SV Panta Rhei Retirement Trip
| Vessel Name: | Panta Rhei |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Able Apogee 50 |
| Hailing Port: | Seattle |
| Crew: | Larry and Karen |
| Social: |
 |
18 September 2017 | Seattle
We are back in Seattle
It feels like home. Of course we are not in Silshole. Maybe we will be, someday, but there is a list and we are on it. In the meantime we are at Bainbridge Island Marina.
23 August 2017 | Prince Rupert
The dinghy holds air again
It wasn't very nice of the bear to tear the fabric across a seam. We were worried that we couldn't patch it but tried anyway. The glue had a job to do and it did it!
15 August 2017 | Anan Bear Observatory
A Grizzly Bear damaged our dinghy
We were visiting the Anan Bear Observatory south of Wrangell. It is one of the best places to visit in all of SE Alaska BECAUSE it has bears. But (as we learned) there is a dark side to this bear concentration. And of course, there is a story to tell.
19 July 2017 | Petersburg, AK
Moving On
"No matter where you go, there you are" (unknown reference). By now we have been there and done that. Most recently that included Cannery Cove on Admiralty Island. The photo shows the quiet grandeur of the setting with Ron and Suzie's boat SV Tango in the foreground. It has been like that for the last [...]
17 June 2017 | Hoonah, AK
We are in Hoonah, SE Alaska now
We got something resembling a high pressure ridge so we moved expeditously across the Gulf of Alaska. The crossing took three days and weather stayed as forecast. That was a very good thing. The weather changes in the far north far more rapidly and dramatically than we ever experienced in the more southern [...]
03 June 2017 | Seward AK
Crossing the Gulf of Alaska
We are still in Seward, AK. Now that spring has come, why not start south?
Morning Report
Last night we passed Punta Mala. Sure enough, we had to reef when the wind clocked to 24 kn and we were smoking fast for several hours, but curiously at the same instant that we passed the point, the wind died. We nursed our ship along at 3.5 knots for several hours as the wind backed and built. This morning finds us with 13.7 kn of true wind directly on our stern. We're making 5.5 kn on course with sails set wing and wing. The jib is poled out to starboard.
During the night we were visited by more porpoises. They come up on the stern and make rapid sucking sounds as they churn phosphorescent trails in the water. There were lots of them, I can't guess how many. It was a dark night with no moon (although we did have starlight).
Yesterday we made 106 AHr of electricity with the solar panels. Last night we used all that we had stored in the batteries from the solar panels and a little more. I'd say overnight we used 150 AHr Of course all the electricity that the solar panels make gets mostly used during the day especially in light of the fact that we made water all day. The electricity we use at night all needs replacing in the morning and that is way more than the solar panels can do. So this morning we are running the gen set. This works very well and is what most cruisers do. The gen set dumps charge into the batteries in the morning and then the solar panels trickle charge them up to a fully charged state during the day while also meeting the daytime running needs. By keeping the batteries fully charged after each cycle their life is extended.
Yesterday Karen cooked a turkey with dressing, sweet potatoes, and asparagus. We also got home made bread (which makes the grilled cheese sandwiches we had for lunch absolutely outstanding). This morning we are having fried egg, bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches again featuring the home made bread. That is something to get up for.
When we go fast, the computer says we will be in the Galapagos in 3.5 days. When we go slow it says 16 days. My best guess is 5 days from now. There is a vast wind hole in front of us but we do have this new engine so probably we will not just sit. For now we are making miles with the wind and that keeps the fuel aboard that we may need toward the end of the journey.
