Go For Broke: Motor Sailing Rock-n-Roll

I have been home a week.  I am finally ready to start blogging again! Plus, I bet it is time for a technical post before I loose all the guys following blog. The First Mate's posts are good, but generally a little girly.  Ha ha, but seriously, I had a great time and learned a lot on my cruise aboard Go For Broke.

When we left Kauai, we had to slog directing into the wind for the first 20 miles to get out of the influence of the island. The island influence is due to the mountains, volcanoes, and shallow water around the islands that cause confused seas, steep swells, and often strong and/or shifting winds.  Heading directing into the wind we tried to get the Jib up to steady the boat. Raising a sail will always make for a smoother ride even when motoring.

We had to deal with the rocking and rolling of motoring.  How you power boaters out there deal with this I have no idea. In the the video below is Go For Broke leaving Kauai under power (motoring) with no sails set.

The video below really shows the advantage of "motor sailing" as opposed to just plain motoring. While departing Oahu we were motoring-sailing across the swell in the video below and the boat is still comfortably level. 

Go For Broke Picture Tour

In no particular order . . .

Spinning in the Storm

Hi,
The last couple of days have been rough, one storm after the other. Last night was the worse. It really kicked our butts. We got stuck with the main up full when the wind shifted and we needed to run down wind. But don't know how (or are too chicken) to let the main out far enough to run down wind. We were spinning at first then settled into a North direction. Not the way we wanted to go but it was too dangerous to get up on deck and bring the sail down. 15 foot seas and 30+ wind. So we just waited it out until dawn, about 5 hours.

Glad to hear fall's nice weather has come. Have fun with the girls (Melissa and Jane, significant others of Steve and Lynn) on Friday, tell everyone I said hi.

Luv, T


Day 12, aboard Go For Broke.  Satellite email delivered by OCENS.com

Knowing When to Turn Back

I am so proud of my husband, my Captain.  He is single handing a 61' sailboat at night in the middle of the Pacific ocean!  Two hours on, two hours off, all night long . . . until sunrise.  The sheer exhaustion of it!  Think about it!

I think, probably more than anything, I am impressed that three grown men can make the tough decision to turn back.  The point at which a person makes the choice to give up a goal, change course, cut their losses, throw in the towel, that is the point where they face their pride, their own ambition and glory-lust, the possibility of failure, and the cost of each.  I am proud of all three of them!

The bad news is that we have been in a storm that is going the same direction we are for that last 2 days causing heavy seas. The good news we have been cruising along at almost 7 knots and did about 170 miles yesterday.  Right now we are still 360 miles to Oahu and that should take 4-5 days. But we are getting closer. Can't wait for to get home and get dry. With the storms everything is damp, even the clothes I haven't worn yet. Except the ones in the zip lock you sent with me. Tough to type still, got to go. Luv, T

Day 11, aboard Go For Broke.  Delivered by satellite phone via OCENS.mail software.

The Glass is Half Full

I sat in the spa alone with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.  The high tide waves were audible crashing in the background.  The first winter squash of the season was in the oven and the smell in the house was nothing short of divine!  Today was a good day.  I went to church.  I tithed.  I had a solid afternoon nap.  I spoke to my father on the phone and my mother-in-law today.  I went for a leisurely evening run with a new Morro Bay friend.  I can’t see any down side here!

One might be tempted to argue that the second turning back of Go For Broke is a failure of human endeavor. It would be more accurate to say that we humans might have been forcing a thing that was never meant to be.  As for my part, again, I cannot see much of a downside here. I don’t know how else to say it, but I have a tremendous peace about the whole thing. Of course, I am not on the boat, but for whatever it is worth, I think that the glass is half full.

Truman’s goal was to go for a long sail and learn a lot. Has that not happened? I think that there is always more to be learned in complicated times than in easy-breezy ones. This has been my experience anyways. I cannot see how he could come home and not have learned an amazing amount about sailing, crewing, boat maintenance, and navigation. It cost us very little for him to learn all this. In comparison, I hope that Steve makes out good on the cost of the boat. I cannot see how he can come out of this situation anything but the wiser. And that is priceless!

My Happy Husband

Hey babe, guess what! I think I am getting dreads. Don't think salt water does too well for my hair. We have had almost no wind for 2 days and have been just drifting around with no engine. But last night a front came through with 20 knots of wind and we are moving along at 5 knots. Too bad it isn't straight to the islands, we are having to tack back and forth making the mileage to target go down slow.

You shouldn't have to buy a flight, I can still use the return trip ticket from my original flight. Glad I spent the extra 50 on the round trip. I still may not be home for a week but it is better than 3 weeks.
luv,
T

Day 9, aboard Go For Broke.
This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.

Getting Back to Land May Not Be as Easy as It Sounds

Truman's latest email . . . drumroll and . . . Friends, more prayer, please!

"Well, we are turning back for sure. Even if we fix the stuff that is broke we will still head back. Don't have any faith in the boat anymore. Got to get back to work. Luv, T"

At this point the crew is looking on the bright side.  Morale is up.  And the First Mates on land, Jane, Melissa, and I are holding steady.  We have the utmost trust in our men, their better judgement, and the strength of their bodies.  It has been a strong team effort all the way around.  Now I am just looking forward to having my man back by any means possible, by hook or crook as they say!

Go For Broke Turning Back

Hi,
Well the electrical problems keep coming back and after the good day of mileage using the engine and some sails to push the speed a little, the engine gave out. Now we have spotty electrical and no engine. Without the use of the engine it will take us about 40 more days to get back. So now it is 400 miles back in light winds. It could take 5 days or 10. Not sure but I will keep you updated. I will try to call later today, not sure if it will work yet but we can try.

Luv, T

Day 8, aboard Go For Broke.
This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.

Clips from Truman's Email Today

Jury is still out if we are going to have to turn back. We solved the electical problems for now who knows what is next. Been pretty busy on board but have some time to read at night it is a little tough with the movement. Just listening to the ipod has been the most enjoyable time so far. The soduko has been a mess for some reason, it may be the constant distractions or sleep deprevation but I can't seem to finish a puzzle without messing it up.

I have tried to take some pictures of the full moon lite nights we have been having but none seem to be coming out. It is pretty scenery out here.

We had some electical problems yesterday and last night but we stoped this morning and Lynn got most everything back up. Going the rest of the curise with no email or frig would have sucked. I think I have a way to call you over the Shortband Radio. There is a relay station in SF that can patch me through to a phone as a collect call. We will just have to keep it short and set a time in the next couple of days.

Talk to you soon, T

Day 6, Trans-Pacific passage aboard Go For Broke. 
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Ok, Now I Really Miss My Captain . . .

I took this picture when we were cruising back from the Zongo Cup in Avila Beach.  I knew I could find a good reason to post it!  Thank you everyone for all your prayers!  Truman and the Go For Broke Guys are all doing well.  They will probably be at sea for another 10-15 days.

Update: s/v Go For Broke Enroute

This e-mail was delivered via satellite phone using OCENS.Mail software.  Please pray for a couple of days of calm seas!


Truman writes:
Yesterday afternoon finally calmed down for a good day of sailing. We have making about 5 knots and I think that is what we will average. Steve has been very sea sick so it has been a two man crew so far. I am a little sore and tired but I think I will get use to it.

Having fun so far learning some new sailing bits. Managing the sails isn't a constant task but they do need to be checked every 5 min or so. I miss stearing though, the auto pilot is on all the time so we have been steering by button pushing.

I will send more a day or so if weather permits.

Love,
T

2 Voices, 2 Blogs

Some readers have asked me if I write this blog on my own.  Well, the Captain and I have both been writing! Sometimes we work together on one post, sometimes he writes it, sometimes I do. 

For the next 25 days or so, I'll be writing this blog all by my little matey self while my Captain is crewing a boat from Hawaii to Morro Bay!  You can follow his sail adventure with professional Captain, Lynn, and boat owner on the blog S/V Go For Broke (on our blogroll).  He left for Hawaii this morning!

Meanwhile, I will be exploring provincial life, cooking homemade tortillas, fixing up Lil' Wheels, increasing the quality and restfulness of my sleep, and juicing for vibrant health!  Stay tuned!  I think this time apart will be a spiritual experience for both the Captain and I!

~The First Mate

The Zongo Cup!

The 2nd Annual Zongo Yachting Cup was a hit!  The race was sponsored by the calypso band Zongo All-Stars.  The Yacht clubs of San Luis and Morro Bay hosted the start and finish festivities.  Most boats sailed the course in 4-6 hours.  Winners got trophies; all others received fun mugs.  The courtesy skiff service was great!  We spent the night on the boat and motor-sailed back today.  Our top speed was 5.2 knots.

Training Wheels made it to Avila Beach and back intact, but not without some hitches!  A picture is worth a thousand words so I'll just post some of the most amazing shots.  We will go over the mishaps in the next few posts, but basically, here is a synopsis:  the boom broke in half tearing our mainsail; we lost an anchor and nearly floated to Pismo Beach; the percolater wouldn't make us coffee on the barbie.

Friday night Farmer's Market, Avila Beach, and the Zongo All-Stars!

The boats have all come into port.

Training Wheels taking down the mainsail and broken boom.

He Said, She Said

We are approaching another anniversary: one more year of marriage; one year as Captain and First Mate. It was on our last wedding anniversary, one year ago, that the idea of owning a boat first came up.

He Said

I wasn’t sure that the First Mate would go for it, but even after all these years she can surprise me. I thought it would be viewed as another hobby/sporting event that would require more time apart. She was actually very enthusiastic about having a project together and becoming the first mate. So after a year of cleaning, sanding, painting, and more cleaning I am happy to say that I think it was a good decision. We have had some good times along with the hard work. The BBQ’s with friends, learning new things, and sunset cruises have created the kind of quality time and memories that this Captain would highly recommend!

She Said

I was really excited when Truman took the sailing class at the yacht club last year. I have always gotten seasick, like with deep-sea fishing and whale watching trips, so I never considered that I would actually sail with him. But our harbor is really quiet so I started to entertain the idea of floating around, sunbathing, wine-drinking, and generally looking like Goldie Hawn on Overboard. Then I started thinking about getting my hands dirty and “taking it all out on the boat.” Sanding and painting, waxing and washing are free therapy sessions! And Truman has always wanted to buy a boat and possibly live aboard. What wife could possibly resist the opportunity to give her husband a little slice of his dream? I said, “Yes, let’s do it,” and the next week we went out and bought the boat!

Sailing in Heavy Weather

I recently received from my netflix queue the video "Sailing in Heavy Weather" from the Better Sailing Series hosted by Mark Schrader. I have watched...actually I tried to watch some other sailing videos on Netflix but never got that far into them before turning them off. Either the sound of the wind howling in the microphone was so loud you couldn't understand the speaking, the video camera pointing one direction would be constantly showing nothing important, or the Miami Vice 80's haircut and outfits would drive me to turn it off. "Sailing in Heavy Weather" was mostly upto date and overall pretty well produced especially concerning the conditions.


There are quite a few good nuggets of information in the video but main points I learned for my beginning skill level is below;

1. Practice reefing before you need to reef. During a 30 + knot gail is not when you want to be figuring things out.
2. Practice often. Knowing how to reef is good but knowing how to reef very quicking is even better. It is quite difficult to keep enough slack in the sails by heading up in heavy weather to allow the sail to come down. The tension may only be off the sail for a minute before a wave or wind pushes the boat away from the wind direction putting tension back onto the sail.
3. There are two ways to handle heavy seas, passively by battoning down the hatches and waiting it out underneath and actively by sailing. Todays modern boat designs generally do better by being actively sailed. After watching the video I still not totally sure what to do in a Coronoda 25. It is not a modern boat but I think I would be more comfortable trying to actively steer the boat but I doubt I could keep it up that long.  
4. Reef early before the heaviest wind comes then test the balance of the boat to see how it handles. Many Captians get in trouble because they reef down too much and can't control the boat. Find the balance of power and heeling that allows the boat to be steered well by lettling out more cloth.

There was  a section on heaving to in the video that I think was done well but I will go into a deeper discussion on this in a later blog as setting your sails so that you make no very handy thing to be able to do.