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The Return Trip

DaveH

DaveH

Mr Hedgehog
Staff member
It's been said the return is the best part of the SHTP... or really any Hawaii race.
This year the vast majority of the fleet is returning on their own bottoms - including the smallest - AKUMU

Everyone should feel free to post here - I will post reports sent by the fleet thru the previous race channels

Tracker is Live here!
Greg is 2days in
REVERIE is Headed N
 
Racereports from AKUMU received JUL 15 2000z/1200PDT

Akumu Started out from Hanalei Bay around 2 o’clock on Sunday afternoon the 13th.
Brisk conditions on the way out, put one reef in the main at the wind line, and had the number 3 jib up.
Set the second reef in the evening as the winds were picking up. Monday morning, shook out the reefs, wind was light and the sea is a bit lumpy so I haven’t been making great speed today.
Looking to get past this light patch and then catch the south easterly shift for a lift towards the high.

Peak brand teriyaki chicken, chicken and rice for dinner. It’s a good one has lots of vegetables in it like carrots, green beans, bell pepper.

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Love those posts. Love your photos, Greg! Will be watching you the whole way, will meet on DM you if you don't come in at 4: 30 am like last time (although that was pretty cool, waiting with Cliff aboard sv Rainbow just south of the headlands in 2018). Take care of him, Akumu!
 
Racereports from AKUMU received JUL 16 1100z/0400PDT

Akumu 7/16
Wednesday July 16
Tucked in a reef first thing this morning, as a squall was coming through.
Finished off the white chicken chili for breakfast, that was dinner last night.
I have been reading Return to Treasure Island and the Search for Captain Kidd.
By Barry Clifford

After shaking out the reef, we are on a due northerly course.
Had the number two jib up for a while until the next squall came through and I had to pull that down run up number three and tuck in a reef in the main.

Found a broken strand in the starboard lower shroud. I put a topping left to the rail and then added a dyneema strap to the shroud. If it loses another strand, I’ll heave to and disconnect it so I can fold it back on itself and reattach it with some dyneema.

It’s a bumpy ride and not much appetite so it was PB&J for dinner.

A pretty good sized flying fish landed in the cockpit while I was writing this.
 
Racereports from AKUMU received JUL 18 1740 z/1040PDT
Still working our way north.
No new problems.
Feeling a bit lethargic.
 

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Racereports from AKUMU received JUL 20 2115z/1415PDT

Thursday, July 17
Two reefs in the main and the number three jib all day long.
Windy, bumpy sea state .
Tiring

Friday July 18

Woke up to a big squall. Took over driving. Got poured on, lots of rain.
Checking on deck found two more broken strands on the starboard lower shroud.
Hove to and disconnected the lower shroud , folded it back on itself and added a dyneema strap.
I don’t have quite as much tension on it as I would’ve liked, but it seems to be working pretty good.
I’ll have to make sure and reef early .
Set two reefs for the night didn’t sleep very well worrying about the rig and trimming for the squalls.
Sometime during the night the radar reflector came down. The blocks on the spreader must have chafed through the dyneema lashing.
Saturday morning, I hove to on to port in order to get more tension on the starboard lower shroud. Hove to back onto starboard so that I’m drifting in the right direction we can get a nap and some food and let the solar panels recharge for a bit with the auto pilot off.
Saturday night I had to completely redo the starboard lower shroud as the repair I made had come undone. I found a couple 5/16 bolts and washers to clamp back the tail of the cable. finally back underway around 2230.

Sunday morning it’s beef pasta marinara for breakfast since I didn’t eat Saturday. A few bites of that hit the spot and it was off for another snooze.
It’s 1100 and the sun starting to come out time to get out and drive for a while and let the batteries charge up. The latest repair seems to be holding so far.
 
Chatted with a nice fella at RYC the other night: A youngish man, very fit and someone who raced the South Tower race out of Stockton Sailing Club with his father four times as a boy. We laughed about how people just aren't that interested anymore in being sailor warriors. Then he said to me, in a confidential voice: "Like those guys who just did the SHTP? Those people are tough."
Couldn't agree more. I wish you the very best, Greg.
 
Racereports from AKUMU received JUL 25 1730z/1030PDT
Wednesday 7/23

I lost my magic ride last night. After midnight the wind went lighter, 6-8kt, and the seas flattened. Had to turn the autopilot on.
The night sky was spectacular!
Milky Way overhead in all its glory.
Venus, Mars and Jupiter later on.

Chased a couple electrical gremlins today.
A poor connection on the 50 watt solar panel that was reducing output and a bad connection to the masthead tricolor causing it to be intermittent.
Headed east for a little bit this afternoon to get a break from the waves coming out of the north they weren’t very big, but the interval was just enough to make the boat slam really bad and I was getting headed more westerly. Turned back north after things flattened out a bit and I was getting headed more south.
Such as the routine for Thursday, all day.
When I’m on deck and go over a wave and the bow drops into the trough it doesn’t sound so bad, but when I’m down below it’s like being inside a drum and it’s REALLY loud!
Back-and-forth. Currently headed east southeast. I’ll turn back north before dark and hold that. Heading till probably midday Friday. Looking forward to making a solid turn east at that point and working my way back.
Lots of cloud cover today only got the batteries back up to 50%
Chicken Alfredo with broccoli for dinner.
Set the boat to fore reach north last night. Got her slowed down to 2 1/2 to 3 kn. That stopped the slamming so I could get some rest.
 
From SOLSTICE via Text Message recieved 1830z/1130PDT July 25

Hey Dave , just checking in on day five of return voyage… thanks again for all you did for us Singlehanded Sailing Society folks! sailing solo keeps me pretty busy… With checking systems, emails, keeping things clean and organized, meals and just managing stuff I’ve not had a lot of downtime. However, I do have a harmonica, watercolor painting, a kite, my logbook, and Michelle got me a sextant that I’m going to dive into shortly. So you can see there’s a lot to choose from. I do wish I brought more ice cream sandwiches though! But right now I’m just sitting under the dodger in the shade, enjoying the beautiful view of the morning sunrise. while I’m sipping my mocha. Just chilling. 😌
 

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Racereports from AKUMU received JUL 28 0600z/ JUL27 1100PDT
Friday 7/25

Made the turn this evening about 2130
Still a little south on the course according to routing, but there should be a lift tomorrow to keep me in favorable wind.
Swapped out hallyards on the jib and shook out one reef.
Chicken, coconut curry with vegetables for dinner .
Shook out reef one as well.

Saturday 7/26
It’s starting to get a little chilly so I broke out the base layer last night.
Back over the transom again.
The wind was light this morning at 07:00 and I was putting the outboard on the motor mount and took a look at the rudder gudgeons and the bottom one was broken. So I replaced it. Back on track about 10:00.
Put the number two drifter up around 1400
The wind was moving aft of beam so I tried setting a kite, but as soon as I got the thing up, the wind started moving forward again and it wouldn’t carry that much of a reach. Probably best not to over load the rig and over load the jury rig shroud.
Saw two ships on AIS, they were too far to see visibly, probably 15 to 20 miles away.
Dinner was Louisiana red beans and rice with added chicken and Tapatio hot sauce.
Around 2200. I went up and drove for a while. The wind started moving back so I poled out the number two.

Sunday 7/27
I’m driving the boat this morning, chasing a little patch of sunshine that I’m trying to get to. Listening to the chatter in my head, something about the difference between a small boat and a big boat and a big boat just having more space to put things and I glanced over the starboard beam and an albatross came by not 30 feet away, took a glance dipped a wing and soared off astern. As I watched there was a rainbow right in front of the big black squall that was following me and it was just beautiful.

Saw a turtle this afternoon! Not very big, about the size of a small platter. Looked to be ok so I left it alone.
Contacted the freighter Lake Geneva to see if they had any cable clamps.
Nyet was the answer.
Pasta Primavera for dinner. This is my favorite meal from mountain house.
Plus I add some extra dehydrated broccoli.
Yum!
 
It looks like Perplexity is headed for Fiji. When I turned on Jibeset TV's Windy overlay, it looked like John was headed into the remnants of a cyclone. I know he's an experienced mariner but is anyone in touch with him, just in case he doesn't see it coming?

Update: It's now projected to pass behind him, though not by a lot.
 
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