tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13186403171670590962024-03-12T17:23:00.408-07:00Spellbound for HawaiiA chronicle of Spellbound's epic voyage: San Francisco to Kaneohe. Including updates and running commentary from shore side during the 2010 Pacific Cup.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-67361693854276299042010-08-12T22:36:00.001-07:002010-08-12T22:36:59.510-07:00August 12, 2010 Less Than a Day to Go....I am ready to be home, so am going full speed ahead. I imagine something will happen to slow us down, and I don't want to miss the tide.<br /><br />Apple cider sounds good to me, and Dave would like a Guiness.<br /><br />Towels to take a shower would be great as well...<br /><br />I hope I can figure out how to run my phone...<br /><br />See you soon,<br />BobSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-24613336350292966362010-08-12T14:43:00.000-07:002010-08-12T14:44:39.547-07:00August 12, 2010 Arrival EstimationsWell I guess it depends how fast we go. One GPS is saying 25 hours (it is 2:30 PM now).<br /><br />We made good time last night with the speed around 8 knots. For the time being, the wind has died down and we are motoring at 5 knots. (Maybe we should go faster...? 6 knots it is with 127 miles to go.<br /><br />The Spot device was showing different light patterns, and I have gotten a report that it is not working. We are changing the batteries now. Let us know if it starts working.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-3442020362666113202010-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:002010-08-11T14:06:17.486-07:00August 11, 2010 When Will We Get There?This question is a cause of much speculation, and the answer is very variable at this time.<br /><br />This morning at the end of my shift at 6 AM the GPS said 350 miles to go, and were were doing 7 knots. This would have us at the Golden Gate Bridge at 8 AM.<br /><br />But then I woke up around 1 PM and the GPS said 610 miles to go, and we were doing 5 knots. That would have been 5 PM Friday afternoon.<br /><br />We are now doing 6 knots and have 305 miles to go at 1:30 PM.<br /><br />The GPS says we will get there in 53 hours. (So like 6:30 PM.)<br /><br />Hopefully we will get in earlier than that. Noon at the bridge. 2:30 at Fortman?<br /><br />It would be nice to have some daylight as we go by the Farallons. Should we pass above or below them?<br /><br />It is my understanding that the wind will be lessening as we get closer to SF, so some engine work may be involved.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-79352362029685977822010-08-11T13:53:00.000-07:002010-08-11T14:05:45.666-07:00August 10, 2010 Are We There Yet?Yesterday we were back on the wind and not feeling to well due to seasickness again.<br /><br />The wind came forward and we reefed the main and swapped out the jibtop for the 110. We are still doing between 6 and seven knots. And the load is light on the tiller, so we can use the autopilot again.<br /><br />In a calmer moment, I was able to add 5 gallons of fuel.<br /><br />We had pasta for dinner again. The wind is picking up after dinner and it looks like 15 knots out of 350 for the next day or so.<br /><br />We keep doing the arrival math, and it looks like we may arrive Friday morning to afternoon.<br /><br />See you all soon.<br /><br />BobSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-21535517742922920962010-08-09T07:33:00.001-07:002010-08-11T14:05:21.041-07:00August 9, 2010 And Then They Were Sailing...We ran out of fuel last night just before my shift started. Of course it took a while to figure out that that was the problem. We have been having trouble getting fuel in the tanks. They always appear to be full when we try to add. I am glad that ordeal is over and hope we don't need much more motor.<br /><br />It is surprising how close we are on resources. Just missing 2 hours of sleep last night was hard. And of course both of us were affected.<br /><br />Dave woke me up around Noon and said if we get the sail up, we should be able to go faster. So we put the jibtop up and sure enough, we did go faster. It also happened to be just as a squall was coming. (I am proud of Dave for wanting to put up more sail as the wind was building.) We have been going pretty well all afternoon at 5 to 9 knots. Mostly around 6.5 to 7.<br /><br />We are currently at:<br />38.00 x 138.09 with 743 mils to go to the Golden Gate bridge.<br />Wind is 12 knots out of 320 and looks to be holding this way for the next several hundred miles.<br />The boat is moving along at 7.3 knots with the wind at 85 apparent.<br />Barometric pressure is at 1024.<br /><br />Hope to be home Friday or Saturday.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-58721431106392300082010-08-08T14:32:00.000-07:002010-08-11T14:04:45.965-07:00August 7, 2010 Sailed for a Few Hours...The days are running into each other.<br /><br />Today we put up the jibtop and actually sailed for a few hours. Tonight I think we will continue motor sailing until the wind picks up and swings around from the North a little. I think we are above the high, and reaching up will get us stronger wind and more favorable, as well as give us a little room to drive down as we get closer to the windy coast.<br /><br />No dolphins today.<br />No turtles today.<br />No new fishing net floats. (Although I did get the two plastic ones cleaned off.)<br />We did see a couple of birds.<br /><br />Hoping to be reaching along by tomorrow.<br /><br />BobSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-3433506702231731682010-08-08T14:30:00.000-07:002010-08-11T14:04:15.355-07:00August 6, 2010 Sea Turtle and DolphinsThe last two days have been windless. Every once in a while I get teased into raising the genoa, but it never lasts, and is never enough to turn off the motor.<br /><br />We saw a turtle yesterday. He was getting rolled in the bow wave. I'm sure he was thinking "WTF, a whole Pacific Ocean, and you have to go blasting by me at 5 knots...?"<br /><br />During the night watch, I saw the tip of the crescent moon rise, and for a moment it looked like a sail made of moonlight.<br /><br />In the morning Dave woke me up to look at Dolphins playing with the boat. He was very excited.<br /><br />After the dolphins left, we found another fishing float (but still not glass).<br /><br />This evening at 6:30 PM we got enough wind to sail without the motor for about two hours. It was so peaceful and quite.<br /><br />I tried adding fuel, but it made a mess as there was an air bubble or something. I am not sure where we stand with the fuel as I was only able to add about 7 gallons today. We still have 45 gallons in jerry cans. The wind seems to be picking up after dinner now, so hopefully I won't have to worry about the fuel situation.<br /><br />The big decision for tonight is whether to leave the genoa up, or take it down. We will decide as it gets darker.<br /><br />Current position is:<br />37.10 x 144.04<br />Baro: 1026<br />Wind: 6 knots from 075<br /><br />See you all soon.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-56216019372250887202010-08-08T14:07:00.000-07:002010-08-11T14:02:49.601-07:00August 4, 2010 The Moon and Cloudslast night was the 3rd night in a row that we were able to see an incredible show of the stars.<br /><br />The number of stars, and the clarity of the Milky way is fantastic. However the night does not stay this way all night. The clouds from squalls, and the Moon conspire to play games.<br /><br />The clouds cover the moon, and under the darkness, the waves will then attack and board the boat to wreak whatever havoc they can. They will splash the helmsman, or sometimes send a frontal attack of a whole wave up over bow to come washing down the deck and into the cockpit. And for the comprehensive maneuvers, they will add in some special OPS flying fish, or squid.<br /><br />Now this all sounds like the moon is the good guys and the clouds are the bad guys, but I am not so sure of the character of the moon. Cause, when the moon does come out and show his face, about half of the stars run and hide. So there must be something not so nice about the moon...<br /><br /><br />AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT:<br /><br />This morning we finally reached the high, or as much of it as we wanted. The whole demeanor of the boat is different now. There are no waves. The wind is light, and it hasn't rained since last night. We pulled all the cushions out to the cabin top to give them a chance to dry out. Clothes were hung out all over the boat. We turned on the motor for a couple hours, but later found that we could still sail. We turned on the stove for the first time since we left Hawaii. Dave made pasta with some marinara sauce we found, and added a can of salmon. Oh yeah, while we were motoring we setup the autopilot. That freed up a lot of time as someone did not have to be at the tiller at all times. Dave came down to listen to the daily radio check in, and I pointed out approximate locations of the boats as they reported location and wind speed.<br /><br />After dinner, we tacked onto port tack and are headed for SF (well maybe a little low, but I expect to get lifted as we head East.<br /><br /><br />FISHING NET FLOATS:<br />I have been looking for the glass balls that are used to float fishing nets. I saw a spherical object floating in the distance and redirected to intercept. It took several times to be able to get close enough to pick it from the water. There was a whole colony of crabs and clams living on it. Unfortunately after closer inspection, it was not made of glass, so we turned it free. After a few hours of reflection, I was regretting not picking it up. It may have been the only souvenir I get form the trip this direction. So, behold, another one. I was able to divert to this one and get it on the first try. Dave took it fomr me and I tied a line to it, and it is not trailing behind the boat. I imagine the residents are having meetings to determine what to do with the new circumstances.<br /><br />Hopefully the wind will hold and we will be able to sail all night.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-58557827111086474742010-08-03T13:33:00.000-07:002010-08-03T13:34:54.860-07:00August 3, 2010Interesting...<br /><br />We are at 34 x151<br />Press at 1030<br /><br />We can't make any easterly progress.<br /><br />I will play around with a tack, and different sail combinations.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-4497852486635114442010-08-03T13:32:00.000-07:002010-08-03T13:33:24.253-07:00August 2, 2010 Position reportsHi Jens,<br /><br />Thanks for the updates, and position reports. I do participate in the net, but it is hard to hear all positions well. I thought Valis was North and east of us, but he is sacrificing East for North. So, i not so much slower than them as I had feared.<br /><br />We may shake the reef out of the main today, but overall this sail plan has been working pretty well.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-73738292097011250182010-08-01T20:42:00.000-07:002010-08-01T20:45:14.191-07:00August 1, 2010 Keepin' on!We continue to make progress. We passed 1600 miles to go earlier today. 50 nmore miles and we will have 1500 to go. Wind is mostly steady with changes as squalls roll through.<br /><br />I think I fixed the leak. The hose was leaking. I cut an inch off one line, and replaced a 5 inch piece with some I just happened to have hanging around. The smell in the boat is not so bad now.<br /><br />Water continues to leak in as waves wash over the cabin top. The forward hatch still leaks after the duct tape, and the main hatch leaks water right on to the port bench.<br /><br />What are some deep discussions I can have with myself?<br /><br />Dave would like to get an email from his mom, if she is watching this.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-24920265465773990052010-07-31T20:49:00.000-07:002010-07-31T20:51:32.440-07:00July 31, 2010 Impressions and A Light in the DistanceLeaving the dock in Hawaii with my family and friends was hard. To be heading out into the solitude of the ocean for 15 to 20 days.<br /><br />I ate a sandwich on the way out the channel, but that didn't last long once we were in the seas with the sails up. The first 3 days were pretty bad with lack of initiative from the seasickness. Fortunately our sail combination of a reefed main and the 110% jib has been pretty robust.<br /><br /><br />Almost got run over one of those nights:<br />I noticed a small light off in the East. A while later it was getting bigger. I shined a light in their general direction, no response. A bit later, it was getting brighter. I shined my light in that direction, and on my sail to try to help make sure they could see us. It was a big light. I am thinking it might be a big container ship, or maybe a war ship. The next time I looked, the light had risen to the clouds to follow the lunar path. We almost got run over by the moon.<br /><br />What do you think of from 2AM to 6 AM?<br />2000 miles divided 5 knots of VMG is 400 hours, divided by 24 hours is approximately 16 days.<br />2000 miles divided 6 knots of VMG is 333 hours, divided by 24 hours is approximately 13 days.<br />2000 miles divided 7 knots of VMG is 300 hours, divided by 24 hours is approximately 12 days.<br />2000 miles divided 4 knots of VMG is 500 hours, divided by 24 hours is approximately 21 days. (Ugh!)<br /><br />We have been keeping VMG above 5, so hopefully we will get there in 16 to 18 days. VMG is starting to drop as we are headed more North these days. Occasionally we can't get any East direction, but not for long.<br /><br />At today's check in, we are at:<br />28 00 x 157 36<br />1670 miles to go.<br />Wind is 14 knots out of 060 degrees.<br />Our heading is 010<br />Speed is about 6 knots. 4.5 VMG<br /><br />Some of the other boats have reported returning to Hawaii because of fuel injectors leaking into the bilge.<br />Another boat is getting a battery delivered. That was attempted this AM, we will find out if it was successful during the radio net. They say they are reporting returning boats positions at the Pacific Cup web site.<br /><br />On Spellbound we have had a few issues:<br />The battery had a low voltage cut out at -110 AH. Previous low voltage cut out was at -145 AH. I suspect there may be an issue with one of the MiniBMS modules, and have removed the suspected module. Hopefully that will help with the battery.<br />The valve we replaced as the waste selector is leaking. I have not had the resolve to work on that. I wonder if it needed grease installed before installation...<br /><br />The GPS quit working. The connector to the antenna came apart. I was able to screw that back together, and that is working again.<br /><br /><br />SO A STRING WALKS ONTO MY BOAT<br />And asks if he can drive. I say sure. The string drives straighter and faster than I do. Unfortunately, string doesn't do so well when the wind changes direction and velocity during a squall. And at the same time the apparent wind indicator fell off, and we lost the top batten (again).<br /><br />Over all, we are moving the boat, and counting down the miles to SF. We are also figuring out how and what to eat. The Manderin oranges are a big hit, being refreshing and tasty.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />BobSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-56172589655155635202010-07-31T20:44:00.000-07:002010-07-31T21:19:14.044-07:00July 28, 2010: The Voyage Home Begins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8MivUVj1YsyeMLyyqfkkvTgV0hfR0mYUYVxsUU8dS4_TykFTATCWphtrJ7ZubHZ25cRdpFbBL_X6eCuoFtuCBj34p4xebc3FnGdmrs1Jfqhek9EKrkzAn0B8NW_R13ltF853btN4ZVE/s1600/DSC00983.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz8MivUVj1YsyeMLyyqfkkvTgV0hfR0mYUYVxsUU8dS4_TykFTATCWphtrJ7ZubHZ25cRdpFbBL_X6eCuoFtuCBj34p4xebc3FnGdmrs1Jfqhek9EKrkzAn0B8NW_R13ltF853btN4ZVE/s320/DSC00983.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5500291125391372690" /></a><br /><br />Spellbound set out to sea for her return voyage to San Francisco. Bob and David said good-byes at the dock and left Kaneohe YC at about 1:00pm July 28th. Here is Bob's first message, rec'd July 31st at 2:36 p.m....<br /><br />We are having a number of challenges:<br /><br />Seasick<br />leaking head<br />battery diminished capacity.<br /><br />We are moving well though. I will get gribs to see where we are in relation to the high.<br /><br />Current position:<br />27 29 X 153 48<br /><br />Barro is 1023<br /><br />heading about 15. SF is 49.<br /><br />Close hauled as we can go. about 6 knots and 4 for VMG.<br /><br />More later as sea sickness diminishes.<br />-------------------------------------------------<br />Do not push the "reply" button to respond to this<br />message if that includes the text of this original<br />message in your response. Messages are sent over a<br />very low-speed radio link.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-47110612383429203782010-07-18T05:29:00.000-07:002010-07-18T06:11:05.605-07:00July 18, 2010 SPELLBOUND FINISH!Pau<br /><br />7-19-10 Pacific time<br /><br />-Bob<br /><br />Spellbound Finish<br />Spellbound Finish<br />Submitted by Walt on Sun, 2010-07-18 01:51 Boat: <br />Spellbound<br />ETA: <br />07/18/2010 - 01:46<br />Report Type: <br />Finish<br />Report Time: <br />07/18/2010 - 01:46Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-82288100063764974922010-07-18T04:51:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:06:50.698-07:00July 18, 2010 Under 15 Mileswe just crossed the 15 mile to finish line.<br />0315 7-18-10Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-23346105702038169762010-07-17T20:52:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:07:20.720-07:00July 17, 2010 Under 100 Milescomposed 7-17-10 2000 Pacific time<br /><br />"We're well inside 100 miles to finish now. The wind has built a bit.<br /><br />We haven't heard Riva's 25 mile checkin so we're hoping that their projections were too optimistic and that we still have a shot at them.<br /><br />Next up are a few more checkins, the finish, transit to the yacht club, agricultural and safety inspections, and some rest.<br /><br />Six people four bunks. The foredeck and lawn both sound appealing."Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-60685744457898527262010-07-17T14:52:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:19:21.288-07:00July 17, 2010 Sighting a mast on the horizoncomposed 7-17-10 1235 PST<br /><br />"This morning we're handling round two with the Scumacher 52 that popped up over the horizon yesterday afternoon and has been trying to pass us ever since. I hailed them on VHF this morning and we had a brief chat (Cinnabar, owner Tom Condy). They took the kite down in the squalls last night and reset a few hours after dawn this morning. They're presently growing slowly larger off to the right and behind.<br /><br />Last night was a really hard push. We got a few comments this morning about the driving last night during the first set of squalls when we were sparring with Cinnabar from those trying to sleep: along the lines of "So, we could tell that you guys had something in your sights". I think the other watches were slightly more kind to the sleepers, but not much.<br /><br />Spellbound is mid-eighties boat with a fairly rectangular rudder (more recent designs favoring elliptical sections). As you pull over, the flow has a tendency to separate and the rudder loses traction. When you need a moderate amount of course correction, there are two main options: a gentle, extended pull or a quick yank. The extended pull is usually slower because you're basically turning a big board sideways in the water flow around the boat: lots of friction. One or more quick yanks will start the correction more efficently in a lot of cases (such as when a puff hits and you want to catch a surf without waiting 5+ seconds for the boat to catch up on the desired sailing angle).<br /><br />The side effect of a fast jerk on the helm is that the people in the quarterberths shift a couple of inches to the side in their bunks as you get onto the new course. I and others were guilty of causing that more than a few times last night. There were no complaints though- the Schumacher fell down and then behind, eventually dropping her kite. The wind was gusting about 38 kts for an extended period of time, giving us our first night of what amounts to full force squalls.<br /><br />Trimming note: because we shortened the watches for drivers last night, we wound up with a few combinations of driver+trimmer we hadn't run through before. The trimmer keeps the sails powered up (primarily spinnaker sheet, main sheet, vang, and spinnaker pole position) such that the driver is just able to control the boat- otherwise you're leaving speed on the table. The trimmers were working really hard last night and this morning keeping up with the changing wind conditions (mainly increases/decreases in windspeed as the squalls blew past). Great job guys! (Dirk, Jeff, Tim)<br /><br />Right now we've got 145 miles to go and a beautiful warm day. Projected arrival time is the middle of the night."<br /><br />-NathanSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-75582726913601898092010-07-17T14:50:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:09:42.672-07:00July 17, 2010 "Children's Hour"7-17-10 1230 PST<br /> <br />"General Race Comment<br /><br />The two big social events of the day are morning position check-in and the evening "Children's Hour". Both are done via SSB and are a chance to stay in touch with the rest of the fleet. A com boat, Valis this year, volunteers to coordinate the chatter.<br /><br />The morning roll call is mostly formal, with a chance to report serious problems and then report positions as of 0800 PST each morning. The positions are used for safety and progress tracking (plus estimating finish standings).<br /><br />The evening Children's Hour is more informal, being a chance to swap fishing stories as well as listen to the computed daily standings.<br /><br />We pipe both into the stereo system so that even the folks on watch can hear."Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-11828431102583410552010-07-17T14:48:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:20:43.890-07:00July 17, 2010 237-mile day[From Bob]<br /><br />"We had a good run yesterday of 237 miles. Almost the 240 i was hoping for.<br /><br />My watch says we will get there in 19:35 hours. (it is now Noon). The tracking spreadsheet says we will get there July 18 at 6 AM. So, sometime early morning it seems like.<br /><br />The tracking for the race is 4 hours delayed, and I expect Spot to stop working sometime soon."Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-29256692231614709482010-07-17T07:50:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:22:50.661-07:00July 17, 2010 Somewhere, over a moonbow....composed 7-17-10 0415 PST<br /><br />"Bob and Dirk got to see one of the most sublime weather phenomena the ocean has to offer just before I got on watch (very dark hours of the night). When I came up, they inquired as to whether I'd ever seen a white rainbow. "Oh, a moonbow!" They're very pale, ghostly things but you can still see the colors. I assume that they may happen near/on land too but haven't run into anyone other than a few other sailors who've seen them.<br /><br />We've been sparring with the "red+white kite" all night. When I came back on watch at 0200, she was getting close to pulling even with us slightly to leeward.<br /><br />When the first squall hit (a big one), Jeff dropped the pole forward for me and we sprinted almost straight on course. He's<br />had a very busy watch; we've been making more sail adjustments in the last two hours than he probably wants to think about (pole, spinnaker sheet, vang, mainsheet).<br /><br />All of a sudden, we saw the other boat's masthead go white (meaning that we were seeing more of his stern than his side). He must have run down with it. The problem for him is that we're pretty close to the edge of the course: falling straight down with the wind is basically lost distance unless a significant shift is coming.<br /><br />The wind continued to intensify and shift, so we cranked the pole way back and rode it out with some really long sustained surfing.<br /><br />I've just handed the helm over to Jens and it sounds like the fun is continuing. Hopefully we'll be able to identify that other boat come roll call in the morning."<br /><br />-NathanSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-16120746831459046652010-07-16T22:55:00.000-07:002010-07-18T05:24:58.673-07:00July 16, 2010 Beautiful sunset"We just had a spectacular Pacific sunset. Words fail.<br /><br />In the late afternoon, a huge red and white kite appeared on the horizon almost exactly behind us. We're not quite sure who it is (not having caught up on data entry into the plotting software since the other laptop died). So far Spellbound has been able to hold them back but if it's something like a Santa Cruz 50 or the Schumacher 52 from one of the faster divisions which started a day or days after we did, that might be hard to continue.<br /><br />For tonight as we near the final push to the finish line, we're shortening watches for the drivers (to two hours on then four off, with three primary night drivers).<br /><br />Mixed clouds plus a moon and hopefully lots of stars should make this night memorable. As we've neared Hawaii, the normal weather patterns have reasserted themselves (temperature, wind levels, etc.)<br /><br />I'm really pleased with the group: Bob has been a really positive, great host and the rest of the crew is also very eager to hop onto direct racing tasks (trim etc.) as well as boring or even unpleasant maintenance items."<br /><br />-NathanSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-25632322999828278422010-07-16T19:54:00.000-07:002010-07-16T20:17:59.306-07:00July 16, 2010 - The Gardiner MethodLast night we decided to keep a pretty hot angle and work our way off the edge of the course. We were pleased with the daily run, but Riva had an even better one. More of the same for today (sail fast, keep track of the bearing to Kaneohe in case the shifts do something unpleasant to us).<br /><br />The breeze is holding. We're finding some forgotten treasures in various stores lockers (such as the frozen london broil and some cauliflower). Propane is running very low but the weather is hot enough that we won't be that upset by a day or two of cold meals.<br /><br />We've had a little intermittent trouble with the diesel, but so far nothing that bleeding and repriming doesn't cure.<br /><br />Speaking of bleeding, Dirk got to try out the Disney band-aids (the Little Mermaid as it turned out) for a minor toe injury.<br /><br />Bob now holds our surfing record, 20.6 kts! (daytime, nice brisk afternoon, 1 1/2 oz kite) That news came right after his description of what he's calling a "washing machine" start: Heat the course way up, just short of a roundup. When the wave arrives, slam the stern around until you're DDW. Hang on and find out whether you surf or crash and burn. Incidentally, that procedure almost guarantees that something will achieve 20 kts, whether it's the boat as a whole or random crew members and kitchen items finding their new rest positions on the low side of the boat.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-31779266344642762112010-07-16T07:46:00.000-07:002010-07-16T07:54:09.126-07:00Evening July 15, 2010 The basic necessities[From Nathan]<br /><br />"We're off to the side of the course and zooming in for Kaneohe on port tack. Summer Moon and Sapphire have a commanding lead but today's project was to whittle away at Riva. We'll see how that turns out through the night.<br /><br />The weather has been relatively clear today (clouds around but lots of blue) and we'll see if that persists into the night. It's also started to be very warm below deck during the day. In compensation, it's been very pleasant at night. We've each got different compromises on attire: as soon as possible, I ditched the foul weather gear, preferring a little damp (even rain) to sweating+cooking in plastic. Dirk opted for dry over temperature control (the first few days out having been quite wet). Jens seems to like being warm, Bob is variable, Tim seems to dress warmly at night but was the also first by a few days to show up on deck in shorts, and Jeff is probably the outlier (wearing denim the first few days!).<br /><br />Foodwise, we're grazing on meatloaf and london broil (the latter in tortillas with some cabbage). Jeff has been earning a lot of karma points for food prep. The carbonara a few nights ago was great (multiple cooking dishes to prep a meal while racing!), but he even goes out of his way to make the simple stuff nice."<br /><br />-NathanSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-46713037575683576362010-07-15T22:25:00.000-07:002010-07-15T22:31:13.040-07:00July 15, 2010 - Keeping the pressure on[From Bob - 8:25pm PST]<br /><br />Today the days are blurring into each other. It is hard to remember what day it is. (It is Thurday, 8 days in.)<br /><br />There are rumors that we will finish in 11 days. My GPS says we will finish in 70 to 50 hours. The end is in sight, but we will still need a few cycles of our shifts.<br /><br />The official standings have us in 5th place. The unofficial standings have us in 3rd. So, this means we need to push, and try to keep the boat moving in the best speed.<br /><br />We gibed yesterday (reportedly late). This means that we are reaching as high as we can with the spinnaker. There was even talk of putting up the jibtop. This has brought threats of mutiny. So, we are working hard to work up as much as we can. It appears we may make it, but it is still 537 miles to go.<br /><br />The ratings system is a mystery, and I won't have any idea how I have finished till the results are posted. But it is interesting to consider the possibility of a trophy. I know my boys would be excited.<br /><br />There are reports during Children's Hour of food that didn't get eaten on time. We are starting to have this issue as well. We have no ice left, and nothing is frozen any longer. The refrigerator is on, taking precious AMPs. One of the tanks ran out of fuel while charging the batteries this morning. I had to bleed to fuel system to get the engine started using the second tank.<br /><br />There was an accident yesterday with Jens' computer and some apple juice. We no longer have the routing software, and are pressuring Jens to make strategic decisions. We are still trying to get the backup computer functioning with all software, and email addresses.<br /><br />On into the night we go. Maybe we will see stars again tonight. I miss them from the one earlier night.Suzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1318640317167059096.post-71731549584655358362010-07-15T14:11:00.000-07:002010-07-15T14:19:44.610-07:00July 15, 2010 - 600 miles in a straight line to Kaneohe"Thus far today there isn't anything to report but pleasant sunny weather and good sailing. It's clear and warm. Right now it's so nice that Jens and I are the only ones below trying to get some rest (and, in my case, relief from the sun).<br /><br />Dirk and Tim took care of a mainsheet tangling issue at the end of the boom (video to follow).<br /><br />We're airing some things out today; the trip has been fairly wet below. A few leaks went undetected before departure and things like cushions have gotten quite damp.<br /><br />Last night we got the closest to clear skies I've seen on my watches so far (not a very large portion of the sky but very clear with no haze). The Milky Way and minor stars are really vivid out here.<br /><br />Forward!"<br /><br />-NathanSuzanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15813189424505947320noreply@blogger.com0