26 July 2016 | Kaneohe Yacht Club
22 July 2016 | Pacific Ocean
21 July 2016 | Pacific Ocean
20 July 2016 | Pacific Ocean
19 July 2016 | Half-Way there!
17 July 2016 | Somewhere Over The Rainbow
16 July 2016 | Somehere Over The Rainbow
15 July 2016 | In the Trades
14 July 2016 | 500 miles out
28 June 2016 | San Francisco (shoreside)
25 June 2016 | San Francisco (shoreside)
25 June 2016 | San Francisco (shoreside)
25 June 2016 | San Francisco (shoreside)
PacCup 2016 - 47 days later
09 September 2016
It is hard to believe that life is starting to return to "normal." Today, I gave a talk about the race to my fellow realtors at Coldwell Banker. Doing the race was a bucket list item for me.
Wayne and I actually had the goal over 8 years ago to do this race. One morning I left him a note," I have a bodacious idea! Let's do the Pacific Cup in 2012 on our boat."
We had no idea how we were going to make it happen. The first thing we had to do was buy a boat. Purchasing Encore was the first step. The rest fell into place.
We missed the 2012 PacCup, Wayne did the 2014 on our boat and I finally achieved my goal of going this past July.
It was a great feeling going under the GG Bridge out to the Farallones. Within 5 hours of the race, I was so seasick and asking myself "What was I thinking?" The sea sickness lasted for 3 days.
Within 24 hours 5 boats turned around: 3 dismasted due to high winds, 1 boat crew member broke his ribs, 1 boat had engine trouble
I have been often asked, "Was it fun?" well not really. "Would I do it again?" Probably not. "Was I glad I did it?" YES! It was an adventure of a lifetime that I will never forget.
2016 Pac Cup – Mountains, Holes and Moguls - by Jim Quancy
29 July 2016
This year's Pac Cup was wind, wind and more wind. Getting out of Dodge that first day, the missing light wind ridge, north and south - there was good wind everywhere. The strong high north east of Hawaii and an unbroken string of Tropical Depressions created these strong winds across the whole course. And winds means waves. And yes, there were waves.
The first two days from a tight to beam reach was in 8 to 12 foot swells birthed in the Gulf of Alaska. Then several days of Northerlys down the California Coast threw another 4 to 6 foot wind waves on top. The good part is they were mostly in the same direction. The bad part is when they aligned, it meant green water on deck and every boat that said before the race they were "dry" found they were not. These big beam seas also resulted in likely 80 percent of all crew having a touch (or a lot) of mal de mer.
As we entered the middle section of the race, things got messy. The 4 to 6 foot swell - still from the north - joined 8 to 10 foot trade wind waves from the east and then the rare 5 to 8 footer from the south birthed in one of those Tropical Depressions. So, sizable waves from three directions made for a real mogul field of waves. When they all hit at the same times you could find yourself pooped from behind - standing in a foot of water when at the wheel - which had the positive effect of cleaning out the cockpit nicely. There was no need for taking turns with buckets cleaning the cockpit this year! When they aligned "just right", you would find yourself falling off a 16 to 18-foot cliff into a deep dark hole - seeing boat speeds in the high teens in only 20 knots of wind. How many times can you have the spinnaker collapse back on the rig as you fall down the front of the wave, only to have it shock fill when you reached the bottom? How many times can you watch your bow pulpit disappear in a wave when you reach the bottom of that hole in the water before crying uncle? Most entrants found out in the mid- to later- half of the race as even their strongest kites started blowing up from this wave induced repetitive shock loading. And those snooker waves coming from the Tropicals to the south. A few times per day you would be hit broadside by one of those Tropical created waves from the south - born off Mexico - that if it hit you in the stern meant an "auto broach" and if it hit you in the bow meant and "auto round down". And these waves were big heavy irresistible forces that any rudder or helmsman is ill equipped to counter.
And once in a while.... a helmsman dream would appear. Atop one of those 18 or so foot mountains, a pass through the mountain ahead of you would appear. So bow down, race down the first mountain, catch the pass through the second mountain before it closed up - with the boat in the mid-teens the whole way - a full minute or two. Call it double black diamond. Call it Le Mans. When at night and blind, call it just plain scary. And when you caught the rarest of the rare... a pass through 3 mountains... personal and boat speed records fell... 17k, 18k, 20k of boat speed and more - from boats everyone said were displacement and couldn't/shouldn't surf.
In a typical PacCup, the biggest steepest waves are the last 100 miles as you approach the islands - as the tradewind waves have had the most time to build them up and then the shallower water slows them down making for big short period waves. But you know this year was different - or maybe just felt different. After the "mine field" of waves in the middle of the course, and after the crews had figured out how to manage them through day, night and the occasional squall, the last miles went easy. Just another day on the Pacific Ocean.
This race did leave many of us wondering "so why do they call it the "pacific" ocean?
Note: Jim Quancy sailed this year's race a navigator on Encore.
We made it!!!
26 July 2016 | Kaneohe Yacht Club
Suzie Koide
Due to Sailblog being in maintenance mode, I wasn't able to finish our story until tonight. We finished the race in 10 days on July 22nd around 3 PM Hawaii time. It was a "petal to the metal race" all the way from SF. We were happy to finish all in one piece.
Wayne and I are grateful to our rockstar crew: Jim Q Quanci, Julia Paxton and Ben Burbridge. Wayne sure knows how to put a great team together. Each person was"calm under fire" no matter how dire the situation.
It has been an adjustment to be back on land. When I wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, the floor is still swaying.
We are enjoying getting back to the daily comforts of life such as a nice comfy bed and the ability to walk to the bathroom without having to walk over spinnakers and hang on for dear life.
It wasn't an easy trip but it was a great experience to be challenged in this way. Team Encore will live in my heart forever.
Arriving in Kanoehe TODAY!!!!!!
22 July 2016 | Pacific Ocean
Wayne Koide
Cross our fingers that all goes well that we will finish today around 3PM Hawaii time. This will be the first time Wayne will finish during the
daylight hours.
Yesterday provided lots of challenges sailing in 10-12 foot swells. We all took a sun shower at the stern of the boat which is a major
undertaking to do when the winds are 20-25 knots and the as I mentioned the waves were large. Wayne said it was an angry ocean.
We were giddy afterwards feeling refreshed and renewed to finish our last 225 miles.
We are getting weather reports daily with the concern of Garvey tropical storm with gusts up to 40 knots.
The anticipated arrival of Garvey is Sunday and Monday. We will be very happy to have missed it and we are concerned for the slower
boats who are going to be caught in the middle of it.
More later!!
Suzie
284 Miles to go
21 July 2016 | Pacific Ocean
Wayne Koide
We have now been 9 days out to sea and the end is in sight. We are all looking forward to hot showers and clean clothes. It has been good to "drop out" of daily life and do this adventure. Our days are spent simply sailing the boat, eating and sleeping. Always a few projects like dumping the excess water off the boat. We have been plowing through 5-6 waves minimally so we have been taking in a fair amount of water.
Some thoughts to share is that is good to have no cell phones and all of the other electronics that distract us from being in the moment. It has been great to just to sit and watch the ocean mile after mile with few thoughts in my mind except it is exquisite. We have enjoyed a full moon for the last two nights...having a night flashlight makes it easier to sail.
Jim, our navigator, threw out a fishing line. We are hoping to having sashimi and fish tacos today..
Everyone is tired and in good spirits knowing the end is in sight.
497 Miles to Kaneohe
20 July 2016 | Pacific Ocean
Wayne Koide
Finally after 8 days, I can use the computer to write this blog. I was really seasick the first 3 days of the trip, something that I hadn't planned on. I thought the Bonine would take care of my stomach but didn't expect the sea state that we got. As you may have read, the winds have been unbelievable and not giving us much time for rest.
Today is a brochure perfect day. The sun is out, the winds are 16-20 knots and we are flying the A2 spinnaker not fearing for our lives. Last night we saw a beautiful full moon and this morning a beautiful sunrise.
This trip has been an adventure of a lifetime and and has been so scary due to the high winds. I remember Eleanor Roosevelt said, "Do something every day that scares you." Well, we have that covered.
Hard to believe we have sailed over 1500 miles. Our ETA is Friday afternoon so that would make our crossing 10 days. We are all looking forward to the MaiTais at the dock at Kaneohe.