WiTHiN attracts a TON of attention and I love it. I really like talking to people about the boat and all the cool technology we have set up in here. Everyone wants to know all about it and its a great way to meet people.

We will get up early tomorrow and head across the channel back to Ucluelet before the afternoon winds pick up.

Greg

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WiTHiN attracts a TON of attention and I love it. I really like talking to people about the boat and all the cool technology we have set up in here. Everyone wants to know all about it and its a great way to meet people.

We will get up early tomorrow and head across the channel back to Ucluelet before the afternoon winds pick up.

Greg

—————————–
To send an email directly to Greg on WiTHiN, reply to this email or mailto:pedaltheocean@spsmail.net

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To donate $50 to buy a child a bicycle:
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We will tour around the islands tomorrow – I think I would like to head back to Effingham to get some photos of the whales if they make a repeat performance.

This “quasie (sp?) stationary ridge of high pressure”" is still causing lots of wind for the next few days, but it seems to be calm in the early morning, so that is when I’ll plan the return trip across the channel.

Greg

—————————–
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Seas at the time of our sail were probably only 2.5 to 3 meters and the wind was picking up to 25 knots. For most offshore sailers this would be classified as GREAT sailing weather, but for this land lubber, a most frightening experience.

It was then that I realized that maybe I’m just not cut out for this kind of thing. Excitement to me is cycling a human powered vehicle around a 1/4 mile race track for 24 hours non-stop. Or trail running for 5 hours. I know – danger is my middle name – right?

We headed back to our dock and went for a hike. I attached a shot of the sea taken from our hike during the gale that afternoon.

This morning after an awesome sleep in the cozy cabin of WiTHiN, I checked the forecast which was still warning of more gale force winds for southern Vancouver Island West. So, I spent the entire day tooling up and down the inlet and into the 1.5 to 2 meter swells. The sun was shining, it was warm and CALM and the winds never did pick up at all.

The forecast is calling for some calmer weather tomorrow morning, so Clive and I are thinking about getting up early and headling out to the Broken Island chain which is right next door – about 3 or 4 hour pedal away from here. BI is an amazing place – I have kayaked there with my family and friends a couple of times. I think we will spend a day or two exploring the islands, then head back across the channel to Ucee and pack up. Clive is sailing on to Alaska. He is the true adventurer here.

I’m really enjoying this despite my realization that this whole ocean crossing dream just might not be for me. The west coast of Vancouver Island is amazingly beautiful and there is no better way of seeing it – no better way of EXPERIENCING it – than through the windows of the worlds coolest human powered boat. I do not regret spending a single penny or minute of work building WiTHiN, for she has shown me parts of this world few get to see. As I type this in my cabin, WiTHiN is rocking back and forth and a harbour seal has popped his head up to check me out. When I was in my immersion suit under the water yesterday removing the T rudder addition, a bright pink jelly fish floated right in front of my face. The trip up the inside passage with Bryon was absolutely incredible – long days turning the pedals, orcas, currents – breathtaking scenery. Fighting the storm force winds on OK lake while traveling over 200 km in 4 days under my own power was also pretty darned cool. So many
amazing moments – made 200% better by being able to share it with you. Thank you for that!

This adventure isn’t over though. I hope to send another report tomorrow from the beautiful broken islands.

Greg

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The weather forecast is calling for a gale this afternoon, tomorrow and Tuesday with seas in the 2 to 3 meter range. This is supposed to be summer with winds peaking at 15 knots and seas at 1 to 2 meters – that is what I signed up for! Frustrating.

Clive and I have decided to take it slow and ease into things as the weather allows. I’m out here for more than a week, so I have plenty o time to gradually build up to some overnights out at sea which is really the focus of this trip.

I am tied up to Theodora right now and had an awesome sleep last night. The gentle rocking knocked me out and I am getting very comfortable in WiTHiN’s sleeping cabin. Very cozy. Today we leave the marina at Ucluelet and we are going to the Broken Island chain of islands. We will find a nice anchorage and I’ll raft up to Theodora for the night. Then on Tuesday, we will spend the day touring the islands. If the weather forecast improves, perhaps we will head to sea on Wednesday or Thursday.

After we launched WiTHiN yesterday, I spent a few hours and pedaled out to the channel leading out to the Pacific past the entrance to the Ucluelet inlet. The water was fine – a bit bumpy with a small 3 feet swell – nothing compared to what I was in during the last trip out here. Winds were between 10 to 15 knots with a gale warning in effect. The T rudder does not seem to result in the bow swinging out to follow wind, and it is slowing me down by about a full knot. I will put the immersion suit on this morning and try to remove the T wing before heading out.

You can see where I am and where the broken island chain is by ollowing me on the live tracking map:

http://www.pedaltheocean.com/follow-greg.php

Later,
Greg

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To donate $50 to buy a child a bicycle:
http://www.pedaltheocean.com/charity.php ]]> http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/04/sea-trials-day-1/feed/ 0 http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/another-test/ http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/another-test/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:54:20 +0000 greg http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/another-test/ That previous test blog post didnt work even though the message got posted. I just discovered that this PC will automatically default to the WiFi internet connection if there is one, and shut down the modem connnection. Since I am in my drive way, it picked up the WiFi from the house. I manually turned it off this time – we’ll try it again. Sorry for all the emails.

Greg

—————————–
To send an email directly to Greg on WiTHiN, reply to this email or mailto:pedaltheocean@spsmail.net

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To view a tracking map showing Greg’s current location:
http://www.pedaltheocean.com/follow-greg.php

To donate $50 to buy a child a bicycle:
http://www.pedaltheocean.com/charity.php ]]> http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/another-test/feed/ 0 http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/test-message-from-the-sat-phone/ http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/test-message-from-the-sat-phone/#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:40:42 +0000 greg http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/test-message-from-the-sat-phone/ Hello: This is a test blog post sent from my Viliv Ultra Mobile PC via the Iridium Sat phone and a modem connection. I am sitting in the sleeping cabin of WiTHiN typing this up. It if works, a copy should be posted to the blog at http://www.adventuresofgreg.com, an email sent out to everyone on the email update list (if you are not on the list and would like to be, please sign up at the bob URL above. A copy should also be sent to the Facebook page www.facebook.com/PedalTheOcean/

I head to Vancouver Island tomorrow – traffic should be brutal, as it is a long weekend. I’m meeting my buddy Colin Angus for a beer in Comox, then I drive to Ucluelet on Saturday morning to meet up with Clive and Theodora. Unfortunately high tide is required to launch WiTHiN, and high tide is at 5:00 am or 5:00 pm. I really wanted to take off on Sat, but I might need to wait until Sunday morning.

Cheers,
Greg

—————————–
To send an email directly to Greg on WiTHiN, reply to this email or mailto:pedaltheocean@spsmail.net

To view or comment on this message:
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To view a tracking map showing Greg’s current location:
http://www.pedaltheocean.com/follow-greg.php

To donate $50 to buy a child a bicycle:
http://www.pedaltheocean.com/charity.php ]]> http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/07/01/test-message-from-the-sat-phone/feed/ 1 http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/06/30/sea-trials-on-saturday/ http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/2010/06/30/sea-trials-on-saturday/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:36:21 +0000 greg http://adventuresofgreg.com/blog/?p=3292

Goal 0 Print Ad featuring PedalTheOcean

I am driving out to Ucluelet in 2 days (Friday) to meet up with Clive and the escort boat Theodora for a Saturday departure. The objective is to spend a week or so pedaling west into the Pacific ocean, then turn around and sail back with Clive and tow WiTHiN.

I am really praying that the weather for this trip will NOT be anything like what is pictured in the incredible Goal 0 print ad shown above. This new ad that features PedalTheOcean in a ‘difficult’ environment will be placed in Canoe & Kayak magazine.

I am also hopeful that for the most part, we get typical summer weather which I have been watching on the Environment Canada web site. It seems like the summer weather has FINALLY arrived. Over the past couple of weeks, wave height at the La Perouse weather buoy have averaged between 1 and 1.5 meters – I like. The wind forecast has been up to 20 knots, but I have observed winds from 0 to 13 knots at the buoy. After my experience in 3.5 meter waves and 20 knot winds in Ucluelet in March, and then a 90 km/hr wind storm on OK lake, I’m DONE with freaky weather.

As I detailed in my last blog post, I now have a drogue that I can deploy and retrieve from the safety of my cockpit seat, and a ‘T’ rudder which should help with the weather cocking issue. If the new modifications don’t resolve the problems, then I always have the option of seeking refuge in Theodora – assuming that a transfer is possible. Advising me on the weather will be Rick Shema – the weather guy.

As usual, you can follow my progress right here at the blog, at the PTO Facebook page and the live tracking map.

How is your summer shaping up?

I am looking forward to an awesome summer!! It started with my daughter’s High School graduation ceremony last week end. Then, this sea trials trip with Clive next week. After that, Helen, myself and the kids will be cycling Zion National Park mid July.

I have been putting in some crazy running hours over the last few weeks in an attempt to build up some base miles as part of my training program for the Virgil Crest 100 mile ultra marathon in New York in September. That race will be my 2nd attempt at finishing a 100 mile ultra, and Helen’s first 50 mile ultra. After the Virgil Crest race, we plan on visiting Cody and Krista at their respective east coast universities (Duke and McMaster), then celebrating our empty nest’ness with another cycling trip in Europe.

Send me an email and let me know what your summer plans are.

As you may recall, a couple of my largest concerns resulting from my previous 2 sea trials – the first off shore in Ucluelet where I was knocked down my a strong wind gust and lost control, and getting caught in a wind storm on OK lake where I got a chance to really appreciate the danger of standing up through the open hatch to deploy a sea anchor or parachute.

We hope that two new modifications will resolve these issues:

1. Auto-drogue – This is a 10″ aluminum disc which will act as the drogue. It is attached to a 150 foot 1/4 inch thick cord which runs from the stern, through a small sleeve in the hull into the cockpit where it is reeled up with a trailer winch. I will be able to deploy the drogue with up to 150 feet of line all from the comfort and safety of my seat – and reel it all back in again. If this works, then it will be a really easy way to sit-out adverse wind conditions because the disk will provide enough drag to keep my bow pointed into the oncoming waves and wind.

2. T-rudder – The T rudder is basically a horizontal wing that has been added to the bottom of the rudder. When wind blows abeam and rolls WiTHiN, the underwater surface area astern will increase as the horizontal ‘T’ wing rotates to vertical. This will increase resistance under water and allow the bow to be pushed down wind. That’s the theory, and I am anxious to see how this works in the real world.

Photos are shown below.

Hey everyone. Sorry for the quietness. I’ve just sort of been re-grouping here and focusing on some other things. (The photo above is me in WiTHiN during the Okanagan lake trials trip. This excellent image was shot by Mark Brett from the Penticton Western Newspaper)

The Finances

Helen did a rough accounting of PedaltheOcean project, and I have exceeded my budget for building WiTHiN by over 300% !! I had no idea I had spent so much money!! I was shocked and a bit embarrassed to be honest with you. A sizable chuck of our family resources ended up being invested into achieving this dream of mine – far more than I thought was reasonable. In retrospect, I’m feeling a bit selfish to tell you the truth. I have decided to devote more of my time to earning income again. I do get the odd speaking job (which I really enjoy), but they are few and far between and I think building that business into something really profitable for me is going to take years. I am still plugging away at that, but in the mean-time, I need to focus on reversing the flow of capital.

The Dream

The dream is certainly not dead, as the general sentiment in my last blog post may have alluded to. I am heading back to Ucluelet on the Pacific coast of Vancouver Island with Clive and his yacht Theodora for a 10 day sea trials trip during the first week of July. Our goal will be to follow the same route I would be taking if I were going to Hawaii – directly west into the open Pacific ocean for 5 days, turn around, and head back to Ucee. It will be a great chance to test WiTHiN in a much safer environment than being so close to shore as I was during my last trip to the west coast (read about that trip here). I will have the option of being towed while riding crewing for Clive on his sail boat, or staying in WiTHiN and pedaling along on my own – as weather conditions and the modifications we are making to WiTHiN allow.

The first modification Ken and I are making is a drogue that I can deploy from the safety of inside the cockpit without opening any hatches or ports. The drogue line is a 150 feet of cord wound around a trailer hitch reel that will be fastened to the arm rest in the cockpit. The cord will exit through a small hole in the cockpit wall and run through a tube mounted at the stern where it will terminate on a 10″ diameter aluminum disc – as I have shown in my sketch.

I will be able to push a lever on the reel and easily let out 150 feet of drogue line with the disk provide enough resistance to keep me aligned with the waves and wind and also provide some breaking power. WiTHiN is so narrow, that a 9′ parachute sea anchor is probably over-kill. A parachute anchor would probably hold me stationary in adverse winds, whereas my 10″ disc will only slow my backward drift. The trade-off is worth it however, as I cannot imagine having to stand up through a hatch to mess around with 150 feet of line and a 9 foot diameter parachute. During sea trials on OK lake during the wind storm (read about that trip here), I realized that when conditions get rough, it would be very dangerous to stand up through an open hatch, as I could easily be tossed out. When it is time to retrieve the drogue, I just crank the handle of my reel and retract the disc – very easy. One of the benefits is that I can use quickly, safely and conveniently deploy and retrieve the drogue for short periods of time where I might feel that WiTHiN is in a precarious position to the wind and waves.

This doesn’t mean that every time the wind is blowing at my side I have to deploy the disc drogue. The other modification we are making is adding a ‘T’ wing to the rudder as shown below. When the wind blows astern and causes WiTHiN to heel, the ‘T’ wing will rotate up and the lateral surface area astern will increase – thus allowing the bow to blow up wind. Well, at least that’s the theory. Personally, I’m not certain that it will work, but it’s worth testing.

The Summer

Since Hawaii is out for this summer, I have planed a few other adventures to keep me busy this summer:

June 6: San Diego Marathon
Helen and I, along with another couple of friends are heading to San Diego to run the 2010 San Diego Rock and Roll marathon. Since Helen is already qualified for Boston, we think we would like to race Boston again next April, so I need to get myself qualified. I’m lucky because I’ll be 50 years old in April, and my qualifying time is now 3:35. However, since most of my training has been on the bike for the ocean crossing, I haven’t been running at all. Plus, I gained 10 pounds for the ocean crossing, so getting that 3:35 marathon time is NOT going to be easy. I doubt I can do it. My training program has consisted of 3 long runs, and as many short 10 k’s as I could fit in. This will definitely be an experiment! And I should be in for some serious pain!!! You can follow our progress on your cell phone via sms text messages here: https://www.competitorwireless.com/

enter our names: Greg Kolodziejzyk or Helen Kolodziejzyk

July: 4 to 13: 10 day off shore sea trials trip in WITHiN with Clive and his sail boat Theodora

July 16 to 25: family cycling trip through Zion national park

Late August or Early September: I would like to complete an ultra distance cycling race – something like 500 to 1000 miles. I’m not sure what race, or where just yet.

Sept 25th to 26th: Virgil Crest ultra marathon!! Helen is registered for the 50 mile race and it will be her first ultra. I am registered for the 100 miles race and this will be my 4th ultra, and third attempt at completing a 100 mile ultra marathon. Read about my first attempt at the Sinister 7 ultra, and my second attempt at the Lost Soul ultra.