Route to Hawaii   The green line shows the actual path followed as recorded by the GPS in my MaxSea nav program.  The highlighted blue line shows the path I originally thought I'd have to follow back in March when the North Pacific High was sitting far south and east.  The other blue line shows the path intended as the trip developed.  The zig zags down the Washington and Oregon coast were the result of adverse wind and wave conditions and unexpected problems that forced me to put in for repairs before finally jumping off from Coos Bay.   What follows are the e-mail updates I sent out during the voyage.  I've added some pictures that weren't sent at the time because of the slow transmission speeds involved with Pactor e-mail.   Date: 08 Jun 2006 13:35:56 -0000 From: WB7NCV We will be leaving after noon today for Hawaii.  Once out of the Port Angeles harbor this is the only e-mail address I will be able to access until we reach Hilo in 4 weeks or so.  There are some special requirements when using this address since it is subject to amateur radio FCC regulations: 1.  NO business messages 2.  Keep messages SHORT since this e-mail service is conducted over HF radio and is extremely slow, as in 50 to 100 bytes per minute instead of the 56k you get with dial up.  Thing of the movies from the 30s and 40s where they used teletype -- SLOW!! 3.  Therefore, please do not send pictures, jokes, or any of the other types of stuff you might ordinarily share. 4.  NO profanity. I will send out position reports when possible.  At times this might be daily, at other times it could be several days between reports.  All depends on atmospheric conditions and radio communication with shore stations. We're looking forward to a fun and safe passage.  I'll take you along as best I can. Cheers, Carl S/V Aphrodite   Date: 09 Jun 2006 03:43:04 -0000 From: WB7NCV Well, we're closer to Hawaii -- about 200 yards! About 4 pm we motored over to the fuel dock and topped off the diesel tanks.  Took on almost 100 gallons.  Then we headed over to the transient dock to await the return of the electrician.  Then we discovered that we couldn't restart the engine -- seems to be a starter solenoid.  By then of course it's too late to get parts.  So, tomorrow at 0730 the diesel mechanic will be here to do the repair and with luck we'll be underway by noon. Tonight it's overcast and steady rain.  But we had a good dinner at Bella Italia and now are back to getting everything stowed for tomorrow. Wish us a speedy repair and an early departure! Carl   Date: 10 Jun 2006 04:54:22 -0000 From: WB7NCV Reached the vicinity of Neah Bay about 1900.  No response from the marina there, so no fuel until morning.  Decided to push on and refuel in Hilo. Beautiful sunset, partly cloudy and a full moon.  Should be a beautiful night. In another hour we'll be past Tatoosh Island and able to head southerly.  At that time we'll raise the sails. All well. Carl   Subject: Enroute 10 June late afternoon Date: 11 Jun 2006 06:24:15 -0000 From: WB7NCV If everything had gone according to plan, the month of May would have involved a series of shakedown cruises to find and remedy problems.  That presumed that the boat would have had all planned repairs and upgrades completed by the end of April.  But, it didn't happen that way. So, we're on our shakedown cruise now.  We've discovered a few minor problems that we're dealing with but the biggest problem has been a lack of wind forcing us to motor much more than planned.  As a result we will be putting into Gray's Harbor, WA in a couple of hours to top off the fuel and water tanks and will continue to stay within 50 miles of the coast in case we have to continue in this manner. Randy is putting the fishing gear together and just got one of lines trolling.  We passed a tuna trawler and he got all excited about catching a tuna.  But the freezer is full so I hope he doesn't catch anything bigger than we can eat right away! Well, it's now just after 11pm and we are safely docked at Westport Marina, Gray's Harbor, WA. We need fuel since the winds have been light, and we need water since we had a problem with a leaky deck outlet.  Probably lost 20 to 30 percent of our water supply.  Can't count on rain and don't know for sure if the water maker works, so we'll top off the water and make sure we have our full 150 gallons when we start. All for tonight from S/V Aphrodite   Date: 12 Jun 2006 10:11:46 -0000 From: WB7NCV With our water leak fixed and a full water tank (but no diesel since the fuel dock is closed on WE!) we're heading out with fair winds. S/V Aphrodite

Gray's Harbor Washington   Subject: Monday morning Date: 12 Jun 2006 20:39:04 -0000 From: WB7NCV We had an auspicious departure from Gray's Harbor -- 24 kt winds from the north and decent sea conditions.  With two reefs in the sails we clocked over 9 kts at times on a broad reach and averaged about 8 kts.  But as the day turned to evening the winds moderated to 15 kts or so and during the deep of the night it just died.  About 0430 this morning we went back to motoring.  Since the forecast for the next day or so is more light winds, especially at night, we're now heading for Newport, OR to refuel. Discovered one major problem yesterday when the lower gasket on the mainmast came loose allowing it to ride up over its plastic chafe protector.  It took us about two hours or so to get it back where it needs to be.  Difficult and exhausting work while motoring into a 15 kt wind. Tried the tow generator while underway -- no luck.  There was some initial turning at about 40 - 60 rpm, but then it stopped after a few minutes.  When I retrieved the generator I found the prop had disengaged and was just spinning free.  Haven't tried the wind generator underway because there appears to be a balance problem.  I'm tempted to remove the air brake and see if that helps the balance. The Scanmar Autohelm wind vane seemed to work well when on a broad reach with the 20+ knot winds, but had trouble getting it set to run us downwind.  At the moment, it seems to be a two man job to set up the wind vane since somebody needs to keep the boat on the desired heading while someone else sets the wind vane.  Well, maybe it will get easier with experience.  And maybe someday we'll have a little more wind to play with (but not too much!). The comm gear is working beautifully.  Getting weather faxes regularly and good connections with the Airmail shore stations.  Haven't had time to try voice comm on any of the nets, just been too busy. This morning we were joined by some small dolphins or porpoise.  Black and white body color like orca, but with tiny fins.  Can't remember the name of them off hand.  Did get a bit of video though. All for now, hope everyone is well. Cheers, S/V Aphrodite   Subject: Off the Oregon Coast Date: 16 Jun 2006 05:15:48 -0000 From: WB7NCV We are at sea again after a two day delay in Newport, OR to refuel, rest and try to repair a leaky aft head and replace the prop to the tow generator after the original self destructed on its second deployment. Randy tried to fix the head the first day in Newport but only repaired a cracked fitting on the outlet side and tried to seal around the rear gasket with a marine sealant.  The next day we took it apart again and redid all the gaskets.  Now it doesn't leak, but it trips the breaker when we try to activate it.  So, we need to take it apart again. Today the metal hoop that holds the mainsail boom in position on the mast slipped upward again and I had to affect another repair while underway.  Now I have only half the necessary chafe protection in place.  That can only be completely fixed in calm conditions at anchor or at the dockside.  I don't want to rely on only partial chafe protection for three weeks underway.  So that's on the immediate fix list along with the head. When we left Newport this morning conditions were a bit brisk and we were taking a lot of water over the bow and filling up the anchor locker faster than it would drain.  That locker holds probably 20 gallons of water, which is a lot of weight.  We can prevent so much water from getting in by reinstalling the covers that we had to remove to install the anchor winch.  But they are in the cargo hold and not very accessible.  I don't want to be getting into that hold and digging out those covers while underway.  So, that's on the list too. Finally, the plastic prop I bought yesterday and put on the tow generator as a replacement is successfully turning the generator, but not fast enough to generate the power we need.  I'm guessing that it's turning the generator at about 60 to 100 rpm -- not fast enough apparently to register any current output on my ammeter.  I have another prop (metal), but wasn't able to drill out the center with my hand drill -- I need a drill press. In short, we need to make another stop for make and mend.  The destination is Coos Bay.  We're currently about 65 miles out (about 10 hours), so we'll get there in early am. On the plus side, the electronics continue to perform as expected and the windvane has been doing nearly all the steering today.  Randy has been entertaining himself listening to my limited collection of rock music and trolling for fish.  He did snag a kelp bed today and the kelp came out ahead with 300 feet of line, a lure and hook!  These fish are getting more expensive by the day. Both of us are doing well and the weather has been good except for continued unfavorable southerly winds.  So, we've been beating to windward all day.  Not the most comfortable point of sail for a cruise. Best to all, Carl     Subject: Coos Bay Date: 17 Jun 2006 06:35:11 -0000 From: WB7NCV Arrived at Coos Bay approx 1320 after a grueling 5 hours motoring into choppy seas and a head wind.  Immediately undertook repairs to boom and mast.  Completed successfully.  Also the head was repaired for the third and final time.  The motor works again and we'll test for leaks after the sealant cures overnight. Will be assessing the wx for a morning departure.  Winds are finally supposed to be northerly. More later. Cheers, Carl   Date: 17 Jun 2006 06:58:53 -0000 From: WB7NCV I just realized that my GPS data hasn't been feeding into my position reports automatically because I didn't have the module set properly.  That has now been fixed and you should see my current position instead of Port Angeles. To view my most recent reported position go to http://www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=WB7NCV     Date: 18 Jun 2006 06:24:29 -0000 From: WB7NCV Off Cape Blanco, OR right at the moment. All repairs completed at Coos Bay over the last 24 hours including installing a NEW aft head.  Damn thing still didn't work after the third attempt.  Three strikes and we're out.  The toilet beat us.  I'm sure all it needs is a new base.  I couldn't get one off the shelf either in Newport or Coos Bay, so it's now in the hold awaiting repair or disposal in Hawaii.  The new one, you'll be happy to hear, works great! Left Coos Bay about 3 pm with northerly winds about 23 - 25 kts gusting to 29.  Two reefs in the sails and we're making speeds through the water of 8 to 10 kts.  Wow!  Plan to reduce sail a bit before dark since it'll be harder to see the waves and make necessary adjustments.  This boat has a round bottom with its retractable keel and seems quite willing to broach if given an opportunity.  Can't have that, so we won't be trying the wind vane again until sea conditions and winds moderate. ****************** It's now 2310 and we've come about 60 miles from Coos Bay.  Winds are in the high 20 to low 30 kt range.  Even with three reefs in we're making 7 kts.  I've got the autopilot engaged to help us through the night.  It's doing a good job holding our course despite the rolling we're getting with the seas off the starboard quarter. We're still only about 30 miles off the Calif coast.  Too close for comfort yet.  The further out we get, the better conditions will be.  The coast acts like a barrier to winds blowing in from the west and they speed up quiet a lot.  We're in Gale conditions now, but winds should abate as we move further west according to the forecasts. All for now.  Back to keeping an eye on things here. All's well. Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite     Date: 18 Jun 2006 17:27:26 -0000 From: WB7NCV Still having winds in the high 20 to low 30 kt range.  Seas about 6 - 8 ft.  Making 7 - 8 kts over the ground.  Almost on a great circle route for Hawaii.  Conditions are more moderate to the west, but we've got at least another 12 - 24 hrs before we see it. Still sailing with 3 reefs.  Tonight will add a fourth if conditions the same. We're tired, but otw ok. S/V Aphrodite

Randy's Second Favorite Pastime   Date: 19 Jun 2006 00:31:02 -0000 From: WB7NCV In the past 24 hrs we've run 180 nm.  Pretty impressive for a 46 footer.  This boat loves going downwind.  Doesn't like going uphill too much, but she'll fly on the downwind! The current wx pattern is projected to hold for another 4 - 5 days.  At that rate we could be in the trades in 5 days.  We're nearly on the great circle route between Point Mendicino and Hilo. We're still getting winds in the high 20s and low 30 kt range.  The winds should ease to the mid 20's tonight, but there's a possibility of seas increasing from the current 6 - 8 feet up to 12 feet.  So, we put the fourth reef in and are proceeding with no decrease in speed.  Should have put the 4th reef in sooner I guess since the ride is now a little more comfortable.  Maybe we'll fix some hamburgers tonight! Beautiful sunny day here 120 nm west of the Calif coast. We're doing fine and catching up on some rest while the autopilot does the steering for us.  We just take turns keeping lookout.  Haven't seen but one northbound tanker since leaving Coos Bay.  He was 6 miles away. All's well. Cheers, S/V Aphrodite   Subject: Monday afternoon 19 Jun 240 nm W of Pt. Reyes, CA Date: 19 Jun 2006 22:18:15 -0000 From: WB7NCV The last 24 hours have been a little slower than the first -- only 170 nm instead of 180!  IOW, we're still flying along at over 7 kts avg.  We could actually take a reef out and go a bit faster, but the ride would be more uncomfortable and it would be harder on the boat and rigging.  So, I'm content to stay as I am while in this gale. Current conditions are expected to hold 'til Friday, so we won't be making any big changes between now and then.  As we get further south the winds will veer into the north and then NE and we'll be making the turn toward Hawaii.  That's about 3 days from now. Blissfully, there are no problems to report.  With the current seas I'm not prepared to give the tow generator another go.  I did get the metal prop drilled out to fit the tow shaft while we were in Coos Bay and I'm anxious to see if it turns the alternator any faster.  It's a 7 7/8 x 6 3/4 -- a bit larger than the plastic prop I tried leaving Coos Bay.  I'd like to get the system working since I have to rely on the autopilot in these seas and that draws up to 6 amps.  I have to run the genset once or twice a day to recharge the batteries (and also to warm the boat at night -- it gets a might chilly between MN and 3 am!).  The other power consumers are the fridge and the radio.  Intermittently the head draws about 20 amps, but not for long, and the GPS and VHF are always on and at night we have the radar on standby and the running lights.  We might be able to make it through a day on the solar input alone if it weren't for the autopilot.  Hope to find out when we get in lighter conditions and I can turn steering over to the windvane. Thanks for your e-mails.  Makes us feel not so alone out here! Cheers, Carl and Randy S/V Aphrodite   Tow Generator

Randy's Ready to Fish   Date: 20 Jun 2006 21:38:33 -0000 From: WB7NCV We've now dropped below the latitude of San Francisco and noticed the winds have veered to the north.  This is the beginning of the turn to the west when we pick up the tradwinds.  That should be about 30 d North latitude, only about 360nm south of us.  Or, another three days sailing. We're starting to see a slight easing of conditions.  Winds at times are down into the low to mid 20's, but then goes back up to the high 20's with gusts in the low 30s.  So, near gale conditions still.  The seas have dropped to about 5 to 6 feet, and that's more important for comfort. Looks like the run for the past 24 hrs is 160 nm. Down again by 10 nm.  Probably because we're still running with four reefs in and the winds have dropped from about 30 to about 25 kts.  Just about time to shake out one of those reefs.  I also want to try the windvane in following seas and 20 kt winds.  Probably try that tomorrow.  We're both rather tired right now. Randy's trying his luck fishing again.  I hope he catches something to justify the expense of all the gear I bought!  But fresh sashimi would be very nice about now.  Maybe if I put out my tow generator we'll catch a big shark.  Hmmm.  Maybe not a good plan.  But I am going to try the new prop this afternoon to try and keep power generation going. I have three 220 amp/hr battery banks on board and one of them lasts about 5 hrs before I have to switch over.  When all three are down I have to start the genset.  Since it gets cold at night, and I need the genset to power the heater, I'm trying to time the battery usage to last through the daylight hours. Well, that's about it from Aphrodite for today. Cheers, Carl & Randy   Date: 21 Jun 2006 05:41:54 -0000 From: WB7NCV Well, today I tried the new metal prop.  The good news is that it spun the alternator much faster than the old plastic props.  The bad news is that at 6 to 7 kts in 6 foot seas it was occasionally breaking the surface.  The downrigger just didn't keep it down far enough.  Every time it broke the surface it spun like crazy causing the line to hockle severely and make itself shorter.  And, the shorter it got, the more often it broke the surface.  So I had to haul it in without test the output. I'll wait til we get in calmer seas and are going a bit slower to try it again.  And maybe I can find a weight to put on the shaft to help hold it down. Ah the joys of cruising!  Don't you wish you were here? Cheers, S/V Aphrodite     Date: 22 Jun 2006 00:08:31 -0000 From: WB7NCV Today has been a beautiful Pacific day -- blue water and lots of blue sky.  Getting cloudy now though,but the air is warmer and the seas have moderated to 4 to 6 feet and winds are reasonable in the high teens to low 20s.  Now running under full sail but our speed is going to fall off to about 6.5 kts average with the lighter winds.  Still, we made 155 nm in the last 24 hr run.  Still not bad since the average for most cruising boats is about 120 nm per day. The winds have also been veering toward the east and are now definitely NNE to NE.  They will veer even further as we move into the trades.  Because of this shift toward the east I've had to alter course a bit north of my great circle route to keep the ride comfortable.  At some point I'll have to gibe to correct for that. Randy's fishing again, still hoping for tuna.  Me too.  But we're moving too fast for good trolling.  I promised him we'd slow down and a fish a bit when we get into warmer waters. Haven't seen any other vessels in over 24 hours.  Randy had to change course to avoid a car carrier yesterday, and that was all we've seen in two days.  Every now and then the radar detector will beep, but I've not seen anything within the 24 mile limit of my radar.  Probably a ship further out with a powerful radar.  That's fine -- anything that far away isn't a threat. I feel pretty relaxed about other shipping during the day.  They're more likely to see us then.  But at night all I have is my running lights, my radar detector and my hope that they're keeping a radar watch.  No guarantees there.  Well, so far, so good. We're still under strict water conservation until I can get the water maker figured out.  I really hope it works, because I really need a shower and some clean clothes. Cheers, Carl & Randy

One of the few ships we saw   Date: 22 Jun 2006 23:36:09 -0000 From: WB7NCV We're now 805 nm from Coos Bay for an average run thus far of 6.7 kts over ground since leaving there. Saw another tanker today, the Aurora Tanker.  I had to change course to avoid her since she was obeying the "dead weight" law, i.e., "I weigh more that you do and if you don't get out of the way, you're dead."  More fun was the flying fish we say today.  There were four altogether, silvery in color and about 6 inches long.  Reminded me of hummingbirds.  Mostly they flew downwind, but they actually beat their little pectorals and flew against the wind a bit.  I was amazed at how long they stayed above the water. We also wound up with some baby squid washed up on deck over night.  Now they're bait. Here's a bit of advice to anyone with a boat and an engine, whether it's a genset or a main engine -- PUT IN AN ELECTRIC OIL PUMP FOR DRAINING THE OIL!  There, did you get that?  Another lesson:  make sure there is plenty of oil and extra filters where they're easily accessible underway, not in the cargo hold! My nice new genset is past due for its break in oil change.  In theory, the oil is pretty easy to drain.  Let me tell you, that may be true at the dock when the boat's not moving, but it certainly isn't true underway.  Fortunately, the oil still looks and feels new so I'm going to leave well enough alone and check it again after another 10 hours of operation.  But when you have to stand on your head to unscrew an access panel even to find the oil drain, that's too much effort even at dockside.  So, Hank and Bill, next time you install one of these beauties, just throw in a Jabsco oil drain pump.  I'll be putting one in when I reach Hawaii. Beautiful wx today.  Nearly clear skies and temp in 60s.  Water temp is also about 60 and the water is strikingly blue. Tried running wing and wing again today, but it wasn't working out well with the wind on the stern and the seas pushing us one way or t'other.  The foresail kept getting blanketed by the main and flogging itself.  That's a good way to damage the boom, so I put onto a port tack to head a bit more southerly for awhile and to ease the motion of the boat.  We'll have to gibe our way to Hilo I guess. Today's entertainment consisted of trying to shoot up an old propane tank with the Mini-14.  We got close to it, but it was amazing how fast it disappeared astern.  Good object lesson in why it's really important to stay on the boat!  But we have jacklines and tethers to make sure we STAY on board. Well, that's it for today's progress report.  Randy just put on "Dances with Wolves" so I guess we'll watch that for a bit. Cheers, Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite

Randy's Favorite Activity -- Catching Fish!   Date: 23 Jun 2006 20:36:13 -0000 From: WB7NCV Randy finally caught something -- his first tuna.  A Pacific Blackfin weighing about 25 lbs.  Within 30 min of being caught we were cooking some of it up.  Will try to get a pic out if I can make it small enough to send by radio e-mail. On a less happy note, the winds have dropped into the mid-teens, and with them our speed has diminished to between 5 and 6 kts.  Would be thrilled if the wind would go back up to about 22 - 25 kts.  But, I must be careful what I wish for.  Maybe it wouldn't stop there.  Anyway, the forecast for the next few days shows more of the same -- 10 - 20 kt winds from the NE.  That also means we aren't quite able to stay on a great circle route.  The boat just doesn't like running wing and wing dead down wind.  So, in addition to slowing down we're also having to add miles to our route to keep the boat sailing well. It is getting warmer, though.  We're moving into shorts and t-shirts and no longer wearing jackets on deck except at night.  When the water gets warm enough we could even stop for a bath break.  Not a bad plan.  Wish I'd bought one of those "Sun Shower" bags that you hang in the sun to heat water.  Could use one right now. Tried the windvane this morning with the wind at about 18 kts and dead behind us.  No go.  It just doesn't have enough power to deal with the following seas even though they were only running about 4 feet.  So it's on we go with the autopilot.  Sure glad that works well!  There's a loose connection in the cable connector so it's duct taped to the helm to keep it from moving and we don't touch it.  When we get to Hawaii I can take a few minutes and resolder the connector, but not now. Randy's fishing again hoping to repeat his success.  Don't know what he'll do with more fish.  We only have room for one more tuna and we won't finish eating this one for a couple of days.  But fishing is what he does.  I just hope he doesn't catch anything big. All for now, 1201 miles from Hilo at 1334 PDT. S/V Aphrodite     Date: 24 Jun 2006 23:45:43 -0000 From: WB7NCV The wx continues to be mild with winds in the mid 'teens.  This has dropped our avg SOG to less than 6 kts.  Most unfortunate since Randy is looking forward to getting home.  And I'd like to make landfall so I can relax and enjoy the cruising life! Highlights of the day:  pumped about 6 gal of water from the bilge.  Not deep enough to activate the automatic pumps, but just enough to be annoying.  Probably getting in via the prop shaft seal or one of the transducers.  Will have to check the transducers again since we did find a leak around one of the new ones last week.  The prop shaft is just something we have to live with.  They typically will ooze a bit and, in this system, there's also a possibility for rainwater and sea spray to leak around the rudder shaft opening on deck and work its way to the bilge. Another highlight:  traced out the plumbing for the watermaker and got it all labeled.  Hope to give it a go in the next day or so.  It's been in a sealed condition with biocide protecting the reverse osmosis membrane for 10 years.  There was no way to check it out in Port Angeles since the dirty harbor water would have destroyed the membrane.  And they're not cheap!  So I had to wait until we had clean sea water.  Hence all the water restrictions.  But we're doing well on our water supply, still have over 100 gal left so we can ease up a bit and take a Navy shower.  Will still have to wash clothes in seawater and then do a fresh water rinse though.  Even if the water maker works perfectly, it isn't plumbed into the boat's water system so it can automatically fill the tank.  That's a good safety feature -- can't accidentally contaminate the fresh water, but it means we have to fill a 5 gal Jerry can then take it up on deck and pour the fresh water into the fill spout there.  If it does work perfectly, we'll be able to use the washing machine.  That would be wonderful.  But at least we're no longer needing to wear heavy clothes and work up a sweat like we were in the Pacific NW waters.  That means lightweight clothes and less laundry. Randy wants me to send out the pic of his first tuna catch.  But I can't get the file small enough to send by radio e-mail.  Understand that my connection speed when sending e-mail is between 200 and 1000 bytes per min. IOW 0.2 to 1.0 k compared to a slow dial up of 28k.  Thus it would take at least 20 min to transmit one 18.8 kb pic.  So, you'll have to wait for pix until I get within range of a Wi-Fi system I can use. That's about it for today's update.  Clear skies and near 70 in the shade.  No more fish yet. Cheers, Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite   Date: 25 Jun 2006 23:29:18 -0000 From: WB7NCV Hopefully not China, but slow nonetheless. Winds are down to abt 10 kts and our speed has dropped to abt 4 kts.  No sign of relief in the forecast so far.  And we're still not able to follow a direct route to Hilo (or Oahu for that matter).  Either course puts the wind so nearly dead astern that the sails tend to flog about and we get a most unpleasant ride.  So we're keeping the wind 20 to 30 deg off the stern and gibing our way to port. Finally gave the watermaker a go today, and it was a no go.  Appears to be working up to the solenoid valve that directs the processed water either over the side if it's too salty or into storage if it's okay.  Of course, I don't have a replacement valve aboard so I either have to remove it completely from the system and just watch the salinity monitor (I may try that), or give up on it completely and make do with the water we have.  Well, since we're still probably 10 days out I expect I'll try removing the solenoid valve and seeing if the water output is useable, i.e., drinkable. On the plus side, I tested the hand operated watermaker just a bit ago and it seems to work fine.  It's just slow.  Can produce a quart or so per hour but it takes at least 30 minutes to get anywhere near that.  Well, that's fine, it's a survival device only.  It lives in my "Abandon Ship Bag" and will go aboard the lifeboat should that ever be necessary (let's hope not!). And those are the highlights of the day.  OTW, partly cloudy skies temp abt 70.  Very peaceful.  We're spending our time trolling (not catching), watching the sea, sleeping, watching movies and reading.  And I spend lots of time studying weatherfaxes and forecasts looking for the best route to take us to Hilo. Cheers, Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite

Date: 26 Jun 2006 22:10:23 -0000 From: WB7NCV Winds abt 10 kts.  Course unfavorable for direct route.  Now, with a conventional rig and a spinnaker I could do it.  But then I'd need a bigger crew and have all the hassles of a standard Bermudan rig.  Everything is a compromise. Good news on the watermaker.  Seems the problem was just a stuck solenoid operated valve.  Removed the valve and pumped about 3 gals last night.  Salinity monitor said it was okay and the taste seemed alright.  Just storing it for now.  Will do more later.  We're still good on our tank from Coos Bay.  Probably 100+ gallons remaining. Overcast today, temp abt 70, water temp abt 70.  Pleasant sitting in the cockpit. Finally got the oil changed on the genset since the seas are pretty calm.  Very difficult to access the drain valve.  I did get an extension hose on the drain so I could drain the oil into some empty juice containers which are now stored in big plastic buckets until I can dispose of them appropriately.  Couldn't get the oil filter off though.  My wrench wouldn't fit in the available space.  I'm going to need one of those special cap wrenches that fits over the top of the filter and uses a standard 3/8" socket drive.  Well, will do that in Hawaii.  At least the oil is clean.  Will continue changes every 50 hrs until I can change the filter too.  Then I can back off to the recommended schedule. Changed the starboard main lazyjack today.  That was expected.  Those lines are old and hard.  Will change the front ones in Hawaii too.  Don't have long enough line to do those now. Have been letting the wind generator run, but with an apparent wind of less than 10 knots it's just not turning fast enough to generate a lot of electricity -- abt 30 - 60 rpm.  Glad I've got the solar panels. No other news of note. Cheers, S/V Aphrodite   Date: 28 Jun 2006 01:30:52 -0000 From: WB7NCV As you know, I send and receive e-mail using my amateur radio.  Since this system is based on high frequency radio it is very subject to atmospheric conditions.  When everything is just right I can get good connections with the shore stations that interface with the net and forward on my e-mails.  When radio propagation isn't so good, it can be very difficult. Today has been one of the difficult days.  So far, the only one of the trip where I couldn't connect with a shore station and get my msgs transmitted.  Today though, I've managed to connect with two stations and lost both connections.  Propagation just isn't very good right now but will improve towards evening.  So, today's msgs will be delayed a bit. Cheers, Carl   Date: 28 Jun 2006 01:30:52 -0000 From: WB7NCV Slow day so far.  I had night watch and didn't get up 'til abt 3 pm boat time (2.5 hrs ago).  Randy caught a dorado (mahi mahi) and it's in the freezer chilling.  Then he caught something that broke his 80 lb line as soon as he tried to reel it in.  Probably a good thing.  We don't need more fish.  There's enough to last us 'til we get to Hawaii.  Now if only I can get Randy to eat some of it....... Winds still not favoring a great circle course so we're tacking downwind.  Favoring the westerly direction so I can make the final push on a beam or broad reach.  That'll be faster than the run we're doing now and more comfortable.  Projecting as 2 July arrival in Hilo at this point.  Of course, that could easily change with weather conditions or boat malfunction or the will of the gods.  I'm looking forward to a day or two ashore on Hawaii and a visit to the volcanoes before pushing on to Oahu.  That'll take another one to two days unless Randy wants to stop at Maui to visit Pam's daughter and son in law. Watermaker seems to be working okay.  I just have to do my accept/reject manually instead of relying on the solenoid valve.  But I've now recovered a bit over 5 gallons.  So it looks like we won't die of thirst if the main tank runs dry.  I have a 150 gal fresh water tank which still reads just over half full, and I deliberately put in a gauge that reads low so we probably have close to 100 gal in there plus another 25 in a barrel on deck.  We're just not doing laundry in the washer.  That's still being done in sea water by hand with a quick fresh water rinse.  Fortunately with the increasingly tropical weather we don't have many clothes to worry about.  But we haven't been shaving either so we'll probably look like castaways by the time we get to Hilo! That's all for now.  Still both hale and hearty. Cheers, Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite   Date: 28 Jun 2006 23:54:04 -0000 From: WB7NCV Aphrodite has graciously granted us some good fortune:  I was afraid that the broken bolt would have to be drilled out and the hole retapped.  Two problems with that -- I don't have a tap drill for a 3/8" hole and it's very difficult to drill out an inch of stainless steel bolt.  But, good fortune came when I was able to use a pair of channel locks to unscrew the broken bolt.  There were two threads sticking above the surface of the shaft and it was just enough to grab.  Also, I was fortunate in that I had replaced that bolt in Port Angeles a few weeks ago and it hadn't had time to get all rusty and seize in place. After removing the sheared off bolt I was able to reassemble the electric winch drum with a new 3/8" bolt and now have a fully functioning electric winch again!  Still having to keep an eye on the boom, but at least we can trim sail if needed. I've laid in the new course to Honolulu and future references to distance remaining will indicate that port rather than Hilo.  Guess I'll just have to fly over the the Big Island to see those volcanoes. Cheers, Carl   29 Jun 2006 04:20:13 -0000 From: WB7NCV The plywood repair on the main boom lasted about as long as I though it would -- broke in half as soon as we came on a starboard tack abt two hrs ago.  Then I remembered I had a piece of chainplate (stainless steel 1/4" thick and almost 18" long) that could be used for reinforcement.  So, that's now in position and looks like it will reinforce the port side of the boom until we reach Hawaii.  Unfortunately, the starboard side is showing significant bending, but so far no cracks.  That was my only piece of chainplate so I hope the starboard side holds. That's it for today. Wish us luck. Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite   Date: 30 Jun 2006 02:44:15 -0000 From: WB7NCV I don't wish to temp fate, but today has been blissfully uneventful and I hope it stays that way. Randy has started a mahi mahi catch and release program since we don't have room for any more. We are now less than 500 nm from Honolulu. Thanks to all for your good wishes. Carl & Randy S/V Aphrodite, at sea   Subject: Tow generator update Date: 30 Jun 2006 03:34:23 -0000 From: WB7NCV For those interested in how the tow gen is working you recall that the original prop self destructed.  I'm now using a metal prop that can withstand the rigors of use, but when I first tried it there wasn't enough weight to hold the unit below water and it kept jumping clear. Today I located a prop shaft zinc that coincidentally has just the right inner diameter to fit over the downrigger on the shaft assembly.  I secured half of the zinc (wt probably 4 - 8 oz)to the downrigger and, sure enough, the shaft now only breaks water occasionally.  Probably a longer tow rope will resolve that issue. At a boat speed of about 5.5 to 7 kts I measured current output up to 10 amps at the alternator using my Craftsman clamp meter.  Unfortunately, every time the rig breaks the surface the line hockles up more and gets shorter causing it to break water even more frequently. Note to Hank:  the panel ammeter sometimes registers, but it's sporadic.  I did see readings on it up to 12 amps, but most of the time it doesn't register even though the clamp meter shows 5 to 9 amps at the generator.  I don't know what to make of that and don't feel confident that the amps from the tow gen are, in fact, making it to the batteries.  Guess I'll leave it in the water overnight and see what happens, unless it starts jumping clear too often.  In that case I'll have to put it away for the rest of the trip and get a longer tow line in Honolulu. Carl   Date: 30 Jun 2006 18:06:00 -0000 From: WB7NCV The new prop and weight combination combined with 2 to 4 foot seas and boat speeds in the 5 kt range succeeded in allowing the tow gen shaft assembly to stay submerged and turning throughout the night.  This am the gen shaft is happily rotating at a couple of hundred rpm, accelerating and decelerating as we go up the face, or down the back of a wave. Unfortunately, I can measure NO current output at the generator using my clamp meter.  Yesterday it was putting out 5 to 9 amps consistently and peaking at 12 when surfing down a wave.  But this morning, nothing. Don't know what to make of these findings:  is the generator itself bad? Is there something going on downstream that I'm not considering?  I made sure to check the current output into a low battery that should have been charging. Ideas anyone? Cheers, Carl

Main Boom Repairs   Date: 30 Jun 2006 06:07:01 -0000 From: WB7NCV The large aluminum plate on the bottom of the boom is the reinforcement added at Coos Bay.  The plywood piece was our first attempt at additional reinforcement.  Later in the day I remembered the piece of chainplate I had that was supposed to be mounted on the main masthead for a signal hoist.  Glad I had it!     Date: 01 Jul 2006 01:07:05 -0000 From: WB7NCV Well, if you go looking for problems, you're bound to find them. Today we've mostly had light and variable winds that dropped our speed over ground to abt 4.5 kts and still had us zigzagging our way to Oahu.  So, I started thinking about firing up the "iron jenny" and went to check the oil since the engine hasn't been run since we left Coos Bay on the 17th (jeez, that long ago?!).  The oil looked mighty dirty so I figured I just do a quick oil change in these nice calm conditions. The first sign of potential trouble was that when I opened the oil sump drain I got out some 2 t 4 oz of water.  Since it had been drained into a container previously housing a grapefruit/kiwi juice we couldn't really tell if the water was salt or fresh.  Fortunately there seemed to only that small amount.  But the next glitch came when the oil only came slowly from the sump.  Randy decided the engine needed to be flushed so we spent the next hour or two flushing the engine with diesel fuel as best we could and then refilled it with fresh oil.  In a few hours we'll check the dipstick to see it there's any sign of foaming to indicate the presence of water in the oil (a bad thing).  I've got just enough oil for one more change and still have one fully functional sail (if we get any decent wind). Anyway, we'll plan on motoring overnight and hope for good wind tomorrow. But, there was one last complication before we could get underway -- some fishing net was wrapped around the prop.  So, we hove to and I dug my snorkeling gear out of the cargo hold and took a trip under the stern to cut away the netting.  Fortunately the water temp is up to almost 76 deg so the trip was tolerable.  And I got to wash away some sweat.  But now I'm saltier than ever.  Not to worry though, with the engine running there'll be plenty of hot water for a quick Navy shower to check nice and clean.  Might even shave! Hopefully that's all the news for the day. Cheers, Carl & Randy

Carl At the Nav Station   Date: 02 Jul 2006 08:06:42 -0000 From: WB7NCV I figured the time conversion wrong.  Actually will arrive approx 1700 on 3 July, UTC.  Hawaii is zone -10 hrs, so that's' 0700 on 3 July Hawaii time.  Yeah!  All we have to do is sail the channel during the night and make the turn past Diamond Head and we'll be there!!  Only about 36 hrs fr now. I can barely stand to wait........... Love, Carl PS -- you gotta see my scruffy beard!

DIAMOND HEAD AT LAST!

Mahi Mahi   Date: 04 Jul 2006 00:07:03 -0000 From: WB7NCV Thanks to everyone for following our adventure.  It's finally over, though not without one last bit of difficulty. We anchored off Waikiki this morning about 0700.  Too early for anyone to be answering their phones.  We tried to use the new anchor winch, but found the drive chain had come off since it was was too loose.  Randy tried to improvise a tensioner, but it wasn't adequate and the chain broke free again before we could get the anchor in.  We had broken it free,  so we were drifting while trying to get the last 85 feet of anchor and rode aboard.  This required two dives down the chain to tie on a rope.  I ran the other end of that rope back to the electric winch and we brought the anchor aboard that way.  This was after two hours of trying to repair the drive chain.  Oh, and the teeth on the winch drum that are supposed to prevent the drum from unwinding broke off.  All in all, not a fun experience. But now we are rafted up at the Hawaii Yacht Club for the next several days while I try to find a place to park the boat long term and to get repairs done. You can try reaching me again at my gmail address, but if I don't answer right away go ahead and use this one.  I'll be checking it sporadically, but not more than once a day. Cheers, Carl & Randy

And my son said I looked better!!   Epilogue, 5 August 2006:  JM Marine tried to fix the winch drive chain by adding a chain tensioner.  That didn't work and it jammed the drive causing a small hydraulic leak.  Took another week to find someone who knew how to fix it.  He removed the extra link and the chain tensioner in about an hour and all is well.  I'm still looking for someone to fix the booms and for a cabinet maker to build and install new cabinets so I have enough storage.  Surprisingly hard to find a cabinet maker and someone to fix the boom.  Oh well, at least I'm here and the boat is safe at Rainbow Bay Marina in Pearl Harbor.  Hopefully I can get the repairs and cabinets done before October when I plan to cruise the islands.

Hitchin' a ride north of Oahu!