Category: Sailing

When I was in the planning stages of this voyage, I wanted to understand general weather conditions and departure timing. I reached out to a few professional meteorologists in the sailing field. In the end I worked with Chris Tibbs, who prepared a comprehensive report on the matter. One thing he wrote was that, about the Southern Ocean, I could think of it in any color I wanted as long as it was grey! The past week, sailing round the North Pacific High, I have experienced just that: grey sky, grey sea, grey mood. Today, I finally had a bit of sunshine and blue sky, so, of course, you get a picture. And since mama likes to see her son, make it two. I also had enough of lollygagging at slow speeds so we’re on reef 2 and genoa now. I’ve spent the afternoon trimming, with the hope of getting over the High. And, you know, a few times the wind came behind the beam! But it’d be short lived and we’re mostly sailing between 40 and 60 degrees apparent. We’re still playing that game of yo-yo I wrote about last time. What else happened today? For one I learned something that blew me out of the socks I’m not wearing! Bill Hatfield set and holds the record for the voyage I attempted, in the context of the WSSRC rules (he left from Australia). For success to come his way I thought he had tried three times, which was already quite impressive. But no, he had to get to the starting line six times! Six times! Some attempts were short, some he was two thirds into it! Determination takes a whole different dimension here. I am hoping to meet with Whitall Stokes before he departs, and see his Open 50, maybe talk of his plans (I’d think he’ll be busy). These are really wonderful boats, from a few generations ago, but splendid offshore sailing machines nonetheless. Arrival is still tentatively set for Wednesday afternoon (tentatively being the operative word here). My wife has got my taste buds in uproar as she wanted to know what I wanted to eat. After five weeks of freeze dried food, fresh food sounds great! So my answer was: if it’s a morning landfall I’d like a hot chocolate and croissants; around noon, a (good) fish & chips (with fresh cole slaw); in the evening, a fresh salad, a bacon & mushroom tagliatelle, followed by a pizza. And also, licorice candies and chocolate, and a fresh ripe fruit, and … In truth, taking my girls in my arms is all I really want. Well, it’s progressively getting colder here, so a cabin heater too, and a water maker, and … Insatiable man is. .

We continue to play a game of yo-yo between the High and the Low. What do I mean? Well, we get an acceleration from the Low, that pushes us closer to the center of the High, in lighter winds. We slow down, then the Low catches up with us again. We accelerate … You get the picture? On other news fronts I forgot to share this log page, which was turned a few days ago. We’re starting to see more ships on AIS, and on the horizon. It would seem the AIS alarm isn’t beeping anymore, so that may be one more for the list. All is well aboard, regardless of the fact that the last few posts attracted the attention of the “He’s going loopy” police! I heard Whital Stokes is about to launch his Open 50 SV Sparrow into a circumnavigation in a week or so. He’s one to watch as his experience matches his ambitions: svsparrow.com. I wish him fair winds and following seas, as I believe he’s going East. One more night aboard CaB in the bank. Routing still says arrival on 11/04 afternoon but that’s questionable. I hope you all had a wonderful socially distanced Halloween. Happy Sunday now.
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Ah! I knew it! Now that I’ve uncovered their plans, them waves, swells, shifty winds, they’re acting like it’s not true. Not such shifty anymore! In haste, I forgot to name the main actor in this congregation of hard nosed seafarers, the elephant in the room, stomping like there’s no tomorrow, headwinds! That alone puts a damper on progress, the advancement of Changabang. Where’s the good shift? The lift?
Anyways, enough of that. Although, I’ll say, in the cabin, it makes putting a spoon inside my mouth an equilibrist’s job, sipping a hot cup of cocoa, a hazardous activity. Making a move requires careful planning, and any job requires three or four hands (think using my teeth to hold the opened bag of hot chocolate, squeezing the cup between my legs, holding the Jetboil with one hand, keeping two fingers free to open the gas valve, and the other hand to hold the lighter, all the while being jerked in any direction the next wave decides, or going air borne a bit, and having to make sure the Jetboil doesn’t spill it’s boiling hot content).
And then there’s this conversation I overheard …
Boy: mama, may I say a big word? Mama: oh no darling, it would make your readers frown, and, you know it’s possible you may have a hundred subscribers before you make landfall. Who wants a hundred frowns?!? Boy: but mama, it’s one I learned from daddy, it’s really nice, evocative. Mama: yes, but it would be a quick jolt of satisfaction, swiftly forgotten, and then you’d be known as one who uses big words. Boy: what’s wrong with that? Mama: oh dear, big words make you small. Yell a good once if you have to, and then use real words. Boy: oh, I do yell, mama, I let it rip, and then the anger is gone, and the work is done following suit. Mama: good my dear. Now what is it you wanted? Boy: a lift, mama, just a nice ride home. Mama: soon it’ll be Christmas, and who knows what’ll be under the tree? Didn’t you send a job list in recently? And don’t you have a way for people to contribute? Boy, with big cheery eyes: oh, yes! I’m ready for it! Mama: now, now, enough talking, would you please go clean the head? Boy, oh so looking proud: the bucket? Done mama, yesterday I did it. Nothing like a sparkling bucket to cheer up my day. Mama, what I say it in French?
And, now that this conversation was put in writing, winds are shifting in the wrong direction again. And as I stand up to do something about it, I reach to grasp the trusty handhold line hanging from the ceiling … And it gives way, chafed through … Life offshore. No one can be trusted.
Picture: what’s in a bag? Five weeks of trash! Pretty compact, eh? Better be, imagine 6 months of trash!
Sent from Iridium Mail & Web.

Which one are you like? An opening to a blue sky? Or a blinding sun?

A story

What makes one want to take to the high seas? Or the high peaks? Or the deserted voids? Or the impenetrable forests? Or the ultimate destination, space? I don’t know. I can’t tell why I wanted to sail round Earth. In my case, there’s nothing to discover, nothing to prove. It has been done many times over by great explorers, trail blazers, men and women made of sterner stuff than I. Make it solo, non stop, unassisted, Westward, a couple Equator crossing, and you can count these accomplishments on one hand, maybe two. I only know of 3. What I do recall is my first time sailing solo aboard a 25 feet sloop, leaving San Francisco South Bay, passing under the San Mateo Bridge, seeing San Francisco on the horizon, and thinking: that’d be quite an adventure, you know, carrying on, past the Golden Gate and on. And on. But it was already late, and the chartered sloop was expected in the Redwood City marina before sunset. From that point on, I think I sought to acquire offshore experience, all with the hope to do what I did on 10/01/2020. In a week or so, I’ll have sailed over 6,000 miles in 5 weeks, enjoying a quick emotional rush when I slipped under the Golden Gate Bridge, making 200 miles days, dodging a major hurricane, skimming through the doldrums twice, sailing upwind for almost three weeks, and much more. What to do with this newly acquired experience? .

This place is amazing, immense but like a jewelry box. Everytime seems distant, and yet so close. Slow progress on the homebound journey, good progress on replacing the leaking hydrogenerator (done, need to test when we start moving in earnest).

I’m right smack in the middle of the North Pacific high pressure system, which means very little wind; and what we have is from whence I’m trying to go to. We’ve been motoring since this early morning. I took the opportunity to execute a replacement surgery on the leaking hydrogenerator. It’s 14:20, and I still have to do the wiring. All the “mechanical” part is done: remove hydrogenerator from stern bracket, cut off wiring, run wire all the way through small conduits, disassemble hydrogenerator, locate spare generator, re-assemble hydrogenerator, replace hydrogenerator on stern bracket, re-run the wires. I have two splices of a 3-plex wire to do now. I won’t have enough fuel to punch through, I don’t think. So we’ll be bobbing around for a while. Maybe go for a swim?!?