March 8, 2007
I went to Waikiki to meet the crew, sail the boat and close the deal. Some work had been done prior to all of us arriving such as food, water, etc., and there was not much to do other than put the bags on and go. Everything was in order for us to depart Waikiki on time with all the expected crew.
I was picked up at the airport by Gib and we made the short trip to the boat to unload my gear and some other stuff he had in the back. But, he now had two cars at the marina and needed to get one of them back home. I am familiar with the area and followed him to his house in Kaneohe Bay to drop off the car.
I was picked up at the airport by Gib and we made the short trip to the boat to unload my gear and some other stuff he had in the back. But, he now had two cars at the marina and needed to get one of them back home. I am familiar with the area and followed him to his house in Kaneohe Bay to drop off the car.
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| S/V Chasch Mer SC50 #1 |
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| Ti leaves from the blessing must be removed by the sea. |
Here were nine guys, most meeting for the first time, letting loose the dock lines and overnight sailing to Maui. There wasn’t much of a harbor ride and we were in the ocean within minutes with all the sails up. For some reason it didn't seem odd to fly in and quickly set sail. We left the Waikiki Yacht Club in the late afternoon and within a couple miles of the breakwater were already seeing whales and using avoidance techniques.
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| Gib, the owner, at the wheel. |
March 9, 2007
(You Tube clip) S/V Chasch Mer dawn, west of Lanai, HI 3.9.07
The wind angle was not ideal and caused us to tack many times on this run and increased the distance substantially. We left the dock around 6pm and by mid-night it was a rough ride. We were heading into the wind and the waves and ended up pounding pretty hard into waves. It felt like we fell off the back of some of the waves and the impact was impressive. Unfortunately, this ride did not allow any sound sleep for off-watch crew. The combination of rough seas and a true racing style boat (i.e.: Spartan accommodations) makes for a less than wine-and-cheese sunset cruise.
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| It’s actually warm and we were wearing rain gear. |
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| Ray and I worked the foredeck. |
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| No luck catching fish with the hand line. |
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| Constant lookout to avoid hitting whales. |
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| It is nearly impossible to sail in this area and not take in the sites. |
(You Tube clip)
You can see the mast of the sunken sailboat in the distance just off the breakwater.
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| Lahaina, Maui, HI at the guest dock. |
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| Kea & Keali’s house up the hill overlooking Lahaina, Maui |
Friday evening we went up the hill above Lahaina to the home of Gib’s daughter and her family. We had a great time just hanging out, drinking beer and wine topped off with a great BBQ. Gib took this opportunity to let us all know about the sponsor he was able to get for the race.
Apparently he had been working on it for some time and managed to get Stags Leap Winery as our official sponsor and that explains all the Stags Leap wine at the BBQ. There will be graphics on the boat and the boat is already listed as Stag’s Leap Chasch Mer on the Transpac website. I can only assume they are betting on the chance that the boat will be in the Disney movie garnering some advertising.
We will be wearing custom made clothing for this event so as to present a unified, professional looking crew. Stag’s Leap has already reserved the boat for VIP functions in Long Beach prior to the event as well as in Waikiki. As soon as the copyright issues are worked out for the collage shirts/dresses they will be produced as well as released by the clothing manufacturer for their own line.
Saturday, the planned day of practice, was different to say the least. We could not start the engine but that was no deterrent. We sailed off the dock and figured we’d sail in somehow. I must give credit where due to Gib and Kea, his son in law, who worked this out perfect. We kicked the bow off the dock, let it drift parallel to the breakwater wall, raised the jib, got underway, and after turning left past the edge of the wall we raised the main and were off. We were plagued with rain, heavy at times. When the rain settled over us the wind stopped. Uh, no engine, no wind, no go. We sat and waited it out.
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| Kea and Ray |
The plan was to sail back and forth and do spinnaker hoists/drops and gybes (dip the pole on the inside and move it to the other side of the headstay). On one of the maneuvers the sail got caught in the jaws on the end of the pole and subsequently was torn. There were many spinnakers below and we just grabbed another one. My position was at the mast and I managed jumping the halyards for hoisting (pulling the line here is faster than at the winch), setting up the pole, raising and lowering the pole for gybes, capturing the chute on drops keeping it out of the water (and from going under the boat), etc. We all have designated jobs and that is why there will be 10 of us. Included in our specific tasks is manning the helm. Since we want this boat to go as fast as we can make it we will be hand steering allowing each of us lots of wheel time. I get the impression that since it is downhill all the way to Hawaii we will fly spinnakers 24 hours a day.
I officially got the coveted position on this boat for the 2007 Trans Pac and am very much looking forward. I leave on July 6 for Long Beach to participate in a few days of events and offshore practice, etc. The boat crosses the start line on July 12 and arrives in Waikiki about 10-12 days later. This ‘vacation’ will be different than all my other times in Hawaii as there are several days of yacht club parties/events and an awards ceremony.
David
It is a challenge for those who do and a dream for those who don’t.
