Well I finally made it to Hilo - 28 days almost exactly from Mazatlan, 25 days from Cabo San Lucas.
I had a few calms - about 4 days when there was almost no wind. Only got the trades about half way through and they came and went. One gale right after I dropped off my crew in Cabo (Craig decided that the crossing was not for him and went home after 3 days).
No problems with the boat - everything held up pretty well. Had to repair the spinnaker pole and tighten the autopilot's belt a couple of times plus do a bit of stitching with the older jib. I flew the jib poled out in the trades and the spinnaker when things got light. Used the main a lot the first 2 weeks but not after.
I cooked some pasta, chili, chowder, and veggie stews but did not come close to finishing off the huge amount of groceries bought for the trip. The cheese in oil is still mostly ok(still have lbs of it) as is the Bimbo bread which is scarily identical to what it was 4 weeks ago.
Did a lot of reading and watched TV series and movies. This kept me sane and well socialized :)
Just walked downtown Hilo, Hawaii, in the rain (it rains here a lot) and bought fresh veggies and papayas at a farmer's market. The prices here are very high especially in restaurants but the veggies were not bad.
Will probably stay here for a couple of days and then head somewhere more hospitable. The marina is attached to a container port and is noisy plus you require an escort to get in and out - a real pain!
More soon on what it was like to sail 2900 miles in one shot.
Crazy cat! Drop me an email.....
ReplyDeleteYou made it!!! Thank God now I can stop worrying ;-)
ReplyDeleteChris,
ReplyDeleteWell done, I've been watching for your arrival info. Talked to our ships that have been in the area and they were all reporting calm seas and very light winds. Thought the light winds would have extended your trip. Really glad you made it safely.
Neil & Sharon
Congratulations! What a brilliant accomplishment! Can't wait to hear more details.
ReplyDeleteYour mettle notwithstanding, it's further testimony to the quality of the CAL sailboats.
The next leg will be interesting. Do you plan to sail north to our latitudes before turning right to avoid the North Pacific High?
Steve and Jean
s/v Mystic
CAL 39
Awesome job Chris. Glad to hear you made it.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for the kind comments and good wishes!
ReplyDeleteChris, we are so relieved to read that you arrived safely in Hilo. A great accomplishment. We look forward to reading about the trip, and someday meeting up with you and Rani in Mexico. CaST Away is resting for the summer in Guaymas. We will return in October to continue cruising the Sea.
ReplyDeleteCharlie and Sharon Tedrow
S/V CaST Away from Coos Bay, OR