June 21st 2008 Day 1
John
After 3 farewell dinners with Jen and Nate, or was it four, or maybe it was….We departed Pago-Pago at 10:00am local, 2100z, under mostly sunny skies. A light rain started to fall as we got halfway down the harbor. Nothing new there! As we exited the harbor and turned Encanto eastward, a dozen or more dolphins came to bid us farewell. A better start to a voyage than that is not easy to come by. We smiled smugly as we rounded the eastern tip of Tutuila. Rain Maker Mtn. was doing its thing; Pago Pago was getting a drenching. We were in wonderful sunshine. Ahhhhhh.
Unlike our trip to the Marquesas, I have no desire to save on fuel. We need diesel to get away from the islands, maybe to cross the ITZC, go into Midway if we choose, and anchor in SF. So, we are currently motor sailing at about 4.5-5.5 kts on a course of 20? true in less than 5kts of wind. The weather files tell us we should be getting 10-15kt from the ESE tomorrow. Just what we want to hear! This will take us east of 170?W, allowing us to lose easting once we get into the northern hemisphere where I expect to have stronger north easterlies. By falling off, we will have a more comfortable ride and still be able to lay Midway. At least in theory. We shall see.
I think I saw the handle of Ursa Major on the horizon, though mostly obscured by clouds. The Southern Cross was in hiding. Last night was a squally affair, keeping us rather busy. I did manage a sustained 8.5 knots under a squall for about 40 minutes. Unlike our leg from Bora Bora to Tutuila, these squalls seem much less violent.
The eastern sky is starting to get light, a new day….
Royce
Swab first class. I hear that if I do good I will get promoted to chief cook and bottle washer. Incentive is a good thing, I heard about that in rehab…..Anyhow here we are underway after much ado do. Too much weather of the wrong sort don't cha know.
10:00 am local we were under way and heading towards the Golden Gate Bridge. Wow I think I can see it….oops just a rainbow from all the wonderful rain we have had here.
Pago-Pago has been an enjoyable place to visit and I am looking forward to showing it to my wonderful bride next year when we can sail RDreamz through the Styrofoam food and drink containers while enjoying the odor of the Starkiss canneries. But wait I digress, the great people that inhabit this island are friendly and helpful and the visual effect it breathtaking. And I look forward to seeing it again.
Gene
Well, after 23 days in Pago Pago (pronounced Pahngo Pahngo) it was good to get underway. I have read 4 books of some length and am ready for something else. We left with rain falling in the harbor area, but leaving was, for me a joy. I love to sail!!! I get a big high with the wind in my face and the sails full.Of course the first day was one of listening to the hum of the engine. Yech! We had enough wind, but we wanted to get the batteries charged fully, get the water tanks topped off by running the watermaker and get enough east that we can give some up later if we have to. Giving up easting (distance in the east direction) is easier to do than trying to make easting when the wind is on your nose in that direction.
Anyway, the first day was just beautiful after we left the harbor. Bright sun and a nice breeze from the east-southeast. As evening arrived, so did the squalls. Our first night was one of spying a squall, shutting all hatches and ports, taking in the jib, tightening up the main sheet, waiting for the squall to pass and then open the ports and hatches, letting out the main sheet, unfurling the jib and then spend twenty minutes doing a fine adjustment until the boat is just singing along at 6 to 7 knots. Of course there were plenty of 4 to 5 knots and even some 3 to 4 knots. But who is counting? My first mid-watch (midnight to 4 am) was hard work. I had to furl up and unfurl the jib, tighten and readjust the main sail four times. But, I am just getting to know Encanto and how to handle her in the heavy weather. She is a beautiful ship and when she has her sails set just right, she just leaps at the next wave and goes like the wind. The first day was only 105 miles, but that is 105 miles we won't have to sail again. I have been getting emails from home and that is nice. Hope all of you are doing well. We miss you. Only about 49 more days. Haha.
June 22nd 2008 Day 2
Royce
Hum Day 2 is a lot like day 1 just farther north, and this is a good thing.105 mile day yesterday makes it acceptable. But then any day you live through and make mileage is an acceptable day.
Once I got up it was a beautiful day. Felt like Sami getting up late. “Hee hee” Mostly, sunny a few clouds but the seas have been kind to us and with no square ones and the big ones far enough apart so we could see them coming and enjoy our ride up and down on them.
Put up the stay sail this morning and it seems to help with the ability of Encanto to point towards the wind.
Speaking of wind it has come and gone all day. Blows 10 to 15 then goes away to catch its breath then comes back same direction same strength more or less. Just glad it is not too much wind.
John
Starry Starry Night…….There is a fishbowl overhead, stars from horizon to horizon with a wild streak of Milky Way cleaving it in two. Ursa Major is to Forward port, Ursa Minor is to starboard, and the Southern Cross is high in the sky to our stern imbedded in the Milky Way. Nary a cloud to compete with. All a sight I will never see in the Bay Area. Savor the moment.
Gene
What a day this has been. The seas were just gorgeous and the wind was kind. We sailed all day with no engine noise. The wind has been what the doctor ordered. We have been making wonderful progress towards that City by the Bay. Actually, that is in the northerly, direction but who is counting?No squalls during the day or at night!!! It was amazing to have the moon out. It was ¾ full and unfortunately, will start to disappear in subsequent nights. It has been a good companion at night, because it lights up the entire sea and you can see what is in front of you or behind you…..especially squalls. I have learned to respect them. The first night I encountered one that was obscured by a previous one. As we are emerging from the one, this other one was right behind it and I didn't see it until I had the jib out. Well, I had to ask those who were sleeping for help to ensure that nothing bad happened. They were all champs, John and Royce, and we had everything in order and back to normal in about 5 minutes. I am very thankful for their help.
We came through the night and watched as the GPS totaled our mileage for day 2. WOWZERS!!!!! 123 nautical miles. So, now, we are closer to ya'll by 228 nm. Yippeeee! Can you tell that I am ready to see the Golden Gate already. It is just 'young kids in the car enthusiasm'………..are we there yet???? Well, yes I am but I am loving the sail. Encanto is just running so well. With the staysail, we are doing very well. Plus we are continuing to make easting. This is good.
I washed my clothes today. Hung them out to dry and that only took about 2 hours. Took a shower and I felt like a new man. Clean bod, clean clothes; no one knew me…..just kidding. Well, so much for today. Later.
June 23rd 2008 Day 3
Royce
Part three. Well at least it is the third day at sea and life is good. Encanto is treating us well as is Neptune and the wind god not sure who he is at the moment. Don't care as long as he likes us and keeps the wind in the range and direction we like. So far so good.Had a strange watch last night about 10:00 or so I was watching a fishing boat with lots of lights on and not moving very fast on my starboard side (that is nautical talk for the right side). I approached to about 2 miles and realized he was going due East and we are headed North, kewl no problem well as I got closer he turned around and was heading West towards us and that got my attention. He was still just going slowly but a 200 foot fishing boat on a collision course with us is something I would rather not have in the night or at anytime but at night it just makes it scarier. Anyhow I held my course (sailboats under sail have the right of way don't cha know) oops now that I think about fishing vessels have the right away while fishing. Too much to remember…..
Anyhow I sailed across his bow with a 1/8 of a mile to spare and continued on; he held his course to the west. It was pretty exciting all the same we were. (Guess you had to be there or here or.) Ok my time is up off to the musical chairs.
Wonder if it is time shuffle board yet?
I do have the reservation at the sauna for 6.
More as it happens.
John
Not having all that much to do while at sea, the mind wanders and thinks important solutions to important problems or just wonders about stuff that ordinarily one wouldn't bother with. Today's cerebral topic was Speed. Last passage people remarked at how obsessed I/we were with speed. Well, let me try and explain. It's kind of like eating a cheeseburger and instead of having a nice sharp Cheddar or Swiss, you get Kraft American slices - and maybe, just maybe, they remember to take the plastic wrap off. Sailing slow is kind of like plastic cheese. Now I have enjoyed the day when there is just a zephyr, and water is as flat as that American Sliced cheese. Out here in mid Pacific, there is a better chance of winning the Lotto than having a day like that. There is usually some wind, but the water is not unlike that of inside a washing machine. Today for instance, predominate swell is from the NE - about 3-5 feet. There is also an E swell of about 2 feet, and about every minute and a half, a 6-8 foot swell rolls in from the south. With little wind, sailing in these conditions is again, not unlike that washing machine. However, scooting along at 7-8 knots as we have been since daybreak, Encanto feels as if she is on rails. Her leeward chine digs in and she rides up and over the swell, the force of the wind on the sails keeping her upright as the swell passes by. Quite comfy. Then there is the sound of the water rushing past. Similar to relishing that cheeseburger with tasty sharp cheddar.
Gene
I feel like a zombie. I had the mid watch (12 to 4 am) and can't seem to get enough sleep. It was a hard working watch again. We sailed into a stretch of squalls last nite and didn't emerge until the morning of day 4. But we made such good time. We made 142 miles on the third day!!!!! That is great after having to battle the element. Much of the third day was in seas that were just slightly less than ideal. But, John and Royce have helped me to look at the positive side of things. For all of the daylight hours it was sunny and breezy. We were making such good time that you wanted to celebrate. However, it is too early to celebrate.We rigged the staysail and it helped us to point into the wind a little better without beating up Encanto. We have to take care of Encanto. She is our ticket to home. She has been a real trooper this day.
We had ribs on the nite of the third day. They were pretty tasty accompanied by broccoli and baked potatoes. We are so deprived out here. Haha.
Got some emails from home and they are so nice to read. It makes each day like a smile.
June 24th 2008 Day 4
John
Ok, more of the unimportant stuff that invades the mind. Friends and family are aware of the dubious wanderings of my mind, but never have I committed them to bytes. Be prepared, it's a long voyage. Since we started this adventure, I have tried my damndest to remain positive, a glass full kind of fellow. Sometimes it's difficult, like when there are huge clouds in the near distance dumping truck loads of rain, wind and general mayhem. But I preserver. But one thing has always bothered me….Just what is in that half full glass?
Gene
Woke up at 8 am……and 1 pm. Well, it is a hard job and someone has to do it. Had a rough mid watch again. But, we made so many miles. 142 yesterday!!! We are sailing in some lumpy seas (6-10 footers) and some fairly high winds (mid to hi twenties). The seas are from several directions (of course). It is always fun to ride some of the big ones up and over them on Encanto. It is like a roller coaster ride. Today I am going to select another book to read. Maybe Baldacci.Well, I decided to read the Zahir by Paulo Coehlo. So far it has made me laugh a lot. That is a good thing in a book. Well, after day 4, we looked up at the odometer readout on the GPS and it said that we had traveled 505 miles from Samoa. Now that is some sailing. We made it through the night without any sail changes on my watch. That is good. I didn't go to bed too sleepy, although, I did sleep well for about 6 hours.
The seas today are a little lumpy and the winds out of the northeast - more north than we would like. But you can't gripe about progress north. Last nite we had some leftover chicken and some leftover ribs. They were better the second time than the first. I hear that often. So, why don't we cook in advance and just eat leftovers? Hahah.
We have seas and winds such that if they both are just right, and we are stoooopid enough to leave the ports or butterfly hatch open, then we can expect Mother Nature to fill the void that is normally occupied by our brains…….with salt water. We will learn before we see the Golden Gate, I am sure.
So, I will leave some words for tomorrow's blog. Later.
June 25th 2008 Day 5
John
Oh Shit The Anchor Is Dragging!Ok, I'm not the sort that uses an abundance of profanity, but as we have shown our kids, everything has its place and time. "Oh Shit! we need to reef!", mobilizes people a lot faster than, "Hey, can you give me a hand with the main." Sami for instance, has developed a proprietary profanity vocabulary. Given just the right enunciation, “Aaaacapulco”, becomes a fabulous word for the right moment.
Now, Oh Shit!, should not be confused with Ah Shit! Oh Shit!, implies that something bad has just happened and can be corrected. For example: "Oh Shit!, the genoa has just split from clew to head, raise the 110." Now, Ah Shit! also implies that something bad has happened but there is little recourse. For example: "AH Shit! Martha, grab the bag, the boat is sinking and we have to get into the rubber raft." Ourselves, and many others eschew the industry standard of the abandon ship bag and simply call it the, "Ah Shit bag." Everyone knows what it means and implies.
I sleep in the pilot berth right next to the companionway which is always open. From my berth I can see the GPS to see speed and course. I can also hear the wind and water rushing by. Now just about everything on a boat is a series of compromises, and my pilot berth is no exception. About half way down the length of the berth there is a vertical support member for the deck. Its location is about even with my tush. On a starboard tack, as we are now, and will be for the next several thousand miles, I feel that half of me is about to roll out of the bunk. I can prevent that with the lee cloth, but the lee cloth makes getting out more difficult, especially if I hear the cry of Oh Shit! So, I sleep without the lee cloth. Now, if I position myself just right, I can put my tush right on that support member, arch by back just a tad so that I'm in a bit of an arc. With the bulk of my weight at the apex of the arc, yes, that sympathetic weight gain from Gabe and Sam is still there, I tend not to roll.
I am looking forward to turning right at about 30?N so I can lie up against the hull.
So, here I am, sound asleep, back arched just right, and in that semi conscious state hearing the wind and water, I am thinking that, OH SHIT! THE ANCHOR IS DRAGGING! I spring out of bed and instantly I am confused. (What's new there some will undoubtedly ask.) The boat is heeled to port a bit and bouncing as it does underway, and Gene is sitting on the captain's throne with a wry smile. He is very content, close reaching at 7.5 kts, and I have just come to the realization that I spent far too much time at anchor as I nestle my tush up against the vertical support member.
Royce
Well, as you can see I am still here and have been kept busy by the Captain and crew….Ya right Try eating and reading and napping and over all being a slug. Which by the way I am refining to an art form.Maybe you will see me in the Olympics.
Any how I got up yesterday and took shower Fresh water. After a few hours of being slugo and playing musical chairs without the music I was in Gaby's room (which is mine for now;) getting ready to lay down and check my eye lids for leaks, seas where calm and So I opened the port hole (nautical jargon for window.) Well as I opened the window/port hole a wave of undeterminable proportion struck the side of Encanto and the laws of physics took over and soaked me the bed linen and all the laundry I had just washed. Ok so that sucks but life goes one after cleaning up the mess and rewashing everything I was sitting in the cockpit (that is nautical jargon for the place you drive the boat from.) John and I were talking until another wave of undeterminable proportion struck the side of Encanto
<Begin Math lesson>
I just had a trig lesson from Gene. If we continue to hold our mouth in the easterly manner and the wind is blowing in southern China then Divide the results by the sine of Pie and carry the one ,,,,we should sail Encanto to the middle of the Hawaiian Islands Thus cutting off many miles from our trip, which is a good thing. Hey maybe there is something to this trig stuff after all. Put it on my list to check out.
<End Math routine>
Sorry for the interruption but Gene would not be deterred and if you know me I tried. Let's see where was I oh yea talking to John in the cockpit and then being once again soaked by the rogue wave.
Ok that is the highlight of my life on Encanto to date. Well it is time for my massage and then it's off to the shuffle board court. And if you think that is exciting tomorrow we have basket weaving and underway hull cleaning. Should keep me awake tonight.
Gene
Well, we have crossed the 5 deg South Latitude line and that means that we are less than 300 miles from the equator. I am thrilled with the progress. Encanto has performed admirably these past 5 days. I could do with a little less ribbing about my penchant to keep the insides clean. I just like a clean boat and I like to fidget. If I have nothing to do, I fidget…..cleaning, trimming sails, straightening up, anything to keep me occupied. 'R-Man' (Royce) and Big Guy (John) keep saying that I would make someone a good wife!!!!???? Now, why would someone say that. Aren't they already married? I just don't like field days where you have to spend the whole day cleaning up. If I spend 10 minutes here and there washing a wall, sweeping a portion of the floor, why would that elicit feelings that engender those kind of comments? I expect that each of the wives should say something to their husbands for their unkindly remarks. Then, I will have my revenge. Hahah..!!!!!Today is just beautiful….good winds, not too high seas, and brilliant sunshine. We made 135 miles and that brings us to about 650 miles for the trip!!! Subtract that from the anticipated total of 5300 miles and that equals 4650. Divide that by 135 miles each day and we could be home in 34 more days. Now I didn't have to use trig to calculate that. Just elementary division. Haha. So there, R-Man!!!
We have begun to think where we will cross the ITCZ. If we continue to make easting, then we might be as far east as 160 deg West. That cuts off a lot of previously anticipated miles of going a little west and north around the mid Pacific High Pressure center. That is good news.
Well, I have to go take down the laundry. Work is never done…..