tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7025701215752257782023-11-16T06:40:29.487-08:00L'eau Life's Trip HomeSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-87792216563136039482010-08-06T06:39:00.001-07:002010-08-06T06:39:17.400-07:00Final ReportFINAL REPORT<br>POSITION: GRAND MARINA, ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA<br>SPD: 0, WINDS: CALM, SEAS: ALSO CALM<br>THE LAST REPORT PUT US AT 210NM AWAY FROM OUR DESTINATION, AND WE CLOSED IN <br>FAIRLY QUICKLY FROM THERE. AT OUR RADIO CHECK THE FOLLOWING EVENING WE WERE <br>ONLY 70NM AWAY AND ON FULL ALERT FOR SHIPS AND FISHING VESSELS...THE RADAR <br>TURNED UP A FAIR AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC. THE WINDS STARTED PICKING UP AND GOT INTO <br>THE 30 KNOT RANGE. NEVER GOT THE REPORT OUT THAT NIGHT OR THE NEXT MORNING. <br>LAND WAS APPROACHING AND PARANOIA BEGAN SETTING IN...FOR ME ANYWAY...BUT THE <br>CREW WERE STEADY. IT WAS CLEAR WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A POTENTIALLY BUSY AREA <br>IN THE DARK WITH NOT THE BEST VISIBILITY. AFTER WE PASSED OVER THE CONTINENTAL <br>SHELF WHERE THE WATER GOES FROM THOUSANDS OF METERS TO HUNDREDS, THE WATERS <br>SMOOTHED OUT, ALONG WITH THE WIND GREATLY REDUCING. PHEWWWW!!! WE BEGAN TO SEE <br>NAVIGATION LIGHTS AND THE OUTLINES OF LAND ON THE RADAR. ""LAND HO!!!"" A <br>DELICIOUS SITE AND GREAT FEELING MAKING LAND FALL...VERY SPECIAL. COMING UNDER <br>THE GATE UNDER A HEAVY MARINE LAYER ON A FLOOD TIDE WAS PRETTY GOOD, BUT <br>COULDN'T SEE THE TOP TOWERS OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE.<br>ALL SAILS WERE DOWN AT THIS POINT...NO WIND SO WE MOTORED ALL THE WAY TO THE <br>ALAMEDA ESTUARY. I NOTICED SIGNS OF A SLIGHT BREEZE AS WE STARTED UP THE <br>ESTUARY, SO WE PUT UP THE SPINNAKER FOR THE FINAL APPROACH, BUT THE WIND <br>FINALLY DIED AND WE HAD TO DOWSE IT BEFORE ARRIVING TO OUR SLIP AND THE GREAT <br>RECEPTION BY FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT THE DOCK. DOCKING WAS BUTT UGLY. NO ONE <br>THREW THE STERN LINE SO THAT L'EAU LIFE'S ARSE END WAS LEFT HANGING OUT. ONE <br>MORE OPPORTUNITY AT A GOOD OLE FLOGGING. IT WAS A VERY WARM RECEPTION...A <br>BEAUTIFUL THING. PAULA WAS DRESSED UP IN A HULA COSTUME AND EVERYONE WORE LEIS. <br>MY LEIGH ACTUALLY WAS MADE UP WITH 3 CAN OPENERS AND SOME FLOWERS...NICE!!! <br>HOMEMADE PEACH COBBLER, FRUIT SALAD AND OTHER GOODIES WERE ALL LAID OUT ON A <br>TABLE BEFORE US. AFTER THAT WE CLEANED UP THE BOAT A BIT, THE CREW PACKED UP <br>AND WE ALL WENT HOME. [I DID STUFF ALL THEM FRIGGIN' LEFT OVER CANS OF BEANS IN <br>WHAT I THOUGHT WAS STEVE'S BAG, BUT AS WE WALKED TO OUR RIDES HOME I NOTICED <br>THAT THE BAG I STUFFED THEM INTO WAS LANCE'S...SWEET! MY CREW BY THE WAY, ARE <br>THE BEST, AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT HOW TO SAIL THIS BOAT TO HER MAXIMUM <br>POTENTIAL THROUGH THEM. WELL DONE GUYS AND THANKS.<br>SO THAT'S IT, THE FINAL VOYAGE FOR ME ABOARD L'EAU LIFE. SHE'S DOCKED AT THE <br>SALES DOCK OF PACIFIC YACHT IMPORTS [IN CASE ANYONE'S INTERESTED], THE BROKER <br>WHO INITIALLY SOLD ME THE BOAT BACK IN 1997. IT'S BEEN A GREAT JOURNEY LEAVING <br>ME WITH LOT'S OF GREAT MEMORIES, AND OF COURSE SOME TERRIFYING MOMENTS AS WELL. <br>L'EAU LIFE HAS KEPT US SAFE AND SOUND FOR MANY THOUSANDS OF MILES AND I WILL <br>MISS HER DEARLY. IT IS TIME SHE FINDS A NEW OWNER TO LOOK AFTER, WHO WILL <br>HOPEFULLY TREAT HER EQUALLY AS WELL. IT'S BEEN A FUN RIDE,<p>THE SKIPPER [RETIRED!!!]Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-72390658922537456172010-08-04T13:59:00.001-07:002010-08-04T13:59:45.850-07:00Arrival! Aug. 4, 2010Well, I sent out an email last night with Adrien's estimated arrival time this <br>morning and forgot to hit the distribution list. I can't believe I did that but <br>things happen.<br>Anyway, Adrien, Steve, & Lance docked L'eau Life at about 9:30 am this morning <br>at Grand Marina in Alameda. There were about 10 people at the dock to greet <br>them. They all looked pretty good for being at sea for 20 days. We visited for a <br>while, had some fresh fruit salad, home made peach cobbler, and some pastries <br>along with champagne, orange juice and/or coffee. It was a wonderful welcome <br>home event. The guys cleaned up the boat a bit and Adrien and I went home with 6 <br>bags of trash (the dumpsters were all full at the marina) and 2 bags of dirty <br>laundry. (I'm almost afraid to see what's in the bottom of those bags.) L'eau <br>Life and crew are home safe and sound and Adrien will definitely be doing a <br>final entry into his log in a day or two. (He has to re-learn how to use a <br>computer keyboard that's not moving around.)<br>Thanks for keeping up with their adventure.<br>The AdmiralSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-91876572318037642962010-08-04T07:19:00.001-07:002010-08-04T07:19:47.454-07:00GG Bridge - We have arrived!<p class="mobile-photo"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTkeKnS4U9clyQlTqBERO-emM444RpC6ILyI8DsgssJOyWF64yE4e6xPR9lUszqFMnhe-1HA1PAp3V5n5oUIhkJDa9TdqCxP-CCtYnc83f-Qz2RDdPv53bNdXEbA7JmA3KXmhG1rI5gs/s1600/photo-787455.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyTkeKnS4U9clyQlTqBERO-emM444RpC6ILyI8DsgssJOyWF64yE4e6xPR9lUszqFMnhe-1HA1PAp3V5n5oUIhkJDa9TdqCxP-CCtYnc83f-Qz2RDdPv53bNdXEbA7JmA3KXmhG1rI5gs/s320/photo-787455.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501559276154656418" /></a></p>Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-58470015166216686462010-08-04T00:07:00.000-07:002010-08-03T21:09:27.970-07:00Day 19 - Almost thereTuesday evening California time<p>Well Adrien finally relented and started changing the clocks to California time. It's about time. The reason this is interesting now is because we are actually figuring out what time we will ARRIVE! Yes, we are within striking distance of the Golden Gate and should sailing into the bay sometime tomorrow morning.<p>In a few hours we expect to see our first landmark, a buoy that marks the southern end of the Cordell Bank. From there we pass to the north of the Farallon Islands, and on to the Bonita Channel which follows along the Marin shore until we get to the Golden Gate. <p>It's all very exciting, and we are all ready to get there. It is cold and gray and dark and the waves are rough, etc.<p>We heard a rumor a few days back about there being a lot of whales in the Gulf of the Farallons recently because there are lots of krill, their favorite food. Hopefully we will not encounter any of these guys as we pass through tonight. Too bad we aren't coming through during the daytime when they might be more willing to pose for pictures.<p>Enough for now. Next report will hopefully be from inside the bay.<p>-steveSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-65344096820357226182010-08-02T23:09:00.001-07:002010-08-02T23:09:47.536-07:00Monday Night ReportDAY 18 MON 0802 17:30PST<br>HEY, 210NM TO GO. CELL PHONES WILL GO ON THIS TIME TOMORROW...AMAZING. L'EAU <br>LIFE APPEARS TO BE QUITE ANXIOUS TO GET IN. WE'VE REDUCED SAIL A COUPLE OF <br>TIMES BUT SHE STILL WANTS TO GO 7 + KNOTS. ANYMORE REDUCTION IN SAIL MAKES US <br>ROCK FROM SIDE TO SIDE TOO MUCH. SO ,WE ARE STILL DISCUSSING ETA. WE HAVE <br>NUMBERS WE ARE CRUNCHING THAT WE ARE NOT READY TO DIVULGE AT THIS STAGE. <br>SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT A NIGHTTIME ARRIVAL IS NOT OUT OF THE QUESTION AT THIS <br>POINT. WE'LL SEE!!!<br>STEVE'S BED HAS BEEN DRY FOR THE ENTIRE PASSAGE...TILL TODAY. A LITTLE BIT OF <br>SHEET IS WET, BUT MOST OF THE BED...THE SIDE HE'S SLEEPING ON IS DRY. CAN'T <br>IDENTIFY SOURCE OF ENTRY...BIG SURPRISE THERE. IN FACT I'VE YET TO FIND A <br>SOURCE OF ANY OF THE LEAKS WE'VE HAD. JUST WALK AROUND THE DECK AND SPURT <br>SILICONE GOOP ALL OVER AND PRAY, IS THE USUAL PROCEDURE.<br>I KILLED SOMEONE LAST NIGHT. GRANTED IT WAS IN A DARK DREAM, BUT IT WAS VERY <br>REAL. SLEEP DEPREVATION AT IT'S VERY BEST!!! THIS GUY DRESSED IN A SUIT WITH A <br>NEON SECURITY VEST ON CAME AT ME WITH A SPEAR. THIS WAS IN A SQUARE IN SOME <br>EUROPEAN CITY, AND THERE WERE MANY OF THESE SIMILARLY DRESSED AND ARMED WITH <br>SPEARS MEN ABOUT, SUCCESSFULLY DOWNING THEIR VICTIMS. I SIMPLY SNATCHED THE <br>SPEAR FROM HIM, QUICKLY TURNED IT AROUND AND FLICKED IT AT HIM. I WAS AIMING <br>FOR HIS EYE BUT MISSED...HIT HIM IN THE BACK OF THE THROAT...THROUGH HIS <br>MOUTH. HE LOOKED A LITTLE SURPRISED BUT ACTED AS IT WAS ONLY A FLESH WOUND, <br>EVEN THOUGH IT WAS STICKING OUT THE BACK OF HIS HEAD. HE REMOVED ANOTHER SPEAR <br>FROM AN INVISIBLE QUIVER, WHICH I AGAIN SNATCHED. I STUFFED IT BETWEEN RIBS 3 <br>AND 4 ON HIS RIGHT SIDE AND PUNCTURED HIS LUNG...DOWN HE WENT. SOMEONE STARTED <br>CALLING AT ME...IT'S YOUR WATCH...IT'S YOUR WATCH...OVER AND OVER AGAIN.<br>NOW THIS IS A TAD ON THE DARK SIDE I ADMIT, BUT THERE YA GO. I'M SURE SOME OF <br>YOU SLEEP DEPRIVED INSOMNIACS CAN RELATE...I HOPE!!!<br>OK, THAT'S TONIGHT'S ENTERTAINMENT!!! DO DO DO DO...DO DO DO DO...<br>THE MURDEROUS SKIPPER!!!Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-5195519497290931102010-08-02T17:37:00.000-07:002010-08-02T17:39:41.699-07:00Day18Monday afternoon<br>248 nm from San Francisco, who cares how far we are from Oahu (well OK, it's 1892 nm).<p>More San Francisco style weather. Cold water, gray sky, seas from the north. Yesterday had a lot of cross seas where the wind and the waves come from different directions making for a bumpy ride. But today is nice. The sun was out for a while, the seas have calmed a bit and the wind is driving us along at a good speed. <p>The end is in sight. We will probably arrive on Wednesday morning sometime. I think we are all ready to be there. Adrien has started tying decorative knots all over the place, and Lance has been caught talking to the radar. Not sure what sort of craziness I have been doing, but I bet Adrien or Lance will tell you.<p>My bunk has been dry the whole trip, until today. I came out of the shower and noticed the sheet was wet along the edge, and on closer inspection there is water under the mattress. Oh well. I'm trying to dry it out now, but there is no clear place that the water is coming from. Only 2 nights to go. I will survive.<p>Looking forward to getting back,<p>-steve<p>Position Report 03-AUG-2010 0018Z<br>38 deg 50.079N<br>127 deg 32.981W<br>course 100T speed 6 knots<br>Wind 18 knots from NW <br>Seas about 2 feet from the NW sea temp 56.1F<br>Air 68F 68% humidity 1022mb pressureSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-1348873278662005512010-08-02T06:31:00.001-07:002010-08-02T06:31:16.265-07:00Sunday ReportDAY 17 SUN 0801 21:15 HAWAII TIME<br>350NM TO GO. POSITION: 39-21N, 129-43W, CSE: 107T, SPEED 6.5 KNOTS<br>OK, THIS IS A SHORTY TONIGHT. THE SEAS HAVE PICKED UP, I'M ON WATCH AND TYPING <br>THIS REPORT IN THE COCKPIT.[SEPARATE MONITOR, KEYBOARD AND MOUSE UP HERE] THE <br>MOUSE KEEPS FLYING BY THOUGH. THE SEAS HAVE GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY AND WE ARE BEAM <br>TO THEM AND THEREFORE ROCKING QUITE A BIT. WE'VE HAD TO REDUCE SAIL TWICE <br>TODAY AS THE WINDS HAVE PICKED UP AS WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE HIGH. WE WERE SEEING <br>THE OCCASIONAL 9 KNOTS OF SPEED EARLIER SO WE'VE SLOWED DOWN FOR THE NIGHT. <p>I MAY HAVE GOTTEN A LITTLE DEHYDRATED SINCE I HAVE A MILD HEADACHE. AM NOW <br>JUICED UP ON GATORADE POWDER MIX AND AM GOING TO BED AS SOON AS I GO OFF WATCH. <br>CHEF STEVE DID DINNER TONIGHT AND IT WAS GREAT...CHICKEN IN RICE AND...YOU <br>GUESSED IT...BEANS...GARBONZOS TONIGHT. HE ALSO MADE BROWNIES FOR <br>DESSERT...YUM.<br>THERE WERE NO FLOGGINGS TODAY...DAMN!!! NO SHIPS EITHER???<br>ETA IS WEDNESDAY MORNING AT THIS POINT.<br>ADRIEN<p>Anyone interested in driving up to Alameda to greet L'eau Life and crew, here <br>are the directions to the marina from the south bay. It won't be long now.<br>Paula<p> <br>Directions to Grand Marina, Alameda<br> 880 N to 23rd Ave. (Oakland)<br>Get in the left lane and make a U-turn onto overpass.<br>Continue in left lane, which leads to the bridge.<br>Go over the bridge.<br>Turn right at Clement (2nd light after crossing bridge)<br>Go all the way to the end and turn right on Grand.<br>Turn left on Fortman into the boatyard and head right to the Harbor Master's <br>Office. L'eau Life's new home is on the dock adjacent to the office.Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-53326156974023142032010-08-01T07:47:00.001-07:002010-08-01T07:47:17.054-07:00Saturday ReportDAY 16 SAT 0731 TIME OF REPORT...EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...LIKE 3AM PST.<br>490 NM TO GO...WOOHOO!!!<br>POSITION 40-00N, 132-35W, CSE: 102DEG T, SPEED: 8KNOTS...WE ARE FLYING TONIGHT. <br>THE MAIN IS FULL UP THE JIB FULL OUT, WE ARE ON A BEAM REACH AND THE SEAS HAVE <br>FLATTENED OUT A BIT FROM EARLIER. VERY SMOOTH SAILING. EARLIER TODAY WE HAD <br>LESS WIND AND WE WERE ON A PORT BROAD REACH...NOT MY OR L'EAU LIFE'S FAVORITE <br>POINT OF SAIL. IT WAS A CLASSIC CASE OF "WHERE'S THAT DAMN SPINNAKER WHEN YOU <br>NEED IT???" WELL, WE KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION...IT'S IN THE BAG WITH A <br>RIP IN IT. BEING THE BUSY BEES THAT WE ARE, I DECIDED TO GET THE SAIL REPAIR <br>KIT OUT. WE WRESTLED THIS GINORMOUS SPINNAKER THROUGH THE CABIN TO THE SALON <br>WERE WE EFFECTED THE REPAIRS TO THE SPINNY. THE MOMENT OF TRUTH WAS UPON <br>US...THE SUSPENSE BUILDING AS THE PREPARATIONS TO SET THE SPINNAKER APPROACHED. <br>WELL, RAISING WAS DEFINITELY A CLUSTER MATING PROCESS. TOOK US 3 TIMES BEFORE <br>WE GOT HER UP...BUT LOW AND BEHOLD...SHE STAYED UP. THE REPAIRS HELD AND WE <br>CRUISED ALONG AT A COMFORTABLE 7 KNOTS. THEN THE WIND CAME AROUND MORE <br>FAVORABLY TO USE THE JIB. THE DOWSE WAS MUCH BETTER AND WE SUSPECT WE'LL USE <br>THE SPINNY AGAIN TO COME UNDER THE GOLDEN GATE, WHICH WE BELIEVE WILL BE THIS <br>WEDNSDAY, AUG 4TH. MORE ON THAT AS WE GET CLOSER.<br>LANCE LISTENED TO THE GIANTS GAME REPLAY ON KNBR RADIO ON HIS WATCH WHICH <br>EXPLAINED THE CHEERING IN THE COCKPIT ON HIS WATCH. WOKE ME UP. I LET THE GAME <br>END BEFORE THE FLOGGINGS BEGAN. [MUSN'T WAKE THE SKIPPER FOR FRIVOLOUS REASONS. <br>IN LANCE'S DEFENSE...IT WAS THE DODGERS THEY BEAT AND THEREFORE NOT FRIVOLOUS] <br>GO GIANTS!!! I JUST ENJOY THE FLOGGINGS TOO MUCH TO PASS ONE UP.<br>WELL, WE STILL HAVE LOTS OF FOOD LEFT...ESPECIALLY CANNED FOOD, WHICH PAULA <br>WILL BE DELIGHTED WITH. I KNOW I WILL BE STUFFING STEVE'S BAG WITH THEM DREADED <br>KIDNEY BEANS, BLACK BEANS, AND FRIGGIN' LENTILS. DAMN...LIKE CHEWING ON LITTLE <br>BITS OF TASTELESS FELT. I THINK HE SNUCK 'EM IN THE COSTCO BASKET WHEN I WASN'T <br>LOOKIN'. YA KNOW SOME IGNARNT CAVEMAN TRIED THIS KINDA FOOD OUT, AND GOT <br>POPULARIZED AT THE FART LIGHTING CONTESTS BY THE CAMP FIRE WAY BACK WHEN. WELL, <br>TURNS OUT EVOLUTION'S KINDA SLOW IN THAT DEPARTMENT!!!<br>ORANGES..ONE CRATE TO GO...APPLES...A CRATE AND A HALF. HAVEN'T TOUCHED THE <br>CLEMENTINES [WE DID SING A FEW BARS THOUGH!] SPEAKING OF BARS, STILL GOT QUITE <br>A FEW TOBLERONES!!! WE'RE COOKING THE LAST OF THE CHICKEN TONIGHT. WE'VE <br>FINALLY POLISHED OFF THE HAMBURGER MEAT IN THE FORM OF LEFTOVERS. THE FAMILY <br>SIZE JAR OF TUMS CAME IN HANDY I MIGHT ADD.<br>OK, I AM ON WATCH TEARING UP THE MILES, THE CREW IS SNORING, SO I'M GONNA GO <br>SOME WATCHY THINGS. GOODNIGHT!<br>THE FLOGGER<p> <br>Paula Fondiller-Fournier<br>6106 Montgomery Ct., San Jose, CA 95135<br>home phone: 408-223-7160<br>cell phone: 408-250-9588 <br>website: <a href="http://www.adrien.com">www.adrien.com</a>Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-48635580436132663852010-08-01T01:12:00.000-07:002010-08-01T01:13:50.221-07:00Day 16 - We're getting closer!Saturday night<br>515 nm from San Francisco<p>The end is in sight. I just got Lance set up to listen to the Giants game on San Francisco AM radio station. It's also getting colder, like being out in a boat at night near San Francisco. <p>Today started out with perfect spinnaker flying weather, and a rip in the sail from yesterday. But we used some tape and patched it up and after a few attempts to get it out of its bag and flying straight we succeeded. A good day of steady 6-7 knots with occasional bursts of 8-9. Nice. <p>As my watch ends tonight the wind has dropped from 15 down to about 11, so we have slowed down, but we are still moving forward, getting closer. <p>-steve<p>Position report 01-AUG-2010 0800Z<br>40 deg 05.810N<br>133 deg 04.101W<br>Course 107T speed 6.3 knots<br>Wind 14 knots from the NNW<br>Seas 3 feet from the North Sea water temp 56.5F (burrr)<br>Air 65F (feels colder) 68% humidity 1029mbSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-85919617964375519942010-07-31T08:57:00.001-07:002010-07-31T08:57:23.867-07:00Friday reportDAY 15 FRI 0730 @ 11:50PM HAWAII TIME [STEVE PROTESTING THAT WE SHOULD CHANGE <br>SHIP TIME TO PST. HATES 3AM SUNRISE...JUST ISN'T RIGHT HE SAYS. HAD TO FLOG HIM <br>FOR INSUBORDINATION...STILL BLEEDING...THEY NEVER LEARN!!!]<br>POSITION: 40-47N, 136-05W, CSE: 100DEG T, SPD: 6KNOTS, DISTANCE TO GO: 656NM. <br>GETTING CLOSE.<br>WE ARE DEFINITELY IN THE SHIPPING LANES. IN TOTAL WE HAVE SEEN ABOUT 10 <br>CONTAINER SHIPS WITHIN A FEW MILES. THIS CAN BE A LITTLE NERVE RACKING WHEN <br>THEY COME THIS CLOSE. RADAR IS OUR FRIEND INDEED. YOU SEE, YOU DON'T KNOW IF <br>THEY CAN SEE YOU OR NOT. THEY NEVER SEEM TO ANSWER THEIR VHF RADIO WHEN <br>HAILED...LANGUAGE CAN ALSO BE A PROBLEM. ANYWAY, IT'S PART OF THE WATCH DUTIES.<br>WE'VE BEEN DOING MORE SAILING THAN EXPECTED CONSIDERING OUR PROXIMITY TO THE <br>PACIFIC HIGH. WE FLEW THE SPINNAKER TODAY, UNFORTUNATELY ON OUR LAST DOWSE <br>[TAKING HER DOWN] A SMALL RIP OCCURRED IN A HIGH LOAD AREA, SO NO MORE <br>SPINNAKER FOR THE REST OF THE PASSAGE. WE COULD HAVE USED IT ANOTHER DAY OR <br>TWO, BUT NOT MUCH MORE. OH WELL!!!<br>HEY, ANY LIGHT SLEEPERS OUT THERE??? IMAGINE THIS...<br>-6 LINES INSIDE THE MAST BANGIN' AROUND...SLAPITY SLAP SLAP DOINGGG<br>-WATER SPLASHING AGAINST THE HULL...SWISHITY SWOOSH SPLAT<br>-NOISE EMANATING FROM YOUR WET LOCKER...K K KLUNK<br>-AUTOPILOT AUTOPILOTING...ZIT ZIT ZIT WHHRRRR ZIT WHHRRRRRRR ZIT<br>-ENGINE RUNNING...DEGADEGADEGADEGABURPFARTDEGADEGA<br>-GENSET RUNNING...DIGADIGABURPFARTDIGADIGADIGADIAG<br>-WATERMAKER RUNNING...SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS<br>-LIGHT WINDS: SAILS SLAPPING....THHHWACK THWWWWACK<br>-STRONG WINDS: WHAT I CAN'T HEAR YOU<br>-KETTLE BOILING...MAKE YOUR OWN NOISE HERE...OURS IS HIGH PITCHED WHISTLE<br>-PLASTIC BOTTLES BEING CRUSHED...CRAKLE CRAKLE CRAKLE [THEY DO THIS ON <br>PURPOSE...SCURVY BASTARDS]<br>-SNORING...ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ<br>AT ANY ONE TIME, YOU CAN HEAR AT LEAST 4 OF THESE SOUNDS. WHEN I HIT THE BUNK, <br>IT'S ALWAYS AT LEAST 6. AMAZINGLY YOU DO EVENTUALLY FALL ASLEEP.<br>OK, SO THAT'S MY OFFERING FOR THE DAY.<br>THE SKIPPERSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-6099749052152638692010-07-30T23:47:00.000-07:002010-07-30T23:51:03.442-07:00Day 15 - FInally, we tack!Friday evening<br>Only 677 nm to San Francisco 1608 nm from Oahu<p>So, after a bit over 2 weeks on starboard tack, today we finally switched over to port. Last night and this morning the water was as smooth as glass with no wind at all, but sometime in the morning it filled in from the north and we brought the jib out, and then later on, the spinnaker. Finally we thought we were done with the Pacific High and on our way for a good run directly to the Golden Gate. <p>But as the day progressed it was not to be. The wind gradually shifter more and more to the northeast. We were pushed further and further south from our course to San Francisco. Eventually we decided it was time to take down the spinnaker so we could sail closer into the wind, and in the process we managed to rip it. So we are most likely done with spinnaker sailing for this trip. Too bad because if the weather forecast is correct it would have been ideal sailing. <p>Also discovered that out supply of toilet paper got wet. This could have been a catastrophe, but luckily Adrien had a separate stash in his cabin and we will likely make it the rest of the trip without need to resort to other materials.<p>Lots of ships around today. Sometimes we had 3 on the radar screen at a time. Gladly they all gave us lots of room, never coming closer than 3-4 miles. <p>Dinner is done, Lance is on watch, Pink Floyd is on the stereo, and I'm going to try to get a bit of sleep before my watch.<p>More tomorrow.<p>-steve<p>Position Report 31-JUL-2010 0637Z<br>40 deg 52.9 N Lat<br>136 deg 30.09 W Long<br>Course 109T speed 6.7 knots<br>Wind 8.5 knots from NE<br>Seas about 1-2 feet from N. Sea temp 58.3F<br>Air 70F 64% humidity 1032 mb pressureSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-51969356138987864022010-07-30T08:34:00.000-07:002010-07-30T08:35:15.654-07:00A nautical maneuver (lance)Today was a huge milestone for the Three Musketeers on L'eau Life. As we motored through the center of the Pacific high the wind went to dead calm and the seas became glassy - and after several hours the wind filled again, but from the port side. Usually tacking involves sails flapping and lurching around a bit, but this time it just sort of happened with no fanfare. We had been 14 days on starboard; the longest single tack I've ever been on. We pointed anywhere from 340 to 110 degrees at different times, following the big high.<p>The big difference is that when we get rolling the boat will heel to the other side. Everything that's been stacked to the left will fall over, and the hand and foot holds we've gotten used to will be subtly different. I've been sleeping against a lee cloth and Steve has been rolled against a wall, but now the shoe will be on the other foot<p>Now it's more motor sailing on port until the wind picks up, maybe staying on this tack all the way to the Golden Gate. 782nm to get there.<p>Today we answered the question, "Can there be too much Tijuana Brass?" The answer seems to be "16 greatest hits in a row is maybe 8 too many." Steve couldn't take the theme songs to both The Dating and Newlywed Games, even if it meant a new washer/dryer after a romantic chaperoned weekend in Mazatlan.Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-85180793123913078132010-07-30T06:36:00.001-07:002010-07-30T06:36:52.320-07:00Thursday ReportDAY 14 THU 0729 8PM HAWAII TIME<br>POSITION: 41-47N, 139-42W, CSE: 110DEG T, SPEED: 6.5 KNOTS...MOTORSAILING!<br>WELL, THE BAROMETER IS 1032, WHICH MEANS WE ARE DEAD CENTER OF THE HIGH <br>PRESSURE SYSTEM AND MAYBE A BIT BEYOND IT SINCE THE WIND HAS SHIFTED TO THE <br>PORT SIDE OF THE BOAT. THE CREW HAS BEEN BUSY GETTING THE DECK AND COCKPIT <br>READY FOR THE UPCOMING PORT TACK. NOW ALL WE NEED IS WIND. THERE IS A SLIGHT <br>BREATH OF IT FROM THE NORTH, BUT NOT ENOUGH TO FILL THE SAILS...MAYBE TOMORROW <br>OR THE NEXT DAY.<br>ONLY ABOUT 820NM FROM THE GOLDEN GATE NOW. WE'RE LIKE LITTLE KIDS IN <br>ANTICIPATION OF ARRIVAL. THE CREW'S MIND'S ARE BEGINNING TO DRIFT A LITTLE <br>THOUGH. STEVE HAS LEFT THE HEAD FLUSH KNOB IN THE WRONG POSITION...TWICE, THUS <br>ALLOWING THE BOWEL TO FILL TO THE BRIM WITH SEA WATER. LANCE FORGOT TO SHUT THE <br>WATER VALVE COMPLETELY OFF IN THE SHOWER, THUS LOOSING SOME FRESH WATER. SO <br>ONE'S LETTIN' SEAWATER IN THE OTHER FRESH WATER OUT...A TERRIBLE COMBO ON A <br>BOAT. THE PUNISHMENTS HOWEVER MUST BE HARSH BUT WELL THOUGHT OUT. IF I FORBID <br>STEVE FROM GOING ALTOGETHER, WE RUN THE RISK OF GASEOUS LEAKAGE WHICH WOULD <br>PUNISH US ALL...SO...I'M GIVING HIM A BUCKET TO GO IN. FOR LANCE, NO MORE <br>SHOWERS WOULD MEAN US SUFFERING WITH THE RIPE ODOR HE MAY EXUDE...SO...HE WILL <br>HAVE TO HAND WASH WITH SEA WATER FROM THE HEAD AND SUFFER WITH SALT WATER <br>SORES. ALL OF ITS A SMELLY AFFAIR INDEED. AS FOR ME, I HAVE DONE NO WRONG AND <br>AM NOT SUBJECT TO PUNISHMENT ANYWAY. PAULA'S NOT ON BOARD.<br>BACK TO MY WATCH,<br>THE SKIPPERSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-78814074789578590792010-07-29T16:35:00.000-07:002010-07-29T16:38:25.084-07:00Day 14 - Less than 1000 miles to goThursday 12:13pm Hawaii time<br>878 nm to San Francisco 1519 nm from Oahu<p>Wednesday was another lazy day headed across the really wide part of the Pacific High. Wind was mixed. Light much of the time, sometimes we motored, sometimes we had a good breeze pushing us along at 7 knots. Some of everything. Still warm weather during the days and cool enough for a jacket at night.<p>Hamburgers for dinner. Yum.<p>Thursday is more of the same. Right now we are motoring along at about 6 knots with almost no wind. Weather forecast maps from yesterday says we should find the northerly winds that will blow us to San Francisco in about 18 more hours. Have to still get another update today to see if that still holds. Forecasts are pretty flaky.<p>Ramen noodles for lunch. Very salty, but good. Surprised this is the first time we are having them.<p>-steve<p>Position report 29-JUL-2010 2221Z<br>41 deg 59.591 N<br>140 deg 43.801 W<br>speed 6 knots course 102 deg true<br>wind SSW at 5 knots seas 2 feet from N water temp 63.5F<br>Air 80F 52% humidity 1032 mb pressureSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-37911382128523727762010-07-28T23:21:00.001-07:002010-07-28T23:21:32.370-07:00Wed, 7/28 ReportDAY 13 WED 0728 7:30PM HAWAII TIME<br>POSITION: 41-56'N, 142-56'W, CSE:082, SPD: 6.4KNOTS MOTOR SAILING.<br>MAJOR MILESTONE: LESS THAN 1000 MILES TO GO. YUP WE JUST DROPPED A WHOLE DIGIT <br>OFF THE DISTANCE TO GO. THINKING OF GOLF AND TENNIS NOW...WHICH IS PROBABLY A <br>LITTLE PREMATURE.<br>WE ARE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR THE CENTER OF THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM. WE ARE <br>SURROUNDED BY CLOUDS, THE NIGHTS ARE GETTING COOLER, AND WE HAVE A SEVERE LACK <br>OF WIND. WE TURN THE MOTOR OFF AND ON AS THE WIND PICKS UP THEN DROPS OFF. IT <br>WILL BE THIS WAY FOR THE NEXT 2-3 DAYS, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO TACK, WHICH WILL <br>BE THE FIRST TIME IN THE ENTIRE PASSAGE SO FAR. YUP, AMAZINGLY, THE SAILS HAVE <br>BEEN OUT TO PORT [WHICH MEANS A STARBOARD TACK] THE WHOLE TIME. THIS MEANS <br>L'EAU LIFE HAS BEEN TILTING TO THE LEFT THAT WHOLE TIME AS WELL. OUR BEDS ARE <br>SETUP WITH LEE CLOTHES TO KEEP US FROM FALLING OUT AND WE STORE THINGS IN SUCH <br>A MANNER AS THEY WILL STAY PUT, SUCH AS COMPUTERS BOOKS, DRYING DISHES. WELL, <br>WHEN WE TACK, LOOK OUT. THERE WILL BE STUFF WE FORGOT TO RELOCATE THAT WILL GO <br>FLYING, WE WILL RISK FALLING OUT OF BED, ETC. CAN'T WAIT!!!<p>WHISPERED BOAT CONVERSATIONS: MAINSAIL [MS] TO NEW JIB [NJ]<br>NJ: HEY, WHAT'S HAPPENING OLD TIMER, THINGS FEEL DIFFERENT.<br>MS: NUMB NUTS JUST TURNED ON THE MOTOR<br>NJ: NUMB NUTS ???<br>MS: THE CAPTAIN AKA SKIPPER, OR NUMB NUTS<br>NJ: WHY'D HE TURN THE MOTOR ON FOR?<br>MS: WE'RE NOT MOVING THE BOAT FAST ENOUGH<br>NJ: IS HE IN A RUSH? IF HE FELL OFF COURSE A LITTLE WE COULD GO FASTER.<br>MS: HE DOESN'T WANT TO GO THAT WAY. HE'S VERY PICKY<br>NJ: NUMB NUTS<br>MS: NOW YA KNOW WHAT I PUT UP WITH ALL THESE YEARS!!!<p>SEE WHAT DIESEL FUMES DO TO YA,<br>ADRIENSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-55544697751613868652010-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:002010-07-28T08:31:55.270-07:00Day 12Tuesday evening<br>1110 nm to San Francisco, 1379 nm from Oahu<p>Another lazy day. Slept a lot since dinner last night. Good to catch up as for a few nights I was really getting behind in the sleep department. But now I feel all caught up.<p>It seems we played the game with the Pacific High the best we could and still we are ending up sailing right through the middle of it. It has parked itself firmly, directly between us and the northerly winds we hope to find closer to the coast. We expect to have another few days of light winds before we get there. Today we had to do a few hours of motoring, but most of the day we have been sailing close hauled (as close to sailing into the wind as you can go) at between 5 and 6 knots. Luckily the sea is pretty smooth so we aren't pounding into big waves. A bit more wind would be nice, but we have what we have.<p>-steveSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-88259052867050714532010-07-27T23:20:00.001-07:002010-07-27T23:20:38.956-07:00Tuesday, 7/27 ReportDAY 12 TUESDAY 0727 0504Z [Z STANDS FOR ZULU WHICH IS UNIVERSAL TIME, OR THE <br>OLD GREENWICH MEAN TIME. ALL OUR RADIO SCHEDULES AND WEATHER INFO IS IN ZULU <br>TIME. SHIP TIME IS HAWAII TIME, THEN THERE'S PST, ALL OF WHICH WE ATTEMPT TO <br>KEEP STRAIGHT...SOMETIMES EVEN SUCCESSFULLY]<br>POSITION:41-54N, 146-08W, CSE:082T, SPD:6.1KNOTS<br>OK, A LITTLE CLARIFICATION ON OUR "HALF WAY PARTY". FIRST OF ALL, YOU ALWAYS <br>HAVE TO HAVE A HALFWAY PARTY ON A PASSAGE...IT'S THE LAW. COMPUTING THIS BY <br>MILES TRAVELED IS IMPOSSIBLE SINCE WE ONLY KNOW HOW MANY MILES WE'VE TRAVELLED, <br>AND NO IDEA HOW MANY MILES ARE LEFT TO SAIL WITH WIND CHANGES AND ALL. SO, <br>USING THE GPS METHOD WE CAN DETERMINE THAT WE ARE AS FAR AWAY FROM HAWAII AS WE <br>ARE FROM SAN FRANCISCO...OR HALF WAY. IF YOU HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING US ON THE MAP, <br>YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT WE SAILED NORTH AND EVEN A LITTLE BIT WEST AT THE <br>START...NOT POINTING AT ALL IN THE DIRECTION OF HOME. SO, IT TOOK US 12 DAYS TO <br>GET WHERE WE ARE, BUT ONLY HAVE 7 OR 8 DAYS TO GO. <p>RIGHT NOW WE ARE SAILING WITH AN EVENING BREEZE, BUT EARLIER HAD TO HAVE THE <br>MAIN ENGINE ON FOR ALMOST 22 HOURS. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, THE CREW GETS GOOFY, <br>SLEEPS A LOT AND WHEN NOT SLEEPING, STUFFING OUR FACES WITH NUTS, CHOCOLATE, <br>ORANGES AND VARIOUS OTHER SNACKS. IT'S BEEN VERY NICE WEATHER SO WE CAN FIND <br>OURSELVES ALL IN THE COCKPIT IN VARIOUS LOUNGY POSITIONS SAYING 'WHO'S ON <br>WATCH?' ME? OK...ZZZZZZZZ! THEN WE GET MORE SNACKS, CHANGE LOUNGY POSITIONS, <br>AND START OVER AGAIN.<br>WE WILL DEFINITELY BE MOTORING A LOT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS AS WE PASS STRAIGHT <br>THROUGH THE PACIFIC HIGH WHICH HAS NO WIND. ONCE WE PUNCH THROUGH THE OTHER <br>SIDE, WE ARE EXPECTING A FAST APPROACH TO THE GOLDEN GATE. ZZZOOOOOOOOMMMMM!<br>OTHERWISE, AN UNEVENTFUL DAY...NOW THE LAST TIME I SAID THAT ALL HELL BROKE <br>LOOSE...WE'LL SEE!!!<br>ADRIENSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-68013694837051108292010-07-27T06:37:00.001-07:002010-07-27T06:37:37.357-07:00Monday, 7/26 ReportDAY 11 MONDAY 0726 TIME 22:12 PST<br>POSITION: 41-54N, 149-04W, CSE: 090T, SPEED: 7KNOTS MOTOR SAILING<br>WELL WE RAN INTO THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM TODAY...DECREASING WINDS...MOTORING <br>WITH SAILS UP. WE HAD OUR HALF WAY CELEBRATION PARTY TODAY. THE BOYS HAD A <br>BEER, I HAD A COKE, TOOK A GROUP PICTURE, HUGGED, CRIED, LAUGHED. IT WAS ALL <br>OVER IN 5 MINUTES...BACK TO WHATEVER WE WERE DOING. STEVE WAS BUSY DRYING THE <br>CUSHIONS IN THE COCKPIT [NOT SURE WHY, THEY WEREN'T WET], LANCE WENT BACK TO <br>WHISPERING TO THE RADAR AND HIMSELF, AND ME BACK TO THE ENGINE ROOM TO DEAL <br>WITH YESTERDAY'S EXPLOSION. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER FROM YESTERDAY'S REPORT, I WAS <br>OFF TO CHARGE BATTERIES AND MAKE WATER. I BEGAN THE WATER MAKING PROCESS WHICH <br>INCLUDES 7 STEPS. 1-DC CONTROL POWER ON. 2-TURN AC BREAKERS ON FOR PRE-FILTER <br>PUMP AND HIGH PRESSURE PUMP. 3-START PUMPS, 4-INCREASE PRESSURE TO <br>650PSI...SLOWLY. 5-DIVERT TO TEST VALVE. 6-TEST PRODUCT [THAT WOULD BE THE <br>WATER AND WE'RE LOOKING FOR SALINITY THAT IS AROUND 400PPM OR LESS] 7-DIVERT TO <br>TANK...THEN BANG AND I MEAN BANG [AND YES I ALMOST RELIEVED MYSELF ONCE AGAIN], <br>I THOUGHT IT WAS GUNFIRE [THERE ARE NO GUNS ON BOARD...TO MY KNOWLEDGE] I FELT <br>BLOOD SPLATTER, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE WATER SPLATTER. UNFORTUNATELY [WRONG <br>WORD] THE ENTIRE TOP OF THE PRE-FILTER CANISTER BLEW UP...BANG. CRAP. I SHUT <br>EVERYTHING DOWN, CLOSED THE INTAKE THRU HULL, CUSSED A TAD, THEN WENT TO BED <br>AND HAD NIGHTMARES ABOUT THIS TIME I WAS IN ...OH NEVER MIND! WHEN I AWOKE I <br>HAD FIGURED OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I HAD ACCIDENTALY THROWN THE HIGH PRESSURE <br>PUMP BREAKER OFF WHEN DIVERTING TO TANK. [MORE SIMPLY SAID I HALF UN-2'D THE <br>BITCH WHEN ATTEMPTING TO 7...ARE YA WITH ME HERE???] OF COURSE THE PRE-FILTER <br>PUMP KEPT PUMPING WITH NOWHERE FOR THE WATER TO GO...KA-FRIGGIN-BOOM. THE FIX <br>WAS TO COMPLETELY BYPASS THE PRE-FILTER [WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' FILTER...THE <br>WATER'S RATHER CLEAN IN THE OCEAN HERE],GANG THE 2 BREAKERS TOGETHER SO IF ONE <br>GOES OFF THEY BOTH GO OFF AND VOILA...WE NOW HAVE A FULL TANK OF WATER AND I <br>TOOK A SHOWER TO BOOT AND NOW I AM SHINY AND PRETTY...PRETTY TIRED <br>ACTUALLY...SEE YA TOMORROW..HOPEFULLY!!!<br>ADRIEN<p>Just a reminder, here's the link to see L'eau Life & crew's position <br><a href="http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=KF6YNW">http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=KF6YNW</a>. If you hit the minus <br>sign about 4 times you can see their whole coarse in relation to the coast. It's <br>very cool.<br>Also, here's another site you can check out for some of the crew's points of <br>view about the trip. <a href="http://leau-life.blogspot.com/">http://leau-life.blogspot.com/</a>, You can skip through <br>Adrien's log and check out what Steve & Lance have to say and compare stories.<br>Have a great day.<br>PaulaSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-83191442061128604942010-07-26T23:32:00.001-07:002010-07-26T23:35:07.574-07:00Day 118:22pm Hawaii (and L'eau Life) time<br>1261 nm from San Francisco<br>1311 nm from Oahu<p>So we finally passed the half way point. We are now closer to San Francisco than we are to Hawaii. Celebrated by drinking the last 2 beers on the boat. <p>Sailed with the jib in the morning, the spinnaker in the afternoon, and then finally, the wind died and we had to start the engine and begin to motor across the Pacific High. Should only take a day, maybe 2 before the wind fills in again on the other side. It will be good when the noise of the engine goes away.<p>Adrien fixed the water maker. Seems a filter exploded, so he needed to do a bit of plumbing to bypass it. But the tanks are full again, so showers are on again!<p>Finished the last of our fresh lettuce at dinner tonight so no more green salads until we get to SF. Got to think of more interesting things to do with what ingredients we have left. I'm starting to get bored with the food. We will see what we can come up with.<p>Beautiful sunset and moonrise. <p>-steve<p>Position Report 27-JUL-2010 0630Z<br>41 deg 54.317 N 149 deg 20.708 W<br>Course 91 deg speed 6.3 knots<br>Wind 5 knots from the SE<br>Seas 2 feet sea water temp 64.2F<br>Air 76F 65% hunmidity 1025 mbSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-40726608873104913432010-07-26T23:32:00.000-07:002010-07-26T23:34:42.075-07:00Distance (lance)7/27 0430Z 41.54N, 149.36W - 90T@6kts (motor sailing). No ships to report. Not sure what beans are in the pot. Adrien thinks he knows where the fire extinguisher pin is - mystery solved.<p>There's an old puzzler for kids that goes, "How far can a dog run into the woods?" The pat answer is "Halfway, after that it's running out of the woods." Today we met Steve's definition of halfway, where the distance from Hawaii equals the distance to San Francisco - about 1320nm to either. (A piece of the Alaska peninsula is only 900nm distant, but Kodiak isn't on the cruise itinerary according to the director.)<p>It was a huge celebration for the Three Quarks (for Muster Mark). Party hats, a live band, several kegs, the works. Hula girls did the limbo. The police broke it up about 2am 'cause the neighbors complained about the noise. Then Steve and I finished the two beers we had on board (Adrien shot-gunned a Coca Cola) and went back to the important tasks of the day, like drying the cushions. Steve did a great job and they're really, really dry, especially the ones he put in the sun. Adrien performed additional water maker surgery removing its appendix and bypassing the spleen. He just took a shower (thank god) so it must have been successful. The patient is still producing half a gallon a minute with salt at only 300ppm; very drinkable.<p>Distance is measured out here in Nautical Miles which are defined more-or-less as follows - at the equator there are 360 degrees around the earth. You start at Greenwich, England (five or six stops on the DLR from Canary Wharf) and can go 180 degrees of "longitude" east or west. Each degree is split up into 60 "minutes", each is a nautical mile. Same thing north and south of the equator, except north and south are "latitude". Lines of latitude are parallel so each degree is always 60nm apart, but longitude gets closer as one approaches the poles, so there's a correction factor depending on how far you are from the equator - here it's about .75. So we're at 150W and need to get to 140W before there's good sailing wind. This is 10 degrees, or .75x600 = 450nm. I'm spending a lot of time multiplying by 60 and .75 in my head right now. Stretching muscles I haven't used since Mitch Kapor came up with VisiCalc (precursor to Excel for you youngsters). (Seventeen years of math and I can still add - boy, they try to beat that out of you once you're in college.) On a related note, time is measured in Zulu, which is also known as Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) which is darn close to Greenwich time (GMT) except for some leap seconds. I have lots of time to think about things like this. And we're only half way.<p>Steve worked out this analogy: Hawaii to San Francisco is similar in distance and direction to Los Angeles to Chicago. So imagine that trip, but because of construction you go via Portland or Seattle - and never exceed 10mph. Cyclists competing in RAAM make better progress.<p>The sailing this morning was glorious. Light favorable breeze, calm seas, and wonderful sunshine. Then we got close enough to the center of Pacific High to lose useful wind. In the old days this meant throwing the livestock overboard, but in this modern age of steam (or diesel) you turn the key and just thrum along. The noise should last for three days when we'll pick up favorable northerlies and sail home. We're now following the great circle route, the shortest path to our next beer. That's a GREAT circle worth following.<p>Good thing we've discussed the weather 'cause it's too loud for anything deep or meaningful unless you like conversations that go mostly, Steve: "Huh? (he's slightly deaf), Adrien: "What?" Steve: "What?", Adrien: "Eh?" I miss most of the scintillating debate because I'm asleep all the time, usually with headphones on. Or so I'm told.<p>I really miss the spinnaker.Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-45424233365866593012010-07-26T11:48:00.000-07:002010-07-26T11:50:01.796-07:00Day 10Monday 8:30am Hawaii time<br>1323 nm to SF 1292 from Oahu<p>Sunday was a pretty quiet day. I slept soundly through a spinnaker dowse early in the morning. Had a show in the late afternoon, and finished off reading Catch-22. Just a nice day of sailing straight east, still on the great circle route to San Francisco. Watching to see where the wind shifts as the highs and lows move around in the next day or so.<p>Weather has gotten a bit cooler. Night watch now means long pants, long sleeve shirt, and a windbreaker jacket. My feet got a bit cold last night so I think it is time to break out my dinghy boots (neoprene boots sort of like for a wet suit). Got to keep those toes warm.<p>We've finally seen another boat. Last boat we saw was about half hour after we left. But on Saturday night we one ship headed west (not clear what kind it was as it was dark and far away), and then yesterday we saw a big car carrier headed west (Adrien almost let it sneak by). We must be near the shipping lanes between Asia and the West coast of North America. Will probably see more, and need to keep a careful watch out.<p>As you can see from the distances up at the top of this post we are very close to the "halfway point", where we are the same distance from Hawaii and SF. Not that this has anything to do with how far we have come and how far/long we have to go, but it is a good excuse for a party. Lance and I plan to finish off the last 2 beers onboard as part of the celebration.<p>Today looks like it will be more of the same kind of sailing. Just chugging along at between 6 and 7 knots headed due east.<p>-steve<p>Position Report 26-JUL-2010 1845Z<br>41 deg 58.493 N<br>150 deg 43.162 W<br>course 88 deg speed 5.6 knots<br>Seas 2 feet sea water temo 64.2 deg F<br>Wind SSW at 12 knots<br>Air 72 deg F 70% humidity 1026 mbSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-43461443044551114502010-07-26T06:57:00.000-07:002010-07-26T06:58:49.825-07:00The right direction (lance)We (the Three Amigos/Stooges/Men in a Tub) are starting to point home. Early this morning the wind went forward and we had to take the kite down (we'd been hauling along at up to 8.5kts) and since then we've been going almost due east along the 42nd parallel. Currently 7/26 1000Z 42.00N, 151.56W doing 092T@6.1kts.<p>With just the jib up there's less active sailing; we still have to adjust it and the main to stay at peak efficiency, but not as often as with the spinnaker. Even so we made good time, keeping the speed in the 7.5+kt range much of the afternoon. Above 6kts is faster than we can motor, and above 7kts is "moving right along."<p>We chased the same line of dark clouds all day. When we took the kite down it was about two miles ahead and a bit ominous. It receded to maybe 15-20 miles out midday, but we finally caught it around dusk. The other side has been lighter wind but from the same direction. Meanwhile a wall of big, dark, scary looking weather has been looming up behind us as a low pressure system scrunches into the Pacific High. If we're lucky we'll stay just ahead of it, using its winds but avoiding anything nasty. Around here the weather often dominates discussion.<p>Tried some new beans with dinner this evening. So far nothing has come close to the lentils for volcanic activity, but it's good to know we have pinto and kidney beans, also. Really should have tracked down some lima and garbanzos and maybe plain canned string beans. Can't have too many beans. Didn't need the fire extinguisher.<p>Saw a ship on radar yesterday that passed a few miles off to port. Saw a ship about two miles off to port today then realized it had been on radar. We've made a mental note for whomever is on watch to look around a bit more often.<p>The water temperature is below 65 degrees; starting to add layers for night watches. The full moon is bright and beautiful.Steve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-11591364689317892752010-07-26T06:34:00.001-07:002010-07-26T06:34:07.408-07:00Sunday, 7/25 ReportDAY 10 Sun 0725<br>POSITION: 42-00, 152-31, CSE: 090T [HOMEWARD BOUND] SPD: 6KNOTS<br>WE'VE HAD A GOOD DAY OF SAILING WITH GOOD SPEED AND SMOOTHISH SEAS, GOING <br>STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW. RATHER UNEVENTFUL, EXCEPT FOR THE SHIP THAT IS!!! WE HAVE <br>RADAR ON BOARD THAT CAN SEE SHIPS AND RAIN SQUALLS WHICH WE ARE SUPPOSED TO <br>KEEP AN EYE ON. WE ALSO HAD SETUP GUARD RINGS WHICH SOUND AN ALARM WHEN <br>SOMETHING CROSSES THAT PREDEFINED ZONE. OUR GUARD ZONE HAD A HOLE IN IT SO THE <br>SHIP GOT THROUGH UNDETECTED. AWHILE AGO WHILE I WAS ON WATCH I GLANCED AROUND <br>TO SEE THIS RATHER LARGE CAR CONTAINER SHIP GO BY IN PLAIN VIEW. I ABOUT <br>RELIEVED [THAT WORD AGAIN] MYSELF RIGHT THEN AND THERE. I QUICKLY FIXED THE <br>HOLE IN THE GUARD ZONE AND CREATED A BACKUP ONE AS WELL. WE SHOULD BE COVERED <br>NOW.<br>WELL, IT'S DAY 10 AND WE ARE STILL HAVING SALADS WITH DINNER. THE LETTUCE IS <br>STILL REASONABLE ALTHOUGH TIRED LOOKING. PROBABLY ANOTHER 2 DAYS WORTH THEN <br>OVER THE SIDE IT GOES. A LOT OF STUFF CAN GO OVER THE SIDE, BUT NEVER ANY FORM <br>OF PLASTIC, OILS, OR CAPTAIN OR CREW! WE ARE ALL GETTING ALONG FINE, AND THE <br>SCURVY BASTARDS AREN'T GETTING TO ME TOO BAD JUST YET. <p>WE HAD TO TAKE THE SPINNAKER DOWN JUST BEFORE SUNUP THIS MORNING. A WEE BIT TOO <br>MUCH BREEZE. LANCE [FOREDECK ARTISTE EXTRAORDINAIRE] AND I SNUFFED AND STUFFED <br>IT WHILE STEVE SNORED LIKE A TRACTOR. WENT PRETTY WELL ACTUALLY. THE TEMPORARY <br>BOW SPRIT EXTENSION IS BENT HOWEVER, THAT BIG KITE EXERTS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT <br>OF FORCE. WE'LL AVE TO INSPECT FURTHER TO SEE IF WE STILL USE IT.<br>THE BOYS HAD SHOWERS THIS EVENING AND ARE ALL POWDERED UP AND SHINY AND PRETTY. <br>ME...AH...I'LL LET HER GO ANOTHER DAY. <p>RIGHT NOW CHARGING BATTERIES AND AFTER THAT WILL BE MAKING WATER TO FILL THE <br>FRESH WATER TANK. THE GENSET IS WORKING OVERTIME TONIGHT. I'LL BE SIGNING OFF <br>NOW...<br>SMELLYSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-14069288558641162322010-07-25T03:36:00.000-07:002010-07-25T03:37:11.703-07:00Day 9 - Finally headed eastSaturday Night 9pm Hawaii time<br>1218 nautical miles from Oahu<br>1551 nautical miles to the Golden Gate<p>Yesterday afternoon spinniker run took us NE, and finally making it up to 41 deg N. But when we go there this morning, the wind died, and we thought it was the end of sailing for a while. Time to start the engine and motor across the center of the Pacific High, which would mean about 3 days of listening to the engine. Not my favorite part of the trip. But, after only a few hours of motoring, the wind filled in from the South. We reset the spinnacker and turned off the engine. We now sailing almost straight east. Almost on the great circle route (the shortest path on the surface of a sphere) to San Francisco. We won't be able to sail directly there though. The plan is to continue east until the wind changes again and starts to come from the NW. Things are looking pretty good weather and wind wise at the moment. Everyone is happy about that.<p>Other than that it was a pretty regular day of standing watches, napping, eating, reading, etc. <p>The cooking part of the day has been a bit interesting. When we loaded up the boat with food, Adrien put the 5 pound package of ground beef from Costco in the freezer. Now we have a solid 5 pound block of ground beef, and want to use a bit of it for tonight's dinner. So into the tool box goes Adrien and he sets up a little butch shop on the aft deck. He has a vise to hold the meat, and is alternating between his hacksaw, and a Japanese double sided pull saw to cut the 5 pound lump into 5 one pound lumps. Bits of beef shavings/sawdust are flying all over. But the job gets done, and we have an excellent beef, beans, corn, and rice "chili" dinner. Nice work. Hope he cleaned the saws both before and after cutting the meat or the engine room may develop a bit of a funky smell in the next few days.<p>That's about all for now. Lance is on watch, Leo Kottke is on the stereo, and I'm going to get a bit of sleep before my 1am-4am watch.<p>-steve<p>25-JUL-2010 07:13 GMT<br>41 deg 34.362 N<br>155 deg 46.830 W<br>course 77 deg T speed 6.1 knots<br>Wind 11 knots from the South<br>Seas about 2 feet, water temp 66.6 deg F<br>Air temp 76 deg F 61% humidity 1025 mb pressureSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-702570121575225778.post-59775896307515717972010-07-25T00:11:00.001-07:002010-07-25T00:11:12.295-07:00Saturday, 7/24 ReportDAY 9 SAT 0724<p>POSITION: 41-32N, 155-47W, CSE: 082T, SPEED: 5.5KNOTS UNDER FULL MAINSAIL AND <br>SPINNAKER.<p>"I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE XMAS"...WELL THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE AFTER I LEANED <br>ON THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER HANDLE [WITHOUT THE FRIGGIN' PIN IN IT] TO GET TO THE <br>RADIO YESTERDAY. THIS WAS THE EXTINGUISHER I RELOCATED FOR EXTRA PRECAUTION <br>FOR THE GENSET FUSE WORK AROUND. LUCKILY THE MESS WAS CONFINED TO THE NAV <br>STATION AREA. I WAS A LITTLE WHITE MYSELF, LOOKED LIKE SOMEONE DUMPED A BAG OF <br>FLOUR IN THE AREA. CRAP...NOW I KNOW WHAT THAT PROJECTILE WAS THAT FLEW BY HEAD <br>IN THE DARK AND HIT A BULKHEAD WITH A LOUD PING THE OTHER NIGHT...THE DAMN PIN.<br>GOOD DAY TODAY ALTHOUGH WE LOST ENOUGH WIND TO HAVE TO RUN THE MAIN ENGINE FOR <br>A FEW HOURS...BUT THEN THE WIND RETURNED SO WE UNFURLED THE JIB...GOT ONLY 5 <br>KNOTS, SO OUT CAM THE SPINNAKER AGAIN. IT'S STILL UP AS I WRITE BUT DESPERATELY <br>STARVED FOR AIR. BEAUTIFUL SUNSET JUST HAPPENED SO MAYBE A LITTLE MORE BREEZE <br>WILL FILL IN SOON. THE BOAT IS DEFINITELY POINTING HOME THOUGH. REALITY CHECK <br>THOUGH...WE ARE 1550 NAUTICAL MILES AWAY...MORE THAN 10 DAYS AWAY.<br>PREPARATION FOR DINNER TONIGHT WAS INTERESTING AND CONSIDERED VIDEO WORTHY. <br>PICTURE A COSTCO 6 POUND HUNK OF FROZEN SOLID HAMBURGER OF WHICH WE WOULD LIKE <br>A POUND OF, USING AVAILABLE TOOLS ON BOARD. AFTER FIRST CONSIDERING AND <br>SUBSEQUENTLY ELIMINATING ALL POWER TOOLS, I DECIDED UPON A HACK SAW WITH A <br>FRESH BLADE. LOCATION BEING THE NEXT HURDLE AS WELL AS METHOD OF HOLDING DOWN <br>SAID HUNK OF BEEF RESULTED IN INSTALLING THE SHIP'S VICE ON THE REAR DECK AND <br>WELL...HACKING AWAY. MANAGED TWO ONE POUND PORTIONS AND BEING WORN OUT DECIDED <br>ON PARTIALLY THAWING THE REMAINING PORTION OF GROUND UP COW. THERE ARE PIECES <br>OF RAW MEAT EVERYWHERE AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT...THE BIRDS ARE A CIRCLIN' WHICH <br>IS RATHER INTERESTING. WE DO HAVE A PACK OF SMALL BIRDS THAT HAVE BEEN <br>FOLLOWING US FOR A FEW DAYS WAY OUT HERE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. MY GUESS IS <br>THAT THERE HOME IS PROBABLY THE HUGE GARBAGE DUMP THAT EXISTS EAST OF US. <p>ANYWAY, THE DINNER THAT IS ON THE COOKER HAS THAT POUND OF BEEF WITH DECK <br>SPICES ON IT AND EVERYONE GOT TO CHOOSE A CAN OF STUFF TO ADD. SO WE GOT BEEF, <br>RICE, ONIONS, CORN, BAKED BEANS AND COKE. CAN'T WAIT. LAST NIGHT WE HAD LENTIL <br>FRIGGIN' BEANS, AND HAVE BEEN CONSEQUENTLY OVERUSING OUR ONLY OPERATING HEAD <br>WITH NO RELIEF [NOW THERE'S A WORD] IN SIGHT.<br>GOTTA GO...REALLY!<br>ADRIENSteve Berlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00190922208040656437noreply@blogger.com0