Aquavit: Pac Cup 2016
| Vessel Name: | Aquavit |
| Vessel Make/Model: | Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 42iP |
| Hailing Port: | San Francisco |
| Crew: | Michael, Bill, Joe, Patrick and Karl |
| Extra: | 8/3/16 - On a quest from Kaneohe, Hawaii back to San Francisco with new Crew: Michael, Bill, Joe, Patrick and Karl 7/11/16 - On a quest to Kaneohe, Oaho, Hawaii with Crew: Michael, Mike, Bill, Paulo, Magnus and George |
20 August 2016
Getting from there to here
As much as we would like to take all the credit for our long voyage across the Pacific, we have had a steady and reliable aid guiding us along. That aid is the multitude of instruments we have to tell us things like: where are we? Are we going in the right direction? How fast are we going? Is [...]
19 August 2016
Sea Creatures
For the most part, the life in the deep ocean is under the water and not seen, but there have been some remarkable sightings on this trip. Here's a taste of what we have encountered.
18 August 2016
SF approach, full moon and meteor
This is an interesting part of the return trip. We had the hard sailing north from Hawaii into the prevailing swell. We had the sinister high pressure that was following us everywhere we went in the middle of the trip. Now, finally we are on track towards SF. It's a good feeling to be making [...]
18 August 2016
Heavy Weather Sailing
It's almost a relief hitting the heavy weather portion of our trip. We were worrying about the gale for so long, and the large seas and high winds that it would bring where we were further south, that when it finally hits we know what to expect. As our last correspondence with the weather guys states: "There [...]
15 August 2016
Whales and Weather
Saw a pod of killer whales yesterday, passed all around us, and one followed us for a few minutes. This is their place and they are curious about us. I've seen lots of killer whales in the San Juans, but new and exciting to several others.
14 August 2016
Weather
Seems like we've been plagued by the adverse weather this trip. On the way to Hawaii we encountered large, confused, seas and then Hurricane Darby. The last leg of the trip to Kanehoe was rushing like madmen to avoid been trapped at sea for days while the storm system passed. (We arrived at 4pm. Boats [...]
Easier Sailing Conditions
The usual issues arise, of course. Two of our sail cars (attachment of the main to mast) broke...not sure why. We have backups, so replacement was done without a hitch...except that main sail tore a little where we already had damage and a grommet replaced. We are double reefed so it’s not an issue yet. But when wind dies down dies down, we'll put on a sail patch (have a nice sail repair kit on the boat).
This sailing is much easier than getting to HI. Upwind may be bumpy but it’s easy to steer and one is not being hit by confused waves from two directions! And we're using autopilot some, especially when only one person is on watch duty. (Always 2 at night, often only 1 person on duty during day. Allows us to get sleep).
Complete emptiness in the ocean. No lights, no ships, no marine life (that we have seen). We'll try fishing again today. Most of the night was clear and the stars were as bright as I've seen. The heaven seems completely full with stars and planets, with a backdrop of a waning moon. Beautiful. (When two people are on night watch, one of us drives the boat and the other has lots of time to star gaze!)
It's a beautiful day so Bill, Karl and Joe are on deck enjoying the warmth and sun and lovely blue seas. Pat is getting a nap, and I'm writing an email. I'm signing off now to communicate with our "weather guy" and download some weather files.
Take Care.
On behalf of the Aquavit return crew
Michael
