Zac Sunderland: Fair Winds

Sunday, July 27, 2008
Latest Position as of July 27, 2008 at 1810UTC/11:10PDT: 10.59N, 176.35W

The wind settled down some last night so my average speed was only 5 knots. I remember when 5 knots would have seemed like racing along when I was becalmed on the way to Hawaii!
I spoke on the radio with Moana again last night. They had had a nap and were able to tell me more about their squall that blew out their sail. They had been sleeping. It was 9:00 at night. They don't have a radar so they have to keep their eyes out for squalls. A squall hit them suddenly with 30+ knots. They were 'knocked down' which is anytime when your spreaders hit the water. Spreaders are metal bars attached to the mast the 'spread' out the shrouds (the metal lines that hold up the mast. They ran up on deck to release the main sheet (spilling wind out of the main sail). The boat righted itself and they were able to sail along under stay sail alone while they checked the boat for damage. The wind was still blowing at 30 knots. Before they had finished checking things over a gust of wind at over 40 knots hit them and blew out the stay sail, tearing apart at the seams. Made me nervous last night and I really didn't sleep well. I kept getting up to check the sky, radar etc.
I also spoke to Lady Sarah last night. Claire's hand is healing well. They have been hiking and mountain biking around Kauai and having a blast while they wait for their friend to fly out to crew on the way to Vancouver.
On a more mundane note, I cleaned out my fridge yesterday afternoon. It was pretty disgusting. I haven't been able to run it because of my solar panel charging problem.
It's too bad because I finally have an appetite but a lot of my fresh food is moldy except for some fruit (apples and oranges). It must be the heat.
I have also been using these exercise bands. My legs felt pretty weak when I was in Hawaii. I'm afraid of how much weaker I will get along the way. I never asked Jesse (Martin) about that. When he circumnavigated, he went non-stop and was out for almost a year without stepping foot off his boat!
I have been talking with some boaters in Majuro on the SSB radio. It is great to talk to them about the weather and what to expect. They will give Moana and me all the info we need to get into Majuro. Should be about Friday all being well. The Robert Reimers Hotel has offered to put up dad and a few film guys at the hotel for free and are donating the use of a rental car. What amazing generosity! It seems like the Majurans are super friendly. Should be a blast. Dad and I are hoping to do some spear fishing while we're there.
Thanks for the tips on the ipod rescue. Though I had considered getting a haircut about a week ago, it has gotten past the annoying stage and is now actually a good covering for my neck and ears. Sorry Bill!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 2:46 PM 26 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, July 26, 2008
Current Position as of July 26, 2008 at 1802UTC: 12.18N, 174.49W

Have had exceptionally good wind pretty consistantly at 20-25 knots. This makes my job of filling the sails so much easier as I have tospill wind to keep from being overpowered. The swells are becoming more sharp and less like rollers. I have has some incredible speeds flying down thses things - as much as 9.7 knots at one point! It is really awesome moving along like this. My average speed has been between 6.5 and 7.0 knots. I could get more speed out of the boat but it is hard on the rig and requires more maintenance which is too much for a single-hander.
I have been experimenting with my charging ability vs my usage. The wind generator is definitely getting a workout on this leg!
A few people have asked again about how I keep safe on deck when reefing in heavy winds. First of all, all of my lines come back to the cockpit so I don't have to go on deck. If for some reason I have to go on deck I am always wearing a harness and tether which is a line from the harness to the boat. I never take either of them off. I have read of several sailors who have jumped up in the middle of the night to deal with some emergency and realized too late that they aren't clipped on. Also, I 'shorten' sail everynight. This slows the boat down some but helps avoid the problem of getting overpowered while sleeping. The other night when I woke up on my wall, the wind must have picked up gradually because the radar never alerted me to a squall as ususal.
Besides my daily net with Moana, (yes I was hearing them wrong all this time), I am now talking on a South Pacific Net call Rag on the Air that includes many of the islands down here near the Marshalls. I can hear people calling from Fiji as well as Tarawa and the Marshalls. I now talk with Moana several times a day. This morning they told me that they blew out their stay sail and will be detouring to Majuro. I am glad to be able to see them again but it is a bummer about their sail. The stay sail is a smaller sail that is on the bow of the boat. May boats will sail under the main sail and the stay sail inheavy weather. In heavier weather boats will sail under stay sail alone. Moana was sailing under stay sail alone in 30-33 knots of wind last night when the wind began gusting to 40 knots! The heavy wind shredded their stay sail. They are in contact with dad who will hopefully be able to arrange a new sail for them and bring it out to Majuro next week. This story makes me grateful for my new UK Halsey sails. They have been incredible to work with. This is also one of the major reasons, besides better wind, for stopping at Majuro. Majuro has an international airport and has more services for travelers and boaters.
Today I will attempt to repair some leaks around the boat. I don't know how it is possible for my windows to leak! They were just installed.
I also have been using the exercise bands that mom brought to Hawaii. I am afraid to lose too much weight out here. Although I should say that it is very cool out here. It is really warm and balmy all day and night. Even the water and rain are warm. The wind and sea are just awesome to be part of.
I do have some bad news of my own though nothing like that of Moana. A wild swell crashed over the side of Intrepid while I was sleeping last night and sprayed in the small opening I had left in the companionway. It completely soaked my ipod and I'm pretty sure its dead. Better the ipod than the sails.
This is getting long...I will attempt to answer more of your questions now that I am pretty well on a schedule and feeling more energy than when I first set off.

Cheers,
Zac

Note from Mom:
A few people asked if Zac would stop at Johnston Atoll. I knew that he couldn't but wasn't sure why. I got the following info online. Hope it answers a few questions.

Johnston is a coral atoll about 700 mi southwest of Hawaii. It consists of four small islands—Johnston Island, Sand Island, Hikina Island, and Akau Island—which lie on a 9-mile-long reef. The atoll was discovered by Capt. Charles James Johnston of HMS Cornwallis in 1807. In 1858 it was claimed by Hawaii, and it later became a U.S. possession. Johnston Atoll was used by the U.S. Air Force to conduct test launchings of nuclear missiles and contains a landfill of plutonium-contaminated waste. More than four million pounds of chemical weapons have been destroyed on Johnston since 1990, and the U.S. military has been fined several times since then for improperly handing VX and sarin gas and releasing the deadly substances on the atoll. The military is gradually departing and the atoll will be turned into a wildlife refuge. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the atoll's inheritor, is concerned about the possibility of eventual radioactive leakage.