ALICE MARTIN
Today has been rainy and cloudy with 12-16 knots of wind from the NE. We are still sailing with speeds varying from about 4-6 knots.. The sun just appeared and many of the clouds are rolling away now- enough warmth that Rudy and i are thinking of boat showers.
Last night Irwin finally made ham radio contact with some good friends of ours in the Sierras. It was great to hear their voices loud and clear way out here!
Irwin spent more time this afternoon working on the fuel pump and bleeding the engine, Rudy is doing some repairs and troubleshooting of the propane system. Alice wants everyone to know not to send any email tonight between 11-12 midnight as she will be rebooting the system in the hopes of cleaning out the "bugs" we are having with skymate.
Our GPS will be showing that we are a thousand miles from SF today- so we are making progress. Thanks for your emails and news (what we get of it anyway) as it is great getting mail!
be well and appreciate life
love jaye
Yeah- today we have lots of wind - even out of the north so we were actually heading right for SF a few hours, but then it clocked around to easterly again- started out grey, rainy, but sunny now...We had to reduce sail this am after Rudy arose at 11. Took down the big jenny and our speed went from a sloggy 5 knots up to almost 7 with reefed main and 80% jib.
Since early this am we have been sailing on our ears- a port tack- the stove keeps getting stuck against the wall as it swings too high and jams there. To accomplish the mex tuna soup for lunch-i had to hold the stove from swinging w/my knee while chopping and preping the contents- what acrobatics! So much for the biscuits i had envisioned during my 6am-9am watch!!!
Alice wins the prize for the wettest watch today- and a small wave managed to make it's way past the hatch onto her bunk as well...the perils of the quarterberth, but as for other leaks: looks like our caulking paid off.
that's all folks!
 Monday August 14, 2006 @ 06:24 PM GMT-08:00
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| day 12 w/1200 miles to go- Cont.pt 2 |
Lat:41.1432° Lon:-149.6640°
Wind: ENE 10.5 kt | Temp:64° | 
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Thus, we've basically been sailing toward SF for the last two days-this makes us feel like we are actully making progress (though our rip roaring speed is usually 4-6 knots -sometimes less. These days are so pleasant- comfortable and relaxing even. We are all reading and getting enough rest- especially now w/ Rudy's new watch system!
Sounds like there are only 2 paccup boats still out now.
Rudy just caught our third fish as i was typing this blog- another blue fin tuna- about 7-8 lbs. We are getting the killing routine down now- no more blood all over the cockpit! Of course, murphy's law of fishing is that you will always catch something good when the cook has already prepared dinner- and sure enough i prepared the sweet potato curry, raita, sambal and all the other condiments this afternoon so i would be ready to go on watch. Oh well- Yum!Tuna tomorrow will taste just as good and still fresher than we could buy!!
we love you all
jaye
Last night we made the executive decision to leave up the big 150 jib for the night since the winds had been light (5-12knots) all day. Of course, then on Alice's watch at midnight, the wind got high enough to be right at the border of the big sail (necessitating Rudy and i getting suited up to go change it, then deciding it would be ok for the time being. Then the wind dropped to almost nothing- requiring Rudy to motor for his watch- then found enough wind for us to sail since 6am this morning. The light wind allows our motion to be a slight rocking at a slight heal- very nice for getting chores done- Alice did alot of cleaning- me cooking, Irwin and Rudy repaired things that had been wanting our attention. Today has been a great day to get things done. As we sail around the south edge of this high, our winds have been light and variable from the north to east north east so we have been close hauled on one tack or the other.
we could start to feel the cool crisp air of the more northerly latitudes. Yes, we are actually north of SF for the last few days as we suspect we will catch the coastal northerlies when we get closer and sail south on them. We've all started to wear our warmer clothes on watch and use our covers at night now...so we must be getting nearer to home!
Rudy proposed a new watch schedule this morning which we are now trying. We split the day into two sections and the watches are more teams than individuals. Irwin and i will do the 6-12's (2-3hrs watches or 3-2hrs) and the Rudy and Alice team will do the 12 - 6's. This way i will be on for the cooking stilland irwin will be on for engine startings and radio nets. The engine is still mysteriously not starting without bleeding- although this afternoon irwin caulked some spots where air caught be getting sucked in. Maybe that will do it...we'll let you know more tomorrow.
Be well, enjoy- we are! love from the hooligan team
Rudy caught us the tuna he had been promising. Therefore, we pigged out on sushi, sashimi, miso soup, soba noodle salad and delicious brownies for dessert. Then after out feast in the cockpit- we had sailed all day and it was nearing sunset- we needed to turn on the engine to charge the batteries. As we revved up- spinner dolphins discovered us. They must have sent the word near and far- as we could see them jumping airborne all around as we looked back into the sunset. They stayed to play inour bow wake for over a half hour as we all tried to capture the moment on film. How spectacular! Bet Marine World doesn't have any shows tha top this! It was difficult to decide where to focus:the gorgeous swirly sunset or watching through the crystal clear blue water 8-10 dolphins bodies gracefully taking turns surfing under the bow and hearing them exhale as they surfaced just in front of the bow to jump in the air sometimes two or three in unison and then cycle back for another turn! As we stood out on deck moving at 6 knots accross the relatively calm "pond"
Hi All
It's 4:30 pm on sunday - warm and sunny wirth a slight breeze. We are motoring as our "new" theory in sailing around the edge of the high involves sailing as long as we have wind then motoring until we find it again. We sailed in light south easterlies all night..but it calmed down this afternoon. Today we finally got to one type of halfway- our mileage behind us equalled out mileage to the golden gate: 1325 miles each way!!! We still have alot of tacking and uncertain winds ahead, so who knows how many more miles we will actually sail. We all agreed yesterday that our journey will be much closer to 30 than 21 days, sowe may as well enjoy it and that we are!
Yesterday, we had two celebrations and the pacific ocean spirits sent us a third. I made chocolate brownies to commemorate our first 1000 miles (a bit late- but conditions below were unconducive to baking the previous day unless of course i was up for cleaning the oven-which i wasn't). Secondly, Rudy
I can see now why Bill wanted to name his yacht Pacific High. We've been playing at the southern edge of the 2nd High in our path home: seas are calm, dolphins abound and we have the perfect 10 - 12 knots for full sails and almost hull speed.
The direction hasn't been the best but improving. For the last 24 hours, we have been doing 020 - 050 M and when this takes us too high and the wind drops we've been motoring for pure VMG to the Golden Gate.
Fortunately, this high is moving west and we are moving east, so each time we hit these pleasant breezes the wind is just a little more from the north.
At the moment the engine is going, frig is charging and guys are looking into our little engine problem. We've had to bleed the fuel to start the engine since we used the small tank. Not sure what's different. Jaye is doing her part by holding the table securely on the settee.
greetings from the dissapating high.
What a show.
At 2200 PDT (just about sunset here), we started the engine to charge the battery and pick up our speed and were joined by dozens of spinner dolphins. We were going east. They came from behind us and both sides, jumping in formation as singles and riding right under our bow wake. I've never seen that many and especially converging from all directions. They stayed about 30 min and then it wasn't clear just what way they went. I think east and so are we.
The high is dissapating and a new one is forming. Its looking like our best chance for more wind are some northerlies from the east side of this high.
We had a fun day of sailing today and didn't lose the wind until about 2200. Looks like we'll be powering tomorrow--never quite as much fun, but should be good progress towards home.
We monitor KYC check in every evening. Ca Girl is home. Rainbow expects to make it tomorrow.
We're all well.
Bye Bye San Francisco. We've left you to the East and gone on by.
The current objective is to take advantage of good 12-18 Knot breezes circling a little stationary HIgh, hoping to sail to the side that will give us westerlies, while they are still there. Latest chart shows a cold front coming down on this high, might get some breeze (with rain and chop) a little sooner. Hope so!
We had a 1200 mile party at lunch. Homemade soup, Thai soba salad, thai wraps with peanut sauce, apple/pear salad and, last but not least, warm brownies. Yeah for Jaye!!
Not to be outdone, before we could do the dishes, Rudy caught a 7-8 lb. blue fin tuna. We'll be enjoying sushi at 8 PM.
On a comfy point of sail Starboard at 85. Following a strategy, but sure hurts to look at that VMG.
Hope all is well.
Its a beautiful warm and sunny afternoon in the northern pacific, It is also windy 16-20 jnots and the seas are pretty lumpy.
We are making good progress, lurching at quite an angle NorthWest. Speed over ground is a solid 7.
We are poring over point forecasts to decide if we will want a third reef for this evening or if the high will have found us and the engine will be needed.
Lots of time to think here. Glad I have so many wonderful friends and family to think about.
alice
This has been the best day yet. We found the wind and rain. Sailed into cooler sunshine and kept that wind and calm seas. Great sailing!!
Its just now getting a little rougher, but still a good steady 12-14 knots of breeze. Wish it was a taking us a bit further east, but VMG is better than its been. Yeah.
Just finished the Mahi Mahi we caught. Jaye kept 4 nice pieces and served them with a delightful Thai Curry. Yum. Rudy promises to put out the line again tomorrow.
Not sure any of our skymate blogs or emails are getting out. We aren't receiving any.
Hope you are all well and getting our news.
Just sent a newsy note, but think I lost it with electrical problems--did anyone see the 8/10 1400 entry?
Current Position: 35 46.228N 154 04.251W.
Thanks
This has been a gorgeous night.
We caught a Dorado just as the sun was setting and the full moon rising. Rudy handled the net and the fish. Jaye and Irwin pulled in the line and cleaned up the boat. I just tried to get pictures. We all agreed not to put out the line again until we had eaten all of this one. Sure was a pretty gold one.
The sea is calm and beautiful. Rudy saw a ship on his watch.
Turns out that the midnight PDT check in with KYC is the big event and we are all up. Tonight we shut down the engine at 11:45, had a few moments of quiet before the roll call and then a few more as Irwin checked the oil. It was breathtaking with the calm sea, full moon and a few fluffy clouds. Pretty soon, it will be just us checking in. Several boats expect to land tomorrow.
Hey you racers who wanted to see the compass-- the light works when the engine is running. I'm eager to see if all it takes is the engine switch. Now that the fuel pump is wired to the ignition, I think we could leave the switch on without the engine running.
Still heading north, eager to go east. Hope the wind agrees with Don on Summer Passage rather than the skymate point forecast, but have my doubts. We'll see soon enough.
Enjoying this relaxing cruise. Thinking of you.
alice
Course over ground dropped to 3 and we decided to use the engine to get through the horse latitudes at 1800.
At 1500 RPM and full sails, we're doing 6+ knots due north. The plan is to find westerlies at lat 37 and then head east.
Rudy rigged the fishing line. Excitement at 1930 when he hooked a Dorado. It wriggled free. We waved good bye with mixed emotions. Jaye says they mate for life.
Hoping for a noisy, but relaxing 240 miles north. More tomorrow.
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