over all.
you just never know
