Let's Do The Time Warp Again...
Since Hawaii is 3 hours different from San Francisco, we need to adjust our clocks, and today we did so again, for the second of three times. It's a good sign! You know it must be time to update clocks when the morning watch comes on at 6:00 am and it is nearly pitch black out!
'Chute City, USA...
Today we once again have the honkin' big spinnaker ("chute")up, and it is just sucking us along at a great turn of knots. With full main we are maintaining 6 to 7 knots in the lightest of the breezes we have, and occasionally up to 8 knots. For those who are aurally fixated, like me, there is a certain sound the boat makes when she comes off the waves at 7 knots, and a deeper more satisfying sound when she is surfing off the waves at 8 knots. The bow wave moves aft, the boat is flat, and the surging
sound stays for a nice long several seconds. You look up and smile!
Definition of a shakedown cruise...
Since this is Conversation II's shakedown cruise, it is only fitting that we mention a few projects that have made themselves known as the miles reel off beneath our keel. For example, mid-morning 2 days ago, whilest on watch and therefore nominally paying attention, but in actual fact, just drooling on myself in the midst of a day dream, I became aware that the mainsail was hardly attached to the main mast any more! Yikes! Closer inspection revealed that of the 8 cars that slide up and down the
main mast on the sail track, 6 were no longer attached to the sails, but were collected at the bottom of the track. In other words, we had developed a loose-luffed main! Cress and I brought down the main, sourced some 1/2-inch wide sail ties (like seatbelt material), and reattached them to each of the cars. We both remarked on how "greasy" these sail ties were, but felt that sewing them in place (as they are supposed to be) would take too long, so we tied them with the tightest reef knots we could
manage. Patting ourselves on the back for a hard job well done, we re-hoisted the main and carried on. Fast forward 24 hours and yours truly is once again drooling on himself in quiet contemplation when it is observed with no little amazement that every one of the cars we reattached the day before had undone themselves, and were once again parked at the bottom of the track, all but one complete with its seatbelt material dangling, mockingly, like placid cattle in a corral. Talk about a magnificent
failure! This time we got out the sailmaker's palm, sailmaker's needles, pliers, and waxed dacron thread and sewed the little "will nots" back into place. 24 hours after that I can report we have continued success.
In a similar vein, the gals reported hearing a bolt and nut or something landing on deck in the middle of the night. Since most of the bits and pieces above deck have some purpose or other, it is not generally considered a good sign when the ship begins sloughing off random parts of herself. Dawn's light revealed the bolt and nut had come from the 10-foot high wind generator on the port quarter. Amazingly they sat there right on the deck and waited to be retrieved. How they landed on deck and didn't
bounce over the side is beyond us. Such is the nature of a shakedown cruise.
Glass of wine with that Salad, Ma'am?
An army marches on its stomach. Sailors sail on their stomachs too. Or something. Anyway, food becomes important, and each meal is approached with reverence and great anticipation. Those of us with limited imaginations keep waiting for peanut butter on a bun with a tin of beans. But no. We have culinary visionaries (Leonaf & Irena) who surprise us with meals right out of "Gourmet" magazine. Baked eggplant topped with tofu, cheese and a homemade tomato sauce, with baked garlic foccacia bread on the
side. That was just today's lunch! Jordan (aged 13) is like, "What??". We just purr with satisfaction.
The Countdown Begins...
Having celebrated our "Half Way Party" the other day, it is natural that we will be looking forward to arriving in Oahu. At the time of the Half Way Party we were going so slowly due to lack of breeze I thought it should be referred to as the "Half Fast Party". Try saying that quickly and see what you get. Anyway, at sea, distances are measured in units called beers. For example, you might hear the hardened blue water sailor ask, "Is it time to pull down the spinnaker before it blows itself up?"
and the rejoinder might be "Yes, but let's finish this beer first." Similarly in calculating how long it will take us to get to our landfall on Oahu, the landsman might incorrectly assume you divide the distance remaining (roughly 900 miles as of the time of writing) by the speed (roughly 7 kn) to determine ETA. But such is not the case. In fact we peer into the beer locker, see the cases stacked in pleasing symmetry, with sufficient plentitude to last until autumn, and answer the question: "How
long till..." with a self-satisfied smile, and "We don't care". Soon, or perhaps later. All that counts is that
A) We have enough breeze.
B) We have enough bits that haven't fallen off yet.
C) We continue to eat like Kings & Queens.
D) We have enough beer.
Since all of the above currently returns a positive, and furthermore since night watches can be done wearing only t-shirt, shorts, and a harness, then it is a safe bet that we are having a great time! It will come to an end too, too soon.
Aloha from Paul...
Lat. 24 N
Long. 141 W
I really liked Paul's summary/status. It sounds like a definite adventure! It reminds me so much of the books I read about the great sailors in history and their travels around the world! It is amazing to have the opportunity to live/boat like you are and repeat history using age old; tried and true methods. Meredith
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