sailing trip

After fooling around Q buoy to catch another mahi for lunch they have pointed the boat for Kahului. We got our first cell phone - not satellite - call just a few moments ago. They can see the lights of Kahului Harbor and are heading in to anchor for the night. There may be a short swim to solid land after anchoring. Last reported position at 6:00pm 21N07.400 156W 08.712. They covered close to 100 miles since yesterday. Pretty good for predictions of no wind. Des is going to take his wife and kid for a ride tomorrow. Then Brian and Graham leave for Oahu. ETA Saturday or Sunday. Light winds all weekend. They will fuel up with some expensive Maui gas so no matter what they should make it to Oahu Sunday at the latest. Pretty good trip. It a fit of rebellion Brian has ripped off his last seasick patch. Good luck with that weight loss program.

Moving slowly to the SW is better than not moving at all. Current position puts them - according to their GPS - at 120 miles to Kahului harbor. That's pretty close. Not close enough to see land and still a long swim. Winds will hold tomorrow so they should make about the same distance. They may not be close enough to touch it but they should be close enough to see Maui tomorrow. As of Wed. 5/30/07 21N 40.456 154W 17.687. Winds easterly at a limp 10mph. They caught some more squid but did not partake. And got an Aku but its fate is uncertain. What is certain is that young Brian has survived crossing most of the Pacific with a suppressed case of sea sickness held at bay with special medicinally imbued patches worn behind the ear. He is on his last patch. PLEASE, let it be a 36 hour patch.

The story of the day was they caught that squid. No, not the giant one but a 3# squid. Had to throw it back as no one knew how to cook it up and with only shoyu for seasoning they thought it best to toss it back avoiding the chance it was somehow related to the big one. Everyone is doing well but the boredom of bobbing around is setting in. Still, they are getting closer to Maui and home. Current location and status is: 5/26/07 207 mi 408:00:00 239° true N23 01.568 W147 33.864 670 mi 5/27/07 150 mi 432:00:00 265° true N22 48.763 W149 54.678 **520 mi 5/28/07 120 mi 456:00:00 256° true N22 22.515 W151 43.675 400 mi* 5/29/07 77.8 mi 480:00:00 256° true N22 05.482 W15254.171 327 mi* to Hon. Winds are calm. There are no warnings except there will be even less wind this weekend. Get out the fans.

There is no escape. Slowly the concept began to seep into dark crevices of his mind. Endless horizons of blue water. Relentless sun. A primal desire to put his toes in some grass and eat a burger. When will it end? Probably Friday on Maui. Extreme drama shortage has caused consternation among some observers. Dramatic writing entry not working. Fiber is recommended. The adventurers spent some of their fuel motoring for a few hours on Monday. At least they were burning cheaper gas. 10 MPH winds are not enough to move them very much. They covered some pretty good territory but are still out of sight of land and just bobbing around. Winds will be light for the next few days. No warnings. Current position as on Monday 5/29/07 and the last few days: 15. SF15 5/23/07 1532 mi 139 mi 336:00:00 256° true N25 49.467 W140 08.200 1166 mi 16. SF16 5/24/07 1677 mi 145 mi 360:00:00 258° true N25 22.166 W142 24.066 1017 mi 17. SF17 5/25/07 1836 mi 159 mi 384:00:00 251° true N24 36.767 ...

The reporter tonight was Brian. His Mom thought he had been lost at sea. This 0pinion is now viewed as unlikely. They caught another Mahi. No shortage of fresh fish. Not certain about other food except that snacks might be critically low. Brian, with a degree in biology and college loans to prove he spent time there, said he saw a giant squid at least thirty feet long. No other details nor do we know if they got a picture. That would have been a catch and there is probably some relief that they did not hook up. Current position N22 48.763 W149 54.678. Winds are light at about 10 from the north and will be turning more easterly tomorrow. Miles traveled were 150 real not nautical.They are 361 miles from the first fish buoy off Maui or 373 miles from the harbor according to their GPS. There was what sounded like an aura of relief in the report even though they can not yet see land. With lighter winds they will cover less territory tomorrow and Tuesday. Maui feels like two days...

When last we joined the adventurers they were full of fish and heading for Maui in good 15 to 20 knot winds. That would be about 20 to 25 mph. Our reporter sounded a little tired and even said that the predicted wind drop to 10 knots would be OK. They did catch a mahi and had it for breakfast. Current location we are pretty sure but not absolutely certain is: N23 01.58 W147 33.864. That means 201 miles covered in 25 hrs (they called in an hour earlier yesterday) and 672 miles to Honolulu. Winds were predicted to drop on Sunday afternoon but look like they will hold through Monday. Should be another good day to cover some water. Exact position should be confirmed with tonights report. Still no warnings, just a High moving into the area in the next few days and corresponding wind drop.

As of Friday evening the boys were 862 miles from Honolulu. That's a pretty good day covering 159 miles. Graham said they were all doing well. As they get closer to the islands the wind will shift a little southerly. A slight shift in wind direction sounded like a welcome change. Tech man got the weather fax working. They can now see weather/wind patterns. The evening crystal ball sessions, while welcome, are no longer necessary. They caught a 25# ahi but put it back as their deck is covered with drying fish and most likely just no longer looked so tasty. Current position as of 5/25 at 5:00pm N24 36.767 W144 47.686. Heading 244 looks like straight shot into Kahului Harbor. Winds for Saturday could be up around 20Kts. Clip in. Hold on. There is still a lot of water to cover. It will be pretty exciting for them to see the sun rise Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa or Haleakala on the horizon.

All three are doing well. Wind must be pretty good because the suggestion to head a little S to get into higher winds was rejected. When any of those three do not need more wind it is probably blowing pretty well. Current position and a little summary of the last few days: 12 5/20/07 1158 mi 59.4 mi 264:00:00 164° true N29 10.789 W135 54.939 1475mi 13 5/21/07 1261 mi 103 mi 288:00:00 204° true N27 48.665 W136 35.808 1409mi 14 5/22/07 1393 mi 132 mi 312:00:00 220° true N26 20.330 W137 58.247 1303mi 15 5/23/07 1532 mi 139 mi 336:00:00 256° true N25 49.467 W140 08.200 1166mi 16 5/24/07 1677 mi 145 mi 360:00:00 258° true N25 22.166 W142 24.066 1017mi They caught a Mahi last night and cooked it up for breakfast and dinner today. That would make it a six meal fish assuming the Doritos have not run out. Still figuring June 1 for the finish line celebration. That will probably be held on solid ground and not on board.

Good winds bring good cheer. Yesterday they celebrated with candy bars and Brian with a bag of Doritos. Apparently there is a health food shortage on board. Doing an estimated 6 Kts with wind from the rear quarter. This is the way they thought it was going to be. And so it is. Current position N25.49.467 W140.08.200. Pretty good distance and most of the distance was in a homeward direction not chasing the wind. So heading in the proper direction they covered 132 meaningful miles At home we are in a high which is slowly moving away and by next weekend it should be blowing here for their arrival.

The report was pretty good. Winds were 15 Kts from the NE. They covered 132 miles today. Should be pretty similar winds and progress for the next ten days. They caught and kept two yellow fin (Ahi) about the 20 to 25# range. Tossed back two pretty good sized Mahi and an Aku. Everyone is good. Plus fresh fish for dinner. Do not know that they know they passed the halfway mark. Halfway in distance but not in time. About 10 days to go. Maybe less till they land on Maui. Position Tuesday evening 5/22/07 at 6:00 p.m. Hawaii time was: N26.20.330 W137.58.247

Ok. Finally some wind. Still advise more So. course for the next 12 hrs then west. Very good progress in 10Kt wind. A little further to the south and they will be able to turn without getting back into the 10Kt winds. 15+ wind from tomorrow till docking. It does not feel like it from here but the weather changes and in 8 to 10 days the high around the islands will have moved on. Trades will be blowing from the traditional NE and strong. Suggested that after the turn they head a couple degrees N of the big island for now. That will set them up for Kahului in about 10 to 12 days. I am sure they will be happy to see Land. Water world is nice but big. That course will make for a nice shot right into the harbor. Historical Summary and current position: 1. SF1 SanFranciscoB 0 ft 0:00:00 N37 48.940 W122 28.923 2. SF2 5/10/07 117 mi 117 mi 0:00:00 234° true N36 49.052 W124 11.514 3. SF3 5/11/07 298 mi 181 mi 0:00:00 247° true N35 46.259 W127 10.200 4. SF4 5/12/07 460 mi 162 mi...

So the report tonight Sunday 5/21 was good. They have some wind from the NNW and are heading SSW. That should continue for about 24 or 36 hrs. Then they can make an exciting turn to the right for the downwind run home. Still no warnings. And there is not much wind here at home right now but it will be another 10 days till they are really in this area. Brian was steering and Des was asleep. Still doing their watches. Making about 5 mph in 10 kts wind. That sounds slow but it adds up to 120 -150 miles per day. With 1,400 miles to go and no girley winds in the way they should be here in 10 to 12 days. Current position and progress: N29 10.789 W135 54.939 In a rare moment we got a prediction of where they might be tonight. This is a prediction only and we will see how much they have learned: N27.29 W136.19

Graham reported in on time. His Mom is grateful. Still no wind and boredom. They are halfway through the Hi and we hope by now they are feeling some good winds. Position report: N30.00.616 W136.11.030 1476 Miles to go. Looking forward to the Sunday night report.

The plan is working. Could be working better but it is working. The winds are weak but the High is moving to the west. By Sunday morning the winds should be fresher and from the NW. This is the start of their move into the trades. Pretty becalmed as of Saturday evening but there is plenty of sun. Perfect for drying fish on the deck. They cooked all they could eat and doing a little solar powered broil. Hope they have enough sun screen. Position N31.08.022 W136.11.030 Traveled 1098 miles so far. 1,476 left to go.

Beernie said... New Version of Blogger has posting jammed up. Comments only for today till tech help arrives. We have a plan. The Hi just So of the boys moves W Sat and Sun. Heading So gives them NW/N then NE winds. By Sunday nite they should be in NE trades. Had to get E of that Hi to stop fighting headwinds. Reported Position Fri Night: N31.08.021 W136.22.290. Celebrating with Fruit cups all around. May 18, 2007, 6:00PM

The wind did pick up a little today (Wed) and the boys made some good distance to the west. The wind pattern is producing eddies rotating CW. For those who have grown up in the digital age CW means in a circle to the right if you are facing north. Graham reports that they are all doing well and glad to have some wind. They were thinking of changing course to head more directly south. This would mean a tack and maybe several because the vortex is to their SE and depending on how they both move the wind could be directly from the south. We will not know until tonight if they actually changed course. If they decided to do that the position tomorrow will probably be further south but also a little bit back towards the mainland. There is some real wind passing through Sat. and Sun. But no warnings are posted. 1. SF1 SanFranciscoB 0 ft 0:00:00 N37 48.940 W122 28.923 Miles to go 2. SF2 5/10/07 117 mi 117 mi 24:00:00 234° true N36 49.052...

An adventure can not be an adventure if you know what is going to happen along the way. Today's adventure involves no wind. Position virtually unchanged from yesterday. A little "no wind" vortex. There are more lined up. They are in a "no wind vortex" corridor. Position report is SF5 5/13/07 594 mi 135 mi 96:00:00 256° true N34 16.590 W132 02.711 SF6 5/14/07 658 mi 63.7 mi 120:00:00 254° true N34 01.396 W133 06.903 SF7 5/15/07 704 mi 46.3 mi 144:00:00 265° mag N34 08.251 W133 54.650 They seem to be doing pretty well. Sounded good. But no wind makes it hard. 10kts barely moves the boat. 25kts is best. But the wind they do have is right out of the south west so they can not make much headway. They thought about a tack but that would take them backwards and a full day of sailing would not get them out of the weather pattern they are in. There is a difference between what the forecasts report and what they are seeing. Mostly the fo...

Whoa: No wind. Not much progress from Sunday and the boys are in a corridor of no wind events. Hopefully there is enough wind between the little lows to move south. They planned to camp out last night which we think meant lower the sails and get some sleep. From our prospective every night would be camping out but maybe not having to steer for a night is the difference. Light winds seem good from home but don't move the adventure along much. We will know in a few hours if they got to a wind line and into the light trades to the south. No warnings. Just big water. Here's their reported position last night and progress SF6 5/14/07 658 mi 63.7 mi 120:00:00 254° true N34 01.396 W133 06.903

So far so good but it is still cold. From the marine charts it is about 55 where they are and it is not going to get warmer for a couple days. Current position is N34.16.59 W132.02.711. So add this to the scorecard SF5 5/13/07 594 mi 135 mi 96:00:00 256° true They got pretty much due west of where they were yesterday. The winds were light and there are two small low pressure areas in front of them which will affect wind for the next three days. If they head south the temperature goes up but the wind drops to almost 0. So the plan is to change heading to West (270) and drop down after a day or two. For mothers worried about mid ocean collisions, they have seen ships but distances are so great only their lights at night make them visible. It is very flat out there. Because the winds are probably going to be light for the next three days it is hard to predict progress but they have covered 25% of the distance in 5 days which is about what they figured. This is good as...

This report is from Saturday night at 6:00 pm. The posting date is off because the effort to put together a forecast, receive the boat report phone call and make dinner puts it to the next day. Here are the details of their progress so far ( compliments of Frank A.): 1. SF1 SanFranciscoBay 0 ft 0:00:00 N37 48.940 W122 28.923 2. SF2 5/10/07 117 mi 117 mi 0:00:00 234° true N36 49.052 W124 11.514 3. SF3 5/11/07 298 mi 181 mi 0:00:00 247° true N35 46.259 W127 10.200 4. SF4 5/12/07 460 mi 162 mi 0:00:00 245° true N34 46.262 W129 45.507 Graham and Brian both sounded good. The weather was sunny and had to be a little warmer but was still cold. Des was doing well too. Patty got to talk to both boys for Mother's Day. A nice present. There are no big storms or warnings out there close enough to affect them. They are heading a little south but not by much due to wind and sea conditions. Graham said he has fixed a few things on t...

Much progress today. Graham, Brian and Des covered some good territory and got far enough out to head straight for Hawaii. No hugging the coast to the south. Besides, there was some weather heading that way (Channel Islands) from the NW. Where they are the weather is good. No warnings except further north. It has been pretty cold. Probably the worst part of the trip. Graham reported that both Brian and Des are still a little sea sick. Assuming his usual understated descriptive style we can presume not much cooking has been done. We got a Marine chart NOAA NSCS MAP #530 which covers Alaska to Baja and over to the Hawaiian Islands. The same map is the same as on the computer but there is nothing as satisfying as rolling out a big paper chart. Frank put together some specific trip info using Google Earth and Mapsource which is copied below. Actual Course taken Course 1. SF1 San Francisco Bay 0 ft 0:00:00 ...

Graham called in (we suspect) using the satelite phone with their current position and condition. Position was N36degrees49.025min W124degrees11.514 min. Conditions - cold - very cold and windy. We of course realized we are of little help in advising forecasts or routing as we are still trying to figure out degrees and such. Plus NOAA has a bunch of useless pages. Everything we saw said warm, sunny and no problem. They are icing up. Either the boys delicate nature is coming through or there are inaccuracies in weather reporting. No further details except location and temperature. We'll be set for tomorrow night with hopefully some better advice and armed with knowledge of Lat/Long and yet more government acronyms. So far so good. B.

The boys ( Graham, Brian and Des) took off today. They passed under the Golden Gate Bridge at about 9:00 p.m. experiencing some good winds and we believe the first rough water relatively speaking. Got two phone calls. One from Brian as Graham was learning how to sail the boat when the wind was actually blowing and one from Graham when Brian, the delicate one, was in the weather and it was too cold for Graham to go outside to get a reading on Lat and Long. It was close to the golden gate bridge so... close enough. The plan is to sail north-west a little to clear the land mass and get some true wind then head south for two days or so. After that they can turn left or right. They both said the boat is good and working well. The new life raft is very good and they are provisioned up. Should be a right hand turn. Next update will be Thursday at 6:00 pm by satelite phone. Text message only. We have to provide weather lookout. Good luck on that. It looks good from here. Not cold at...

Communication from Bri was to check text messaging on satelite phone and let us know they are working on the boat. It looks like departure will be May 9, 2007 ad. No details on what they are referring to relative to the statement " they are working on the boat". I was thinking message, cork, bottle. Now, just cork. Your faithful correspondent, B.

Brian and Graham leave tomorrow morning. We wish them great seas.

this is the final posting from the voyagers before we return to honolulu or maui. at the moment we are feeling solid. Except that maybe we dont have enough fishing stuff.

hello, this is a blog about our status on a sailing trip from san Francisco to Honolulu. It should have daily updates of lat lon and speed - and probably more.

still on oahu leaving tomorrow