I often have  a few shots that don’t quite fit the narrative.  So, I’ve posted new pictures of the Papeete to Hawaii passage and here are a few that didn’t fit in.

Ahh, one of the best parts of a long passage - the Champagne celebrating the completion.

What's a squall look like? Oh, here's one!

How the radar views a squall. The red patches are heavy rain.

The rainbow on the "back side" of the squall.

Our sleeping quarters when it's too hot in the quarter berth. Note the little fan above my head.

Shaking out the reefs due to light air in the morning...

Ahh, that's much better!

Red sails in the sunset.

After a long voyage from Fiji via Samoa and Christmas Island Orcinius has arrived in Ko Olina Marina. The cr was of Charisma and Orcinius are back in action! So fun!
(I am posting this so our Orcinius followers know they are safe!)
Aloha!

Waiting for Orcinius out by the seawall.

Coming into the marina from Fiji by way of Samoa, Christmas Island, Hawaii and Maui.

Once settled in, a little champagne for Lisa, John and crew Moses and Malo.

Our last night on the big ocean was beautiful! A sliver of a new moon welcomed a galaxy of stars that were so bright that visibilty was great. Very important as we rounded Molokai toward Oahu where we could expect traffic. It was a huge treat given the very squally night before.
Our timing arriving at Oahu was perfect…morning light on Diamond Head and Waikiki…the best view!

Landfall Diamond Head!

After 22 days at sea, we're happy to see land!

Ann doesn't waste a minute before going into "polishing the stainless" mode, so Charisma will look great when we get in!

We arrived at the fuel dock at Ko Olina just after 1 pm and waits for US Customs and crew

to arrive. They come from the airport so it took a while. In fact enough time to fold and cover the sails, wash the salt off of Charisma and straighten up the main cabin. Even had time to strip the bed and get the laundry ready to go. Customs required that we empty and wipe down the fridge and the entire galley with ant-bacterial wipes that they provided so I even got the galley cleaned before they left!
So we are here, walked to dinner last night and slept well, in the same berth! Bob is still asleep at 11 am and I am doing laundry.
Aloha…so glad to be here!

Position: 21 degrees, 25 minutes north; 156 degrees, 39 minutes west 120 nm day

Sooo close. We’re about 15 miles off the west tip of Molokai. We just sighted it below the clouds after dinner. We’re going into evening (it’s 1930 local time) here. We’ll spend the night running down the north side of Molokai, across the channel and then gybe on the other side to go down the channel a ways, gybe again, probably around daybreak and we should be able to see Diamond Head.

Pretty exciting stuff that after six weeks sailing time from NZ that we’re here! The weather’s gotten more reasonable. South toward the equator we were dripping with perspiration all day long. The weather here and now is almost cool. We’re still just in shorts and short sleeve shirts even at night, but there’s not the oppressive heat as further south.

Well, a long night ahead. I’m assuming there’s going to be some boat traffic as we approach Oahu, so no doubt there will be radar drills to determine course/distance and sleep with be hit and miss, but as long as weather holds, etc, we should be tied up at the dock end of day waiting for customs to come and clear us.

Two happy campers with Diamond Head in the background.

That’s all for now.

Position: 20 degrees, 31 minutes north; 154 degrees, 48 minutes west 125 nm day

We SAW land, but haven’t stopped yet. We sighted the big island of Hawaii – the southern most in the island chain – at daybreak, but now we still have almost 200 miles to go to get to Honolulu. For Charisma that translates into a Saturday arrival, so two more nights! For now we’re staying about 40 or so miles off to stay in the trade winds. After Hawaii, we have Maui, then Molokai, then down the channel and past the iconic Diamond Head to arrive in the Honolulu area. We’re actually going about 20 miles further east to Barber’s Point and a place called Ko-Olina. With the Transpac boats due to arrive in Honolulu area any day now, staying at Ala Wai at Waikiki would be too crowded and crazy. We’ll opt for peace and serenity. 😉

Position: 18 degrees 45 minutes north; 153 degrees, 40 minutes west 125 nm day

288,342. That is roughly the number of waves that have passed beneath Charisma these past five sailing weeks since leaving New Zealand.

Not one the same.

Some have been little – like right now – maybe three or four feet high, suggesting that weather ahead is going to stay calm. We can look forward to another warm, smooth day. Others have been the size of an apartment building, looming gigantic and sometimes menacingly out of the dark night. The only way you know it’s coming is suddenly the stars behind you disappear, you hear the huge mass of water build, and Charisma tips forward (sometimes alarmingly so) just as you slide down the mountain. Above you now, sharp white teeth of the breaking wave-top glistens in the starlight.

The waves match, or perhaps make, the mood of the day. On a cloudy day the waves are a melancholy grey. Waves at sunset sometimes flash the colors of the rainbow as they challenge the twilight sky as to which can be more beautiful.

And the sound. It’s always there so sometimes you stop consciously noticing it. But it’s never far and it ranges from the storm force deafening roar of a huge black iron steam locomotive hissing and shrieking away, a cacophony of grindiing metal bearing down on you to the gentle sound of smaller waves as delicate as the trickling of a mountain stream.

My favorite wave appears on the 20 knot wind, cloudless sky day. That wave embodies the perfection of the color we might call “blue”. This wave’s blue is unmatched in beauty anywhere else in nature. It’s a blue made powerful as it channels tens of thousands of feet from the depths of the ocean, yet at the same time so fragile its crests shatter with the wind into shimmering perfection of exquisitely transparent crystal droplets.

I never get tired of watching the waves.

Position: 16 degrees, 59 minutes north; 152 degrees, 34 minutes west 132 nm day

No much to report today. Same as yesterday I suppose. Nice weather, very warm. Fewer morning squalls and we hope fewer tonight.

We’re closing on the Big Island which is the southern most of the group. We’re 200 miles off the east side of Hawaii. It’s about another 200 or so miles from there NNW up the island group past Maui and Molokai to Oahu. We’re thinking maybe Saturday if the weather holds, but there’s a reasonable chance of very light winds as we get off the islands so who knows at this point.

We’re still within 39 miles of the J-120 we’re been pacing since leaving Papeete almost three weeks ago. We have a radio sked with them every day at 1700 local, so we’re keeping tabs on each other. Also Orcinius just reported that they have left Christmas Island where they stopped for fuel, (coming from Samoa and Fiji). They have some interesting stories from Christmas Island we’re eager to hear. Turns out a Benetau-47 sailboat dragged anchor or broke loose – not sure of the story yet – and went up on the reef. It’s now a salvage project and John, Lisa and their crew went aboard and salvaged some stuff they needed for Orcinius. Can’t wait to hear, but at the same time these stories give us the willies because we all know it’s a fine line sometimes between riding out a blow and ending on the beach and it could happen to any of us.

So, that’s it for today.

Position:15 degrees, 12 minutes north; 151 degrees, 15 minutes west 133 nm day

I remember standing on the breakwater in Berkeley watching Bob and crew head toward the Golden Gate Bridge to position Charisma in San Diego where I would join them for the first Baja Ha Ha. An older gentleman was watching Charisma leave also and we started a conversation. I told him I would be joining them for the sail to Cabo San Lucas and that I was concerned about what I would do all day sitting on a boat. I am not one to sit idly around. He assured me that I would be entertained. Smart man.

So I thought I would share how my day on passage plays out.

Bob’s night watch ends around 8 AM when he wakes me up with a gentle rub on my feet. Good morning, Sunshine! I have had about 6 hours of sleep and groggily come to life. I relinquish the bunk to Bob and start water for a cup of coffee. I quickly clean up the dishes from Bob’s watch so they don’t slide around in the sink as he sleeps. This is our deal: I do all dishes and he does all sail changes. I win in this equation. I close the sink when I am done so there is no gurgling as the boat heels. I slather on copious amounts of sunblock and settle into the cockpit, tethered in on rolly/windy days like today. And now I relax and welcome the day. Hello Lord, thanks for the rest. Looks like a lovely day. What a gift, sleep and a beautiful morning. I sip my coffee and slowly waken to 360 degrees of blue. This trip has been mostly days like this. A few seabirds fishing as they glide effortlessly above the waves. Some light clouds. Lots of sun. It’s a great way to wake up.

I settle into reading my book. I keep two books going most of the time. One “real” book for daylight and one on my iPad for nighttime. We have read a lot of books since leaving New Zealand. I am going to list them at the end of this blog for those interested. Bob has read most of these also. Nice to be able to discuss books together.

The days on this leg have been very hot. The sun is intense and sweat is dripping down our backs with the slightest exertion. Shower time becomes a real treat. We time our showers to coincide with watch changes so that we can skip the sunblock for a few hours while we nap. I have been washing our clothes after every shower. Not that we don’t have more clothes on board but we have both found a few outfits that are lightweight and offer some sun protection so these I wash.

Lunchtime happens when Bob wakes up between 12 and 1. It is an hour of “together time” and nourishment, followed by my afternoon nap. We don’t always sleep for the full 3 or 4 hours allotted but at least we are stretching out and relaxing. When awake your muscles are constantly balancing you and responding to the rocking of Charisma. Great weight loss program as at the point we are both looking kind of svelt! (Karin – my diamonds are back!)

Our social hour begins at 5 PM with the check-in with “Perry and Pals” on the J120 that we are buddy boating with. We have stayed remarkably close to each other. It’s nice to swap the daily stories and see how they are doing. The next check-in is on Pacific Seafarers Net. We have been on passage so long we are number one on their list. A first for Charisma. And if we are lucky and the propagation is good we get to follow Seafarers with a chat with Orcinius who are also headed for Hawaii right now – but in their case, from Fiji! For a social animal like me this hour is golden. Followed up with Charismas at sunset and life is good! This is a favorite time of day for both of us…watching the sun drop and the colors come alive. God’s whisper. Glorious.

Bob follows this show with dinner and blog preparation. He gathers weather information while sending the blog and gets those all important “letters from our fans”! And emails from cruising friends out collecting lobsters at Beveridge Reef and others enjoying our friends in Fulaga. It is so great to keep in contact with great folks. My reward for cleaning up the galley and downsizing the garbage (I cut all plastic into 1/2″ pieces and store them in gallon-sized ziplock bags to be disposed of when we get to Hawaii) is the daily mail. WE LOVE THE DAILY MAIL!

My night watch starts about 8 PM greeted by the amphitheater of stars. The Big Dipper focuses my thoughts on my siblings and their families and brings a smile to my face. How blessed we have been to have had so many starry nights. When I am not stargazing I am reading my iPad book or playing a game of solitaire. (Tom and Marily – it always makes me think of you two!)

Flossing time is at 1 AM (rituals are so important) followed by preparations for Bob’s watch. By the time I wake him with a gentle rub on the foot at 2 AM I have prepared a feast! Okay, not quite a feast but there is hot coffee, a peeled hardboiled egg and some Ritz crackers with peanut butter slopped on them. Enough nourishment to get his mind and body ready for his watch. And now my bunk is calling my name!

Oh, and all through the day I am watching the numbers…course, latitude, distance to Hawaii. Love the numbers!

Appendix: Books read on passage between New Zealand and Hawaii The Sophia Scholl Story (or some similar name…I cleared it from my iPad) The Erik Larsen story about Hitler (again, I was unable to find the book on my iPad ) Fall of Giants and Winter of the World by Ken Follett (we are hoping to get the 3rd book when in Hawaii as we have really enjoyed these two) Larry’s Party and Stone Diaries both by Carol Shields (great books) The Heart of A Woman by Maya Angelou (good read) Ride With Me, Mariah Montana by Ivan Doig (not worth the effort) 11/22/63 by Stephen King (sure wish it had an ending… was disappointed) The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty Beloved by Toni Morrison (great book) The Infinite Plan by Isabella Allende Short stories by Mark Twain Straight Man by Richard Russo (enjoyable read)

Position: 13 degrees, 16 minutes north; 150 degrees, 05 minutes west 142 nm day

Well, almost.

It’s 0400 and I’m sitting under the dodger minding my own business when a very large WHUMP! went off right by my head. Startled me to say the least. At first I thought maybe a booby had crash landed on top of the dodger so I very cautiously peered out from underneath and over the top. No booby. Hmm, that was a big thunk and it wasn’t a wave. Must have been a flying fish. I looked around with a flashlight, but didn’t find anything. At first light though I could see a trail of fish slime on the dodger window showing the impact point near my head and subsequent flight path up the dodger window and over the top. He much have ricocheted off and landed back in the water. Somewhere in the deep there’s a very confused fish with a headache telling stories of almost being abducted by aliens.

So, in the “It’s so hot” department; It’s so hot the clear plastic dome on the binnacle compass has started cracking where the intense sun was focused on it this morning. We’re going to have to leave the cover on it during the day to protect the half that is still clear.

Today was a nice day, but still frustrating due to the north wind. Then around sunset it even got more frustrating as squalls and rain rolled through and the wind died down. Just when I thought it was going to be a truly miserable night the rain cleared and the wind filled in at around 20 knots from the NNE. We added a reef (we’re now double reefed for the night) and we’re rolling along in the right direction for a change, at about 6.5 knots. That’s more like it!