Nice foggy morning at the Lightship!
We will be at Richmond YC at 8:30 this morning.
Bligh
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Monday, August 20, 2012
Last 88 Miles
Tiki Blue is currently 88 miles from the Golden Gate Bridge! With the
bridge rapidly approaching, life on board has taken on a distinctly
different character. Although the crew is enjoying the last hours of
relative isolation from land based demands, everyone seems keenly
interested in getting to the barn. In fact, not more than a half hour
that goes by without some protracted discussion of arrival estimates
replete with mental calculations and challenges. Torben has prepared a
super secret spreadsheet detailing various arrival scenarios. And
wagers have been laid.
Estimating arrival time has become somewhat of an art form due to the
unexpected and changing conditions Tiki has faced in the last twenty
four hours. About 18 hours ago we picked up very favorable wind and
have been sailing fast throughout the night. However, despite Tiki
dashing along the tops of a moderate sea at 8 plus knots, some
mysterious force has keep our over the ground speed in the 5s. This
slowed us down more than expected, but whatever current or sea state
that caused that discrepancy has now gone as quickly as it came, pushing
our speeds higher again. But the estimating continues to be challenging.
So here is what we know: we still expect to arrive in Richmond between
7 AM and 10 AM tomorrow morning. To better pin point our arrival time,
we will update the blog with a more accurate estimate at 6 AM tomorrow
morning. So stayed tuned, and we look forward to seeing anyone who
ventures out to see us arrive.
The Honorable (and vastly chilled) Stubblebeard, Quite Able Seaman.
bridge rapidly approaching, life on board has taken on a distinctly
different character. Although the crew is enjoying the last hours of
relative isolation from land based demands, everyone seems keenly
interested in getting to the barn. In fact, not more than a half hour
that goes by without some protracted discussion of arrival estimates
replete with mental calculations and challenges. Torben has prepared a
super secret spreadsheet detailing various arrival scenarios. And
wagers have been laid.
Estimating arrival time has become somewhat of an art form due to the
unexpected and changing conditions Tiki has faced in the last twenty
four hours. About 18 hours ago we picked up very favorable wind and
have been sailing fast throughout the night. However, despite Tiki
dashing along the tops of a moderate sea at 8 plus knots, some
mysterious force has keep our over the ground speed in the 5s. This
slowed us down more than expected, but whatever current or sea state
that caused that discrepancy has now gone as quickly as it came, pushing
our speeds higher again. But the estimating continues to be challenging.
So here is what we know: we still expect to arrive in Richmond between
7 AM and 10 AM tomorrow morning. To better pin point our arrival time,
we will update the blog with a more accurate estimate at 6 AM tomorrow
morning. So stayed tuned, and we look forward to seeing anyone who
ventures out to see us arrive.
The Honorable (and vastly chilled) Stubblebeard, Quite Able Seaman.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Final Lap
With less than 48hrs to go, the high pressure system seems to remain
omnipresent. Our trusted donkey of Swedish descent has been hard at
work for over 54 hrs now with just a 5min break to check internal fluid
levels. The other interesting thing we discovered is the fuel does
actually work moving off the 4/4 mark proving that big beefy 4 leggers
from Scandinavia can also be fuel efficient or maybe its the fuel gauge
that's non linear. As we get closer to the coast we see more life, this
morning there were a "pod" of dolphins swimming around the bow for a
while caught on video by Stubblebeard and according to our resident
ornithologist, Dodds the last of the tropical birds have left us. We
still see albatross and shearwater gliding over the waves. In addition
there are an increasing number of commercial vessels in our neighborhood
sometimes multiples. Last night we had the Yasa Pioneer a cargo ship
doing 12 knots that was on a collision course with us until the range
was around 5 miles when they changed course to pass us astern by 3
miles. Sometimes the VHF comes in real handy. At night you can see a
stream of planes equidistant flying west at the same altitude, one after
another. Last night mostly Abled Seaman Gilbert reported observing a
shooting star leaving a trail of pixie dust as it streaked across the
sky before flaming out in a spectacularly bright white pulse. The Seaman
as well as Dodds and Stubblebeard remain under close scrutiny from
Captain Bly.
Most books on board to do with major sailing disasters or discoveries of
wrecks long forgotten or wars in the pacific are now on their 2nd or 3rd
read as we continue to search for wind. Shore based support groups are
encouraging us to keep moving with the knowledge we will find some wind
in another 12 -18hrs...... Hope springs eternal.
N 37 33 W 128 11
omnipresent. Our trusted donkey of Swedish descent has been hard at
work for over 54 hrs now with just a 5min break to check internal fluid
levels. The other interesting thing we discovered is the fuel does
actually work moving off the 4/4 mark proving that big beefy 4 leggers
from Scandinavia can also be fuel efficient or maybe its the fuel gauge
that's non linear. As we get closer to the coast we see more life, this
morning there were a "pod" of dolphins swimming around the bow for a
while caught on video by Stubblebeard and according to our resident
ornithologist, Dodds the last of the tropical birds have left us. We
still see albatross and shearwater gliding over the waves. In addition
there are an increasing number of commercial vessels in our neighborhood
sometimes multiples. Last night we had the Yasa Pioneer a cargo ship
doing 12 knots that was on a collision course with us until the range
was around 5 miles when they changed course to pass us astern by 3
miles. Sometimes the VHF comes in real handy. At night you can see a
stream of planes equidistant flying west at the same altitude, one after
another. Last night mostly Abled Seaman Gilbert reported observing a
shooting star leaving a trail of pixie dust as it streaked across the
sky before flaming out in a spectacularly bright white pulse. The Seaman
as well as Dodds and Stubblebeard remain under close scrutiny from
Captain Bly.
Most books on board to do with major sailing disasters or discoveries of
wrecks long forgotten or wars in the pacific are now on their 2nd or 3rd
read as we continue to search for wind. Shore based support groups are
encouraging us to keep moving with the knowledge we will find some wind
in another 12 -18hrs...... Hope springs eternal.
N 37 33 W 128 11
Saturday, August 18, 2012
14 days @ sea
after 2 weeks
no murders,
no raised voices
and nary a complaint about the food
still motoring along
those little grib wind feathers are showing under 10 mostly from behind
still we managed some easy sailing with poled out jib and main.
Seaman Auto does most of the driving -and doing it well I might add.
funny part is swells roll the boat and sometimes it's hard to get any
sleep cause you keep rolling athwartships with the boat.
Are starting to see ships slightly more regularly -particularly at night.
Thanks to the magic of A.I.S. we can identify them.
'spose that's to be expected as we near a major port.
One ship even said they saw us on RADAR
all took showers yesterday in the forward shower stall
felt good to get clean & put on clean clothes... FYI half the crew shaved
lunch was pizza
dinner was pasta last night with a left overs added into the marinara
and for those worried we're not getting our veggies -lunch today was 3
bean salad.
We are looking forward to Chief Commissary-man Stubblebeard preparing a
slumgullion sort of soup made with whatever not quite dead yet odds and
ends from storage locker to fridge.
and we are unfortunately running low on rum.
maybe half a bottle of Sailor Jerry's left in the Captain's private stash
suspect we'll survive this incipient crisis
TTFN
Dodds,
Underassistant Yeoman-Bos'n (Striker)
no murders,
no raised voices
and nary a complaint about the food
still motoring along
those little grib wind feathers are showing under 10 mostly from behind
still we managed some easy sailing with poled out jib and main.
Seaman Auto does most of the driving -and doing it well I might add.
funny part is swells roll the boat and sometimes it's hard to get any
sleep cause you keep rolling athwartships with the boat.
Are starting to see ships slightly more regularly -particularly at night.
Thanks to the magic of A.I.S. we can identify them.
'spose that's to be expected as we near a major port.
One ship even said they saw us on RADAR
all took showers yesterday in the forward shower stall
felt good to get clean & put on clean clothes... FYI half the crew shaved
lunch was pizza
dinner was pasta last night with a left overs added into the marinara
and for those worried we're not getting our veggies -lunch today was 3
bean salad.
We are looking forward to Chief Commissary-man Stubblebeard preparing a
slumgullion sort of soup made with whatever not quite dead yet odds and
ends from storage locker to fridge.
and we are unfortunately running low on rum.
maybe half a bottle of Sailor Jerry's left in the Captain's private stash
suspect we'll survive this incipient crisis
TTFN
Dodds,
Underassistant Yeoman-Bos'n (Striker)
Friday, August 17, 2012
Day 13: Shower Day!
What a difference a day makes: In the last 24 hours, Tiki Blue has seen
light to moderate winds, calmer seas, and a couple ships. Compare that
to two days ago, when we were bashing through rough and confused seas
with the winds in the high 20s! These more comfortable conditions have
allowed life to return to whatever is considered normal on the high
seas. Last night, we resumed cocktail hour, followed by a great dinner
of roast beef with mashed potatoes in a ginger reduction sauce, one of
Seymour's specialties. This morning Bligh made us a delightful fritatta
that consisted of meat and potatoes of course! Other than eating,
everyone seemed to get caught up on sleeping and reading.
After dinner last night we were able to shake out the reefs and sail on
the full main and jib for the first time in several days, sailing in a
very pleasant 10-12 knot breeze. By 9 pm however, the wind had picked
up to 16 to 18 knots out of the North, so we put one reef back in the
main and a couple more turns on the jib. The increase was somewhat
welcome as the boat speed picked up from 5s to high 7s and an occasional
8. Because this stronger wind had backed a bit, we decided to sail a
little higher to gain back some of the Northing we lost when the wind
was blowing harder. This morning the wind has really lighted up and
gone DDW, so we are currently motoring straight toward the Gate. We
expect better wind strength and direction in the next 24 hours so we can
resume sailing.
Now on to the highlight of the day: we all took showers for the first
time in five days or so. This was a welcome event for all on board as
the entire boat smells much better as a result. Now laundry is getting
sorted and the fresh clothes have come out. It is impossible to
quantify the increase in moral.
One last event worth mention occurred last night. We were visited by
two container ships. One, the Cosco New York, passed just 1 1/2 miles
astern. But not to worry, Bligh had already contacted the bridge to
verify that they saw us and exchanged the usual captain-to-bridge secret
handshake. The other ship was further away and was summarily ignored.
Speaking of ships passing in the night, we learned on the radio net that
a returning Pac Cup boat that is about four hours behind us almost ran
into a overturned fishing boat. I was delivered that news shortly
before my 1:30 AM watch, and subsequently spent the next ninety minutes
standing at the dodger looking around hopelessly in the darkness for
objects in the water. Truth is, you can't really see anything in the
water in the dark, and Bligh later told me not to bother because that
stuff goes away at night. Anyway, we continue to see lots of stuff in
the water, yesterday's most interesting sighting being part of an oil
containment boom. We have been fortunate to only get lines caught on
the prop twice, and haven't hit anything solid yet.
Tiki Blue is currently 565 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, making
6 knots over the ground. At our current speed and distance, I have 16
more watches to stand before we arrive, but who's counting. That's all
for now.
The Honorable (and vastly skilled) Stubblebeard.
N 37º 03.438; W 134º 18.425.
light to moderate winds, calmer seas, and a couple ships. Compare that
to two days ago, when we were bashing through rough and confused seas
with the winds in the high 20s! These more comfortable conditions have
allowed life to return to whatever is considered normal on the high
seas. Last night, we resumed cocktail hour, followed by a great dinner
of roast beef with mashed potatoes in a ginger reduction sauce, one of
Seymour's specialties. This morning Bligh made us a delightful fritatta
that consisted of meat and potatoes of course! Other than eating,
everyone seemed to get caught up on sleeping and reading.
After dinner last night we were able to shake out the reefs and sail on
the full main and jib for the first time in several days, sailing in a
very pleasant 10-12 knot breeze. By 9 pm however, the wind had picked
up to 16 to 18 knots out of the North, so we put one reef back in the
main and a couple more turns on the jib. The increase was somewhat
welcome as the boat speed picked up from 5s to high 7s and an occasional
8. Because this stronger wind had backed a bit, we decided to sail a
little higher to gain back some of the Northing we lost when the wind
was blowing harder. This morning the wind has really lighted up and
gone DDW, so we are currently motoring straight toward the Gate. We
expect better wind strength and direction in the next 24 hours so we can
resume sailing.
Now on to the highlight of the day: we all took showers for the first
time in five days or so. This was a welcome event for all on board as
the entire boat smells much better as a result. Now laundry is getting
sorted and the fresh clothes have come out. It is impossible to
quantify the increase in moral.
One last event worth mention occurred last night. We were visited by
two container ships. One, the Cosco New York, passed just 1 1/2 miles
astern. But not to worry, Bligh had already contacted the bridge to
verify that they saw us and exchanged the usual captain-to-bridge secret
handshake. The other ship was further away and was summarily ignored.
Speaking of ships passing in the night, we learned on the radio net that
a returning Pac Cup boat that is about four hours behind us almost ran
into a overturned fishing boat. I was delivered that news shortly
before my 1:30 AM watch, and subsequently spent the next ninety minutes
standing at the dodger looking around hopelessly in the darkness for
objects in the water. Truth is, you can't really see anything in the
water in the dark, and Bligh later told me not to bother because that
stuff goes away at night. Anyway, we continue to see lots of stuff in
the water, yesterday's most interesting sighting being part of an oil
containment boom. We have been fortunate to only get lines caught on
the prop twice, and haven't hit anything solid yet.
Tiki Blue is currently 565 miles west of the Golden Gate Bridge, making
6 knots over the ground. At our current speed and distance, I have 16
more watches to stand before we arrive, but who's counting. That's all
for now.
The Honorable (and vastly skilled) Stubblebeard.
N 37º 03.438; W 134º 18.425.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Update Day 19?
Yesterday we lost 3 hours on our arrival time when we re set the ship’s clock from Hawaii time to PDT. The watch schedule got another bunch of notes scribbled all over it, totally confusing a few crew members to the point where they have no idea why they get breakfast for lunch and stand watches totally out of order.
The last 24 hour saw the wind build into the high 20’s for most of the late afternoon and evening. Bashing along for a while at 8+ knots into a rapidly building sea way, we kept reducing sails until we only had a scrap of jib out with the double reefed main and also bore away for a more comfortable ride. Most of the night we sailed at a fairly comfortable 6 knots with only the occasional wave breaking over the boat every ½ hour or so. Did I mention the showers that kept things wet as well? Nobody has been sea sick or fallen down moving around the boat, which has been challenging recently with all the bashing and rolling.
Anyway, everything is holding together well, except the mirror door in the bathroom that broke open and scattered glass all over the head when we fell sideways of a roller a couple of hours before midnight. Good think we have a professional ‘Furniture Medic’ on the vessel! The leech line for the main parted sometime overnight, so we have a little extra flutter adding to the noise of crashing waves.
Suffice to say that the gourmet galley shut down operations for a little while. Fortunately everyone seems happy with the meals consisting of the last ‘frozen’ Lasagna served in a dog bowl, cups of soup, oatmeal and our endless supply of power bars.
Winds have now moderated to the high teens and we expect them to further reduce this evening. When they do there will be mandatory showers ( we have a good supply of fresh water left ) and change of clothes for everyone. Some of the dirty laundry may have to go in the garbage locker aft, joining a pair of particular oppressive smelling sneakers that got relocated from the interior of the boat yesterday with all hazmat precautions in place.
We are currently 690 NM from the Gate and can’t seem to get Tiki to do much more than 140 NM per 24 hours made good, so we are probably now looking at a Tuesday arrival.
Bligh
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Falling to starboard, by Almost Able Seaman Gilbert
Wednesday finds Tiki Blue in some decent breeze for a change, speeds
over 8 knots are common for periods of time with water flying all over
and sometimes through the dodger. Daybreak this morning we had low cloud
cover with some patches of light at the horizon, Tiki Blue on a beam
reach charging through steely blue water. The miles are ticking by, with
the prospect of 150 mile days close to being confirmed. The thought of
moving further out into this enormous ocean has been replaced with a
count down of each hundred mile marker towards the GG waypoint. With all
this speed comes a new environment down below. Moving around needs
deliberate timing, reaching uphill for a grab rail to haul on or worse
identifying a target downwind and aiming at it mid-flight. Sleeping in
the aft bunk has been described as sleeping standing up. The galley is
losing its tidy domesticated appearance now looking more like freshman
dorm room with stuff scattered at random. Still the favorite spot for
conversation is under the dodger where as you can imagine from earlier
blog entries, the crew gather after breakfast where heady discussions
take place to do with all things nautical.
AB Seaman G
GGB 835NM
over 8 knots are common for periods of time with water flying all over
and sometimes through the dodger. Daybreak this morning we had low cloud
cover with some patches of light at the horizon, Tiki Blue on a beam
reach charging through steely blue water. The miles are ticking by, with
the prospect of 150 mile days close to being confirmed. The thought of
moving further out into this enormous ocean has been replaced with a
count down of each hundred mile marker towards the GG waypoint. With all
this speed comes a new environment down below. Moving around needs
deliberate timing, reaching uphill for a grab rail to haul on or worse
identifying a target downwind and aiming at it mid-flight. Sleeping in
the aft bunk has been described as sleeping standing up. The galley is
losing its tidy domesticated appearance now looking more like freshman
dorm room with stuff scattered at random. Still the favorite spot for
conversation is under the dodger where as you can imagine from earlier
blog entries, the crew gather after breakfast where heady discussions
take place to do with all things nautical.
AB Seaman G
GGB 835NM
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