ClearPoint Captain's Log

Zac Sunderland - Posts from January 2009

2009-01-23T11:39:00.004-05:00

Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cape Agulhas
Latest Position: 01/22/09 0644Z 34 36.996S 21 37.792E (80 miles from rounding Cape Agulhas - the southern most cape of South Africa)

Zac called late this evening (giving me a scare) because he had slept in after a long night on ship watch. He has light wind on the nose and is making between 3-4 knots under power. His progress is not as great as we would have liked but he has had a head wind the entire time he has been out to battle against. Things still look good for him to round the cape and head north to Cape Town before the next massive low pressure system is expected to hit shore.

He was in good spirits in fairly calm seas. He is wondering if/when he and Mike Perham might hook up or pass one another. They look to be nearing one another. Still no word on whether Mike will stop in Cape Town or press on around South Africa to make his way through the Southern Ocean. Wouldn't it be great if the two could connect somehow!

Hoping for no news from Africa until a decent hour tomorrow!

Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 11:15 PM 8 Comments Links to this post

On to Cape Town
Just a quick update from Mom...
Zac has pulled out of Mossel Bay and is headed west on what we hope will be his final leg around the Cape of Good Hope. His night of rest was interrupted by 40 knots of wind about 4:00am that came screaming through the bay. It was a good test of his anchoring skills for sure! Everyboody needs to get an UltraAnchor!
He met up with the other boats that he left Port Elizabeth with while at the fuel dock inside the harbor. Somehow they had been routed inside the harbor while Zac had been routed to the Yacht Club anchorage outside the harbor.
They have opted not to head out at this time but after triple checking the forecast and checking with his advisers, Zac has decided to go for it.
So for those of you who pray - please do!
All being well, he should be in Cape Town some time on Sunday.
He'll be checking in through out the day. I'll update with any news.
Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:54 AM 26 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Mossel Bay
I just pulled into the anchorage off of Mossel Bay after 40 some hours of sailing from Port Elizabeth. I pulled out with 2 other boats also hopping around the coast at around 8pm. When I got out of the breakwater the wind was blowing around 15 knots. I pulled up the sails and headed around to the point. About and hour after I left, I cruise ship left the harbor and proceeded to bear down on me at 20 knots. I turned on the spreader lights and hailed them on the VHF radio. I made contact with them and they said that they would pass a few hundred yards from me. Ten minutes later I was looking up at a massive cruise ship that was higher than my mast. Quite a start!

After that I set my course out to sea and sailed through light winds and a lot of ships - my first sleepless night. The next day the wind filled in and I was running down wind with about 20-25 knots going about 6-7 knots. The sailing was good but the shipping was a pain because they were so close they would stay on the radar so I couldn't set the alarm. They were going slow for some reason as well. I had to stay up and watch them constantly trying to figure out which way the lights were moving. For some reason they never have their nav lights on. They have a light on the bow and sometimes a light on deck.

I sailed through the next night through heavy winds and pumping sea and at around 3am I tacked and started heading in to port. I was off the entrance to the harbor around 9am and after making contact with Port Control and the the Mossel Bay Yacht Club found out that there were no moorings available. I went to an anchorage on the other side of the harbor and have been rolling around here ever since. The weather window should be opening up in the next 24 hours or so and I plan on heading out then. For now it is good to catch up on some sleep in preparation for the last leg of my trip around the Cape of Good Hope.

Cheers,

Zac
posted by Zac at 9:42 AM 21 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Passage Update - Mom
Hello All!
Zac's mom, Marianne, here. Sorry for the delay in posting. Laurence is off to LAX and expects to be in Cape Town on Thursday afternoon. He'll be visiting his step mother at London Heathrow during his 6 hour layover. Pretty cool! A big thank you to John Gezelius for donating his frequent flyer miles to get Laurence there.
Zac called this morning to check in. Daveh is correct about the wind. He had between 20-25 knots directly behind him. Unfortunately, the swells have been big, sharp and on the aft quarter making his ride pretty wild. The swells push Intrepid off course and cause the sails to backwind and then causing everything to slam around until Intrepid steadies herself. There is some delay while the wind vane steering corrects which is awkward. Zac was definitely not a happy guy as several times during our conversation he was thrown across the boat. He was tired from his previous night's lack of sleep. There are a huge number of ships all around including one cruise ship that decided to use him for entertainment for the passengers and came within 1/2 of a mile from him while they spoke on the radio!
After considering all the factors surrounding his passage, he has decided to head into Mossel Bay rather than push on towards Cape Town in one shot. Though, the worst of a south westerly wind should pass to the east of him, there is still enough of a south west wind to make him pretty uncomfortable. He'll slip in to Mossel Bay, rest up and head out when the low pressure system passes through.
I couldn't quite understand what Zac said about what the other 2 boats had decided to do. Our connection was poor this morning.
To say I'll be glad when everyone is in Cape Town is an understatement. I think we will all celebrate when the boys arrive!
I'll update again tonight when Zac should have arrived in Mossel Bay.
Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 3:59 PM 17 Comments Links to this post

Monday, January 19, 2009
On to Mossel Bay
The next weather window has arrived in Port Elizabeth. I am off again heading west towards Mossel Bay with a small chance at running all the way to Cape Town. Thanks to everyone who has helped me to understand the weather: David Morris, Rob Jordan, Bryan Mitchell, Clearpoint Weather and my mom back home.

.... the forecast for 2 days from now with the wind shifting to come from the dreaded south west again. The light blue on the chart is the continental shelf. I won't be leaving the shelf like on my other legs as it is too far offshore. All the more important not to get caught out in a southwesterly!

I am traveling with 2 other boats both headed to Mossel Bay and then Cape Town.

Hoping to be in in less than 40 hours.

Cheers,

Zac
posted by Zac at 9:56 AM 25 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, January 18, 2009
Addo National Park Excursion
Hello from Port Elizabeth!
I have finally had my first safari out in the Addo National Park. Good friends of my great aunt and uncle, Mike and Sandy Clarke, picked me up this morning for a drive out to the park. We spent quite a bit of time driving around looking for signs of wildlife! We never did see the lions but we got some excellent views of the elephants. I thought a bone or two from an old kill would be a good souvenir but Mike and Sandy thought it better if I didn't get out of the car. Never know who is going to show up out there. Thanks much guys for the day trip!
I am back on board and watching the weather closely for my leg to Mossel Bay. It looks good for tomorrow afternoon and possibly for a straight shot to Cape Town. Marta left for East London so I may see her when we both get to Cape Town.
Enjoy the photos!
Cheers,

Zac

Sandy Clarke and I at Addo National Park
posted by Zac at 2:04 PM 15 Comments Links to this post

Friday, January 16, 2009
Port Elizabeth - Zac
Aaaaah...it is good to be in!
The night before I left East London I went to a BBQ at Will's son in laws' house. It was a great time but a late one. The next morning when I called to check in at home I was informed that the weather window that we had been watching for had opened up in the early hours of the morning but for only 24 hours. That would be just enough time for me to make the 150 miles to Port Elizabeth. I filled out my exit paperwork, started the engine and headed out of the harbour.

When I got out the wind was still shifting around from the south westerly and the seas were a bit confused. I pointed out for the continental shelf that is about 15 miles off shore. The wind shifted around and became steady about an hour later. I sailed steadily through the night dodging ships and regularly changing course to stay parallel with the coast and not head too far out to sea. In the morning the wind started to shift back around to the south west. I then adjusted my course to head into PE and away from the current and I was able to sail in. The coastline was green and lush and then brown with sand dunes.

I entered the harbor about 12pm and moored up at the yacht club. After checking in I met some friends of my great aunt and uncle who had lived in South Africa for many years and they arranged for me to go on a safari with them on Sunday. I also hooked up with Marta briefly. Her boat, Ania, is back in the water and she is planning on heading back to Durban and make that part of her trip again. There has been a lot of talk about what happened but I'll hold off on that because with Marta's broken English and the story passing through many mouths, I have no way of knowing the whole story. Fortunatley, Marta is well and her boat (which missed a reef by centimeters) is in good enough shape to travel.

I cleaned up the boat in the afternoon and met some of the sailors from the club and hung out there for awhile. Now I am getting some sleep. So I'll sign off for now. The weather is looking good for Monday or Tuesday departure all being well.

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 5:31 PM 25 Comments Links to this post

Port Elizabeth
Latest Position: 01/16/09 1000Z 33 57.758S 25 38.271E - Port Elizabeth

Zac arrived in Port Elizabeth around noon (African Time). All is well. He was met by friends of my aunt and uncle who lived in South Africa during the 70's. In fact, he has been met in port several times by good friends of theirs who have blessed Zac with meals and nautical advice in abundance! We are still amazed by the kindness and generosity of strangers and how supportive people have been.
Zac is getting acquainted with the folks at the Algoa Bay Yacht Club and will have a newsy blog by this evening as he is still looking for a good Internet connection!
Cheers,
Marianne et al
posted by Zac at 9:08 AM 8 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, January 15, 2009
Heading In + Q & A
A quick update from homebase before we head off to bed for the night...

Zac is about 20 miles from Port Elizabeth and has about 15 knots out of the SW. He has hopped off of the current and is heading in to the bay hoping to break some of the opposing wind behind Cape Recife. He is well though very tired after a night with little sleep. Looks like he'll have at least a few days before he can even think about heading on towards Mossel Bay and or Cape Town.

A nice photo and interview from East London (Thanks Will!)
http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=286385

From Marilyn:

Here is another group of questions and answers from Zac, Marianne and Laurence, as we try to catch up on questions that our dedicated bloggers asked in the blog comments. Be sure and check Zac’s FAQs for previously answered questions.

Q Do you ever run into fog out there?
A Yes, it’s sometimes foggy, and I just work off my radar. I had an unusual situation in Papua New Guinea where it was not only foggy, but very windy at the same time, which is not common.

Q Is it hard to find food provisions for restocking that you find appealing?
A Yes, it’s very hard to find good food that I like in remote countries. I bought some canned curried meat in Mauritius, which was horrible! I’m saving that for my dad, since he likes curry. I also tried some canned Mac ‘n Cheese, which was so bad, I couldn’t eat it! The chocolate is nothing like the chocolate in the US; but worst of all I couldn’t find any jerky, which has become pretty much a staple of mine until I arrived in South Africa.

Q What are you reading/studying when seas are calm?
A I’ve been reading Singlehanded Sailing by Richard Henderson and I've been rereading Tania Aebi's book Maiden Voyage. It is interesting how the book reads so much different now that I am out here. I'm also reading a book that was sent to me by Mike Williams called The Chronicles of the Schooner Lusty I. It is great to read about other circumnavigators.

Q Are you in contact still with any of the cruising folks you've met along the way?
A Not too many. Mom & Dad are in touch with Karen and the other cruisers from the Marshall Islands. I spoke to Chris and John (from Moana) who are back in Australia, and I hope to reach them on their land line when I return. I lost contact with Lady Sara.

Q At this point are you behind, ahead or just about right on your originally planned schedule?
A I’m pretty much on schedule.

Q Just wondered if you'd ever tried using that Dryel dry cleaning product while at sea?
A No I haven’t. Perhaps it’s something I should look into.

Q Does sailing with only the genoa actually reduce your speed?
A Not necessarily. It depends on the wind direction and speed.

Q Can’t you use the microwave when you can’t get your alcohol stove to work?
A Yes, but it isn’t mounted and easy to just pop something in and turn it on. I have to move a bunch of stuff, get it out, and it takes up a lot of space while I’m using it. Then, I have to store it away after I use it. It’s quite a hassle, especially when I don’t feel much like cooking.
Q Will you have to motor through the Panama Canal?
A Here are some interesting links about traversing the Panama Canal. http://www.czbrats.com/PanCanal/Canal_Transit.htm

http://www.cruisingconnections.co.za/sailinglogs7.htm

http://www.karlbuhl.com/Central%20America%20Logs/Log39_PanamaCanal.htm

http://ezinearticles.com/?Panama-Canal-Transit-by-Sailboat&id=1418314

http://www.noonsite.com/Members/doina/R2008-03-21-1

http://www.pmbc.ws/htmls/brokenboat.html

Q How long should the whole voyage take?
A A little under a year

Q Do you have a thermos on board?
A No, I don’t

Q Did you talk via radio with the other sailing boats you met in Cocos Keeling as they sail toward Mauritius?
A I didn’t. Most of them left several days before I did, because it took so long to fix the boom, so because of the delay, I lost touch with them.

Q That's cool that you can hold your breath longer in warm water... have you any idea why?
A Body temperature plays a big part in the use of oxygen. If you are cold or shivering you heart must beat faster and use more oxygen to keep you warm. In warm water, your heart beats slower, and therefore you require less oxygen, so you don’t need to take breaths as often.

Q What was the main problem with the engine? How was it fixed?
A The problem wasn’t the engine, and I still have a few unresolved issues. The problem is in the fuel tanks. They used to hold gasoline fuel, and we switched to diesel when we installed the new engine. There may be a coating in the tank left by the gasoline that the diesel is dissolving, and it clogs in the fuel pick-up line. This is very difficult to access. The ideal repair would be to take the tanks out and replace them, but that’s very time-consuming and expensive because they are underneath the engine which would need to be removed as well. Another potential fix is to cut a hole in the tanks and clean them completely, and then seal the hole. This also is not easy to accomplish, given my schedule.

Q Do you think the top decking is alright or did the furling motor damage it when it got loose?
A It’s fine but the pulpit (stainless steel on the bow) needed a major repair in Mauritius.

Q Does the genoa have any hardware at the ends which get fatigued or can damage the boat when its whipped around in the wind?
A The roller furling drum at the end of the forestay damaged the stainless steel pulpit. That was repaired.

Q So what do the Rodriguens do on their little seamount?
A The main occupations are farming, fishing and handicrafts. The island is heavily impacted by climate change--farming and fishing in particular. Local people report less rainfall, with winters becoming colder and summers becoming hotter. Soil fertility is decreasing, and livestock growth and food crop production have been negatively affected. There is a noticeable loss of biodiversity, while formerly eradicated insects and parasites have returned, all combining to increase farmers’ poverty. As for fishing, there are reports of rougher seas which hamper fishing, cooler waters, and more energy and money expended on smaller catches. They complained that the sea is more polluted, and that the island’s major lagoon is virtually without fish, while some fish species have disappeared from the seas. They also note that the sea level is rising.

Q What is it like when you get off the boat? Do you still feel like you’re still on the water?
A Yes, I have a little vertigo for a few days.

Q Your tiller pilot burned up? How did that happen?
A The gears inside were stripped. In Cape Town, I’ll get a mechanical auto pilot that steers using the wind vane rudder and uses less power.

Q Are you going to get a cat?
A No, unfortunately, I have decided not to have a pet on board. I’m thinking more of the comfort of the cat than of my own pleasure and companionship. Reportedly, most cats really don’t like being at sea. In addition, there are quarantine issues when stopping in ports and the messes that result when the boat gets knocked around (the kitty litter, too) in heavy seas.

Q When you get back, we would love to have the opportunity to hear you speak. Any chance to Skype or other videoconferencing?
A I will definitely be doing interviews, video conferences and connecting in all sorts of ways with all of the people who have followed my journey.

Q Does Zac ever need to shave?
A Yes, I shave every few days.

Q Marianne, How has Zac changed in your eyes at this juncture and are you surprised at how great he looks or did you expect differently?
A He is much wiser. He looks great, and has matured nicely in the months he’s been gone. His face has changed and is quite manly, as opposed to the boyish look he had when he departed. He still maintains his sense of humor, however, and he catches me being gullible when he makes “off-the-wall” remarks from time to time.

Q Will Zac be anchoring in different places along the coast of Africa during those legs you mentioned?
A The passage from Durban to Cape Town is a bit under 800 miles and will be broken into legs in an effort to time his time at sea around the regular storm activity in that area. The possible legs are: Durban to East London, East London to Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth to Mossel Bay and Mossel Bay to Cape Town with various small hideouts along the way just in case of sudden bad weather. With meteorologist David Morris watching the weather, he should be able to sneak in and out of port without getting too thrashed. Whether he does stop, depends on the weather and storms. It’s usually best to stay further at sea, because the waves increase in size in more shallow the water, closer to shore.

Q How did he celebrate Thanksgiving?
A Zac spent Thanksgiving alone at sea, but he had some good discussions with all of the family, as we passed the phone around.

Q Do you think the last half will take as long as the first, or longer?
A It should be about the same.

Q Didn't your parents think at least one additional language would be extremely beneficial on a trip around the world?
A Yes, that’s why I’m studying my French tapes. I took two years of Spanish in school, but knowing a little French has definitely been more useful on this trip so far.

Q At night being out in the middle of the ocean with no lights around, do the stars and the moon seem larger than they seem back home?
A No, it’s just the opposite. The moon, when closer to other objects, appears larger, so actually, it seems smaller at sea (except when near the horizon), because there are no close reference points. However, the stars are a lot brighter, because there’s no ambient light.

Q Do you think you will complete your trip by March, 2009?
A It’s looking like it will be closer to sometime in May or June, 2009

Q So are you keeping up with all of your exercises? What is your regime?
A It depends on the condition of the waves and wind. If I have time, and the boat is pretty stable, I do some push-ups and other simple exercises. If there are rough seas, or little wind with heavy waves, it’s just too hard to do anything other than concentrate on keeping the boat going in the right direction.

A Laurence took it to British Airways cargo terminal before hopping on his plane in Los Angeles. The boom went directly to Mauritius. Then, in England, he had to take the new forstay and roller furling system in the baggage compartment on the plane to Mauritius, which was quite expensive, but not as much as had he sent it on a cargo plane.

Q Is the Didgeridoo difficult to play? Do you play other musical instruments?
A It was somewhat difficult to learn at first. I also play the bass guitar.

Q After you circumnavigate the globe at 17 years of age in stormy dangerous conditions can your parents still give you a curfew or ground you when you return?
A Good question! I guess we’ll have to wait and see on that one!

Q Did you visit a doctor while you were in Mauritius? Do you have antibiotics?
A No, I didn’t visit a doctor, and yes, I have a pretty comprehensive medical kit including various kinds of antibiotics.

Q Can you explain what a sea anchor is and why you need it? Why do tires make the best ones?
A The term sea-anchor refers to the "parachute-style" anchor; but can also mean a tire, bucket, or any drag designed to slow boat in heavy winds and waves. It seems easier to set up and deploy the tires, than my fancy cloth sea anchor with all of its ties and strings.

Q I lived in Thousand Oaks previously for four years and went to some of the sailing camps at Westlake Yacht club. Did you ever do any of those, or were you focusing on larger boats?
A I only did ocean sailing, but Toby and Jessie, my brother and sister, will go to the Westlake Yacht Club sailing camp this summer.

Q I was wondering how much it cost to fund such an adventure and will you still owe money after the trip is over? Will the book deals and such be enough to cover it all?
A Besides the boat expenses, there’s re-provisioning, fuel costs, repairs (which have been significant), family travel (Laurence and the photographer to meet in ports) and other incidentals that add up fast. I don’t have a book deal or movie contract yet, but I certainly hope I will and that they will cover the costs.

Q By the way, are you still doing some fishing from time to time?
A No, I’m not.

Q What model is your new camera? Is it waterproof?
A It’s a Lumix 10 mega pixel, and it’s not water-proof, so I have to make sure I don’t accidentally drop it in a sink full of water!

Q What flavor was your birthday cake?
A Chocolate and peanut butter

Q Does it have frosting?
A Yes, A fudge-like topping

Q Do you have candles?
A Yes, two candles, one in the shape of a “1” and one in the shape of a “7.” Together, they equal 17.

Q Are you still wearing shorts?
A Most of the time, it’s still warm enough. In fact, I wore nothing but a bathing suit the entire trip from Mauritius to Durban!

Q As you head into Durban, what are your plans, what sights of SA do you want to see?
A I definitely want to go to Kruger Park, a wildlife preserve. A lot of locals have volunteered to take me around to do sight-seeing. I’ll probably sleep on Intrepid rather than bunk at someone’s home or at a hotel.

Q All money problems aide, what would you like to do there?
A I just can’t imagine that I’ll be in Africa! I’ve obviously never been there, and I want to see whatever there is to see, and perhaps do a little surfing.

Q Is there a good chance that you and Mike Perham will pass each other when in the Atlantic Ocean?
A Perhaps, because our route will “cross” at some point He will probably be further out to sea, whereas I’ll be closer to shore, so if we are in the same ocean, going in opposite directions, the chances that we would see each other would be very slight.

Q Have you started planning how your book will be organized?
A I’ve thought about it, but have no real plans as far as organization yet. Those ideas will probably surface once I complete journey.

Q Why do you always say “Cheers” at the end of all your blogs?
A I picked that up from my dad. He always says it. I’m not sure if it’s an Australian or English thing.

Q Why didn't you get a bigger boat?
A I thought this one was big enough. If there were a next time, I would probably get one that’s a little bigger, because it would go faster and have more storage space.

Q What's your favorite thing about sailing around the world?
A I think it’s the people I have met. They have all been so interesting and generous.

Q If you could have one thing on your boat that you don't have, what would it be?
A Definitely it would be a friend! But realistically, since I’m doing this alone, it would probably be a refrigerator or water-maker.

Q Do you ever miss your mom?
A Are you serious?! Of course I do!

Hope to have good news of Zac's arrival on Friday morning.
Good Night!
posted by Zac at 9:25 PM 10 Comments Links to this post

On to Port Elizabeth
Latest Position: 01/18/09 1526Z 33 33.894S 027 37.719E (98 miles from Port Elizabeth)

Well I picked a bad morning to sleep in yesterday as the only thing close to a weather window was opening up as I slept. I woke up around 9:00am and after checking everything grabbed my paperwork to check out of East London and get on with my trip around the Cape. It was rainy and calm as I headed out. Not a good thing when I only have 24 hours to make port before the South Westerly picks up. Fortunately, the SW wind that is coming is not too strong and so should not pose the threat that a gale would. For now I am sailing along in the Alguhas Current at around 6 knots. The seas are steep but still not too big at about 5 feet.
All being well I should be in to Port Elizabeth in my morning. Looking forward to seeing a bit of Port Elizabeth and hooking up with Marta.
Cheers,
Zac

Photos coutesy of Will of East London
posted by Zac at 8:08 AM 14 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, January 14, 2009
East London - Zac
I spent the day I arrived in East London cleaing up the boat and catching up on lost sleep. It was hard to leave Durban and all the good friends I had made there over the past weeks. When the weather window opened though, I knew it was time to press on towards Cape Town. Overall I was happy with the trip to East London. Sure enough, once I got into the current I was hauling along under sail at times as fast as 9 knots! Pretty good for old Intrepid! It was a bit of a trick mooring up alongside 3 other boats that were, in the end, tied up to a jetty. That evening I had a great dinner at Will's house. When I got back to the boat I crashed so hard that I slept through my alarm set for 3:00am so I could be a part of a PBS interview being done at the house. Sorry about that - hopefully, we can reschedule...

All is well here. Still checking the weather forecasts looking for the next weather window. There was a question asking if this is the last leg of my trip. My trip will end in Marina del Rey, California sometime in late May or early June. This leg was the first leg of several that will take me around the Cape of Good Hope though. My next stop will be at Port Elizabeth, then Mossel Bay and then on to Cape Town. This next leg to Port Elizabeth is pretty short - only 130 miles or so. I'm looking forward to getting there and seeing Marta to find out what happened there. I don't know anything more about that right now.

@John G. At this rate I'll probably arrive in Cape Town after my dad but he usually likes to have a few days to adjust to the time difference and get hooked up with the marine people in port so it should be OK.

@Lauren: I have been cold in my bunk at times but not recently because it is so warm where I am. I did get hurt a few times on my trip. Once when the boat lurched suddenly I fell across the boat and hit my arm on the counter in the galley. Another time a glass broke during a wild wave and cut my foot pretty badly.

@Brennan: I have seen sharks and whales in the Pacific Ocean but not so much in the Indian Ocean. Pretty soon I'll be in the Atlantic Ocean so maybe I'll see some there. I have not seen any black things in the water! I have seen sea turtles in Mexico but not on this trip. Sea turtles are funny because they have very bad eyesight. When you sail up to them they seem to be looking really hard at you trying to see what you are. When you are really close they suddenly swim away! That must be why there are so few of them left. Turtle soup used to be a favorite dish in Mexico!

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 10:39 AM 20 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, January 13, 2009
East London Update
Hello All!
Spoke with Zac a few minutes ago. He is tied up in East London and has spent the day tidying up Intrepid, eating and sleeping. He had slowed the boat down to about 3 knots just riding the current during his night and hopped out of the current and in to East London later than expected. He was greeted warmly by the other cruisers who threw out some fenders for him to side tie (the last of 4 boats tied together!).
Many thanks to Will for keeping an eye out for Zac and reporting back. I got a little worried there for a minute but we had arranged with Zac to call in our morning unless he had a problem. He'll be in East London for a few days until the front passes through and then on to Port Elizabeth.
He was planning a quiet evening and will send over his blog this evening.
Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 8:53 AM 31 Comments Links to this post

Monday, January 12, 2009
A Good Passage
Latest Position: 01/12/09 15:39Z 32 33.485S 29 16.052E (75 miles out of East London)

Today was a good day though I have had only small 30 minute power naps since I left Durban 32 hours ago. The weather is as good as I could have hoped for with light winds to 15 knots and the free power of the Agulhas Current speeding me along. The seas are choppy and confused which makes for an uncomfortable passage. There have been quite a few ships but interestingly, they pass in between me and the shore. They must know what they are doing but for as for me, I prefer to stay out! I have some good food on board for this short leg though I have not been very hungry with all of the bashing around Intrepid is doing. The South African beef jerky is awesome. They have whole stores full of the stuff. I like it better even than the American jerky that I am used to.
At this rate, I should make it in to East London in the early morning. I have slowed the boat down by spilling air so that my approach is closer to 4:30 in the morning when the sun begins to rise. I'll be glad for a good night's sleep and to visit some family friends in port.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:58 AM 25 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, January 11, 2009
Good-bye Durban!
Latest Position: 01/11/09 1700Z 30 25.167S 30 55.556E (approximately 30 miles out of Durban)

I made my move about 10:00am (12:00am PDT) under cloudy, grey skies and with light winds. I waved goodbye to some of my new friends from Durban who had come down to the docks, not knowing if or when I'll ever see them again. Intrepid seems to be happy to be back on the ocean and is faithfully pushing through the confused seas. I have hopped on board the Agulhas Current about 15 miles off shore and am making good progress considering the conditions. The wind has shifted around to my aft quarter and with the current and light wind I am making a good 7 knots. The swells are more behind me now and are comfortable at around 5 feet.

I have been thinking of Marta's boat up on the beach and can hardly believe that it happened. She is a very accomplished sailor with many miles under her belt. We have all been warned about this area and with very good reason.

I don't know how much sleep I will get tonight. There are at the moment 2 ships within a mile radius of Intrepid. Its back to life according to alarms and radars!

Cheers,
Zac

Special Note from the famous Bill Mann:

OK, you asked for it. Zac asked for it and anon asked for it so now you got it!!

The weekly auction is back. This week we have a set of Plyometric Jump Boxes to get you in shape for Zac's Homecoming Party, another one of the fabulous Zac and Intrepid paintings and a surprise from Marianne's Mom that should be worth a lot of money after Zac publishes his book.

So visit http://www.barstools4u.com/zac.htm and show our young Captain the support he deserves.

Respectfully,

Bill Mann
South Pasadena, Ca
bill@barstools4u.com
posted by Zac at 11:23 AM 19 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Update from Mom
Hello All!
Mom here...
A few updates:
1. The date of Zac's last blog was somehow wrong. It was posted early this afternoon. I mention that because he is not at sea yet but is currently weighing everything for his final decision. The current weather window is not as open as he would like with a low pressure system due to arrive in Cape Town sometime late on the 13th and heading east towards him at an unknown rate. His trip would have to go without a hitch for him to pull it off.
2. Zac received an email this afternoon from Polish solo circumnavigator Natasza Caban informing him that their mutual friend, Marta, another Polish solo circumnavigator was rescued from her distressed boat between East London and Port Elizabeth. Natasza didn't have a lot of info and all I could find out about it online was that for some reason she anchored while only half way to port and ended up on the beach. Her boat was able to be towed off the beach and is currently at the yard in Port Elizabeth.
3. On a lighter note, this week's signed poster and head shot go to Cathrine Norton. Interestingly, the name was chosen by our own Kathryn! We will have to suspend the poster and head shot contest for now because we are out of them!! Laurence will have Zac sign more in Cape Town later this month.

Please pray for Zac to decide wisely when to leave and for the weather to hold whenever he does go!

Cheers,
Marianne - Mom
posted by Zac at 9:25 PM 11 Comments Links to this post

Friday, January 9, 2009
Countdown to Departure
Everything is going well here in Durban. I've just finished getting everything ready to leave. The weather is looking good for departue tomorrow early afternoon. There is a 50 foot catamaran in the marina that is leaving early in the morning that will let me know whether our weather predictions were accurate. I'll be heading for East London - 250 miles away. I have had a fun week with some friends here in Durban. One of the most memorable times was when a few friends from the Point Yacht Club came by and asked if I wanted to go for a sail. We went out in about 15 knots just sailing around the bay. After we were out for awhile we saw a massive squall on the horizon and it hit about 5 minutes later. At first the wind rose a bit and we had a little rain but then marble-sized hail started hitting the deck. It wasn't so bad at first. We just took down the genny and went close to the wind but the hail started pouring down about the size of a quarter around! The other guys went down below and William and I stayed up in the cockpit trying to see through the hail and see which side of the buoys we were on. The hail had been coming down for about 10 minutes and then the sun came out with hail still falling. Yes, there was a rainbow! We tried to tack back into the harbor but after about 15 minutes the hail finally stopped. We managed to sail back into the slip and tie up to the dock. By the time we got in we all looked like we had been paint balling (not sailing) with quarter-sized welts all over us. The next day I was talking to some guys at the club and they said that that happens only every 20 years or so. Later, on the news I heard that 12 people died during the storm.

I've been busy provisioning and getting checked out of customs. I have made some good friends in Durban which makes it hard to leave.

@ Parker: Hey Buddy! I actually have not seen any whales on this trip but saw a lot of them in Mexico when I was about your age. We were in Banderas Bay which is the big bay where Puerta Vallerta is. Once when my family and I were headed back to our boat aboard our dinghy in Punta de Mita we saw a baby Humpback whale breaching (jumping out of the water) with his mother swimming along beside. We drove our dinghy as close as we dared and just watched them swim by with this baby whale breaching over and over again. It was pretty cool. As far as food goes, I am getting used to eating diffeent things and don't really miss much anymore.

@Laura: Yes, I did receive the 'No Fear' sweatshirt. Thank you, it is very cool. It will be good for these next legs.

@Anon: Bill Mann was going to organize the auctions. Bill?

@Melanie: Hey, finding good internet access is nearly impossible here. I have not seen the pirate you posted. :) I'll hopefully have more success in Cape Town in about a week to ten days.

OK, I've got to get to sleep here and rest up for my journey tomorrow. Thank all for writing and hanging out while I am in port. I'll let you know how things go out there!

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 12:27 PM 15 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Weather Watching & Waiting
Everything is going well here in Durban. The repairs are getting finished and I’m still waiting for a good weather window for the next leg to East London. The trip to EL is only about 250 miles and I should be able to do that in 2 days easily. The problem comes when a storm from the southern ocean rips up the coast changing the wind direction and pushing the swells against the current making massive breaking swells. So it is extemely important to get a good weather window which will hopefully be here by the end of the week. I’ll be going up the mast tomorrow to finish up the rigging work. I’ve been talking with the local sailors and comparing notes with my other advisors. I'm looking forward to getting out to sea again and making my way home.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 2:28 PM 36 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, January 3, 2009
New Year Update - Zac

Hey All!
Well after pushing myself and Intrepid to our limits to cross the Indian Ocean before cyclone season this season, I have had a much needed break. I have been surfing and skateboarding, sightseeing and visiting friends. I've been in touch with a few old friends as well like Chris from Moana who is back to the grind in Australia after he and his father bought a boat in San Diego and sailed it back to Cairns. We initially met in Honolulu and had kept in touch until the Torres Strait. It was great to catch up and think back to our early days at sea together.

I am feeling rested and am now preparing Intrepid to round the Cape of Good Hope. Dad has made his flight arrangements with the great help of John Gezelius who has offered who knows how many frequent flyer miles to get him here! You will be glad to know that I have also been working with a nutritionist, Dave Grotto, via my relationship with sponsor Produce for Kids on preparing a shopping list for my looooong passage to the Panama Canal. Hopefully this will mean that I will have plenty of the right foods to keep me going strong for what could take more than 6 weeks. I have 2 stops on that leg; one at an Island called St. Helena and the other at Trinidad and Tobago off of South America.
From one extreme...

To the other.
If you have any questions about my route, there is a page dedicated to that on my web site. There have been new/old questions regarding my record attempt in relation to other records including that of Mike Perham. These questions are also answered on the site under the FAQs section. I hope it is clear that I am attempting to be the youngest solo circumnavigator. I am cruising and not racing. I am not being ratified by the World Speed Council in the UK. They would have verified my trip but with the short time before my departure and the great cost it would entail, we were not able to do so. Mike Perham, Jesse Martin and David Dicks attempted a solo, non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation. We welcome your questions and input regarding this.

Ship off of Durban I
The FAQs have been updated recently thanks to Marilyn Simcox who keeps track of all of your questions from the blog while I am at sea and saves them for me. Also, on this page is a small spec sheet on Intrepid and her equipment and upgrades. The Supporters page was recently (finally) updated. If you don't see your name and it should be on there - let us know at marianne@zacsunderland.com.

Ship off of Durban II
@PBSTAR: Robin Graham and his circumnavigation in the 60's was in large part my inspiration for this trip. In fact, my route is nearly exactly the same as his except that he was fortunate to be able to stop way more than I am. I have read all of his books (my favorite is The Boy Who Sailed Around the World Alone)I have not spoken to him but he did contact us by email and I think he is following the trip.
@MindWalker: The strangest food I have eaten recently is Ostrich. It is pretty good and is a lot like steak. Most of the food that I have in port is English style; a lot of meat pies, chips (fries), steaks etc.
@engine advice: Thank you for the interesting and varied input regarding the fuel tanks and fuel pick up etc. We are reading and thinking...

@Anonymous: What do I miss the most? Friends and family for sure.

@Scot: The importance of the record has to be kept in balance with the day to day, week to week running hard of my boat and myself. For now, to be able to do this trip is just so amazing.

Happy New Year!
Cheers,
Zac
Note from Mom:
This weeks signed poster and head shot goes to William Potts. Congrats! We have a few more signed posters. For every poster you buy this week your name will be entered into a drawing for a free signed poster and head shot.

Zac Sunderland - Posts from December 2008

2009-01-23T11:39:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Happy New Year!
G'day to all,

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and and looking forward to a good new year. This has been a very exciting year for us at home base. The Point Yacht Club in Durban has been very hospitable to Zac, with many new friends and some great help. That has always been the case as he has pulled in across the globe; Hawaii Yacht Club in Honolulu, Meico Beach Yacht Club in Majuro, Royal Papua Yacht Club in Port Moresby, Darwin Sailing Club in Australia, Grande Baie Yacht Club in Mauritius and even our own Westlake Yacht Club here in Thousand Oaks. Zac will soon be looking for that all important weather window to see him through to Cape Town. For those who know and are familiar with this part of the world there is an appreciation and respect for the importance of weather on Zac's next leg. It is good that Zac is enjoying a break and preparing Intrepid for her trip home.
Reflecting back on the year, it has certainly given me a few gray hairs, some sorrow and also a great deal of joy. When Zac bought his yacht with his savings nearly a year ago now, I knew that the refit and modifications needed to turn this rather tired looking sailboat into the blue-water cruising yacht that you know as Intrepid, would take a massive effort. Not only by myself, but from friends, family and experts in the field. In short, we needed a miracle. We are greatly indebted to those that came alongside and helped. What was never written about were the hours that Zac, Mike and I worked during the last month of prep. There simply weren't enough hours in the day. And then there was the delay to theinitial departure date of two weeks due to an unresolved engine issue. We decided to replace it with a new one that was partially sponsored by Boatswain's Locker.

It was at that time that I received the crushing news that my mentor and old running coach died suddenly of a massive heart attack. Had the situation been different, I would have been back on a plane to the UK to pay my respects and celebrate his life with those that were closest to him. Paul Hart took three ordinary young boys and turned them into the finest athletes of their time . I sat a long time on a hill in the wilderness contemplating the effects Paul had on my life - not wanting to come to terms with his death, but also realizing that any more delays to Zac's project could cost him the trip. I knew we had to push on despite the sad loss of a dear friend.

What a great send off for all those present at the Marina Del Rey Boat Show on that sunny June 14, 2008. Such excitement and jubilant farewells! I was very relieved, excited, proud and sad...a huge effort had been made and now it was up to Zac.

The newly refitted Intrepid departs Marina del Rey
I know that during those early days there were many that were unsure of Zac's abilities. But as the Zac Pak and readers looked on, Zac silenced those critics and impressed others with his ability to handle the adversities that faced him. Remember the communication break down before entering the Torres Strait, the imposing vessel off of Indonesia (we will never know what they were doing), the broken tiller, boom, gales and many other challenges along the way.

Through all this there have been those that have prayed for Zac's safety and for that we are surely indebted.

Though the trip is far from over, there will be more challenges that Zac will have to face as his voyage home unfolds. I would like to thank all of you that support, encourage, pray and read this blog.

May you all have a truly fabulous new year!

Cheers,
Laurence
posted by Zac at 1:12 PM 36 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, December 27, 2008
Drawing Winner
Hi Everyone!

I forgot to mention the winner of last week's drawing for a signed poster and head shot. The winner is Doyle Jacoby. We will continue this drawing each week until the calendars are all sold. Your name will be entered once for every calendar purchased this week from Zac's Store (link on the right) to win a signed poster and head shot. The calendars are slightly over-sized with a lot of space to write on each day and great, large photos taken by several different photographers: Jen Edney, Mike Smith and Lisa Gizara.

This is the link to Marta Szilajtis' web site (thanks to Josh Frey):

http://mantra28.pl/marta/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=80&Itemid=48

Thanks again for all the kind holiday wishes. We have had a very loud, busy and merry Christmas indeed!

Marianne Sunderland
posted by Zac at 10:42 AM 25 Comments Links to this post

Friday, December 26, 2008
Merry Christmas!

Intrepid at The Point Yacht Club
Hello All,
Thank you for all the Christmas messages. It has been great to relax and hang out for such a long break. Work continues on Intrepid and I will soon begin to look for a good weather window to take off towards Cape Town. The current weather forecast is pretty wild so it will have to wait for now.

@Axel: Marta, the European solo circumnavigator, does have a web site but I don't know what it is... I think the people from the boat in that photo is away for the holidays because I have never met them. Most of the cruisers that are here now are from Australia.

@Rory: Marta is testing and promoting a new design of racing sail boat. I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the boat. I'll try to find out. It is a pretty interesting story how she got to be doing this. She is stopping in ports along the way with out any record attempt.

@Becky: After much wise counsel, I have decided not to get a cat. :)

@Parker: You're welcome and keep pressing on! Maybe we'll have a sail when I get back this summer.

There were a few questions about my route around the Cape of Good Hope. Depending on the weather conditions I will be stopping in East London, Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay and then Cape Town. My mom's aunt and uncle lived in South Africa back in the 70s and still have many friends out here. I'll hopefully hooking up with some of them and then with some people I met in Cocos keeling that are from Cape Town.

As far as the engine troubles go, I am having my starter motor rebuilt before heading off. Otherwise it seems to be functioning well. The engine was replaced before I left in June but we kept the old gas fuel tanks. My engine problems seem to be caused by fuel in the pick up line in the tank and not the engine itself so there is no need to replace it again.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 7:57 AM 20 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, December 20, 2008
Durban Pics and News

After arriving in port around 4:30am I slept like a dead man for a few hours before it was time to get up and meet the customs and immigration guys around 8:30am. Very nice of them to come to the boat here and no need to wait at a customs dock. They didn't show up right away so I went back to sleep for an hour or two. Everyone here at the yacht club has been great. The morning of my arrival some guys from the club came down to the boat with my keys to the gate and some breakfast. I picked up my mail which was awesome - like another birthday. In fact, I am still opening them - so thanks so much everyone for all of the cards and packages. Since I've been in I've been doing a bit of work on the boat - getting some sail work done, pulling off my starter motor and cleaning up and restowing stuff. I've also been having a lot of fun. Yesterday I went to the Valley of 1000 Hills and spent the night at a friend from the yacht club's house. Then on Tuesday we went to the club's Christmas party. I sat with Marta, the 24 year old from Europe that is also attempting a solo circumnavigation. Our routes are very similar so we had a lot to talk about! Wednesday I went racing with a friend Cya, on a Flying Tiger which is the complete opposite of cruising with everything carbon fiber. We were 2nd over the line but 6th overall. It was really great fun. Thursday I cleaned the boat and hung out with Cya looking for Christmas presents and seeing the sights. Friday I cleaned a little more and then went for breakfast at the beach with Cya, K.K. and Jerry some friends from the PYC junior sailing club. Then we hit up the mall looking for more Christmas presents but it was so hot that we decided to go to the beach and swim for awhile. I am feeling rested and reassured to have Intrepid looked over. I am looking forward to my next leg (with some trepidation) and heading over to Cape Town which I have heard so many great things about.

Thanks again for all of your comments.

Cheers,

Zac
posted by Zac at 8:36 AM 73 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, December 18, 2008
Durban Update - Zac

Zac in Rodrigues Island
Copyright Zac Sunderland 2008
OK, so as you know I'm safe and sound in Durban now but it was quite a time to get in. On the morning of my scheduled arrival I was bombing along at 6 to 7 knots with full sail. I had about 60 miles to go so I was getting ready for making port by organizing my paperwork and cleaning up the boat. I sailed along nicely for around 3 hrs but after that the wind just died away to almost nothing. About an hour later I had a light SW wind. I put up the sails and continued heading towards my waypoint thirty miles up the coast from Durban and about 10 miles offshore. The wind built slowly and as I closed in on my way point I began to realize that I would have to tack if the wind I had held up. I called home to compare my weather with what was showing on Clearpoint Weather and it showed the wind steady from the opposite direction. The forcast showed that it would shift as I got closer to shore. A little unsure of the plan, I kept going. Right as I reached my waypoint the full force of the buster kicked in and I had 25 and 30 knots on the nose. Now the wind is no problem, I can tack into it. It is slower and a real pain but doable. The problem came from the 5 knot current going the opposite direction than normal against me. I called a friend, advisor and former South African sailor, Rob Jordan, and after talking with him decided to beat into the wind and current and hope for it to die down. I tacked and tacked slamming through squalls and dodging ships but wasn't making any progress because of the current so I set on a tack out to sea about 30 miles. Finally, the current slackened and I was able to make some progress down the coast. I sailed my way past Durban and then tried to tack back in but the wind shifted and the current swept me to 20 miles from Durban. It was now morning and I hadn't slept all night with tons of shipping and electrical storms. So with the out-to-sea strategy not working I tried going inshore but the current was just as strong. I ended up just tacking into it and making very slow progress. At around 3:00 pm some boats from the yacht club came out and took some pictures - I was about 12 miles out of the harbor. At 11:00 pm I was 7 miles out and there was a ship on a collision course about a mile away so I went to start up the engine but nothing happened. It sounded like the starter wasn't working so I grabbed a screw driver and arched the solenoid across but still nothing. I had been on the phone with Mom and Dad back home during all of this. Mom had just received an email from Phillip Strauss of the S/V Abracadabra. We had met Phillip and his family in Mexico years ago while our family was cruising there. He and his family had been in Cape Town but came out to Durban to see me in. His email gave his cell phone number and said that if I needed anything to just give him a call. Mom called him and told him about the wind, current, ships, squalls and failing engine. Phillip was berthed at the Point Yacht Club and was able to organise some guys from the club to give me a tow in. I was able to pick up a little wind and sail right to the mouth of the harbor. The shipping out there was so heavy - there was a constant stream of ships coming in and out and 60 standing off the entrance. So I tacked out to about two miles from the harbor and went hove-to. The guys from the yacht club were having trouble finding me in the maze of lights so I turned on my strobe. When they found me they threw me a line and a cold Coke and towed me in. Now I was so tired coming in that I was falling asleep with the wind in my face. I finally got docked about 4:30 in the morning and went over to Phil's boat for a very light dinner. Then I went back to my boat and passed out until about 9:00 am. I woke up and got busy, getting ready for customs and immigration, meeting people and finding my way around.

The last few days here in Durban have been great. Since I am still on Mauritian time and the sun rises early here, I wake up early and spend a few hours working on the boat. The people here at the Point Yacht Club have been taking caring of me, showing me around taking me on some trips and helping to organise my boat work. Work that needs doing includes: having the new genoa cut down a bit, having the engine troubleshot and serviced, having a complete rigging inspection, major reprovisioning, and various other odd jobs.

As usual, I am having trouble finding good internet connections and while in port the sat phone reception is pretty bad so my communication is not as easy as I would like. Now that I am settled in and have things more under control, I will get a blog out everyday or so.

Thanks to all who sent cards and presents - when I get my photos to upload, I'll send out a few photos and notes on that.

Cheers,

Zac

posted by Zac at 8:54 AM 63 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, December 13, 2008
Update & Drawing Winner
Hello All,

Zac is getting rested and filled in on all the ins and outs of Durban and South Africa. He was taken out for a large and delicious steak last night and has grocery shopped, lined up a rigging inspection and engine service and is preparing this morning for a news interview. He is busy but enjoying taking it all in. I asked him about the weather and he said that it is very hot and humid. He is wearing a shirt for the first time since leaving Mauritius! For the blogger who asked about sunscreen, I did ask...he usually isn't out in the sun for long periods of time and so has never burnt but has a good tan for sure!
As mentioned earlier this week, we have had our drawing from the names of calendar buyers to see who won the signed poster. Ben did the honors...
After this shot he spread them all over the living room but that is another story.
The winner of an autographed poster and head shot is Mr. John Weber!
The poster will be sent out Monday morning - enjoy!
We will have another drawing on Saturday the 20th. For every calendar you purchase this week, your name will be entered into a drawing for a signed poster and head shot.
Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:24 PM 43 Comments Links to this post

Friday, December 12, 2008
Hello and Good Night
Latest Position: 12/13/08 29 54.430S 31 01.200E - Point Yacht Club, Durban, South Africa

After another harrowing day at sea with ships, currents lightning and no sleep Zac is safely in port. We received one final phone call, "Hi Dad, I'm in and I'm going to bed." He arrived about 4:00am with the help of a group of faithful followers from PYC and especially Phillip Strauss whom our family met while cruising in Mexico 7 years ago. Lots of long stories for sure!

Zac will have a busy day today meeting and greeting and getting settled. For now we will all have a good night's sleep.
Cheerfully,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:49 PM 36 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, December 11, 2008
So Close and Yet So Far
Latest Position: 12/12/08 0325Z 29 43.107S 31 22.064E (16 miles out of Durban)

Sorry to delay the post so long. We heard from Zac this morning thinking that he would be in port and happy. In fact, he was not in port and very unhappy. It seems that in the night, his beautiful wind died out only to return again from the south south west - on the nose. He was unable to make headway into Durban and was faced with possibly having to head north to Richard's Bay or at least for the 24 hours of southerly wind. After seeking counsel, Zac decided to close haul the boat and fight for landfall in Durban. After another sleepless night with more lightning, squalls and ships tacking towards land, Zac made a total of 12 miles! He was not much comforted by the scientific explanations of lighting proximity. Imagine night time, ships all around and squalls that not only block your vision of the ship but also the radar is cluttered with clouds so the ships don't show up there either. He still sounded positive when he called this morning and can smell land which he has never really experienced before after a long passage. He is in communication with Durban Port Control and the Point Yacht Club and was hoping to be in in the next 24 hours. He still doesn't know fully how the current vs wind situation will play out so that is his best guess for now.
Will post in the morning as soon as we hear from Zac.
Cheers,
Marianne/Mom
posted by Zac at 9:37 PM 32 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A Roar in the Night
Latest Position: 12/11/08 0400Z 29 22.386S 32 16.797E (70 miles out of Durban, South Africa)

The wind finally filled in yesterday around 10 pm. I had about 12 knots on the aft starboard quarter and it has been building and shifting towards the bow ever since. Last night I was about 160 miles out of Durban and going along at about 6-7 knots. At that speed I could make the harbor just on dark. Not a big problem because I have a full moon. I went to bed around 11 and was woken around 2 am by the roar of thunder. It just goes to further prove my theory that if it is going to happen, it will happen between 2-3 in the morning. So I got up to the cockpit and took a look at the gauges. I was going 8.3 knots with 25 knots on the beam. I had hit one of the currents that runs along the coast of Africa. Now that I was in the cockpit I could see the lightning striking all around me. I counted the seconds between the flash and the thunder and got to two! Not sure what that means but it was way too close for me. I altered course so I would get as far upwind from the squall as I could. But bashing into 25 knots makes it 30 knots so I had a pretty wild ride for about an hour. At its closest point I had lightning about a mile away while going through a squall. At 3-something this morning I was able to get back on course and go back to sleep. Over the night I passed about 10 ships. They were also dodging the scattered electrical storms. I'm not sure what happens when a massive metal ship gets hit by lightning but they were making some pretty sharp turns to avoid it. Another electrical storm/squall showed up on radar around 6am but it passed about 3 miles away. I am 60 miles from Durban as I type coming in fast with a 7 knot average. If the wind stays steady I should be in while it is still light. Have to get back to it here.

Cheers,

Zac

@Steve in Yuma: It is amazing spending all this time at sea and not getting bored. There is always something to do - though it is not always exciting.

@Melanie: Not sure how long I'll be in Durban. My push to get across the Indian Ocean is over and I now have some time to relax.

@Kate: I bought the canned Mac and Cheese in Cocos Keeling and it is pretty awful!

The latest blog from Pete Thomas from the LA Times:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/outposts/2008/12/zac-sunderland.html
posted by Zac at 8:39 PM 38 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Out of Africa II
Latest Position: 12/10/28 0318Z 28 32.197S 34 48.455E

I have been given the green light to head into Durban and am slowly making my way south and west. The conditions are light and shifting but are predicted to fill in today. I will have to push Intrepid hard to make the most of the window of wind for the next 24 - 36 hours. I forgot to mention what I have been eating out here when I wrote the summary of my day a few days ago. I'm afraid it has been pretty depressing. I have not had much success with provisioning and my Costco canned soups and chilis are long gone. I have some canned mac and cheese and some amazingly spicy canned curry that I am sending home for dad for Christmas. (Hopefully he won't read this.) My favorite thing these days is canned fruit and Lara Bars that my grandmother sent with Dad to Mauritius.
To the commenter that questioned whether or not I read the blog comments: the answer is yes and no. I don't have the capability to access the blog from the boat. I have to either dictate or email my blogs home for my mom to post onto the blog. She copies the comments and posts them in emails for me or reads them to me if the weather is too wild to be checking email. I read the blog and yahoo.com emails etc when in port when I have time. That said, I will attempt to answer your questions more regularly than I have done in the past.

@ Daveh - I am totally loving the night vision scope. It is my favorite piece of equipment outside of the radar/chartplotter. I was too tired to forage for a thinner coin or tool so I chose to just watch the ship pass.

@ Jeff Michals-Brown: I set my alarm at 2.5 miles and also at 4.5 miles. The boat is small enough that when I swing the radar monitor into the salon (inside of the boat) it wakes me up pretty well. If I miss the 4.5 mile alarm, I have the 2.5 mile alarm as a back up.

@ Point Yacht Club: I am looking forward to meeting you all in a few days!

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 6:07 PM 29 Comments Links to this post

Monday, December 8, 2008
Out of Africa
Latest Position: 12/08/08 1600Z 28 14.584S 37 22.228E (350 miles from Durban)

The last few days the winds has been very confused and I was up almost all night last night trying to keep Intrepid on course. This whole area is mixed with areas of low pressure and areas of high pressure which reduce the wind to nothing. Then there are the bits of storms from the southern ocean bringing high winds and swells from time to time. I am still making progress towards Durban. I should be in in 3-4 days depending on the wind. Also, being close to the Mozambique channel there has been a bunch of shipping. I've passed the best part of 20 ships in the past 24 hours. Other than that there is not much going on out here. I'm just ticking off the miles to Durban which is about 350 miles as the crow flies.

Cheers,
Zac

Note from Mom:
Zac sounds good when we speak to him everyday. He has been out of Mauritius for almost 2 weeks now which is about how long he can take the solitude and strain relatively comfortably. He'll be under a lot of pressure to keep focused and positive as he approaches the dangerous and unpredictable South African coast. We are gathering counsel from our experienced South African sailing friend and of course meteorologist David Morris is keeping an eye on things.

While Laurence was in Mauritius he had Zac sign a few of his posters and head shots. For the rest of December, everyone who orders one of Zac's calendars will be entered into a drawing for one of each of these. We will draw one name every week for the rest of December. Names will be drawn every Saturday and winners announced on the blog. Calendars and also T-shirts and posters can be purchased through Zac's Store located on the right hand column of the blog.

Thanks again for your support!
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:16 AM 22 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, December 6, 2008
A Day in the Life of a Solo Circumnavigator
Latest Position: 12/06/08 1539Z 27 52.817S 41 11.112E
I've been getting a lot of people asking what a normal day is like out here. Most everyday is different so most everyday I'm on a different schedule dealing with different stuff. I figure a good way to answer that question is to give you a 24 hour look at my life in the Indian Ocean. Last night I called my mom at around 9pm my time and 8am California time to compare weather reports and give a position update. The forecast for the night was 10-12 knots off my starboard aft quarter which is light but enough to sail at around 4-5 knots. As the night wore on the wind dropped off to around 8 knots. It was just enough to keep the boat on course going 3 knots - painfully slow. I went to bed around 10:30pm Mauritius time but I know its gotten earlier since I set out because the sun sets around 7pm in Mauritius which is 9pm out here. I was woken up by my radar alarm at 11 something just after I had fallen asleep. I got up and turned off the alarm and saw the familiar shape of a ship on the radar screen. I grabbed my night vision scope (thanks Dave) and went up into the cockpit to see if we were on a collision course but the batteries in the scope were dead. So I got out some AAAs to replace them and grabbed a coin to open the battery compartment. All my foreign coins were too fat for the screw. Unable to find a US quarter I sat in the cockpit and watched the 2 white lights that resemble hundreds of tons of metal pass me by. As soon as the ship was far enough away from me to set my radar alarm again I went back to sleep. I also had 3 separate squalls that night. I don't know what time they were because I was too tired to care. They aren't powerful enough for me to need to reef. But I still had to stay awake until they cleared the radar screen. I set 2 alarms - one at 2.5 miles and the other at 4.5 miles. On the last squall I set the 2.5 mile alarm again but fell asleep while waiting for the squall to pass to be able to set the 4.5 mile alarm. I was woken up at around 6am by the radar alarm and saw that I had a ship 2.5 miles away on a collision course. I tacked to put some distance between us and watched it pass a half mile away. Then I went back to sleep and woke up around 9am. I called home again to see what the weather showed for the day. The forecast was for 8-10 knots but the wind had built from 8 knots to 20. I had a few squalls and ships but nothing too close. I passed through a squall with a raging rain storm and washed my hair. Around 12 I was up on deck untangling the lazy sheet on the genny and I saw for the first time not flying fish but squid on deck. No, I didn't eat it. The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I have been reading Singlehanded Sailing by Richard Henderson. It has chapters written on different aspects of solo sailing from many diffeent solo sailors. I cleaned up some inside and studied some charts and now I am finishing typing this blog - at 8pm. There is the last 23 hours of my life. It may be kind if boring to read but, hey, you asked!
Cheers,
Zac
Note from Mom:
Laurence and I had a great evening last night at the Westlake Yacht Club. The were having their yearly holiday party with food and music and lots of good company. They have been an amazing support during Zac's trip from before he left. Special thanks to Carol Amenta and Michael Broggie for showing off and selling 20 of Zac's calendars. They really are something with a slightly over-sized format and big, professional-quality photos by 3 different photographers.

There are still some available at Zac's Store (link to the right on this blog).

There was a nice article in the Ventura County Star (our local paper) this morning:
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/dec/06/record-seeker-now-halfway-into-quest/
For those of you who may not read the blog comments, here is the link to the NPR interview:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97689150
posted by Zac at 7:06 AM 33 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Mauritius Fun and Photos
Latest Position: 12/03/08 0600Z 27 46.068S 45 47.913E

Weather here is holding pretty steady. Though I haven't been becalmed again, the wind is light and shifting continually. I was up a lot in the evening changing my sails around to accommodate the shifty winds. I am thankful to be moving though, slow as it is. My Clearpoint weather forecast shows there is a storm forming off of Madagascar today. I am the prescribed 150 miles off shore so I hope that I stay clear of any danger. I took some time yesterday between jobs to type a bit about the last few days of time I spent in Mauritius.
Also, during my stay Richard managed to get us a free trip out to one of the outer islands in a big catamaran. It was about a 2 hour ride to get to Flat Island where we dropped anchor, got a ride into the beach and had a BBQ. We hung out on the beach and I met 2 local girls, Ashley and Kate, from another boat (there were about 6 other charters there that day). We hung out for a few hours and were able to switch to the other boat for the ride back.

On the day before I left, a friend of mine, Alex, managed to get me a ticket to a club opening. It was supposed to be a great time with a DJ visiting from Italy. I got introduced to the DJ, Giulia Regain, and we hit it off and spent the evening at her VIP party above the Beach House. I also really enjoyed my visit with the American ambassador's house in Mauritius. I have had a great time getting to know the local people here. As always, most people are friendly and helpful - awesome!
Signing autographs at the Grand Baie Yacht Club

With the Grand Baie Yacht Club Junior Sailing Club

posted by Zac at 8:03 AM 36 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The Windseeker
Latest Position: 12/02/08 1507Z 27 35.303S 47 40.615E

I am about 170 miles off of Madagascar right now passing south and west towards Africa now. I have about 8 knots behind me so I am only able to sail at about 4 knots and progress is slow. It is much better than getting stuck in one of the frequent storms that this area is infamous for however. There is not much else going on out here - just preparing the boat for the weather to come. I have been putting locks on the lazarettes and taking everything out of the combing boxes so that if things get crazy out here everything doesn't get thrown around. I've also been arranging the lines on deck and sorting out the halyards. I replaced the lines on the wind vane. The line was fine but I hadn't changed them in awhile and since there is no wind it is a good time. I have also stowed the anchor and spent some time prepping the lines on the tires that are to be my sea anchors. I have noticed that I have changed time zones again. In Mauritiuts the sun went down about 6:30 - 7:00. Now it goes down about 8:30 - 9:00. Not that it really matters. Out here time doesn't really have much bearing. I had better get back to it. Thank you for all of the birthday wishes and thank you to the Zeigler family for thier birthday present. I was cleaning up and found it stowed in a locker which was a nice surprise!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 7:15 AM 44 Comments Links to this post

Zac Sunderland - Posts from November 13 - 30, 2008

2009-01-23T11:37:00.001-05:00

Sunday, November 30, 2008
Smooth Sailing & the Forstay Saga
Latest Position: 11/30/08 1547Z 26 39.814S 50 32.221E

A good day today with the winds shifting a bit but still enough to make decent headway. So far the good weather seems to be holding and the seas have been calm. I am feeling good and passing the time listening to my french language tapes, reading some and doing small jobs on the boat. I sat down to write out the end to the story of my time in the Indian Ocean when my forstay let loose.
For any who may have missed the first part of the story, I have reposted it here with the end of the story following...

Indian Ocean Trouble:

It was about 10pm and I was sailing along under genoa alone. (I have been saving the repaired boom only for necessity.) I was going between 6-7 knots in a nice 25 knot Indian Ocean trade on the aft quarter. I had just layed down in my bunk and was awake listening to the sounds of the boat working when I heard a flapping noise on deck. It sounded like a flying fish or maybe a bird so I didn't bother to check it. A minute later, the motion of the boat changed. I went up in the cockpit and saw that the gennie was way too far off the boat. At this point my night vision hadn't quite kicked in yet. I thought that maybe the furling line had snapped and it had come all the way unfurled. I switched on the spreader lights and found my gennie 15 feet from the boat held by the furling line and the sheet. It looked like a spinnaker. As I looked at it I knew that I was in for one of those adrenalin-filled sleepless nights. The first thing I did was to grab the spinnaker halyard and fasten it to the bow for mast support. So I put the furling line around the winch and fell off the wind a little to take the wind off the sail. This worked pretty well except now I had to go and wrestle a flogging genoa over the lifelines and lash it to the deck. Around 1am I finally got it lashed down on a 1/2" thick U-bolt right behind where the forstay is fastened to the deck. It was under control enough to call my dad to see if he had any advice. He called some of the riggers who had worked on Intrepid in Marina del Rey and they thought that I should loosen the aft stay to give the forstay some slack to try and reattach it. I went back up on deck to try to furl the sail and after 3 hours I got it furled to 1/4 of it's size. It was 4 am and I was getting a little too tired to be on deck so I pulled up the main with a reef in it and went to sleep....

Indian Ocean Troubles (Part II):
After the first night I had managed to partially furl the sail and secure the furler on the deck. The next morning I went to work and by sundown I had managed to completely furl the sail and got it reattached to the forward chainplate by using a couple of shackles to extend the forstay. By the end of the day it was almost as good as new and I was sailing along with full main and my patched boom. After this I had 24 hours with no problems and smooth sailing. I was able to keep up a good 6.5 knots average with about 25-30 knots behind me. This was not to last. At about 4 in the morning the following day the forstay let loose again. The nut had come loose from the bolt that was holding the furler to the shackle. With the heavy winds the sail was unfurled in no time. This time it was much crazier up on deck. I was often burying the bow of the boat in waves and it was all I could do to keep from getting thrown off. After a couple of hours I was able to get the furler lashed down to the deck but somehow during all this the forstay snapped inside the furler and had knotted itself inside. I couldn't pull down the furler or spin it. By the end of the day I had managed to get the bottom 2/3 of the sail furled but the top 1/3 was still flogging. Each time the sail filled with wind it would slam the rig. It was agonizing to watch this happening and not knowing how much more damage was being done. I had been studying the charts a couple of days prior and knew I was coming up on an Island called Rodrigues. After talking to friend and world sailor, Rob Jordan, who had been there, I decided to pull in so I could deal with pulling down my sail out of the wind. I was still 200 miles out from Rodrigues so it was back to work on deck. I was able to wrap a spinnaker halyard around the roller furler and that helped stop the top of the sail from flogging so much. That night the lines holding the furler to the deck snapped. The full weight of the top third of the sail went on the spinnaker halyard that was wrapped around it. I had had 2 lines wrapped around the sail and they both had chaffed completely through and broke. Now after I had wrapped the spinnaker halyard around the furler a couple of times I didn't have enough rope to make it back down to the deck. I clipped it on to the pulpit and now with the weight of the sail on it, the pulpit bent all out of shape in seconds. By the time I got it relashed to the deck, the pulpit was a mess and all the lifelines were slack. I was completely exhausted and though the stiuation was not good, I didn't have the strength to do anything else. I went down below for some sleep not knowing waht to expect next. In the middle of the night the wind dropped from 25-30 to 15 knots and in the morning I was able to wind shadow the genoa with my mainsail. The sail had completely stopped flogging. The seas had also calmed down a bit and it was a good quick sail into Rodrigues around 4 that afternoon. I have posted in previous blogs about my 30 hours in Rodrigues and the repairs done in Mauritius.
Now I am 1/3 of my way to Durban, South Africa out of Mauritius. I have nearly crossed my second ocean and I am officially on my way home!
Cheers,
Zac

PS Check out Zac's Store for the new 2009 calendar!

posted by Zac at 7:21 AM 33 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, November 29, 2008
Birthday at Sea
Latest Position: 11/29/08 1637Z 25 01.1975S 51 50.530E

OK, so today being the 29th of November on this side of the world - it is my birthday. My 17th actually. The day had finally come for me to open my presents that have traveled halfway around the world! In the box from home I got some cds, a digital camera, this awesome cake that you just have to add water and micorwave and a bunch of candy from my little brothers and sisters. My grandmas sent me a bunch of snacks like Lara Bars, nuts and beef jerky. I got a bunch of cards from friends and family. Also I was given fair winds and not quite following seas but at least they are not on the nose anymore - I have been sailing along nicely at 6 knots most of the day. I spent most of the day playing with my new camera, napping and preparing the boat for heavy winds as I am about 300 miles from my waypoint off the coast of Madagascar where the heavy weather is. So it has been a good birthday - a far cry from all the craziness of my 16th back at home but my second at sea - I had my 10th birthday heading south from Neuva Vallarta in Mexico aboard my family's boat Amazing Grace. I'm about to make my birthday cake. I'll get some more blogging done tomorrow. I am working on the rest of the story of my forstay problem which should be ready for tomorrow all being well.

My ears are better - thank you for all of the advice and ideas. I never did take any antibiotics as it seems to be clearing up on its own. I still have some symptoms but am feeling better everyday.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes. It has been a good day.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:01 AM 48 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving
Latest Position: 11/28/08 0622Z 23 01.545S 54 26.934E

Spoke with Zac briefly this morning and again this evening. We passed the phone around after our Thanksgiving celebration. He is really missing some real mashed potatoes instead of his instant Costco spuds but other than that was in great spirits and looking forward to that wind (now at 12 knots on the nose) to fill in from the east. Intrepid performs optimally in 12-15 knots of wind.
On behalf Zac and the entire Sunderland family we thank you all for supporting and encouraging all of us in this endeavour. Zac's quest began as a grass roots effort by a small but growing number of local sailors, writers and photographers. If it had been solely up to our family to fund Zac's trip he may well have had to stop by now. It is amazing to realize that Zac's trip has been supported in many different ways by hundreds of individuals and small companies for nearly 6 months now!
We are truely a blessed nation to live with such freedom and affluence and comfort.
Great to take a day to stop and thank the God who gives us all good things!
Cheers,
Marianne & Laurence
posted by Zac at 11:02 PM 47 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Hurry Up and Wait
Latest Position: 11/27/08 0405Z 22 15.473S 55 25.660E

The winds have been painfully light all day and night yesterday. I did have about 10-15 knots when I left Port Louis but as soon as I passed the tip of Mauritius it died and has been shifting around continually. Therefore, I have been doing a lot of hand steering. Even so, it feels great to be at sea again. Crazy how you hurry to get out of port only to be becalmed for 2 days. The forecast calls for more wind in the next day or so - should be just enough to shoot me on my way to Africa. I am still not completely well and my ears are beginning to hurt. I haven't had an ear infection since I was about 2 years old! I'm trying to rest and focus on prepping the boat for heavy weather. Michelle from Grand Baie drove down to Port Louis before I left to deliver 2 car tires for a sea anchor. They were considered to be the best sea anchors ever made by everyone at the yacht club so I am glad to have a few. Seems easier to set up and deploy than my fancy cloth sea anchor with all of its ties and strings. Not much time for typing lately I'm afraid. We'll see what to day will bring...
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:11 PM 39 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Back to Sea
Latest Position: 11/25/08 0351Z 20 35.235S 56 36.257E - 60 miles out of Port Louis, Mauritius

Greetings from the Indian Ocean!
After a hectic afternoon dealing with customs, last minute provisioning and yacht prep I pulled out of Port Louis around 4:00pm yesterday to a calm, flat sea and light wind. It was good to have a slow day to finish putting everything away and organizing things for a few weeks at sea. There were a few ships as I pulled south of Mauritius early in the evening but nothing since then. I have been warned that more and more shipping is being diverted south around the Cape of Good Hope because of the recent increase in piracy along the Red Sea/Suez Canal route. I have also heard that these vessels may be turning off their AIS systems in an effort to hide their identity from would-be pirates. The ships will still show up on my regular radar however. The first days and nights back at sea are always rough because I have to get back into power nap mode. So for now I have an easy passage even though it is slow. I'll take some time today to work on a detailed blog of my time in Mauritius and Part II of my Indian Ocean forstay situation. In case you didn't know, I am 13 hours ahead of you all on the west coast of America so as you are going to bed, I am just getting up (or at least staying up!).
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 5:24 PM 37 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, November 23, 2008
Mauritius - Last Days
It has been really busy here in Grand Baie. I have been invited to do so many things but I can only do so much with all of the preparations going on here. I have been seeing some of the sites around town here including a catamaran ride out to the northern islands a few days ago that was fantastic. I had dinner with the American ambassador here in Mauritius who is an avid sailor so this time I had much in common with my host! The guys here at the yacht club have been fantastic and we have hammered out most of the repairs and preparations for my next leg. I have heard many a tale of the wild seas on this next leg and so being properly prepared is paramount. David has submitted his departure forecast and all looks clear for me to take off from Port Louis (where I will check out with customs) Tuesday morning which will be your Monday night. There have been reports that I have cut short my trip or that I have postponed it for awhile but that is definitely not true. I am rested and ready to go - hoping to be in Durban, South Africa within 2 weeks. Thanks for all of the emails and comments on the blog. I wish I had more time to respond.

Cheers,

Zac

Note from Mom:

The 2009 calendars are finally in! They are really professionally done with some amazing photographs from Jen Edney, Lisa Gizara and Mike Smith. If you ordered one at the LA Gathering they will be shipped out this week. If you haven't ordered one yet - check them out at Zac's Store. The link is just to the right on the blog here.

posted by Zac at 11:22 AM 44 Comments Links to this post

Friday, November 21, 2008
Mauritius - Laurence

G'day to all,

It almost seems like a blur, yet during my time in Mauritius so much was accomplished and many new friends and sincere fellow sailors took a part of Zac's dream and excitment in his quest to be the youngest to solo cicumnavigate the world.

I set off with the boom tied to the top of the station wagon. It looked quite a spectical racing through LA traffic with this just over 13 ft of carefully wrapped boom strapped to the top with a little red onesie (complements of Ben) that acted as my flag for carrying cargo that sticks out over three feet behind. The ordeal of dropping the boom at British Airways cargo terminal took a little longer than anticipated but big thanks to Tim Blofeld from Midex who jumped on board and took care of all the complicated shipping details.

The trip to the UK went well and Jen was priviledged to visit a unique part of England not normally on the tourist route of overseas visitors. Lymington in Hampshire is truly one of those rare gems, on the edge of the New Forest on the coast. This is where I had the privelidge of being raised. It was a two day vist that proved to be more necessary than originally planned. Zac grandmother's bithday was a few days before we arrived. That needed to be celabrated. It was also a year since Zac's grandfather passed away. It was appropriate to celebrate his life with my step mother for it was through dad that I and in turn, Zac, inherited the passion for the ocean .

A quick call to the US to check on the family revealed what Zac had discovered at Rodrigues Island. Zac needed a new forstay and roller furling system. Fortunately, southern England is the sailing mecca that it is. Even so, I had to move quickly in order to execute the request. Nick Cox from Ocean Rigging was able to furnish the forstay, stay lock fittings and turnbukle but the roller furler proved a little more challenging. IMP were listed as the importers for Schaefer furling systems. I called Fred Cook from Shaefer Marine who furnished the 2100 fuller system at no charge. A huge thanks for their support. It did involve a drive halfway across the country which I was accompanied by Mum, Tom (stepfather) and Becky(neice). I think they were a little concerned whether I would stay awake for the drive. Jenn spent time photographing the local area of Lymington with Laura (stepmum) checkout Jens blog to see some of the photos. http://jennedney.blogspot.com/

The trip to the UK was short and sweet but we were on a mission and it was all too soon time to say our goodbyes and head for Heathrow Airport to catch a flight to Dubai and on to Mauritius. However we were quite loaded up with additional luggage: a furlling system is hardly somthing you tuck under your arm and go skipping through the terminals with. Oh no, spectacle number 2. We tried to off load much of our additional luggage at one of the many cargo shipping companies. When I was quoted an astronomical price, I tried to explain that I didn't want to buy the air plane, I just wanted to transport excess luggage. I knew time was running out for our departure but thought we'd try our luck with the airline we were traveling with. This proved to be the better deal by far. As we struggled with our excess luggage to the check in counter we were greeted with the you've-got-to-be-joking look. When I assured the young lady I was being quite serious she was actually rather helpful. We did not see all thatexcess luggage again until we arrived in Mauritius.

We arrived 2 days before Zac which gave me time to scope out the situation and put us in the best vantage point to achieve the goal of fixing Zac's yacht. Zac arrived at 9:30am Wednesday tired from two nights with no sleep. He pulled in to the usual reception of TV and newspaper reporters which he handles well and of course the usual formalities with customs and immigration, etc., etc. It was good to see him. He had been through a lot since I had last seen him in Darwin. A quick survey of his yacht allowed me to evaluate the extent of what Zac had been through. He had done very well to save the rig and stabilize the forstay in the adverse conditions that he had faced only days before. After dealing with the media and formalities he moved Intrepid to the La Seffren Hotel Marina where we waited for the boom to be delivered. This kept on being delayed but Phil, the manager, very kindly took us to lunch. Later in the afternoon the boom showed up with a shipping agent just to make sure it was going on a boat in transit and thus avoid paying duty.
It was decided that we should have the boat moved to Grand Baie 15 miles up the coast. Port Louis seemed to be very hustle bustle and quite congested which would only hinder progress. Zac was in agrement and after a much needed night's rest it, was agreed to move Intrepid the following day. Zac dropped the hook right in front of the Grand Baie Yacht Club where we had made contact with one of the best connected sailors, Michele DuVille. They were excited to have Zac there and eager to help. We were made to feel like family. Mauritius is a very beautiful place which reminds very much of Hawaii but in the southern hemisphere. It has a mixed cultural background. English, French and Indian make up the majority of the population. It is still connected somehow to the commonwealth.
Unfortunatly Zac and Jen both had some sort of flu that was only contageous for the under 30's - I being somehow immune. It was unfortunate we had much work that needed doing and little time. Zac would work half days before needing to rest in the afternoon which I encouraged. We needed Zac to regain strength to prep for his next leg. Michele took the main sail in to have it repaired along with the pulpit which was badly damaged. Dr. DJ worked on the boom transferring everything from the old boom to the new. We worked long and hard days. I knew my time was limited. Dr. DJ, Michele, Nicholi and Patrick helped in a huge way and they assured me that they would look after Zac after I left. Michele had built several race yachts and was about to start building a new yacht. Zac and I had the priviledge of looking at the new plans that Michelle was so enthusiastic about. I will be quite excited to see the finished yacht. Zac spoke about his many experiences at the yacht club on Friday evening. There was to be a race half way around the island the following day which we were invited to join. It was so tempting. I'm not sure if Zac was as excited about the offer. Jen put together an impressive slide show to accompany Zac's talk. It was great evening enjoyed by all.
Mauritius is truly a beautiful place with the Grand Baie Yacht Club situated in paradise. The weather seemed to be good one day and perfect the next. I struggled with my French which is commonly spoken there but I think they appreciated my effort even if they couldn't understand me some of the time. Zac is going to do another talk at the yacht club for the Junior sailing members which he seemed excited about . Zac is getting a lot better now and is starting to get excited about his next leg to Durban. Yes it comes with it's own set of challenges and Zac is well versed at handeling them. He realizes more and more that his preparation is crutial for his safety.

The reason this trip seemed like blur is because we are so busy. I know Zac would have liked me to stay longer and I would have loved to. Knowing how qualified Michelle and Dr DJ are and how the Grand Bay Yacht Club are helping Zac, I feel confident that Zac will be able to set sail early next week. Additional thanks to Rob, the sailmaker in Mauritius, for mending the main sail for no charge, the metal fabricator who welded Intrepid's pulpit and the ladies in the office at the Grand Baie Yacht Club. I would like to thank all the prayer warriors that draw near when times get tough.

It's late and I'm just a little jetlagged. I think that 'under 30's flu' might be getting to me which makes no sense because I'm 45. Oh well .

Cheers,
Laurence
An early birthday celebration!

posted by Zac at 4:50 PM 37 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, November 20, 2008
Mauritius - Photos II
Laurence wanted to blog tonight and tell of his time with Zac in Mauritius but his jetlag has prevailed and alas there will be no blog or bedtime stories of any kind this evening.
posted by Zac at 7:14 PM 33 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Mauritius - 4

So much going on here and on top of it all the flu is running through our family on both sides of the world! I gently nag Zac for some blogs but he gently reminds me that he has the flu and is working all day while recuperating from crossing the Indian Ocean all the while prepping for a difficult passage to Durban at the beginning of cyclone season. It is either me or nothing I'm afraid!
Zac is still recovering from the flu and is almost able to smell and taste again. He has been working hard on the boat - cleaning, organizing, troubleshooting a few systems that are not 100%. He has a great group of guys around him to assist and guide him in Laurence's absence. Today is a big work day with various rigging jobs, reattaching the stainless steel pulpit and lifelines. He will be having dinner this evening with the (American?) Ambassador of Mauritius.
Laurence is on his way home via Dubai, London, San Francisco and finally LAX where he will pick up his car and drive home. Unfortunately, his luggage is in Chicago but I'm sure it will arrive eventually.
There has been a lot of talk lately about pirates, the Volvo Ocean Race and Mike Perham. It really is an amazing time on the water these days. Our family has been following the piracy off of Somalia and now the insurgents trying to take the capital of Mogadishu and the poor, Kenyan fisherman a bit further south who are struggling to make a living in an increasingly global economy/marketplace. There are many sides to these stories, many that go far back in history and are not quickly understood.
The Volvo Ocean Race is on again with it's boats rounding the Cape of Good Hope in 30 knot winds and 30 foot swells. They have injuries and boat damage but are pressing on to their next scoring way point at 58 degrees east. There was some talk of one of the boats heading to Mauritius for repairs but that appears not to be the case, at least at this point.
Mike Perham is on his way. He is the 16 year old from the UK who is attempting a solo, non-stop and unassisted circumnavigation. We have been keeping track of him for some time now. He is undoubtedly very qualified and has prepared well for his voyage. His trip will take him around the Southern Ocean including not only the Cape of Good Hope (Africa) but also Cape Horn (South America). We did discuss this route when planning for Zac's trip but the idea was quickly discarded as being too dangerous. Many sailors survive such a trip but there are many who don't as well. Zac's idea was to be able to stop and see the world and experience a bit of it on his way. We have the highest regard for Mike and his family and wish him well. (I would love to talk to his mum!) The two trips are completely different with Perham going fully sponsored in a million dollar racing boat. I don't think it makes either trip better than the other. No matter what happens both young men have extraordinary strength and vision to take on this monumental task and are to be commended for it. If Mike and Zac both complete their journeys as planned Zac will still be the youngest American solo circumnavigator and a very accomplished sailor.
Zac is on track to leave Mauritius for Durban, South Africa at the end of the week depending on weather. The leg is just over 1500 miles and should take 10-14 days depending, again, on the weather. There is, reportedly, a storm that lives off of the southern tip of Madagascar. Zac's job will be to stay far enough south of Madagascar to avoid this storm without going too far and getting blown south of Durban and needing to beat to get into port. He will celebrating his 17th birthday (November 29th) and Thanksgiving at sea.
All the best!
Marianne
posted by Zac at 8:12 PM 44 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, November 16, 2008
Mauritius Update - Zac

OK so after two sleepless nights I finally got in to Port Louis in Mauritius around 9am. It was great to finally be in port. After clearing customs we went back to my boat to wait for the boom to be delivered. Because of customs and duty rules, the boom had to be delivered by a customs agent to the boat. It was supposed to come by noon but with the 'island time effect' it showed up around 6:30pm. Then it was over to the hotel for some dinner and sleep. Mauritius looks a lot like Hawaii. It has steep mountains and a lot of sugar cane fields. The next morning I brought the boat up the coast 15 miles to Grand Baie where the hotel and yacht club are. The trip went pretty fast motoring at 6kts with 10kts of wind on the bow - enough to use the wind vane. I dropped anchor in 15 feet of water and then got to work taking off the broken boom and pulpit. By the end of the day we got both off and on shore. The next morning I went up the mast, removed the broken forstay and measured for the new one. Then we went ashore and started transferring all the boom hardware from the old boom to the new one. As the day wore on I started to feel like I was coming down with a cold - not a big surprise because Jen was down with one. By that evening I was feeling pretty bad. Someone at the yacht club gave me a couple of bottles of cold pills. Seeing that the directions were in French I just took 2 of each and that helped me pull my runny nose together long enough to give a speech to the yacht club members. I have been taking the ones with the picture of the nose on it since then. Hopefully, I will have a time on this next leg to listen to the French CDs my mom sent over. I took 2 years of Spanish but haven't used it much so far. The yacht club has been great about offering any help thay can, including letting us borrow one of their dinghies to get back and forth to Intrepid, who is at anchor in the bay. The next day I got a some work done in the morning but by mid day was feeling really sick so I went back to the hotel and slept of a few hours. There is really so much to do in port especially with dad leaving on Tuesday that I haven't had time or energy to do much besides work and eat and sleep. Today we got some provisions and my dad installed a new bilge pump. After lunch I crashed at the hotel which has made it possible for me to type this blog.

Cheers
Zac
PS I have not forgotten that I need to finish the story of my days at sea in the Indian Ocean with a broken forstay. I will also take time to comment on Mike Perham and his solos circumnavigation out of the UK.
posted by Zac at 4:19 PM 59 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, November 15, 2008
Mauritius - Photos

posted by Zac at 7:22 AM 37 Comments Links to this post

Friday, November 14, 2008
Mauritius - 3
I know you are looking forward to hearing from Zac but as the Croaker so eloquently put it - he only has so much time in a day. Recovering from a tough leg, facing a large list of maintenace and repairs, trying to get them done beofre cylcone season starts etc... Work is coming along on Intrepid. Zac has a miserable cold and spent the morning trying to send Laurence's photos over while Laurence and the guys worked on the boat. Unfortunately, there are some problems with the photos so we'll have to try again tomorrow.
Both of the guys are happy with how the work is going. I'm sorry to have so little to report but wanted to keep you all resting comfortably and not worrying.

In place of a blog from Zac I will post here some of the new FAQs that will be hitting Zac's web site any day.

To read some of the earlier questions and answers, please click on the “Zac FAQs” link on the right side of the blog, or in the header on his home page (FAQs/Intrepid).

Q Please tell us about Zac’s traditional school work and home schooling, and whether parts of his journey count for credit in school.
A First of all, Zac is a year ahead of others his age in school. He has finished all of his math requirements by starting advanced math earlier than most. Parts of his trip definitely do count towards his subjects in school. Those subjects are Composition, Oceanography, Advanced Seamanship and World Cultures (including food, history, customs, religions and government). When he returns, he will complete the traditional required classes for his senior year with his peers, such as History, English, Government and Economics.

Q Zac, do you ever get sick reading on board?
A No, I never get sick when I read on board.

Q Do you read a lot?
A I read when I can. Often, it’s just too hectic to read and navigate at the same time, especially in high winds and rough seas. Sometimes reading makes me sleepy, especially when I am sleep deprived, anyway. I usually have several books that I’m reading at the same time. I may be in the mood to read a sailing-oriented book at one time, but an entirely different fictional book or biography at another time.

Q Have you read Kon-Tiki By Thor Heyerdahl?
A I have it on board, but I have not read it yet.

Q Will Dad be meeting Zac in most all of the ports where he stops?
A Laurence plans to meet Zac in Mauritius, Cape Town and possibly, Panama. A lot depends on finances and if Intrepid needs anything.

Q When his water gets moldy, does that mean he has to stop somewhere for water?
A No, he just adds some bleach to the water to kill the mold, but not enough to make him sick.

Q With wet electronics, does the radar still work?
A Marine electronics, such as the radar screen, are made to be waterproof. A problem can result if the wires become corroded from too much water, but Zac hasn’t had a problem with that on his journey.

Q I know the AIS is transponder based, but will it still alert him to smaller vessels that may not have transponders?
A No, but they will show up on the other radar. The benefit of AIS is that it gives more information about what he sees, such as the direction, speed and identity of the boat.

Q How vital is it to have a functioning engine going to your next ports?
A It is extremely vital, especially in unfamiliar ports and in Panama.

Q Did Laurence take Zac’s CDs to Darwin?
A Zac is a typical teenager, who doesn’t have a lot of CDs. He downloads most of his music. There were two iPods donated to him before Darwin. One was fully loaded with a wide variety of eclectic music, and the other was awaiting a waterproof case, so that it doesn’t get ruined by salt water again. He picked that ipod up in Mauritius. Zac’s favorite music is High Energy Rock.

Q What do your other children think of Zac’s adventure?
A Abby (15) wishes she were on the seas, instead of Zac, but she is very supportive of his adventure. Toby (11) thinks he’s crazy, because he gets seasick, and couldn’t imagine doing what Zac is doing. Jessie, Lydia and Kathryn are too young to really understand what he’s doing and why, but they miss his being around to play with them. Ben is just a baby, so he has not voiced his opinion yet.

Q Could he have dried some of the fish he caught?
A Yes, he probably could have, if the conditions were right. It would have to be warm, calm and not too humid. The family has made fish jerky on board previously when sailing in Mexico, after marinating it in teriyaki sauce. It’s pretty time consuming, though, and probably was too humid where he caught the fish.

Q How far is Laurence’s home town from Darwin?
A Laurence is British, not Australian. He is from Lymington in Hampshire, England. He did, however, live in Australia for a period of time (Canberra and Bowen).

Q What was the longest solo trip that Zac has ever taken prior to this venture?
A Zac had not sailed a solo trip before he set off from Marina del Rey in June. He had sole responsibility for 4-hour shifts sailing to San Francisco, however.

Q When does Marianne get to meet up with Zac again?
A Right now, there are no plans for Marianne to meet Zac at any of the future ports, until he arrives in Marina del Rey. She would love to meet him in South Africa, but that depends on financial resources.

Q Did Lady Marianne locate a decent solar oven for you?
A Yes, but I haven’t used it yet. There are so many things to do and cooking food isn’t one of my highest priorities. I’m mostly eating canned and dried food, but I’m getting very tired of it.

Q When and where will new video clips be available?
A Some new clips were seen at the LA event on Oct. 26. It’s extremely expensive to edit the amount of video we have available, so newer clips will depend on financial resources, like just about everything else.

Q What is your best speed thus far? What is the hull speed of Intrepid?
A My best speed thus far, with currents is a little over 9 knots. The hull speed of Intrepid is 7 knots.

Q Will we get a list of positions, once you get to Cocos-Keeling?
A Yes, they will be posted eventually. ‘So much to do and so little time in a day!

Q Do you, Zac, have some knowledge of the constellations so you can identify them?
A I have basic knowledge, but I’m certainly not an expert in that area. I would not want to be responsible for navigating Intrepid based on constellation knowledge alone! I have developed a new method of celestial navigation, however. I tied the tiller to my foot as I lay in the cockpit trying to get some sleep and stay on course, correcting my steering by the position of the stars.

Q What CD did you listen to 100 times when your iPod wasn’t working?
A It was a Jeremy Camp CD.
posted by Zac at 10:52 PM 27 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, November 13, 2008
Mauritius - 2
Nothing too exciting to report today. Who was it that said that sailing/cruising is 99% boredom punctuated by 1% sheer terror? This is probably the boring part though I'll have to ask Zac to confirm the percentages! After a day of rest and cleansing :) Zac brought the boat north to Grand Baie to complete the repairs. From what I can make out from our much interrupted Skype conversations, Port Louis is more of an industrial port where as Grand Baie is the rest stop for cruisers. Laurence hooked up with a bunch of ex-Vendee Globe racers there who will assist with the rigging repairs. The people of Mauritius have been extremely hospitable and friendly towards Laurence and Zac.
As far as Zac's schedule goes, he is planning on leaving Mauritius as soon as is reasonably possible - probably late next week. He has no choice as the Indian Ocean cyclone season is fast approaching. Once he arrives in South Africa he can slow down. How long he will stay in Durban will depend on when he arrives and where he will spend Christmas. He really does not want to be at sea on Christmas if he can avoid it. The passage from Durban to Cape Town is a bit under 800 miles and will be broken into legs in an effort to time his time at sea around the regular storm activity in that area. The possible legs are: Durban to East London, East London to Port Elizabet, Port Elizabeth to Mossel Bay and Mossel Bay to Cape Town. With David watching the weather, he should be able to sneak in and out of port without getting too thrashed.
That is as good as it gets as far as scheduling goes for now.
Marilyn has been an angel and has gently kept after me to have Zac answer the many questions fired at him via the blog. There should be an update to the FAQs coming out shortly and I will hopefully post the new ones here on the blog as well.
Cheers,
Marianne
PS Yes, Zac is officially half way!
posted by Zac at 5:58 PM 38 Comments Links to this post

Saito Challenge 8 - Day 41

2008-11-12T13:08:00.000-05:00

11 / 12 / 08 0700 hours (JST)
Position:
025 38 S, 153 44 E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 14.9%
Heading: 95 / later tack
Boat speed: 3.5 kt (7-day average: 3.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 51 nm
Distance made good: 3,637 nm (6,736 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,493 nm
Yokohama ETA: 287 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,262 nm) ETA: 17.0 days

Weather: Overcast, raining
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 3.0 - 4.0 m
Wind (from): 20 - 28 kt SSE
Current (from): 0.6 kt N
Engine: 22.0 hr
Generator: 4.5 hr (stopped operating)
Sails
Main: 3-pt reef
Staysail: 100%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report
After 4 days of punishing conditions in the face of on-coming 3 - 4 meter seas and headwinds hitting 37 kt, Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III has developed several problems including a slow but worrisome leak, water in the electrical panel, and the loss of the aux generator that stopped working about 4 pm yesterday. These are on top of a series of smaller but nagging problems that have started to build under the frequent storm conditions Saito-san has faced since the second week of his now nearly 7-week voyage.

The current 4-day gale has served to underline the growing seriousness, so this morning a decision was made -- reluctantly by everyone but especially the skipper -- for Saito-san to drop by Sydney for emergency repairs. The repairs and modifications are expected to take a week and will better ensure Saito-san's safety in the much heavier weather conditions he will face in the Indian Ocean, and then later in the Southern Ocean at Cape Horn.

Added Comment
Long-time friend and fellow 1990 BOC single-hand racer Don McIntyre, founder of the Shorthanded Sailing Association off Australia, sent the following message to seek assistance for Saito-san after we contacted him this morning. His explanation notes the concern -- not of the conditions as they are NOW, but what they may become if not dealt with while good help and a convenient port is at hand.

Don's Message to Sydney-based Sailing Friends

Hope you are all well...
You will remember Minoru Saito for sure and hopefully you are following his
latest crazy voyage....amazing stuff for a pensioner!!!

Looks like he will now be giving up his unassisted status for this 8th solo
attempt around the world, as he needs to come into Sydney for a week of
repairs....and his support guys have asked me for some advice and opinions
on how best to plan his arrival and then assist when he gets there.

I am based in Hobart as you know. I would have come to Sydney to be part of
that, but I leave tomorrow for China and the Philippines and do not return
till Dec 3rd when I am only in the office for a few days before then heading
to Antarctica for two months on the 7th Dec....

I will be on emails and the phone, so will do what ever I can...and have
some contacts in Sydney...but before I do that, I thought you guys and the
SSAA [Shorthanded Sailing Association of Australia] should be the first stop.

When Margie and I started the SSAA back in 1983 we always envisioned the
comraderie of shorthanded sailors as being all part of the fun...and Minoru
was the first official "Special Guest" at our first function awarding
prizes...now 25 years later he needs some help.

He needs advice, opinions on where best to go...he would like sympathetic
tradesmen who may consider a discount labour rate and I am sure he would
love to see many volunteers giving him a hand when he arrives so he feels
like he is with friends.

This is a great chance for all the SSAA members to meet a crazy guy with too
many stories and a real hero out there having a go. If anyone can help him
it will make a huge difference...

So what can the SSAA do???? Is there a chance of sending out a call to the
membership?

I have included the work list below just for the four of you...at this stage
the story of his plans and the detail of the work has not been put out to
the media so it is not public yet....but will be soon and wouldn't it be
great for that story to say he will be looked after by the SSAA!!! He needs
a Host Family? Just like we used to do in the BOC days.....

Clearpoint Winds
Forecast

For interactive weather snapshots, visit here: http://www.clearpointweather.com/news/news/minoru-saito-%11-daily-route-conditions/
*********

2008-11-12T12:49:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Mauritius - 1
Latest Position: Port Louis, Mauritius

Spoke with a very tired Zac and Laurence this morning. It is Wedneday night in Port Louis and they have had a very long day. Zac arrived around 9:30 am. He was met by several newspaper, radio and television reporters. Clearing customs took about 3 hours and then they waited until 5:30 for the shipping agent to bring the boom down. So yes, the boom, forstay, furler, Laurence, Zac and Jen are all together in the same place! We all spoke on Skype with the little girls asking silly questions (though they did know that Zac was in the Indian Ocean!) and Ben trying to climb through the computer screen.
There is a lot to be done in a short period of time. Thankfully, Laurence has found some qualified people who have offered to assist with Intrepid.

All of the following photos are courtesy and copyrighted by Jen Edney:

Intrepid and Zac arriving in Port Louis, Mauritius
Zac and Laurence
Zac and Intrepid in Port Louis, Mauritius
The Zacinator!
posted by Zac at 9:05 AM

Zac Sunderland: November 10, 2008

2008-11-10T21:44:00.001-05:00

Monday, November 10, 2008
All is Well on the Good Ship Intrepid
Latest Position: 11/10/08 0758Z 20 08.265S 60 21.337E

And for Sherrie in Laguna Woods who asked for a position that means something for non-charting folks:
At midnight Pacific Daylight Time Zac was approximately 160 miles from Port Louis, Mauritius.

Looking pretty good, eh?
He's had a pretty uneventful day - resting and cleaning up. He has been motoring non-stop and now the 5 knots on the nose is 5 knots on the beam which barely fills the sail but is still a bit of a relief. We have been talking a lot about timing for his arrival in Port Louis, where he'll be for his birthday and Christmas, etc. He spends a lot of time thinking about what he will do when he gets where he is going. He has some pretty good ideas for what he will do when he gets back - documentary, book, public speaking...buying a house in Mexico so he can surf in between working.
Thank you for all of the supportive emails sent today. It appears that the Los Angeles Times article was also published in Alaska, Washington State, Northern California, New York. So welcome aboard to all of you newcomers. Please don't miss the 'comments' section at the end of the blog. There is a lot of good info that passes through there.

Just a quick call from Laurence saying that he and Jen had arrived in Mauritius and had found a hotel. They will be scoping out the place before Zac arrives so Laurence's time there can be well spent.
Thanks for visiting!
Marianne
PS Several people have asked for an address in Durban to send Zac a birthday card:

Zac Sunderland
c/o Point Yacht Club
PO Box 2224
Durban
South Africa 4000
posted by Zac at 12:19 AM 37 Comments Links to this post

Zac Sunderland: November 2-8, 2008

2008-11-10T21:42:00.000-05:00

Saturday, November 8, 2008
On to Mauritius II
Latest Position: 11/09/08 0427Z 19 46.687S 62 24.738E

When Zac went into town at Port Mathurin to complete his final business there (customs and buying diesel) he entered the towns Saturday Market. There were all kinds of foods and goods made by the locals etc. He bought a few things and went back to the boat to make sure what the exchange rate was between the Mauritius Rupee and the American dollar. One hundred rupees is the equivalent of $3.10. He picked up some wooden flutes and a bongo-type drum for the kids as well as a new stash of headbands to keep his hair out of his face! With 100 rupees left at the end of his 'shopping spree' he dropped the money into a slot-type machine to be done with it. He ended up winning the jackpot of 500 rupees. Yes, $15.00! He was happy to learn that his rupees will still be good in Port Louis, Mauritius.
Diesel loaded and provisions stowed he motored out through the reef passage back into the Indian Ocean. He was met promptly by the obligatory 20 knots out of the east. He sailed past the huge outlying reef surrounding the island and back on course to Port Louis. He was in great spirits and happy to be back on the water.

For those of you who are hearing of Zac's trip through the La Times article coming out this weekend, this blog is usually written by Zac except for times when he is too busy to write and then I (mom) relay what has been going on. Also, when re-reading the article I realized that in trying to summarize Zac's trip thus far, it sounds like a bit of a nightmare. There have also been many incredibly good times for Zac on this trip. That is the nature of sailing and especially cruising (long term sailing). There are higher highs and lower lows.

For more information on Zac and his trip you can go to Zac's site and read the FAQ section and also on the blog you can read the archives of his blog back to April when he and his dad and half of Marina del Rey put Intrepid together for this trip. I would caution people not to jump to conclusions about who Zac is or what the trip is unless they have done these things.

Also, please feel free to shoot any questions you may have either for his parents or for Zac to zacsworldadventure@yahoo.com

Zac had a long night of massive squalls with lightning and thunder for much of the night. It is like the Indian Ocean is trying to give him as much grief as he can before Zac finally passes through! To add insult to injury, the forecast for the next 2 days is a dead calm!

I spent a few minutes on Skype with Laurence and Jen from the airport in Dubai this morning. They were pretty tired but excited to finally get to Mauritius and Zac.

Cheers,
Marianne Sunderland
Mom
posted by Zac at 9:01 PM 31 Comments Links to this post

Friday, November 7, 2008
Ready to Go
Zac had a busy day yesterday with going up the mast and through the boat, reprovisioning and seeing the little town at Port Mathurin. He would have liked to stay longer but with cyclone season officially right around the corner, unfortunately there is no time. He really enjoyed the friendly people, the interesting and plentiful food and provisions. He had another good night of sleep and is now up and preparing to leave in a few hours. He needs to check out with customs before noon and buy more diesel. He is hoping to get a ride with a few of the customs guys in their truck to load up his jerry cans and haul them, filled with diesel, back to the boat.
We all enjoyed having a few days of relaxing and not thinking about weather (too much) and Zac's health etc. We have been busy organising additional equipment to send out to Mauritius.
Zac's forstay actually snapped about 10' up and so will need to be replaced. He is using his 2 spinnaker halyards as spares. His aft stay is looking good and buffeted by 2 running back stays.

Laurence got his mum on Skype to see all of the kids which was awesome. The three youngest have never been to England. We used to go back every couple of years until Laurence's father became to ill for us to visit. I am hoping to get everyone back there in the next year although they definitely don't have Ford Excursions there! They would take up both sides of the tiny lanes in Laurence's home town of Lymington. So I don't know how we would get around...

Back to Zac - he is rested, has had some good meals and is excited to get to Mauritius and see Laurence. Once in Africa, he will have more time to relax and travel.

Thank you to everyone who donated money, contacted their shipping contacts and ideas for the boom. We were able to not only to pay for the discounted shipping, but also the boom entirely from you all! It is simply amazing how people have come together behind Zac to support him. It does him a lot of good to know that people believe in his ability to do this.

Until tomorrow,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 6:39 PM 34 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, November 6, 2008
A Good Night's Sleep
Hello All,
I spoke with Zac briefly this evening/his morning. He has been busy already with the locals coming to see his boat and then the Coast Guard boat that he moored up against at the sea wall needed to go out and so needed Zac to move Intrepid. That was a blessing in disguise because Zac then had 10 guys on board to help him pull down his twisted and jammed up genoa. It sounds like it just about took all of them to get it down. He has been visited several times by customs already this morning as they finish up the large pile of paperwork required to enter the island. The librarian met Zac on the dock and brought him 2 freshly-baked rolls and a book that all cruisers visiting Rodrigues Island sign. He was to sign it and return it to the library later. He is hoping to check out tomorrow so he has a lot to do today. First on his list? Go buy some food!
Unfortunately, that is all for now. He will call his tonight/my morning to check in and perhaps send a bloggy note for you all!

Many thanks to all of the kind folks over at Rodrigues Island - Kisna and Mariana at the Tourism Board and all of the Coast Guard and Customs guys. Thank you also to Fred Cook of Schaefer Marine who is sending a new furling system out to Zac via Laurence in the UK. Thank you to Oliver McCann and Adam Loory from UK Halsey Sailmakers for assisting in getting Zac a new genoa and generally offering good advice and counsel.

Cheers,
Marianne

PS: This email just came in:

Marianne,
Your son is just in front of me. He seem to be really in good health. He’s young but I think he prove to all those who consider them as “ADULT” that he’s much more adult than them.

Kisna

Rodrigues Tourism Office

PPS: For any of you with access to the LA Times - be watching for an aticle on Zac in this Sundays paper.
posted by Zac at 9:35 PM 28 Comments Links to this post

Rodrigues Island
Latest Position: 11/5/08 1300Z 19 40.657S 63 25.221E -- Rodrigues Island

Just a quick update to let you all know that Zac is in port and all is well. He arrived with no difficulty and was met in the bay by the National Coast Guard who generously offered their assistance. The wind was calm so the genoa did not present any problems. Zac went into to town after clearing customs with one of the customs workers who was taking a break. He rode on the back of his motorcycle to pick up a few provisions and a hot dinner from a local restaurant. We relayed with Laurence in England to see if there is anything that Zac needed. They look forward to catching up in a few days in Port Louis.
A big thank you to the Rodrigues Island Tourism Board, Customs and Coast Guard for their kind offers of help and awesome hospitality!

I'll update again this evening which will be Zac's morning.

What a difference a day can make!

Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 8:15 AM 34 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Respite
Latest Position: 11/06/08 0232Z 19 07.755S 64 04.689E (48 miles from Rodrigues Island)

I just spoke with Zac via sat phone and he is doing very well. The wind has died down to a manageable 12-15 knots and the crippled genoa is not flogging at all. The swells have died down to a modest 6 feet. Zac says it feels like a lake after the past days! Interestingly, the weather forecasts all say he should have 19-23 knots and 8-10 foot swells. He had a great night's sleep.

He is on course and on schedule for Rodrigues Island. The Customs/Coast Guard is aware of his situation and will stand by in case he needs anything. He should be fine to enter the bay and drop the anchor but is a bit concerned what will happen when he takes the main sail down. He plans on spending today day cleaning up the boat and preparing the anchor etc. before arriving around 4:00pm. His plan once safe in harbor is to remove the damaged genoa and furling drum, reattach the forstay and thoroughly inspect the entire boat, especially the mast and rig. For those of you who were wondering, he will not use the genoa on the way to Mauritius. He will use his main sail and stay sail (small forward sail).

Thank you again for your kind thoughts and words of encouragement, especially Bonnie Craddick who not only brought a freshly baked chicken pot pie and chocolate chip cookies for the kids and I for dinner, but also a note with the following:

Fear not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God. I will help thee, I will strengthen thee. I will uphold thee with my right hand of righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

With great joy,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 7:08 PM 28 Comments Links to this post

A Detour
Latest Position as of 1445Z 18 42.382S 65 01.636E

Zac has had a rough couple of days out there in the Indian Ocean. The wind is mercilessly tearing at all of his attempted repairs to the forstay problem. He cannot roll in his genoa (forward sail) because the furler is not attached and he can not pull down the sail because there is too much wind in it. He has been on deck numerous times lashing things down but the wind will find any piece that is still exposed and pull at it until the sail is flogging and flapping like crazy.
He decided to pull into Rodrigues Island to do a proper repair to his sail/rigging as there is no way for him to deal with it while under way. Rodrigues Island is part of the archipelago of Mauritius and is about 300 miles from his intended port of call, Port Louis, on the island of Mauritius. He is currently about 100 miles from Rodrigues Island and should arrive there in about 20 hours, hopefully before dark on his tomorrow afternoon.
Laurence is is England arranging some supplies to bring out to Mauritius and visiting with his family. David Morris is keeping his eye on the weather which for now is clear. I am doing what I can from here to contact people in Zac's upcoming ports arranging moorings, hotels etc.
Zac is looking forward to calm water for a few days and getting Intrepid back in good working order.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:12 AM 30 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Update - Indian Ocean
Latest Position: 11/04/08 1300Z 18 33.174S 67 21.890E

Zac is currently sailing on course about 550 miles from Mauritius. He is sailing under reefed main alone. He has been monitoring the situation with his disabled genoa which is currently stabilized. The wind has been strong (20-25 knots with periods of 30 knots) and the sea has been rough with a large swell and the annoying, occasional southern swell that slaps the boat and sometimes swamps the cockpit. He is in good spirits though frustrated by the problems with the fore stay. There are various theories as to how it happened but please know that Intrepid's rigging was completely upgraded with heavy-duty standing and running rigging including new chain plates before he left. His hull and bulkheads were also reinforced and new keel bolts installed. In no way is Intrepid 'dangerously unprepared' or a 'poor' cruising boat. In fact, she has been around the world once before when named Nantucket Sleigh Ride.

Thank you for all of your thoughts, prayers and concerns. We'll keep you updated as to Zac's progress. After voting this morning, Laurence set out for LAX and his journey to Mauritius via England. I'll be glad when my guys are together again.

Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 10:01 AM 42 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, November 2, 2008
Troubles at Sea
G'day to All ,

We can often think that the dream of a circumnavigation is sailing from one perfect sunset into the next. However, those that have actually embarked and had the privilege to do so often tell a very different story. The challenges faced can be unlike any ever experienced on land. The test of endurance stretches us beyond the realm of normalcy. For those who have endured, these are the experiences that mould us.

Zac has been and is going through a challenging time out there. A time that he will surely remember for a long time.

It was Saturday and Toby and Jessie had back-to-back soccer games early. The weather here was unusually stormy with periodic heavy rain, lightening and thunder. I couldn't help thinking of Zac out there in the middle of the Indian Ocean and the squalls he has been facing recently. Jessie's game was interrupted by the weather and was supposed to resume but half of the opposing team had gone home and so had a victory by default. Then Toby's team was in the middle of a great game that they won 3:1, taking them to the top of their league, when my cell phone rang. I recognized Zac's number and realizing that it was after midnight where he was I knew that this was going to demand my full attention. There was no time for small talk as Zac informed me of his current dilemma. The forestay that goes from the top of the mast to the bow (pointed end of yacht) had come adrift from the chain plate on the bow. His conditions 8-10 ft confused swells and 20 knots of wind and building. I was thankful that we had decided to put the cutter stay in because it's presence obviously saved the rig. I told him to set both spinnaker halyards (lines that go to the top of mast that are used to pull up spinnaker) to take up the load and tie the forestay off to stop it flailing around in the conditions . Unfortunately, the phone connection was not that good and we both found ourselves having to repeat several times before actually understanding each other. Knowing he was fatigued and the task at hand was serious I told him to check his harness and be careful . From the hours of midnight to 3:00 am he wrestled with his situation. What made this all the more awkward was the fact that he was unable to furl his Genoa. It was almost as if the soccer game didn't matter as I wrestled in my mind knowing Zac was out there being challenged by the elements and a serious situation that had not yet been remedied. I hoped that my advice was taken (and heard!) through our bad connection . Going on deck can be challenging at the best of times. Trying to undertake these tasks in the conditions Zac was in are very dangerous. As I hung up with Zac I was sobered by his daunting task at hand. I wanted him to stabilize the situation so he could analyze it and make a more permanent fix during day light hours. Prayer requests went out as we waited to hear and our anxiety went up a notch . The ensuing hours seemed an eternity. Then the phone rang. The situation had been stabilized but not before he had nearly fallen overboard twice (yes, he was harnessed), and the stay with Genoa had caught an unusual gust of wind that sent it flying out from the vessel only to come careening back through the life lines narrowly missing him as he jumped out of it's way.

The following day Zac took hold of his situation and we discussed a remedy. I consulted with some of the rigging experts that I know that were in agreement with our solution to the problem . Ordinarily Zac would have to take off the furling drum to get to the turnbuckle. Knowing that this would be quite a task and would more than likely end up with part of the furling system in the water we decided to loosen the main sheet aft stay and aft lowers whilst keeping tension on the spinnaker halyards to move the top of the mast forward. He did this and managed to get a couple of shackles to hold the stay to the chain plate. He used seizing wire to ensure that the shackles would not work loose and then he re-tuned the rig. He is currently making 6.5-7 knots under reefed main with spinnaker halyards still acting as stays. If conditions subside, Zac will consider taking apart the necessary portion of the furling system to get to the turn buckle to loosen it so he will be able to get the pin in, to hold the stay to the chain plate. Big thanks to all those who were praying. Please continue to do so.

I want to thank every one who turned up, sponsored and supported last Sunday's celebration fund raiser for Zac. Through the silent auction, tickets sold and the Odyssey cruise we raised almost $6,000. As Zac approaches this halfway mark, this was necessary to offset some of the debt we have incurred. It was wonderful to meet some of the Zac Pac in person. Zac is truly amazed knowing how much you care for him.
Thank you!

As I prepare to fly out to hook up with Zac, I would appreciate your prayers. There is much work that needs to be done and little time to do it. His passage from Mauritius to Durban is known for its challenges not to mention the passage from Durban to Cape Town.

Cheers,

Laurence
posted by Zac at 2:49 PM 69 Comments Links to this post

Zac Sunderland: October 27-30, 2008

2008-11-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

Thursday, October 30, 2008
Update from Mom
Latest Position: 10/31/08 0305Z 17 02.338S 78 26.366E

From Mom:
Zac was cruising along this evening/his morning with a good 20 knots on the aft port quarter. This is the optimum angle for Intrepid sailing under Genoa alone. A few people have asked if he is using the mainsail with the repaired boom. He has used it but will only do so if he needs to to minimize risk of any further breakage. At this point, he does not need it.
He had had a terrible headache all day yesterday and so there is no blog from Zac today though he is feeling better. He did finally go up on deck to scrape drying, smelling fish off as the fish apparently landed on the high/dry side of the boat and have not washed off too well. He has some exciting plans for this afternoon which we will tell you about tomorrow. Yes, Rory, Zac received your t-shirt. He almost left it at Home Island as the postmaster brought it home with him so Zac could pick it up. Zac was picking up his boom from Parson and ended up leaving the shirt at Parson's house. He did go back the next day to retrieve it. This has probably been one of his favorite presents as there were no laundry facilities in Cocos Keeling and his clothes are getting smelly - even by his standards! Did you receive something from Zac?
He also opened his letters and gifts in Darwin. Being the rather unorganized chap that he is, many of them got wet en route to Cocos Keeling. He loves getting your letters and cards and has taken to buying postcards in port to fill out on his passages as responses to some of you all.
As far as Zac's holiday plans, he will most likely be sailing to Durban on his birthday, November 29th. He will have birthday presents to open including a microwave cake complete with candles. Thanksgiving is a few days after his birthday so we'll have to get him some turkey somehow in Mauritius. We have been planning and scheming about Christmas. He should be in Cape Town by then and in a position to relax more. At some point the whole family would like to go out to visit him but half way around the world with 6 kids may be a bit much - in more ways than one!
We had quite a few good questions asked on Sunday night when we had Zac on the phone. I think it might be fun as he is in the middle of the Indian Ocean to fire some more questions at him to answer here on the blog. In case you didn't realize it, you can read and leave comments at the end of each blog posting.
We are busy here preparing Laurence to go out to Mauritius via England where he will visit his mother and deliver our Christmas presents a bit early. Then on to Dubai and Mauritius where he will be bringing Zac birthday and Christmas presents and a list of things like chart protectors, french language tapes, a Pelican case for his ipod, more pens and paper, a spare bilge pump and a sea anchor. I am filling a small box for his halfway points. This is when the candy is gone the books are read and the DVDs watched. We tried this on his last leg to Cocos Keeling and he really enjoyed it.
Hoping this finds you all well.
Cheers,
Marianne
PS If any of you have any knowledge of shipping a 13', 45 pound boom halfway around the world, let us know at zacsworldadventure@yahoo.com
posted by Zac at 9:13 PM 59 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sleep, Squalls and Storms
Latest Position: 10/30/08 0255Z 16 32.397S 80 57.703E

Last night the wind shifted around to be directly behind me. The swells are still confused making it hard for Intrepid to stay on track downwind especially in confused seas. This meant another rough night of sleep. I had a few squalls again which means keeping watch until they pass to see if I would need to reef down or not. It is really hard to wake up and reef quickly because your arms are still asleep and your fingers don't want to do what you tell them to do. I had one squall that hit pretty hard taking the wind from around 15 knots to 25 knots instantly. It also brought tons of rain that came down so hard it actually hurt.
My mom was asking me about my thoughts as I pass so slowly through the Indian Ocean day after day. I think that rather than thinking about one day at a time, it is better to think about the goal of getting into port and fixing the boat, doing laundry and oh yeah, having some fun!
At this pace, I should be arriving in Mauritius around November 8-10. I am scheduled to take one week there before timing my departure for Durban, South Africa. When I watch the weather forecasts on Clearpoint Weather I can see the storms passing through that area every 3 days or so. Amazing!
posted by Zac at 10:20 PM 23 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Cocos Log Part III
Latest Position: 10/29/08 0346Z 15 48.636S 83 09.646E

So I'll pick up where I left off in Cocos...the next morning I took half of the boom into Parson the carpenter. It was quite a ride to bring it in with the 20 knots on the nose and the 6 foot peice of aluminum bouncing around in the dinghy. Parson thought he could fit the boom with some wood in a day or two. We had the word from David Morris to fix it if it took less than 48 hours so it seemed like a go. When I got back to the boat, Jed and I went over to Direction Island and found our way to the end of the island and climbed up the ladder on the side of this huge nav light marking the end of the island. It was 30' from the ground and from the top I got a pretty good view of the island. Then we went back over to the bay to this little floating pontoon and busted out some back flips for about an hour. We swam back to my boat and chilled for awhile then we went back to the beach and continued exploring the island for awhile. After circumnavigating the island on foot we went back to Ingrid for dinner. It was great to spend time with someone my age and to be on land and so free.

Last night I had a couple of squalls going into the night. Around 2 am the wind shifted about 30 degrees so I had to tack until it shifted around a few hours later. All told I had 3 sets of squalls so there wasn't much sleep to be had. The swells are still bad and it is raining. I was pretty tired this morning from lack of sleep. It is good to be making progress and it is good to be talking with everyone back home about plans for the future.

Cheers,

Zac
posted by Zac at 9:12 PM 37 Comments Links to this post

Monday, October 27, 2008
Another day in the life of a solo circumnavigator...
Latest Position: 10/28/08 0445Z 15 20.612S 85 24.720E

I'm still rocking and rolling out here in some pretty confused seas. (Swells coming from different directions) Intrepid doesn't know what is going to hit her next. Sometimes two big swells will slam together from opposite directions right by the boat make a huge pointed swell. Not very comfortable out here so I'm just giving an update on today and will say more about Cocos Keeling and other things another day.
Last night I had between 20-25 knots and was making an average of 6.5 knots. About midinght there was a ship about 4 miles off that I sat and watched for awhile. I woke up about 5 am to a series of small squalls. The wind died down to 12-18 knots though the weather called for higher winds. Maybe the squalls are stealing the wind. This morning I woke to find about 200 flying fish on my deck. There must have been a whole school of them that flew on board at once. Hopefully they will get washed off during the day. I don't like going on deck too much with this motion but I don't want to have to pick them off after they've dried on there either!
I am rationing my matches from now until Mauritius. My stove lighters have all died and now my matches are damp. I have 32 matches left but they don't always light.
Its hard to do much on days like today but I'll hopefully get to my list of chores some.
Thanks for coming out to LA yesterday. Glad you all had a good time.
Cheers,
Zac

Link to Karyn Newbill's photos from the fund raiser:
http://karynn.smugmug.com/gallery/6381180_V566d#403397852_2Yi3k
posted by Zac at 9:59 PM 29 Comments Links to this post

Minoru Saito Challenge 8: Week 6

2008-11-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

Day 33 [Nov. 4, 0700 JST]
Position:
015 46S, 154 42E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 12.6%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 3.6 kt (7-day average: 3.7 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 87 nm
Distance made good: 3,153 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,977 nm

Yokohama ETA: 247 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 183 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,883 nm) ETA: 22 days

Weather: Beautiful clear skies
Barometer: 1014 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 10 - 14 kt ESE
Current (from): 0.9 kt north
Engine: 7 hr
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 70%

Today's Report

Saito-san was clearly relieved that, after more than two weeks of being hit by daily multiple squalls, he saw not even one thunderstorm and could enjoy cloud-free skies for much of the last 24 hours. He was in better spirits, especially after talking with Rei and getting some "home-delivery sushi." :)

[Clearpoint shows that the present weather will continue for at least the next two days.]

***
He passed the 3,000 nm mark the day before yesterday, and today glided through the 22,000 nm "distance remaining to Yokohama" mark.

***
He reported he had jury-rigged a fix for the sprung hatch plate on the anchor chain locker, using several thicknesses of plastic from garbage bags to seal the gap and then "winding it with rope" to keep it securely in place. He'll continue to check it for leaks but feels it is only a minor problem.

Added Comment

We estimate about 22% of his fuel has been consumed, with 12.6% of the voyage completed.

Saito-san can control fuel flow by cut-off valves at each of the four tanks. He is intentionally reducing the fuel amount in the forward dual tanks to reduce weight in the bow. [The higher the bow, the easier it will ride waves approaching from the front.]

Later he can transfer fuel with a fuel pump. He also has a hand pump and 600 liters of spare fuel, which is about 15 days worth at his daily average usage rate.

He expects to use the engine far less as he nears and passes Tasmania in about 22 days. At that point the easterly trades will be mostly at his back as he heads toward the Indian Ocean.

***
Rei filed this today after speaking with Saito-san early this morning.

The weather yesterday was so fair that for the first time this voyage I enjoyed a perfect sunrise and sunset. However, the swells were a bit too large to see the "green flash" at sunset unfortunately. When you are lucky, you can see green ray just after sunset. It is really beautiful, but I have seen it only about 10 times in my life.

I had a bit of trouble last night. A plate that is part of the fastener for the anchor chain locker hatch has broken, and it let sea water into the locker. I had to stop the boat to remove the water, which took nearly 3 hours until 3 am. I drew more than 30 buckets of water!

Yesterday a large flying fish about 30 cm length [about a foot] jumped onto the deck. Soon I caught it, cut it up, and enjoyed it for lunch. Three flying fish also came aboard today as well, but they were so small (5 cm) and had been dead for a while by the time I spotted them, so I returned them to the sea.

I think there used to be more flying fish and so dozens of birds around here, the Coral Sea east of Cairns [Australia]. Strangely, I have only seen two birds this time. Something must have been changed to reduce the number of fish and the birds that live off of them.

Also it seems that there are more thunderstorms than usual, but at least today I'm enjoying good weather with clear sky without any clouds. Color of the sea? A beautiful blue. Not black any more.

I'm doing fine. I cannot do anything about my broken upper bridge, but I can still eat well, and it is no problem to wait until get I back to Japan.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 34 [Nov. 5, 0700 JST]
Position:
017 25S, 154 43E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 13.0%

Heading: 155
Boat speed: 4.1 kt (7-day average: 3.8 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 99 nm
Distance made good: 3,251 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,879 nm

Yokohama ETA: 240 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 182 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,798 nm) ETA: 20 days

Weather: Beautiful clear skies, clouds on the horizon to the north
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 11 - 14 kt E
Current (from): variable 0.6 kt east and north
Engine: 0 hr
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Another day of clear skies and mostly favorable currents which gave him his best distance made good over the past three days. This was despite weak winds and a full day under sails alone.

Clearpoint shows that the present weather will continue for at least the next three days as he proceeds south. A north-going current is also shown slightly to his east, and if he can shift his track about a degree of longitude eastward he'll pickup several "bonus" miles over the next 24 hours.

Note: He had accomplished the eastward shift by 0830, the morning locator beacon showed.

***
He reports that the anchor chain locker hatch leak is now "fixed" and no longer allowing water from bow waves to enter the locker.

***
Yesterday he reported a leak from a pressure cylinder that is part of the hydraulic steering. He clarified today that this leak is "very small" and since the trip began he has needed to add only 0.5 liter to the hydraulic fluid reservoir. He has another 19.5 liters as backup.

Added Comment

In the past two days he changed the dual fuel filters and found them "not dirty at all" which attests both to the quality of the fuel added in Yokohama and that the remaining old fuel had not left significant amounts of the usual "garbage" that can build up from organic growth, sediment, and interior tank rust.

The fuel (nearly 6,000 liters) was the generous gift of contributing sponsor Fujiki Group.

Saito-san also changed the oil on the auxiliary generator and replaced its oil filter. (An oil change just before he left showed a significant sludge buildup.)

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 35 [Nov. 6, 0700 JST]
Position:
018 55 S, 154 54 E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 13.4%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 3.8 kt (7-day average: 3.8 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 91 nm
Distance made good: 3,340 nm (6,186 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,790 nm

Yokohama ETA: 239 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 182 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,685 nm) ETA: 18.5 days

Weather: Clear deep blue skies
Barometer: 1014 hPa (stable high pressure system)
Waves: 0.3 m
Wind (from): 6 - 9 kt NNE
Current (from): 0.6 - 1.5 kt north
Engine: 0 hr
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Another beautiful day under weak but steady winds that have turned to favorable from the NNE. "It's really good, and I could get some rest," Saito-san said. He said winds dropped during the night to 3 kt but picked up again after sunrise to between 6 - 9 kt, pushing the boat at 3 kt under sails alone. At less than half-meter swells, the seas are practically flat.

He said he is being cautious of the several small coral reefs in the area and is enjoying south-running currents as he can but is keeping a close eye on the charts.

Added Comment

Both the air and water temperatures are dropping, currently at a coolish 27 degrees C (80 degrees F), and are shown on Clearpoint as falling about 1 degree C every 150 nm to the south.

Meanwhile, 700 nm due west on the same latitude, the kangaroos of arid inland Queensland Australia are enjoying 30-plus C late spring temperatures. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensland.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 36 [Nov. 7, 0700 JST]
Position:
020 20 S, 154 55 E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 13.7%

Heading: 185
Boat speed: 3.6 kt (7-day average: 3.8 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 87 nm
Distance made good: 3,419 nm (6,332 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,711 nm

Yokohama ETA: 238 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 181 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,592 nm) ETA: 17.5 days

Weather: Clear skies
Barometer: 1015 hPa (in a high pressure trough)
Waves: flat
Wind (from): 4 - 6 kt SE
Current (from): 0.6 - 1.5 kt north
Engine: 7.5 hr
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 1-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Winds yesterday afternoon became unfavorable and weakened from out of the SE. He's not happy about the 87 nm distance made good over the past 24 hours, even with the help of the engine at low speed (a fuel-conserving 1,500 rpm) as he negotiates atolls and reefs in the area.

Added Comment

Below him to the south coral reefs dot this area of the Coral Sea (thus the name).

Some are sitting in or near his path so he's watching his charts closely for the best route. Even with a steel hull these reefs are capable of ripping open the bottom and can be hard to see, with some just below the water's surface and thus undetectable until the very last moment.

This particular reef is shown on Google Earth about 40 nm SSW of this morning's 0700 position. The morning beacon location showed he will comfortably pass about 20 nm east of it in 12 - 14 hours if he stays on his current heading.

Weather Forecast generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 37 [Nov. 8, 0700 JST]
Position:
022 02 S, 154 42 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 14.0%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 4.3 kt (7-day average: 3.9 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 104 nm
Distance made good: 3,514 nm (6,058 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,616 nm

Yokohama ETA: 231 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 180 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,431 nm) ETA: 15.1 days

Weather: Clear skies
Barometer: 1014 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 9 - 14 kt NNE (favorable)
Current (from): 1.0 kt N (favorable)
Engine: 4.0 hr
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 1-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Winds much improved out of the northeast, and moderately stronger at 9-14 kt.

He reported the return of troubles with the hydraulic autopilot experienced about 2 weeks ago. This time instead of wide swings, it simply stopped working. He called the Raymarine vendor who serviced the system in Japan, and was told to check the cable from the control unit. Saito-san said this seemed to have corrected the problem but that he is still worried about it because there are "so many reefs around here."

The one we reported yesterday he passed in late evening but comfortably at a distance of about 12 nm to the west. Another lies about 22 nm east of his present route as shown on both his charts and Google Earth. He was expected to pass it by mid-morning today.

Added Comment

The Raymarine representative said to Saito-san he thinks the brushes on the motor of the hydraulic pump may be going bad. There is a spare pump he can use to swap out the installed one, but Saito-san said he is reluctant to do that so early in the voyage. He said he's wants to be clear of the reef area before taking any measures that might leave him without a reliable autopilot.

***
After 5 weeks and 3 days under way, Saito-san this morning had completed 14% of his non-stop voyage. Yesterday was his second 100-plus nm day of the last 10: 77, 90, 84, 104, 89, 87, 99, 91, 87, and yesterday's 104.

***
Zac Sunderland, meanwhile, has experienced another serious rigging failure that almost saw him lose his mast. Zac, at age 16, hopes to become the youngest sailor to complete a solo around-the-world voyage. He may be young but he's tough, and looks like he is dealing well with his problems as he nears the half-way point of his circumnavigation. The story and a photo of his beleaguered boat can be viewed here.

***
Starting today we will additional publish the wind map as taken from the daily "real-time" Clearpoint weather information. Orange shading indicates stronger winds in the direction of the wind arrows. Saito-san's position is marked by the black cross.

Winds

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 38 [Nov. 9, 0700 JST]
Position:
023 10 S, 154 38 E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 14.3%

Heading: drifting
Boat speed: 2.9 kt (7-day average: 3.7 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 70 nm
Distance made good: 3,582 nm (6,634 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,548 nm

Yokohama ETA: 243 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 179 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,375 nm) ETA: 15.5 days

Weather: Clear skies
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 10 - 12 kt N (favorable)
Current (from): 1.0 kt N (favorable)
Engine: 7.0 hr
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 3-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

The pump on the hydraulic system failed about 4 pm yesterday. He could still steer (explained below) but lost the autopilot capability and so after motoring clear of reefs he reduced sail to a minimum, tied off the wheel, and mainly "drifted" assisted by favorable current and winds out of the north.

He spent this morning replacing the faulty unit with a spare pump that had been delivered the day before he left. This afternoon he resumed sailing in the face of rising winds from the south as a cold front approaches.

Added Comment

With instructions from the Japan Raymarine representative as organized and relayed by Mike Seymour (head of the Saito 8 Safety Committee), Saito-san took about three hours to switch out the faulty pump. This entailed disconnecting two hydraulic lines that had been equipped with shut-off valves installed for just that purpose the week prior to departure, as well as control and electrical connections.

The hydraulic steering system depends on the pump for pressure, is switchable from auto steering to manual steering, and has the ability to steer even if the pump is turned off or not working. However, it is difficult to move the rudder in the same way that a car is hard to steer if the engine ignition is turned off. Over a short distance or a few days this is "doable" but would be dangerous and fatiguing in heavy weather conditions or over an extended period.

In the event of a total failure of the wheel/hydraulic steering an emergency hand tiller can be rigged for temporary use.

The "old" pump had been installed in Japan just prior to departure and is now suspected to have been undersized for the heavy weight and length of Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III, thus causing it to burn out prematurely. This will be discussed with Raymarine USA on their Monday, and, if so, it could require an emergency stopover in Sydney 700 nm down the Australian east coast.

Saito-san said he plans to continue, however, and reported that the new pump is a "Type 3," thus larger than the "Type 2" it replaced. He said it is visibly larger and is working very well right now.

***
When he called at 1500 to report the status of the hydraulic system repair he gave his position as

23 09 S 154 42 E

with rising winds from the south at 18 - 22 kt, and waves at 1.5 - 2.0 meters. He's reefed down to 3 pt on the main with staysail only, no genoa, as he expects the cold front he is in to bring winds up to 30 or 35 knots.

So it looks like the repair came just in time for the foul weather expected to last through the next 36 to 48 hours.

Clearpoint Winds

Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

Weather Forecast
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 39 [Nov. 10, 0700 JST]
Position:
023 26 S, 154 02 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 14.4%

Heading: 180
Boat speed: 1.5 kt (7-day average: 3.4 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 37 nm
Distance made good: 3,588 nm (6,645 km)
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 21,542 nm

Yokohama ETA: 264 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 178 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,339 nm) ETA: 16.5 days

Weather: Overcast, raining
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 3.0 - 4.0 m
Wind (from): 24 - 35 kt SE
Current (from): 1.0 kt N
Engine: 0.5 hr
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 3-pt reef
Staysail: 50%
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

Mixed but encouraging news from Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III today.

Weather is "very bad," Saito-san reports, with seas running a "very rough" 3 to 4 meters, and winds topping 30 knots from a gale accompanying a cold front sweeping across from the west. "I'm a little tired, and hungry" he said, but sounded upbeat, with the boat handling well under shortened sails.

The good news is that the just-in-time switch to a larger hydraulic pump is proving a good fix, with no problems other than a slight leak. "But it's not bad, just a little," he said. This is at a connection that was leaking on the manual steering part of the dual system, and is bypassed when the autopilot is engaged. Saito-san said he's added just half a liter of hydraulic fluid since he started, though none was required after yesterday's repair.

A sheepish Saito-san admits to over-sleeping this morning, catching an extra hour compared to his usual 4 or 5 on a normal night, despite the building gale. He said the winds are cold, coming up from the south where it is still early spring.

Added Comment

We quizzed him again on the replacement pump and he reaffirmed that the faulty pump was a smaller "Type 2" Raymarine unit, and the replacement a heftier "Type 3" pump, intended for medium-size vessels. We'll be seeking assurances tomorrow from Raymarine USA that a Type 3 is adequate for a 25-ton, 56-foot sailing yacht.

***
With the morning consumed by emergency maintenance and almost immediately followed by the oncoming gale, Saito-san saw only 37 nm overground with just 8 nm "made good" toward Waypoint 2.

That said, he had progressed 9 nm in the interval between his 0700 stated position and his satellite beacon position 90 minutes later.

Monoru Saito Challenge 8: Week 5

2008-11-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

Day 26 [Oct. 28, 0700 JST]
Position:
05 42S, 153 33E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 10.2%

Heading: 145
Boat speed: 4.3 kt (7-day average: 3.9 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 102 nm
Distance made good: 2,552 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,418 nm

Yokohama ETA: 240 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 186 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,005 nm) ETA: 2.0 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1011 hPa
Waves: 0.5 m
Wind (from): 9 - 11 kt ENE
Current: 0.5 kt from east
Engine: 9.0 hr @ 1500 rpm, 0.5 @ 1800 rpm
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Saito-san reports a rise in ship traffic as he approaches the Australian east coast, and with the narrowing of the sea lanes west of the Solomons. Last night he saw 5 large ships on radar and judges that one came to within 500 meters of him. He was hit by several brief squalls, followed by weak winds mainly out of the east. Winds had picked up again and become favorable out of the ENE at the time of his call.

Added Comment

Rei filed this report from her call received this morning:

I haven't slept enough. Am I always saying so? Yes.
It has been because of thunderstorms, but now the main reason is tankers. My boat is on the route for those main vessels since yesterday, and so I became busy checking the radar.
Tankers from the front, tankers from behind, well, just a lot.

Once I find something that can be a large vessel on the radar, I will not leave the radar until I can confirm the thing moves on the display and I can secure a safety route. This process usually takes about 30 minutes. Can you imagine? They cannot see me from a large vessel if my boat gets too close to it. So I have to make sure the boat is taking the right course.

This will last until I past Tasmania [in about 2,300 nm.]

Lunch: Sausage and boiled rice
Dinner: Instant noodle (miso) for the first time!
Occasionally: Rice bread -- they are really tasty!
During storms: Rice brei

There are still some vegetables left -- potatoes, carrots, leeks, and cabbage (but I accidentally dropped most of cabbage into the sea when cutting sausages for lunch).

These days, it is difficult to find supermarkets that sell leeks covered with enough dirt.
Same for potatoes. Do you know that such potatoes with dirt can be kept twice as long as potatoes already washed? You should keep them with mud on until you actually use them.
Maybe you don't need to think such things if you are not going to keep them for long time - but it is not a good thing that all vegetables are already washed when you buy them. Just not natural.

There are not many birds around here, which means I won't catch fish easily if I try. Usually you can find fish more when you get closer to the land.

***

Saito-san now completed 10.2% of Saito Challenge 8. He'll arrive at Waypoint 1 in 2 days, which he has plotted as 009S, 155E, a point 100 nm west of the Solomon Islands and 2,800 nm from Yokohama.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 27 [Oct. 29, 0700 JST]
Position:
007 15S, 153 47E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 10.6%

Heading: 200
Boat speed: 4.0 kt (7-day average: 3.8 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 96 nm
Distance made good: 2,648 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,322 nm

Yokohama ETA: 244 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 185 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,800 nm) ETA: 1.5 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 0.5 m
Wind (from): 7 - 9 kt ESE
Current (from): 1.1 kt W
Engine: 11.0 hr @ 1300 &1500 rpm, 0.5 @ 1800 rpm
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 3-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Saito-san bemoaned the weak and variable winds that forced him to mainly motor at fuel-conserving low speed, as he also dealt with a westward current of 1 to 1.5 kt. Usually this is an area where cyclones arise, he said, "but now, nothing." [Clearpoint shows below him about 150 nm orange patches of stronger winds the past 48 hours but they are gradually dissipating.] He seems to be wishing for something that would break the pattern of the last week that has dropped his average speed to under 4 kt.

He said 4 ships passed him in the night but none came close.

Added Comment

He will reach his first waypoint in about 1.5 days, which he has plotted as 009S, 155E, a point 100 nm west of the Solomon Islands and 2,800 nm south of Yokohama, his start point.

***
A clarifying question from Dr. John P. in Baltimore, Md.

When giving "speed," is it in "knots per hour," or is that implied by the term "knots"?

Thanks, your landlubber friend . . . John

A knot is 1 nautical mile per hour, so it is a big no-no to say "knots per hour."

1 n.m. = 1.15077 mi. OR 1 mi. and 265.3 yd

Thanks for asking...!

Click here for nautical mile conversion.

***
The close proximity of islands in the Solomon Group (140 - 200 nm to his east and others to the south) are compressing and directing the currents in several directions. Clearpoint shows a south-going current of about 1 - 1.5 kt starting 40 nm from his 0700 position. We suggested he steer for it at a 160 degree heading to break out of the westward current he is in. Saito-san said his present wind direction would make that heading difficult, but he would try.

This current would give him a "down-hill" ride that, with winds expected to turn favorable soon out of the NE, would accelerate his forward progress between 10 to 20 nm over the next 24 hours. We'd like to see his average speed at 5 kt or a bit better to make up some lost time.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 28 [Oct. 30, 0700 JST]
Position:
008 31S, 153 54E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 10.9%

Heading: 140
Boat speed: 3.2 kt (7-day average: 3.7 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 77 nm
Distance made good: 2,725 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,245 nm

Yokohama ETA: 251 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 184 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,800 nm) ETA: 0.5 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 7 - 12 kt ENE (return to favorable)
Current (from): 0.4 kt W
Engine: 3.75 hr @ 1500 rpm
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 3-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Weak and variable winds continued, though after the 3rd thunderstorm since midnight, winds came around to favorable this morning about 6 am but still not much help as he ghosts along at about 3 kt. He's trying to use the engine less to conserve fuel so progress is reduced as he nears Waypoint No. 1.

He said 3 large ships passed him in the night, with ship traffic that seems to be lessening.

Added Comment

He will reach his first waypoint about mid-afternoon today. As judged from his track, he will pass it to the west about 40 nm distant. He had plotted the waypoint as 009S, 155E, but apparently is satisfied to follow the wind rather than make for what is actually an arbitrary spot on the open ocean, as opposed to a particular cape or island, etc.

We'll discuss his next leg tomorrow.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 29 [Oct. 31, 0700 JST]
Position:
009 49S, 154 40E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 11.4%
Heading: 135
Boat speed: 3.8 kt (7-day average: 3.7 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 90 nm
Distance made good: 2,852 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,118 nm

Yokohama ETA: 249 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 183 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 2,233 nm) ETA: 25 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, numerous thunderstorms
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 18 - 22 kt ENE (return to favorable)
Current (from): 0.6 kt W
Engine: 10.0 hr @ 1500 rpm
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 80%

Today's Report

Saito-san passed Waypoint 1 at 1600 yesterday, a point on the ocean at approximately 008 55"S, 154 5"E between Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

The last 24 hours were marked by numerous thunderstorms -- "I think 5," Saito-san said, wearily. But everything is going well as he makes for his next waypoint just below the Australian island of Tasmania.

Added Comment

On the next leg he'll pass through the Coral Sea, then the South Pacific Ocean, past Brisbane following the east coast of Australia on a fairly straight shot to Tasmania, 2,280 nm distant. He is expected to reach Tasmania in about 22 to 25 days.

Here are the stats for his first leg (Yokohama to Solomon Islands WP 1):
Days: 28
Distance from Yokohama start: 2,800 nm (rhumbline distance)
Actual distance traveled: 2,888 nm
Daily average distance: 103 nm
Average boat speed: 4.3 knots
No. of gales: 1
Top reported winds: 28-30 kt gusts, 22-25 kt sustained

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 30 [Nov. 1, 0700 JST]
Position:
011 07S, 154 34E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 11.6%

Heading: 155
Boat speed: 3.5 kt (7-day average: 3.7 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 84 nm
Distance made good: 2,890 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,240 nm

Yokohama ETA: 250 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 182 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 2,175 nm) ETA: 25 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 18 - 22 kt ESE
Current (from): 0.9 kt NE
Engine: 9.5 hr @ 1500 rpm
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Strong winds accompanying thunderstorms reached 35 knots yesterday. At least three squalls came through beginning in the morning and tapering off by mid-afternoon, one lasting 2 hours and causing several changes in wind direction. During these times sails were reduced to a 3-pt reef on the main and totally furled (rolled up) on the genoa headsail.

Added Comment

These tests of the genoa under storm and variable wind conditions have been reassuring, following the mishap early in the voyage from Auckland in the spring.

In the first week a three-day gale destroyed a brand new genoa, after it became wrapped and stuck open in a partially furled condition. Forty-knot winds reduced the flapping sail to tatters and weeks later it could be cut down only with some difficulty at dockside in Yokohama.

A new sail was ordered and cut slightly longer along the sail's leading edge to reduce the possibility of "halyard wrap," a problem with headsail furling systems in which the sail can become tangled in its own lines and sail cloth. With a crewed boat this is largely an inconvenience as they rush to fix the problem; with a struggling solo sailor, it can cause sail damage or worse if he cannot get it furled in time as the wind builds.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 31 [Nov. 2, 0700 JST]
Position:
012 51S, 154 37E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 12.0%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 4.3 kt (7-day average: 3.8 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 104 nm
Distance made good: 2,988 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,142 nm

Yokohama ETA: 243 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 181 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 2,074 nm) ETA: 23 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1014 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 15 - 22 kt ESE
Current (from): 0.5 kt W
Engine: 9.5 hr @ 1500 rpm
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Continuing scattered thunderstorms with otherwise steady trade winds out of the southeast and east. Clearpoint is showing reduced squalls over the next few days, down from yesterday's 80% down to 10-30%.

Added Comment

When the winds are out of the east Saito-san can steer on a heading of about 160 degrees, which sends him southerly direction (but also toward the south-southeast (SSE), which is ideal for his desired route). When the wind turns to more out of the southeast (as it was at 0700 this morning) he is forced to turn more toward the west to keep the sails properly oriented with the wind, motor, or both. This keeps the boat on a beam reach.

From Wikipedia:

Reaching
When the boat is traveling approximately perpendicular to the wind, this is called reaching. A 'beam' reach is with the wind precisely at right angles to the boat, while a 'close' reach is halfway between beating and a beam reach, and a 'broad' reach is a little bit away from the wind.

See here a graphic for the points of sail.

And here for a concise but informative discussion on sailing.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 32 [Nov. 3, 0700 JST]
Position:
014 20S, 154 35E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 12.3%

Heading: 135
Boat speed: 3.7 kt (7-day average: 3.8 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 89 nm
Distance made good: 3,069 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,061 nm

Yokohama ETA: 242 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 184 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Tasmania (WP #2 / 1,979 nm) ETA: 23 days

Weather: Overcast, scattered thunderstorms, clearing
Barometer: 1015 hPa
Waves: 1.5 - 2.0 m
Wind (from): 14 - 15 kt SE
Current (from): 1.5 kt W
Engine: 0 hr
Generator: 8.5 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 70%

Today's Report

Winds were strong yesterday but largely unfavorable. Saito-san has been countering a westward current that is threatening to push him into areas northeast of Brisbane populated by small, dangerous reefs. To the south is the Great Barrier Reef, which Saito-san said he is planning to stay well to the east of.

The forward anchor chain locker has developed a leak that allows water from bow waves to enter. He believes it fixed, but spent time after midnight emptying accumulated water from the bilge.

Added Comment

The Saito 8 shore crew will assist in a Nicole BMW promotional effort today, and will man a Saito Challenge Publicity Booth. Thanks go to volunteers Eiko Brumfield, James Hayashi, and Mike Seymour, as well as Nicole BMW's Oliver Witte for their help on a Japanese national holiday.

Weather looks much improved over the next several days, with winds steady and fair out of the east.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

Minoru Saito Challenge 8: Week 4

2008-11-10T21:17:00.001-05:00

Day 19 [Oct. 21, 0700 JST]

Position:
04 16N, 151 51E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 7.8%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 5.0 kt (7-day average: 4.1 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 119 nm
Distance made good: 1,969 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,206 nm

Yokohama ETA: 242 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 193 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 3,000 nm) ETA: 13 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1010 hPa
Waves: 1.5 m
Wind (from): 17 - 23 kt E (favorable)
Current: 0.5 kt from east
Engine: 6.0 hr @ 1,500 rpm
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

The past 24 hours were good, once skies had cleared about noon yesterday. Trade winds are now out of the east at close to 20 kt steady, for a comfortable broad reach on a 170 heading. Current is out of the east so not opposing compared to more recently.

Our Inmarsat connection did not work today for some reason but the Iridium back-up phone served excellently. This is the first time we've had to fall back on the Iridium phone, but anticipate this will become more necessary in parts of the ocean where the higher bandwidth (thus clearer) Inmarsat phone does not have full satellite coverage. (The Inmarsat equipment was donated by Japan Radio Corporation, and the Iridium phone plus the comms fees by Clearpoint Weather.)

Added Comment

Clearpoint has added a web page dedicated to Saito Challenge 8 that makes it possible to see the weather at his position. The site is "interactive" allowing the selection of specific types of weather and sea condition information at his precise location.

We'll be writing more about Clearpoint Weather soon, and now there is a great website that puts it into perspective.

***
Bob Brumfield, Hunter's "baby brother," listened in on today's call via Skype on his mobile phone in San Antonio, Texas.

Bob, as a driver, was part of a 6-person search team that took a trip in 2007 by rental RV to Maine to check out a steel yacht that was up for sale. It was gorgeous and, unfortunately, too expensive. Nonetheless it helped us consider the absolute minimum that was needed for a westward circumnavigation, and the trip allowed Saito-san to renew some old BOC and Around Alone friendships in the Newport RI area.

Saito-san got a kick out of talking to Bob. He has a special affection for Texas, where he has several friends going back a number of years. One couple, ham radio operators, were daily voices to him as they cheered Saito-san along during the Atlantic portion of the 1990-91 BOC race. They finally could meet several years later and have stayed in contact since. Saito-san even carries a dried rattlesnake rattle they gave him for good luck.

Happy 50th, Bob!

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 20 [Oct. 22, 0700 JST]

Position:
02 25N, 152 19E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 8.3%

Heading: 165
Boat speed: 4.8 kt (7-day average: 4.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 114 nm
Distance made good: 2,076 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,099 nm

Yokohama ETA: 229 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 192 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 3,000 nm) ETA: 11.5 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1010 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 11 - 16 kt E (favorable and steady tradewinds)
Current: 0.3 kt from east
Engine: 0 hr
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90 to 100%

Today's Report

No success in getting the Inmarsat system back on line, after several trouble-shooting procedures were taken. Power, as shown by lighted LEDs, seems fine up to the Inmarsat handset, which is dark and silent. Questions about whether it was damaged by a lightning strike have been raised, though there is no immediately apparent physical evidence of that.

The back-up Iridium connection was very good and Saito-san could hear well.

He reported having a good 24 hours with winds steady and moderate seas. At one point a large thunderstorm approached but passed well off.

He said he expects open up the sails more later in the morning and was already clocking over 6 kt at the time of today's 0827 beacon report.

Added Comment

Saito-san bit into something hard yesterday and was dismayed to find "two, no wait -- three" teeth from an upper bridge had broken. "It's really bad," he rued, obviously contemplating 5 or 6 months of difficulty eating. This was not, he said, the same partial bridge his dentist replaced just a few weeks before departure. "Good thing you have lots of rice," we suggested. "Yes, I guess so," he said, laughing at some length.

Rice and boiled cabbage. His often-declared favorites, and as such part of our theory why only someone like Saito-san could relish 6 or 7 months apart from urban comforts, and thousands of miles from the nearest Big Mac.

***
At Day 20, he's cleared his second thousand miles, has just 160 nm left to the Equator, and about one-third of the distance remaining to the Solomon Islands, his first waypoint. He's edging back close to the 5 kt average under sails alone as the welcome tradewinds hold fair and stable out of the east.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 21 [Oct. 23, 0700 JST]

Position:
0 45N, 152 35E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 8.6%

Heading: 165
Boat speed: 4.4 kt (7-day average: 4.3 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 106 nm
Distance made good: 2,169 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,006 nm

Yokohama ETA: 223 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 190 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 3,000 nm) ETA: 9.5 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1010 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 10 - 12 kt ESE
Current: 0.3 kt from east
Engine: ? hr
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90 to 100%

Today's Report

Still no success getting the Inmarsat comms system back on line, after more procedures were tried this morning with the help of James and JRC. There's growing concern of lightning damage to one of the components.

Winds moved back to contrary out of the ESE but for much of yesterday they were favorable.

Added Comment

Rei spoke with Saito-san and filed the following report:

There was a small thunderstorm last night. Squalls and thunderstorms in this area are not as large as those I had over past weeks. Even if you have strong rain, it will finish soon.
But they are still troublesome as they change wind direction very frequently. Once a thunderstorm starts, I become really busy running to grab sails, helming, etc. , and so I didn't sleep enough last night.

When I'm not having squalls, it is very quiet. I cannot see any birds, means there is no fish for them to eat. There is no dolphin either to play with, perhaps for the same reason.
Only one or two birds come towards the boat when I eat. They know I will give them some food. Very clever.

It is already 3 weeks since I left Japan, but I saw only a couple of beautiful sunrises.
Usually you can expect a bit more. Well, you can see things are always different on the sea
although you think you know the area very well.

This is where many typhoons are born in winter, but it is really quiet.

I'm expecting to cross the equator soon, hopefully this evening.

Color of the sea? it is still Black Current area.

Breakfast: (yesterday) last cheese & toast
(today) rice bread- this is really yummy!
Lunch (Rei could not hear him well because of noise from the non-Inmarsat connection)

Most vegetable have gone already. There are only a few onions, potatoes, carrots, and cabbages left.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 22 [Oct. 24, 0700 JST]

Position:
00 44S, 152 44E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 9.1%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 3.7 kt (7-day average: 4.3 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 89 nm
Distance made good: 2,260 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,710 nm

Yokohama ETA: 220 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 189 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,875 nm) ETA: 6.0 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1011 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 10 - 15 kt ESE
Current: 0.6 kt from east
Engine: 9 hr @ 1500 rpm
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90 to 100%, furled during thunderstorms

Today's Report

Saito-san crossed the Equator about 7 pm last night, for what is one of the highpoints in any oceanic sailing adventure.mThe celebratory practice by crews in the early sailing ships was a good dowsing in the bosun's chair for all Equator first-timers.

For him the event was welcome but just another in his storied sailing career. When he passed it last February on the trip down from Hawaii to Auckland he guessed he'd crossed the Equator "34 or 35 times."

And since then, he's done it twice more.
***
Saito-san reports three thunderstorms in the past 24 hours; though not bad, each requires pre- and post-squall sail modifications, tacking, course corrections, and constant vigilance for the next one. Saito-san seemed less tired this morning though said he could only catch brief naps.

Winds stayed contrary out of the ESE and will remain out of the ESE and occasionally SE (nearly head-on) for the next 2 days at about 10 kt. Saito-san reports a "strong" current that shows on Clearpoint as 0.6 kt out of the east.

He mentioned a return of the auto-pilot steering problems in which the helm swings as much as 20 degrees from the set heading for unknown reasons.

Added Comment

We made a waypoint alteration today as Saito-san clarified that he is planning to pass between Papua New Guinea (to his west) and the Solomon Islands (to his east).

This effectively cut the total distance for Waypoints 1 & 2 by 205 nm. Thus, the total circumnavigation route is being calculated as 24,970 nm, instead of 25,175. (Additional modifications are anticipated as he proceeds.)
Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 23 [Oct. 25, 0700 JST]

Position:
02 25S, 152 59E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 9.5%

Heading: 165
Boat speed: 4.3 kt (7-day average: 4.3 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 104 nm
Distance made good: 2,361 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,609 nm

Yokohama ETA: 219 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 188 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,875 nm) ETA: 5.0 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 17 - 21 kt ESE
Current: 0.6 kt from east
Engine: 8.5 hr @ 1500 rpm / 0.5 hr @ 2000 rpm
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90 to 100% (furled during thunderstorms)

Today's Report

Saito-san crossed the Equator about 7 pm the night before last, for what is always a major highpoint in any oceanic sailing adventure. The celebratory practice by crews in the early sailing ships was a good dowsing in the bosun's chair for all Equator first-timers.

For him the event was welcome but just another in his storied sailing career. When he passed it last February on the trip down from Hawaii to Auckland he guessed he'd crossed the Earth's midline "34 or 35 times."

And since then, he's done it twice more.

Added Comment

An emailed question and the response:

How's he doing with his busted teeth? Is he not allowed to get even medical assistance except in life-threatening situations?
Boyd Gatlin
Starkville, Mississippi

Nope... even if he runs out of beer!

He's ok about it, typically stalwart about such things. In his last Around Alone he broke a finger of his left hand in the last two weeks and did the rest of the voyage truly "single-handed." That finger is pretty crooked now, but he can grasp lines.

He actually feels that non-stop circumnavigations are easier/safer because you don't need to make ports or go near land.

P.S.
Joking of course about the beer, but he does have a daily ration of one much-enjoyed cold can of Asahi, especially now that he is in the balmy climes of the Equator.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 24 [Oct. 26, 0700 JST]
Position:
02 38S, 153 49E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 9.6%

Heading: 180
Boat speed: 2.7 kt (7-day average: 4.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 64 nm
Distance made good: 2,389 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,580 nm

Yokohama ETA: 218 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 187 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,875 nm) ETA: 4.5 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1008 hPa
Waves: 2.0 m (3.0 - 4.0 m yesterday)
Wind (from): 17 - 20 kt ESE
Current: 0.6 kt from east
Engine: 8.0 hr @ 1500 rpm / 0.5 @ 1900 rpm
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef / 3-pt during gale
Staysail: 50% during gale
Genoa: 90 to 100% (furled during gale)

Today's Report

Moderate gale durin the day yesterday, with winds up to 35 kt and 3 to 4 m seas. Required him to moto0sail into the winds/east for much of the day so not much progress was made on the route.

Added Comment

This was his worst weather and least progress made on the voyage so far, making 64 nm but only about 35 nm toward Waypoint 1. But the boat did well in the gale conditions. All sails in good shape, Saito-san reports. He reported a "wild" uncontrolled tack at about 2 am when the wind suddenly shifted, but he was able to recover quickly.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 25 [Oct. 27, 0700 JST]
Position:
04 01S, 153 44E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 9.8%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 3.5 kt (7-day average: 4.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 84 nm
Distance made good: 2,470 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 22,500 nm

Yokohama ETA: 234 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 186 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 2,875 nm) ETA: 4.0 days

Weather: Clear to partly cloudy, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1011 hPa
Waves: 1.0 m
Wind (from): 9 - 12 kt E
Current: 0.5 kt from east
Engine: 5.75 hr @ 1500 rpm
Generator: 9.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Conditions much improved today after yesterday's gale subsided. However, weak and variable winds are forecast for next 2 days.

Added Comment

A problem was discovered and fixed involving the autopilot linkage that was causing wide swings in the hydraulic steering. After the swings grew increasingly worse, Saito-san traced it to a coupling that had become disengaged, and was able to put it back on. A sensor rod had also become displaced and was re-positioned. Both issues were fixed with the assistance of Mike Seymour, after several Iridium "road calls" were placed to him from Saito-san. Mike is serving as the shore-based engineer and was on the sea trials just prior to departure.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Zac Sunderland: On to Mauritius

2008-10-23T18:55:00.003-04:00

Sunday, October 26, 2008
Indian Ocean & LA Gathering Update
Latest Position: 10/27/08 0526Z 14 54.775S 87 43.639E

We spoke with Zac this morning and he was cruising along at 6-7 knots in 20-25 knots of wind. Everything was shifting more aft (behind him) and his ride was becoming much more comfortable. Tonight, the swell is more sloppy and he is holding on for a wild ride!

......

No blog from Zac today. He has had a busy morning and has not had time to type but will get one out soon.
Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 10:42 PM 29 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, October 25, 2008
Cocos Log Part II
Latest Position: 10/26/08 0200Z 14 03.481S 90 32.807E

Day 3 at Cocos:

The next morning 2 new boats pulled in and I went to Home Island to find a bank so I would have some cash to pay the carpenter. Then I caught the ferry to West Island again, got some more provisions and used the Internet cafe. I caught the 2:30 bus back to the ferry which was the bus that all the school kids take. I managed to wedge myself and my big box of food in somehow. All the kids on the bus were wearing traditional Muslim clothing so I felt a little out of place in that bus. But I am 10,000 miles from home so I guess that is normal. By the time I got back to Intrepid it was already early afternoon so I started finishing up the cleanup from my days at sea; washing all the salt off the windows and coiling up all of the lines. Jed and Sean from one of the new boats (Ingrid) came by and asked if I wanted to go snorkeling with them. I grabbed my snorkel, mask and flippers and hopped in their dinghy. We anchored the dinghy at the edge of a reef and jumped in. We swam all around the reef but there weren't many fish just tons of sea slugs and a few reef sharks none of which were over 6 feet. After we were done snorkeling in the 80 degree water we headed over to Prison Island which is a small, sandy island with a few palm trees about 1/2 mile from Direction Island (the yacht anchorage). Jed and I headed out to explore the island. It took us all of 10 minutes to explore the whole island. Then it was back in the water. Interesting things happen when you swim in such warm water. You don't get tired as fast and I could hold my breath for a good 30 seconds longer that normal. After Prison Island we went to Direction Island where our boats were anchored. Jed and I set off on some trail into the middle of the jungle-like island. After walking through trails that were more like tunnels for half and hour we came out on the other side of the island. This is the side of the island that gets battered by the trade winds. There were literally 100s and 1000s of flip flops washed up on the beach. These had been swept from all over the world. After we walked the beach for awhile unsuccessfully trying to find a matching pair we headed off down some trail hoping it would take us back to the beach we came in on. It took us awhile to make our way back through the maze of trails. We finally made it back to the beach just on dark. Sean and the dinghy were back at Ingrid so we swam most of the way back. Jed's dad Richard came and picked up us and informed us that sharks eat in the evening. Richard invited me back over to Ingrid for dinner. They had caught a Wahoo a couple of days ago and Sean, who used to be chef, had just made dinner. After dinner we sat in the cockpit and watched the sharks swimming around the boat and enjoyed our piece of paradise.

End of Cocos Log Part II

Right now I am sailing between 6-7 knots with 20 knots of wind off my aft port quarter and with an 8-10 foot swell on the beam. The forecast shows that the swell should be shifting around to my aft quarter in a couple of days. Not much going on out here but I'm making good progress towards Mauritius. I will be talking to you all at the LA Gathering tomorrow afternoon which is early morning for me. Hopefully, I won't over sleep and miss Dad's call!

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:53 PM 24 Comments Links to this post

Friday, October 24, 2008
Cocos Log - Zac
Latest Position: 10/25/08 0555Z 13 24.912 S 92 32.561E

Cocos Log - Part I
I approached the entrance to Cocos around 10am. As I turned into the bay I had a 12' swell on the beam which made it a real event getting the anchor out. I managed to sail into the entrance but once I was in, the wind shifted around to the nose. I started up the engine which I had spent most of the previous day working on and motored into the bay. It was pretty hard even with the motor battling the 4 knot current that was pulling towards a big reef. Once I got out of the main path of the current I was able to follow the nav markers to the anchorage at Direction Island. I dropped anchor in 17 feet of water. I put up the quarantine flag and waited for customs. They came by and I got cleared in with no problems.
The people on the boat next to me lent me some 2 stroke engine oil that I had forgotten to get in Darwin for my outboard motor. I got the dinghy all set up and I finished taking the lines off of the broken boom. That evening I had dinner over at the the Swiss cruisers boat (forgot their name). It was great to have a home cooked meal (cooked by someone else). The next morning I took my broken tiller arm over to Home Island in my dinghy. Home Island is about 1.5 miles south of Direction Island and is where most people who live at CK live. They are all traditional Muslims and wear the traditional Muslim clothing of head coverings and robes. Home Island is also where you can catch a ferry across the atoll to the main commercial area of CK at West Island. I hopped on the ferry over to West Island hoping to find a bank and a carpenter for the tiller arm. When I got there I found neither. I went to the store next to the bank which was closed and asked when it would be open. The guy said Wednesday which was a pain because it was only Thursday. I got some provisions and headed back to the boat. On the ferry ride back to Home Island I met a nurse who had just transferred to Home Island from Australia and said she would help me find a carpenter. When we got to Home Island she took me to the house of the local carpenter, Parson. He said that he could make me a new tiller and repair the old one and have them ready in a couple of days. When I got back to the anchorage the other 2 boats had left and Intrepid was all alone in the anchorage.
End of Cocos Log - Part I

Right now I am 300 miles from Cocos with 25 knots on the aft quarter and a 10 foot swell on the beam which is making it really hard to type. I've been getting slammed by squalls since I left and the swell on the beam makes the ride comparable to the inside of a washing machine. But anyway, just getting back into the groove of being at sea. I'll get the rest of the Cocos blog out tomorrow.

Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:37 PM 19 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, October 23, 2008
News from the Sea
Latest Position: 10/24/08 0325Z 12 31.122S 95 10.387E

Just a note to let you all know that Zac is back at sea and doing well. He left Cocos Keeling yesterday afternoon. He has a steady 15 knots off the aft port quarter and is making good time (between 6-7 knots) under genoa alone. Tomorrow is his younger brother Toby's 11th birthday but since Zac has crossed the International Date Line it is already Toby's birthday on Intrepid. Once that was discovered, it was decided that the present Zac had bought in Darwin and shipped home (a new skateboard) could be opened tonight! It was great to hear the boys laughing and so happy.

Everybody has been missing Zac. I do believe he will be a very different person when he returns but we still have the same laughs and jokes and fun as always.

Zac needed a day to get back into the groove of being at sea 24 hours a day and will work on a blog of his own for tomorrow's post.

Until Then,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 10:19 PM 37 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Good Evening All
We can all start breathing again. Zac picked up the half of his boom that Parson, the woodworker on Home Island, had faithfully fitted with a wooden beam. (forgive my terminology here). He brought it back to the boat and and after an hour of jumping up and down wiggling, twisting and whacking the thing has a proper makeshift boom. He fastened screws all along the break to secure everything.

He has spent the past few days picking up extra provisions, water, mail and fuel. He has been in touch with Customs and will wrap up the last few jobs and head out early in his afternoon. He has really enjoyed his stay at CK. With no family, photographers or media he was happy to just relax and enjoy his simple life there.

Laurence was a bit choked up as he reminded him of the potential weather on this leg and reminded him of all the precautions he should be taking. We told him we loved him and are so incredibly proud of him.

He is looking forward to hooking up with new found friends in Africa as soon as possible. He already has a warm welcome from the Point Yacht Club in Durban, SA. They apparently have an order of their world famous pie and chips waiting for him! They have offered to hold his mail there if you want to get a birthday card out to him by the end of November or early December when he arrives.

Zac Sunderland
c/o Point Yacht Club
PO Box 2224
Durban
South Africa 4000

We'll all be celebrating when he finally arrives in Durban safely out of the range of any Southern Indian Ocean cyclones.

Laurence will be ordering a new boom tomorrow with the measurements that Zac provided today and will send it out to Mauritius where there are many more boat-type facilities available. He is due to arrive in Mauritius around November 12th but we are hoping for a faster passage. He'd like to be in Africa and not at sea on his 17th birthday at the end of November!

Many thanks are due to everyone in CK, cruisers and locals alike, who helped Zac get around, offered showers, meals and friendship while he was there.

On to Mauritius!
posted by Zac at 9:41 PM 48 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, October 19, 2008
Update - Cocos Keeling
A brief update tonight on the long-haired adventurer:

We spoke with Zac briefly this evening (his morning). He was in good spirits after having been exploring the various islands that are Cocos Keeling. You can Google Cocos Keeling Island and find decent maps but there was nothing decent that I could take and post here. He has hooked up with the crew from the boat Ingrid over the past few days. Their crew is Captain/Owner Richard, 15 year old son Jed, and crew member Sean. Richard, from Cape Town, South Africa, is finishing up a 9 year circumnavigation. They have spent the past few days taking care of business and then exploring the place. Yes, they did snorkel. Not too many fish but a lot of colorful coral. Zac says the water is incredibly warm and that the sand is so fine it is like baby powder.

He picked up his tillers yesterday. The woodworker has Zac's boom and will attempt to fit it with some wood by the end of today which would have Zac back at sea tomorrow. Everything on the Island(s) is closed on Sunday so he had a great day of rest. He was having fuel delivered to the boat today and then he was headed back to West Island to visit the grocery store, Internet cafe, post office (thanks for mentioning it Rory!) and then back to Home Island on the ferry to check on his boom.

He actually met up with photographer Karen Willshaw whose web address I posted yesterday and she gave him her book of photos! I had been tempted to buy it myself when checking out her site which is http://www.karenwillshaw.com/ in case you missed it! Incredible stuff!

Thankfully, Zac managed to find some time for fun and still get his jobs done. He is rested and weel fed and raring to get out there and over to Africa where he should have more time to play and adventure that ever before on this trip.

We have had a great response to the LA Gathering coming up in a week. Thanks to all who are helping with the details of putting this together: Bill Mann, Marilyn Simcox, and Darrell Steffey. It promises to be a great evening.

LA Gathering/Fundraiser

A celebration presentation of Zac's trip and a fund raiser for his adventures will be held on Sunday Oct. 26 from 3 to 6 pm at The Organic Panificio Waterfront Restaurant located at 4211 Admiralty Way (at the corner of Palawan Way) in Marina del Rey. Laurence & Marianne Sunderland, Zac's parents, will provide an update on his trip, including never before seen footage of his adventures at sea and a computer video presentation of his planned route. A question and answer session and a silent auction of donated products/services will follow. The highlight of the evening will be an attempt to contact Zac directly at sea via a satellite phone connection for an additional on the spot update. Light appetizers will be served and a "cash bar" will be available. As space is limited, reservations are required. Cost for the event is $20 pre-paid, $27 at the door and $10 for children 12 and under.

To pre-pay reservations go to Zac's website at http://www.zacsunderland.com/, click on "Store" and follow the prompts.

For additional reservations, information or other payment methods: e-mail Marilyn at mgsimcox@yahoo.com or phone (818) 703-1154.

Become another proud member of the "Zac Pac". Hope to see you there.

Please RSVP by 10/23.

Anyone wishing to donate an item, product or service for the silent auction, please contact Bill Mann by e-mail at bill@barstools4u.com or by phone at (323) 205-0417.

For those Zac supporters who are unable to attend this event due to prior commitments or geographical location and who would still like to support Zac in his adventure, you may do so by making a pre-paid reservation and inserting in the comments section, along with your name: "teenager donation". We will then see that a teen from one of the local youth groups gets the ticket to attend the event in your place, along with your name as the benefactor.

Thank you for your continued support, it is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:20 PM 31 Comments Links to this post

Friday, October 17, 2008
Repairs in Paradise
Hello All,
Laurence and I enjoyed the warm hospitality of the Westlake Yacht Club tonight. We stopped by to drop off a poster for the LA Gathering on October 26th and were quickly sat down to a beautiful dinner! We spoke briefly and had a lot of laughs which were much needed.
In case you still haven't heard about the gathering, here is the info. Please seriously consider coming. Bill Mann is running what is turning out to be a splendid silent auction. There will be a lot of food and fun for sure!

LA Gathering/Fund raiser
A celebration presentation of Zac's trip and a fund raiser for his adventures will be held on Sunday Oct. 26 from 3 to 6 pm at The Organic Panificio Restaurant located at 4211 Admiralty Way (at the corner of Palawan Way) in Marina del Rey. Laurence & Marianne Sunderland, Zac's parents, will provide an update on his trip, including never before seen footage of his adventures at sea and a computer video presentation of his planned route. A question and answer session and a silent auction of donated products/services will follow. The highlight of the evening will be an attempt to contact Zac directly at sea via a satellite phone connection for an additional on the spot update. Light appetizers will be served and a "cash bar" will be available.

As space is limited, reservations are required. Cost for the event is $20 pre-paid, $27 at the door and $10 for children 12 and under. To pre-pay reservations go to Zac's website at http://www.zacsunderland.com/, click on "Store" and follow the prompts. For additional reservations, information or other payment methods: e-mail Marilyn at mmailto:mgsimcox@yahoo.com or phone (818) 703-1154. Become another proud member of the "Zac Pac". Hope to see you there. Please RSVP by 10/23.

Anyone wishing to donate an item, product or service for the silent auction, please contact Bill Mann by e-mail at bmailto:bill@barstools4u.com or by phone at (323) 205-0417.

For those Zac supporters who are unable to attend this event due to prior commitments or geographical location and who would still like to support Zac in his adventure, you may do so by making a pre-paid reservation and inserting in the comments section, along with your name: "teenager donation". We will then see that a teenager from one of the local youth groups gets the ticket to attend the event in your place, along with your name as the benefactor. Thank you for your continued support, it is much appreciated.

As for Zac in Paradise...
He has definitely hit the ground running. There has been a steady trickle of boats arriving at Cocos Keeling. They are all on the fast track to head down to Mauritius and beyond as quickly as possible to avoid any early storm activity. Zac has figured out the ferry system that takes people around the 3 islands in the atoll and has hooked up with the right people. He will have to blog about all of the amazing connections he has made. He was introduced to the woodworker from Home Island 2 days ago. Zac marveled at the man's shop where he was building beautiful wooden sailing boats all with hand tools. He was happy to repair Zac's tiller and fashion a new one out of a nice chunk of teak he had in his shop. Thank you to whoever it was that suggested the Home Island woodworkers!
Thank you for all of your emails of concern and advice regarding the repair of Zac's boom. His mission today was to haul the 5 foot piece of broken boom around with all of Laurence's ideas for possible makeshift fixes in mind and attempt a timely repair. The issue of repairing the boom is being weighed against the cost of delaying his departure into the already brewing Indian Ocean this close to cyclone season. He does not have the option of waiting for a new boom nor of waiting 2 weeks while a repair is made. With the well established weather patterns and expert meteorologist David Morris watching for danger from the satellite imaging, he should be able to be routed safely across.
On a positive note, Zac has been eating lots. He finds the canned food in CK to be a bit odd with mostly canned mac and cheese and canned beans for sale. He'd better do some fishing on this next leg! Meanwhile, he is filling up on fresh food which is fabulous. He hooked up with the local missionary doctor on Home Island, who had heard of him, and was given a once over and a shower. He weighed in at having lost just about 10 pounds. Probably mostly muscle as he had been working out pretty consistently with Laurence before he left last June. He did attempt to swim, the water is beautiful, but noticed a few sharks swimming by and changed his plans. Not sure where people dive there but none of the cruisers at Direction Island were swimming after that! Most of the cruisers/boaters who are there right now are part of a round the world rally and are at the tail end and passing through fairly quickly. We are speaking only once a day now because of the time difference. Hopefully, he will get his blog out soon because our sat phone connection has not been very good (in fact, neither has my cell phone?) and I miss a lot of what he says.
Thanks for listening. Zac should be back in a day or two!
Cheers,
Marianne
PS: Here is a link to a wonderful photographer from Cocos Keeling. Her shots are absolutely breathtaking!
http://www.karenwillshaw.com/
posted by Zac at 11:31 PM 35 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Welcome to Paradise
Zac will attempt to type up a blog tonight (it is still his late morning) but I will update you all as to what the plan is. Zac was immediately greeted by the other cruising boats at Cocos Keeling - 3 in all. They shared stories and fed Zac a homecooked dinner of meat and salad that he said was wonderful. They are all heading to Mauritius next and have set up a radio schedule for the journey. After weighing the pros and cons, it was decided to have Zac stow the boom (a weld would not be strong enough) and sail downwind to Mauritius under genoa alone. Zac proved this to be successful as he sailed the last 30 miles to CK under genoa alone with very little decrease in speed. Many thanks to Rob Jordan and Dave Hickson for their knowledgable advice.
When we spoke with Zac this morning he was planning on heading out to Home Island about 1.5 miles away from the anchorage at Direction Island to seek out the woodworkers to see about having 2 new tillers made. He will also be able to buy some food there for his next leg to Mauritius. He sounded really good and was inspired by the other cruisers to be about his business and join them on the passage to Mauritius and his halfway mark!! .....

The following link is the most amaizng article on the history of Cocos Keeling Island:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6730047.stm

Until tomorrow,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 10:08 PM 43 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Limping to Cocos Keeling
Good evening all!

It has been a wild couple of days here. Zac has been busily preparing for his arrival in Cocos Keeling. Sunday afternoon he had a long list of chores that he was hoping to handle including cleaning up and organizing, sorting out his anchor and chain, gathering his paperwork, entering his waypoints into the spare GPS etc. Sunday night at about midnight Intrepid came off of a wave and Zac awoke to a loud cracking sound. He ran up to see what the noise could have been and found his tiller cracked in two. The boat headed up into the wind and rode the swells while he tried to figure out how on earth to repair the thing in the dark and, did I mention that it was raining?
After a few hours of trying different fixes, he found that screwing four hose clamps around the tiller would hold it pretty well. He was able to strap it back into the Tiller Pilot and get back under way. We spoke several times during the day. He was checking off his list and was going to have another look at the engine before having a nap last we spoke.
This morning I got a call from Zac early. I thought that maybe he was excited about his arrival at Cocos Keeling and couldn't sleep. He had been sleeping when he was awakened by a loud crashing sound and the boat slamming around. He ran up to see what was going on and saw that the tiller had come off of the Tiller Pilot causing an accidental jibe. This is when the direction of the boat is changed so that the wind switches to the other side of the boat. This can be a violent motion and causes the boom to crash to the other side of the boat. I'm not clear why Zac didn't have his preventer hooked up but I suppose he didn't feel he was in any danger of jibing under his current pointof sail. I cannot imagine what he thought as he looked and saw that his boom had completely broken in two! The boom is the metal bar that extends from the mast to hold down the bottom part of the sail. He wasn't in that much wind at the time (about 15 knots). He figures that the boom was weak because of age and an accumulation of wear and tear from heavy use.
He was still moving along at about 6 knots with the mainsail sagging. He managed to pull everything in and secure the boom and at last conversation was moving along at between 5-6 knots under genoa alone. He had made contact with Cocos Keeling Customs who were alerted to his condition and would be on standby if he needed any help. The plan at this point is for him to sail into the bay and drop the anchor as soon as he is in the lee of Direction Island. Hopefully the tides, currents and wind will be in his favor and he will have no problems. It is a risky move due to the reefs on either side of the channel.
He is still in excellent spirits considering everything and hopeful of finding a welder on the island. Of all the stops that Laurence has gone to meet Zac, this one would have been the most needed but he did not plan to go out having been to Darwin so recently. In fact, no one is going out due to the expense!

Perhaps the mysterious Indonesian fishing boat was successful in tossing their evil spirits onto Intrepid. But we don't fear because He who is in us is stronger than he who is in the world!
I expect a call from Zac sometime tonight to let us know how his arrival went. I will post again if it isn't too late.

On my knees,
Mom Sunderland

PS At 10:45 this evening Zac called to say that his motor miraculously started (and I do mean miraculously!) and he motored all the way to the anchorage! He is sitting in paradise as I type!
posted by Zac at 10:01 PM 64 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, October 12, 2008
Wind, Engines and Questions
The wind and seas have been intense and consistant over the past 24 hours. The wind is at about 25 knots and the seas at about 10 feet now. I still have this annoying cross-swell that slaps Intrepid off of her course every now and then. I had to adjust my radar because the swells are getting so big they set off the radar alarm from time to time.

I have been getting some good feedback on anchoring under sail in Cocos Keeling. Thanks to Billabong Blog and Rob Jordan and the other commenters who have ideas for me. My filters are clean so it has to be something with the lines or the fuel pick up again. I'm hoping to be able to rig something so that I at least have time to set the anchor properly. I'll have to get to the yard in Mauritius and have them cut a whole in the tanks so we can see what is going on in there.
Mom sent over a bunch of questions from Bill and Linda in Camarillo. Here they are:
What has been your favorite and least favorite part of your journey?
My favorite part of the journey this far has been my stop in Majuro. The locals are friendly and the lifestyle is layed back. I had a great rest and food at the Robert Reimers Hotel. It was the last part of my easy Pacific crossing - easy compared to what came next anyway!

My least favorite part of the trip so far was my stay in Papua New Guinea. Even though I had some great people there assisting me, I felt stuck there because of my engine problems and the limited parts and service available there. Every extra day I spent there was a day I could not spend exploring Australia.

What has been your biggest fear?

My biggest fear so far has been the fear of falling asleep and not waking up for an alarm. Second biggest fear was navigatin alone through reefs.

What have you learned about yourself that was a surprise?

I was pretty to realize that I am OK being alone for long periods of time. Although after about 2 weeks I start to get pretty bored and restless.

What do you wish you would have done before you left home that you didn't get to do?

Change out my fuel tanks!!

What do you miss most that you thought you wouldn't miss?

I am really missing football. Football is your whole lofe during the season. I have really missed it out here.

What are you surprised that you can live without?

I am really surprised at how I have adjusted to eating so little.

Cheers,

Zac
posted by Zac at 6:09 PM 52 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, October 11, 2008
More Wind!
OK so I am fully in the trades now. I have been making great time day and night. I have had a consistant 20-25 knots all day. There is an annoying swell that is hitting me on the port aft quarter and knocking me off course continually. I have altered course as much as possible but it hasn't helped much. I am reading through a book called Singelhanded Sailing by Richard Henderson. I have been reading up on how to anchor without an engine because all of a sudden I my engine is stalling out on me again. I start it up every now and then to make sure it is running. I think the rougher seas have stirred something up and has clogged it somewhere again. All of my usual tricks haven't worked this time and in 20+ knots and 8 foot seas I'm not really feeling like crawling in the engine room to troubleshoot. So, it seems, I will have to pay a price to enter paradise after all! Should be there in a few days.
Cheers,
Zac

Minoru Saito Challenge 8: Week 3

2008-10-21T11:40:00.003-04:00

Day 15 [Oct. 17, 0700 JST]

Position:
109 52N, 148 35E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 6.4%
Heading: 110
Boat speed: 3.5 kt (7-day average: 4.1 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 85 nm
Distance made good: 1,604 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,571 nm

Yokohama ETA: 240 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 196 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 14 days

Weather: Overcast, scattered thunderstorms
Barometer: 1010 hPa
Waves: 0.5 m
Wind (from): 9 - 11 kt SE (unfavorable)
Current: Opposing from south
Engine: 5.75 hr (1,500 w/1,800 rpm in the last 30 minutes)
Generator: 9.5 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Saito-san is easting to get to the windward (east) side of the numerous atolls and small islands of the Federated States of Micronesia. As he approaches the Equator the current will change from opposing to minimal and then to favorable. Trade winds, which recently have been disappointingly weak as well as unfavorably from the SE, should also improve.

Added Comment

We're watching fuel use with a closer eye since the hydraulic auto-steering requires use of electrical power from the aux. generator. After the Equator Saito-san expects to use the engine less or not at all. The generator, which he runs about 9 hours a day, uses about 2 liters of fuel an hour. Just under 10% of fuel has been used to date, with 6,100 liters in tanks and jerry cans at departure.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Day 16 [Oct. 18, 0700 JST]

Position:
09 05N, 150 15E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 6.6%

Heading: 120
Boat speed: 4.5 kt (7-day average: 4.1 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 109 nm
Distance made good: 1,661 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,514 nm

Yokohama ETA: 239 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 195 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 13.5 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1008 hPa
Waves: 0.5 m
Wind (from): 8 - 11 kt ESE (unfavorable)
Current: 0.8 kt from east
Engine: 20.0 hr @ 1,500 + 1.5 hr @ 2,000 rpm (in 3 x 0.5-hr periods)
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: furled

Today's Report

Saito-san has spent the past 24 hours mostly motoring to get through and past the numerous atolls and small islands of the Federated States of Micronesia. He will pass the Chuuk island group (formerly Truk) on the west side. This returns him to a more southerly heading, with slightly less than half the distance remaining to the first of 12 waypoints, a point near the Solomon Islands.

Added Comment

Chuuk - formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus - is an island group in the south western part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's states

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 17 [Oct. 19, 0700 JST]

Position:
07 52N, 150 49E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 6.9%
Heading: 150
Boat speed: 4.0 kt (7-day average: 4.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 81 nm
Distance made good: 1,740 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,435 nm

Yokohama ETA: 244 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 194 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 3,000 nm) ETA: 14 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1009 hPa
Waves: 0.3 m
Wind (from): 8 - 14 kt ENE (favorable)
Current: 0.8 kt from east
Engine: 5.0 hr @ 1,500 rpm
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 1-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Saito-san was in especially good spirits today, happy to report having had his first good night's sleep in more than a week. "There were squalls, but they were small and not as many," he said. The seas are also virtually flat, with swells at less than half a meter. He was just about ready to pass the Chuuk Island Group and is closing in on the Equator, which he said he expects to cross in about 4 1/2 days.

Added Comment

Eiko Brumfield and Chii Takahashi (Eiko's mom) were present for this call and peppered him with questions about -- what else? -- his health and how he's eating. He assured them that there are no problems in either regard, and that the refrigerator is keeping various meats frozen, including hamburger, beef, sausage, and ham. Although the tomatoes and lettuce did not survive into the second week, the eggs, cabbage, carrots, and potatoes are all "very good." He also said the "Como Bread" -- a long shelf-life bread donated by the Como Company, is a special favorite of his.

He was obviously happy to have a chat, and the Imarsat call ran nearly 10 minutes, or almost twice the usual duration.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 18 [Oct. 20, 0700 JST]

Position:
06 07N, 151 09E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 7.3%

Heading: 165
Boat speed: 4.5 kt (7-day average: 4.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 107 nm
Distance made good: 1,843 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,332 nm

Yokohama ETA: 243 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 193 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 3,000 nm) ETA: 13 days

Weather: Overcast and stormy
Barometer: 1011 hPa
Waves: 2.5 m
Wind (from): 8 - 10 kt SSE (unfavorable)
Current: 0.3 kt from ESE
Engine: 8.0 hr @ 1,500 rpm
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 3-pt reef
Staysail: furled, but expected to open it soon
Genoa: 0%

Today's Report

Saito-san reported the hardest sea and weather conditions of the voyage so far, saying he was hit by a fierce thunderstorm/gale that lasted a full four hours beginning at 8 pm last night. He said the night was "completely black" so he could only judge, but thought the wave heights were 1.5 to 2.5 meters. During the worst of it winds were 35 kt from the southeast.

He reported using the electric bilge pump to clear accumulated water during last night's gale. The pump had not functioned on his solo voyage from New Zealand to Yokohama in the spring, so this was a reassuring test that it is now working OK.

He said other than some slight seasickness ("the boat is really rolling") and sleepiness, he's fine. He said the boat performed well during the gale under reduced sails, with a triple reef on the main.

Though tired, he noted that the last 12 hours were "good practice for the Southern Ocean" where sustained winds of 30 knots and gales that can last several days are not uncommon.

During the night he saw two ships on radar, the closest coming to within 3 nm.

Added Comment

As an isolated "pocket gale," last night's storm showed on Clearpoint as a patch of orange, representing heavier winds, but no general area gale warning had been raised by the weather service that provides such alerts.

James H. later found that he was passing very close to Weno Island at 7N 151E. Wind indication in the area was yellow to orange 16-22 kts. The point forecast at Weno Isl indicated a gale of 23.9 kt from ESE, James said.

Despite the stormy nighttime conditions he was able to achieve one of his best distances of the last 5 days at 107 nm, compared to a daily average of 95 nm. So far his longest distance was 172 nm (Day 2) and the shortest was 78 nm (Day 6). The daily average for the last 18 days (distance made good) is 102.4 nm.

Clearpoint continues to show area squalls, with otherwise steady winds up to 16 knots mainly out of the east over the next 48 hours.

***

Meanwhile CNN this morning was showing a typhoon, No. 23, crossing Saito's path 1,100 nm north of him between Japan and his present position.

This may have caught him had he left on Oct. 11 or slightly later, as had earlier been planned. The date was moved up to allow him a bit more time for his return by the first week of June (the 150th anniversary week celebrating the opening of Yokohama Port).

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 19 [Oct. 21, 0700 JST]

Position:
04 16N, 151 51E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 7.8%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 5.0 kt (7-day average: 4.1 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 119 nm
Distance made good: 1,969 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,206 nm

Yokohama ETA: 242 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 193 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP #1 / 3,000 nm) ETA: 13 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1010 hPa
Waves: 1.5 m
Wind (from): 17 - 23 kt E (favorable)
Current: 0.5 kt from east
Engine: 6.0 hr @ 1,500 rpm
Generator: 8.0 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

The past 24 hours were good, once skies had cleared about noon yesterday. Trade winds are now out of the east at close to 20 kt steady, for a comfortable broad reach on a 170 heading. Current is out of the east so not opposing compared to more recently.

Our Inmarsat connection did not work today for some reason but the Iridium back-up phone served excellently. This is the first time we've had to fall back on the Iridium phone, but anticipate this will become more necessary in parts of the ocean where the higher bandwidth (thus clearer) Inmarsat phone does not have full satellite coverage. (The Inmarsat equipment was donated by Japan Radio Corporation, and the Iridium phone plus the comms fees by Clearpoint Weather.)

Added Comment

Clearpoint has added a web page dedicated to Saito Challenge 8 that makes it possible to see the weather at his position. The site is "interactive" allowing the selection of specific types of weather and sea condition information at his precise location.

We'll be writing more about Clearpoint Weather soon, and now there is a great website that puts it into perspective.

***
Bob Brumfield, Hunter's "baby brother," listened in on today's call via Skype on his mobile phone in San Antonio, Texas.

Bob, as a driver, was part of a 6-person search team that took a trip in 2007 by rental RV to Maine to check out a steel yacht that was up for sale. It was gorgeous and, unfortunately, too expensive. Nonetheless it helped us consider the absolute minimum that was needed for a westward circumnavigation, and the trip allowed Saito-san to renew some old BOC and Around Alone friendships in the Newport RI area.

Saito-san got a kick out of talking to Bob. He has a special affection for Texas, where he has several friends going back a number of years. One couple, ham radio operators, were daily voices to him as they cheered Saito-san along during the Atlantic portion of the 1990-91 BOC race. They finally could meet several years later and have stayed in contact since. Saito-san even carries a dried rattlesnake rattle they gave him for good luck.

Happy 50th, Bob!

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

Minoru Saito Challege 8: Week 2

2008-10-21T11:39:00.002-04:00

Day 8 [Oct. 10, 0700 JST]

Position:
19 58N, 143 34E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 3.7%

Heading: 185
Boat speed: 5 kt (7-day average: 5.0 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 100 nm
Distance made good: 930 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,583 nm

Yokohama ETA: 205 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 205 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 17 days

Weather: Partly cloudy, passing thunderstorms
Barometer: 1014 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 12 - 18 kt SE, variable
Current: Strong, opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 5 hrs
Generator: 10 hrs for AC refrigeration, in 3 sessions a day
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

More squalls and thunderstorms in the night. Until this unsettled weather is left behind sailing will be slower and under reduced sails.

Asked which of the Shuten-dohjis (II or III) is better he was quick to assert: "Shuten-dohji III," due of her greater size and because she's a lot drier. "No water comes into the cockpit," he said, "but it's a lot heavier, and so it is slower" than the boat he used for his previous circumnavigations.

He said all rigging and sails are still in good shape after his first full week (and nearly 1,000 nm) and that he has not had a repeat of any of the problems he had on his single-handed "shakedown" voyage from Auckland to Yokohama in early summer. His main problems then were a genoa that was destroyed in a storm after it became caught and could not be completely furled, and an under-sized main boom traveler system that fell apart in the first few days. Its replacement -- a much larger double-car "big boat" traveler* -- is serving very well so far, he reports.

*A traveller system permits the skipper to position the end of the boom at a specific point and keep it there, using pullies and a rolling "car" on a track affixed to the deck.

Added Comment

There was a bit of a scare reported this week as fellow solo sailor (and Clearpoint-supported) Zac Sunderland was accosted by what he feared were pirates off the coast of Indonesia in the Indian Ocean. See this for an excerpt of the log filed by Zac, who is looking to take the Guinness Record as youngest circumnavigator at age 16.

[Both Saito-san and Zac are supported by contributing sponsor Clearpoint.]

Hard to know whether they were pirates but there have been increasing instances of piracy directed at freighters and even oil tankers lately, the crews of which have zero defense against the threat of automatic weapons and grenade launchers.

Advice given to"Team Zac" we'll pass on here. We'll also try to keep Saito-san aware of anything along his own route.

You can keep an eye on the world pirate situation on line. It is monitored from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia where the latest information is available. They keep everyone informed and co-ordinate action when snecessary. They will certainly be aware if anything is happening in the areas that Zac is crossing. Try http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php for latest reports and check where these are happening on the map. None of the reports on Indonesia is south of the archipelago. Hope this helps as Zac will probably see a lot of small craft before he completes the circumnavigation and the likelihood that they are bad is very low along most of his route.

A search of piracy-related web sites reveals just how serious this has become in certain areas of the world.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 9 [Oct. 11, 0700 JST]

Position:
18 15N, 144 20E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 4.1%

Heading: 165
Boat speed: 4.7 kt (7-day average: 5.1 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 113 nm
Distance made good: 1,037 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,476 nm

Yokohama ETA: 200 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 204 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 16 days

Weather: Partly cloudy, occasional thunderstorms
Barometer: 1013 hPa
Waves: 1.5 m
Wind (from): 16 - 21 kt E
Current: .5 kt, opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 1 hrs
Generator: 10 hrs for AC refrigeration, in 3 sessions a day
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Completed the first 1,000 nm during the early morning hours today.

Thunderstorm squalls seem to be diminishing and winds are becoming less variable. Had an easier night and is making better time as the trades begin to kick in.

We mentioned to him the growing incidence of piracy as reported recently in the newspapers, although not in his sea area nor along his route. Targets have typically been freighters and tankers. He was particularly interested if there have been reports in New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, his first waypoint in about 16 days. The qualified answer was "no."

He began taking the whey protein supplement provided by contributing sponsor U.S. Dairy Export Council, and pronounced it "very good." This is a supplement used by athletes to maintain muscle mass and is starting to undergo clinical trials in Japan for use by elderly persons. Normally, a small measured amount mixed in water is to be taken daily, and as a precaution Saito-san will begin taking it every other day, then every day after a few weeks.

Passing the Northern Mariana Islands to his east about 60 nm.

Added Comment

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, is a commonwealth in political union with the United States located at a strategic location in the western Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines. Population about 80,000, with women outnumbering men roughly 10 to 7.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 10 [Oct. 12, 0700 JST]

Position:
16 44N, 144 26E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 4.4%
Heading: 185
Boat speed: 3.9 kt (7-day average: 4.9 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 93 nm
Distance made good: 1,134 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,379 nm

Yokohama ETA: 199 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 203 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 15 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1014 hPa
Waves: 1.5 m
Wind (from): 8 - 11 kt SE (opposing)
Current: .5 kt, opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 0.75 hr
Generator: 9 hrs, in 2 sessions
Sails
Main: 1-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Everything is "fine" but the winds are opposing and reduced, thus the boat speed is at a low for the Solomon Islands Leg (3.5 kt at the time of his call).

He continues to pass the Mariana Islands to his east, and is presently about 180 nm north of the United States :).

Added Comment

A follow-up on the whey protein supplement provided by contributing sponsor U.S. Dairy Export Council:

Today Saito-san said he had had no unusual digestive response to the supplement he started yesterday, and commented that he particularly likes the cocoa-flavored variety. "It's very good," he judged, adding that he planned to begin using it daily after tomorrow.

***
At the end of his Challenge 7 Circumnavigation in 2005, his weight had dropped by 7 kg to 55 kg, which was 11% down from his usual 62 kg on a 164-cm frame.

7 kg = 15.4 lb
55 kg = 121.2 lb
62 kg = 136.7
164 cm = 5 ft 4 1/2 inches

This is from his medical checkup when he arrived back in Japan on June 6, 2005.

The day before he left on Saito Challenge 8 facing a 25,500 non-stop solo voyage, a pressure cuff read his blood pressure at just 118/75, considered normal for a 20-year-old. (Normal for a male 60 to 64 years old is 134/87.)

And a full blood work-up exam at his health clinic showed everything "perfect" about 10 days before he left.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 11 [Oct. 13, 0700 JST]

Position:
15 01N, 145 10E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 4.8%

Heading: 155
Boat speed: 5.5 kt (7-day average: 4.3 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 112 nm
Distance made good: 1,227 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,286 nm

Yokohama ETA: 235 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 202 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 15 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 18 - 24 kt ENE (favorable)
Current: Opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 7 hrs (1,500 - 2,000 rpm)
Generator: 9 hrs
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Winds much improved from yesterday as he steers more easterly to gain the windward side of Guam. Boat speed at the time of the call was 5.5 kt.

He is presently working his way through the islands of Saipan, Rota, and Guam. He is presently about 20 nm due west of Saipan with Guam 90 nm to his south and slightly west as he adjusts his track to the east.

Added Comment

From previous experience Saito-san said he expects much improved winds to the east and south of Guam, and said he is experiencing the improvement already (as well as can see it on Clearpoint).

Over the years he has visited Guam, a U.S. territory, a number of times on annual pilgrimages to renew the U.S.-based vessel registration of Shuten-dohji II. (Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III is registered in Hawaii, where she was purchased last year. Postcard renewals every year are also available for blue-water cruisers.)

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 12 [Oct. 14, 0700 JST]

Position:
13 30N, 145 58E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 5.2%

Heading: 140
Boat speed: 5.0 kt (7-day average: 4.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 103 nm
Distance made good: 1,330 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,183 nm

Yokohama ETA: 234 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 201 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 16 days

Weather: Partly cloudy
Barometer: 1012 hP
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 14 - 17 kt ENE (favorable)
Current: Opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 8 hrs (1,500 - 2,000 rpm)
Generator: 9 hrs
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Heavy rains hit three times after 2 am, as he neared Rota Island. He judged he was 2 nm or less from the coast at that time, as shown on the radar. He said he was very tired after he fought the accompanying wind changes and reduced the main sail from a 1-pt reef to a 2-pt reef. "That made a big difference," he reported.

During the night he experienced swings of 15 degrees to starboard and 10 degrees to port while using the hydraulic autopilot, the first time to report this problem. He said a difference in 5 degrees "is ok" but that such large swings are dangerous especially when near islands, as he was last night, or when the winds are erratic. He said that by morning the autopilot problem had gone away but he is seeking advice from the Japan agent for the Ray Marine system that was fitted in Hawaii and repaired in Auckland and again in Yokohama.

Added Comment

He is now past the islands of Saipan and Rota, and by 0700 this morning was 60 nm almost due east of Guam.

The next island group is the Federated States of Micronesia, an island nation that traces its origins back four thousand years. Its decentralized chieftain-based system eventually evolved into a more centralized economic and religious empire centered on Yap Island.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 13 [Oct. 15, 0700 JST]

Position:
12 07N, 146 45E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 5.6%

Heading: 150
Boat speed: 4.0 - 5.0 kt (7-day average: 4.3 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 98 nm
Distance made good: 1,428 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,085 nm

Yokohama ETA: 233 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 201 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 15 days

Weather: Partly cloudy, frequent thunderstorms
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 10 - 15 kt ESE (unfavorable)
Current: Opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 2 hr (1,800 rpm)
Generator: 10 hrs
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: furled

Today's Report

Three thunderstorms struck again last night causing several tacks and some nervy sail reductions in the dark under strong gusts. Furled the headsail (genoa) and instead used the staysail which is easier to tack. Very tired after only two hours sleep, which he hopes to catch up on today.

Another thunderstorm was about to hit as he made his 0700 call, so he quickly gave his position and heading and hung up. He called back 45 minutes later to say the squall had passed, leaving him totally windless, but during that 5-minute call he said the winds had again picked back up to between 10 and 15 kt out of the ESE.

Added Comment

Temperatures have risen somewhat to 28C (83F) as he nears the Equator, with about 800 nm to go. As he moves south he'll leave the late fall climate of the northern hemisphere and swap it for the early spring climate of the southern hemisphere where summer is December 1 to March 21.

This is one of his first voyages in which he has had cold bottled water and his "one daily cold beer," thanks to the auxiliary generator that produces AC current for a small refrigerator. He recently has estimated the generator uses 1 to 1.5 liters of diesel an hour. (An earlier guess was 2 to 3 liters.)

The boat's 4 tanks hold a total of 5,500 liters, while an additional 600 liters is stored on deck in jerry cans. Presently an estimated 290 liters of fuel have been consumed.

Thus for now there appears to be plenty of diesel for the voyage. If not, he'll have to forgo the "luxury" of cold beverages and refrigerated foods.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 14 [Oct. 16, 0700 JST]

Position:
10 47N, 147 29E
Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 6.0%
Heading: 170
Boat speed: 3.5 kt (7-day average: 4.2 kt)
Distance in last 24 hours: 91 nm
Distance made good: 1,519 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 23,656 nm

Yokohama ETA: 235 days (based on 7-day ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 197 days (assumes 120-nm daily ave.)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 14 days

Weather: Overcast, heavy thunderstorms
Barometer: 1010 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 10 - 12 kt SE (unfavorable)
Current: Opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 5 hr (1,600 rpm)
Generator: 9 hr
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: furled

Today's Report

Today's report is by Rei, after speaking to him in Japanese.

Now I'm in a squall. [Rei says could hear noise from strong rain.] Each squall does not stay for long, usually only 10 to 15 minutes. It is not long enough for me to take a shower because at the beginning I become very busy with trimming the sails.

I had more than 10 squall attacks over last night, which means nearly 10 times of wild tacks. It is hard to have this many as the wind direction completely changes once the boat gets into a squall. Can you imagine such thing happening many times while you are sleeping?

An even worse thing happened last night around 3:00 am when I had another squall, and I turned on the motor without realizing there was a loose rope [that had washed over the side and was trailing]. In a moment the rope was fouled around the propeller. I had to switch off the engine and think hard what to do -- I would have to jump into the water to release the rope, but no diving wetsuit is loaded on the boat this time. I left it on Shuten-dojji II!

After a long and hard time of thinking, I decided to go for a try. First, I pulled the rope out as much as possible, and kept it tensed. Then I turned on the motor again, and put the propeller in reverse. Luckily, the rope came off at once, so I didn't have to swim in the cold sea water!

Breakfast: Rice, bread & tea
Lunch: Fried mincemeat with vegetables.
Dinner: A bowl of boiled rice with tea poured over it (otchazuke)

You could see I was too busy to prepare/eat meals yesterday.
So well, now things are ok. Do you know it was the 16th night (izayoi)?
You shouldn't forget to look up the sky and enjoy the full moon even though you are busy living in Tokyo.
--
Rei M.

Added Comment

Thunderstorms seem to have eased, with fewer projected by Clearpoint over the next 48 hours.

***
A reassessment of waypoint distances has shaved some miles of the voyage total -- previously 25,500 nm and now adjusted slightly downward to 25,175 nm. An update will be posted on the web page.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

Minoru Saito Challenge 8: Week 1

2008-10-21T11:38:00.002-04:00

Day 0 -- Departure Day [Oct. 2, 2008 11:54 JST]
Position:
35 07 30 N, 139 41 20 E

Distance completed: 0%

Heading: 180
Boat speed: 5-6 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 0 nm (24-hr ave. 0 kt)
Distance made good: 0 nm
ETA: 184 - 240 days
Weather: Clear
Barometer: 1006
Waves (from):
Wind (from): 8-10 kt N
Current (from):
Engine: 0
Main: 1-pt reef
Staysail: 0%
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report
Minoru Saito crossed the Kenzaki Lighthouse start line at 11:54 this morning under the crystal-clear azure skies that typically follow typhoons here.

A tiny red-jacketed lone figure in Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III, Saito-san was accompanied by a second sailboat carrying official witnesses of his departure.

As he crossed the line at 35° 07' 30" N, 139° 41' 20" E, Saito-san cranked out the genoa and staysail to join the main in a comfortable downwind sail, pushed by light winds from the north of about 8-10 knots.

Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III, accompanied by a second yacht carrying several witnesses, heads toward the official start line. (Photo snapped by Hunter from an observation platform on Jogashima Island.)

As a moderate but weakening typhoon, Jangmi ("Rose" in Korean) passed just south of Tokyo yesterday, narrowly missing the coast after making an abrupt turn toward Japan over the weekend. While Saito-san awaited her arrival, the temporary respite allowed some welcome, if rain soaked, last-minute boat preparations.

Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III at her typhoon mooring this morning in Aburatsubo.

Saito-san and three Tokyo Sail & Power Squadron burgees that went aboard just before departure.
Tomorrow we will supply the first of the daily logs using position reports called in at 0700 each morning. These daily updates from the skipper will be supplemented by twice-daily lat-long coordinates delivered by email via s an on-board satellite beacon.

And now... the Great Adventure begins!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 1 [Oct. 3, 2008 0700 JST]

Position:
33 32 N, 140 01 E

Distance completed: 0.43%

Heading: 175
Boat speed: 5.8 kt
Distance in last 19 hours: 110 nm (24-hr ave. 5.8 kt)
Distance made good: 110 nm
Distance to Yokohama: 25,501 nm

Yokohama ETA: 184 days (based on today's ave boat speed)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 21.5 days

Weather: Clear skies, steady strong wind
Barometer: - 1016 hPa
Waves: 2.5 m
Wind (from): 15 - 20 kt NE
Current: 2.4 kt SE
Engine: 0
Generator: 9 hrs
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Good wind, 18-23 kt last night, currently about 20 kt. No engine use; 9 hrs on the generator to supply power to autopilot. Beautiful clear skies. Can see Hachijojima about 25 nm away. High pressure system at 1017mb.
Saito: "Everything is going very well. Very good wind."

Added Comment

All systems are working well. Saito-san called in using the INMARSAT satellite comms phone, which was very clear and unbroken. (A subsequent test call by the back-up Iridium sat phone was adequate but he had difficulty hearing, with slight breakup.)

The separate auxiliary generator is expected to be used 2 or 3 times a day, several hours each time, to keep the batteries charged and permit electrical generation for AC devices.

Until much later the "Yokohama ETA" will be little more than an exercise, so we will also chart the ETA to the following waypoints as they are approached:

Waypoint 1: Solomon Islands (2,988 / 2,988 nm total distance)
Waypoint 2: Cape Leeuwin, S. Australia (2,300 / 5,288 nm)
Waypoint 3: West of Australia (1,573 / 6,861 nm)
Waypoint 4: Cape of Good Hope, Africa (4,123 / 10,984 nm)
Waypoint 5: Cape Horn, Argentina (4,182 / 15,166 nm)
Waypoint 6: Humboldt Current (899 / 16,065 nm)
Waypoint 7: Fiji (5,674 / 21,739)
Waypoint 8: Kenzaki Lighthouse, below Yokohama (3,872 / 25,611 nm)

____________________________________________________

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

Day 2 [Oct. 4, 2008 0700 JST]
Position:
30 41 N, 140 51 E

Distance completed to Yokohama: 1.05%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 7.2 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 172 nm
Distance made good: 270 nm
Distance to Yokohama: 25,341 nm

Yokohama ETA: 148 days (based on today's ave boat speed)
Solomon Islands (Waypoint 1) ETA: 18 days

Weather: Cloudy, steady favorable wind
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 2.5 m
Wind (from): 16 - 20 kt ESE
Current: 0.5 kt NE
Engine: 0
Generator: 8 hrs
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

All systems OK, although the "main system" feels a little seasick from the 2 to 3 m swells. "It's not too bad," Saito-san laughed. He's really happy about the good time he is making.

Added Comment

For now he's doing very well with an ave 24-hr boat speed of 7.2 kt (172 nm/24 hr).The Yokohama ETA is currently 148 days at that speed.

We want him to average at least 5.0 kt to meet the anticipated 213-day trip duration. (Clearpoint indicates area winds will slacken within 24-36 hours, then pick up when he hits the tradewind latitudes.)

He is not using the engine. He ran the generator 8 hours today, 9 hours the day before, mainly for autopilot use.

There is no fuel gauge so fuel consumption must be estimated by the No. of generator operating hours. He estimates 2 to 3 liters/hr are expended to run the generator. He has 5,500 liters in the boat's tanks (4 total) and thirty 20-liter jerry cans stored on deck. Thus there were 6,100 liters of fuel on board at departure. Assuming 3 L/hr, he consumed 27 L yesterday + 24 L today = 51 L expended, giving him enough fuel for potentially 240-250 days of generator use.

A solar panel also provides trickle-charging of the batteries as well as emergency DC power, should the need arise. It is not expected that he will normally use the generator as much as he has the last 2 days, as a result of the strong winds.

He successfully sent 2 faxes out yesterday to test the fax capability of the INMARSAT satellite comms.

Temperatures are already rising, at 27.5 C this morning compared to Tokyo's 17.5 C.

Photos courtesy of Tony Whitman, who served as a "witness" on board an observer boat at the Kenzaki Lighthouse start line (11:54 JST, Oct. 2, 2008, 35° 07' 30" N, 139° 41' 20")

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3 [Oct. 5, 2008 0700 JST]
Position:
28 23 N, 141 26 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 1.6%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 5.9 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 141 nm
Distance made good: 411 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 25,200 nm

Yokohama ETA: 181 days (based on today's ave boat speed)
Expected ETA: 210 days
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 17 days

Weather: Clear, beautiful, steady favorable wind, turning to east
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 2 - 2.5 m
Wind (from): 17 - 23 kt E
Current: 0.5 NE (variable)
Engine: 0
Generator: 8 hrs
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Saito-san was happy to report that "the seasickness is finished." Yesterday he reported feeling some mild queasiness: "All I had to eat was one roll." Today he's back to full appetite.

All continued to go well through the day and night and this morning Saito-san was greeted by a gorgeous sunrise under clear blue skies. "It was really beautiful," he said.

Added Comment

He has been consulting Clearpoint Weather and identified that the wind will lessen and turn unfavorable "probably this afternoon," which agrees with our own predictions. (Saito-san and we are seeing the same weather information as shown by Clearpoint on his INMARSAT-connected laptop computer. So far, what the skipper reports from his on-board observations and the Clearpoint Weather information have been virtually identical.)

Boat speed will drop as the wind abates but when it does he plans to unreef to either a 1-point or full main, and 100% genoa to add more sail area. Variable and mostly unfavorable wind conditions are anticipated for the subsequent 24-36 hours. Steady trade winds (from the east) are shown about 200 nm south of his position.

His 24-hr distances after 2 full days have respectively been 172 nm and 141 nm. He needs to average 120 nm a day to meet the "likely case" scenario of 213 days to the finish line.

He has been snapping pictures as a trip record, and has both a digital camera and several backup disposable film cameras.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 4 [Oct. 6, 2008 0700 JST]
Position:
26 18 N, 142 15 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 2.1%

Heading: 170
Boat speed: 5.5 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 132 nm
Distance made good: 540 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,973 nm

Yokohama ETA: 193 days (based on today's ave boat speed)
Expected ETA: 209 days
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 17 days

Weather: Clear, calm seas, wind becoming variable
Barometer: 1012 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 12 - 18 kt SW
Current: Strong and variable due to close proximity of islands
Engine: 4 hrs
Generator: 9 hrs
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report
Saito-san passed Chichi Jima, the largest island in the Ogasawara archipelago about 500 nm south of Yokohama, shortly after sundown yesterday. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichi-jima

During the night the winds eased to under 5 kt and he was forced to motor 4 hours at 2,000 rpm as the strong currents in the area pushed him dangerously close to Hahajima and other islands. (See images below.)

While he intends to only use wind power most of the time, he will resort to the engine in conditions he feels might jeopardize the vessel — in this case strong, variable currents near islands during weak wind.

Winds had picked back up by 6 am, at 12-18 kt out of the southwest. Will be variable for the next 24 hours.

Saito-san's position as of 0700 this morning, after passing through the Ogasawara Islands 500 nm south of Yokohama. Images taken from Clearpoint.

Added Comment
Nicole BMW Shuten-dohji III is equipped with several communications systems for Saito-san's own safety as well as to allow a high level of information as we track his progress. Such maritime standards as a single-sideband radio and VHS hand-held radio allow him to communicate with shore stations and passing ships. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-sideband_modulation

On his earlier repositioning voyages from Hawaii to New Zealand, then on to Yokohama, Saito-san depended on an Iridium phone, a very handy satellite device that, though relatively inexpensive, is plagued by dropped calls, delayed audio, and frequent interruptions.

For the actual circumnavigation, an Inmarsat Fleet 33 (F33) system was supplied by contributing sponsor Japan Radio Corporation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inmarsat

The resulting improvement in voice sound quality? On a scale of 10, the Iridium is a "3," and the Inmarsat easily a "9" (a momentary drop-out yesterday morning, the first of the voyage, keeps it from rating a perfect "10"). On top of the improved voice quality and signal reliability, the new system also allows the use of computer-based weather monitoring software, email, and fax communications.

The Inmarsat service was arranged and tested by contributing sponsor Clearpoint to confirm shipboard usability with Clearpoint's satellite-based weather data service. Saito-san now using it on a daily basis to check the weather, wind forecasts, local sea conditions, weather alerts, and other data.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 5 [Oct. 7, 2008 0700 JST]
Position:
25 35 N, 143 07 E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 2.3%

Heading: 160
Boat speed: 2.7 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 65 nm
Distance made good: 597 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,916 nm

Yokohama ETA: 197 days (based on week's ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 208 days
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 18 days

Weather: Clear, flat seas, wind variable and very weak
Barometer: 1015 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 1.7 - 1.9 kt E
Current:
Engine: 9 hrs charging DC & autopilot operation
Generator: 8 hrs for AC refrigeration, 4 hours twice a day
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 100%

Today's Report

Winds have been very weak the last 12 hours, and opposing currents saw him lose some ground during the night as he barely eked out 65 nm "made good," the least 24-hr distance so far. Winds were expected to improve later today as the trades become established as he nears 24 degrees N latitude.

Mid-morning Update

The locator beacon update at 0827 showed him at a position about 26 nm further south, so we need to clarify with Saito-san tomorrow on the position he gave in his daily call. He made 91 miles in the past 24 hours if the beacon position was correct, which seems likely.

Added Comment

Saito-san has made a correction toward the east putting him closer to the "anticipated route" after clearing the Ogasawaras. He's also set for an extended broad reach, one of the fastest points of sail, as he enters the zone of the trade winds -- mainly steady "easterly" winds of 15 - 25 kt. After that he's looking at several hundred miles of largely favorable wind conditions.

Meanwhile, in the first 4 days he has enjoyed mainly steady winds from the NE, as he rides "down hill" toward his first waypoint near the Solomon Islands. Had he left even 3 days later he'd have been struggling with unfavorable wind conditions that have now formed a few hundred miles south of Yokohama.

***

An editorial aside:

"Easterly" is one of those oddities of the English language with definitions that squarely contradict each other.

east·er·ly (str-l)
adj.
1. Situated toward the east.
2. Coming or being from the east: easterly winds.
n. pl. east·er·lies
A storm or wind coming from the east.

Thus winds and storms are "easterly" if coming FROM the east (as is true for all compass points, i.e., easterly, westerly, etc.) But a boat going TOWARD the east is said to be moving "easterly."

Despite its frequent use by Slocum, Stevenson, London and other writers of sea-going classics, we find this confusing and will attempt to avoid "ly." We will instead use the somewhat clumsier but far clearer "from." Therefore:
"He's also set for an extended broad reach, one of the fastest points of sail, as he enters the zone of the trade winds -- mainly steady winds of 15 - 25 kt from the east."
***
This morning he crossed the latitude of Iowa Jima 100 nm due west. Iwo Jima is famous as the site of the February-March 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima between the United States and Japan during World War II, when the iconic photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima was taken. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iwo_Jima

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day 6 [Oct. 8, 2008 0700 JST]
Position:
23 18N, 143 17E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 2.7%

Heading: 190
Boat speed: 3.3 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 78 nm
Distance made good: 730 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,783 nm

Yokohama ETA: 197 days (based on week's ave. boat speed)
Expected ETA: 207 days
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 17 days

Weather: Cloudy, passing thunderstorms
Barometer: 1015 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 12 - 16 kt SE
Current: Up to 4 kt, opposing from south (Black Current)
Engine: 0
Generator: 8 hrs for AC refrigeration, 4 hours twice a day
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Saito-san reports he was dogged by multiple thunderstorms throughout the night, requiring reefing and subjecting him to wind changes, tacking, and slack sails. As a result, his 24hr distance was 78 nm.

He noted that the fuel level in the No. 1 starboard tank had dropped 2 cm in 6 days. From generator and engine charging time estimated to consume 3 L/hr, he's used approx. 190 L, or 25-32 L/day.

Added Comment

He gave a correction for his 0700 position provided yesterday, restating the latitude coordinate to 24 35 N, instead of 25 35 N. Thus the actual Day 5 distance was 112 nm.

***
A locator beacon installed on the mast provides a signal that is picked up by satellites to allow the vessel's position to be relayed automatically at 12-hour intervals, and reported by email. This provides confirmations of his 0700 JST position, as well as provides a regular, automatic backup system. (Two manually operated EPIRBs* are also on board for possible emergency use. )

*Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_locator_transmitter)

***

He could not catch Rei yesterday, in the first of his twice weekly calls to her. She subsequently asked that he call her 1 hour earlier before she heads off on the subway for work. This was relayed to him this morning. Rei will "interview" him in Japanese to get a more personal commentary.

***
We just received these pictures taken by Katu Ida, who was one of the observers on the vessel that was on hand to witness the start on Oct. 2.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 7 [Oct. 9, 0700 JST]
Position:
21 34N, 143 03E

Distance completed to Yokohama finish: 3.2%

Heading: 175
Boat speed: 4.5 kt
Distance in last 24 hours: 107 nm
Distance made good: 828 nm
Distance remaining to Yokohama: 24,685 nm

Yokohama ETA: 204 days (based on week's ave. boat speed)
Solomon Islands (WP 1) ETA: 17 days

Weather: Partly cloudy, passing thunderstorms
Barometer: 1014 hPa
Waves: 1.0 - 1.5 m
Wind (from): 2 - 3 kt ESE, variable
Current: Strong, opposing from the south (Black Current)
Engine: 2 hrs
Generator: 9 hrs for AC refrigeration, in 2 sessions a day
Sails
Main: 2-pt reef
Staysail: furled
Genoa: 90%

Today's Report

Today's report is from Rei, over Inmarsat phone, conducted in Japanese (AND from a woman's perspective) -- all with much improved results! This is the first of twice weekly reports filed by Rei.

The weather is not too bad, but squalls attack me every day -- and it is always in the evening, not daytime. Yesterday I had 2 of them with winds that hit 30 - 35 kt. After, the winds are very weak.

The main problem is that it is too cold to take a shower in the evening. The temperature is not high enough, and in addition, water from squalls is colder than usual rain. So I haven't had a shower since I left Misaki last week. Maybe when I reach N 17 deg., the rain squalls will be warmer and I can take a shower.

Breakfast: Bread and cheese

Lunch: Dried alfonsino (Kinmedai) & boiled rice
The fish I received in Misaki is so large that only 1/4 was enough. Very nice.

Dinner: Stew (Mince meat, potatoes, onion, carrot, etc.) & bread

Stew? I cooked it from those raw ingredients. There is some ready-made stew on board as well, but they are in a small quantity. So I cooked my own recipe yesterday.
Unfortunately, milk does not stay for longer than 2 days as inside the fridge is not kept cool throughout the day. It becomes cool only when I use the generator for battery charging. So it is hard to keep milk, anyway.

Boat speed cannot be so fast as the Black Current runs in its fastest speed around this area, which is 2-3 kt, in addition to the (occasional) head wind. I'm looking forward to having a shower soon, though.

Well, that's all so far.

Regards to all!

Added Comment

The news is spreading and we're starting to get emails from across the world. Excerpts will occasionally be published here, and more fully in the Daily Logbook on the Saito 8 web page. If you haven't visited it this week, here's the URL -- http://www.saito8.com/. The stats are beginning to climb.
*
Just read about Minoru's latest adventure.
Please pass on my greetings and wishes for a safe and trouble free voyage.
Alan Nebauer
Jervis Bay, Australia

*
My name is Greg and I look forward to watching the adventure ahead. It is my dream to do a solo unassisted circumnavigation some day, this is going to give me a day by day idea of what it is like.
I will pray here in Atlanta Georgia for a safe and speedy return.
Please send my admiration and best regards to Mr. Saito.
Greg Phillpotts
Atlanta, Ga.

*
Minoru,
I am so glad to see you still have the fire. "Shuten-Dohji, Shuten-Dohji, Shuten-Dohji, this is No Barriers callingŠ" I miss our radio scheds during the last race in 1998-99. You make me very proud with all you are doing. Harry must be proud too looking down. I spoke a lot about you in my last book, and how much fun it was competing with you. Keep strong and keep going. I am rooting for you. Maybe our wakes will cross again.
Neal Petersen
www.no-barriers.com

*
We are friends of Minoru, built Shuten-dohji II and raced with him in the 1990 BOC Challenge ... so wonder if you could please pass on a short message to him for usŠthank you.

WOW Minoru! Only just discovered your new voyage and web site. We will be watching every day ..FANTASTIC Challenge. Good luck and watch out for the Bullshita waves!!..You look healthy and strong -- we know you can do it.
All the best,
Don & Margie McIntyre
Hobart, Tasmania
P.S.
Lamb chops are on the table for you.

*
... please be assured that we have been updating ourselves by frequenting your web site, together with all the e-mails you have sent us. Thanks a lot. We learnt that Mr Saito has just left for another journey and we wish him all the best. Please help us convey our well wishes to him. He is indeed a great source of inspiration for us youths.
Alex Kho
Community college student
Singapore

More on Alex's and his team's efforts will be described later. He leads a university special projects team that selected Saito-san for inspiration, to encourage others to achieve their personal best, whatever the endeavor.

Weather Forecast
Generated using ClearPoint Weather (a Saito Challenge 8 supporting sponsor)

Zac Sunderland: Latest Waypoint, Cocos Keeling

2008-10-20T15:22:00.006-04:00

Friday, October 17, 2008
Repairs in Paradise

Hello All,

Zac in Paradise...He has definitely hit the ground running. There has been a steady trickle of boats arriving at Cocos Keeling. They are all on the fast track to head down to Mauritius and beyond as quickly as possible to avoid any early storm activity. Zac has figured out the ferry system that takes people around the 3 islands in the atoll and has hooked up with the right people. He will have to blog about all of the amazing connections he has made. He was introduced to the woodworker from Home Island 2 days ago. Zac marveled at the man's shop where he was building beautiful wooden sailing boats all with hand tools. He was happy to repair Zac's tiller and fashion a new one out of a nice chunk of teak he had in his shop. Thank you to whoever it was that suggested the Home Island woodworkers!

Thank you for all of your emails of concern and advice regarding the repair of Zac's boom. His mission today was to haul the 5 foot piece of broken boom around with all of Laurence's ideas for possible makeshift fixes in mind and attempt a timely repair. The issue of repairing the boom is being weighed against the cost of delaying his departure into the already brewing Indian Ocean this close to cyclone season. He does not have the option of waiting for a new boom nor of waiting 2 weeks while a repair is made. With the well established weather patterns and expert meteorologist David Morris watching for danger from the satellite imaging, he should be able to be routed safely across.

On a positive note, Zac has been eating lots. He finds the canned food in CK to be a bit odd with mostly canned mac and cheese and canned beans for sale. He'd better do some fishing on this next leg! Meanwhile, he is filling up on fresh food which is fabulous. He hooked up with the local missionary doctor on Home Island, who had heard of him, and was given a once over and a shower. He weighed in at having lost just about 10 pounds. Probably mostly muscle as he had been working out pretty consistently with Laurence before he left last June. He did attempt to swim, the water is beautiful, but noticed a few sharks swimming by and changed his plans. Not sure where people dive there but none of the cruisers at Direction Island were swimming after that! Most of the cruisers/boaters who are there right now are part of a round the world rally and are at the tail end and passing through fairly quickly. We are speaking only once a day now because of the time difference. Hopefully, he will get his blog out soon because our sat phone connection has not been very good (in fact, neither has my cell phone?) and I miss a lot of what he says.

Thanks for listening. Zac should be back in a day or two!

Cheers,
Marianne
PS: Here is a link to a wonderful photographer from Cocos Keeling. Her shots are absolutely breathtaking!
http://www.karenwillshaw.com/
posted by Zac at 11:31 PM 35 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Welcome to Paradise

Zac will attempt to type up a blog tonight (it is still his late morning) but I will update you all as to what the plan is. Zac was immediately greeted by the other cruising boats at Cocos Keeling - 3 in all. They shared stories and fed Zac a homecooked dinner of meat and salad that he said was wonderful. They are all heading to Mauritius next and have set up a radio schedule for the journey. After weighing the pros and cons, it was decided to have Zac stow the boom (a weld would not be strong enough) and sail downwind to Mauritius under genoa alone. Zac proved this to be successful as he sailed the last 30 miles to CK under genoa alone with very little decrease in speed. Many thanks to Rob Jordan and Dave Hickson for their knowledgable advice.

When we spoke with Zac this morning he was planning on heading out to Home Island about 1.5 miles away from the anchorage at Direction Island to seek out the woodworkers to see about having 2 new tillers made. He will also be able to buy some food there for his next leg to Mauritius. He sounded really good and was inspired by the other cruisers to be about his business and join them on the passage to Mauritius and his halfway mark!!

The following link is the most amaizng article on the history of Cocos Keeling Island:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6730047.stm

Until tomorrow,
Marianne
posted by Zac at 10:08 PM 43 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Limping to Cocos Keeling
Good evening all!

It has been a wild couple of days here. Zac has been busily preparing for his arrival in Cocos Keeling. Sunday afternoon he had a long list of chores that he was hoping to handle including cleaning up and organizing, sorting out his anchor and chain, gathering his paperwork, entering his waypoints into the spare GPS etc. Sunday night at about midnight Intrepid came off of a wave and Zac awoke to a loud cracking sound. He ran up to see what the noise could have been and found his tiller cracked in two. The boat headed up into the wind and rode the swells while he tried to figure out how on earth to repair the thing in the dark and, did I mention that it was raining?

After a few hours of trying different fixes, he found that screwing four hose clamps around the tiller would hold it pretty well. He was able to strap it back into the Tiller Pilot and get back under way. We spoke several times during the day. He was checking off his list and was going to have another look at the engine before having a nap last we spoke.

This morning I got a call from Zac early. I thought that maybe he was excited about his arrival at Cocos Keeling and couldn't sleep. He had been sleeping when he was awakened by a loud crashing sound and the boat slamming around. He ran up to see what was going on and saw that the tiller had come off of the Tiller Pilot causing an accidental jibe. This is when the direction of the boat is changed so that the wind switches to the other side of the boat. This can be a violent motion and causes the boom to crash to the other side of the boat. I'm not clear why Zac didn't have his preventer hooked up but I suppose he didn't feel he was in any danger of jibing under his current pointof sail. I cannot imagine what he thought as he looked and saw that his boom had completely broken in two! The boom is the metal bar that extends from the mast to hold down the bottom part of the sail. He wasn't in that much wind at the time (about 15 knots). He figures that the boom was weak because of age and an accumulation of wear and tear from heavy use.

He was still moving along at about 6 knots with the mainsail sagging. He managed to pull everything in and secure the boom and at last conversation was moving along at between 5-6 knots under genoa alone. He had made contact with Cocos Keeling Customs who were alerted to his condition and would be on standby if he needed any help. The plan at this point is for him to sail into the bay and drop the anchor as soon as he is in the lee of Direction Island. Hopefully the tides, currents and wind will be in his favor and he will have no problems. It is a risky move due to the reefs on either side of the channel.
He is still in excellent spirits considering everything and hopeful of finding a welder on the island. Of all the stops that Laurence has gone to meet Zac, this one would have been the most needed but he did not plan to go out having been to Darwin so recently. In fact, no one is going out due to the expense!

Perhaps the mysterious Indonesian fishing boat was successful in tossing their evil spirits onto Intrepid. But we don't fear because He who is in us is stronger than he who is in the world!
I expect a call from Zac sometime tonight to let us know how his arrival went. I will post again if it isn't too late.

On my knees,
Mom Sunderland

PS At 10:45 this evening Zac called to say that his motor miraculously started (and I do mean miraculously!) and he motored all the way to the anchorage! He is sitting in paradise as I type!
posted by Zac at 10:01 PM 64 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, October 12, 2008
Wind, Engines and Questions

The wind and seas have been intense and consistant over the past 24 hours. The wind is at about 25 knots and the seas at about 10 feet now. I still have this annoying cross-swell that slaps Intrepid off of her course every now and then. I had to adjust my radar because the swells are getting so big they set off the radar alarm from time to time.

I have been getting some good feedback on anchoring under sail in Cocos Keeling. Thanks to Billabong Blog and Rob Jordan and the other commenters who have ideas for me. My filters are clean so it has to be something with the lines or the fuel pick up again. I'm hoping to be able to rig something so that I at least have time to set the anchor properly. I'll have to get to the yard in Mauritius and have them cut a whole in the tanks so we can see what is going on in there.

Mom sent over a bunch of questions from Bill and Linda in Camarillo. Here they are:
What has been your favorite and least favorite part of your journey?

My favorite part of the journey this far has been my stop in Majuro. The locals are friendly and the lifestyle is layed back. I had a great rest and food at the Robert Reimers Hotel. It was the last part of my easy Pacific crossing - easy compared to what came next anyway!

My least favorite part of the trip so far was my stay in Papua New Guinea. Even though I had some great people there assisting me, I felt stuck there because of my engine problems and the limited parts and service available there. Every extra day I spent there was a day I could not spend exploring Australia.

What has been your biggest fear?

My biggest fear so far has been the fear of falling asleep and not waking up for an alarm. Second biggest fear was navigatin alone through reefs.

What have you learned about yourself that was a surprise?

I was pretty to realize that I am OK being alone for long periods of time. Although after about 2 weeks I start to get pretty bored and restless.

What do you wish you would have done before you left home that you didn't get to do?

Change out my fuel tanks!!

What do you miss most that you thought you wouldn't miss?

I am really missing football. Football is your whole lofe during the season. I have really missed it out here.

What are you surprised that you can live without?

I am really surprised at how I have adjusted to eating so little.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 6:09 PM 52 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, October 11, 2008
More Wind!

OK so I am fully in the trades now. I have been making great time day and night. I have had a consistant 20-25 knots all day. There is an annoying swell that is hitting me on the port aft quarter and knocking me off course continually. I have altered course as much as possible but it hasn't helped much. I am reading through a book called Singelhanded Sailing by Richard Henderson. I have been reading up on how to anchor without an engine because all of a sudden I my engine is stalling out on me again. I start it up every now and then to make sure it is running. I think the rougher seas have stirred something up and has clogged it somewhere again. All of my usual tricks haven't worked this time and in 20+ knots and 8 foot seas I'm not really feeling like crawling in the engine room to troubleshoot. So, it seems, I will have to pay a price to enter paradise after all! Should be there in a few days.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 10:53 PM 38 Comments Links to this post

Friday, October 10, 2008
In the Trades

The wind has been picking up gradually and has been more steady now. I have had a consistant 15 knots all day and am making between 6-7 knots average. The wind has shifted from the beam to the stern (coming from the side to the back) and the swells which are growing are now mostly behind me. It feels great to be really moving again. I haven't seen any boats in the past few days. I did have a squall that set off the radar alarm this morning which was unexpected because I haven't seen a squall in 3 weeks. Things are going well. I have been studying my charts and getting familiar with the approach and anchorage in Cocos Keeling. I have been reading up on some heavy weather techniques and taking care of the continual boat maintenance. I probably won't spend too long in Cocos Keeling as the longer I am in the Indian Ocean the closer it gets to cyclone season. As it is David Morris is keeping a look out now for any early activity in the area. It is not unheard of for an early cyclone to develope in as early as October and November even though cyclone season doesn't officially start until December.
I hear that you are all planning for a party in the next few weeks. Wish I could be there but I guess a few days in paradise will have to do for now!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 10:13 PM 32 Comments Links to this post

Zac Sunderland: Pirates in the Indian Ocean?

2008-10-08T16:17:00.004-04:00

Last night the wind picked up to 12 knots and I was going along between 6-7 knots most of the night. :) No fishing boats or ships last night so I got a pretty good night's sleep. The wind died of a little this morning but I'm still going 5 knots. I found the pump for my alcohol stove. It had somehow fallen out of the lazarette and in to the engine room and somehow made it's way under the engine. Looks like the wind should be building tonight so hopefully I'll get moving along a bit better. Looking forward to getting to Cocos Keeling. I should be getting there within the week. Meanwhile the days pass quickly with my boat chores, reading, cooking (yeah) and catching up on sleep.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:04 PM 35 Comments Links to this post

Monday, October 6, 2008
Pressing On
I was up most of the night last night on watch and passed 6 fishing boats. It's hard to see if you are on a collision course at night because they don't turn on their nav lights. Their decks are lit up with work lights so at least I can see them! I spent most of the night trying to figure out which direction the little white lights on the horizon were moving. This morning the wind shifted around to the nose so I altered course and was able to fill the sails again. After about half an hour the wind dropped down to 5 knots and the sails would barely stay filled. This has happened the last few mornings. The wind just dies. It is almost 12 here right now and it is filling in nicely. Hoping to make some good miles today and catch up on some sleep because I will have to go on watch again tonight. Thanks for all the blog comments. Mom read most of them over the phone today. Good to know you're all out there.
Cheers,
Zac

An Interesting note from John Knight in Darwin:

Hi Marianne and Laurence
Sorry to hear of the recent scare. The relevant distance is how far is he off the Indonesian islands, not how far from Darwin. Because they have fished out all their local waters the Indonesian village fisherman has to go farther to sea to catch anything. They were most likely laying long nets when they approached Zac and turned away when they were going to the beginning to pick it up again. This is their normal technique and is usually done late in the afternoon or early evening so that laying, fishing and recovery takes most of the night. Being almost certainly a wooden vessel they are quite likely not to show on radar.

You can keep an eye on the world pirate situation on line. It is monitored from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia where the latest information is available. They keep everyone inform and co-ordinate action when necessary. They will certainly be aware if anything is happening in the areas that Zac is crossing. Try "www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracy report.php" for latest reports and check where these are happening on the map. None of the reports on Indonesia is south of the archipelago.
Hope this helps as Zac will probably see a lot of small craft before he completes the circumnavigation and the likelihood that they are bad is very low along most of his route.
Regards John
posted by Zac at 8:06 PM 47 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, October 5, 2008
Update I am sorry for worrying you all with our post last night. Zac asked us to wait and let him write the blog about the day's happenings yet Laurence wanted to ask for prayer, thus my cryptic post. The delayed update is due to the massive time difference between us. We have only just heard from Zac who was catching up on some lost sleep and slept in this morning.

From Zac:
(Yesterday)
The wind stayed steady all through the night and I was making good progress. The swell picked up to about 8 feet and I was back to the climbing up and surfing down motion. Around 11:30am I was sitting in the cockpit when I saw a boat about 4 miles away. I took a look at my radar screen and didn't see anything. I took another look at the boat. We were heading parallel to each other and would pass well clear of each other. I went down below and switched on the VHF radio and tried to hail them on Channel 16 with no luck. I went below and got my camera and got some footage of them but it was still hard to make out who or what they were because they were still about 3 miles off. I was sitting in the cockpit watching them and suddenly they changed course. At this new angle we would hit. I moved the autopilot over a few degrees to get out of their path. As I did they changed course dead for me again. So I'm thinking, "I've got a ship that doesn't show up on radar with no flags and no radio response, deliberately heading straight for me 150 miles off the coast of Indonesia, a place notorious for piracy." I went down below and called them on the radio again and again, finally hailing them using the words "Securite'" which is the word used to alert another boat that there is possible danger.

Maritime law says boats are required to respond to this call. Still no answer. I went up to the cockpit and saw the boat was closing in fast. I turned on the engine and slammed it into gear and altered course again so as to avoid a collision and get on a faster tack. I watched the boat which I could now see was a 60-70' long wooden fishing boat that looked about ready to break up it was so old. They altered course straight for me. I jumped down into the cabin and switched on the SSB High frequency radio which has a distress button on it that will transmit my position on all emergency channels if I push it. Then I grabbed my 357 and jammed some bullets into it. I grabbed my Iridium phone and turned it on. It flashed 'low battery'. I switched on the inverter and plugged it in to the charger and called home. I told them what was going on and gave them position as fast as I could. I hung up the phone and watched the boat get closer through the bullet-proof windows of my boat. A half a mile and closing, I grabbed the VHF and tried to hail them again with no luck.

I put out a call on the VHF saying "Pan Pan" and that I was being approached by an unidentified and unnamed vessel. I gave my position and asked for help. I got no response. By now they were way too close and looked like we would just pass clear of each other. I move the autopilot over more and moved the engine up a few RPMs. I got my gun and waited. We passed a couple of hundred yards apart and they stopped dead in my wake. I was moving along just under 8 knots and getting the hell out of there as fast as I could. The fishing boat stayed stopped in my wake for about 10 minutes and then shot off in the other direction. I called home and let them know what was up and they told me that they were in contact with the branch of Search & Rescue that dealt with piracy and that I would be getting a call from them soon. I got off the phone and sat in the cockpit wondering what it was all about and whether they would come back in the night. Since I couldn't see them on any radar I would have to wake up every 25 minutes to check the horizon. I talked with he pirate control person from Australia and they sent up a plane to check in with me a couple of hours later.

I called up my friend Will who had heard about it from my sister's text message. I guess the 'Zac is getting attacked by pirates.' message traveled fast. Will's dad was on the phone with a California senator to see if he could help in anyway. But in the end all that happened was that I got really tired from getting up all through the night and I'll probably never know what the fishing boat was doing. Now I'm going to go hit the bunk and catch up on some sleep. Oh yeah, thanks for praying!

From Mom:
About 7:00pm PDT we got a call from Zac. He was panicked because a large old powerboat (not the typical commercial vessels traveling that route to Australia) had been heading straight for him at high speed. He had hailed the vessel many times with no answer. On top of that the boat did not even show up on either of his radars. When he called us the boat was still a few miles off. He quickly gave us his position, speed and course being traveled. Laurence suggested that he put a Securite' call out on the VHF alerting other boaters in the area that this strange unmarked vessel was approaching him in an alarming manner. We hopped off the phone and put a call in to Australian Search & Rescue. We passed along all of the important information and they passed it up to those in the position to do whatever could be done. Zac was nearly 700 miles from Darwin and had not had a CoastWatch Customs plane fly over for several days. Zac called back to let us know that the ship had stopped about 300 yards from his boat. There were no markings at all on the vessel; not even a flag. He didn't see anyone on board. He fired up his engine and began to motor away from the boat. After about 10 minutes, the boat turned and motored away from him. We talked for awhile gathering info and trying to think of encouraging words for each other. We received a call from the folks at Search & Rescue. They were confirming the details and then called Zac to check in on him and give them their direct line. Thank God for satellite phones and Clearpoint Weather, without whom Zac would not have had this piece of equipment!

CoastWatch was sending up their planes and would send one over the area where Zac was sailing even though it was out of their official range. They would peruse the area for the unusual vessel and also fly over Zac and check in on him. Zac felt better knowing that people knew where he was. S & R knew that there were Indonesian fishing vessels in that area and that they were very low tech, possibly not even having a radar. It very well could have explained the boats appearance, location and lack of technology but not their strange approach.

Zac was in good spirits tonight and was back to fretting about his lost alcohol stove pump and bemoaning the fact that he would have to eat his chili cold. He was also considering getting a cat on board in Africa as it seems that every other solo sailor had one. It would seem that our boy has quite a heavy keel, eh?

Thanks for the prayers and emails and calls. It is great to be able to call on you all.

Many Thanks,
Marianne for all of the Sunderlands
posted by Zac at 3:53 PM 97 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, October 4, 2008
Prayer
Zac is dealing with some potentially dangerous situations this afternoon and evening. We have done all we can do to help him from here. Please pray for Zac's safety and peace of mind tonight. He wants to do the blog himself tomorrow so stay tuned...
Team Zac

Zac Sunderland: Dolphins, Ships and Wind!

2008-10-04T14:34:00.003-04:00

Friday, October 3, 2008

Last night the wind picked to 8-10 knots on the beam and has stayed steady. This morning I started stowing everything for the heavier winds that are certain to come. Around 10:30 am I was in the cockpit when I saw a pod of dolphins coming over to the boat. They stayed awhile and surfed Intrepid's wake. After about 1/2 hour, they took off. I'm amazed that they are the first dolphins I've seen since I left Los Angeles! I went back into the cabin and took a look at my AIS radar. I saw that there was a ship about 12 miles away headed towards me. I kept an eye on the radar but we passed a couple of miles apart without either of us having to change course.

I've been rereading Tania Aebi's book Maiden Voyage. It is interesting how the book reads so much differentl now that I am out here. I'm also reading a book that was sent to me by Mike Williams called The Chronicles of the Schooner Lusty I. It is great to read about other circumnavigators. The wind has stayed steady and I think I'll be hitting the heavier, steadier trade winds before long. It feels good to be moving again and I hope that the wind holds now.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:34 PM 12 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Torres Strait Part II

Last night I had real light winds and only made about 20 miles. Around 5am a little breeze picked up and I moved along at 5 knots. That lasted about 3 hours and now the wind is down to about 3-4 knots. Progress, if you can call it that, is way slow.

Torres Strait Part 2:
Entrance to the Torres Strait:
It was 4 am when I reached Bramble Cay. It was blowing 20 knots with hazy fog. I set course for my first way point. I had a good point of sail and was moving along at 6-7 knots. I reached my first way point just as the sun was coming up. By now it was a few miles within the shelter of the reefs. The swell died down from 8 feet to nothing. The winds dropped down a little to 15 knots. So I sailed along that whole day, dodging reefs and islands and constantly altering course. By nightfall I was nearing the entrance to the Vigilant Passage. This is an area where the course alters from the wide Great North East Channel and heads between a narrow break in the reefs. I sailed through. It was marked well and easy to navigate. By the time I got through the passage it was about 10pm. I was starting to feel the effects of the lack of sleep from the night before. I still had a good 80 or more miles til I was out of the Strait. I plugged my next way point into the chart plotter and set course for it. I had about 14 miles (2 hours worth of travel time) to my next way point. I was very tired so I got out 2 alarms and set them to go off in 15 minutes. I set them on either side of my head and slept. (Through my extensive experience with sleep deprivation I have learned that if you can get even 5 minutes of sleep it will make you feel almost as good as new and will give you a couple more hours on your feet.)

After my nap I sat on deck with the wind keeping me awake studying the maze of reefs and nav lights against the charts. A couple of way points later, I was entering the Prince of Wales Channel which is the last part of the Strait and also the most difficult to navigate. As I approached the channel there was a ship on its way out. I hailed them and we decided which side we should pass each other on. We passed within a few hundred yards and then they were gone. The next way point took me between 2 shoals. They were marked with lights and I made it through fine and headed for the next way point. This one was nav lights about 100 yards apart. On either side was a reef. This one was relatively hard to aim the boat through so I ended up taking the boat off autopilot and hand steering through. Once through that I was in the Prince of Wales Channel and navigating by red and green nav lights which I found out pretty quickly were reversed from what we have in America. All those years of my dad shouting 'Red Right Returning' had to be reprogrammed to left instead. The sun rose as I was about 5 miles from the channel. I was going about 9.5 knots from wind and running with the current. I got out of the channel and set course for Booby Island about 15 miles away; the official exit of the TS. All went well until the tide turned and now I was going 2 knots. That was a pain because I hadn't slept accept for that 5 minutes and I was starting to fall asleep while on watch. I decided to hand steer for a little while to keep my mind active and awake. I passed Booby Island about 10am and set my new course and slept. The passage was a challenge to my navigation skills but easier than I had expected.
The Clearpoint forecast shows some wind coming this afternoon. I certainly hope so...
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 10:33 PM 27 Comments Links to this post

Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Lake Indian Ocean

OK, so sorry for not blogging but there has been a lot to do the past few days. Being incredibly hot and sweaty makes it hard to get going. My email is backed up from the time after PNG when I wasn't able to receive them. I can only pick up so many per week and right now I have a backlog of over 200 emails! Right now it is about 8:000pm and there is about 3 knots of wind which is barely enough to keep the boat moving in the right direction. There is no swell so the sea looks like a calm lake. Not much happened today. I passed some oil platforms and a couple of ships, one of which came within a half of a mile of me. I contacted him on the radio and he already knew where I was so it was safe. Later in the afternoon I was doing something on deck and I saw a big white shape under the water. As I looked closer I saw that it was a shark. Not just one shark, I was in a school/pod of them! They weren't like the friendly Pacific dolphins that play around the boat. They were off after a couple of minutes. I guess I'll add that to my list of reasons not to swim at sea. I had been actually contemplating swimming because of how hot it is though I probably would not have done it.

So I guess everyone wants to hear about the Torres Strait. Here you go...I had just gotten off the phone with Mike Smith (Team Zac electrician extraordinaire). We were trouble shooting my AIS radar that for some reason wasn't working right. I set my phone down on the top companionway step and opened the Pelican case where I always keep it. Before I put it in, the drag on my fishing pole started screaming. I ran up top to real in the fish. The fish ended up snapping the line and when I went down below I saw the sat phone had fallen into the galley sink into a bowl of oil. Why was there a bowl of oil in my galley sink? The mechanics from Papua New Guinea were supposed to dispose of it but were not able to. I was to get offshore and dump it. Only 1/4" of the upper corner of the phone had touched the oil. I wiped it off with a paper towel and called Mike back to tell him that I had to deal with some issues on the boat and that I would call him back in the morning. Then I took the phone apart and saw that a fair bit of oil had gotten inside. I wiped it off the best I could and put the phone in rice over night to draw out the moisture. In the morning I put the phone back together and turned it on. It went okay and I entered the pass code. It came up with a message that said 'Phone Failure See Supplier'. That was really helpful since the nearest supplier was the best part of 10,000 miles away. I tried for awhile to get the phone working again but it was no use. I think I probably made it worse. The slapping against hand technique etc... Then I fired up the computer but for some reason it wasn't working either. I did manage to get an email out to mom and dad after a hundred attempts just to let them know that all was well with me and the boat.

The next day I got on the Rag on the Air Net and make contact with the people out of Majuro. They were able to relay with my parents back home. I had no idea what my parents had been through and that they were about to call on Australian Search and Rescue.

As I was getting closer to the Torres Strait, I managed to get a few way points that had been stuck on the computer before the screen died. Not sure how but the back light of the computer screen had stopped working. I went to use the other computer but water had dripped on the keyboard and I couldn't type in my password. With no comms except the SSB, I kept in touch with everyone through the guys from Moana and Majuro. I spent the few days before the Torres Strait with light winds and was able to study the passage guide again. The night before I got to the entrance at Bramble Cay, the wind picked up to about 20-25 knots so I reefed down and entered the Strait under sail. I arrived at Bramble Cay, the entrance to the Torres Strait, at about 4:00am. I never did see the light and there was a lot of fog. That was the first of many surprises in he Torres Strait. Stay tuned for part 2 of Zac sails the Torres Strait!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:25 PM 32 Comments Links to this post

Zac Sunderland: Massive Swells

2008-08-25T21:02:00.004-04:00

Sunday, August 24, 2008
Last night the wind did lay down and I was able to get more sleep than usual. There were only 3 squalls and a little lightning. (Can't believe I am saying that!) I spoke with Moana last night for the forst time in a few days. They have been having a great time in Gizo sleeping, eating and all of the other things you can't do much of at sea. It was great to talk with them. They got an email from Lady Sarah. They have finally arrived in Vancouver, Canada. While they were entering the channel there they had 60+ knots of wind. They have an awesome 50' sailboat in perfect condition. They said that it got totally trashed inside. They were on the radio with the Coast Guard for a lot of it - pretty terrifying!

I have been missing the Rag on the Air radio net more and more because my time zone is changing and I often get to sleep in the early morning. It is prbably time to start listening in for the Sheila Net out of Oz (Australia).

The swells this morning were massive and steep. I think they must have been about 15 feet judging by where they reach on the mast while I'm in the trough. I copped a few into the cockpit today and learned that my cockpit drains are clogged. After some troubleshooting I found that the valve on one was closed. I was sitting in the cockpit steering when one of the waves came into the cockpit. So much for my squall shower yesterday!

I have been seeing more shipping lately. The AIS ship radar has been awesome. When there is a ship within range, an alarm sounds and the display shows me the ship's speed, direction and position. Thanks again to Dr. Lowenberg for researching this and arranging to have one put on my boat.

Have been studying the Torres Straits and trying to memorize my landmarks and waypoints. Talk about schoolwork...there is only pass or fail out here sometimes!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:42 PM 34 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, August 23, 2008
Squalls, Squalls and More Squalls

Yesterday I had 20-25 knots all day. I was running with it so it was a good ride and I was able to get some jobs done. At around 7pm I saw a squall on the radar and when I zoomed out I saw that it was over 24 miles wide. When I went out in the cockpit to get a look at it, it filled half of the horizon. Quickly I reefed and waited for it to hit. The wind dropped to about 15 knots for about 5 minutes and then it hit at about 30 knots and built to 35 knots constant with higher gusts. This first squall lasted about 2 hours. When it passed, I had about a 20 minute break before the second squall hit. This one was slightly more powerful than the previous one. By now it was dark and the only light came from the phosphoresence in the water from the big breaking swells. About 10 minutes into the second squall the lightning started all around the boat. It was closer and there was more than the last lightning storm. It went on all night getting hit by squall after squall and lightning flashing everywhere. Everything died down around 5 am but the minute I pulled up more sail and hit my bunk my AIS ship radar went off. So I was back up on lookout. Finally, the ship passed about 4 miles off my bow. I grabbed a couple hours sleep before I had another set of squalls and had to reef again.

I did catch about a gallon of water so I am looking forward to some good drinking water for now. We're still talking about possible stops and timing everything so I can be safe and still make good time. Thanks for the comments and emails. Good to know everyone is out there!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:50 PM 39 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 22, 2008

Just a note tonight from Mom:
It was a bit serious around here this morning as we waited for Zac's 12:30 - 1:00 'morning' call. He eventually called around 1:00 and let us know that his all-night navigating had gone well and that he was again in open ocean. He was somewhat incredulous that the wind and waves had calmed down so much. I reminded him that there must have been at least 1000 people praying for him. He was pretty amazed. He is also 'running' (wind and waves coming from behind the boat) with the wind and swells more now which makes the ride more comfortable. The swells are rolling again and not so steep. So he is tired but able to rest. Just one squall today.
He ran through all of his systems checking for problems. There is some chaffing on the windvane lines but nothing serious. Hans from Scanmar Marine called Laurence today and will be sending out some new lines for Darwin. The computer charger shocks him when he plugs it in so the laptop is not up but trusty Leviathan still works. His engine wouldn't start for some reason. He did as much troubleshooting as he could think of but just a groan and then nothing. He called tonight to let me know that he tried again and it started! While it is fairly calm he will add some bleach to his water tanks as it has become moldy and tastes awful.

Still working John Knight in Darwin and David Morris in Cape Cod to route Zac around and through the Coral Sea and the Torres Straits. Please keep this portion of Zac's trip in prayer. It is particulary difficult even if you aren't singlehanding.
Thank you for all the kind words and prayers.
Marianne
posted by Zac at 9:32 PM 42 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, August 21, 2008
ENDURANCE

The wind has been strong (20-25kts) and the waves big (8-12feet) for the past 2 days. I spent some time yesterday before the wind really built up trying to clean the boat because it is getting pretty wet and still smells awful. Because the waves are breaking over the topsides even the tiniest hole is dripping water. I have been able to keep the electronics safe but I now have what seems like about 10 leaks over my bed.

Last night my ship's radar went off about 11pm. The ship wasn't using usual red and green running lights. This light set up helps you to know which direction the boat is going. This ship only had two white lights so I couldn't tell which direction it was heading. There was a lot of lightning around although it wasn't very close to me if counting seconds between the light flash and thunder is accurate. It was pretty eary to be watching out for this ship by the light of lightning. The seas have been confused, coming from different directions. Sometimes 2 waves will come towards each other and slam together. At night when they hit there is a spray of phosphoresence that goes everywhere including on the boat. It is really awesome. I finally got back to bed at 1am. I slept til 3am when my radar alarm sounded - another squall. I am getting very fast at reefing and can get all the sails reefed (shortened) and set in 2 minutes. It used to take me 15!

I slept through the radio net today but I did speak to Moana later this morning. They have caught the first fish. To make things worse it was a 40 pound Yellowfin Tuna. They have so much fish they can't eat it all before it will go bad. They have stopped at the island of Gizo in the Solomon Islands for a week.

Today I had sustained winds of 25 knots for most of the day. I had a squall hit me with 35 knots gusting to 40 knots. I ran up on deck to secure some lines. I didn't have time to put on a shirt. The rain was coming sideways and felt like pins hitting my skin. Before I was able to reef for this squall I was nearly knocked down because I still had so much sail up when it hit. I caught a lot of this on film. I don't know if it can capture how intense it really was though. At one point today I had water in both windows; one side because of being heeled over and the other side because of a huge wave smashing against it.

You could say it has been a rough week. I am so tired and I have to be extra vigilent because there are islands and reefs all around me. I am considering going hove to (Daveh will explain) so I can get some sleep. I have to wait until I am clear of some nav hazards first.

On a positive note, I ate some freeze dried food that my Grandma sent to me in Majuro. It was terriyaki chicken and rice and it was great. I have also been eating power bars and soup trying to keep up on eating because the weather is going to be pretty much the same for awhile as far as I can tell.

Mom says she has asked a lot of people to pray. Thanks for that. The seas have laid down this afternoon so I am hoping to get a good nap before some serious navigating tonight.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:48 PM

Zac Sunderland: The Fish That Got Away

2008-08-18T00:08:00.002-04:00

Saturday, August 16, 2008
Latest Position 0610UTC 17 August 08: 4.27S, 169.52E

Since I crossed the equator I have had great wind and am making a good 6 knot average. The squalls are a lot higher in intensity and speed down here but by now I'm a lot better at judging their intensity and faster at reefing. Moana has had light winds and has been motoring for days on end.
The heat has dissipated a little bit with the increase in wind. It is almost a full moon now and that helps me be able to see squalls at night but its crazy when the black squall clouds block out the moon and everything goes black. There were a lot of squalls last night so I didn't get much sleep.
The wind is lightening now so hopefully I'll have a better night. The wind angle combined with the swells have had Intrepid pushing through a lot of waves. It is like being power washed for 48 hours. Now there is a small leak right over my bed!
I did catch a Barracuda in the early morning but I was too tired to pull it in so I left it for the morning. I got the old barracuda recipe from my mom on the phone and was going to eat it for breakfast but when I pulled it in it was gone along with half of the lure!
I don't think this officially counts as catching a fish but I thought there were people who may be interested to know.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 11:07 PM 16 Comments Links to this post

Friday, August 15, 2008
Zac the Shellback
Latest Position 0337UTC 16August08: 01.55S, 170.18E

So yesterday I had pretty light winds between 4-8 knots on the nose from my rhumbline to my next waypoint. It was a long day of tacking and dodging squalls. I finished rigging up some new lures with metal leaders and new hooks. I'm hoping to pick something up soon.
As the day went on the winds gradually shifted in a direction that I could make good progress toward the waypoint without tacking. I crossed over the equator about 8pm with full sail up going about 7 knots running from a squall with a ship 6 miles off my bow. When I crossed he equator, I filled a cup with rain water, toasted to King Neptune and ran up on deck to reef before the squall hit hard. The squall only had about 25 knots but the rain lowered the visibility to almost nothing which would have been no problem if the ship wasn't so close. The radar is pretty much useless in a squall because it picks up all the rain clouds. The whole radar screen for 8 miles around was the color of a solid object. Luckliy it blew over quickly and the ship passed 3 miles off my beam.

After the squall the wind stayed relatively strong at 15 knots so I left a reef in the main, pulled out full genoa and flew along at 7 knots with no squalls. Being in the Southern Hemisphere is pretty much the same as the Northern so far. I am actually officially in winter now. Winter with 90 dgree weather and way too much humidity. Anyway, I am now a shellback and it feels good to pass another milestone on the way back home.

Cheers,

Zac

PS Yes, Warren I received the fishing gear. Thanks!

PPS Another great article from Pat Reynolds:

http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2008/08/14/columns/nautical_news/nn1.prt
posted by Zac at 9:56 PM 31 Comments Links to this post

Thursday, August 14, 2008
The Doldrums
Latest Position: 0304UTC 15August08 00.12N, 170.51E

Another good day. The sun is so hot here! I haven't had much wind and what I do have is right on the nose. I am happy enough because I don't have any lightning storms. I've had a few squalls but they didn't last long so I still haven't crossed the equator. I'm hoping to cross sometime tonight.

I have been meeting Chris and John off Moana on the radio everyday. They haven't had any wind and haven't crossed the equator either. We are having a bet to see who can catch the first fish. Flying fish (my specialty) don't count. I've been sorting out my tackle today. I've got 2 lines out even though I am really going too slow to troll. I need to try not to be the only person to sail around the world without catching a fish. Thanks Pete!

I tried to get on the Sheila Net from Australia today but wasn't close enough and needed a relay to talk so I decided to wait until I'm a little closer. It is hard to get up by 7:00am to make the Rag on the Air Net. Sorry guys! I'll try again tomorrow. I'm often up in the night so I don't just wake up at dawn anymore.

According to David, current satellite images show quite a few areas of convection nearby but nothing real close. I definitely have been well-guided and protected on my journey. I really have so much to be grateful for. There are way too many people to thank. I couldn't do this trip without everyone who is advising, coaching, encouraging etc.

But for now, I am going 3 knots off course in the blazing hot sun and there is another squall coming that looks like trouble. That is all for today.

Cheers,

Zac

Link to LA Times article (without all the cool pics):
www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-zac14-2008aug14,0,6815518.column

posted by Zac at 5:08 PM

Zac Sunderland: In the Groove Again

2008-08-14T11:54:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Latest Position: 01.17N, 170.47E 0313UTC 2013PDT 14 August 08

(80 miles from the equator)

I'm getting in the groove much quicker on this leg. It helps to have some wind to keep me moving. I've been busy interviewing with different people. I think there will be an article in the LA Times tomorrow in the Sports section that is if they can squeeze me in between the Olympic stories. Pete Thomas has been great to work with.

I had a good night's sleep last night because the wind had died down some. The Clearpoint Weather forecast shows light wind to nothing all around me but I have had a steady 11 knots most of the day and so am moving along pretty well. There haven't been any squalls today but I am ready with my buckets to catch some fresh drinking water. I did see a fishing boat today. I wasn't able to speak to them so I don't know where they were going but it was good to see the AIS radar was still working. Speaking of equipment, my solar panels are putting out more power than the batteries can take. Thanks to Mike Smith and Tom Brown in North Carolina for putting that right. Now as I check my email and talk on the SSB radio, I hope that it stays that way. The sun has been high and hot.

I have been eating well. The day I left, Carla came out to see me off with her grandparents. Her grandmother gave me a basket of drinking coconuts and spongy coconuts and some dried fruit roll that the ancient Marshallese mariners used to take on board their long passages. The drinking coconuts are excellent and have helped my stomach ache. Other than that I have been eating a lot of fruit and some Goober Grape peanut butter and jelly that I scored at the market in Majuro.

Moana is on a different tack from me headed straight for the Solomon Islands. They have no wind and a lot of fuel and so have been motor sailing all day. I am headed straight for the equator and will tack gradually westward once I am 'safely' in the southern hemisphere. There are areas of convection all around me but so far I have only seen one lightning strike and that was pretty far away.

I have been thinking about what I will do when I cross the equator. Chris from Moana is thinking about swimming across. It is so hot here I would really like to jump in but don't worry, I won't. The tradition says that you should offer something to King Neptune who is the Roman version of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. Tune in tomorrow to hear what I decided! I should pass early in my morning.

Cheers,

Zac

Note from Mom:

Two things:

Here is a link to a fantastic photo essay of Zac's week in the Marshalls by photographer Jen Edney:

http://www.vimeo.com/1518420

She also has a great essay on the prearation stage of Zac's trip at:

http://www.vimeo.com/1232030?pg=embed&sec=1232030

Also, the Photo Gallery is up and working on the web site. We will be adding more photos now that a format has been chosen and uploaded to the site. Any comments you have on how they are working would be appreciated.

Good Night!

Zac Sunderland: Squalls, Thunder & Lightning

2008-08-03T21:56:00.002-04:00

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Latest Position 2:46 UTC 07/31/08: 8.26N, 175.39E

Long night with a few squalls and lightning storms. Thankfully, the lightning didn't get too close to Intrepid. I did put the handhelds in the microwave though! A mast is like a huge lightning rod and does attract the lightning. All boats are grounded to the water below but for some reason it doesn't seem to help in the case of on board electronics. Had more squalls off and on during the day which made sleeping difficult. Someone asked if a squall causes a swell? A squall is a small storm system that comes and goes pretty quickly. It usually brings higher winds and sometimes rain and swells (wave action). I think it depends on how far along the squall has been traveling (something to do with fetch). Usually swells are more affected by larger weather systems.

Looks like I am about 2 days out of Majuro. I should be in on Saturday (Friday in America) afternoon and hopefully Greg and Dad will be there before me. I am planning on staying about a week in Majuro. After that, it is still up in the air. There are a lot of factors involved in planning this part of the route with tides, currents, reefs. My Pacific crossing will seem tame compared to this next leg.

I'm sorry for the delay in getting photos on the site. There are many hours of footage and people are working nights to pull everything together at this stage. Hoping to have something excellent to show to Discovery by the end of this week.
posted by Zac at 9:19 PM 40 Comments Links to this post

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Latest Position: 07/30/08 0252UTC and 07/29/08 7:52pmPDT: 9.05N, 178.01E

I am 420 nautical miles from Majuro. As it is already Wedneday here, I am hoping to arrive on Saturday in the early afternoon. Dad and Greg (from Itik Productions) are landing about 10am so hopefully they will be here to see me in. It will be good to get on land again. Some of the locals are organising to see me into the harbor which will be great. Moana is still nearby and we are hoping to be able to enter the harbor together as they don't have any charts of the area. I have a bunch of charts but not much in the way of a detailed cruising guide. They guys in Majuro should be able to guide us in via radio though. The pass seems pretty straight forward with no coral reefs to speak of and deep water all around. Also the channel is very well marked. As long as I make it there during daylight my entry should be relatively easy. If I arrive after dark, I will need to wait untl morning. I will have to pace myself as I get nearer so that I arrive at a good time.

Nothing too exciting today. I did have a squall this morning but it passed next to me. Dave Morris' forecast shows the following:

Satellite imagery shows a larger convective complex developing at 8N 175W,also tracking from east to west, a little faster than the surface flow.Thunderstorms associated with this system are likely to influence Intrepid’sweather over the next 12 hours.

I am a little north of my course anyway so I will beware but looks like Moana, who is further south, will have to be on their guard.

Have been reading Jesse Martin's book Lionheart. This is the book he wrote after his solo, non-stop, unassisted round the world sail. It is a great read. I am also reading several cruising guides and trying to finish Joshua Slocum. I have been eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast and cooking up a 'linner' in the afternoon of something hot. I'll probably try more rice and either canned chicken or tuna tonight. I have a lot of dired fruit, nuts, beef jerky and power-type bars on board. I do remember that Trader Joe's pineapple though. Have to get mom to get me some!

The winds were light this morning and gradually increasing to about 20 knots. The swells are less steep and I have been able to do a little boat surfing today. The angle is very comfortable so I am able to keep the full genoa out and the main with one reef.

All is well here. Really enjoying covering so much ground. Thanks for all the tips and advice!

Cheers,

Zac

Zac Sunderland: Fair Winds

2008-07-28T14:57:00.002-04:00

Sunday, July 27, 2008
Latest Position as of July 27, 2008 at 1810UTC/11:10PDT: 10.59N, 176.35W

The wind settled down some last night so my average speed was only 5 knots. I remember when 5 knots would have seemed like racing along when I was becalmed on the way to Hawaii!
I spoke on the radio with Moana again last night. They had had a nap and were able to tell me more about their squall that blew out their sail. They had been sleeping. It was 9:00 at night. They don't have a radar so they have to keep their eyes out for squalls. A squall hit them suddenly with 30+ knots. They were 'knocked down' which is anytime when your spreaders hit the water. Spreaders are metal bars attached to the mast the 'spread' out the shrouds (the metal lines that hold up the mast. They ran up on deck to release the main sheet (spilling wind out of the main sail). The boat righted itself and they were able to sail along under stay sail alone while they checked the boat for damage. The wind was still blowing at 30 knots. Before they had finished checking things over a gust of wind at over 40 knots hit them and blew out the stay sail, tearing apart at the seams. Made me nervous last night and I really didn't sleep well. I kept getting up to check the sky, radar etc.
I also spoke to Lady Sarah last night. Claire's hand is healing well. They have been hiking and mountain biking around Kauai and having a blast while they wait for their friend to fly out to crew on the way to Vancouver.
On a more mundane note, I cleaned out my fridge yesterday afternoon. It was pretty disgusting. I haven't been able to run it because of my solar panel charging problem.
It's too bad because I finally have an appetite but a lot of my fresh food is moldy except for some fruit (apples and oranges). It must be the heat.
I have also been using these exercise bands. My legs felt pretty weak when I was in Hawaii. I'm afraid of how much weaker I will get along the way. I never asked Jesse (Martin) about that. When he circumnavigated, he went non-stop and was out for almost a year without stepping foot off his boat!
I have been talking with some boaters in Majuro on the SSB radio. It is great to talk to them about the weather and what to expect. They will give Moana and me all the info we need to get into Majuro. Should be about Friday all being well. The Robert Reimers Hotel has offered to put up dad and a few film guys at the hotel for free and are donating the use of a rental car. What amazing generosity! It seems like the Majurans are super friendly. Should be a blast. Dad and I are hoping to do some spear fishing while we're there.
Thanks for the tips on the ipod rescue. Though I had considered getting a haircut about a week ago, it has gotten past the annoying stage and is now actually a good covering for my neck and ears. Sorry Bill!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 2:46 PM 26 Comments Links to this post

Saturday, July 26, 2008
Current Position as of July 26, 2008 at 1802UTC: 12.18N, 174.49W

Have had exceptionally good wind pretty consistantly at 20-25 knots. This makes my job of filling the sails so much easier as I have tospill wind to keep from being overpowered. The swells are becoming more sharp and less like rollers. I have has some incredible speeds flying down thses things - as much as 9.7 knots at one point! It is really awesome moving along like this. My average speed has been between 6.5 and 7.0 knots. I could get more speed out of the boat but it is hard on the rig and requires more maintenance which is too much for a single-hander.
I have been experimenting with my charging ability vs my usage. The wind generator is definitely getting a workout on this leg!
A few people have asked again about how I keep safe on deck when reefing in heavy winds. First of all, all of my lines come back to the cockpit so I don't have to go on deck. If for some reason I have to go on deck I am always wearing a harness and tether which is a line from the harness to the boat. I never take either of them off. I have read of several sailors who have jumped up in the middle of the night to deal with some emergency and realized too late that they aren't clipped on. Also, I 'shorten' sail everynight. This slows the boat down some but helps avoid the problem of getting overpowered while sleeping. The other night when I woke up on my wall, the wind must have picked up gradually because the radar never alerted me to a squall as ususal.
Besides my daily net with Moana, (yes I was hearing them wrong all this time), I am now talking on a South Pacific Net call Rag on the Air that includes many of the islands down here near the Marshalls. I can hear people calling from Fiji as well as Tarawa and the Marshalls. I now talk with Moana several times a day. This morning they told me that they blew out their stay sail and will be detouring to Majuro. I am glad to be able to see them again but it is a bummer about their sail. The stay sail is a smaller sail that is on the bow of the boat. May boats will sail under the main sail and the stay sail inheavy weather. In heavier weather boats will sail under stay sail alone. Moana was sailing under stay sail alone in 30-33 knots of wind last night when the wind began gusting to 40 knots! The heavy wind shredded their stay sail. They are in contact with dad who will hopefully be able to arrange a new sail for them and bring it out to Majuro next week. This story makes me grateful for my new UK Halsey sails. They have been incredible to work with. This is also one of the major reasons, besides better wind, for stopping at Majuro. Majuro has an international airport and has more services for travelers and boaters.
Today I will attempt to repair some leaks around the boat. I don't know how it is possible for my windows to leak! They were just installed.
I also have been using the exercise bands that mom brought to Hawaii. I am afraid to lose too much weight out here. Although I should say that it is very cool out here. It is really warm and balmy all day and night. Even the water and rain are warm. The wind and sea are just awesome to be part of.
I do have some bad news of my own though nothing like that of Moana. A wild swell crashed over the side of Intrepid while I was sleeping last night and sprayed in the small opening I had left in the companionway. It completely soaked my ipod and I'm pretty sure its dead. Better the ipod than the sails.
This is getting long...I will attempt to answer more of your questions now that I am pretty well on a schedule and feeling more energy than when I first set off.

Cheers,
Zac

Note from Mom:
A few people asked if Zac would stop at Johnston Atoll. I knew that he couldn't but wasn't sure why. I got the following info online. Hope it answers a few questions.

Johnston is a coral atoll about 700 mi southwest of Hawaii. It consists of four small islands—Johnston Island, Sand Island, Hikina Island, and Akau Island—which lie on a 9-mile-long reef. The atoll was discovered by Capt. Charles James Johnston of HMS Cornwallis in 1807. In 1858 it was claimed by Hawaii, and it later became a U.S. possession. Johnston Atoll was used by the U.S. Air Force to conduct test launchings of nuclear missiles and contains a landfill of plutonium-contaminated waste. More than four million pounds of chemical weapons have been destroyed on Johnston since 1990, and the U.S. military has been fined several times since then for improperly handing VX and sarin gas and releasing the deadly substances on the atoll. The military is gradually departing and the atoll will be turned into a wildlife refuge. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the atoll's inheritor, is concerned about the possibility of eventual radioactive leakage.

Zac Sunderland: A Great Day for Wind

2008-07-25T13:35:00.002-04:00

Thursday, July 24, 2008
Current Position as of 0233 UTC: 14.18N, 171.11W

A great day for wind today in fact I tightened some screws holding the wires to the wind generator and am getting a better charge out of them. A good thing since I've had between 17-23 knots for most of today. I was actually moving at 8 knots for awhile! I'm making great time and am hoping to be in Majuro, Marhsall Islands by the end of next week. I can't believe I've only been out here for a week since Hawaii. It is really wild out here today. The sky is grey, the swells are growing, the wind is howling and there are white caps all around the boat. I've been trimming the sails all day to keep the wind but not too much wind. Last night around 2:00am (Hawaii time) I woke up because instead of sleeping on my matress, I was sleeping on the wall. When I realized what was going on, that I was heeling over too far, I jumped out of bed and into the cockpit to reef sails. On my way out I made sure to turn on a few cameras. Later today when I looked at the footage I was amazed to see how far I was heeled over and that I was leaning parallel to the kitchen cabinets as if it were nothing. Because of all the rain and spray I finally came down below and closed up the boat. I've never had to do that before. The Monitor windvane that is steering the boat has been working great. Or should I say that I have finally figured it all out. I have bearly had to touch it since leaving Hawaii. I had heard people say that kind of thing in the past but found it hard to believe until now. I tried to reach Mahana today but wasn't able to get through. Sometimes the storm action makes getting a connection difficult. It is great to have Clearpoint Weather to check in on the weather and see what is going on out there and knowing somewhat to expect. I say somewhat because even with this sophisticated peice of equipment, there are small areas of weather (ie squalls) that are different from the general forecast. I spoke with David Morris (meteorologist) today about the current weather and what to expect as I approach Majuro and on into the southern hemisphere. Looks like the adventure is only beginning!
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 8:15 PM

Zac Sunderland: 7 Squalls in One Morning

2008-07-23T17:00:00.003-04:00

Monday, July 21, 2008
Current Position as of 0300UTC: 18.10N, 165.52W

OK well last night went pretty well as far as sleep goes. I had three small squalls through the night all under 30 knots, one of which brought a really heavy rain for about 20 minutes. This morning around 4:30 I had a pretty bad looking squall pass about half a mile away. After the morning series of 7 squalls within 10 miles had passed I crashed for an hour or so till the wind picked up and I got thrown out of my bunk. That's always a fun wake up call. Yes, Dad, I should have taken care of it earlier. I got up and went to find some screws to hold my new lee cloth in place (this is the piece of canvas that holds you in your bunk when you are in rough seas). I had a new one made in Hawaii but because I wanted to get moving I agreed to install it myself while underway. When I was done fastening the lee cloth I wasn't tired any more so I threw some music on and spent a couple hours cleaning the boat and rearranging all my new provisions. It's amazing how a couple squalls can turn the inside of a boat upside down. Then I hung up a couple of posters that I got in Hawaii and checked email. Halfway through I glanced at the clock and saw I was 10 minutes late for my radio net with Mahana. I shut off the computer and got on the radio and and hailed them. There was a lot of static on the frequency so after the third hail with no response I shut off my wind generator and the static went a way. I finally got through to them. All was well with them; they have had very similar experiences to me with squalls and rain. They also had caught a small wahoo but before they noticed, a shark had come up and bit it in half. I got off the radio and finished getting some emails and did some sail trim to get the boat sailing a bit better. Looks like I'm going to have good wind for the night. But hey who knows what I'll have in an hour - the weather changes pretty fast out hear.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:03 PM 44 Comments Links to this post

Sunday, July 20, 2008
Current Position as of 0300UTC: 18.51N, 163.52W

A slower day today but the swells are mellowing out which means good sleeping. I am feeling much better after getting more sleep and getting back in to 'power nap' mode. I ate mostly fruit again today but will pump up the old alcohol stove and make something hot tonight. Speaking of the stove, there were a lot of questions about it a while back. Basically, we thought we would have to replace it until one night back in Marina del Rey, this Aussie guy named JP came down the dock and asked if there was anything he could do to help. Dad set him to work on the stove. He did such a good job and since we had replaced nearly everything else on the boat, we decided to keep it. In fact he did such a good job we put him to work most evenings after that. JP is a top guy and volunteered a ton of time even though he is getting his own boat ready to cruise back to OZ. So the stove story is not really very exciting but that's the story.
More squalls today. I saw at least 15 on the radar throughout the day but only passed through 5-6 of them. They weren't as intense as the squalls yesterday. They had mostly around 20 knots of wind. They do look ominous on the horizon though. Today I saw one that was thick black right down to the water. We never made contact, thank God. The weather is definitely a lot different on this leg. It really does keep me on my toes.
I spoke with Mahana today on the SSB. They are doing hull speed (the fastest your boat is designed to go). They are headed a little further south than me and are still about 200 miles away. Lady Sarah is still in Kauai and must be out of radio range now or is too busy to get on the radio. My forecast looks good for the next few days. The wind should be steady and is building a little even now. The swells have calmed down which makes for a more comfortable ride. I cleaned up after myself today and sorted through some of my winter clothes that I won't be needing for quite awhile. The clothing company Volcom had noticed that I was wearing a Volcom shirt somewhere and generously donated a box of cool clothes. Dad will bring it with him to the Marshalls.
So, not much else today. I know there are some questions I need to answer but will hope to get to them tomorrow. No visitors - no problem.
Cheers,
Zac

Note from Mom:
I thought it might be fun for anyone who is interested to send Zac a letter or postcard from wherever you are to Majuro. I think it takes about 5 days for a letter to get there. He should be there in 2 weeks and stay for about 5 days max. Here is the address:

Yacht Intrepid
Mr. Zac Sunderland
Poste Restante
Majuro, MH 96960
USA
posted by Zac at 9:23 PM