Home

Quarterdeck Skipper Academy is where The Yacht Week skippers are trained. In April 2019 I was very fortunate to be able to join this group in Split Croatia to learn how to lead the most fun sailing experience in the world. The Yacht Week is known as a week of sailing parties, basically a flotilla of yachts chartered together, where they end up moored in the same places for big parties. The yachts are skippered by the most talented and skilled skippers from around the world who not only know how to safely create a perfect circle mooring but also can manage groups of charter guests who may or may not be completely sober.

The experience is catered by some of the best hosts/ chefs and the Skipper Academy was also the Host Academy so when we weren’t training, we were acting as guests to sample the delicious meals the host candidates were making for us. As a Yacht Week skipper we’re also expected to know something about the local areas we’re visiting so the experience included some land excursions as well in Split and Hvar. Of course I had to find Cafe Aloha in Hvar!

After a week of training, on the last day we’re evaluated by the instructors who decide if we have what it takes to be a Yacht Week skipper, not everyone passes. Honestly, I’d say this was one of the most challenging training courses I’ve attended and I’m proud to say I got invited to be a Yacht Week Skipper for the upcoming season! I have some things going on in Hawaii this summer though so the plan is to organize groups from Hawaii and put together our own groups. Sailing in Hawaii is awesome but sailing the Med, especially Croatia is whole ‘nother level!

 

One of the benefits of teaching people to sail is that sometimes they go off and buy a boat and ask me to help them with it! My friends Will and Tess bought this really nice new Hanse 415 sailboat in Greece. They wanted to continue their ASA training and get help learning the ropes on this new yacht. The yacht was located in Lavrion harbor near Athens and so I flew there and met them. The plan was to sail around the Greek islands and end up in Paros, where they want to keep it, and see as much of the Greek islands we had time for. The weather pattern had other plans so we did a pass through the Saronic islands through the Corinth Canal, into and out of the Ionian Sea and back through the Saronic islands before returning to where we started.

The thing about sailing in the Med though is that it’s pretty seasonal. I flew there in March, which was the early beginning of the sailing season and so it was windy and cold the first few days. We started our trip in windy cold conditions but it cleared up and in two weeks we were able to visit: Aegina in the Saronic islands before heading west to through the Corinth Canal and into the Ionian Sea to Kefalonia and Lefkas, back through the Cornith Canal to Poros island and Hydra island before returning to Lavrion.

So early in the season like this it was really awesome that everything was open, but not crowded. Most of the ports we visited we were the first boat there and had our pick of places to moor. By the time we got to Hydra it was starting to get a little more crowded, but just the right amount of other boats to make it interesting. No tangled anchors, just cool neighbors to meet!

The best part of this sailing trip, as all good trips is the people you enjoy it with. Will and Tess are awesome and my buddy James who did two Pacific Offshore Challenge trips with us in Hawaii, flew over from the UK and joined us in Kefalonia.

m/v Tortuga is a Chesapeake 50 charter fishing boat that was purchased in Key West, Florida to be brought to Hawaii for charter fishing operations. The delivery through the Caribbean Sea and Panama Canal was done by another crew and the new owner of the boat hired me to do the final California to Hawaii leg, since I delivered the Pirate Ship for him before. The engineer since the Panama Canal, Dave remained onboard and Zach from the Sansiri delivery was available to join us in San Diego for the approximately 2400 NM 15 day transit motoring a great circle route to Hawaii.

We loaded the vessel up with about 2000 gal of diesel fuel in one big tote on deck and many smaller jugs below deck. The vessel by design is very top heavy and even with the smooth seas we mostly had on this voyage the boat rolled too much to stand watch at the helm, so we set the autopilot and spent as little time as possible in the pilot house, especially when the seas picked up.

Overall the voyage was very smooth and twin Caterpillar diesels ran perfectly all the way to Hawaii. Even caught a nice big tuna and enjoyed a mid ocean swim call a the halfway point.

s/v Sansiri is a 1990 Tripp 40 sailboat, purchased in Hawaii by a group of people in Taiwan. I was hired in January 2015 to be Captain on this delivery with two other crew for the approx. 4800 NM voyage from Honolulu to Guam, Guam to Okinawa, Okinawa to Keelung and Keelung down the coast to Tainan, Taiwan. Crew on this voyage were Zach Rice and Jim Moore, who all met and trained together a week before the voyage.

s/v Sansiri is a race boat, not necessarily designed for comfort or ease of operation, the boat steers with a tiller, which we attached a tiller pilot autopilot system. We also installed s/v Gemini’s trusty WindPilot self steering gear for this trip, which we shipped back from Taiwan at the end of the delivery.

The voyage started off from Hawaii is windy and rainy conditions but after a few days calmed down and maintained mostly easy conditions for the first 27 day leg to Guam. The boat sailed fast, however the autopilot failed early, which luckily the windvane worked and allowed the crew to rest on a regular basis. One problem we had on the first leg was the overboard discharge was stopped and didn’t allow the use of the head. We had to shit in a bucket until we got to Okinawa, hauled out and discovered that the previous racer owners glassed over the thru hull for the head! Shitting in a bucket is easier than it sounds though, just make sure you put water in the bucket before you do your business.

The stop over in Guam was short but nice and we had a crew change there, with Jim swapping out for Paul Patry from Okinawa. Our friends Tony and Susanne hosted us in Guam and let us borrow their Jeep which was really nice. Jim flew home and the next leg was fast, had lots of dolphins riding with the boat for the first two days which you could hear their clicks and whistles through the thin hull which was really cool. Our arrival in Okinawa was cold and rainy but awesome to see Okinawa again. We were able to haul out and met one of the owners who wasn’t happy to learn about the head situation, but we fixed it.

The leg from Okinawa to Keelung, Taiwan was just me and Zach. On day two of the 3 day passage from Okinawa to Taiwan we passed the Senkaku islands during daylight and observed 6 patrol vessels from the Chinese and Japanese Coast Guards skirmishing and arguing over VHF. At one point, two of the vessels, one Chinese followed by one Japanese Coast Guard turned and approached us. The Chinese Coast Guard hailed us and demanded that we acknowledge that we were in Chinese waters (we were not) and followed us all the way to Taiwan with the Japanese Coast Guard following. It was a very tense situation!

Once we arrived in Keelung, Bisha Harbor, we were met by the owners of the boat, who couldn’t help us take care of entry formalities for us like I had done with two previous Taiwan deliveries. Instead we were instructed by them to sail to Keelung Main harbor- the commercial and military port which we didn’t think we had clearance for. Sure enough, as we entered Keelung Harbor we were met by the Taiwanese police and escorted to the main public wharf, on a Sunday afternoon in front of a crowd of thousands of people. Crazy experience, which ended up being like a rockstar welcoming. Entry procedures were taken care of and preps for the next final leg with Zach and one of the owners, Peter.

The last leg from Keelung to Tainan was tricky as there was no wind and we had to motor against a fierce 5+ knot current which burned all our fuel and we ended up practically running out before we got to Tainan! We had to hail a passing fishing boat and trade money and beer for a can of diesel off shore on the way. Got into port safely, turned over the boat and explored beautiful (Formosa) Taiwan!

Reposted from the original Gemini Pacific Blogger blog:

Departing SWYC at mid day, we waved goodbye to our friends and family on the dock. Maybe Shawn and Sylvia, Ralph and Leo and John thought we were going to turn around, but this time we pointed the bow out past Point Loma and didn’t stop! Under mostly sunny skies and nice breeze on the beam, Gemini and crew started their 2,262 NM voyage with an escort of dolphins, sea lions and birds.

Greg and Kristle, ready to go!

The boat was full of supplies: about 80 gallons of water, 55 gallons of diesel fuel (it’s a sailboat!) and food for at least 30 days, consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, a loaf of bread (these items will go bad in a week, so…) and lots and lots of canned tuna, fruits and vegetables, soup, pasta and rice. Oh, and of course trail mix, Cliff and Odwalla bars! This should hold us over if we don’t catch any fish. We’ve got a good trolling rod and a box of lures so as soon as we leave Mexican waters, we’ll be trolling. We didn’t have time to buy a Mexican fishing license…

Satellite communications

On this trip, we will be in touch with the world with this really great device called InReach, which uses the Iridium satellite system to allow us to send short text messages with a smartphone. We can even post facebook updates with our location, but unfortunately we wont be able to really get online and check facebook or the comments people might put on the posts. The laptop computer is put away for the trip and there’s not going to be internet access, so what follows is copied from the written (old fashioned) logbook:

Day 1: March 21, 2013 / Departure from San Diego

Off the coast of Mexico

Sail out of San Diego to Coronado Islands, Mexico was nice with 12 kt breeze from the west. We figure that we need to sail south for a way to catch the trade winds and the favorable current. We want to get south of 30 degrees latitude as soon as possible and then sail west to Hawaii. Sailing south, we passed east of the Coronado islands and saw lots of sea life. Lots of dolphins jumping and playing with sea lions. Even saw a whale off in the distance. Interesting and friendly conversation with the crew as we get to know each other. Equipment: Diesel engine ran for 1 hour @ 2000 rpm to charge the battery. Full sails up and moving along.

Day 2: March 22, 2013 / 31º  42.2′ N / 117º  20.0′ W 2200Z

On watch, at the helm

Getting our sea legs after first night at sea. No wind but very cold night. This will take some getting used to. Was going to try to prepare real food in the cabin, but we are both still taking Dramamine and were afraid to spend too much time in the cabin. So fresh kale salad and avocado it is. Struggling a lot with the lack of wind and seas out of the west. The boat wants to go back to SD! We can’t run the engine for too long since we only have a limited amount of fuel. Equipment: Diesel ran for 3 hrs @ 2200 rpm for range and to charge batteries. Full sails up, switched working jib for full genoa. InReach seems to only want to pair with smartphone, not Nexus 7 tablet. InReach also eats AA batteries, 2/day. Good thing we brought lots and have the Goal Zero solar charger.

Day 3: March 23, 2013 / 31º  22.9′ N / 117º  47.6′ W 2200Z

Dolphins!

Very frustrating day/night of very light wind and big swells. When there is no wind but big swells, the sails bash against the rigging and not only is it very annoying, but it potentially damages the sails. If you drop the sails, then the boat is top heavy with the mast and it is very uncomfortable. Weather report says more of this for the next few days. This sucks… Thinking of going to Ensenada but now we are are about 75 NM out and it is the opposite direction. Going to Ensenada and waiting for better wind is tempting but would be a very bad idea, since we would use fuel going in the opposite direction. The wind can pick up anytime. We have neither the time nor money to divert course from Hawaii, so we must keep the bow pointed WSW and wait/hope for good wind. We must go to Hawaii! Equipment: Diesel ran for 3 hrs @ 2200 rpm for range and to charge the batteries. Autopilot disc broke, but can easily fix later. One lazy jack line also broke with the bashing of the sails and got tangled with the main halyard. Do I need to climb the mast? Can’t fix until daylight. Good news is that the SW radio/ Nexus 7 WXfax app works great and we’re getting good weather reports.

Day 4: March 24, 2013 / 30º  44.9′ N / 118º  39.6′ W 2200Z

Sunset and dolphins off the coast of Mexico

Finally some wind!! At daybreak, was able to fix the main halyard. It was only caught around the lazyjack and was easy to untangle in the daylight- thank goodness! Just in time for a brisk NW wind. With full sails up, we’re really flying now on course. Average speed 6 kts with surges over 8 kts. Awesome!  Equipment: Diesel ran for 0 hrs today. Possible issues with InReach, still eating batteries and some messages seem to be getting cut off or lost.

Day 5: March 25, 2013 / 29º  2.4′ N / 120º  39.3′ W 2200Z

Yes! The winds finally pick up.

Wow, 165 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs! Awesome!! Definitely in the trade winds now. The winds and seas are steady, on our starboard quarter and taking us to Hawaii, full speed on course. This is how you get to Hawaii! 🙂 Dolphins all around the boat and saw them playing and jumping last night in the light of the full moon. Totally magical!  Equipment: Diesel ran for 15 @2500 rpm min to charge the batteries.

Day 6: March 26, 2013 / 28º  6.6′ N / 123º  2.5′ W 2200Z

Chasing the sun

130 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Not bad! Winds are about 15 kts on our tail now and sailing on a broad reach/ run with the seas. Still seeing dolphins playing around the boat. This is nice! No other boat traffic. Equipment: Diesel ran for 30 min @ 2500 rpm to charge the batteries.

Day 7: March 27, 2013 / 27º  47.3′ N / 124º  8.8′ W 2200Z

Can we get this thing to start?

60 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Winds have died down and are less than 10 kts on our tail. Sailing wing on wing with the whisker pole. Moving along slowly. Saw a small sea turtle flailing around on the surface of the water and bumped into the boat. Had a discussion and made peace with the crew. Equipment: Batteries are dead and can’t start the engine! Engine is fine but boat’s electrical/ battery charging ability (enigne alternator) is OOC. Battery switches failed to isolate starter battery so house loads drained all batteries. Possible that starter battery was weaker than thought and needed the house bank in parallel, so with dead house bank we can’t start the engine. Attempting now to charge starter battery with Goal Zero solar charger or hand crank the engine. However s/v Gemini is a “sail”boat so this is not an emergency, just a major inconvenience. This really sucks! Will try every way imaginable now to try to get the engine started.

Day 8: March 28, 2013 / 27º  47.5′ N / 125º  45.0′ W 2200Z

Solar powered satellite communications

90 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Winds have picked up but mostly from the south now, due to a storm system to the north creating a disturbance in the normal trade winds. Still making progress but now on a port tack close reach in 20 kts. Equipment: No progress with the batteries / engine. Goal Zero solar charger is not powerful enough to charge either the starter or house batteries. Trying to make a crank tool for the engine crank shaft pulley, but it is difficult. This model engine does not have decompression levers nor is it made to be hand cranked. Also trying everything to charge the batteries: hand spin the alternator and tried making a hydro generator from a tuna can and spare 12 volt pump/ motor. The former doesn’t work at all, and the latter sort of worked but couldn’t attach the rope warp to the motor effectively and lost the contraption. Just have to keep sailing!

Day 9: March 29, 2013 / 27º  18.9 ‘ N / 127º  56.8’ W 2200Z

Coffee break

120 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Made good progress yesterday but today we have headwinds and seas. Sailing close hauled through a frontal system bringing 20 kt winds from the SW. The ocean doesn’t want us to go to Hawaii today. Being pushed NW, with 2nd reef in mainsail. This sucks! Equipment: No progress on the diesel, could really use it today. Tried duct taping a string of AA batteries together to make a power source to boost the starter battery. Almost worked, but the AA batteries got too hot and were all almost ruined. We need the AA batteries for other things. SW radio/ WXFax maybe out of range, getting a weak signal. Able to slightly charge Nexus 7 with Goal Zero battery pack. Will only use tablet for WXFax.

Day 10: March 30, 2013 / 27º  44.2′ N / 129º  25.0′ W 2200Z

Moving along

80 NM traveled in last 24 hrs. Somehow we still managed to make decent progress despite head-on winds and seas. Only lost a little bit of latitude but gained some longitude. Still beating to windward. When will these winds shift?? A little bit worried about ETA, food supplies… Equipment: SW radio/ WXFax is weak and possibly out of range of California stations. Will have to trust reports from InReach.

Day 11: March 31, 2013 / 26º  55′ N / 129º  28.2′ W 2200Z

Glass calm seas

50 NM traveled due south in last 24 hrs. Still encountering head-on winds and seas. The front has appeared to pass but now the winds are light and still from SW, if at all. Glass calm seas and very slow and demoralizing progress. The clouds look like maybe another front is coming. More of this s@#$? FML… Equipment: SW radio/ WXFax is weak and Nexus 7 tablet is hard to keep charged. Need very sunny skies to effectively use Goal Zero to charge the tablet.

Day 12: April 1, 2013 / 26º  26.9′ N / 130º  30.2′ W 2200Z

Caught a mahi mahi!

65 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Finally the winds have picked up a bit. After another very frustrating night and early morning of light winds, the wind is steady, 15 kts out of SSE. Moving along on course at 6 kts. Spirits are up again. WX report from Gil and getting better signal from SW radio/ WxFax. Looks OK for the next few days. Are the trade winds back? Equipment: NSTR

Day 13: April 2, 2013 / 25º  44.2′ N / 132º  46.2′ W 2200Z

Mahi mahi is best cooked, not raw

135 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Awesome day, great progress with perfect winds out of SSE. Sailing with full sails and max speed. Caught a nice mahi mahi! The Rapala lure proved itself and now we have fresh fish for the next few meals. Tasted great sauteed w/ olive oil, onions and garlic. Equipment: NSTR

Day 14: April 3, 2013 / 25º  39.9′ N / 134º  02.2′ W 2200Z

Enjoying a fresh fish dinner

80 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Great progress, despite being in the doldrums again. Winds have died down and we’re struggling to make 3 kts going down wind after several hours of no wind and gloomy clouds and rain. Mahi mahi tasted great 2nd day sauteed with coconut oil and soy sauce… WTF is up with these light SW winds??? Extremely frustrating trying not to sail backwards or have the sails beat to shreds. Where are the trade winds??? Equipment: NSTR

Day 15: April 4, 2013 / 25º  40.6′ N / 135º  00.3′ W 2200Z

Vada abordo catsuo! 🙂

50 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Last night was extremely frustrating and demoralizing w/ no wind except very light on the nose. Starting to pick up though and the forecast is looking promising… Caught a nice catsuo! Yes, fresh sashimi for dinner!! Equipment: NSTR

Day 16: April 5, 2013 / 25º  37.3′ N / 136º  38.5′ W 2200Z

Fresh sashimi!

95 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. 1/2 way point provisions:
Water: 15 gal in main tanks (estimated)
6 x 5 gal jerry tanks (30 gal)
5 x 1 gal drinking bottles (5 gal) … 50 gallons total (62.5%)
Food:   All bread, fruit and vegetables consumed
Used approx. 1/5 of dry/ canned provisions
1/2 yesterday’s fish catch on hand
Batteries: Used approx 1/4 of AA batteries
Fuel:     95% of diesel on hand!! :/

Seared tataki, oishii yo! 🙂

Making much slower progress than planned, due to the loss of the engine, so the water supply is lower than desired. We want to arrive with plenty of extra water so we can take a shower before we get into port! Now flying along with a 15 kt tail wind, wing on wing in the trade winds. Forecast says we should have good tail winds for the next few days. Equipment: NSTR

Day 17: April 6, 2013 / 25º  10.0′ N / 138º  29.0′ W 2200Z

Full sails down wind

110 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Moving really good with 15- 20 kt tail winds from NNE, wing on wing with full main, genoa and whisker pole. The seas and swells are picking up too though so its hard to steer and maintain wing on wing. Tried running/ broad reach with sails on one side but too unstable. Will try to keep wing on wing until the wind or seas get to be too much. Equipment: NSTR

Day 18: April 7, 2013 / 24º  42.0′ N / 141º  2.0′ W 2200Z

Moving along down wind

160 NM traveled in last 24 hrs!! 🙂 making incredible progress with these awesome winds and seas from behind. Now going wing on wing with 2nd reef, furled genoa and whisker pole. Pushing hull speed. Equipment: Wind vane is holding us steady. just have to balance the sail trim and tie off the helm and the wind vane can hold wing on wing no problem. Nice!

Day 19: April 8, 2013 / 24º  3.0′ N / 143º  28.0′ W 2200Z

At the helm

140 NM traveled in last 24 hrs. Still plowing through and making up lost time with these great 15-20 kt tail winds and seas. A bit worried about the sails/ rig being wing on wing w/ 2nd reef but so far so good. Sighted the lights of a ship passing a few miles away last night. Equipment: wind vane is performing like a superstar!

Day 20: April 9, 2013 / 23º  34.0′ N / 145º  45.0′ W 2200Z

Captain’s view

130 NM traveled in last 24 hrs. So lucky these 15-20 kt winds have been keeping steady and we continue to make great progress. Revised ETA to Hawaii: less than 5 days if this wind keeps up. Today the sky is clouded over and we are surrounded by squalls though we only got rained on a bit. Curry rice for dinner- yum! Equipment: Able to still get SW radio / WXfax reports. It helps to press the antenna against the stainless steel rail on the pedestal for better reception.

Day 21: April 10, 2013 / 22º  55.0′ N / 147º  59.0′ W 2200Z

Wing on wing with whisker pole

130 NM traveled in last 24 hrs. The seas are getting rough and the squalls keep up. Still making good progress though with 15-20 kt tail winds and seas but starting to get uncomfortable, with 10 ft seas. Finally made pasta for dinner. Was a challenge with these seas but successful and good. Equipment: The wind vane is awesome!

Day 22: April 11, 2013 / 22º  21.0′ N / 150º  14.0′ W 2200Z

Broke in half

130 NM traveled in last 24 hrs. Broke whisker pole! Winds and seas have picked up and the furled genoa back winded, causing the WP to bend and break. Sailing now with just 2nd reef mainsail. 25+ kt tail wind and 10+ ft following seas make it hard to balance the wind vane. Had to hand steer in the dark, very difficult and scary with big following seas and no moon or star light. Finally able to balance the sails going broad reach with a small bit of jib. Despite this, still making good progress on course. Equipment: will try to salvage and make a brace for WP. This sucks.

Day 23: April 12, 2013 / 22º  4.0′ N / 152º  23.0′ W 2200Z

Getting closer to Hawaii

120 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs.  Winds were supposed to die down according to the forecast, but still going strong and pushing us along. Some big 15- 20? ft seas have built up but Gemini is sail surfing like a freaking superstar. Equipment: tried to go wing on wing with furled genoa without WP but the genoa tore. Took down and replaced with working jib. Had some difficulty taking down torn genoa (about 2 ft at the top, can be fixed). A bit of a pain in the ass getting the jib halyard to not wrap around when hoisting the jib up the furler foil in big seas. Got wrapped at the top anyway and spent a few hours trying to unwrap. Finally fixed. In these wind/sea conditions, the boat doesn’t seem to need a headsail. Just 2nd reefed mainsail and we are still sail/surfing at full hull speed. This is awesome!

Day 24: April 13, 2013 / 21º  48.0′ N / 154º  30.0′ W 2200Z

Working the mast

120 NM traveled in the last 24 hrs. Officially on the Hawaii chart now!! 🙂 Yeah!! Sailing really good with 15-20 kt winds on our port quarter, with 1st reef and working jib. Blue skies and fair weather as we approach Hawaii. All smiles, totally happy. Should be able to visually sight Hawaii soon. Equipment: NSTR

Day 25: April 14, 2013 / 21º  19.8′ N / 157º  16.0′ W 2200Z

Land ho! Molokai behind the haze

Land ho! Visually sighted Molokai at 10am local time today. Unfortunately, soon afterwards, the winds completely died. Struggling to make way and waiting for the winds to pick up. Sighted two ships, only the 2nd and 3rd in 3 weeks! If the winds pick up, we should be in position to enter port this evening or early tomorrow morning. Timing of passing Kaiwi channel and entry in Ala Wai is concern now. Want to approach during daylight but at this rate it will be at night. Equipment: Loss of battery power now a problem, since can’t use running lights or VHF. VHF handheld radio OOC as well, since the switch got accidentally turned on in the ditch bag- d’oh! Need another VHF AA battery pack. In lieu of running lights, will keep the spot light handy to illuminate the sails if another vessel is sighted. Need to start keeping a good watch again.

Day 26: April 15, 2013 / 21º  9.0′ N / 157º  48.5′ W 2200Z

Getting closer to Hawaii: spirits are up!

Winds are still very light and on the nose, making very poor progress… in the rain! Drifting in the Kaiwi channel between Molokai and Oahu, obviously we didn’t get into position to enter Ala Wai. Should be able to enter port tomorrow. Good news is that we are in cellphone range and finally able to check email/ facebook with smartphone… Wow!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 That is soooo awesome that InReach facebook app worked so well and everyone was able to see our location and comment. This is my first look and THANK YOU SOOOO much everyone for all the love and support!!!!! That is seriously the most awesome thing about this trip, is that I was able to tell everyone about it in real time. Highly recommend InReach and I’m looking forward to spending a few days at Starbucks on the computer reading/ replying to everyone’s comments. THANK YOU SOO much!! This is really motivating! 🙂 Equipment: InReach is awesome!

Day 27: April 16, 2013 / 3 NM off the coast of Waikiki 2200Z

Becalmed just a few miles from port

Was hoping to enter port today but the winds are completely dead. We are just drifting off the coast of Waikiki and waiting for the winds to pick up so we can enter port. We can see the lights of Ala Wai harbor and can almost sail right up to the harbor buoys, but the winds are too light to safely sail in and definitely don’t want to do it at night. We can hear the parties on Waikiki and can swim to shore at this point. Called Vessel Assist (1-800-391-4869) and they are on standby to give us a tow into port tomorrow if needed. Definitely want to sail in though if at all possible to save $250. Just need wind from any direction except the north. Equipment: F@#$ing engine…

Day 28: April 17, 2013 / In port Ala Wai Harbor, Honolulu 1200 Local

Whales all around the boat off Waikiki

Hove to last night about 3 NM from Ala Wai. At first light this morning had a slight breeze from the west and then east, which was enough to get us into position to enter port. Then the wind died again and so drifted for a few more hours. Would be extremely frustrated except a small pod of humpback whales swam right up to the boat! Three whales (including a calf?) swimming right under the boat, wow what a cool welcoming party! The seas are so glass calm and with no wind, we take this chance to get snorkel gear and swim ladder ready, what the heck, I’m going to swim with the whales! But just before I’m about to jump in the water the winds pick up. I guess you’re not supposed to swim with the whales, huh? Now we have about 5- 10 kt winds out of the south east, perfect for entering the harbor. Let’s hope this keeps up… let’s go!!

Approaching Honolulu

As we approach the harbor, the winds start to die down… and switch directions!! Oh no, there’s reefs on either side of the channel and I’ve never entered Ala Wai before. Best to make an emergency call now to Vessel Assist and have them really on standby in case they need to pull us off the reef. So while frantically sculling the rudder and flapping the sails to maintain headway with the occasional powerboat wake to deal with, I’m also on the phone with Vessel Assist, who also notified the USCG of our predicament. Is this an emergency?

Finally on land: Ala Wai fuel dock

We have just… barely… enough wind now and are just barely making headway to just… barely… get to the fuel dock. We made it!! Crisis averted and s/v Gemini is officially moored at the now abandoned former fuel dock at Ala Wai. What a convenient spot. Too bad access to shore is gated off with barbed wire. But we’ve come this far and we have bolt cutters! Just kidding, we can climb the fence and/or use the dinghy now to access the rest of the harbor and check in with the harbormaster. Made friends right away with Dave, Gary, …(and a few other people) who have boats here. Now to get checked in to a proper spot here with the added challenge of moving the boat in the harbor without an engine and/or charging the batteries to get the diesel started… Aloha Hawaii, it’s so great to be here!!

I found s/v Gemini, a 1964 Pearson Alberg 35 sailboat in Long Beach, CA in late 2012. We got a good deal, fixed her up and got her ready to sail to Okinawa to replace s/v Intrepid in early 2013. That was the original plan anyway. I started a new Blogger blog about the boat and documented the early preps and adventures on that blog, check it out here.