Is She Ready?
It’s been nearly three years since Long Windid’s last major passage when her crew sailed 30 days up from the island paradise of Savusavu, Fiji. Since departing San Diego, Long Windid has provided us with safe, comfortable and reliable travel while covering a distance of nearly 15,000 hard fought nautical miles. Today, she is comfortably moored and lovingly pampered in a slip at the resort area of Ko Olina Marina on the western side of Oahu, Hawaii. In a few short weeks, Long Windid will be asked to shake out the cobwebs and deliver Dan and myself safely on a 20-25 day voyage across the Pacific to the mainland, as if we never stopped. She has been our floating home all this time in Hawaii. We know her “on-board systems” work perfectly well, it's the “sailing systems” that we need to be confident in once again. So, prior to leaving the island, we will stress the boat on a short shakedown cruise. If everything checks out properly and we suspect they will, we will depart sometime early June. Our primary goal is to get Long Windid safely back home to San Diego and close the loop on our Pacific circumnavigation. Before making the jump, we will be looking for a favorable eight (8) day weather window to plan our exit route. After the initial eight days, we will be at the mercy of the ever changing Pacific High. While under way, we will receive daily satellite weather updates and make route adjustments as we proceed. The wind circulating around the Pacific High moves in an unorganized clockwise pattern. Skirting the outside edges of the High generally means a more comfortable ride. The biggest concern with being too close to the edge is it puts us in a position where the High can easily move over the top of the boat. Getting caught in the interior (known as the doldrums or no wind zone) is not a good situation for a sailboat to be in. Long Windid only carries enough fuel to motor approx. 600 nautical miles, so motoring through the Pacific High is not a viable option. The real question for us is, how far north will we have to travel before the favorable winds allow us to head east? If the High requires us to go further north into the colder latitudes, then we will stop and visit the Pacific Northwest before heading home. On the other hand, if the High moves south as it normally does during the early summer months, then maybe we won't have to go as far north. We can then cut a few corners to shorten our trip and head directly to San Diego. The answers will only be revealed once we venture out.
A vast number of cruisers we have spoken to in Hawaii regarding their adventures and plans had said they intended on staying only a season or two. However, most have lingered much longer than originally anticipated for various reasons. The more time a cruising boat spends on this island, the harder it is to leave. We've experienced the islands gravitational pull while dealing with our own boat related issues. Dan knows of at least five boats from last season that left only to return due to mechanical and/or system failures. Ko Olina is by far the nicest marina in Hawaii and is full of cruising boats that are sadly in various stages of disrepair or just worn out. Many of these boats are unlikely to ever find their way safely back home. We only hope Long Windid will not be among them.
If you are interested in following us, we will post a link on this page just prior to leaving so you can track our daily progress.
A vast number of cruisers we have spoken to in Hawaii regarding their adventures and plans had said they intended on staying only a season or two. However, most have lingered much longer than originally anticipated for various reasons. The more time a cruising boat spends on this island, the harder it is to leave. We've experienced the islands gravitational pull while dealing with our own boat related issues. Dan knows of at least five boats from last season that left only to return due to mechanical and/or system failures. Ko Olina is by far the nicest marina in Hawaii and is full of cruising boats that are sadly in various stages of disrepair or just worn out. Many of these boats are unlikely to ever find their way safely back home. We only hope Long Windid will not be among them.
If you are interested in following us, we will post a link on this page just prior to leaving so you can track our daily progress.
Comments