For the humor file, the following… I’ve begun to shoot passage video. No talkies yet. That takes a fortitude I’ve yet to muster. But action shots. Reefing sail. Cranking in. Not falling overboard. Harpooning the Great White Whale. The like. To a one, they are awful. I attempt to channel Sterling Hayden; I’d even, Read More
Not the most picturesque of approaches. The island is blanketed in cloud. Rain. The bay water is brown from run-off. Ex-Howard is passing through. But we’ve arrived. Departed Neah Bay, Washington 7/22/16, 10:20am. Anchored Hanalie Bay, Kauai, 8/7/16, 4:50pm Total Miles: 2585 Duration: 16 days, 6 hours Miles per Day: 159 (fast!) Many thanks to, Read More
August 7 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 16 Noon PST position: 22.29.61N by 159.03.30W Miles since last noon: 167 Total miles of passage: 2532 / 30 to Kauai Avg. Miles per Day: 158 Course: SW Speed: 6 and 7 knots Wind: ENE 15 to 20 Sky: Rain squall, one after the other Waves: ENE, Read More
August 6 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 15 Noon PST position: 23.57.34N by 156.36.99W Miles since last noon: 158 Total miles of passage: 2365 / 190 to Kauai Avg. Miles per Day: 158 Course: SW Speed: 6 and 7 knots Wind: ENE 15 to 20 Sky: Tropical Cumulus in afternoon; next morning numerous squalls, Read More
August 5 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 14 Noon PST position: 25.19.96N by 154.19.13W Miles since last noon: 153 Total miles of passage: 2207 / 340 to Kauai Avg. Miles per Day: 158 Course: SW Speed: 6 and 7 knots Wind: ENE 15 to around 30, strongest overnight Sky: Tropical Cumulus, wall of squall, Read More
August 4 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 13 Noon PST position: 26.42.79 by 151.58.53W Miles since last noon: 139 Total miles of passage: 2054 / 491 to Kauai Avg. Miles per Day: 139 Course: SW Speed: 5 – 6 Wind: ENE 15 to 25, very light overnight Sky: Tropical Cumulus, occasional squall with some, Read More
August 3 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 12 Noon PST position: 27.51.83N by 149.50.01W Miles since last noon: 153 Total miles of passage: 1915 / 624 to Kauai Avg. Miles per Day: 160 Course: SW Speed: 6 Wind: ENE 15 to 25 Sky: Tropical Cumulus, occasional squall Waves: ENE 5-7 Bar: 1020 Air Temperature:, Read More
August 2 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 11 Noon PST position: 28.51.21N by 14.20.32W Miles since last noon: 155 Total miles of passage: 1762 Avg. Miles per Day: 160 Course: SW (mostly) Speed: 6+ Wind: ENE 15 to 20 Sky: Cumulus, occasional squall Waves: ENE 5-7 Bar: 1019 Air Temperature: 79 degrees Sea Temperature:, Read More
August 1 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 10 Noon PST position: 30.02.40N by 144.54.89W Miles since last noon: 162 Total miles of passage: 1607 Avg. Miles per Day: 161 Course: SW Speed: 6 – 7 Wind: ENE to E 10 to 25 Sky: Squally; solidly gray otherwise; some clearing in afternoon Waves: ENE 5,, Read More
July 31 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 9 Noon PST position: 31.17.25N by 142.17.04W Miles since last noon: 153 Total miles of passage: 1445 Avg. Miles per Day: 160 Course: SW Speed: 5+ knots overnight; higher today. Wind: ENE 10 to 20 (diminished overnight; has filled in today) Sky: Squally, broken sky. Partly sunny., Read More
July 30 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 8 Noon PST position: 32.27.95N by 139.45.48W Miles since last noon: 161 Total miles of passage: 1292 Avg. Miles per Day: 162 Course: SW Speed: 6+ knots, but dropping Wind: NE 10 to 20 (diminished overnight; has been lighter all day) Sky: Solid deck, low and oppressive., Read More
July 29 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 7 Noon PST position: 34.02.62N by 137.20.34W Miles since last noon: 171 Total miles of passage: 1131 Avg. Miles per Day: 162 Course: SW Speed: 7 knots Wind: NNE 10 to 20 (still, periods of 10 – 15, then periods of 15 – 20+. Pulsing) Sky: Solid, Read More
July 28 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 6 Noon position: 35.50.44N by 135.54.80W Miles since last noon: 174 Total miles of passage: 960 Avg. Miles per Day: 160 Course: WSW Speed: 7 knots Wind: NNE 10 to 25 (strangely up and down) Sky: Complete cloud cover, but sun punching through; no rain. Waves: NNE, Read More
July 27 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 5 Noon position: 37.54.03N by 132.41.49W Miles since last noon: 166 Total miles of passage: 786 Avg. Miles per Day: 157 Course: SW Speed: 7 knots Wind: N to NNE 15 – 25+ Sky: Low cloud and drizzle Waves: N to NNE 5-10 Bar: 1022 Air Temperature:, Read More
July 26 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 4 Noon position: 39.52.05N by 130.31.31W Miles since last noon: 169 Total miles of passage: 620 Avg. Miles per Day: 155 Course: SW Speed: 7 knots Wind: NW 15 – 20; stronger into the night and then light to 10 and 15 by morning Sky: Low cloud, Read More
July 25 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 3 Noon position: 42.09.61N by 128.46.77W Miles since last noon: 177 Total miles of passage: 451 Avg. Miles per Day: 150 Course: SSW Speed: 7+ knots Wind: NW 15 – 30 Bar: 1021 Sky: Low cloud and drizzle Waves: NW 4-8; some to 10 feet Air Temperature:, Read More
July 24 Cape Flattery to Kauai Day 2 Noon position: 44.43.84N by 127.11.35W (WSW of Portland, Oregon and 130 miles offshore) Miles since last noon: 158 Total miles of passage: 274 Avg. Miles per Day: 137 Course: SSW Speed: 6 and 7 knots Wind: NW 10 – 20 Sky: Clear in the afternoon and, Read More
July 23 Cape Flattery to Kauai Expected distance: 2700 miles Expected duration: 20 – 25 days Route: (more on which later) Day 1 Noon position: 48.58.87W by 125.39.66W (60 miles west of Grays Harbor) Miles since last noon: 116 (Counting from June 22, 11am Neah Bay departure) Total miles of passage: 116 Avg. Miles, Read More
From Port Angeles: During the recent passage from Kodiak to Cape Flattery, several friends asked for the ability to see my position on a chart, this rather than having to imagine where in the bloody blue yonder I might be based on the text formated Lat/Long in my daily posts. To address this I’ve added, both, Read More
I have a friend, Jim by name, whose character radiates with an evangelical glow; a winemaker in talent and by trade, he has taken to heart the Psalmist’s observation that “a day without red wine is a day without sunshine,” and has, twice now, ensured that this lonely sailor’s access to liquid warmth is, Read More
Below are a few images of the Port Townsend Boat Yard complex, a place for any sailor to fall in love with. Here one can find everything needed to maintain a vessel and sustain the life of her skipper. Mechanics shops, rigging shops, welding shops, boat building shops, hydraulic shops, woodworking shops (many of, Read More
Said my friend, David R Kelton, “It’s good you are breaking stuff now rather than on your big trip, but can you please stop breaking stuff already?” — Part of the reason for this summer’s long leaps is selfish–I’ve not singlehanded in quite awhile; I want to feel what it’s like to be on, Read More
Wind came up briefly after last night’s “No Report” report. But when it dropped with the sun, I still had 30 miles to the red buoy off Duncan Rock and another eight around the corner to Neah Bay. And I’d missed my tide, so made a whopping 3 knots over the ground the last several, Read More