The Ruoss Family

Back in the USA

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Wed, 29 May 2024 12:19:00 +0000

It's been an adventure of a lifetime since we last updated this blog.

We used aboat-tracking app to document our voyage.

If this interests the reader, we invite you to "find" SV Hiva Oa and "show journey" on NoForeignLand. (https://www.noforeignland.com/boat/hivaoa) you can scroll along our track for highlight "stories" and pictures.

Currently, we have arranged for berthing and a caretaker atMarina Riviera Nayarit in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle in Bahia de Banderas in Nayarit Mexico for the boat for the summer; and the Ruoss Ohana is land-based and traveling the East Coast of the USA.

July 22: King Clan

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:29:00 +0000

So happy that we were able to cross paths with some of our favorite cousins as they returned from an Alaska Cruise vacation celebrating Mike's & Dona's 50th wedding anniversary ❤️

They spent all day Saturday hanging out with us and it was a complete delight!

Day 19 Transit to Seattle

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:26:00 +0000

July 21

Motoring: Port Angeles to Seattle

We filled our fuel tanks and departed at 10:00 am in anticipation of a afternoon flood tide giving us a speed boost most of the approximately 70-mile long trip.

Even before we left the bay, as we passed by the USCG station, a launch came out to scope us out & then approached our stern with the intention to board.

Awesome.

So, we participated in a Coast Guard Safety Inspection. The entire interaction was facilitated by our readiness to provide any proof they requested: life jackets, documents, flares, horns, etc. No fuss. no drama.

We got our receipt and were on our way... again.

Shortly after, we drove into very dense fog. Ugh. Not my favorite. I mean, it's not that different from sailing at night. You are just relying on instruments and auditory clues (fog horns). A

couple hours until it thinned and lifted into a sunny day.

It was about a 9 1/2 hour drive with favorable current. Long but interesting day. We arrived at Elliot Bay Marina at 8pm.

And were almost immediately greeted by our Ko'Olina dock neighbors onboard MV NorseStar!!! Who are again our dock neighbors at Elliot Bay.

Such fun!

Port Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:00:00 +0000

We all really liked port Angeles.

It seemed to have a very diverse population and strong economy.

We walked to town for some pizza, the kids went out at night and again in the morning.

The marina wasn't luxurious but very functional and friendly.

We were so happy to stage our Seattle approach from there and would have enjoyed a more leisurely stay.

Day 18: Landfall

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:52:00 +0000

July 20

Landfall

The weather approaching the entrance over night was kinda crappy but not scary. Luckily the traffic wasn't bad, either. Most notible thing that happened was when Jeff got cutoff by a submarine (heavy eye roll). And we were in pretty heavy fog for a while. But we have good charts, redundant navigation systems, and everything about entering the straights went smoothly.

We ran 2 engines starting at 7 am against the current and made it to Port Angeles as the wind built over 20. Arriving dockside by 4pm.

The sight and smell of trees was of so welcome and held such interest for all of us.

Day 17

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:41:00 +0000

July 19

Ran engines last night with light winds nearly directly behind us.

Monitoring weather and traffic closely as we approach land and prepare to navigate the Straight

Expecting to hit the entrance Thursday about dawn, and transit to Port Angeles in the late afternoon.

Day 16

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:34:00 +0000

July 18

Full sail, headed east toward the entrance of the Straight of Juan de Fuca.

A bit of blue sky. Not much traffic.

A good calm day.

Day 15

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 04:43:00 +0000

July 17

Changing tack. Literally and figuratively. We have decided to engage Option B where we make landfall in Washington instead of British Columbia.

I feel good about this decision!

I have cousins on an Alaska Cruise and they are going to be in Seattle next weekend. We're gonna try to meet up with them.

Day 14

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 04:40:00 +0000

Cool sky... what is going on?!

Day 14

…

I know I whine about the chill. And I know that it's high sumer and I should be grateful. Here are the stats: sea temp is about 62°F Ventusky reports perceived air temp (w. Windchill) to be in the low/mid fifties. I can & do dress for that. But my blood has been running tropical thin for years now, and overcast damp windy 55 is not the bees knees.

We are experiencing a little anxiousness about our approaching landfall and navigating new tricky coastal waters.

Day 13

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 04:37:00 +0000

July 15

It is a lumpy gray morning out here. Moderately large mixed seas bullying us around. Lumpy low gray cloud ceiling. Not lovely.

But, we have everything we need, plus warm dry clothes and beds, and a bright red kettle on the stove.

Spinnaker sailing

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 21:19:00 +0000

So, hey, y'all, we got to fly the spinnaker! First time ever! We had a window of nice light tail wind conditions so we experimented with hoisting and opening & furling. We made a couple adjustments and then we sailed with it. Aaah, proper downwind.

Day 11

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 21:18:00 +0000

July 13

A pretty uncomfortable night shift started with a 30+ knot crash gybe on my watch. I got too deep, wth too much sail & the autohelm got into a aggressive pattern of overcorrection, and I couldn't settle it with hand steering in time either. It was all hands on deck to manage the aftermath. Fortunately, no body got hurt and nothing got damaged! Yay, angels! (thanks for the prayers) anyway, it made for a stressful start to the night… (which other than being kinda chilly & a little wet, was fine.)

For a few hours early mid day, we had a beautiful respite, blue skies, light winds, calm(ish) seas. We all found a sunbeam to bask in, got some "housework" done and relaxed a bit.

Later when it turned gray & wet again, we warmed the cabin up making a big pot of soup and warmed ourselves up enjoying it.

Day 10

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 21:16:00 +0000

July 12

At sunrise J & O were headed deep downwind, keeping as much east in our course as possible.

Sea and sky aren't so bright blue as they were last week.

Day 9

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 21:14:00 +0000

July 11

Still overcast, but brighter. Watch standing last night and this morning felt solid, conditions were pretty steady.

Today we've redeployed the hydro-generator, and ran the diesel generator and water maker.

Jeff and Olivia both got sufficient sleep last night. Jeff is running a deficit tho.

We've been commenting that everything is in a LOT better condition than our first Passage. (I mean it better g-d be after 2 years of projects! Lol.)

Day 8

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 21:12:00 +0000

July 10

Gray day. Not much to report.

Some motoring, not too much. Decent sailing, more East than North, but ::shrug:: whatcha gonna do?

Reading, Napping, baked biscuits, roasted veg with pasta sausage pesto & parm. For dinner.

Bordering sleep deprivation for Jeff. I'm not at much of a deficit.

Night watch was chilly, but maybe it's just me, Olivia was dressed in sweats, and fine. I wore about 4 layers.

Day 7

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:27:00 +0000

Day 7 - July 9

Well, it was a rough night after midnight Olivia and Jeff had to deal with extremely shifty winds, a couple thunder-head clouds, and other stressful conditions. And we were very apprehensive as to the conditions we would experience on Sunday. The models were conflicting at best and discouraging at worst. But we kept our fingers crossed and trusted our best hunches and kept hunting down that front.

We reached it and found some breeze, enough to stay with it and use what energy we could, and it just kept getting better. I felt so much gratitude all day long, and continue to feel blessed as night falls. Our heading is favorable, our speed is good. The boat is really rolling as the waves have built and we head pretty hard on the wind. But, at least we are heading in the right direction & under sail!

The highlight (besides finding wind after fearing we'd be stranded in the high pressure, with dwindling fuel reserves and 1500 miles to go) of the day was being visited by a pod of dolphins! What a joy that was to witness. We could hear them watch them interacting with each other and racing with our bows. So cool!!

Yesterday, I was impressed by the 75° water temp. It's only 72° today. I guess we exited some current I wasn't aware of and it is much cooler tonight. I've got quite a few layers on (including a beanie and wool socks, lol) and am quite comfy.

Day 6 - Late

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 07:57:00 +0000

Saturday Night

Feels like a long day, maybe because we were out in the sun a bunch today, on deck or even in the water (for some of us). We had extremely light winds all day and have been running steady on engines headed north. The weather forecast models show a band of slightly more wind headed NW (same way we want to go!) And we've been inching our way trusting the info.

I had an inclination to wait, becalmed, but the forecast and all wise advice pointed out why we really shouldn't do that this week. … all the signs suggest it just isn't going to get easier to get to the PNW if we miss the opportunity of this weak front.

So, engines it is.

It's still really warm. Not Hawaii-warm, but warm nonetheless. Our sensors indicate a water temperature of 75°. I'm curious to see how this changes as we go along. But luckily for Jeff and Olivia who went in the water today, it wasn't too bad. What a nasty bunch of abandoned sun-baked nylon rope Jeff pulled off the prop. It's so aggravating! He said it wrecked a bunch of our fancy fresh bottom-paint too, where it rubbed. UGH!

The stars have been incredible, even at sea-level with all this humidity, the chance to sit under a dark & starry sky is a treasure. Last night we had the special treat of cruising through a bit of bioluminescence. So bizarre. So magical.

Day 6

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Ruoss) — Sat, 08 Jul 2023 16:51:00 +0000

Saturday, July 8

Another truly beautiful morning out here on Big Blue.

Yesterday was slow & steady, very light winds as we find ourselves well & completely entrenched in this big Pacific high and no clear path presents itself :::sigh:::

Either because of the shipping lanes or the circular flow of the water here, we are seeing more debris and flotsam than other days.

Even to the point of discovering a section of fishing net hooked onto our stbd rudder. Yikes!! Jeff and Olivia were able to dislodge and retrieve it. And now the offensive thing is stashed in our forward hold. Last night Jeff decided to run the port engine, and it started and ran (yay) in neutral, but there was a terrible vibration when it was put in gear. It turns out there is more abandoned fishing gear wrapped around the prop. SOB!!!
(And please don't ask how we know, lol) The unhappy plan is to bring the boat to a stall & dive on it today.

Earlier yesterday we ran the generator and the watermaker. We made good quality water and refilled the 60 gallon tank. At the same time we each showered and washed our hair and a few bits of laundry. Aaaah!

Everyone is in good spirits. Relaxed and rested, we've got some moves to make and are doing our best to make em count. Wish us luck.

Day 5? July 7

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Ruoss) — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 16:13:00 +0000

Another beautiful day on planet earth.

We are just shy of Lat. 32° and Long. 157°

The winds are nice. Actually, nice. Around 10-15. Not cold. Small towers of puffy clouds scattered across the sky. And while there is more than 1 swell & wind wind direction. They are all pretty small and not too fast.

I don't think I expected this kind of pleasantness. But I'll take it!!

Especially because the most sure thing is change... lol

Day 3 Passage

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Fri, 07 Jul 2023 01:18:00 +0000

Day 3

Passage

We are striving to find our groove out here, together.

Meals and watchstanding, household & boat tasks, as well as a few remaining & pop-up "projects" :::sigh:::

The weather is good, we have confidence in the boat and un ourselves.

But it's still a big adjustment for each of us!

Day 2

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Ruoss) — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:22:00 +0000

Day Two
Passage

Napping and some boat work (household) items. Watch standing: (scanning the horizon, listening for weird noises, monitoring the instruments and power. Trimming sails, tidying up the work space)

Fewer clouds today & no rain. Blue, blue, blue, as far as we can see.

We've noticed a few vessels, either through Marine Traffic or our radar sweeps, but none close enough to broach the visible horizon. Our route shares space with commercial shipping lanes; it is likely that we will see something! Just not yet (except for the occasional blip on the radar sweeps).

Burrito Bowls for dinner. Family's bellies approve.

Day 1

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Ruoss) — Wed, 05 Jul 2023 16:16:00 +0000

Passage from O'ahu to Vancouver Island.

We were supremely occupied Friday, Saturday and Sunday with prepping tasks. Installing, rehomeing, stowing,

Not to mention finishing a PAINTING project the scoops and the starboard, inboard hull. Omg. Informing family & friends, shutting down accounts. Also on Sunday, we took the boat out to adject the compass, perform an MOB drill, get fuel, test the water maker system.

We made our Monday target departure leaving Ko'Olina before 9 am. Goodbye wasn't too bad… it seems like time for us to move on.

Motored (and motor sailed) along the coast to & around KaEna point and the Kauai channel. Totally off engines by 1330.

Liv got a little seasick. Luckily, (and thanks to the scopalamine patch) I have held up pretty well. August is stressed and bored. Jeff is totally engaged and seems fine. As long as he can get some good sleep…

Beforre we left, we took Bella for a last walk round the mongoose hedges. She's so cute. And such a good dog.

On the boat, though, Bella has been stressed and very clingy. And has not pottied on the nets yet.

Dinner was cheesy hash browns+ butter chicken & steamed broccoli. Nobody ate a lot, but everyone ate.

Watch schedule tonight:

Liv 6-9

Em 9-12

Jeff 12-3

Em &/or Liv 3-6

In the early evening the moon rose full-full just south of east. Unfortunately,there has been quite a bit of cloud cover, including a few rain showers.

We've been sailing with reduced sails for this overnight. The boat is balanced very little rudder input to stay on a northernly course. Even with a shortened Main and partially rolled Jib, we are still cruising along at about 7 - 8 knots. Not too uncomfortable, either.

We have friends and family following our GPS "breadcrumbs" on NOFOREIGNLAND and praying for us.

thanks for that!
Love & Light

January 2022

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 07:18:00 +0000

Happy new year, it's one of those time where time seems so elastic. We feel like it's been a long time and none at all. The pandemic drags on, and yet we sometimes forget. A year ago we were scrambling for an apartment to rent, and sometimes it feels like we've been at the dock for an age.

My girls are big and beautiful and wholly their own selves, not mine at all.

We get off the dock occasionally and shake some dust out of the sails, this is such a beautiful part of the world. We are so lucky!

O is some kind of marine critter whisperer. This porcupine/ puffer fish just fell in love. And there's a turtle that follows her around. It's wild!!

Little (not so little) Miss turned 12 this month! Wow. We've come a long way, baby!

She invited a couple friends over for a sleepover on the boat, and then a trip to the big shopping center in Waikiki.

They had a great time.

Happy New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 23:59:00 +0000

Happy Solstice and Blessed New Year

We are well and enjoying the mild climate, sunny days, and simplicity of indoor/outdoor docklife in Hawai'i after making some significant changes in these plague years & planting the seeds for our new lifestyle in this brave new world:

We took the kids out of public school, sold the beach house, Jeff changed his work situation, we bought a boat and sailed it from Tahiti back to O'ahu.

Currently, Jeff works with Jody and Skip McCormack, in part as a PG&E contractor from the boat. Olivia (13) and Camila (11) left school halfway through 6th and 4th grades when Covid hit and haven't been back; we are working through online curriculum for 8th and 6th grades online from the boat. There are amazing resources available and we couldn't be happier not to be in public middle school (for *so many* reasons!) In addition to chief mate, mom, and learning coach, part of my work is as social director, facilitating meetups and hangouts with old neighborhood friends and new homeschool friends. Our loyal little terrier mix pup, Bella (10) seems prerty content to be a boat dog. I think mostly she just loves (as I do) that the pack is all together - all the time!

We were so happy to travel this year! Our adventures and visits are our favorite memories of 2021.

After a few strange months in covid limbo Jeff and Emily and Torsten Hansen embarked on our big blue water sailing adventure. Olivia and Camila spent several weeks in Oklahoma with Roger and Kristen Pfieffer. And then in August we travelled to visit with our family in New York and in Connecticut. We were so happy to be at Cranberry Lake again finally (even with covid protocol limitations). Since then we've been really settling into our own family groove.

Now we are in the vision stage (research & early planning) of a sail plan for 2022 that will take us from Hawai'i to the west coast of North America ending in Mexico in the autumn.

Extending Warm Aloha,

Love and Light

September in Connecticut

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Ruoss) — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 23:58:00 +0000

New Englanders love to celebrate the autumn. And we were there for the early bits.

The tobacco had been hung in the barns, the farm stands were full, the apples were ripe, we stumbled upon a legit pumpkin patch, bunches of wild grapes, went to an apple orchard and played in a corn maze.

We found and tended to a family grave of Chris's grandmother, and helped with some seasonal yard work.

And drove by Jeff's childhood home