We’re Still Here

Posted on August 10, 2015 by Bob Johnson - SailMail

Position: 25 degrees, 59 minutes north; 159 degrees, 29 minutes west 125 nm day

We’d be going farther each day by at least 20 miles, but the unsettled wind has us furling the jib constantly to ride out the squalls. Not big rain squalls, just windy areas where for an hour or two, the wind will over power the jib.

Just one of these after another...

We’ll furl and all will be fine until the wind drops. Then we wait an hour or two or longer if I’m off watch and sleeping, running just the stays’l and our speed drops to 4 knots. Oh well, it’s more comfortable that way. We’re not racing, right? 😉 (uh, huh)

So, today was the same as yesterday. Let’s see, there’s blue sky, then clouds. A little rain, wind, blue water, then everything turns gray for a while. The ride’s not terrible, but it grates on you, constantly heeled over to one side, but with the waves rolling under the boat and some coming from in front, it’s a constant rock and roll and you can’t let go of a handhold for even a second or you get thrown around. As we’ve noted before, sitting becomes an exercise where to splay both legs, at least one arm and then a butt, or hip or something and wedge yourself in. The “free” arm is what you have left for eating, drinking or reading.

Yesterday the wind was solid mid-twenties gusting higher. Today, most of the day was in the high teens gusting low twenty and we had the jib up most of the day (although this evening the wind is up again and jib’s down). Tomorrow is supposed to be lighter, so we have that to look forward to.

It’s still blazing hot in the daytime. The deck gets so hot you can’t sit on it without a cushion or you’ll get a burn. But nights are cooling. I’m wearing a thermal long sleeve tee shirt but still shorts and flip flops, Ann is going to a long sleeve shirt, capri-pants and tonight a towel or maybe a blanket around her legs.

OK, not much else to say yet. We’re still getting our sea legs although I’m glad to report that both of us had good sleep last night and today and are feeling much more refreshed – other than my “slight” explosion when I couldn’t get the damn dinner out of the fridge with all the rocking and rolling and a sealed meal of some unknown food product mysteriously flew across the cabin and slammed into the bulkhead. Oh, and some swearing was heard too. The fridge is very full of good stuff to eat but getting to a specific meal is like playing Tetris.

Day Two

Posted on August 9, 2015 by Bob Johnson - SailMail

Position 23 degrees, 56 minutes north; 158 degrees, 59 minutes west 123 nm day

So, that’s the best title I can come up with for today. I’ve got the “Day Two Blahs”. When you haven’t slept enough because you’re not used to the motion of the boat and now I’m so tired (my “off watch” starts when this is done) I can hardly type. Hopefully I’ll get a good sleep and tomorrow can start the fun part of the voyage. Rarely are the first two days “fun”. Ann got a good sleep this afternoon, so she’s doing really well!

These first two days have been upwind into the trade winds. We’re doing about 60 degrees on average against the wind and about 70 degrees to the waves. The upshot is we’re reefed way down and it’s very wet and bouncy – but that’s what it takes to get out of Hawaii. The trades there are stronger than in most of the rest of the Pacific, so it’s the price you pay so to speak. The wind is supposed to ease a bit over the next few days, so hopefully we’ll get some smoother water and be able to unfurl the jib. For now, we’re hobbling a bit because I have to adjust our sails for the high end of the winds. It’s averaging around 20 to 22 knots, but gusting to 30, so we just have a triple reefed main and stays’l which goes really well in 30 knots, but isn’t powerful enough in 20 knots to punch through these waves. If the wind stabilizes a bit – as it’s supposed to – it will stay in the 20 knot range and we can put the jib out and go faster.

Ann had a nice treat this morning. Orcinius, who left Ko Olina a couple hours after we did caught up with us around 0900 (Ann’s watch) and called on the VHF, so Ann and Lisa had a good chat. We also have set up a 1700 local time radio sked on the shortwave each day, so we will touch base even as we move apart over the days to come. At 46 feet, they go a knot or two faster than we do, so we’re already out of the 20 mile VHF range.

OK, I’m rambling. Time to post this, get the weather forecast and go to bed!

Departed Oahu For Victoria, British Columbia

Posted on August 8, 2015 by Bob Johnson - SailMail

Position: 21 degrees, 57 north; 158 degrees, 28 west

We left Ko Olina at 1230 today, exactly three weeks after arriving from Tahiti. Whew, this is the third long passage since leaving New Zealand on May 18.

Time to go!

Bye, bye, Ko Olina. Fun, but hot!

Looks like this one will be somewhere longer than 21 days, but we won’t know whether the wind is going to cooperate or not for another week or so. For now, we’re just heading north and hoping to get “on top” of the Pacific High at which point we can turn east.

Bumpy right now. After peaking out from the point on Oahu, we were greeted with 6 foot waves from the NE and wind that’s 24 gusting 30. It is forecast to stay that way through tomorrow then moderate somewhat. Not too bad, but wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it dropped about ten knots.

Orcinius left about an hour or so behind us after stopping at the fuel dock to top off. At 1700 they were about ten miles behind but going a couple knots faster, so we expect we’ll be passed in the night. Ah the benefits of that extra 8 feet of waterline.

That’s it for tonight. Too bumpy to write more.

Getting Ready To Leave Hawaii

Posted on August 6, 2015 by bob

I just did the trip plan to get us to the Pacific Northwest, which is the usual route back to the mainland from Hawaii. 2440 miles. So, we continue to prepare.

First up, the new exhaust mixing elbow. Here's the newly welded one with the bit from the old one on the left.

Phew, glad that's done. Grimy and sweaty down there!

Next up, Malo and Moses kindly came over and help Ann clean the waterline so we'll have a smooth fast hull.

Ann went up the mast to oil a squeaky sheave. That's Malo, Me and Moses waaaay down there.

Ann can't resist a selfie, especially with such a great view!

Here's our marina from above. That's Orcinius (the catamaran) in the background

We’re planning to leave Saturday if weather conditions hold, so Ann’s out doing some final provisioning and I’m fixing a few final things around the boat.

Pearl Harbor

Posted on August 6, 2015 by bob

Hard to believe that all the times I’ve been to Honolulu and never seen this. Ann saw it many years ago, but much has changed – so off we went with John, Lisa, Malo and Moses from Orcinius.

John with Moses and Malo.

We started the tour with the "Mighty Mo", the battleship Missouri. Not yet built when Pearl Harbor was bombed, but it was completed in time to see action in the WWII as well as Korea and even re-commissioned for the Gulf War. She is best known however, as the place where the Japanese officially signed their surrender on board in Tokyo Bay.

Battleships were known for their 16-inch guns which could accurately fire a 2700 pound armor piercing shell, over 20 miles. In this case, nine of these could blast away at once.

The gang on the deck. Amazingly she has teak decks!

The very spot of the historic surrender.

Next up...the battleship Arizona memorial. Almost 1200 lives lost (many still entombed in the ship) when she blew up and sank right here as Pearl Harbor was bombed.

At one end of the memorial are the names of the fallen.

From the middle of the memorial you can see the remains of the ship under water and this bit of superstructure as well as oil (sometimes called "black tears") that is still leaking from the ship's tanks.

Inside the memorial...

...and open to the sky.

Next up on the day, the submarine Bowfin.

The Bowfin sank quite a few ships during its tour.

Bob and John on the stern.

Watertight hatches every 20 feet or so. I could barely contort myself enough to get through them. Not a place to be if you suffer from claustrophobia.

This thing looked extremely complicated to operate. I think I'll stick with sailboats.

Malo preparing to take the helm.

Hike Up Diamond Head

Posted on August 6, 2015 by bob

Well, when you’re in Honolulu, you’re supposed to do this hike to the top for the view. Here it is:

Diamond Head is an extinct volcano. Not named for its shape, but for the fact that crew from sailing ships believed the rocks they found on the volcano were diamonds.

Looking at the caldera from the beginning of the hike. You go up to the highest peak where there are remains of the artillery bunkers built to protect Honolulu back in the early 1900's.

Going up the side of the caldera. Very hot day! We brought and drank a LOT of water! You can just see the trail in the bottom of the photo.

Toward the top and after going through a 75 yard tunnel rough hewn into the rock, you are faced with 100 very steep stairs.

Al...most...there!

Made it!

View of Waikiki.

Honolulu and Koko Head looking back toward Molokai Channel.

It’s Pronounced; “Ook”

Posted on August 6, 2015 by bob

There’s a fantastic ukulele shop here on Oahu called Kanile’a Ukulele. They hand make gorgeous “ukes” and have a great tour of their facility. It’s family owned and operated and the pride they take in their hand-made instruments is so palpable – well, I had to have one. More about that later, but here’s some pictures of the tour.

Here's the start of the tour. Our guide is holding a newly milled uke neck.

Their ukes are made from the local Koa wood only found in Hawaii. They have a giant bandsaw that cuts the wood to about 1/10" thick, then they "book match" it. After they are dried, they are put into production here.

Laying out the pattern on the book matched sections of wood.

After the top and bottom are ready, the sides get bent and put into a mold for assembly.

The sides go into this machine which is a custom shaped mold with electric heating pad...

...the wood gets sprayed with water and then clamped down and the machine is plugged in. You can see the wood relax and bend.

After popping the sides out of the bending machine, they are carefully sanded until you can't see a seam, then glued together into this mold.

In the mean time, the top is getting it's "structural pieces" and put in a suction gluing machine that holds all the pieces down while the glue sets.

Once all the pieces of the body are prepared, they get glued together. Here you can see how the book matched wood really makes for a stunning pattern. Each one is absolutely unique.

On the other side of the room, the headboards are being glued to the necks.

Logos are cut out of contrasting wood...

...and inlaid into the headboard. Each piece of the uke is carefully matched and has a serial number on to ensure the best combination of wood color and pattern is built in.

Fingerboards and frets being prepared. Mine will have a rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl position markers.

Once the parts are all joined, the uke goes upstairs to the finishing area. The first phase here is to progressively sand it from it's rough form (left) to a ready for finishing stage (right).

These are all sanded and ready for finishing. I was able to order one of these and customize the finish (gloss body with "silk" finish neck). Mine is the second row from the top, fifth one in from the right. It will get finished over the next couple weeks and sent home. Really fun to look through all the wood to find one that really jumped out at me. It has an amazing, shimmering burl type of grain pattern. It is a piece of art as well as a beautiful, hand-crafted instrument.

The first stage of finishing is to apply three coats of UV-cured filler...

...then the gloss finish is applied in the spray booth.

After the finish, there's progressive sanding all the way up to 1600 grit sandpaper and then two different grades of polishing compound on polishing wheels. Then it comes to this man for final finishing - applying the bridge, tuning keys, nut and strings. They put the strings on one at a time and test each for the best "feel" and adjust the nut and bridge height as needed. The result is a really easy "action".

So of course my camera battery died before I could take a picture of the one I picked out, but this is an example of the kind of grain and finish (but not the heart shaped sound hole - that's custom to this one).

Some Silliness

Posted on August 3, 2015 by bob

Our new tradition is some Ukelele playing around the BBQ.

It starts with a warm-up while dinner is cooking...

...very serious business, this uke playing...

...after dinner the music really gets going...

...Ann has perfected the horizontal drum beat.

So, a continuation of the tradition we started in Fiji. Early last year while anchored off the village of Naividamu we had a “Uke-Fest”. The next morning the men in the village all commented that we were making “some noise last night” out on our boat. The women were more diplomatic noting that they heard us “making music”. I’m not sure which was more accurate, but we ARE getting better!

Boat Work Never Stops

Posted on July 31, 2015 by bob

Just when you think…oh never mind.

Ann’s up in the BBQ area doing some sewing to repair some of our canvas stuff. It’s easier to spread everything out on the tables and now that we’re back in the US we can use our sewing machine off the boat (120 volt here – 220volt everywhere else in the South Pacific).

Sewing in the parking lot - no - it's the BBQ area up near the parking lot.

So, the last thing on my list was emptying the lazarette to do a couple projects. Re-attach the corroded leads on the hydro-generator and check the fluid level on the transmission. While down there I notice a fine salt film covering the transmission. Uh, oh…I turned on the engine to see what was going on and saw saltwater bubbling out of the exhaust water mixer. This is the set of pipes that pass saltwater through engine baffles for cooling and then pass it out through the engine exhaust. Crap! This area is very difficult to get into much less use tools in. Very cramped and right now down in the lazarette it’s gotta be 100 degrees! Anyway, it has to be fixed so here’s a look at the problem.

The dreaded lazarette. First I have to squeeze down this thing - it's about five feet down to the engine.

Yup, down there...

...then in there - yeah, that hole. You go down here feet first, then you have to contort your feet/legs the other way around and get one arm at a time in throughout the hatch since my shoulders won't fit in all at once.

Once inside the elbow thing on the left with the white heat tape on it had to unbolt from the engine and the two hoses and muffler.

Turns out the hose was rotten too. One of the clamps broke and the ends of the hose crumbled off.

It’s always a bit dishearting to find “new projects” like this, but at the same time this was a big problem just waiting to cause a major failure, so I’m glad I found it here where it’s relatively easy to fix.

The update is that I took it to a local welder. He tried to weld the pin-hole and a broken weld on one of the pipes, but the material was toast and wouldn’t hold together. So…now we’re waiting for some stainless steel pipe which should arrive on Monday and probably a very large bill. Sigh.

Just read this post anytime you fantasize about owning your own boat, then go rent one for the day, have fun and go home knowing that the maintenance is someone else’s problem 😉

(Just kidding)

Took more than an hour to pry this thing loose, but it's finally out.

While cleaning it up I found a pin-hole in the metal. At least now I know what's causing the leak.

A Little Touring

Posted on July 31, 2015 by bob

Aside from boat work we’ve had a chance to do a little touring. Besides some walks on the local Ko Olina area, we jumped in the van with Orcinius and did a day tour out to the east side of the island out past Honolulu. While Honolulu is very urban and built up, the east side is still largely dense vegetation and vertical cliffs. Very dramatic, although not easy to capture on camera since most of the roads don’t really offer easy access to viewing areas. Anyway, it was a nice day and included a stop at the Pacific War Memorial. This cemetery and memorial sits atop the hills overlooking Waikiki. A moving memorial and a beautiful view.