Big Ocean Small Boat

Another barely 100+ mile day. Weird, completely opposite weather from everything you read about the TP. We have 7-10 kt wind directly down the rhumbline, rain squalls without increased wind, rollers coming in from the opposite direction of the breeze…

We’re about to cross the halfway mark from a mileage perspective, and hopefully hit the “normal” wind that will allow us to cover more ground.

We stayed north of the fleet (everyone but several of the cruising class boats). Clearly we wish we hadn’t, but it seemed reasonable at the time.

We heard on the radio that the Hurricane hanging around Hawaii (Cosme) has been downgraded to a tropical storm and should be no factor. But the weatherman also told us that we should be broad reaching in 20kts under blue skies and puffy white clouds right now…

-JE

Very frustrating to be the smallest boat in a race that is taking twice as long as normal. Especially since this race is 100% about getting to the breeze first and every other strategy is secondary. So far, we are constantly showing up late to the wind party and getting creamed.

Also, it’s raining.

On the other hand, “talk like a pirate hour” from 1000-1100 is a huge hit with the crew.

-JE

GPS: 25°42′ 129°49′ 239T 7.8kts

140nm day yesterday, making big S shapes through the ocean. Night watches are eye-crossing, pitch black, compass staring sloppy-ness. We are driving for 2 hours each, and we’re all bleary after 45 minutes at night.

Today, with 1500 something sea miles to go, Colin says, “I think I see a sail”. 8 days out, and we cross within 500 yards of a bigger boat flying a red chute.

Chafed clean through the jacket on our #1 guy after running last night on mostly port gybe. Swapped it out on the move and kept trucking.

-JE

We are finally really sailing, with 1m swells and wind above 15kts. Last night was a grind: No stars, fluky wind, confused seas, and a 2AM spinnaker peel. We’ve fallen behind the fleet in a slow race that doesn’t favor us. Intensity is high, let’s see what today brings.
-JE

As someone else put it in another blog, we have become creatures of the sea at this point. Our lives revolve around the wind, the watches, and one warm Heineken a day.

The current positions come out once a day over the SSB at about 9AM, which has become our one real connection with the race against the others, as opposed to our constant concentration on making the boat go fast to Hawaii.

We’ve been under Spinnaker for the last 2-3 days in light-moderate air, constantly hoping for headers to get the broad reach angles we need to maintain hull speed.

I forgot my headphones, so I’m listening to the RC Comms boat on my ipod earbuds plugged into the HF set.

-JE

We are north of most of the fleet. The wind is 7kts@245Mag, we are “rhumbline to the ridge”, positioning us to either start running to Hawaii or start wallowing in the pacific high.

The team is really together, the boat is behaving like a solid little dream.

Last night was like sailing at 3kts through space. The boat hung between the stars and their reflections, with just our bow wave rippling between them.

-Jon

Finally, no land in sight. No other boats either.

Fighting light air like the rest of the fleet, but when it dies from the back in the evening, we get creamed.

Good start, tacked early, caught a lull behind Catalina, spent a long night trying to keep the boat moving in the calm.

SSB worked perfectly for morning check-in. Had a scare with the engine not starting, probably because I got the RF and DC ground systems crossed.

-Jon

Daily corrected standings and weather are now on the transpac website: www.transpacificyc.org. Shanti’s in 3rd! Thanks Shana!

cheers, Heather

This website: http://trackinfo.fistracking.com/tp2007 will give you the latest reported positions in the race. Shanti is in Division 6, and once you are at the site you do have to click the ‘boat selector’ button once to pick the boats you want to see, and then again to get them to show up on the map. Be warned, the site is addicting.

cheers, Heather

I wanted to write a quick thank-you post. Just getting to the starting line (and well prepared) has only been  possible due to a lot of effort and good will of a lot of folks:

My awesome wife Heather. Not just another member of the crew (obviously), but really our co-skipper. None of us would be going to Hawaii without her.

The crew: Bob, Colin, Garth. For making it happen.

Dave Fain, for selling me the best 30′ boat in the world.

KDP, the fifth crew member.

Shana Bagley, Jerry O, Charlie Pick, Al Sargent, Paul Disario, Eben Marsh, Steve Eberly, Dan Leonardi, and Jim and Brian Coggan, for invaluable advice, assistance, support, gear, and advice.

Mike and Kevin and the crew at KKMI. Andrew and the team at Quantum Sails. Jeff and the crew at WM Sausalito. All true pros and true believers.

Thanks all.