Just Back From Maui

[jackdale]

Got home yesterday.

I should have posted this link earlier for those who might want to track me down.

Vic Maui 2012 Return - Powered by Yellowbrick Tracking

We had a Yellow Brick transponder abroad Turicum which tracked us on the way back. That provided some reassurance to the folks back home.

The web site allows you to select individual vessels, zoom in, animate, etc.. Very cool.

On August 7 at 38 45 N 149 45W (just about the half way mark), there is a course deviation as we met a container ship, Navaroni, to conduct a medical evacuation of a crew member. I have a lot of empathy for folks like Doug Sabbag. Docking next to a 335 meter ship is scary.

CG Honolulu coordinated the rendezvous. Many thanks to them.

The crew member was taken to to LA and then flew home. He is scheduled for prostate surgery next month.

As I get photos and videos from crew members I will post them.

Here is a screen capture showing our track.



Jack

[maxingout]

I checked ou the yellowbrick tracking from your link. Very nice. Looks like you had a great trip.

[jackdale]

On the way back the boats on the SSB net reported on the debris encountered.

- Lots of styrofoam ranging from an couple of inches to to 3X3X3 feet. One piece with concrete still attached.
- Lots of floats from nets.
- We had a piece of net go under the boat - scared the crap out of me. We were under sail.
- Two overturned hulls: 1 50 feet, 1 20-30 feet; probably tsunami debris with lots of growth. (Observed by other boats, not us.)
- One 1X1X15 feet piece of dock.
- Lots of plastic bits, small drums, bottles, etc..
- Some logs with trimmed ends - way out 600-800 miles from PNW.

We didn't hit anything. But that is the worst I have seen.

Remember we can only see a hundred yards at most.

Jack

[SkiprJohn]

Corrected below.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Jack,
I just checked my old course and it had me turning toward the mainland at about 45 degrees north and until then I was sailing north by northeast pretty much.
Did you have to motor a bit through the high?
Sorry about your crew. Hope he will be ok.
kind regards,

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

Aloha Jack,
My course has me going east and then hooking toward the Straits much further north than your course. Did you motor quite a bit through the high?
kind regards,

Yes we did motor at 1500 rpm. I had 40 gallons in the tank and 50 lashed on deck. We had to run the engine for three hours a day for electricity (fridge, freezer, and watermaker.)

The usual route is a little farther west until at least 40 N and then east to JDF.

The routes taken by the others can be seen on Yellow Bird (Vic Maui 2012 Return - Powered by Yellowbrick Tracking) and were similar to ours. We were actually within sight of Red Sheila for some time until we had our diversion for the medical evacuation.

At the end we had a great run between the high and a low. The wind died as we came into the Strait. Tried the gennaker for a while and then powered in at 2200 rpm from just before Sheringham Point.

The crew on Navarino looked after him well. He is scheduled for surgery next month.

[Therapy]

I guess that is how the Pacific got it's name. A long way to go slowly huh?

[jackdale]

I came across these today

Greek Amver Container Ship Caves Canadian Sailor | Virtual-Strategy Magazine

Mariner Evacuated 1,000 Miles North of Hawaii | Hawaii Reporter

Many thanks to Athanasios Pagkalos, the Captain of the Navarino and its crew as well as CG Honolulu.

[SkiprJohn]

I had 2 40 gallon tanks aboard and sucked one dry as I was in the ferry lane going into Bremerton so used 40 gallons from Hanalei to Bremerton. 23 days. What a scramble to bleed the engine while drifting in the ferry lane. Most our motoring was in the Straits. We ran the engine one hour every two days. No refrigeration or watermaker. 27 foot waterline on the Mariner 35.
I'd like to do it again sometime since I now have 34 foot waterline.
kind regards,

[jackdale]

Three videos of the evacuation.

evacuation sailboat to container ship august, 2012 part 1 - YouTube

evacuation sailboat to container ship august, 2012 part 2 - YouTube

evacuation sailboat to container ship august, 2012 part 3 - YouTube

[avb3]

Wow... thanks for the posting. Can one imagine trying to do that in foul weather? With the seas being that calm, it must have been a huge relief.