Monday 18 Jul 2011

Monday 18 Jul 2011
0600 PDT Position is: 22 02 N, 153 02 W

10:00 AM
Randy, Graham, and I just finished our 7:00-10:00 AM watch with 240 nm to go. We've been sailing using the same wing on wing configuration all night. We're still on a port tack at a heading of 220-240 degrees depending on the wind shifts. We've been sailing at 7-8 kts with winds in the 15-25 kt range. We're a little off course at the moment; however, we expect a favorable wind shift as we get closer to Hawaii. It looks like we have some more squalls bearing down on us so we're preparing to reduce sail. Although the seas are still rough and confused and throw the boat around, some of us really like sailing in thee conditions. Constant focus is required at the helm to prevent the sails from flogging badly (which places stress on the rigging) and pitching her about when the swells hit her beam. We still have some good moonlight to help identify the larger swells before they break on us. If we time the swells just right we can surf down them to gain speed and have some fun. Randy really likes surfing this 44' long board. This morning we had both a bright moon and saw the sun rise. It really looks beautiful with the clouds glowing in various colors. Other than some flying fish and sea birds, we haven't seen much in the way of marine life. We still have sufficient food, water, and fuel to finish the race. We're all very much looking forward to arriving in Hawaii... hopefully by tomorrow evening.

2:30 PM
As for our course to Diamond Head... over the past several days the wind direction has caused us to fall below our destination by 10-30 degrees depending on shifts. Also, the swells are hitting us from a couple of directions which cause us to drift off course. And finally, some of the crew focus more on maximizing speed or comfort (less rocking) over maintaining a sharp heading. For example, on my watch, Graham and I tend to sail as close to our waypoint bearing as possible which can reduce our speed yet Randy likes surfing the swells to maximize speed (which can increase our distance to the waypoint). Another watch tends to steer fast but more erratically due to heavy conversations. And finally, the high winds and conflicting seas make it very difficult for anyone to steer an straight line. Consequently, sailing a direct course usually means trying your best average out at the desired heading with 10+ degree swings on both sides. At 2:30 PM we are 212 nm from Diamond Head traveling at 7-8 kts in 15-25 kts winds and 4-12 foot swells. Our GPS says we have 28 hours to go... but most of us think we'll arrive tomorrow evening. We decided to jibe for a more favorable tack during my 6:00 PM turn at the helm. The jibe went smoothly and we were able to sail on a very direct heading while maintaining 7-8.5 kt boat speed. We initially kept the jib poled out to the leeward side. After a few minutes we decided to pole the jib out to windward since it was being bl
anketed by the main sail. The pole switch also went smoothly since we are doing a better job of communicating and working as a team. At 7:30 PM we have 174 nm and 21 hours to Diamond Head. Randy is making what smells like a great meal of spaghetti and meatballs. We've been having difficulty getting good connections to the various SailMail stations via the single side band radio. We tried all of the stations that had favorable readings on the propagation tables but were only able to get a weak connection to the station in Corpus Christi, TX. We only received a portion of the e-mails before the weak signal got disconnected. Hopefully we'll have better luck with the SSB tonight or tomorrow. Some of the crew have been using our sat phone for communications since getting a strong connection to a SSB station has been difficult. Tom has been invaluable to the team as a bowman (the most technical and risky job on the boat) and rigger. He's identified and repaired or jury rigged numerous lines that chafed due to the constant movement of the boat. Tom is an expert rock climber, experienced sailor, and theatrical rigger. He's also our chief medical officer and the most safety conscious person on the boat. Tom wins my vote for the MVP crew member.