Update on the jib.

First, a correction from yesterday, or whenever (it all runs together): By the way, Donna mentioned that she SAW some spinner dolphins on her watch this morning.

Today's trash report: a white cooler lid.

OK, here's the jib situation: several days ago, we reported that our jib furling line had chafed through and that we had locked the furling drum down to prevent a runaway jib. Well, after installing a new furling line, (and removing the lock-down!), Bill determined that the forward-most fairlead block was chafing the line, so he added a big snatch block to the system to straighten the lead. This was successful except that he then noticed that the line could rub on the drum flanges. Obviously, this is not a problem when the jib is fully deployed in light winds, or when it's fully furled in heavy winds. But we have been using it partially deployed in intermediate winds and the sail tends to "breath" as the pressure on it varies, causing the drum to oscillate, and the line to chafe if it touches the top or bottom flange. So here's the final solution. After each sail adjustment, Bill goes forward to inspect the position of the line coming off the drum. If it's OK, we're done. But if it's touching the drum, Bill yells back to the cockpit to ease the furling line and he feeds it onto the drum in the correct position. This has served us extremely well so far. We spent an entire night blasting along with a 25% jib, and another night with a 50% setup. Every few hours, Bill or Lindsey would conduct a "chafe patrol" to ensure that nothing had shifted.

However, today we are fully jibbed, so no chafe patrol required.

Bill said something memorable to me a few days ago. I was on watch and was thinking that I wanted to adjust the jib from 25% to something more aggressive. So I called Bill and said something about how I know it's a pain to adjust the jib with the current furling situation, but what did he think. He came on deck immediately and said, "We are sailors. Adjusting the sails is our "raison d'etre". Exactly!

Also, I think I still owe you an update on the autopilot remote. Needless to say, the oven treatment did not fix it, but we plugged it back in anyway because the auto/standby buttons were still working apparently. However, a few hours later, the autopilot alarm went again, the system went to standby (hand-steering), and this time the message on the below-decks display was "STLK FAIL". We had no idea what the problem was, thinking it was an autopilot overheat lockup. But when we unplugged the remote, everything returned to sweetness and light. Bill later read the manual and determined that STLK means SeaTalk, the Raymarine word for the NMEA 0183 network. So the dead remote is in the chart table and we are confined to adjusting the course from below. Good for us we have a "below"; otherwise, no Otto to drive for us. However, switching to or from hand-steering requires coordination between the on-deck helmsman and the below-decks button-pusher.

Speaking of the course, we are now "on-course" to Long Beach. We came upon a bright orange buoy this morning and immediately turned right.

Current position and course at 2:10 pm HST:
34N56 145W13 085 T @ 7.0 kts
Winds: NNW @ 8 kts

Fair winds . . .
Chris

VIDEOS!!

Wow - I just watched the videos which I almost missed because of the newer posts above them. DON'T MISS THEM - THEY ARE 2 BELOW THIS ONE! Ulli did a fantastic job of getting these on the blog. Kudos, Ulli!
Valerie

Wed June 20 - Day 9

Wonderfully clear connection this morning. Bill reported that they are sailing but in marginally light winds coming pretty much from behind them. He suggested putting up the spinnaker but the grumbles from the crew went something like "it's too cold and we're too tired." What a bunch of wimps (says she sitting in Honolulu on yet another beautifully perfect day.) He said the transmission was slow this morning but will send pictures along later so I will post as soon as I get them.
I heard from the Long Beach people and they will be able to accommodate Cirrus when she arrives - the emails said they would have room after July 6! That news was a relief to the crew.
No drama, no fantastic stories...wonderful!
Aloha all, Valerie

Underway Videos from Cirrus!

... and once again, Cirrus is proving herself as not only a reliable offshore vessel, but also as one at the forefront of communication technology. Deemed to be impossible as recently as last year, it has become a reality today: videos taken on the boat yesterday, some 1000 miles away from land, and now posted on the blog.

This is anything but trivial: The information is transmitted via radio, which is a very slow connection, about only as fast as land based connections were in ca. 1990. Modern technology, such as that also used by Youtube, allows to condense the video information to bring video transmissions in reach. Even then, as you see, resolution is limited, and picture size has to be small. And the Google blogs are not prepared to host videos, so some further tricks were needed.

However, I am not aware of any other sailboat on the Pacific ever having sent videos by email; I believe this a first! Coming from Cirrus, of course.

Now that Cirrus is travelling into arctic waters ;-), maybe they can warm up to more videos?

Aloha to all, from an almost tropical Germany
Ulli

What a Difference a Day Makes

Man-Oh-Man is it ever cold. Readers in Hawaii will find it hard to believe but we actually tour the boat every hour or so to see if it is icing up. You get a lot of ice in the rig it could roll the boat over. (Just kidding.)

Wednesday, 20 June 2007,0600 HST position is 34N52, 146W01. The (light air) sailing course is 067M, 5.2 knots and the relative wind is 250, 6.6 knots. That would be a true wind of about 305T, 10 knots. It is 100% light overcast and the barometer is 1022.7, holding.

Another thing that sailors and non-sailors will find amazing is that the ideal course from Hawaii to Long Beach has black plastic floating ball markers located about 10 miles apart for the entire distance. We have also seen similar markers along the course to San Francisco. People have told me that they have seen the same thing on the way to Seattle.

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Today's projects

The winds are so light today that we took the reef out of the main. So we are now sailing on a full main and full jib. But the winds are from a better direction, so we are turning towards a more direct course for Long Beach.

My project today was to replace the AAA batteries in four flashlights. Bill and I each carry one or two small Pelican red-lens flashlights and today was the day to face the fact that we were down to one functioning unit. No big deal, but when the boat is heeled at 25-30 degrees, and jumping around a little, it's always a challenge to move around the boat and get stuff out of cupboards without getting hurt. And it can be tricky to handle stuff (like a box of batteries) while you're always holding on tight to the boat with at least one hand.

In fact, even typing on a laptop keyboard can be interesting because the keys don't stay in the same place from moment to moment. And don't even get me started about going to the bathroom.

By the way, Donna mentioned that she some some spinner dolphins on her watch this morning. But today's trash patrol came up empty; just a few plastic floats. Nothing worth rescuing.

Since today is a light news day, I'd like to take the opportunity to mention Donna's provisioning and cooking. She has served us outstanding grub from day one. For dinners, we've had pot roast, pizza, and ribs, with salads and all the fixin's. And there are lots of snacks: chips, granola bars, cookies, dried fruit, etc, and even fresh grapefruit. For lunch, we've had a variety of salads and sandwiches, including my favorite, tuna salad sandwich. And of course, every sailor's favorite night watch food, cup-o-noodles.

Current position: 34N32 147W50, currently motoring (to charge batteries) at 7.3 knots steering 055M.

That's all for now. Keep your comments coming.

Chris

A Message from Donna

This is a shout-out to my boyz @ sb, via Patrick, aka the sheriff.

We had a couple of false starts, but on June 11th, we shoved off again, and all is on track now. I'll try and send a picture from somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, maybe our half-way point. I do miss you guyz, and I think of you every day at 3:00 am when I get up to do my watch.

Love,
Mamacita

Day 8 - Valerie's post

Frustrating call this morning because satellite kept dropping the connection. But the gang on Cirrus is very happy today - despite dire predictions of no wind they actually have a good wind filling in from the North and they were able to turn off the engine last night and are sailing at 6 kn. pointing a little north of Long Beach. Prediction is for another 11 days. Bill will post positions soon.
Richard made it safely back to Waikiki - unfortunately I missed hearing the 5:30 check in at which time he was reported to be just off Koko Head. Sorry I missed the greeting but very happy that he is home safely.
That's if for me today - Aloha, Valerie

Evening of Day 8

We are well and truly in the north pacific high. The winds have gone from 15 knot easterlies to 3 knot westerlies. We are motoring on a course of 040 magnetic at 6.8 knots across a glass-smooth ocean. The sun is setting and the temperature is mercifully starting to drop. Earlier, we spent about a half-hour drifting in the blazing sun while Bill and Lindsey swapped the fuel tanks. This is a standard mid-voyage operation for Cirrus because she has two 45-gallon tanks but only one set of fuel lines.

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Now it is Official

We are well and truly entering the "Over the Hump." phase of the trip. Not only did we finish off one fuel tank and switch to the other but then the wind started filling in from the north (cold) just like is supposed to and we are sailing again. But the real clincher is that the (Island Girl) Skipper showed up for her watch this morning wearing shoes for the first time.

Our Tuesday, 19 June 2007, 0600 HST, position is 34N16, 148W42. We are sailing with a 1/2 unfurled jib and one reef in the main. Pretty conservative rig, but we are reminded from time to time that "This isn't the race guys. It's the delivery. Let's not break anything." We are even using the running backs to stiffen the rig.

Our course is 050M and speed 5.5 knots. Wind is at 300 relative and 10 knots. That's a true wind of about 330T, 9 knots. The barometer is 1022 down from 1026 a day ago. Less than 1500 miles to go with about 1000 behind us.

That's it for now. Bill

A message from LG . . .

D-man: check your email. Olives.

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Is it already day 7?

The kind of call I really like to get - no major events to report! Cirrus is motoring into very light winds that are right on her nose. Looks like another day of motoring and they should be to the other side of the high. While we were talking they thought they saw another glass ball and were off on the hunt. Sounds like they are having a wonderful time out there now that the beating has abated.
We hope to hear from Richard at 1730 HST and I am still planning to try to get down to the dock to greet them. Will keep you posted.
Off to Haunama Bay with my son and daughter-in-law. Life is good.
Aloha, Valerie

Photos

New World

Not so long after Lindsey gave us a lecture on the rules of glass ball hunting she proceeded to score the biggest ball I've ever seen. It is a beauty. Must be more than a foot in diameter. Came with enough net and line that it was a little tough to get it aboard. When it hit the deck there were little fish, crabs, clams, barnacles, etc. all over the place.

That was only minutes after we had two freighter encounters in a row. This is getting to be a busy place out here.

Over night the wind died completely and I thought we would have glassy swells by morning. But the wind shifted a little and we have tacked o'er to port for the first time on the trip. It is 1600 miles to Long Beach. An optimistic arrival time would be in 10-11 days. The Monday, June 18, 2007, 0600HST position is 33N18,151W01. We are motoring on a course of 050M at a speed of 6.7 knots. The relative wind is all generated by the motion of the boat. The jib is furled and we still have one reef in the main.

Bill