Aquila Pacific

Ken Britten and Sandra Aamodt sailed from San Francisco Bay to New Zealand via the South Pacific and then returned home via Hawaii on their 45-foot ketch, Aquila.

27 November 2009
10 September 2009 | slip F-261, Richmond Marina Bay
10 September 2009 | Drake's Bay
09 September 2009 | Green water
08 September 2009 | about 200 miles out
07 September 2009 | near the Pacific great circle routes
06 September 2009 | under high pressure
05 September 2009 | about 600 miles out
04 September 2009 | North Pacific Ocean
03 September 2009 | North Pacific Ocean
02 September 2009 | North Pacific Gyre
01 September 2009 | North Pacific Gyre
31 August 2009 | North Pacific Gyre
30 August 2009 | North Pacific Gyre
29 August 2009 | North Pacific Gyre
28 August 2009 | North Pacific Ocean
27 August 2009 | North Pacific Ocean
26 August 2009 | North Pacific Ocean
25 August 2009 | North Pacific Ocean
24 August 2009 | North Pacific Ocean

Life controlled by a high

30 August 2009 | North Pacific Gyre
Ken
Not that kind of high. The one in the atmosphere, that has been coming, going, and bobbling about for the last few days. Its return over us is why we motored so much the last couple of days. Now it has retracted the arm that wrapped around to the east, leaving us with an easterly wind. So, we're sailing again and making good time to the north. We still need that, so even if we're not making that much progress right now toward the Bay, we are still content. Once we cross the 38th parallel, though, we might start to grumble. But our life is as much controlled by local weather patterns. We ran into squalls last night, and all through the night and morning it's been pretty unsettled. From a deck-level perspective, this just means work. The motor has been turned off and back on about a half dozen times since last sunset, and we've been down to double-reefed main, up to full canvas (now), and pretty much everything in between. I'd better wrap this up - there's another line of squalls in view up ahead, and the work will begin again soon.
Comments
Vessel Name: Aquila
Vessel Make/Model: Huntingford Sea Maid 45
Hailing Port: Winters, CA
Crew: Ken Britten
About: Sandra Aamodt is a freelance science writer and the coauthor of Welcome to Your Brain: Why You Lose Your Car Keys but Never Forget How to Drive and Other Puzzles of Everyday Life.
Extra: staysail ketch LOA, 45 feet LWL, 37 feet beam, 13 feet displacement, 31,000 pounds draft, 6 feet, 5 inches sail area, 967 square feet 80 hp Cummins diesel

Seeing the South Pacific

Who: Ken Britten
Port: Winters, CA