12 May 2014
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Hawaii landfall! We made it! Anchor down, Radio Bay! Day 24: 106 nm. Lat+19.731883 Lon-155.052416 Alt +26 ft (5s ago) 12-May-2014 18:52:29 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.731883&lon=-155.052416
11 May 2014
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Downwind in light conditions. So close...! Day 23: 94 nm. To go: 102 nm. Lat+19.749633 Lon-153.260333 Alt +32 ft (14s ago) 11-May-2014 18:42:28 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.749633&lon=-153.260333
10 May 2014
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Running downwind with lesser seas. Good night of rest. Day 22: 116 nm. To go: 195 nm. Lat+19.801166 Lon-151.617133 Alt +42 ft (7s ago) 10-May-2014 18:51:34 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.801166&lon=-151.617133
09 May 2014
Recap: Hawaii Passage, The Third Week at Sea...
We have covered a lot of distance during our third week at sea, 821 nm. In total we have now traveled 2278 nm with only 312 nm to go until Hilo, Hawaii!!
The beginning of Week 3 was our shift to consistent downwind sailing. Around Day 16 the winds began filling in as the North Pacific High recovered from the low pressure disruption and we were really moving with our light air sail. By Day 18 we had consistent ENE and E winds in the 12-15 kt range day and night and were able to keep moving with the jib up and poled out to starboard. We pretty well rode out this configuration the rest of the week, but did also put up twin head sails on Day 20, with the C-0 to port poled out on the main boom.
Downwind is great because the sails don't have too much trouble staying full poled out, and we are able to maintain some fast consistent speeds. However, the waves have been big also, so the motion is really rolly. This makes for a lot more bracing inside the cabin, and sometimes meal preparation and cleanup can be a frustrating affair as ingredients, knives, pots, everything are rolling in every direction. Avoiding the urge to multitask is the key to dealing with the rolly motion, so that only the objects that you are currently working with are not stowed. In any case, it is a true test of patience and certainly the path to Zen to maintain calm in the midst of rolly chaos.
The rolly nights can also be a challenge. Imagine the sounds of a house settling, creaks and ticks and pops as the structure settles under its own weight. Now imagine a house that is 46 years old and rolling 25° to each side over and over again all night and all the wonderful sounds that come with that. So it's been tough to get a decent three hour shift of sleep in the rolly motion.
On the night of Day 20, we had the worst set of squalls that we have seen. Of course we were running with twin head sails and so had to work quickly to get both sails furled. Typically, the only warning you get is a light rain followed closely by a sudden increase in wind with not much time at all to respond. Since we were running downwind and could not tack to avoid the squalls, we simply had to wait it out as 4 sets of squall lines passed over us, making for a soggy cockpit and foulies.
The equipment failure for Week 3 was the halyard for the light air sail chafing through, and subsequently having to recover the light air sail from the water. Fortunately, it happened while we were having our morning tea on Day 18 and we were both able to get on deck quickly to pull the sail out of the water without any damage. The excitement for the week was Matt then going up the mast at sea to relead the slightly shorter light air sail halyard. This is a tenuous situation at best, as the rolly motion, which can be difficult on deck, is hugely amplified by swinging through the ever larger arc as the masthead is approached. Losing grip on the mast can result in being swung back into the mast like a pendulum, resulting in severe injuries or worse. We ran with the full genoa to help damp the motion, and set our course on a broad reach. Our procedure for going up the mast is by now fairly routine, so with Rachel on deck belaying and calling the big waves, Matt harnessed in and worked his way up the mast steps between the big rolls and held on for dear life (literally) when they hit. Once the halyard was set, getting down before muscle fatigue set in was critical. It was a spectacular sight from the masthead, looking out over the infinite Pacific and down on our little floating home.
Miraculously, we still haven't resorted to canned fruits or vegetables. We are still eating one grapefruit and one green apple per day, and have carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, jicamas, and cabbage as fresh veggies. Our list of 'innovative' meals from shelf stable protein sources is keeping us going. Baked goods and treats have helped keep morale up. For example, in response to a frustratingly light wind morning shift, I (Rachel) made a key lime pie. Our fresh water supply is at 37 gallons, which means that we really do use about 10 gallons per week for cooking and drinking (30 gallons total for three weeks), and about 2-3 gallons per week for showers (8 gallons total for three weeks). For reference, the navy specifies one gallon per person per day for everything, and we are just under that estimate. However, we also have a large stash of supplemental beverages.
This third week at sea has really been about trying to focus on the present and not look too far ahead to the anticipated landfall. Somehow being 900 nm out from Hawaii seemed so close, even though it's really another 8-10 days at sea. So we focused on taking everything day by day, and dealing with the challenges of the day at hand, instead of projecting too far into the future.
But now we are only 300 nm away and are starting to get very excited!! We are hoping to arrive on Monday, but as always there are no guarantees with the sea. The good ship AEOLI and her crew are looking forward to landfall!!
--
The beginning of Week 3 was our shift to consistent downwind sailing. Around Day 16 the winds began filling in as the North Pacific High recovered from the low pressure disruption and we were really moving with our light air sail. By Day 18 we had consistent ENE and E winds in the 12-15 kt range day and night and were able to keep moving with the jib up and poled out to starboard. We pretty well rode out this configuration the rest of the week, but did also put up twin head sails on Day 20, with the C-0 to port poled out on the main boom.
Downwind is great because the sails don't have too much trouble staying full poled out, and we are able to maintain some fast consistent speeds. However, the waves have been big also, so the motion is really rolly. This makes for a lot more bracing inside the cabin, and sometimes meal preparation and cleanup can be a frustrating affair as ingredients, knives, pots, everything are rolling in every direction. Avoiding the urge to multitask is the key to dealing with the rolly motion, so that only the objects that you are currently working with are not stowed. In any case, it is a true test of patience and certainly the path to Zen to maintain calm in the midst of rolly chaos.
The rolly nights can also be a challenge. Imagine the sounds of a house settling, creaks and ticks and pops as the structure settles under its own weight. Now imagine a house that is 46 years old and rolling 25° to each side over and over again all night and all the wonderful sounds that come with that. So it's been tough to get a decent three hour shift of sleep in the rolly motion.
On the night of Day 20, we had the worst set of squalls that we have seen. Of course we were running with twin head sails and so had to work quickly to get both sails furled. Typically, the only warning you get is a light rain followed closely by a sudden increase in wind with not much time at all to respond. Since we were running downwind and could not tack to avoid the squalls, we simply had to wait it out as 4 sets of squall lines passed over us, making for a soggy cockpit and foulies.
The equipment failure for Week 3 was the halyard for the light air sail chafing through, and subsequently having to recover the light air sail from the water. Fortunately, it happened while we were having our morning tea on Day 18 and we were both able to get on deck quickly to pull the sail out of the water without any damage. The excitement for the week was Matt then going up the mast at sea to relead the slightly shorter light air sail halyard. This is a tenuous situation at best, as the rolly motion, which can be difficult on deck, is hugely amplified by swinging through the ever larger arc as the masthead is approached. Losing grip on the mast can result in being swung back into the mast like a pendulum, resulting in severe injuries or worse. We ran with the full genoa to help damp the motion, and set our course on a broad reach. Our procedure for going up the mast is by now fairly routine, so with Rachel on deck belaying and calling the big waves, Matt harnessed in and worked his way up the mast steps between the big rolls and held on for dear life (literally) when they hit. Once the halyard was set, getting down before muscle fatigue set in was critical. It was a spectacular sight from the masthead, looking out over the infinite Pacific and down on our little floating home.
Miraculously, we still haven't resorted to canned fruits or vegetables. We are still eating one grapefruit and one green apple per day, and have carrots, potatoes, cucumbers, jicamas, and cabbage as fresh veggies. Our list of 'innovative' meals from shelf stable protein sources is keeping us going. Baked goods and treats have helped keep morale up. For example, in response to a frustratingly light wind morning shift, I (Rachel) made a key lime pie. Our fresh water supply is at 37 gallons, which means that we really do use about 10 gallons per week for cooking and drinking (30 gallons total for three weeks), and about 2-3 gallons per week for showers (8 gallons total for three weeks). For reference, the navy specifies one gallon per person per day for everything, and we are just under that estimate. However, we also have a large stash of supplemental beverages.
This third week at sea has really been about trying to focus on the present and not look too far ahead to the anticipated landfall. Somehow being 900 nm out from Hawaii seemed so close, even though it's really another 8-10 days at sea. So we focused on taking everything day by day, and dealing with the challenges of the day at hand, instead of projecting too far into the future.
But now we are only 300 nm away and are starting to get very excited!! We are hoping to arrive on Monday, but as always there are no guarantees with the sea. The good ship AEOLI and her crew are looking forward to landfall!!
--
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Three weeks down! Rolly downwind. So close to a full night of sleep! Day 21: 124 nm. To go: 312 nm. Lat+19.784283 Lon-149.551650 Alt +32 ft (18s ago) 09-May-2014 18:48:05 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.784283&lon=-149.551650
08 May 2014
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Big downwind day with twin headsails. Squally, rolly night. Day 20: 129 nm. To go: 436 nm. Lat+19.721150 Lon-147.358033 Alt +19 ft (8s ago) 08-May-2014 18:45:23 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.721150&lon=-147.358033
07 May 2014
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Making way downwind in the trades. Bigger wind, bigger waves, and rolly! Day 19: 134 nm. To go: 565 nm. Lat+19.675500 Lon-145.075550 Alt +6 ft (11s ago) 07-May-2014 18:45:05 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.675500&lon=-145.075550
06 May 2014
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Saying a very sad goodbye to Matt's Grandma this morning. Moving consistently in 15 kt ENE winds. Day 18: 117 nm. To go: 698 nm. Lat+19.782516 Lon-142.711299 Alt -26 ft (38s ago) 06-May-2014 18:43:22 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.782516&lon=-142.711299
05 May 2014
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Light but consistent yesterday. Gloriously steady night. C-0 halyard chafes through @ 10:30 AM. Running with genoa. Day 17: 110 nm. To go: 816 nm. Lat+19.765950 Lon-140.633300 Alt +13 ft (5s ago) 05-May-2014 18:49:58 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.765950&lon=-140.63
04 May 2014
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Great day reaching yesterday, but another light night with two sail changes. Downwind with C-0 now. Day 16: 113 nm. To go: 925 nm. Lat+19.920000 Lon-138.696266 Alt +49 ft (16s ago) 04-May-2014 18:46:34 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.920000&lon=-138.696266
03 May 2014
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Becalmed in early AM. Now reaching in NNE winds. Day 15: 94 nm. To go: 1039 nm. Lat+19.806816 Lon-136.694283 Alt +6 ft (10s ago) 03-May-2014 18:46:29 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.806816&lon=-136.694283
02 May 2014
Recap: Hawaii Passage, The Second Week at Sea...
After being at sea for two weeks, we have covered 1457 nm with 1133 nm left to go to Hilo, Hawaii. Our routine of life at sea is pretty well established, and we have been mostly responding to the different sailing conditions that we have been encountering.
The first several days of the second week, we had steady winds from the N or NE of about 15 kts. These were great sailing conditions for fast broad reaching and downwind sailing. Then around Day 12, a low pressure system pushed south through the developed North Pacific High, disrupting our established winds and leaving us with light (5-8 kt) NE and E winds. We put up the C-0 light air sail and did the best we could in the light conditions to continue making westward progress. We had one night of impossibly calm seas, with an almost imperceptible swell, where we were ghosting along at about 2 kts in what couldn't have been more than 5 kts of wind. On the one hand, light conditions gave us a bit of a break from all the motion and let us have a couple of restful days. On the other hand, it can be frustrating having to trim the sails frequently to keep up with the variable light conditions. Either way, you sail the wind that you get, and after the past two weeks of watches in shifting winds, I (Rachel) am much more of a sailor than I ever was.
We also had our first squall this week, and have encountered a couple more since. Since the skies are frequently overcast, I wasn't sure how we were supposed to be able to see the dark cloud formation that comes with a squall. Turns out that even if you can't see it (and sometimes you can and sometimes you can't), you can definitely feel it. The sails will begin to flutter heavily as the winds gust up, and the only consistent rain that we have had has been associated with a squall. So if there are increasing winds and any precipitation, we are on alert to prepare to take down the sails. We were actually travelling west downwind last night and I could feel a squall coming on, so diverted north towards the wind to move out of the way and let the squall pass south of us. This seemed to work pretty well and we didn't have to furl the light air sail to let it pass. After having dealt with a few of them and knowing that they always travel with the wind, I feel much less anxious about future inevitable squalls.
We crossed paths with three cargo ships, headed for New Zealand, Japan, and Peru. The only other signs of life have been some dolphins (really long unidentified species, possible whales), the occasional bird, and the possible UFO (or helicopter) nighttime sighting by Rachel.
Our freshies are still holding up well. We have finished our supply of avocados, tomatoes, peppers, and mandarin oranges, but still have plenty of jicamas, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbages, green apples, grapefruits, and limes. We have barely gotten into our food stash, and in fact we are still eating out of the food allocated for the first 10 days. Since we are running without refrigeration, we brought 3 kilos of assorted wax covered and vacuum packed cheeses, including manchego, cheddar, gouda, provolone, and parmesan. They have all been keeping fine in their packaging and once we open one, we keep the cheese wrapped in a vinegar soaked paper towel to keep mold from growing on the surface. This has been working out well, and having assorted cheeses has helped to keep our meals interesting. We have had lots of fresh baked goods: breads, biscuits, and loaf cake. Our fresh water supply is at 50 gallons still, which means that in two weeks we have used about 5 gallons for showers and 20 gallons for cooking and drinking.
The other 'excitement' of Week 2 was a clogged head, requiring a full rebuild of the pump and disassembly of the joints in the system. A shitty job no matter what, made even more so by getting to do the work underway in a rolly boat. We are learning so much out here…
It's pretty crazy being over a 1000 miles from anything for the first time. I (Rachel) definitely experience some anxiety from time to time about what could go wrong while we are so far away from anything. But we are channeling the anxiety into being diligent and vigilant about taking care of the boat (preemptively checking over everything and looking for possible issues, being conservative about our sail configuration, and maintaining our systems) and ourselves (getting as much rest as possible, eating well, and recognizing when we are starting to get run down and need more sleep).
All is well aboard the good ship AEOLI as we chug along into our third week at sea…
--
The first several days of the second week, we had steady winds from the N or NE of about 15 kts. These were great sailing conditions for fast broad reaching and downwind sailing. Then around Day 12, a low pressure system pushed south through the developed North Pacific High, disrupting our established winds and leaving us with light (5-8 kt) NE and E winds. We put up the C-0 light air sail and did the best we could in the light conditions to continue making westward progress. We had one night of impossibly calm seas, with an almost imperceptible swell, where we were ghosting along at about 2 kts in what couldn't have been more than 5 kts of wind. On the one hand, light conditions gave us a bit of a break from all the motion and let us have a couple of restful days. On the other hand, it can be frustrating having to trim the sails frequently to keep up with the variable light conditions. Either way, you sail the wind that you get, and after the past two weeks of watches in shifting winds, I (Rachel) am much more of a sailor than I ever was.
We also had our first squall this week, and have encountered a couple more since. Since the skies are frequently overcast, I wasn't sure how we were supposed to be able to see the dark cloud formation that comes with a squall. Turns out that even if you can't see it (and sometimes you can and sometimes you can't), you can definitely feel it. The sails will begin to flutter heavily as the winds gust up, and the only consistent rain that we have had has been associated with a squall. So if there are increasing winds and any precipitation, we are on alert to prepare to take down the sails. We were actually travelling west downwind last night and I could feel a squall coming on, so diverted north towards the wind to move out of the way and let the squall pass south of us. This seemed to work pretty well and we didn't have to furl the light air sail to let it pass. After having dealt with a few of them and knowing that they always travel with the wind, I feel much less anxious about future inevitable squalls.
We crossed paths with three cargo ships, headed for New Zealand, Japan, and Peru. The only other signs of life have been some dolphins (really long unidentified species, possible whales), the occasional bird, and the possible UFO (or helicopter) nighttime sighting by Rachel.
Our freshies are still holding up well. We have finished our supply of avocados, tomatoes, peppers, and mandarin oranges, but still have plenty of jicamas, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, carrots, cabbages, green apples, grapefruits, and limes. We have barely gotten into our food stash, and in fact we are still eating out of the food allocated for the first 10 days. Since we are running without refrigeration, we brought 3 kilos of assorted wax covered and vacuum packed cheeses, including manchego, cheddar, gouda, provolone, and parmesan. They have all been keeping fine in their packaging and once we open one, we keep the cheese wrapped in a vinegar soaked paper towel to keep mold from growing on the surface. This has been working out well, and having assorted cheeses has helped to keep our meals interesting. We have had lots of fresh baked goods: breads, biscuits, and loaf cake. Our fresh water supply is at 50 gallons still, which means that in two weeks we have used about 5 gallons for showers and 20 gallons for cooking and drinking.
The other 'excitement' of Week 2 was a clogged head, requiring a full rebuild of the pump and disassembly of the joints in the system. A shitty job no matter what, made even more so by getting to do the work underway in a rolly boat. We are learning so much out here…
It's pretty crazy being over a 1000 miles from anything for the first time. I (Rachel) definitely experience some anxiety from time to time about what could go wrong while we are so far away from anything. But we are channeling the anxiety into being diligent and vigilant about taking care of the boat (preemptively checking over everything and looking for possible issues, being conservative about our sail configuration, and maintaining our systems) and ourselves (getting as much rest as possible, eating well, and recognizing when we are starting to get run down and need more sleep).
All is well aboard the good ship AEOLI as we chug along into our third week at sea…
--
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Two weeks down! Winds starting to fill back in. Day 14: 87 nm. To go: 1133 nm. Lat+19.818383 Lon-135.024633 Alt +32 ft (11s ago) 02-May-2014 18:39:52 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.818383&lon=-135.024633
01 May 2014
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Working on our light air sail trimming. Patience... Day 13: 67 nm. To go: 1219 nm. Lat+19.835816 Lon-133.492150 Alt +6 ft (15s ago) 01-May-2014 18:47:05 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=19.835816&lon=-133.492150
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