Departing Oahu

Thursday 23 June 2022

Finally on the ocean. Autopilot playing nice. Rough, windy patch for a couple
of hours sailing around Kaena Point, west tip of Oahu, but then close reach in
eighteen knots with two meter sea. Comfortable. Making good time. Expect wind
to ease a bit overnight. Twenty three hundred twenty five NM to entrance into
Sitka Sound. ETA around Saturday nine July.

We haven't made overnight passage in eight months and FRs in eight years, but
all went well first day. We're running three, four hour watches at night, then
fairly ad hoc daytimes. I'm now on first watch, 2000 to midnight; Jan will do
the midnight; Marie has mornings from 0400 to 0800; Don is available as needed
anytime, but is basically on after Marie until evening. This is a real treat
for me, able to sleep in and avoid sunrise, but not enough to ever take crew on
our boat.

The HR (Halberg Rassy) is a very well made boat built in Sweden and commands a
premium price. Although same size as Anthem, this boat is quite dissimilar.
Layout is different and three cabin vs. two. Galley is in a corner, smaller,
square and less useable than Hylas's, which runs lengthwise between saloon and
aft cabin. Freezer is opposite side of boat from fridge, behind chart table,
and both are narrow and deep with no lower access door. Some open living area
is given over to much more storage. Main cabin aft has a single bed and a
double that requires one sleeper to climb over the other vs. an island queen
with two sides. Hand holds to maintain bodily integrity during boat lurches are
not as numerous or convenient. Cockpit has a hard dodger with low half cover
(there's a name for this style, but I've forgotten.. landau?) that induces head
impacts which may result in brain damage. The HR46 is also heavier and seems to
have slower, but more determined motion in a seaway. It doesn't seem as
reckless at eight and a half knots (theoretical hull speed). Slightly impolite
review is at least partly due what we've gotten used to. They would probably
feel the same on our boat.

There are perhaps three people reading this who give a flying frisbee about
biased review of a sailboat, but seemed like a good idea at the time and writing
it has kept me out of trouble. Bedtime.

Jack & Jan