Drakes Bay. 4:30am. Up with the alarm. Sky to the east, black. Orion, The Dipper, shimmering. Though I can hear swell crashing on rocks to the south, MOLI, tucked inside the hook of the point, is still as a board. Aground? I check the meter. 18 feet. Because the peninsula eats the sea, I remember. Jutting, Read More

Sept 30 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 20 Anchor Down, Drakes Bay, Point Reyes National Seashore POS: 37.59.77N by 122.58.51W Time: 0930 Miles since last noon: 138 Total miles of passage: 2889 Avg. Miles per Day: 144 I know, it’s not quite San Francisco. Drakes Bay is 25 miles north of the Golden, Read More

Sept 29 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 19 Noon HST position: 38.58.32N by 125.15.31W Miles since last noon: 173 Total miles of passage: 2751 Avg. Miles per Day: 145 Miles to San Francisco: 160 Course: SE Sail: All plain sail, wind angle 120 degrees to port Speed: 5 and 6 Wind: N15 –, Read More

Sept 28 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 18 Noon HST position: 40.26.66N vy 128.12.57W Miles since last noon: 169 Total miles of passage: 2578 Avg. Miles per Day: 143 Miles to San Francisco: 330 Course: SE Sail: Triple reef in jib and main. Wind angle: 120 degrees Speed: 7 Wind: N25-30 Sky: Clear,, Read More

Sept 27 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 17 Noon HST position: 41.45.90N by 131.15.47W Miles since last noon: 154 Total miles of passage: 2409 Avg. Miles per Day: 142 Course: SE Sail: Triple reef in jib and main. Wind angle: 70 – 80 degrees Speed: 6 Wind: NE, ENE 25+ Sky: Clear, some, Read More

Sept 26 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 16 Noon HST position: 42.48.56N by 134.14.24W Miles since last noon: 157 Total miles of passage: 2255 Avg. Miles per Day: 141 Course: ENE, then E Sail: Twins poled overnight. Close hauled, triple reefed next day Speed: 6 Wind: SW15 to N20 -28 Sky: Overcast, some, Read More

Sept 25 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 15 Noon HST position: 41.50.33N by 137.12.05W Miles since last noon: 171 Total miles of passage: 2098 Avg. Miles per Day: 140 Course: ENE Sail: Running under large genoa Speed: 7+ Wind: SW to SSW 20 – 25 Sky: Mostly clear Bar: 1017 Air Temperature: 76, Read More

Sept 24 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 14 Noon HST position: 40.46.44N by 140.22.61W Miles since last noon: 177 Total miles of passage: 1927 Avg. Miles per Day: 137 Course: ENE Sail: Twins poled out until the wind veered a little more into the south. Now genoa only. Speed: 7+ Wind: SW to, Read More

Sept 23 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 13 Noon HST position: 39.33.77N by 143.17.84W Miles since last noon: 158 Total miles of passage: 1750 Avg. Miles per Day: 134 Course: ENE Sail: #2 jib full all night; then twins poled out, wind 100 to 120 degrees on starboard Speed: 7+ Wind: SW 10, Read More

Sept 22 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 12 Noon HST position: 39.13.10N by 146.35.73W Miles since last noon: 179 Total miles of passage: 1592 Avg. Miles per Day: 133 Course: E Sail: main double reefed; #2 jib triple reefed; then #2 jib only, double then single reefed, wind moving between abeam and quartering., Read More

Sept 21 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 11 Noon HST position: 39.00.45N by 150.11.80W Miles since last noon: 170 Total miles of passage: 1413 Avg. Miles per Day: 128 Course: E Sail: Twin headsails poled out; change to double reefed main and #2 jib; wind abeam and on starboard quarter. Speed: 7+ Wind:, Read More

Sept 20 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 10 Noon HST position: 38.57.05N by 153.31.40W Miles since last noon: 143 Total miles of passage: 1243 Avg. Miles per Day: 124 Course: Tacking up to SOLACE, E after Sail: Full main and #2 jib; Twin headsails poled all night and next day Speed: 5-6 Wind:, Read More

Date: Sept 19 Time 1330 POS 38.48.86N by 155.35.88W Course/Speed: NW 6 – 7 knots Wind: WSW15-20 I’ve just come about and am on a beat to meet SOLACE, whose noon position was about 10 miles N of me on a slow NW heading. I’m trying to get upwind. SOLACE is the yacht that, Read More

Sept 18 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 8 Noon HST position: 37.05.07N by 157.16.02W Miles since last noon: 76 Total miles of passage: 968 Avg. Miles per Day: 121 Course: NNE and N Sail: Main and light wind genoa, mostly close hauled Speed: 2 – 4 Wind: SW11-0 Sky: Mixed cloud cover. Squalls., Read More

Sept 17 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 7 Noon HST position: 36.02.56N by 157.38.48W Miles since last noon: 130 Total miles of passage: 892 Avg. Miles per Day: 127 Course: NNE and N Sail: Headsails poled, running overnight; then main and light wind genoa on broad reach today Speed: 4 and 5 Wind:, Read More

Sept 16 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 6 Noon HST position: 34.15.60N by 158.44.30W Miles since last noon: 110 Total miles of passage: 762 Avg. Miles per Day: 127 Course: N and NNW Sail: Headsails poled with main sheeted in easy on a quartering breeze Speed: 4 and 5 Wind: SSE10, then SW7, Read More

Sept 15 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 5 Noon HST position: 32.25.71N by 158.58.93W Miles since last noon: 128 Total miles of passage: 652 Avg. Miles per Day: 130 Course: NNE, now N Sail: Broad to beam reach, now starboard quarter; Flying all three sails. Speed: 2 to 6 Wind: ESE to 16,, Read More

Sept 14 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 4 Noon HST position: 30.28.56N by 159.49.93W Miles since last noon: 92 Total miles of passage: 524 Avg. Miles per Day: 131 Course: NW to NE to NNE Sail: Close hauled; light wind genoa and full main Speed: 2 then 4 and 5 knots Wind: NE5-10;, Read More

Sept 13 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 3 Noon ***HST*** position: 29.09.63N by 160.07.61W Miles since last noon: 130 Total miles of passage: 432 Avg. Miles per Day: 144 Course: NW Sail: Close hauled; working sail with reef in main; out reef and open big jenny at 3am Speed: 7 then 2 Wind:, Read More

Sept 12 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 2 Noon PST position: 27.05.77N by 159.30.04W Miles since last noon: 133 Total miles of passage: 302 Avg. Miles per Day: 151 Course: NNE to NW Sail: Close hauled on starboard; all working sail; then added large genoa just before noon. Speed: 5 – 7 Wind:, Read More

  Sept 11 Hanalei Bay to San Francisco Day 1 Noon PST position: 24.49.78N by 159.24.41W Miles since last noon: 168 Total miles of passage: 169 Avg. Miles per Day: 169 Course: N Speed: 6 and 7 knots Wind: E20 then ENE15-20 Sky: Tropical cumulus then high cirrus and low cumulus Waves: E3, NE6, Read More

Renaming your boat is forbidden. The rule is unwritten, understood by all, universally ignored. Thus it gives me pleasure to introduce the Figure 8 Voyage vessel, MOLI, nee ASMA, TAONUI, GJOA. My wife wishes me to point out immediately that MOLI rhymes with HOLY (thus the macron over the “o”) not HOLLY; it is, Read More

It’s been a month since I arrived in Kauai’s Hanalei Bay. And having, with Joanna at last, enjoyed the island’s green mountains and sweet aroma, it’s time to depart in the morning for home. Getting back to sea is essentially getting back to work, as these crossings are practice, if you will, for next year’s Figure 8 Voyage;, Read More