5-26-95

Right now I'm about 200 miles west of San Francisco aboard the Sailing Vessel Fanfare. I'm Sailing with the owner Richard Wriggly. He purchased the boat from me last September with this trip in mind. I don't know if he is satisfied with the way things have gone, but we are eight days into a trip that is to last several months and despite some rather unpleasant circumstances we are committed to its completion regardless of either one of our personal differences.

After getting a late start at fixing the boat up, Richard increased the number of alterations to the vessel without moving the deadline forward. To tell the truth I don't know how I got so involved in this project. I guess that I opened my mouth too many times and said, "I can do that.", or ," That's not hard to do I'll help you do that." I did not realize until it too late for me pull out that Richard does not do anything unless there is no other way to get it done. At that point he is actually quite capable. But until then he is too busy to actually do it himself.

Anyway, I suffered through all that and was actually quite satisfied with the way things ended up. We departed Port Townsend May 5th. One month late from our intended departure. Our spirits were high and all was well. We were only about three miles out of the harbor when a pipe on an oil line broke on the engine and all the oil in the engine was pumped into the bilge. There was no low pressure alarm so the engine seized up. What a blow. It took the spirit out of me. It was a bad sign, and I took it for a bad sign. I should have walked away at that moment and started something else. But, feeling guilty that the fault was mine, I told Richard that I would give him one thousand dollars toward a used engine and install it for no charge.

Richard went off to do what he does best. Talk on the phone, think, and make decisions. I began to remove the seized engine from the boat. I figured that if I could get the old one out in one day, (which was quite a job), then I could get the new one installed in three days. I actually did get the old Ford dismantled and everything out of the boat, (except the transmission and the block), in one day.

We sailed the boat back into Port Townsend Friday evening. By Saturday evening I was ready to pull the engine block out, but I did not have any place to put it and I needed to use a hydraulic lift to do the actual removal. I figured I would spend Sunday going back to West Seattle and getting my pickup truck. I'd be back in Port Townsend late Monday morning. By that afternoon I'd have all the parts out of the boat and the engine room ready for the new engine.

By Saturday evening Richard had lined up two possible engines. One was a brand new 30 bhp Yanmar with a prop and everything. The price was higher than he wanted to pay and the power was half that of the old engine. But it was here and it could be in and ready to go by Friday. He balked at the price and he balked at the power. The other prospect was a 55 bhp Isuzu that supposedly had only 25 hours on it. It needed a transmission but we could use the one from to Ford.

Richard's wife came over with their mini-van Sunday. We spent Sunday and Monday driving around talking to people about engines and looking at a few. It was all very discouraging to me, but Richard seemed in his element. The Yanmar was all there but it was very small. We then drove out to Silverdale to look at the Isuzu. It was horrible looking and I immediately said, "no way lets not waste out time." So, we took off for Seattle in search of a replacement.

Richard had faith in the word of the owner of the Isuzu and thought that it was just cosmetic; i.e., nothing a little clean-up wouldn't fix. He talked to a shop in Ballard that said they would go over it to make sure it had compression and that it would run etc.. To make a long story short after a few days wasted in Seattle we went back to Port Townsend, pulled the Ford out of the boat and hauled it over to a friend of mine's house for storage. Then we picked up the Isuzu from Silverdale and dropped it off at the shop in Ballard. We then spent a few more days going around in circles trying to get everybody to stop what they were doing and help us. Turned out the Isuzu was a piece of junk. No problem, Richard had found a guy in Kent that could rebuild a Perkins 4-108 and ship it to us in Hawaii. We pulled an old 8 hp Renault engine out of Richard's basement and installed that one the boat to use as a generator.

5-27-95

We are at 36°26' N and 130°12' W. We are not going any where very fast, as the wind has died to nothing. The GPS still has us moving at about 2.5 kts but it sure doesn't look like it.

Fanfare departed Port Townsend unceremoniously on the 19th of June. At about nine in the morning we untied the line to the dock and immediately blew into the boats across from us. We scraped a bit of paint off the bow and injured our pride a bit but other than that all went well. We sailed out of the harbor, into Discovery Bay, around Point Hudson, and out of the Sound.

We rode the Ebb out as far as Port Angeles then slowly worked our way out of the Straits of Juan de Fuca. It took two days to make it around Cape Flattery, but once out in the Pacific Ocean we progressed very quickly. Until that is, today.

No wind all day long. I filmed Richard doing some stuff on deck. He raised the Spinnaker. For all his professed ability to think things out he seems to have a bit of a hard time figuring fairly simple things through but he does try hard. I sense that he wants me to look up to him. I can understand that, I also would like for him to see the good in me and look up to me. We talked quite a bit today. I learned a bit more about him. Apparently he is a conceptual designer. He has done some resort areas in some third world countries. He is older now and on the slide.

5-28-95

We hit a patch calm winds. It sounds weird but a series of high pressure zones are lined up to the west of us and it looks like we could be in this no wind situation for some time. I hate sailing with other people. This trip reinforces in me the desire to either sail with a woman that knows absolutely nothing about sailing or to sail alone. But to sail with a man that knows nothing, but believes that he can figure out through reason the way to get from Seattle to Hawaii, well it is difficult for me. I don't like to yell or force my way. Richard is relentless in pursuing his way. He wont let up. On the south from Cape Flattery I told him that we should be about 100 miles off shore, but during his shifts at the wheel he managed to get us out 250 miles. That was fine while conditions were right, we blasted along. But, I knew it would not last. A actually steered us East quite allot during my stints at the wheel. When we got to the Latitude of San Francisco Richard wanted to turn even more west. I resisted, but again he would steer the boat the way he wanted to go.

I hate to make it look like he is the bad guy here, for I did allow it to happen. I could have been a jerk and told him to steer the way I tell and don't argue. But there was a small chance that the weather would allow us to go this direction. In effect I was an accomplice in this decision. If I had forced my way he would have bitched and moaned and whinnied about how we should have gone his way, about how much further ahead we would have been.

Example: Just this morning I went out and looked at the sails and ideally said, " We should take the boom off the spinnaker." Richard replied, "Oh no, it is fine the way it is." That kind of interaction normally would not bother me except for the fact that Richard wanted me along for this trip because I had experience and I assume because my opinion was worth something. But the fact is that none of my opinions have been used unless they are obvious. Ones of the nature of; "Put the line in the block the other way you've got it going in the wrong way."

I told him the other day that I could not work with him on the engine installation, and that he should hire someone to install it. He was a bit shocked but did not say anything to me about it. I think he knows me well enough to know that all he has to do is wait until I'm in a good mood and I might agree to install it anyway. He is good at passive aggressive techniques. Besides I don't know what I'll do instead. Hawaii is fairly expensive. I do want to get this project out of the way. But working with him is mind numbingly frustrating. I'm off for now.

It's about 2300 right now. We had a great day. Not much wind but very smooth sailing. At one point we had five sails up. The Yankee, Stays'l, Main, Mizzen Stays'l, and Mizzen. Later we had to take it all down and put the spinnaker up. We went faster but it wasn't as pretty. We also had a beautiful sunset. I ran the generator for two hours this evening, and should run it for another two hours tomorrow. We lost a bit of diesel fuel as the Renault had a broken fuel line that has been leaking for quite some time now. I suspect that we might have lost at most ten gallons. There is still a lot of fuel in the bilge. I have to find away to get it out of there without using too much soap. I repaired the line with the cover to an ink pen and a bunch of electrical tape.

Richard stubbed his toe on a shackle yesterday and has been complaining about it all this afternoon. I made a nice spaghetti dinner this evening that was enjoyed by the whole crew. The weather fax has been working great. I'm beginning to get it figured out. It is nice to have all these toys to play with. It is almost midnight so I'm hitting the sack.

29 May 95

We had a pretty good day today. The wind turned around to the North instead of from the West as it has been for the last couple of days. An albatross has been following us for three days now. It is a small one. It brings a bit of joy to our solitude.

Richard and I have had quite a few interesting conversations mostly about politics, economics, and Richard. I add a bit of my life when I can, but living a simple life of fishing and dealing with people on a level other than that of business is not as interesting to Richard as telling me about all the important things he has done, important people he has talked to, and the important places he has been. I feel as though I am a therapist. Maybe I will take that stance tomorrow. I will only as him questions. Let's face it, he is here for time-off. He does not need me antagonizing him, and baiting him. I need an attitude adjustment with regard to how I picture Richard. I can't view him as a self-absorbed lonely guy I need to see him as worthy of my friendship. Without letting him use me. When I say "use me" I mean, at some level I need to recognize the needs of my own Ego. I know that I don't care to be at the beck and call of someone else, but my need to have others think highly of me (like me), sometimes clashes with my need for independence. This is all bull shit. I just get pissed off when he expects me to do stuff for him that's all.

He is in the galley right now cooking up some dinner. I'm sure it is a chore because there is a great big swell coming out of the North West the is giving us quite a ride right now. The auto pilot is doing a good job. It is definitely being worked hard.

I filmed Richard cooking dinner which is a farce because he has never done it before. Except for heating up a can of soup. He made a great production of his culinary debut, giving a narration and such. The meal turned out to be good. So, now he won't be able tell me he can't cook. I'm going to work on getting a fax now.

While I was down below playing with the fax, a nice big swell turned us into the wind and the extra pressure on the spinnaker parted the halyard up at the mast head. We hauled the sail out of the water and back on board. Then put up the Main sail and the small stays'l. Now we are barreling along at 6 knots on a south heading. The auto pilot is working valiantly but is slipping quite a bit. I may have to hand steer it for a while.

30 May 95

A ship darn near ran us down last night. I saw it coming from a long way off. And at one point it appeared that they turned right toward us. I finally contacted them on the VHF and asked them if they saw us and to let them know that we were here. He told me that, Yes he saw us and not worry he would avoid us. Then he continued to get closer. By that time I had turned Fanfare off course, but it had to be up to him to avoid hitting us. In the end he came within a couple of hundred yards. It wasn't scary but it was annoying. He saw our red Navigation light and had plenty of time to go behind us. Oh, well.

I finally washed my hair this morning. I went as long as I could. I could take it no longer. I also washed my upper body. It was a bit chilly to do it morning, as the weather is overcast, and blowing from the North with fair intensity. Once we get into the Trade Wind situation it will be nice to take a shower with the solar shower.

31 May 95

I slept until 1000 this morning. I'm getting lazy. Two weeks into the trip and it looks like another two weeks to go. Yesterday Richard and I got into a conversation about gun ownership. He is against it and my arguments for it even though they made sense to me could not penetrate his prejudice. He even got a bit mad at me, ( a first), and told me that he did not want to discuss the subject anymore.

I found the walkman that Julia gave to the boat, so now I'm listening to Tanya Tucker. Finally I'm have escaped the boat.

The winds are very weak today. We are just drifting alone. There is a confusion of swells from different directions; remnants of past or far off storms. The battery situation is strange. Yesterday, Richard could not be heard on the Radio due to low battery power. The alternator doesn't seem to be charging very fast or with much power. The maximum amperage that it has put out has been around 10 amps. It tested out at 60 amps. I suspect that the internal regulator is tuned too low. Oh, well it will have to do for the trip to Honolulu. I'm not going to mess around in the engine room. We will just have to run it for longer periods of time.

Two weeks to go. Then two to four weeks in Honolulu. Then six weeks to Japan. Then two weeks in Japan. Then...?

The filming of this trip is bothering Richard. The Japanese want film of life on the boat. Richard has an interest in having film taken. I am not particularly interested in being Richard's personal photographer. But Richard sure doesn't want the film to of me. I can see it in his facial expressions. He needs film, but he doesn't want me to be in the lime light. I don't need film. I don't want to film. Especially when He doesn't do anything but the film will be of him doing everything. I will not be a part of it. Next subject.

June 1, 1995

The batteries are not holding up the way they should. The oil topped ones, I think, are losing their holding capacity. We just need to run the charging system more often and for longer periods of time. Other than that everything seems to be holding up.

June 2, 1995

I had a hard time stating the Generator this afternoon. Eventually I had to open a propane bottle and let the engine's air intake suck the propane into the combustion chamber before it would fire. It did work. I would have used starting fluid but we don't have any. I went up the main mast this afternoon and fed the spinnaker halyard back though the block at the top of the mast. The boat was bouncing around quite a bit so it was a good ride. Richard went up the mast first, but he could not reach the block. I have not been up there in a long time, so I took time to check everything out. The rigging all looks pretty good, etc. Richard hoisted up the video camera and I took some shots of the boat and the horizon. When the camera got down to the deck Richard took some pictures of me but he only took about 30 seconds of film.

We have less than 1000 mile to go. We should be in Honolulu by the 14th for sure. I called Barbara today. She sounded awfully surprised to hear from me. But I had left a message on her recorder to days ago saying that I would call back. Oh well. It did not sound like she wanted to go to Honolulu for a week. But you never know. It would be nice if she did. If she doesn't do this it could be the end of our relationship. The relationship is pretty strained as it is so it could be the end of it anyway. But then again I am willing to give it another go, maybe we can work it out. That's all for today.

June 3, 1995

Unbelievable. The boom broke last night. I got up in the middle of the night because it sounded like the main had backed. Sure enough it had. I loosened the preventer and the vang but the boom would not come over. The next thing I know, the boom broke in half at the spot where the vang was attached. Apparently the jam cleat on the vang jammed. With all the pressure of the wind on that one point the boom naturally gave way right there. Richard and I worked on taking everything down. We tried to sail the Main loose footed but it just would not work. We ended up bringing it down and putting up the Yankee. I wish we had brought one of the Genoa's. The Yankee is a bit too small to push us fast enough and the spinnaker is just too big and light for sailing in this squally weather.

When I got up this morning there were rain squalls on the windward horizon. We had planned to rise the spinnaker this morning, then work on repairing the boom. Right now the boat is rocking madly. I hate to put the spinnaker up if the squalls hit us with heavy wind.

Richard's restaurant is not doing well at all. I'm worried that the checks he gave me are not covered. I even asked him about that. He said, "They'll be god some time." I had to laugh out loud.

We have a bunch of epoxy so, we do have the means to glue the boom back together. We will have to wait for the sun to dry the boom ends now that it has rained. If the squally weather abates we can run with the spinnaker the rest of the way to Honolulu. What a way to come into town. No engine and no main. Richard is getting his adventure. I'm just worried that I wont get my cash.

I feel almost as depressed as when the engine crapped out on us. I mean it is a major blow to lose an engine and the Main boom. I remember seeing a boom just like this one, at Honolulu. That was two years ago, but you never know it may still be around. The good thing is that I have repaired this boom before and I do know how to do it. When it comes down to it, all we need is a pole long enough to span the length of the foot.

Unbelievable as it sounds, we epoxied the boom back together. Right now it is about 2240 hours and the boom is clamped together sitting across the cockpit. We had a beautiful day of spinnaker sailing and fine weather for boom repair. Tomorrow we shall see if the main sail is up to it. As of this moment we are blasting along at about 6.5 knots in about 20-25 knots of wind. Richard broke open his 20 year old scotch this evening and we drank about half of it. We also tasted a bottle of the beer. Richard set up the camera on the forward hatch cover and we filmed dinner and then we filmed our tasting of a bottle of the cargo. Richard had positioned the camera so that I was not in the picture, so I had to reposition it to include me in the shot. Sometimes he can be such a whore.

June 7

We have not tried the glued boom yet as there has been only down wind sailing, and the Yankee seems to doing a more than adequate job. The seas are very choppy, so much so that the poor auto pilot needs help. This means that someone has to be up to lend a hand. We are still doing the four hours four hours off routine. This is getting very old. The motion is particularly annoying and the monotony of assisting the auto pilot is wearing on my nerves. Richard just now flew across the galley and slammed into the toilet door. No harm done to either. But it does illustrate the violence of the rolling and the difficulty of doing everyday tasks with which we must deal with. It is so difficult to just stand around or walk around that I find myself in one of two positions; sitting at the wheel or sitting in bed. Anything else is subject to immediate change due to a moving boat underneath ones self.

It is beginning to get muggy. It was cool but humid last night. This morning it is warm and humid. I have a feeling that this afternoon it will be hot and humid. Richard is looking petty tired lately, but we still manage to have an hour or two of lively discussion in the afternoon. Tempers have not flared. All in all Richard is a good shipmate.

The Renault is giving me trouble. It will not start without a splash of gasoline down the air intake. The auto-pilot is working so hard that it draws more power than is typical, plus I don't think the batteries are in good shape. My shift is just beginning and I don't usually start the generator on my shift because Richard can't sleep in the aft cabin with it running. I guess the exhaust sneaks in there.

We are down to only two rolls of toilet paper. Thank God we only have a few more days to go.

I have been trying to make a plan for what to do after the delivery is over. ( I really hope that these check are good.) I do not want to have to own and or bring the Fanfare back to the states. It would be nice to sight see around Japan for a week or two, then go over to China. Maybe there is something that I can find to import to the East from the West. I'll have to start keeping a list of Ideas. I'll put them in the Notes portion of the windows program.

The importation of Natural Beef into Japan, or computers into China from Japan. I don't know. There has to be something I can do while I'm over there. Computers from Japan to Russia. Chinese diesel engines into the US. I would also like to go to Vietnam and Hong Kong. I want to see what is going on out there. Why does the United States seem so screwed up. I've got to make myself something to eat then I'll think some more.

It is now 1400. It's hot. It's humid. Richard is talking about the next leg of the trip. The words tropical cyclone and typhoon come out of his mouth easily. There is no fear. It is the talk of ignorance. A phrase comes to mind," Fools go where angels fear to tread." It is possible to make it there in less than six weeks but I doubt it. Over.

It is now 1700. I had started the generator earlier, ( at about 1430). Richard shut the generator down about ten minutes ago. I was planning on running it extra long today to see if I could get the voltage up to fourteen. I asked Richard, ( sort of passive aggressively ) about shutting off the generator. I hadn't realized that he was slowly going mad out there in the cockpit. The auto-pilot noise the generator noise the noise of the rigging slapping around with the windless swells, and the rolling around of gear in the boat had combined with the particularly nauseating exhaust fumes that collected in the cockpit enclosure, and the stifling heat of an extremely humid day had grated upon his nerves till something had to give. So he shut the generator down turned off the auto-pilot and made himself a couple marmite sandwiches. All is well on the Fanfare now, but it was close to mutiny.

June 7, 95

We put the Spinnaker up this morning. The wind has calmed down some what and the swells also are a bit less choppy. The sun is out in all its radiant fierceness. I have some sun burn on my shoulders from working on the deck yesterday. I have no yet started the generator today. I should because the batteries seem to be low. The inverter that I plug the computer into beeps when the voltage drops to low. I have figured an easy way to get the generator started. I put a bit of gasoline into a spray bottle, then as Richard turns the starter over I spray a little into the air intake. She kicks over quickly doing that. I only worry that I don't blow the head gasket or punch a hole into a cylinder using the gasoline.

I've been reading a lot of books, and thinking about the future. Chile, (as in the country,) has an appeal to me. It sounds god to say that I'm going to go to Chile. China sounds like a nice stop also. I can get a one week rail pass for Japanese rail travel. And there is a ferry to China. Something to think about. I believe that I would like to travel around mainland China for a week or two. Then go on down to Vietnam and on to Thailand. I could just keep going east, into Bangladesh and India. Then onto Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia and Eastern Europe. Maybe even down to Africa. I need to get some business cards printed up in Hawaii. Richard started a non-profit organization called the American Institute of Human Engineering and Development. I like the sound of that. You can present your card to someone and if you have that printed on it you are seen as a non-bum. I'm are doing research. That's it. I can go around asking questions, and trying to come up with solutions to problems using appropriate technology and traditional native social and economic resources. I've got my computer to write down stuff. What I need is a place to publish stuff. Maybe some publication like Mother Earth Magazine.

The American Institute of Appropriate Technology and Human Development.

The American Institute of Appropriate Technology and Human Development A non-profit organization Brien G. Hamilton : Research Engineer

That could be my Business card. I like it. I'll have a couple of hundred printed up while I'm in Honolulu

It is now 2130 of the clock, Seattle time. I've had three shots of scotch whiskey and I'm feeling pretty good. The wind is blowing 20 kts ENE and we are right on track. Our speed is an incredible 7 kts steady. The end is not in sight but the mid point is. I don't know what I'm going to do about the engine installation. Even though I told Richard that I wasn't going to do it I think he assumes that I am. The first thing that I have to do is cash the checks that I have. If they don't go though then....? We shall see.

I filmed Richard as he was calling his wife on the radio-telephone. That should be a thrill for all the viewers. Got to go.

June 8, 95

0315 Richard just went to the rack about a half an hour ago. We had an interesting discussion from about 0100 to 0230. He gave me his view of what life was or is. This is what I gather he said.

"Instead of souls, being within individuals, the life force of humans consists of a connection to a stream of potential. Bodies are controlled by the physical, i.e.; the organs that are within. The ( essence ) of life comes from outside."

I tried to get him to explain this concept to me in terms that I could understand, and I posed some questions in order to further clarify his meaning. He did not like the idea of individual souls inhabiting a body. He likened a soul, ( his understanding of what others believe a soul to be,) to a distinct packet isolated from the rest of the universe and having a center with boundaries. I asked him what he thought created separate individuals. He answered the he didn't believe there was such a thing. Next I asked him why then can I only see though my eyes and not see through his eyes or through every persons eyes for that matter. "Why then are you in there and me in here. If there is no individual then why can't you be me and I be you. What is the mechanism for continuity of consciousness. He didn't have and answer for that question, but seemed to imply that it was possible for him to be external from himself. We are on a sail boat so I asked him if he thought he could be with an inanimate object. He said that he could be. I asked if he thought he could be within me. He said that it was possible. This sounded ridiculous to me, and I suppose that my tone of voice began to sound a bit condescending.

"What." I cried, " You can't be within me." He claimed that he could. "O.K. then make my arm move." I said, as I held my arm out straight. Of course he could not do it, so instead of back tracking and clarifying his meaning he chose to attack my need for proof. He claimed that my desire for proof was the same limiting need that drives the blindness of religion. I countered that his belief without the support of proof was indeed Faith. " Faith, is the fundamental element of religion." I told him.

At this point communication had broken down and we were bickering. He could not handle the energy of my argument but instead chose to view it as violence. I don't think that he is used to people questioning his statements. At one point I had to tell him not to patronize me. I do think that he has thought about some of this stuff to a certain degree but I honestly believe that I am beyond him. I have already dispersed with those trivial belief systems as being not meaningful. Explanations are just fluff. I need enlightenment.

I'm getting a head ache

June 9,95

Time: 1650 hr's.

The generator is running, it has been for about two hours now. The batteries are up pretty good. I should tell Richard that he can shut it down now, but I'll wait until I finish with the computer. Some times the inverter doesn't have enough supply voltage to charge the computer batteries.

I washed my hair and faze last night. I really needed that. It was getting to where I could hardly stand it. We are making incredible time; a constant 7 knots in the correct direction. It looks like we could arrive in Honolulu by Sunday afternoon. That would be great. I could go into town early Monday morning and cash these checks that I'm holding from Richard.

Richard and I have not spoken much today. I'm not up for another battle, and I'm receiving a lot of weird vibes from him. I think that he is pissed off about last nights discussion and is looking for an opening for a good put down toward me. I'm not in to it. after reading what I wrote last night it sounds petty and foolish. But I did drink about a third of a fifth of scotch whiskey and Richard did drink two bottles of his extra strong beer.

I saw a ship this afternoon. It looked like a big tanker. It seemed to coming at us. Then it appeared to veer East then later it changed direction again to come across our bow. Then it changed again and went away from us on an apparent track toward Hawaii. It's movement was definitely curious, so I turned on the VHF radio thinking that they believe us to be in trouble. I didn't attempt to call them, and I never heard from them. The vessel eventually disappeared ahead of us in the same direction in which they appeared. Maybe they had a break down and returned to Hawaii.

Richard has been hand steering for about three hours now. He has been doing very good. The auto-pilot just react fast enough, and when it does it either goes to far or not far enough. These following seas are rough on Navico.

For some strange reason I'm not looking forward to getting off the boat in Hawaii. I would not mind if we just continued going toward Japan. But alas, we need an engine and food, not forget the Japanese film crew that is going to be there to document the occasion. If we end up anchoring in front of Wakiki beach I think that I'll stay aboard and wait for the morning. Richard can go ashore an spend money.

Time: 2200

We had another beautiful sunset. The Moon was already up high in the sky to the east. Clouds surrounded the orange-yellow globe to the west. Shafts of golden light illuminated the salt air beneath the clouds, creating an incredible spoked wheel of majestic splendor. Sea gull have arrived. The albatross no longer follow us. Schools of flying fish break the surface of the choppy sea. They remind me of quail dashing for a new hiding place after being disturbed. I've Ben finding a few flying fish and squid on the deck of the boat in the mornings, but not enough to make a half a meal out of. Good night.

June 10, 95

Time: 1440

It is Saturday. The auto-pilot finally started going bad. It sounds like it did before it went completely useless that time going across the Gulf of Alaska. One day of hand steering will not kil us. We should be in Honolulu in about 30 hrs. The spinnaker is up, the seas are choppy and confused. I didn't sleep much last night, due to the fact that I drank a big mug of strong tea. I listened to the auto-pilot grinding away. I wish I could record it here. Some times in the middle of the night I wake-up thinking that Richard is choking and trying to clear his throat, but it is just Navico laboring away at the helm.

The brand new spinnaker is getting beat up. The New Yankee jib is also getting a bit worn in places. The new main sail is dirty, and doesn't have a sail cover. The stays'l doesn't have a sail cover either. I can see that this here boat is falling to pieces. The aluminum port lights are corroding badly in places. The water tank is loose some where; it makes one heck of a creak and grown on certain sailing conditions. Water is coming in from some where. I'd like to find that one out before we take off for Japan. The amount of water coming in is not enough to worry about but it is annoying.

The spinnaker had a stainless steel pendant attached to the tack so that the foot of the sail was above the pulpit. The S.S. pendant was rubbing on the rolled up Jib and wearing quite badly. I spliced up a rope pendant to replace it. It is working fine right now but an eye must be kept on. It may wear against the roller furling drum and part. Gotta sleep, bye.