I arrived back in Honolulu a week ago after three awful months of Pacific Northwest weather. Rain, cold, more rain - the worst stretch of bad weather I can remember in the 55 years I've lived there! Bloody dreadful it was! I only managed to get a few hundred miles on the bike, so mot much to be proud of when my riding buddies had to wait for me on those cold 45 - 65 mile rides.

But I did get some things accomplished on daughter Valerie's new home in Gig Harbor. In spite of all the rain, we were able to make good progress on a crawl space remediation project, replace rotted fascia trim board, and eventually a new roof and gutters were installed. We also spent some fun times with daughter Rose and her family, visited with the extend family on Easter, and caught up with some friends.

Back at Ali Wai marina, nothing had changed. The water was still filled with garbage, and the local liveaboards still looked at me oddly when I fished plastic bags, pillows, auto windshield sun reflectors and other eclectic floating objects out when I had a free hand. At some point they'd always tell me they used to do that too, but eventually gave up! I'm happy to report that not everyone has given up. We met this Canadian couple from a nearby hotel who bought a net at a local shop and spent an hour cleaning out the trash one day. Nice to know at least these Canadians care about our oceans!

My friend Bill had checked in on Huzzah a month earlier, so I knew things were good. The main Lithium battery bank was within a fraction of a volt of when I left it, and the dehumidifier had the interior bone dry. So I filled the water tanks and walked to the local ABC store for some easy food until I could get to Costco to stock up and veggies and fruit. After 8 weeks the aluminum propane tanks had been inspected and re-certified for use. A two day event often takes weeks' here. And that's okay, you just need to plan for it. Hawaii is a Pacific Island with its own unique culture and tempo, and to me, it feels more Polynesian than USA. Maybe that's why I like the people here so much.
After finishing a few boat projects and bending on the sails, I will be meeting with my crew for the 95nm passage to Kauai's Nawiliwili Harbor.

Hanging loose in Hawaii!