BobJ
Alerion 38 "Surprise!"
I encourage everyone to call this number 1-800-bug-lite...for real. I'll say no more
That was quite something. Is it a problem if I gave them my credit card number?
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That was quite something. Is it a problem if I gave them my credit card number?
Friday, 1000 HST,
Fresh trades blowing, 18-22 knots. Offshore, a white sloop is hobby-horsing its way eastward under power and luffing main, making about 2 knots SOG.
Good to see fresh faces at Tree Time last evening: Margie (HAUNANI) and parents, FROLIC from Santa Barbara (2016 SHTP winner), and GAMAYUN (Carliane) from Alameda.
Westsail-32, the movie, was being filmed during Tree Time, with one camera well up in the branches of the Tree.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is the Awards Dinner at Nawiliwili YC. About half the SHTP fleet has already sailed to Nawiliwili, 33 miles clockwise around Kauai from Hanalei. 8 of the racers will be hauled at Nawiliwili and loaded on trailers to be shipped by Matson Navigation back to the Mainland.
Attention is focused on Tropical Storm Darby, due to make landfall near Hilo on the Big Island Saturday evening, and on eastern Maui early Sunday. Darby should then slowly curve northwest, passing north of Kauai on Monday/Tuesday. Presumably, Kauai will be in the "safe, or navigable semi-circle" on the southern side of Darby, with max winds forecast to be ~ 40 knots, with bands of heavy rain.
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tc_graphics/latest_w.php?stormid=EP052016
Fresh trades blowing, 18-22 knots. Offshore, a white sloop is hobby-horsing its way eastward under power and luffing main, making about 2 knots SOG.
Good to see fresh faces at Tree Time last evening: Margie (HAUNANI) and parents, FROLIC from Santa Barbara (2016 SHTP winner), and GAMAYUN (Carliane) from Alameda.
Westsail-32, the movie, was being filmed during Tree Time, with one camera well up in the branches of the Tree.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is the Awards Dinner at Nawiliwili YC. About half the SHTP fleet has already sailed to Nawiliwili, 33 miles clockwise around Kauai from Hanalei. 8 of the racers will be hauled at Nawiliwili and loaded on trailers to be shipped by Matson Navigation back to the Mainland.
Attention is focused on Tropical Storm Darby, due to make landfall near Hilo on the Big Island Saturday evening, and on eastern Maui early Sunday. Darby should then slowly curve northwest, passing north of Kauai on Monday/Tuesday. Presumably, Kauai will be in the "safe, or navigable semi-circle" on the southern side of Darby, with max winds forecast to be ~ 40 knots, with bands of heavy rain.
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/tc_graphics/latest_w.php?stormid=EP052016
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pogen
Sailing canoe "Kūʻaupaʻa"
Wind speed probabilities make it look not so bad for boats but maybe flights will be disrupted
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/pages/PWS.php?PWS=PWSCP3.EP052016.048.201607231459
http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc/pages/PWS.php?PWS=PWSCP3.EP052016.048.201607231459
At noon HST, Saturday, 7/23/16, T.S. Darby is approaching the Ka'u Coast of the Big Island with max 40 knot surface winds as measured by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron ("Hurricane Hunters) flying through Darby all morning.. This shows a slight weakening since their recon flight last evening.
Cloudiness from the western fringes of Darby is already beginning to pass over Kauai.
Darby should continue to slowly weaken as he passes over the Big Island later this evening, and the rest of the Hawaiian Island chain tomorrow, Sunday, 7/24/16.
Darby is moving WNW at ~9 knots, and should be in the area of Kauai in 36 hours (early Monday morning) downgraded to a Tropical Depression (TD) with max winds of 30 knots.
By Monday afternoon, TD Darby should be well northwest of Kauai, leaving behind wet roads and not much wind.
Tonight's dinner and award's ceremony for the 2016 SHTP at Nawiliwili YC should not impacted by Darby. Let the festivities begin!
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS of TS DARBY
(HST is 10 hours subtracted from Z time. Nawiliwili/Lihue is located at 22.5N x 159.3W
INIT 23/2100Z 18.9N 154.8W 40 KT 45 MPH
12H 24/0600Z 19.4N 156.0W 35 KT 40 MPH
24H 24/1800Z 20.2N 157.3W 35 KT 40 MPH
36H 25/0600Z 21.3N 158.6W 30 KT 35 MPH
48H 25/1800Z 22.5N 160.0W 30 KT 35 MPH
72H 26/1800Z 25.4N 163.0W 25 KT 30 MPH
96H 27/1800Z 28.7N 165.6W 25 KT 30 MPH
120H 28/1800Z 33.0N 167.0W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
Cloudiness from the western fringes of Darby is already beginning to pass over Kauai.
Darby should continue to slowly weaken as he passes over the Big Island later this evening, and the rest of the Hawaiian Island chain tomorrow, Sunday, 7/24/16.
Darby is moving WNW at ~9 knots, and should be in the area of Kauai in 36 hours (early Monday morning) downgraded to a Tropical Depression (TD) with max winds of 30 knots.
By Monday afternoon, TD Darby should be well northwest of Kauai, leaving behind wet roads and not much wind.
Tonight's dinner and award's ceremony for the 2016 SHTP at Nawiliwili YC should not impacted by Darby. Let the festivities begin!
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS of TS DARBY
(HST is 10 hours subtracted from Z time. Nawiliwili/Lihue is located at 22.5N x 159.3W
INIT 23/2100Z 18.9N 154.8W 40 KT 45 MPH
12H 24/0600Z 19.4N 156.0W 35 KT 40 MPH
24H 24/1800Z 20.2N 157.3W 35 KT 40 MPH
36H 25/0600Z 21.3N 158.6W 30 KT 35 MPH
48H 25/1800Z 22.5N 160.0W 30 KT 35 MPH
72H 26/1800Z 25.4N 163.0W 25 KT 30 MPH
96H 27/1800Z 28.7N 165.6W 25 KT 30 MPH
120H 28/1800Z 33.0N 167.0W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
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With DOMINO, VENTUS, and NINA moored in slips in the immediate background, last evening Nawiliwili Yacht Club and its gracious members hosted the 2016 SHTP Awards Dinner and Presentation. Big kudos to Susan, Brian, Carliane, Kristen, Al, and the rest for a "final herding of the cats."
Each skipper received a beautiful matted photo of their boat at the start, taken by Jonathan, Christine, and Stephen, and skippers were busily autographing each other's photos.
A buffet dinner was served downstairs by the NYC juniors. I asked the kids what boats they sailed. "Olson-30!" was the consensus. (There are 4 O-30's, plus KATO, at NYC.
After dinner, everyone, including NYC members, repaired upstairs for the Awards and presentation of the coveted bronze belt buckles. Susan presented RC chair Brian, and each skipper with a gag gift, GIANT SLAYER receiving a Spiderman cape and mask. Brian, after his Yagi expedition in the dark and mud, was recipient of a custom aluminum hat with external antenna and a Delorme Tracker, presumably so we know his future whereabouts. (Brian is crewing back with David on TEMERITY.)
23 skippers spoke briefly, humorously, eloquently, and graciously about what the 2016 SHTP had meant to them. Margie received loud applause from all in attendance.
Trophies were awarded to deserving winners. Good thing Jiri is a strapping kid, as he got the biggest and heaviest trophies to carry home for his well deserved First-to-Finish.
David of DOMINO, overall winner of 2016, blew the sacred Pu shell horn, and we adjourned into the night, hugging, shaking hands, saying goodbyes to the best of friends.
Already there is talk of the 2018 SHTP. Here's DOMINO, likely to be back.
Each skipper received a beautiful matted photo of their boat at the start, taken by Jonathan, Christine, and Stephen, and skippers were busily autographing each other's photos.
A buffet dinner was served downstairs by the NYC juniors. I asked the kids what boats they sailed. "Olson-30!" was the consensus. (There are 4 O-30's, plus KATO, at NYC.
After dinner, everyone, including NYC members, repaired upstairs for the Awards and presentation of the coveted bronze belt buckles. Susan presented RC chair Brian, and each skipper with a gag gift, GIANT SLAYER receiving a Spiderman cape and mask. Brian, after his Yagi expedition in the dark and mud, was recipient of a custom aluminum hat with external antenna and a Delorme Tracker, presumably so we know his future whereabouts. (Brian is crewing back with David on TEMERITY.)
23 skippers spoke briefly, humorously, eloquently, and graciously about what the 2016 SHTP had meant to them. Margie received loud applause from all in attendance.
Trophies were awarded to deserving winners. Good thing Jiri is a strapping kid, as he got the biggest and heaviest trophies to carry home for his well deserved First-to-Finish.
David of DOMINO, overall winner of 2016, blew the sacred Pu shell horn, and we adjourned into the night, hugging, shaking hands, saying goodbyes to the best of friends.
Already there is talk of the 2018 SHTP. Here's DOMINO, likely to be back.
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7/24/16
At 1300 HST Sunday, what remains of the center of TS Darby lies ~75 miles southwest of Hanalei, Kauai. Darby, in the words of the National Hurricane Center, has "defied predictions," and instead of slowly curving northwest, sideswiping Hilo on the Big Island and passing north of the Hawaiian Island chain, is passing south of Maui, Molokai, and Oahu, and aimed to pass over Kauai late tonight. So much for the super computers' modeling at the moment.
The Civil Defense is in their best protective mode, opening shelters and warning beach goers to stay out of the high surf.
This morning's Hurricane Hunter aircraft reports are a max of 36 knots of wind, which is at the bottom of Tropical Storm calculations. The NHC is hinting that Darby may pass Kauai tonight as a Tropical Depression. More rain than wind.
Current ocean conditions at Princeville, one mile east of Hanalei, are bands of rain, sometimes heavy. Chest high surf. Variable winds, calm to 5 knots, 1 to 5 mile visibility.
This is good news for Larry Conklin the crane driver and the skippers loading boats on trailers at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor. They'll likely haul the lighter boats first. Then attempt HAUNANI, Margie's 15,000 pound Catalina-34.
Larry will likely bring in extra counterweights to lift HAUNANI so his rig doesn't fall into Nawiliwili Harbor. Film at 11.
http://www.midweekkauai.com/business/business-round-table/doing-the-heavy-lifting/
TS DARBY FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS at 1100 HST
INIT 24/2100Z 20.7N 158.0W 35 KT 40 MPH
12H 25/0600Z 21.7N 159.1W 35 KT 40 MPH
24H 25/1800Z 23.1N 160.4W 30 KT 35 MPH
36H 26/0600Z 24.1N 162.1W 30 KT 35 MPH
48H 26/1800Z 25.3N 163.8W 30 KT 35 MPH
72H 27/1800Z 28.6N 166.5W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
96H 28/1800Z 33.0N 166.5W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
120H 29/1800Z...DISSIPATE
At 1300 HST Sunday, what remains of the center of TS Darby lies ~75 miles southwest of Hanalei, Kauai. Darby, in the words of the National Hurricane Center, has "defied predictions," and instead of slowly curving northwest, sideswiping Hilo on the Big Island and passing north of the Hawaiian Island chain, is passing south of Maui, Molokai, and Oahu, and aimed to pass over Kauai late tonight. So much for the super computers' modeling at the moment.
The Civil Defense is in their best protective mode, opening shelters and warning beach goers to stay out of the high surf.
This morning's Hurricane Hunter aircraft reports are a max of 36 knots of wind, which is at the bottom of Tropical Storm calculations. The NHC is hinting that Darby may pass Kauai tonight as a Tropical Depression. More rain than wind.
Current ocean conditions at Princeville, one mile east of Hanalei, are bands of rain, sometimes heavy. Chest high surf. Variable winds, calm to 5 knots, 1 to 5 mile visibility.
This is good news for Larry Conklin the crane driver and the skippers loading boats on trailers at Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor. They'll likely haul the lighter boats first. Then attempt HAUNANI, Margie's 15,000 pound Catalina-34.
Larry will likely bring in extra counterweights to lift HAUNANI so his rig doesn't fall into Nawiliwili Harbor. Film at 11.
http://www.midweekkauai.com/business/business-round-table/doing-the-heavy-lifting/
TS DARBY FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS at 1100 HST
INIT 24/2100Z 20.7N 158.0W 35 KT 40 MPH
12H 25/0600Z 21.7N 159.1W 35 KT 40 MPH
24H 25/1800Z 23.1N 160.4W 30 KT 35 MPH
36H 26/0600Z 24.1N 162.1W 30 KT 35 MPH
48H 26/1800Z 25.3N 163.8W 30 KT 35 MPH
72H 27/1800Z 28.6N 166.5W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
96H 28/1800Z 33.0N 166.5W 25 KT 30 MPH...POST-TROP/REMNT LOW
120H 29/1800Z...DISSIPATE
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0230 HST Monday, July 25,
Tropical Storm Warnings now discontinued for Kauai as the center of TS Darby has passed to the north and is now 65 miles WNW of Hanalei and moving away to the WNW at 10 knots. Nevertheless, Oahu to the east continues to get hammered with wraparound rain and thunderstorms and the H-1 freeway is closed due to flooding.
Little rain and wind here at Princeville just west of Hanalei. Cloud to cloud lightning visible to north and is almost continuously lighting the sky in that quadrant.
All harbors on Oahu and Kauai continue to be closed to navigation for any vessels greater than 300 tons. Kauai's mayor has declared his island a disaster area for possible federal relief funds for, so far, what is a non-event.
Stronger storms than Darby hit Oregon/Washington coastlines regularly during the winter months, often with hurricane force winds and harbor closures due to hazardous conditions on entrance bars. But you don't hear much about that....
Tropical Storm Warnings now discontinued for Kauai as the center of TS Darby has passed to the north and is now 65 miles WNW of Hanalei and moving away to the WNW at 10 knots. Nevertheless, Oahu to the east continues to get hammered with wraparound rain and thunderstorms and the H-1 freeway is closed due to flooding.
Little rain and wind here at Princeville just west of Hanalei. Cloud to cloud lightning visible to north and is almost continuously lighting the sky in that quadrant.
All harbors on Oahu and Kauai continue to be closed to navigation for any vessels greater than 300 tons. Kauai's mayor has declared his island a disaster area for possible federal relief funds for, so far, what is a non-event.
Stronger storms than Darby hit Oregon/Washington coastlines regularly during the winter months, often with hurricane force winds and harbor closures due to hazardous conditions on entrance bars. But you don't hear much about that....
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At Nawiliwili Small Boat Harbor all the trailerable SHTP boats were successfully hauled yesterday by Larry Conklin and his mobile crane. 
HAUNANI was last, and needed Big Bubba, biggest crane on the Island. Even then, the reported 13,000 pounds displacement was optimistic, and Larry said the Big Bubba almost did an unapproved upsy doodle.
HAUNANI's double axle trailer looks a bit stressed by 15,000 pounds of boat.
The boats and trailers are now at the Matson yard as owners sort out their shipping paperwork.
Here at Lihue Airport, there's George of TAZ asleep on a lounge seat, waiting for his Oakland flight.
It's a beautiful last day on Kauai, sunny, after last night's passage of TS Darby
HAUNANI was last, and needed Big Bubba, biggest crane on the Island. Even then, the reported 13,000 pounds displacement was optimistic, and Larry said the Big Bubba almost did an unapproved upsy doodle.
HAUNANI's double axle trailer looks a bit stressed by 15,000 pounds of boat.
The boats and trailers are now at the Matson yard as owners sort out their shipping paperwork.
Here at Lihue Airport, there's George of TAZ asleep on a lounge seat, waiting for his Oakland flight.
It's a beautiful last day on Kauai, sunny, after last night's passage of TS Darby
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Hawaii weather radar counted 596 lightning bolts over Oahu as wraparound thunderstorms from T.S. Darby sat over Oahu Sunday night. Synthia in Kaneohe reports a casualty from a direct hit was Commodore Tompkin's Wylie-38 FLASHGIRL, anchored 1/3 mile southwest of Kaneohe Yacht club.
Apparently, a lightning strike blew out a thru-hull, and FLASHGIRL filled with water. Fortunately, the water depth at that location is only 10 feet, and Commodore's red hulled beauty sank 2 feet before the keel came to rest on the broken coral bottom.
Commodore has just flown to Oahu, and is presumably diving on FLASHGIRL to assess damage. An unfortunate circumstance. Good luck to him!
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That's awful news, but good that the boat might be salvageable. I'd certainly be interested in knowing what happened to the Wylie's CF mast and whether the commodore had any lightning protection on the boat...
Dazzler
m/v PACIFIC LOON
Flashgirl
Information on Tom Wylie's website confirms that FLASHGIRL has an aluminum 4-spreader rig. Bronze thru-hulls? Knowing Commodore I doubt there are very many. Makes me wonder if there would have been no path to ground with Marelon thru-hulls, or if the energy would have just found another path. Lightning: very scary stuff.
http://www.wyliedesigngroup.com/wylie_design_group/press_files/FlashGirl, American Yacht Review.pdf
Tom P.
P.S. - Indeed very sad news, but Commodore is probably one of the most resourceful people you will ever meet. I'm confident that FLASHGIRL will sail again.
Information on Tom Wylie's website confirms that FLASHGIRL has an aluminum 4-spreader rig. Bronze thru-hulls? Knowing Commodore I doubt there are very many. Makes me wonder if there would have been no path to ground with Marelon thru-hulls, or if the energy would have just found another path. Lightning: very scary stuff.
http://www.wyliedesigngroup.com/wylie_design_group/press_files/FlashGirl, American Yacht Review.pdf
Tom P.
P.S. - Indeed very sad news, but Commodore is probably one of the most resourceful people you will ever meet. I'm confident that FLASHGIRL will sail again.
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Nearby to FLASHGIRL, a lightning bolt blew a hole in a sidewalk, traveled underground via rebar, then blew a hole in a cinderblock house wall.
I've heard firsthand reports that lightning can sometimes strike the water nearby, travel into the boat, up the mast, blowing the instruments off the masthead.
http://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/story/...neohe-home-leaving-holes-in-wall-and-sidewalk
Handsome!
"Commodore" is an inspiration."
Absolutely!
I was in my early 20s ( the mid 60s)and had just started focusing on sailing coming out of the surfing world, when Dave Wahle asked me to go on a delivery from Cabo San Lucas to San Francisco On a solid Teak boat called Blue Water.
When I arrived at Cabo, I was introduced to the Skipper and told to call him Commodore.
For the next two weeks I was given an intense coarse in sailing and seamanship that I have used to win my share of pickle dishes and has allowed me to sail safely into my 70s.
I have not had social contact with him since but I am forever grateful for the time he spent teaching me how to sail properly and have fun doing it.
Sincerely,
Howard Spruit
Absolutely!
I was in my early 20s ( the mid 60s)and had just started focusing on sailing coming out of the surfing world, when Dave Wahle asked me to go on a delivery from Cabo San Lucas to San Francisco On a solid Teak boat called Blue Water.
When I arrived at Cabo, I was introduced to the Skipper and told to call him Commodore.
For the next two weeks I was given an intense coarse in sailing and seamanship that I have used to win my share of pickle dishes and has allowed me to sail safely into my 70s.
I have not had social contact with him since but I am forever grateful for the time he spent teaching me how to sail properly and have fun doing it.
Sincerely,
Howard Spruit
Respect to Mark and Ian on the Moore-24 MAS!, winners of the 2016 Pacific Cup Race overall. Their time from San Francisco to Kaneohe was an amazing 10 days, 14.5 hours, which works out to averaging 195 miles/day at 8.1 knots. Wow.
In a "run-what-ya-got," the Moore-24 is a 48 year old design based on George Olson's original prototype GRENDEL (photo below).
Not surprisingly, Dave Herrigel's Wilderness-30 DOMINO, the 2016 SHTP winner, is an exact copy of the Moore-24 hull, with dimensions scaled up 25%
Santa Cruz's George Olson was a surfer and surfboard designer. At 29 years old, when designing GRENDEL, George understood surfboard and hull shapes. The bow shape of the Moore-24 is sublime, perfect for surfing without digging in when overtaking the wave ahead.
How George Olson's bow shape for GRENDEL came about is open for discussion. Some say it was influenced from the many photos George studied in a book of Nathanael G. Herreshoff designs. Others point to the Bill Lapworth designed Cal-20, below, which George was intimately familiar with.
Whatever, when you take off on a wave on a Moore-24, you know you are on something special.
Here's an historical photo of GRENDEL (green) and the Wilderness-30, WILDFLOWER (not my own), sister to DOMINO, moored side-by-side on "O" dock in Santa Cruz Harbor, ~2007.
Nice bow.
In a "run-what-ya-got," the Moore-24 is a 48 year old design based on George Olson's original prototype GRENDEL (photo below).
Not surprisingly, Dave Herrigel's Wilderness-30 DOMINO, the 2016 SHTP winner, is an exact copy of the Moore-24 hull, with dimensions scaled up 25%
Santa Cruz's George Olson was a surfer and surfboard designer. At 29 years old, when designing GRENDEL, George understood surfboard and hull shapes. The bow shape of the Moore-24 is sublime, perfect for surfing without digging in when overtaking the wave ahead.
How George Olson's bow shape for GRENDEL came about is open for discussion. Some say it was influenced from the many photos George studied in a book of Nathanael G. Herreshoff designs. Others point to the Bill Lapworth designed Cal-20, below, which George was intimately familiar with.
Whatever, when you take off on a wave on a Moore-24, you know you are on something special.
Here's an historical photo of GRENDEL (green) and the Wilderness-30, WILDFLOWER (not my own), sister to DOMINO, moored side-by-side on "O" dock in Santa Cruz Harbor, ~2007.
Nice bow.
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Friday,7/29, Synthia update on Commodore's FLASHGIRL:
Local Kaneohe sailor Dave Nottage saw the lightning strike that "caught FLASHGIRL's masthead on fire." Dave rowed out in strong wind and rain and found the galley sink thru-hull blown out. Dave plugged the leak, but the boat already had ~2 feet of water aboard, and the engine and batteries were submerged.
Commodore is onsite and working with an engine specialist to save the engine. Synthia and Bruce Ladd are helping empty the boat, and dry everything. Unclear if the electrics or mast are damaged, or if FLASHGIRL will have to be hauled to replace the thru-hull.
As DAZZLER noted above "Commodore is probably one of the most resourceful people you will ever meet. I'm confident that FLASHGIRL will sail again."
Yup.
Local Kaneohe sailor Dave Nottage saw the lightning strike that "caught FLASHGIRL's masthead on fire." Dave rowed out in strong wind and rain and found the galley sink thru-hull blown out. Dave plugged the leak, but the boat already had ~2 feet of water aboard, and the engine and batteries were submerged.
Commodore is onsite and working with an engine specialist to save the engine. Synthia and Bruce Ladd are helping empty the boat, and dry everything. Unclear if the electrics or mast are damaged, or if FLASHGIRL will have to be hauled to replace the thru-hull.
As DAZZLER noted above "Commodore is probably one of the most resourceful people you will ever meet. I'm confident that FLASHGIRL will sail again."
Yup.
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"Hey, Synthia, there's a porpoise in my freezed dried stew!"
"Don't worry, Joe, he's not poisonous."
Sailors, especially singlehanders, often go to sea with good luck charms.
A rare coin under the mast. Whistling in the direction of a hoped for new wind. Leaving bad luck bananas on the dock. A talking porpoise on the backstay..
A porpoise on the backstay? Yup. "Flippy" has been my good luck talisman for many years. Squeeze him and he squeeks. Squeeze him hard and he'll wake the off watch. Squeeze him multiple times, and he'll bring more wind. Multi-porpoise.
Because good luck Flippy likes offshore passages, I loaned him to Synthia, Joe, and Bruce, the crew on the Hobie-33 AERO, for their Pacific Cup Race to Kaneohe.
I haven't heard detailed reports yet, but they might have squeezed Flippy a bit too many times, bringing in the Big Breeze, despinnakering the Hobie at least once.
Synthia reports Flippy is now enjoying Kaneohe Bay post-race festivities.
Even some snorkling at Heeia Kea and the Sandbar:
But I might have to draw the line at feeding Flippy junk food:
"Don't worry, Joe, he's not poisonous."
Sailors, especially singlehanders, often go to sea with good luck charms.
A rare coin under the mast. Whistling in the direction of a hoped for new wind. Leaving bad luck bananas on the dock. A talking porpoise on the backstay..
A porpoise on the backstay? Yup. "Flippy" has been my good luck talisman for many years. Squeeze him and he squeeks. Squeeze him hard and he'll wake the off watch. Squeeze him multiple times, and he'll bring more wind. Multi-porpoise.
Because good luck Flippy likes offshore passages, I loaned him to Synthia, Joe, and Bruce, the crew on the Hobie-33 AERO, for their Pacific Cup Race to Kaneohe.
I haven't heard detailed reports yet, but they might have squeezed Flippy a bit too many times, bringing in the Big Breeze, despinnakering the Hobie at least once.
Synthia reports Flippy is now enjoying Kaneohe Bay post-race festivities.
Even some snorkling at Heeia Kea and the Sandbar:
But I might have to draw the line at feeding Flippy junk food: