Diamond Head, Honolulu, Hawaii
April 17, 2017 Honolulu, Hawaii 8:35 am local 18:35 UTC
Lat. 22 06.9 N, Long 157 35.8 W, Course 003 True, Boat speed 5 knots, Distance to Victoria 2232 nm
Left Honolulu yesterday (April 16) under sunny skies and a warm offshore breeze.
Been resting all day today after a long night. Beating into that NE 20 knots of wind with 2-3 meter seas. Taking it easy at 5 knots. Lots of water on the deck. All is well.
Trying to catch up on my sleep and get my sea legs and tummy settled. Still fairly warm with overcast and grey skies.
Been resting all day, but still yawning and generally feeling tired. Just had a few spoonfuls of “FATSO” and a cracker to tie me over.
Making great headway at the moment, very lively ride and the best place to endure it is in my bunk. The combination of the 20 knots of breeze and the height and breadth of the waves and our sail set is giving us a steady 5-6 knots of boat speed. The electric bilge pump has packed it in so glad I brought a new one with me. We are not making a lot of water but enough to make it something to keep an eye on which is exactly how I found out the pump had packed it in. I have a small hand pump mounted on a board and that is what I have been using for the last little while, til things calm down enough so that when I replace the old for the new I don’t risk falling head first into the bilge. I may have to shorten sail for a bit to make that happen.
There’s lots of those extremely talented sea birds skiing the waves and providing a living element to the vast breaking ocean vista that I am sailing through. Both the ocean and sky are fifty shades of grey, the sky the lighter of the two. The clouds look like a tray of endless croissants floating all at the same level. I think they are only one croissant deep as occasionally you can see the blue tray they float on.
Looking back to yesterday afternoon there is quite a contrast in the scene. I left the Ala Wai Marina channel with bright sunny skies, warm offshore breeze and patches of surfers like a flock of birds waiting for the perfect wave suspended in the azure green water. Watch this short video MaryLou took of the same channel back in January.
The sea was calm with a gentle swell. Diamond Head was picture perfect with a few billowy bright white clouds contrasting its distinct and powerful shape.
I sailed out into the ever increasing wind and waves towards Molokai and then tacked on to starboard as the sun set, to clear Oahu and have been sailing along ever since.
I am in a familiar place and all my senses default to sailing mode, preset after thousands of miles, hundreds of sunsets, thousands of reefs and tacks all adding up to a program deeply set into my genetic makeup and may have been there for generations – passed down from my Dad and my Mom.
There are instinctive movements and decisions made automatically in response to the fluid environment all around me. My mind adjusts to the 2300 nautical mile passage ahead, already breaking it down into bite sized pieces that are easy to fathom. The warm leg, the temperate leg and the cold leg. When will the moon shine full? I have sailed down the Straits of Juan de Fuca in 1973, 1997, 2006, and 2013 all but one single handed, in boats from 55 ft. to 26 ft. always headed out into the Pacific, never home.
So this passage will be very special. It’s the end of an odyssey, a returning home. I long for the smell of the west coast. That mixture of coniferous forest and salty seedy beach.
And home once again to MaryLou who waits ever so patiently. Thanks for waiting MaryLou.
Painting the bottom at Keehi Boat Harbour in Honolulu before setting sail
The short view
The long view
Go to earth.nullschool.net for up to date wind conditions across the north Pacific.
Homeward bound toward the Juan de Fuca, the gateway to the next dimension. The real world awaits your infectious smile. Gentle breezes and following winds. Hope to see you guys this summer.
Thanks Jim and Kathleen. We’d love to sail in to Sointula for a nice visit with you two. Take care ML and G
Thinking of you on you last leg home. I can relate to this one a bit :) Hope you a fun passage Glenn!
Thanks Mark. Guess that depends on how you define “fun”!
Safe travels Glenn!
Thanks, I’ll pass it on to him. ML
Fair winds and flat seas, my friend!!
Cheers, Hubs
“Adventure at sea is just bad planning….”
Thanks Hubs. Love your quote! ML
Hi Glen great to see youre back on the horse
Just wondering what was the outcome of the leak in the boat and what did you end up doing to fix it
Cheers Jeff VK2MZZ
Good Sailing, Glenn. I’m over in Hilo, straight shot up from Tasmania in 56 days.
Thanks Susanne. Happy sailing to you too!
Safe travels Glenn. We wish you well and looking forward to following this stage. Cheers from Taupo NZ
Thanks John. Nice to know you’re ‘on board’.
Glenn, So pleased to know that you’ve set out full of ‘Aloha’ spirit onto the last 2300 nm of you’re journey. You’re like a Snowbird heading home after a lovely winter.
Your paint job really shows some artistic promise.
May you take it easy, but enjoy your dance on the waters. It’s always interesting to read your journals, so keep them coming. I wish you “Bon voyage!’.
“Spirit of water, spirit of wind, Guide us along till our ship comes in
For we’re all alone on this wide open sea, so far away from where we’re meant to be.”
Sincerely, Ellie Dufresne, Victoria, BC
Ellie Dufresne
Thanks Ellie. All the best. ML
Hope you have a beautiful trip home Glenn.
Thanks Ken.