Zeno's Arrow - Hawaii Bound (hopefully)

[maddmike]

OK Guys,

Signing out until I can get to an Internet Cafe in Phnom Penh in a couple of days.

MM

[elia]

If you need inspiration here are three links to the voyages of Gerry Spiess. The first link is synopsis of his voyage across the Atlantic. Links two & three cover the first half (long beach to Honolulu) of his voyage from Long Beach CA to Sydney Australia.

Both of the voyages were completed in "Yankee Girl" a 10-foot plywood sailboat that he built in his garage.

http://marlinbree.com/work6.htm

http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_b ... egirl1.htm

http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_b ... eegirl.htm

[Wayneoh]

May you have steady winds and a safe journey.

[Kelly Hanson East]

I have to give Gerry credit for meticulously planning, outfitting, and executing that Pacific crossing, but the thought of sailing with 54 gallons of fuel in plastic jugs in the bilges gives me the jeebies.

[pokerrick1]

That's why he's going and we're NOT!

He DA MAN

Rick

PS You DA MAN EAST

[maddmike]

The more research and planning you do, the better your odds. Unfortunately, the really good planners usually don't get much press, often becuase nothing goes wrong to a point not planned for; thus not drawing much media interest. I spent a great deal of time researching accounts and journals of various polar explorers in the Scott Polar Rearch Institute archives, while doing my time at Cambridge. The reality was that the really good planners, for the most part, remain more or less unknown (anyone hear of William Spears Bruce? likely the most 'successful' Antarctic explorer-l suspect not, because everything that went wrong on his expeditions were more or less planned for and addressed ahead of time) Scott, Shackleton, Mawson, had epic survival stories, while about the same time Bruce was able to 'prevent' circumstances from evolving into 'life or death' adventures. Some through good luck, more through good planning.

The golden rule seems to be: With good luck anyone can look good, But when the unexpected comes your way, it's best to be very good, rather than depend on luck.Me, I'd rather be Lucky, good, and well prepared within the limits set by the quest.

MM

off Rabbit Island Cambodia

[dennisneal]

Mike,

OK, I'm a newbie. I've tried to locate photos of your highly modified 26X on the internet, but the links to photos seem to have disappeared. I've read some of your logs but, alas, no photos.

I understand you've rigged inflatable outriggers, along with a whole bunch of other Mods.

Can you direct me to a site for photos?

In the meantime:

Fair winds! You have at least several hundred Macgregor owners who are pulling for you!

Dennis

[Don T]

Hello Maddmike,
I confess that I have secretly wanted to plan / sail to Hawaii on my Mac. I ran through the mental exercises of equipment, supplies, mods to the boat and personal conditioning. I am envious that you get to undertake such an adventure and looking foward to following your progress.

Armchair adventurer,
Don

[elia]

I have been in the planning stage for a trip across the East Coast Pond for about 2 years now, and I am using the book detailing Gerry's Atlantic Crossing as a tool to help me. I will be starting my voyage in about 4 or 5 years, I retire in 3 years.

If you are planning to take an extended voyage on any large body of water I would suggest that you get a copy. It is well worth what ever price you pay. The thought, logic, and detail he put into planning his trip is astounding. If you do want a copy try eBay that is where I got my copy for $3.50. It is even autographed by Gerry.

My wife who was dead set against me sailing the Atlantic begrudgingly gave my trip her blessings after reading the book (knowing that I am using it as a reference). She still won’t come with me; She plans to fly over and meet me on the West Coast of Scotland which will be my first Ireland.

[bastonjock]

... My wife who was dead set against me sailing the Atlantic begrudgingly gave my trip her blessings after reading the book (knowing that I am using it as a reference). She still won’t come with me; She plans to fly over and meet me on the West Coast of Scotland which will be my first Ireland.

elia,do you intend to make Scotland or Ireland your first landing and are you going to do it in a mac??

Theres a pub on St Kilda,i think thats the closest watering hole to the USA/Canada,rockall is a rock and the flannan isles are uninhabited,well they were the last time i was there

[elia]

Yes I will be sailing my Mac. I have the fast one so it shouldn't take that long! LOL

Scotland will be my first landfall. Don't know how I got Ireland in there. My tentative planning has me following the gulfstream to northern Scotland, and from what I just saw on the map I very well may stop in on that pub.

I spent quite a few years at Holy Loch (off the clyde) while in the Navy I am a Submariner, and have taken the family over there for a vacation. We will spend a good amount of time there exploring the coast as well as renting a vehicle and exploring more of the highlands.

The nice part is that since I will be retired there is no rush to get back to the job.

[bastonjock]

make sure that you keep us posted on that one ,the base at dunoon is no longer there,but those stunning mountains are.

Ive sailed a bit around the west coast,my buddies have been doing it almost every weekend for 25 years,if you get lucky and the sea is kind,go for a walk in fingals cave.

St Kilda is a military base,but as long as you have your service card with you,im pretty sure that they will serve you a beer or three.If you want local info on the western coast of scotland,try the "clyde cruisers" they have pilot gides for the area that are a combination of local knowledge,there are a multitude of free anchorages,there are sea lochs that you can tavel down and find a distillery at the end of them,as for marinas,the most Northerly one i have been to is at Oban,then there are quite a few around the clyde,The tiny island of Eigg will give you a welcome,there are not many people living there but there is a Tea Room at the bay/harbour.

ill post a link to my photos of sailing the west coast

[mighetto]

OK Guys,

Signing out until I can get to an Internet Cafe in Phnom Penh in a couple of days.

MM

Hi Mad Mike

First, thanks for the Sailing Anarchy Work. You did great and I think I took most of the arrows, though you took a few. That is the way of the pioneers. Second, no wonder I am getting phone calls and dealer encouragement to get back on line. Third, lets seriously discuss your trip to Hawaii.

Along those lines, why go with a carbon fiber mast? Do not these masts still splinter, making them useless in a jury rig. The Max 26x was designed with a mast where both the boom and mast are made from the same stock. That means that should a mast ever go down, a jury rig - even by using the boom is feasible. Carbon fiber masts are for Tasars and Tigers and not ocean crossing by my way of thinking. Many mini transat soloists think the same. The use of the same aluminum stock for mast and boom, as well as the rudder mechanisms being visible topside comes from those mini transats.

If you are going to use the carb, are you going to carry a secondary spar of some kind?

It is well recognized now that water ballast is a real advantage in rough weather. Is your X one of the ones with two "hot tub" valves that would allow draining while under way on either tack? Are you still draining the tanks as the manufacturer intended - by using the outboard? On that item, the Baha Ha Ha, now requires boats of 27 foot and above. The Mac26x Lady Kattie two, won that race and to prevent a repeat the rules were changed. The Pacific Cup, I think, still allows as small as a 24 footers. Are you doing Hawaii solo or as part of a race group. Either way, 28 days should be enough - you imply several months are planned.

By way of contributing, Murrelet has been in salt water for at least 9 of her ten years and folks still think she was just splashed. Recently, I have stopped worrying about putting her on grids, beaching her, grounding her or hard landings. She just doesn't show the wear. The technology used in the boat just screams extreme. I suspect these X boats may be the last of the truly ocean capable vessels out of Costa Mesa California. After that 25 year old Cal 30 did the deed a year or so ago, there was no doubt that the X is also worthy. Both boats are hand laid fiber glass - none of that sandwich business.

As you are aware, the X boat has two hulls, the inner one being her ballast tank and because of the catamaran shape of the baffled tank, there are "stringers" keeping the hull stiff even after a decade.

I think you are aware of the story that a Mac 26x has already sailed from San Diego to Hawaii, with the ride being rough owing to the flat hull. Because my family has property in San Diego, I expect that by now I would have been able to confirm that story. So bottom line, while you will not be the first Max26x to sail Hawaii - Wimzee may hold that honor - you probably will be the first to arrive on your own bottom. I think that water ballast makes the flat hull less of an issue.

Does North have Mac26x sails? Tell us more. Back to the Thunderbirds in Seattle.

- Frank L Mighetto
US Sailing
South Sound Sailing Society
Olympia Yacht Club

Huzzah Mad Mike.

[maddmike]

Few answers and comments:

St.K., boy that brings back memories. Last time I was there the wind was blowing so hard we had to turn the ship broadside so I could approach from the lee in a Zodiac!

On Carbon, My mast is a modified Henderson 30 stick, and having distroyed two of the stock aluminum masts over the years I DO NOT recomment going off-shore any distance with one (same for rudders and mounts). Additionally, one of my jobs at Southern Spars after North purchased the company was traveling overseas and fixing carcon sticks that were damaged. Few were damaged to the point where they could not be jury rigged. Actually with a bit of CBX and DR5 you can fix most anything carbon. I'm not too good at extruding aluminum at sea, but I can patch, resleve and resection Carbon quite well.

On a MAC already going to Hawaii, Super! I'm not that big on trying to be first as much as some, bit more interested in just doing stuff for the fun and challenge. It's the art of the journey, not the goal of getting somewhere 'first'or even getting there at all that interests me; more like 'testing'myself against my perseption of what such journies are really like as opposed to downing a beer at the local pub and chatting the issue to death. After the fact, I'm a bit more willing to express an opinion on things- like áfter'the Waterways trip.

[mod]ModsNote:
Indeed, Whimzee did sail Hawaii ... maybe even still.
However, she arrived on-board the deck of a ship ...
though that's not apparent from the earlier post. ~fc[/mod]
On the MAC being an off-shore boat (and this is one of the few opinions I'm really serious about) the MAC is not an off-shore boat under any normal circumstances -- end of discussion as far as I'm concerned.

However, what it is, is a nice, inexpensive platform for experimenting with various ideas on how to adapt to various circumstances, like crossing to Hawaii, or running the Amazon, etc.

On pictures: Sorry about that, I'm really bad at posting pictures, but I promise to do better when I get back from here (Cambodia) week after next. On 3dl sails for MAC's, yep there are a couple of files in the archives for stock MAC's so someone out there has some (besides me) already.

MM

[Kelly Hanson East]

On the MAC being an off-shore boat (and this is one of the few opinions I'm really serious about) the MAC is not an off-shore boat under any normal circumstances -- end of discussion as far as I'm concerned.

However, what it is, is a nice, inexpensive platform for experimenting with various ideas on how to adapt to various circumstances, like crossing to Hawaii, or running the Amazon, etc.

Mike - you are one of those people who will always be first in my book - maybe not on a given trip, but at the front of the pack of the pioneers.

May a fair tide always be under your keel.

Moderators - would suggest that quote above me stickied somewhere as the definitive answer to that thread when it comes up - right from the guy who has done it and not just yacked about it.

Purple colour chosen by First Mate Caitlin


[mod]Good idea, but as Kmac observed, we simply don't have a "sticky" switch. Referring to Admin ...
(good color, too) ~fc[/mod]