SAILING DIARY

Transpac Daily Update

1300 PDT 13/07/19
31d 34N 121d 26.8W
9.5kts
heading 225M
wind 20 kts from 335M
Very slow off the start – hard to get 45 tonnes rolling in 6kts of breeze. We hung on slowly losing ground until past Catalina when the wind started its slow climb from 8kts to where it peaked (at least for now) about 3 hours ago at 30.
We currently have full main #3 and mizzen up and rolling along in quite an uncomfortable sea, close reaching but making good time. A few rumbly bellies first night out!

1300 PDT 14/07/19
29d 42.2N 125d 11.0W
speed 10kts
heading 235M
Heading more west at hull speed to take advantage, we hope, of the mid Pacific high pulling back north which is due to happen tomorrow. This should allow us to sail fewer miles at our best pace. We don’t plane like the newer boats so once we have enough wind, more doesn’t make us go any faster. A tactical risk, so cross your fingers!

1300 PDT 15/07/19
28d 43.7N 129 22.5W
speed 10.5kts
heading 245M
Bowling along nicely. Wind has increased to 22kts and put a bit more pressure on us and K2 but so far so good. Roast pork, roast spuds, vegetables, apple sauce and gravy last night! One of Grunter’s best.

1300 PDT 16/07/19
28d 19.4N 133d 55.5W
speed 10kts
heading 250M
All up: big symmetric spinnaker, genoa staysail, mainsail, mizzen staysail and mizzen. Trucking towards Diamond head. Weather is sunny, seas fairly rolly, and the temperature is steadily rising. Fewer clothes needed at night, more and more sunblock being used.

1300 PDT 17/07/19
27d 52.6N 138 01.5W
speed 8kts
heading 200M
Sailed into a bit of a wind hole around 9am this morning. Still enough to move at a decent speed but not the speed we were expecting so we are digging south to see if we can recover. Still half the race to do so while a bit of a downer, we are working hard. Grunter has raised spirits with toasted sandwiches for lunch. I’m thinking we are due a bit of luck as all three heads (toilets) malfunctioned this morning. All fixed. The head cook swears it was nothing to do with his minestrone, served last night.

1300 PDT 18/07/19
27d 19N 141d 54.4W
speed 9.9kts
heading 256M
Played dodge the rain squalls last night. Actually in Kialoa’s case so far it’s go in a straight line and watch the squalls blow by as we seem to be on the same course. Sure, one will go right over the top of us soon enough. Standard procedure so far has been, if we are on the S edge, is to drop the staysails and mizzen to make steering a bit easier when the wind rises and then progressively re-hoist as the shower and its wind effects pass. Rolled through a thousand miles to go early this morning to big smiles. Bo Koh “grandma’s stew” from Grant last night was magnificent.
We roll on…

1300 PDT 19/07/19
26d 41.7N
146d 16.7W
speed 9.5 kts
heading 210M
Tough night and day but in the end very satisfying. The squalls last night were brutal. Too much for our limited suite of spinnakers so we decided to hoist the big genoa and pole it out. Except that the furling foil split and the sail got caught between foil sections. Eventually fixed after some magnificent work by David Sawdon and especially Jeff up the foil on a halyard using a grinder… don’t ask any more. Everyone and thing intact, sail hoisted and furled ready for this evenings squall party. While all this was going on the hydraulic ram that functions as the boom vang let go with a loud bang and a spray of oil on the deck. Again sorted this time using good old fashion string and purchases, well dynex and purchases anyway! So we power on, doing the best we can.

1300 PDT 20/07/19
25 41N
149 32W
speed 9.5kts
heading 210M

Happy Birthday Sue Toyne from all on Kialoa2!

Still fighting. We have, to the degree we can, dealt most of our breakages, and are pushing hard into the last 2 days. Weather has improved (if you are lying on a beach) hot & sunny. Getting pretty steamy down below on K2 so we have deployed the “air conditioner” – a worksite battery operated fan suspended horizontally under the main saloon hatch. Dropped the temperature from roasting to slow cooking…
1300 PDT 21/07/19
23 42.1N 152 41.6W
speed 9kts
heading 235M
Still working it. Crew on deck are trimming and adjusting as rain squall after squall rolls past. They are heading NW at about 285M and we are heading SW at 235M. This means we cross paths occasionally. Sometimes usefully and we get a good lift in wind strength and sometimes poorly (less frequently as we judge their path better with time and experience) and we get stuck in the “wash” at the back of the rain squall. Had a cracking day yesterday, trying to replicate it today! The news of the “WAGs” night out added extra motivation for the team as we suffer a little bit of FOMO.
1300 PDT 22/07/19
21 53.4N 156 03W
speed 10kts
heading 238M
106 miles to go! At last the current swung to help rather than hinder and we were away, enjoying the run rather than battling. Sooooo looking forward to a first call of “Land Ho!”