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POWERCATS vs/ MONOHULLS

By on December 2, 2018 in Domino

POWERCATS vs/ MONOHULLS

DOMINO in Kiribati (Gilbert Islands)
December 1, 2018
San Carlos, Mexico

We often get asked, “How is it to cruise on a powercat versus a monohull?  Don’t they flip all the time? Aren’t they more expensive to operate?  How about room at marinas?”  These questions, I must precise, come 100% from US and Canadian would-be-cat owners, as Kiwis and Aussies have long-embraced powercats as mid-and long-range platforms of choice.  But, for some obscure (or, perhaps, not-so obscure) reason, North-American boaters seem to have a deep distrust and misconceptions of powercats.

Cruising Natata Island, Kiribati… all alone



This distrust comes, we believe, from large-production powercats designed primarily for the charter business.  For economic reasons, these yachts pack 3-4 cabins and 3-4 heads on a small platform, the hulls being wide enough to accommodate guest berths, and on short hulls to minimize marina cost.  It’s basic: short + wide hulls = poor performance.  Typically, these boats slam in head seas, plow at any speed, and have a short range of 500-800 NM.  They are wonderfully perfect for a week charter in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, but totally unsuitable for trans-oceanic passages.  And so, the delivery skippers who must bring these boats from the constructor (European or South African) to the US market have a terrible ocean-crossing experience: the boat slams, the performance is poor, and the skipper is on edge the entire trip.  No wonder powercats have such a bad rep!  All it takes is a few negative comments from exhausted, all-knowing, professional delivery skippers to sow seeds of doubt into the yachties’ minds, and who can blame them?  But let’s not compare apples to oranges.  



DOMINO in Ureparapara, Banks Islands, Vanuatu



Charter yachts are wonderful for their application: a week or two of short cruise for 3-4 couples who want to have fun.  Small powercats with short-to-medium range are also wonderful to do the ICW or the Great Loop, to cruise the Med, to remain around New Zealand (though we haven’t seen any charter powercats in NZ: all private.)  But they are not – I repeat, NOT – to be compared with the very few trans-oceanic powercats.  Of course, our DOMINO is such a ship, as others such as the newly-refurbished November Rain (another Malcolm Tennant design.) 


DOMINO in Nuku Hiva, Marquesas



Fifteen years ago, we embarked on a journey with one main goal: to prove that a well-designed powercat was a very desirable cruising platform: faster, more fuel-efficient, safer, more comfortable,  more stable than any monohull in the same price bracket, with a go-anywhere and self-sufficient mentality.  We have cruised almost non-stop for 9 years, clocked 53,000 NM through 45 countries, completed 3 Transpacs, ditched a dozen hurricanes and shouldered a rogue wave, dropped anchor some 800 times, and—we think—have proven the point: powercats are a more desirable long-range cruising platform than monohulls.  I know we will not convince many people, especially in the US and Canada, but this is not about convincing anyone; we just wanted to share our final thoughts at the end of an incredible ride.  

Anchored in the shallows, Vanuatu
Not a new concept – I don’t know when the first powercat actually was launched.  Perhaps as early as 1789, a steam-powered catamaran by the Scottish banker Patrick Miller.   
The amazing WHAI – 47′, dry stack, sleeps up to 16, cruises at 7 Kts, goes anywhere, the most fun boat around!

The oldest we know of is the WHAI in New Zealand.  We first met them in Fiji, then again cruised on the WHAI in New Zealand, the happiest boat we’ve ever been on.  For history, Peter Spurdle, a very young WWII flying Ace, designed and launched the WHAI in the 1970’s.  Of course, the NZ authorities didn’t want to homologue his catamaran, so he cruised it from NZ to Japan and back, just to prove that it was seaworthy.  The story makes for a compelling read!  We had the great pleasure to bump into the WHAI and its current owner, John, for some wild times!





A very stable platform, so stable that many ferry lines have converted their fleets to catamarans.  In Fiji we came across the MALOLO CAT, surprisingly our sister ship!  The builder used the DOMINO 20 hull and built a ferry on it.





Twice a day, the MALOLO CAT would cruise by us and honk.  Usually, when a big boat cruises by us at high speed, we hang on to our coffee mugs.  Not so with the MALOLO CAT since they don’t throw any wake… and neither do we!



Cruising French Polynesia… the dreamy waters of Opunohu Bay, Moorea

Speed and Versatility – While the majority of monohulls cruise at 7-9 kts, our average speed over the entire 9 years has been 10 knots.  Sometimes we troll at 7.5 knots, and sometimes we run at 12 knots, sometimes we run away at 20 knots.  This power allows us to pick our departure and arrival time, wait for the latest weather report to decide on our route and dodge hurricanes.  


DOMINO at Norsand Yard, New Zealand



Fuel economy – DOMINO’s hull:width ratio is close to 16:1, which means that we have no hull speed.  We don’t need to unleash insane amount of power to go over our bow wave.  We have no bow wave, no wake.  As Malcom Tennant used to say, we “DISPLANE,” which is neither displacement nor planing, but rather a lifting of the entire hull once we hit a certain speed: at about 15-16 kts, the hulls lift about 15cm and the boat just flies.  It’s a sight! 

 As such, our fuel economy is (in moderate seas, at almost full load)

Water spout in Belize
Speed will get us out of there quickly
  • at 10 kts (1050 rpm), less than 5 gph  (better than 2 miles/gallon)
  • at 7.5 kts , 1.8 gph 
  • at 20 kts (2100 rpm), 24 gph
I’ll let you do the math and compare to a monohull’s performance.

Galley with a view



Safety – Most monohulls come with only 1 engine. Some have a get-home engine, others have a sailing rig.  In most cases, this is OK, but how fast can a boat move on these minimal get-home systems? Will they get you home? Will the small engine be strong enough to push you against a nasty blow? Will the wind blow in the right direction to actually sail you home?  As for us, we felt much safer having two big John Deere 300 HP engines.  If one fails, the other one is able to keep us going at 7-8 knots for 8,000 NM!


Able trawler, New Zealand



We have seen very few trawlers in the South Pacific.  A few Nordhavn, all larger than 62’, and the excellent Reel Dreams (A Kadey Krogen 48-I think- with twin diesel engines) –  I know that smaller monohulls have made it around the world (EGRET) and I recall my favorite Nordhavn 57, BAGAN, making it to Tahiti, as well as some Rohmsdahl and Diesel Ducks, but compared to sailing yachts, very few motor yachts under 65’ cross from North America to the South Pacific.   I’m not talking obout the Dashew FPB, a whole different class and concept, very seaworthy, or not even about Denis Harjamaa’s new line, including Wayne Hodgkin and Christine Kling’s MOBIÜS.  These are extraordinary monohulls, in a class of their own, physically and financially, but share with our hulls a basic concept: long and skinny.

Iconic: Bora Bora


 I’m not sure why we have met so few monohulls; perhaps few of us have a true spirit of adventure; or perhaps very few feel safe on a small boat.  Yet, we have safely crossed three times:

  • Galapagos to Marquesas and beyond (3,000 NM)
  • Marshall Islands to Midway to Hawaii (2800 NM)
  • Hawaii to La Paz (2800 NM)
(We were well underway from the Marshalls to Alaska —a 4,000 NM crossing— when a major storm forced us to ditch towards Hawaii!)

DOMINO in Majuro, Marshall Islands



What about rolling over?  This may be the biggest objection we hear.  “Cats capsize all the time!”  This is far from the truth for powercats.  It is true that some racing sailing cats push the envelope, over-canvassing their rigs, and some very famous yachtsmen have been lost that way; others under-laminate their hulls for the sake of performance, rendering them very fragile, and we indeed heard a PAN-PAN in Hawaii a few weeks ago to rescue a holed racing cat: the hull had delaminated and repeated beam-sea impacts holed the hull.  But it is not so with long-range powercats, and especially not of Tennant’s CS hull design.  These hulls have been tank-tested and never capsized.  Last month, while returning to Maui after escaping Hurricane LANE, we were surfing 10-12’ seas when a rogue wave appeared to starboard: a white wall, foaming and taller than our ship, slammed us.  To JP’s amazement, DOMINO tilted to 45* one way, slid a bit, tilted to 45* the other way, and went on surfing while shaking the white foam and green water from the flybridge.  I dare any monohull to behave as well as this powercat!  

And what if we had flipped?  We would not have sunk as this ship is un-sinkable, with multiple watertight compartments.  How would a monohull behave in such situation?  This is an open question.

The helm… a watch bench rather than 2 heavy chairs.  Weight matters.



Rooms with a view – Like their sailing cousins, powercats have spacious common living decks with large windows and amazing views.  In our case, we also elected to have our stateroom on the main level so that we never need to go up or down stairs for activities of daily living.  This one-level living has saved our knees and prevented accidental falls.  So, yes, we do consider this arrangement safer than any up-down set-up typical of a monohull.


My favorite spot to watch shooting stars



No stabilizer needed – When we first considered a design, mono-vs-multihull, stabilization was our main concern. 
Paravanes? I didn’t feel comfortable with handling paravanes, especially close to shore (crab pots) or in large seas (Remember the ANDREA DORIA and the Perfect Storm movie? That fish slamming through the window freaked me out!)  
Active fins? We also were a bit concerned with draft associated with active fins sticking out from under the boat, a danger in reefy spots.  How much water gets into the hulls when the active fin rips off the bottom?  How quickly can it sink a monohull?  
Water ballast? At the time, water ballast wasn’t an option, but our friends Wayne Hodgkins and Christine Kling are building their MOBIÜS aluminum monohull with water ballast, and we like that.  This said, catamarans have no need for stabilizer.





Our favorite anchorage in the world: Natata Island, Kiribati

What with beam seas?  Haaaa. Beam seas!!! Tell me who enjoys 8-10’ beam seas?  While a sailboat will likely be fairly steady (but tilted at an angle) a powercat will sway, a short roll— tic-toc — but yes, it will roll and won’t be comfortable.  I have no idea how a monohull will behave in such seas, not having had the experience… so, you tell me!  I don’t think any of us enjoys beam seas: we wedge ourselves in and wait patiently for it to be over.  I must admit that DOMINO, being taller and narrower than ordinary cats, has a tendency to roll a bit more than others in beam seas.  However, its height prevent it from slamming.   That’s right, NO SLAMMING!




Weather is always a concern… a front comes down in Kiribati

No slamming – That’s another complaint about catamarans, both sail and motor: slamming.  Again, this is a function of hull design and weight distribution.  Now, I’m not a designer and we trusted Malcolm Tennant and Eng. Anthony Stanton to come up with anti-slamming designs.  I’ll try to summarize in layman’s terms (please, be kind!)  The  knuckle first disperses the energy and lifts the boat; then, the “gullwing”-shaped wingdeck absorbs and disperses the wave’s energy through the tunnel, lifting the boat even further… at least that’s how I think it works.  DOMINO’s wingdeck is really high over the water, providing plenty of air-cushion space.  I’m not really sure how this magic of physics works, but all I know is that we don’t slam.

Knuckle, gull-wing and tunnels: energy dispersion


Shallow draft – Get close to shore without fear!  Our 4-5’ draft (depending on load) allows us to go where others can’t.   The Ragged Islands are notorious for their shallow waters? No problem!  Going over shallow reefs?  Carefully, but no problem.  Besides, the sacrificial wooden skegs provide the hulls with added protection.  And, without stabilizers sticking from their bottoms, powercats can really go shallow.  

Our John Deere 300, port side


What about maintenance?  Do powercats cost more than monohull trawlers?  
– Engines – With 2 engines, it makes sense that a powercat would be costlier to maintain than a one-engine trawler.  Yet, monohulls who have a get-to engine must maintain that engine as well or it may not get them home when needed; those with a sailing rig must also keep the rig in shape.  The comparison with a twin-diesel trawler is moot.
–  While monohulls must maintain paravanes and/or active fins, keep their bow thrusters (and in some cases stern thrusters) in working order, powercats have no need for such devices.  So, cross that off the maintenance list.
– Oil changes are a function of miles traveled.  With a Reverso system, oil changes are a snap and cost of oil is not really an issue in maintenance.
– Fuel filters are a function of fuel quality.  Having a large capacity matters.  It allows the vessel to fuel up only at high-volume fuel docks.  Mono- or multi-hull, that’s the same issue.  In 9 years, we have not ever loaded any bad fuel, never had a drop of water in our fuel.  We stop at the pump only once or twice a year and change our filters once a year.  
– Fuel cost is a function of miles travelled and fuel efficiency.  As stated above in the fuel economy section, we are convinced that (efficiently-built) powercats cost less to operate than monohulls.  And I make this distinction: efficiently-built; many powercats have been designed to perform, yet once at the building yard either the builder or the owner or both start cutting corners by not respecting the specs (i.e. using timber instead of foam) and start loading the vessel with show-stopping items (i.e. marble, full panels of cherry wood, heavy chairs, etc…)  I’ve heard designers complain over and over again about it, their carefully engineered design now turned into a luxurious but sluggish tub. 

Hull cleaning and below-water maintenance: piece of cake on a sand spit!

– Haulouts are similar, every 18 months to 2 years.  The cost of grinding and painting is equivalent.  Yards vary in their storage pricing policy and, on the average, we haven’t found a very significant difference (here, in San Carlos, all yachts pay the same price.)
   On the other hand, we have been able to beach on sandspits and do our own hull cleaning.  We’ve done so many times during our 18 months in Panama.


Docked in Waikiki… temporary dock.



All the advantages that we find in powercats — speed, fuel efficiency, safety, comfort, versatility— have convinced us that they are superior world-cruising platforms.  Yet, there MUST be some downsides, right?




Somewhere in the Marshall Islands




Right!  Marina cost –  A 65’ yacht is not easy to berth, be it a monohull or a powercat.  They usually end up on an outer dock or an end-tie, and these are few but not impossible to find with a bit of advanced notice.  Since the price of berthing is per foot, yes a long boat costs more.  Sometimes we pay 50% more because of the width, sometimes not.  This said, we hardly spend more than a week/year at a marina, being totally self-sufficient and having no need for marina services.  We just anchor out! (In New York City, the marina wanted $400/day to berth us… we anchored for free for a month in front of Liberty State Park, free dinghy dock included, no neighbor, no noise!)

Docked at Marsden Cove, New Zealand



Pioneering – This reluctance to powercat was just brought up to my attention.  While there is plenty of info on cruising oceans on a monohull, there is hardly any write-up on crossing oceans on a powercat (in spite of my last 9 years of reporting.)  Frankly, I don’t see the difference.  The sea is the same, the conditions the same, and powercats’ higher speed capability allows them to thread through narrower weather windows (see our blog on TRANSPAC III as we ducked ahead of Hurricane WILLA.) 

Dodging weather… and hardly a wake behind us



When we splashed in 2009, we had never been on anything larger than our 21’ ski boat, had never spent a night on a boat, never been offshore, let alone crossed an ocean.  We learned, one day at a time.  We’ve done all the powercat pioneering and blogged about it, the good, the bad and the ugly!  So have our friends on NOVEMBER RAIN, now refurbished as a fantastic fishing charter based out of Vanuatu and New Zealand.



DOMINO’s cockpit holding a briefing
with the Sea Mercy Fiji recovery team



Few Powercats to choose from –  Long-range powercats are few and far between.  Most of them are custom- or semi-custom built, or one-offs —Sunreef and a few Aussies being the exception.  They are seldom seen at marinas for a good reason: they are out cruising!  In the end, these marvelous yachts remain unknown, almost mythical.  They quietly cruise the world in economy and comfort.

Spacious cockpit: party 60, business meeting for 20, dinner for 12, breakfast for 6, farniente for 2
A leaf extension fits between the 2 bistro tables



I first blogged about powercats on December 17, 2007.  That’s eleven years ago.  Since then, the page has logged over 600,000 reads.  JP and I hope that we have somewhat de-mystified the Passagemaking Powercats and encouraged a few of our readers to consider them as their next cruising platform.


For the love of powercats….

till next time,

dominomarie

POWERCATS vs/ MONOHULLS

By on December 2, 2018 in Domino

POWERCATS vs/ MONOHULLS


December 1, 2018
San Carlos, Mexico

We often get asked, “How is it to cruise on a powercat versus a monohull?  Don’t they flip all the time? Aren’t they more expensive to operate?  How about room at marinas?”  These questions, I must precise, come 100% from US and Canadian would-be-cat owners, as Kiwis and Aussies have long-embraced powercats as mid-and long-range platforms of choice.  But, for some obscure (or, perhaps, not-so obscure) reason, North-American boaters seem to have a deep distrust and misconceptions of powercats.

This distrust comes, we believe, from large-production powercats designed primarily for the charter business.  For economic reasons, these yachts pack 3-4 cabins and 3-4 heads on a small platform, the hulls being wide enough to accommodate guest berths, and on short hulls to minimize marina cost.  It’s basic: short + wide hulls = poor performance.  Typically, these boats slam in head seas, plow at any speed, and have a short range of 500-800 NM.  They are wonderfully perfect for a week charter in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, but totally unsuitable for trans-oceanic passages.  And so, the delivery skippers who must bring these boats from the constructor (European or South African) to the US market have a terrible ocean-crossing experience: the boat slams, the performance is poor, and the skipper is on edge the entire trip.  No wonder powercats have such a bad rep!  All it takes is a few negative comments from exhausted, all-knowing, professional delivery skippers to sow seeds of doubt into the yachties’ minds, and who can blame them?  But let’s not compare apples to oranges.  Charter yachts are wonderful for their application: a week or two of short cruise for 3-4 couples who want to have fun.  Small powercats with short-to-medium range are also wonderful to do the ICW or the Great Loop, to cruise the Med, to remain around New Zealand.  But they are not – I repeat, NOT – to be compared with the very few trans-oceanic powercats.  Of course, our DOMINO is such a ship, as others such as the newly-refurbished November Rain (another Malcolm Tennant design.) 

Fifteen years ago, we embarked on a journey with one main goal: to prove that a well-designed powercat was a very desirable cruising platform: faster, more fuel-efficient, safer, more comfortable,  more stable than any monohull in the same price bracket, with a go-anywhere and self-sufficient mentality.  We have cruised almost non-stop for 9 years, clocked 53,000 NM through 45 countries, completed 3 Transpacs, ditched a dozen hurricanes and shouldered a rogue wave, dropped anchor some 800 times, and—we think—have proven the point: powercats are a more desirable long-range cruising platform than monohulls.  I know we will not convince many people, especially in the US and Canada, but this is not about convincing anyone; we just wanted to share our final thoughts at the end of an incredible ride.  

Speed and Versatility – While the majority of monohulls cruise at 7-9 kts, our average speed over the entire 9 years has been 10 knots.  Sometimes we troll at 7.5 knots, and sometimes we run at 12 knots, sometimes we run away at 20 knots.  This power allows us to pick our departure and arrival time, wait for the latest weather report to decide on our route and dodge hurricanes.  

Fuel economy – DOMINO’s hull:width ratio is close to 16:1, which means that we have no hull speed.  We don’t need to unleash insane amount of power to go over our bow wave.  We have no bow wave, no wake.  As Malcom Tennant used to say, we “DISPLANE,” which is neither displacement nor planing, but rather a lifting of the entire hull once we hit a certain speed: at about 15-16 kts, the hulls lift about 15cm and the boat just flies.  It’s a sight! 
 As such, our fuel economy is (in moderate seas, at almost full load)
  • at 10 kts (1050 rpm), less than 5 gph  (better than 2 miles/gallon)
  • at 7.5 kts , 1.8 gph 
  • at 20 kts (2100 rpm), 24 gph
I’ll let you do the math and compare to a monohull’s performance.

Safety – Most monohulls come with only 1 engine. Some have a get-home engine, others have a sailing rig.  In most cases, this is OK, but how fast can a boat move on these minimal get-home systems? Will they get you home? Will the small engine be strong enough to push you against a nasty blow? Will the wind blow in the right direction to actually sail you home?  As for us, we felt much safer having two big John Deere 300 HP engines.  If one fails, the other one is able to keep us going at 7-8 knots for 8,000 NM!

We have seen very few trawlers in the South Pacific.  A few Nordhavn, all larger than 62’, and the excellent Reel Dreams (A Kadey Krogen 48-I think- with wind diesel engines) –  I know that smaller monohulls have made it around the world (EGRET) and I recall my favorite Nordhavn 57, BAGAN, making it to Tahiti, as well as some Rohmsdahl and Diesel Ducks, but compared to sailing yachts, very few motor yachts under 65’ cross from North America to the South Pacific.  I’m not sure why; perhaps few of us have a true spirit of adventure; or perhaps very few feel safe on a small boat.  Yet, we have safely crossed three times:
  • Galapagos to Marquesas and beyond (3,000 NM)
  • Marshall Islands to Midway to Hawaii (2800 NM)
  • Hawaii to La Paz (2800 NM)
(We were well underway from the Marshalls to Alaska —a 4,000 NM crossing— when a major storm forced us to ditch towards Hawaii!)

What about rolling over?  This may be the biggest objection we hear.  “Cats capsize all the time!”  This is far from the truth for powercats.  It is true that some racing sailing cats push the envelope, over-canvassing their rigs, and some very famous yachtsmen have been lost that way; others under-laminate their hulls for the sake of performance, rendering them very fragile, and we indeed heard a PAN-PAN in Hawaii a few weeks ago to rescue a holed racing cat: the hull had delaminated and repeated beam-sea impacts holed the hull.  But it is not so with long-range powercats, and especially not of Tennant’s CS hull design.  These hulls have been tank-tested and never capsized.  Last month, while returning to Maui after escaping Hurricane LANE, we were surfing 10-12’ seas when a rogue wave appeared to starboard: a white wall, foaming and taller than our ship, slammed us.  To JP’s amazement, DOMINO tilted to 45* one way, slid a bit, tilted to 45* the other way, and went on surfing while shaking the white foam and green water from the flybridge.  I dare any monohull to behave as well as this powercat!  
And what if we had flipped?  We would not have sunk as this ship is un-sinkable, with multiple watertight compartments.  How would a monohull behave in such situation?  This is an open question.

Rooms with a view – Like their sailing cousins, powercats have spacious common living decks with large windows and amazing views.  In our case, we also elected to have our stateroom on the main level so that we never need to go up or down stairs for activities of daily living.  This one-level living has saved our knees and prevented accidental falls.  So, yes, we do consider this arrangement safer than any up-down set-up typical of a monohull.

No stabilizer needed – When we first considered a design, mono-vs-multihull, stabilization was our main concern.  I didn’t feel comfortable with handling paravanes, especially close to shore (crab pots) or in large seas.  We also were a bit concerned with draft associated with active fins sticking out from under the boat, a danger in reefy spots.  At the time, water ballast wasn’t an option, but our friends Wayne Hodgkins and Christine Kling are building their MOBIÜS aluminum monohull with water ballast, and we like that.  This said, catamarans have no need for stabilizer.
What with beam seas?  Haaaa. Beam seas!!! Tell me who enjoys 8-10’ beam seas?  While a sailboat will likely be fairly steady (but tilted at an angle) a powercat will sway, a short roll— tic-toc — but yes, it will roll and won’t be comfortable.  I have no idea how a monohull will behave in such seas, not having had the experience… so, you tell me!  I don’t think any of us enjoys beam seas: we wedge ourselves in and wait patiently for it to be over.  I must admit that DOMINO, being taller and narrower than ordinary cats, has a tendency to roll a bit more than others in beam seas.  However, its height prevent it from slamming.   That’s right, NO SLAMMING!

No slamming – That’s another complaint about catamarans, both sail and motor: slamming.  Again, this is a function of hull design and weight distribution.  Now, I’m not a designer and we trusted Malcolm Tennant and Eng. Anthony Stanton to come up with anti-slamming designs.  I’ll try to summarize in layman’s terms (please, be kind!)  The  knuckle first disperses the energy and lifts the boat; then, the “gullwing”-shaped wingdeck absorbs and disperses the wave’s energy through the tunnel, lifting the boat even further… at least that’s how I think it works.  DOMINO’s wingdeck is really high over the water, providing plenty of air-cushion space.  I’m not really sure how this magic of physics works, but all I know is that we don’t slam.

Shallow draft – Get close to shore without fear!  Our 4-5’ draft (depending on load) allows us to go where others can’t.   The Ragged Islands are notorious for their shallow waters? No problem!  Going over shallow reefs?  Carefully, but no problem.  Besides, the sacrificial wooden skegs provide the hulls with added protection.  And, without stabilizers sticking from their bottoms, powercats can really go shallow.  

What about maintenance?  Do powercats cost more than monohull trawlers?  
– Engines – With 2 engines, it makes sense that a powercat would be costlier to maintain than a one-engine trawler.  Yet, monohulls who have a get-to engine must maintain that engine as well or it may not get them home when needed; those with a sailing rig must also keep the rig in shape.  The comparison with a twin-diesel trawler is moot.
–  While monohulls must maintain paravanes and/or active fins, keep their bow thrusters (and in some cases stern thrusters) in working order, powercats have no need for such devices.  So, cross that off the maintenance list.
– Oil changes are a function of miles traveled.  With a Reverso system, oil changes are a snap and cost of oil is not really an issue in maintenance.
– Fuel filters are a function of fuel quality.  Having a large capacity matters.  It allows the vessel to fuel up only at high-volume fuel docks.  Mono- or multi-hull, that’s the same issue.  In 9 years, we have not ever loaded any bad fuel, never had a drop of water in our fuel.  We stop at the pump only once or twice a year and change our filters once a year.  
– Fuel cost is a function of miles travelled and fuel efficiency.  As stated above in the fuel economy section, we are convinced that (efficiently-built) powercats cost less to operate than monohulls.  And I make this distinction: efficiently-built; many powercats have been designed to perform, yet once at the building yard either the builder or the owner or both start cutting corners by not respecting the specs (i.e. using timber instead of foam) and start loading the vessel with show-stopping items (i.e. marble, full panels of cherry wood, heavy chairs, etc…)  I’ve heard designers complain over and over again about it, their carefully engineered design now turned into a luxurious but sluggish tub.  
– Haulouts are similar, every 18 months to 2 years.  The cost of grinding and painting is equivalent.  Yards vary in their storage pricing policy and, on the average, we haven’t found a very significant difference (here, in San Carlos, all yachts pay the same price.)

All the advantages that we find in powercats — speed, fuel efficiency, safety, comfort, versatility— have convinced us that they are superior world-cruising platforms.  Yet, there MUST be some downsides, right?

Right!  Marina cost –  A 65’ yacht is not easy to berth, be it a monohull or a powercat.  They usually end up on an outer dock or an end-tie, and these are few but not impossible to find with a bit of advanced notice.  Since the price of berthing is per foot, yes a long boat costs more.  Sometimes we pay 50% more because of the width, sometimes not.  This said, we hardly spend more than a week/year at a marina, being totally self-sufficient and having no need for marina services.  We just anchor out! (In New York City, the marina wanted $400/day to berth us… we anchored for free for a month in front of Liberty State Park, free dinghy dock included, no neighbor, no noise!)

Pioneering – This reluctance to powercat was just brought up to my attention.  While there is plenty of info on cruising oceans on a monohull, there is hardly any write-up on crossing oceans on a powercat (in spite of my last 9 years of reporting.)  Frankly, I don’t see the difference.  The sea is the same, the conditions the same, and powercats’ higher speed capability allows them to thread through narrower weather windows (see our blog on TRANSPAC III as we ducked ahead of Hurricane WILLA.) 
When we splashed in 2009, we had never been on anything larger than our 21’ ski boat, had never spent a night on a boat, never been offshore, let alone crossed an ocean.  We learned, one day at a time.  We’ve done all the powercat pioneering and blogged about it, the good, the bad and the ugly!  So have our friends on NOVEMBER RAIN, now refurbished as a fantastic fishing charter based out of Vanuatu and New Zealand.

Few Powercats to choose from –  Long-range powercats are few and far between.  Most of them are custom- or semi-custom built or one-offs —Sunreef and a few Aussies being the exception.  They are seldom seen at marinas for a good reason: they are out cruising!  In the end, these marvelous yachts remain unknown, almost mythical.  They quietly cruise the world in economy and comfort.

I first blogged about powercats on December 17, 2007.  That’s eleven years ago.  Since then, the page has logged over 600,000 reads.  JP and I hope that we have somewhat de-mystified the Passagemaking Powercats and encouraged a few of our readers to consider them as their next cruising platform.

For the love of powercats….

till next time,

dominomarie

DODGING HURRICANES in HAWAII

By on November 29, 2018 in Domino

DODGING HURRICANES in HAWAII


Coasting along 

November 29, 2018
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico



HECTOR, LANE, MYRIAM, NORMAN, OLIVIA, WALAKA… and then, WILLA! this was our hurricane train during our Hawaiian season and we had to play dodge-ball.

If anything else, we ate healthy foods! Say, ‘Poke?”

It took me a while to recover from our season in Hawaii, possibly the most difficult in the last 9 years of cruising.  As I mentioned in my first Hawaiian blog, protected anchorages and few and far between and marinas are full, unable to accommodate large transient yachts like ours (except for a few very expensive private marinas, some of them not even allowing stay-aboard.)  So we kept a weary eye on the weather and kept hopping around.

Checked that on my bucket list: Learned traditional Hawaiian quilting!

As soon as HECTOR dissipated, we headed south of Honolulu to Molokai.  
Lono harbor – 21*05.161N, 157*14.925W – used to be a commercial harbor for ships transporting gravel out of Molokai has fallen in disrepair since the quarry has been shut down.  It is nothing more than a mud hole, slimy and slippery mud with poor holding power.  After re-anchoring a couple of times, we found a solid rock to grip on and held.  By morning we were on our way to Lanai, aware that Molokai’s true magic resides on the north shore, not in a mud hole on the south shore.  Still, it’s a convenient overnight stop.

yep, one of the 7 Hawaiian quilts I had time to finish… bad weather has some good aspects!
LANAI
Lanai’s Kaumalapau Harbor – 20*47.108N, 156*59.419W – Another “used-to-be” harbor, but in better shape than Lono.  A good seawall protects the inner harbor once used by the DOLE Pineapple company.  Lanai, the pineapple island.  Not much more of that any longer, though.  We dropped anchor in the narrow groove between 2 ledges, thankful to be the only yacht there since there is not room for 2 boats.  In spite of the wind gusts falling from the Kaumalapau Gulch, we enjoyed relative quiet, snorkeled the marginally interesting ledges to port and starboard, and hiked up the hill in search of a phone signal.  It was my birthday treat to be able to talk to my kids and take in the stunning view above the harbor.

The Lanai coast

The Pinnacles at Nanahoa – 20*49.667N, 156*59.717W –  Three grant pillars stick straight out of the sea and we gave the anchorage a try.  Three times wasn’t the charm as we kept plowing through coarse gravel as soon as JP put any kind of power into the pull.  We took a good look at the sea foaming around the pinnacles and decided this wasn’t the day to snorkel the place.  Off to the next anchorage.

Kalama Bay – 20*47.809N, 145*59.381W – Dubbed “A Snorkeler’s Paradise,” Kalama is indeed full of day-charters who dump dozens of tourists over the reefy boulders.  Again, we dropped anchor into a gulch between 2 ledges, again thankful we were the only cruisers.  Overboard we went and snorkeled the entire bay, noticed a good number of reef fish over rocks.  OK, that was it for us.  

Kalama Bay… rocky spot!
Yes, after the splendor of the corallian atolls of the South Pacific, we are jaded and underwater Hawaii left us unimpressed.  Time to check things above water.

MAUI
To stay in Hawaii during hurricane season, we had to have a compelling reason or two: family and friends in Maui.  We were so excited to see our nephew in Lahaina, our friends in Pahia, and to have our grandchildren on board for 10 days!  We also kept an eye on the weather.  Hurricane LANE was spinning, currently SE of Hawaii, traveling west, on track to pass south of the Big Island the way HECTOR had done.  Seemed safe enough.  

Our favorite eatery: Mala Tavern

Mala Wharf – 20*52.511N, 156*41.081W – An easy and excellent anchorage in most conditions, Mala Wharf is close enough to Lahaina and Kanapaali to feed all touristic hungers.  And we indulged!  KOA restaurant in Lahaina, MALA TAVERN in Mala (Old Lahaina) took top gourmet notes!  Our nephew showed up for a wonderful sunset dinner and our friend Judie hopped on for a Champagne reunion.  How fun!
LANE is headed for us

Now, it was our grandkids’ turn.  But LANE had decided otherwise.  This Cat.4 hurricane was suddenly predicted to clip the south of the Big Island and to make a 90 degree turn to starboard, coming NORTH, headed right for the heavenly little pond bordered by Maui to the east, Lanai to the west, Kaho’olawe to the south, and Molokai to the north.  The storm was still 3 days away but we had to plan ahead.  


Suddenly we were on alert.  We still had time to show the kids the turtles swimming around Mala Wharf, and had a not-too-soggy Road to Hanna excursion.  

Our nephew looked out for us, keeping us appraised of all the hurricanes’ tracks.
Soon, it became clear that we would have to evacuate the anchorage.  Our Hawaiian friends rallied to host the grandkids on land under the protection of Mt. Haleakala.  The kids were taken care of, even if their parents were frantic.   My nephew soon called me from his post at the USCG Maui: “expect 110mph winds and 22’ swells in Mala in 36 hours.  Get out!”

Reuniting with Judie, such a sweet moment!
And where were we supposed to go? We were now in Condition Zulu, all harbors closed to commercial traffic and the Maui Harbormaster did not consider us a private yacht, did not authorize us to anchor at Kahului Harbor (where we would have been safe) and only asked, “Can you get away from this thing?”  Well, of course, we could!  With the USCG airplane screaming the Hurricane Alert siren above us, we made our way NE of Maui…. 200 miles NE!  It was a new experience, slogging head on into 6’ waves, 25-30 kts of wind, taking it easy at 6.5 kts, relatively comfortable.  When after 36 hours we found some of the Navy ships maneuvering, we felt we were far enough.  An eye on the weather, Iridium-texting my frantic daughters, reassured by by bored-to-tears grandchildren who thought LANE was lame, we turned around… but it was a bit too soon.

After LANE, it was OLIVIA!

Oh my!!! How did we appreciate the toughness of our little ship.  We were surfing 10-12’ following waves, propelled to 17kts at times, and I was blissfully napping when (JP later reported) a wall of white foam suddenly appeared to starboard.  A wall! Foaming, breaking wave, taller than the boat!  And it was on us! No time to do anything.  JP thought “That’s it, we’re going down.”  But our DOMINO tilted 45 degrees this way, slid down a bit, tilted 45 degrees the other way, and then kept on surfing the following waves!  Catapulted out of my bed, I wondered what that was… a rogue wave that would most likely have swamped less capable boats, holed less sturdy ships, or sunk less seaworthy yachts.  DOMINO shouldered it like a pro, shook the foam off her decks, and kept on going without a hiccup!  Once more, we were astounded by our ship’s performance and sent a silent thanksgiving prayer to Malcolm Tennant who, we are sure, was grinning up above, quipping, “Told you so!”  … and gave kudos to the flawless engineering by Anthony Stanton.

So, we turned back away from the storm once more and waited another 6 hours in the company of the tugboat fleet and the Hawaiian Responder environmental ship.  When we saw them turn around, we joined their flotilla.
Smiles at last, as Miles, our Hawaiian son, joins us for a sleepover . Nothing like breakfast!

Useless to say, the kids were ticked off at having to stay 4 days off the boat, cooped up indoors, waiting for the storm to pass.  Yeah, for sure, at 8- and 16-year-old, a sad way to spend you hard-earned vacation, but a learning experience, especially one of gratitude towards our Ohana, our Hawaiian family (Moe, Janet, and Miles) who kept our kids safe.

What could be sweeter than time with your grandchildren… Luau at the Marriott

It will remain a summer in the kids annals, and no matter how much fun we tried to pack in their last 3 days of vacation, this will remain in their memory the Summer from Hell, a special bond that Jackson and Zoe will share for ever!

LANE killed our flag and our port side navigation light.

All told, LANE unleashed 70-80knts winds and 8-10’ swells in Mala and we sure were glad to have left, even if it cost us 470 NM round trip!

More family fun, our nephew and niece and their spouses…. 

Honolua Bay – 21*02.892N, 156*38.43W – Once the kids were gone and the seas calmed down, we checked out the popular Honolua Bay.  Good anchorage, many charter boats during the day, many tourists in the water, and marginally appealing snorkeling.  Time to move on!  But where?  Hurricane MYRIAM is churning to the east of the islands, so we wait another day to move south to KONA.

THE BIG ISLAND

KONA
Kailua Kona – 19*38.269N, 155*59.763W  – In calm conditions, this is a very picturesque spot.  The old hotel, the church, the hills, it’s all so lovely in calm conditions.  Not too many spots to drop anchor since the harbor is peppered with moorings.  Oh yes, you could theoretically grab a DSLR mooring, as long as you bring all your tackle and drop someone to set it up before you tie up, and retrieve it after you leave!  

Kona harbor… not as big as it seems

We chose to drop anchor, once more between the reef outcrops, once more nervous about chain damage and holding.  We also had to stay away from the Bay entrance directional light, another anchorage restriction.  

Coffee tasting

 This said, Kona is a lovely town and of course we tasted the coffee and visited the quilt shops and the beautiful Hawaiian quilt museum.  Yep, I was happy!

My happy place!
But what else than two more hurricanes on the horizon?  NORMAN is ending up being a non-issue, passing way east of the islands, but OLIVIA is churning our way… time to find shelter!


The very protected anchorage at Cook Bay

Kealakekua Bay (Cook’s Point) 19*28.426N, 155*55.416W – This has to be one of the most protected anchorages in Hawaii and we felt safe for the entire week we stayed there.  Anchorage is restricted and skippers must mind the coral at the bottom.  There is coral in this bay, struggling to grow, but there is good sand also.  So, watch your sounder and open your eyes!

Yes, this is where Captain Cook was… cooked!  Captured and killed by the locals, this extraordinary mariner is immortalized by a memorial at Napoopoo point.  This is also a good place to snorkel, the only spot where we found a bit of color, albeit swimming in the oily residue of suntan lotion and sunblock oozing from the dozens of tourists floating around, freshly disgorged from the cruise ship anchored in Kona… as I said, popular spot!

Olivia passed NW of us, sparing the Big Island but scaring the beejeezus out of our friends in Honolulu and wrecking havoc in Kauai.  We had dodged that one! Time to move north.  

But we should have waited.  We made the mistake of leaving a bit too soon and made the poor decision to anchor (again) in Kona while the swells from Olivia where still kicking out of the west… straight into the harbor.  Needless to say, crowd was not a problem as the locals had moved somewhere else and we got our butt kicked all night!

Coasting along Molokai

MOLOKAI – … butt kicked all night and all the way to Molokai!  But once we turned the NE corner of Molokai, it was suddenly Heaven…


or rather, the garden of Eden, the primal forest dropping into the ocean, waterfalls playing with cloud wisps, and we were in Jurassic Park.  
More MOLOKAI raw beauty


It was totally unnerving!  JP tried to convince me to anchor at Waikolu, behind Okala Island (21*10.472N, 156*55.933W). This is possibly the most stunning anchorage we have ever seen, small and almost on the rocky beach, but I could not even breathe!  Yes, I was in a total panic!  Something about this place is PRIMAL!  I could not consider spending a night alone in that anchorage.  


Off we went, anchored in the large Kalaupapa Bay – 21*11.303N, 156*59.179W – Nothing to note in that bay if only the lepers colony building and the stunning relief of the mountains.  Molokai will keep its mystique in my book!

KAUAI
Hanalei Bay, on a misty afternoon

Hanalei Bay – 22*12.615N, 159*30*079W – They wrote songs about it!  Hanalei Bay is one of the most picture-perfect bays in the world.  This easy anchorage did not disappoint.  But the shore access was difficult.  Hurricane LANE had destroyed the wharf and swamped the beach.  Landing the dinghy on the beach proved a challenge in the rolling swell, but well worth the effort.  


Hanalei is a lovely town that we enjoyed to the fullest, even if the $9 loaf of artisan French bread was a bit extravagant! 


The Oceanic Arts store took our top mark, with its exquisite art creations from all over the Pacific Rim… the best, by far, a little museum of sorts!  Not to be missed.
The best Poke in town!

 What we missed, though, was a bike ride up the coast, since the road was still closed after last springs’ torrential rains.  We just delighted in the views from the anchorage, short-lived as it turned out to be, since Hurricane WALAKA was coming our way!




Nawilliwili Harbor – 21*56.960N, 159*21.341W – Now, THAT’s a protected harbor!  We got there a few days before the storm, afraid there would not be any room.  And it was a good idea!  As always, the marina was full, derelict boats were taking 20% of the free anchorages, and the odd mooring ball available had no tackle.


  But JP was patient and calculated his radius, dropping DOMINO in the center of all the boats, on a short scope with only 1.5m under the hull.  Yep, we were fine there!

Smack-dab in the middle!
Kauai will remain our favorite island.  It was easy to rent a car and tour the island one day, then hop on a helicopter and see it all from above. Stunning!  Well worth the money!


As Hurricane WALAKA was passing to the west, charter boats were limping into the harbor, seeking refuge at the commercial wharf.  Soon our friend Kim on her BLAZE II limped in too, reporting 10’ swells at Port Allen overnight, her boat battered and in disarray.  


We had dodged yet another one!


Well, it was still early October and we were waiting for a weather window for our departure for Mexico.  By the 10th, it looked good, even though something was spinning off of Honduras. 


We fueled up, paying the $200 docking fee at the old fuel dock to have access to the fuel truck… and off we went, racing against the spinner coming towards Cabo San Lucas… yes, we were dodging WILLA too!

Saying goodbye to Kim, our sweet friend on BLAZE II

Hawaii was a season to remember, for its ruggedness and its raw beauty!

Heather Brown Art… the essence of Hawaii
till next time…
dominomarie
LANE

DODGING HURRICANES in HAWAII

By on November 29, 2018 in Domino

DODGING HURRICANES in HAWAII


Coasting along 

November 29, 2018
San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico

HECTOR, LANE, MYRIAM, NORMAN, OLIVIA, WALAKA… and then, WILLA! this was our hurricane train during our Hawaiian season and we had to play dodge-ball.

If anything else, we ate healthy foods! Say, ‘Poke?”

It took me a while to recover from our season in Hawaii, possibly the most difficult in the last 9 years of cruising.  As I mentioned in my first Hawaiian blog, protected anchorages and few and far between and marinas are full, unable to accommodate large transient yachts like ours (except for a few very expensive private marinas, some of them not even allowing stay-aboard.)  So we kept a weary eye on the weather and kept hopping around.

Checked that on my bucket list: Learned traditional Hawaiian quilting!

As soon as HECTOR dissipated, we headed south of Honolulu to Molokai.  
Lono harbor – 21*05.161N, 157*14.925W – used to be a commercial harbor for ships transporting gravel out of Molokai has fallen in disrepair since the quarry has been shut down.  It is nothing more than a mud hole, slimy and slippery mud with poor holding power.  After re-anchoring a couple of times, we found a solid rock to grip on and held.  By morning we were on our way to Lanai, aware that Molokai’s true magic resides on the north shore, not in a mud hole on the south shore.  Still, it’s a convenient overnight stop.

yep, one of the 7 Hawaiian quilts I had time to finish… bad weather has some good aspects!
LANAI
Lanai’s Kaumalapau Harbor – 20*47.108N, 156*59.419W – Another “used-to-be” harbor, but in better shape than Lono.  A good seawall protects the inner harbor once used by the DOLE Pineapple company.  Lanai, the pineapple island.  Not much more of that any longer, though.  We dropped anchor in the narrow groove between 2 ledges, thankful to be the only yacht there since there is not room for 2 boats.  In spite of the wind gusts falling from the Kaumalapau Gulch, we enjoyed relative quiet, snorkeled the marginally interesting ledges to port and starboard, and hiked up the hill in search of a phone signal.  It was my birthday treat to be able to talk to my kids and take in the stunning view above the harbor.

The Lanai coast

The Pinnacles at Nanahoa – 20*49.667N, 156*59.717W –  Three grant pillars stick straight out of the sea and we gave the anchorage a try.  Three times wasn’t the charm as we kept plowing through coarse gravel as soon as JP put any kind of power into the pull.  We took a good look at the sea foaming around the pinnacles and decided this wasn’t the day to snorkel the place.  Off to the next anchorage.

Kalama Bay – 20*47.809N, 145*59.381W – Dubbed “A Snorkeler’s Paradise,” Kalama is indeed full of day-charters who dump dozens of tourists over the reefy boulders.  Again, we dropped anchor into a gulch between 2 ledges, again thankful we were the only cruisers.  Overboard we went and snorkeled the entire bay, noticed a good number of reef fish over rocks.  OK, that was it for us.  

Kalama Bay… rocky spot!
Yes, after the splendor of the corallian atolls of the South Pacific, we are jaded and underwater Hawaii left us unimpressed.  Time to check things above water.

MAUI
To stay in Hawaii during hurricane season, we had to have a compelling reason or two: family and friends in Maui.  We were so excited to see our nephew in Lahaina, our friends in Pahia, and to have our grandchildren on board for 10 days!  We also kept an eye on the weather.  Hurricane LANE was spinning, currently SE of Hawaii, traveling west, on track to pass south of the Big Island the way HECTOR had done.  Seemed safe enough.  

Our favorite eatery: Mala Tavern

Mala Wharf – 20*52.511N, 156*41.081W – An easy and excellent anchorage in most conditions, Mala Wharf is close enough to Lahaina and Kanapaali to feed all touristic hungers.  And we indulged!  KOA restaurant in Lahaina, MALA TAVERN in Mala (Old Lahaina) took top gourmet notes!  Our nephew showed up for a wonderful sunset dinner and our friend Judie hopped on for a Champagne reunion.  How fun!
LANE is headed for us

Now, it was our grandkids’ turn.  But LANE had decided otherwise.  This Cat.4 hurricane was predicted to clip the south of Oahu and mad a 90 degree turn to starboard, coming NORTH, headed right for the heavenly little pond bordered by Maui to the east, Lanai to the west, Kaho’olawe to the south, and Molokai to the north.  The storm was still 3 days away but we had to plan ahead.  


Suddenly we were on alert.  We still had time to show the kids the turtles swimming around Mala Wharf, and had a not-too-soggy Road to Hanna excursion.  

Our nephew looked out for us, keeping us appraised of all the hurricanes’ tracks.
Soon, it became clear that we would have to evacuate the anchorage.  Our Hawaiian friends rallied to host the grandkids on land under the protection of Mt. Haleakala.  The kids were taken care of, even if their parents were frantic.   My nephew soon called me from his post at the USCG Maui: “expect 110mph winds and 22’ swells in Mala in 36 hours.  Get out!”

Reuniting with Judie, such a sweet moment!
And where were we supposed to go? We were now in Condition Zulu, all harbors closed to commercial traffic and the Maui Harbormaster did not consider us a private yacht, did not authorize us to anchor at Kahului Harbor (where we would have been safe) and only asked, “Can you get away from this thing?”  Well, of course, we could!  With the USCG airplane screaming the Hurricane Alert siren above us, we made our way NE of Maui…. 200 miles NE!  It was a new experience, slogging head on into 6’ waves, 25-30 kts of wind, taking it easy at 6.5 kts, relatively comfortable.  When after 36 hours we found some of the Navy ships maneuvering, we felt we were far enough.  An eye on the weather, Iridium-texting my frantic daughters, reassured by by bored-to-tears grandchildren who thought LANE was lame, we turned around… but it was a bit too soon.

After LANE, it was OLIVIA!

Oh my!!! How did we appreciate the toughness of our little ship.  We were surfing 10-12’ following waves, propelled to 17kts at times, and I was blissfully napping when (JP later reported) a wall of white foam suddenly appeared to starboard.  A wall! Foaming, breaking wave, taller than the boat!  And it was on us! No time to do anything.  JP thought “That’s it, we’re going down.”  But our DOMINO tilted 45 degrees this way, slid down a bit, tilted 45 degrees the other way, and then kept on surfing the following waves!  Catapulted out of my bed, I wondered what that was… a rogue wave that would most likely have swamped less capable boats, holed less sturdy ships, or sunk less seaworthy yachts.  DOMINO shouldered it like a pro, shook the foam off her decks, and kept on going without a hiccup!  Once more, we were astounded by our ship’s performance and sent a silent thanksgiving prayer to Malcolm Tennant who, we are sure, was grinning up above, quipping, “Told you so!”  … and gave kudos to the flawless engineering by Anthony Stanton.

So, we turned back away from the storm once more and waited another 6 hours in the company of the tugboat fleet and the Hawaiian Responder environmental ship.  When we saw them turn around, we joined their flotilla.
Smiles at last, as Miles, our Hawaiian son, joins us for a sleepover . Nothing like breakfast!

Useless to say, the kids were ticked off at having to stay 4 days off the boat, cooped up indoors, waiting for the storm to pass.  Yeah, for sure, at 8- and 16-year-old, a sad way to spend you hard-earned vacation, but a learning experience, especially one of gratitude towards our Ohana, our Hawaiian family (Moe, Janet, and Miles) who kept our kids safe.

What could be sweeter than time with your grandchildren… Luau at the Marriott

It will remain a summer in the kids annals, and no matter how much fun we tried to pack in their last 3 days of vacation, this will remain in their memory the Summer from Hell, a special bond that Jackson and Zoe will share for ever!

LANE killed our flag and our port side navigation light.

All told, LANE unleashed 70-80knts winds and 8-10’ swells in Mala and we sure were glad to have left, even if it cost us 470 NM round trip!

More family fun, our nephew and niece and their spouses…. 

Honolua Bay – 21*02.892N, 156*38.43W – Once the kids were gone and the seas calmed down, we checked out the popular Honolua Bay.  Good anchorage, many charter boats during the day, many tourists in the water, and marginally appealing snorkeling.  Time to move on!  But where?  Hurricane MYRIAM is churning to the east of the islands, so we wait another day to move south to KONA.

THE BIG ISLAND

KONA
Kailua Kona – 19*38.269N, 155*59.763W  – In calm conditions, this is a very picturesque spot.  The old hotel, the church, the hills, it’s all so lovely in calm conditions.  Not too many spots to drop anchor since the harbor is peppered with moorings.  Oh yes, you could theoretically grab a DSLR mooring, as long as you bring all your tackle and drop someone to set it up before you tie up, and retrieve it after you leave!  

Kona harbor… not as big as it seems

We chose to drop anchor, once more between the reef outcrops, once more nervous about chain damage and holding.  We also had to stay away from the Bay entrance directional light, another anchorage restriction.  

Coffee tasting

 This said, Kona is a lovely town and of course we tasted the coffee and visited the quilt shops and the beautiful Hawaiian quilt museum.  Yep, I was happy!


My happy place!
But what else than two more hurricanes on the horizon?  NORMAN is ending up being a non-issue, passing way east of the islands, but OLIVIA is churning our way… time to find shelter!


The very protected anchorage at Cook Bay

Kealakekua Bay (Cook’s Point) 19*28.426N, 155*55.416W – This has to be one of the most protected anchorages in Hawaii and we felt safe for the entire week we stayed there.  Anchorage is restricted and skippers must mind the coral at the bottom.  There is coral in this bay, struggling to grow, but there is good sand also.  So, watch your sounder and open your eyes!

Yes, this is where Captain Cook was… cooked!  Captured and killed by the locals, this extraordinary mariner is immortalized by a memorial at Napoopoo point.  This is also a good place to snorkel, the only spot where we found a bit of color, albeit swimming in the oily residue of suntan lotion and sunblock oozing from the dozens of tourists floating around, freshly disgorged from the cruise ship anchored in Kona… as I said, popular spot!

Olivia passed NW of us, sparing the Big Island but scaring the beejeesus out of our friends in Honolulu and wrecking havoc in Kauai.  We had dodged that one! Time to move north.  

But we should have waited.  We made the mistake of leaving a bit too soon and made the poor decision to anchor (again) in Kona while the swells from Olivia where still kicking out of the west… straight into the harbor.  Needless to say, crowd was not a problem as the locals had moved somewhere else and we got our butt kicked all night!

Coasting along Molokai

MOLOKAI – … butt kicked all night and all the way to Molokai!  But once we turned the NE corner of Molokai, it was suddenly Heaven…


or rather, the garden of Eden, the primal forest dropping into the ocean, waterfalls playing with cloud wisps, and we were in Jurassic Park.  
More MOLOKAI raw beauty


It was totally unnerving!  JP tried to convince me to anchor at Waikolu, behind Okala Island (21*10.472N, 156*55.933W). This is possibly the most stunning anchorage we have ever seen, small and almost on the rocky beach, but I could not even breathe!  Yes, I was in a total panic!  Something about this place is PRIMAL!  I could not consider spending a night alone in that anchorage.  


Off we went, anchored in the large Kalaupapa Bay – 21*11.303N, 156*59.179W – Nothing to note in that bay if only the lepers colony building and the stunning relief of the mountains.  Molokai will keep its mystique in my book!

KAUAI
Hanalei Bay, on a misty afternoon

Hanalei Bay – 22*12.615N, 159*30*079W – They wrote songs about it!  Hanalei Bay is one of the most picture-perfect bays in the world.  This easy anchorage did not disappoint.  But the shore access was difficult.  Hurricane LANE had destroyed the wharf and swamped the beach.  Landing the dinghy on the beach proved a challenge in the rolling swell, but well worth the effort.  

Hanalei is a lovely town that we enjoyed to the fullest, even if the $9 loaf of artisan French bread was a bit extravagant! 


The Oceanic Arts store took our top mark, with its exquisite art creations from all over the Pacific Rim… the best, by far, a little museum of sorts!  Not to be missed.
The best Poke in town!

 What we missed, though, was a bike ride up the coast, since the road was still closed after last springs’ torrential rains.  We just delighted in the views from the anchorage, short-lived as it turned out to be, since Hurricane WILLA was coming our way!




Nawilliwili Harbor – 21*56.960N, 159*21.341W – Now, THAT’s a protected harbor!  We got there a few days before the storm, afraid there would not be any room.  And it was a good idea!  As always, the marina was full, derelict boats were taking 20% of the free anchorages, and the odd mooring ball available had no tackle.


  But JP was patient and calculated his radius, dropping DOMINO in the center of all the boats, on a short scope with only 1.5m under the hull.  Yep, we were fine there!

Smack-dab in the middle!
Kauai will remain our favorite island.  It was easy to rent a car and tour the island one day, then hop on a helicopter and see it all from above. Stunning!  Well worth the money!


As Hurricane WALAKA was passing to the west, charter boats were limping into the harbor, seeking refuge at the commercial wharf.  Soon our friend Kim on her BLAZE II limped in too, reporting 10’ swells at Port Allen overnight, her boat battered and in disarray.  


We had dodged yet another one!


Well, it was still early October and we were waiting for a weather window for our departure for Mexico.  By the 10th, it looked good, even though something was spinning off of Honduras. 


We fueled up, paying the $200 docking fee at the old fuel dock to have access to the fuel truck… and off we went, racing against the spinner coming towards Cabo San Lucas… yes, we were dodging WILLA too!

Saying goodbye to Kim, our sweet friend on BLAZE II

Hawaii was a season to remember, for its ruggedness and its raw beauty!

Heather Brown Art… the essence of Hawaii
till next time…
dominomarie

TRANSPAC III

By on October 26, 2018 in Domino

TRANSPAC III


October 26, 2018
La Paz, Baja California, Mexico


DOMINO deserve a badge: 50,000 NM under the hulls, and counting.

Honolulu to Cabo San Lucas in less than 11 days, it was my kind of Transpac; one with absolutely nothing to report, no mechanical problem beyond a blown fuse that stopped the autopilot for a few minutes, no engine problem beyond a distended alternator belt (easy fix) and the best weather window we could have hoped for… expect for Hurricane WILLA that was waiting for us in Cabo.

Leaving Hawaii behind, sunrise to the east
For weeks, JP had watched the weather and patterns for this 2,660 NM trip.  Since this route is traditionally against Force 4 winds (11-16kts) and 8’ seas, running against 05-1 Knt current, he had been looking for a bit of a break, hoping for lesser winds.  PredictWind could give us a 10-day outlook, so the plan was to leave when Predict Wind was clear and to make the crossing as quickly as possible, hopefully in 10 days, clocking 260 NM/day.  We waited and waited, and suddenly a window opened.

October 10: take the Honolulu bus to Pier 1 and get our Zarpe from Customs to please the Mexican authorities.

The fuel dock in Ala Wai no longer sells fuel to the public.  It is now privately owned.
BUT.. for a fee ($200) the owner will let you dock and fuel up from a truck.
We used the Fuel Man
On October 11, at 0400, in pitch darkness, we eased to the old fuel dock at Ala Wai Marina in Honolulu, paid a $200 fee to the owner of the dock to use the space (yikes!) and the Fuel Man truck rolled in.  Two hours later, we had loaded 2,600 gallons and lowered our waterline by a foot.  A bit of cleaning up, a nice breakfast, a last run to the store for croissants, and by 1100 we were off.
The first 2 days were a dream: less than 10 knots of SE wind and flat seas, a Dorado in the cooler.  We were running 10-5 to 10.7 kts.

The next 2 days were rougher, 20-25 kts E wind on the nose, 6’ swells with a crossed 2’ wind chop.


Going upwind, 13-18Kts of wind, 10.5 Kts boat speed

The last 6 days were just peachy, the wind stabilized around 15-18 kts,  seas 4-6’.  It was a good time for fishing and catching another Dorado. While we were running East, the wind backed progressively from SE to E, then gently to ENE, N, and to NW 1 day out of Cabo.  We were expecting to make 14 Kts on the last day (1500 rpm) but, surprisingly, we were working against 1.5 to 2 knots of current.  So yes, it was uphill all the way, except maybe for the last 50 miles.

Five-day outlook: we knew it was going to be close
Our only concern was Hurricane WILLA.  We kew it had a chance of developing even before we left Honolulu.  After sort of petering out on day 1 and 2, WILLA reappeared on day 3 and looked horrendous, as if it were going to hit Cabo and run up the west coast of Baja the way GEORGE had just done.  We decided to wait and see, slow down to 8.5 kts, not just because the going was rough that day, but we also wanted to see what that hurricane was doing.  

Arriving Cabo: we need to keep on going!
The next day, WILLA had stalled in her track and we decided to make a run for it, go as fast as possible with keeping a 500 gal reserve just in case we would have to ditch our route.  And, as the days went by, running faster and faster (up to 13kts) as our load got lighter, we ducked the storm and made our destination at last.

Our daily recon: WP14, we clocked 283 NM that day

By the numbers:  
  • Distance: 2,661 NM
  • Time: 10 days, 18 hours
  • Average speed: 10.3 kts
  • Fuel used: 2,000 Gal.
  • Reserve: 600 Gal.
Arriving Cabo ahead of WILLA

We arrived Cabo San Lucas early on the morning of October 22 as WILLA’s outer bands were churning overhead, the sky heavy with clouds, the air misty, but no big wind. The barometric pressure had dropped to 1009, 12 ticks in the last 3 days.  

The beautiful white rocks at Cabo San Lucas.  We arrived with drizzle and flat seas, no wind

We had just turned the Cape when the Port Captain announced that he had closed all the beaches, anchoring in the bay and was warning agains high-sea navigation since WILLA was but hours away.

Would you know there is a hurricane coming?

There was nothing for us to do but keep on running, all the way to the safe harbor of La Paz.  

Rounding Cabo San Lucas, the cave.
Nobody on the beaches, the Port Captain has shut down the beaches,
restricted navigation to wharf-to-wharf only.

We slowed down and enjoyed the scenery, trying to adjust to the heady smell of Mexican scrub brush, lazing on 1 engine wile 2-meter waves from the south were pushing us along.  A last PredictWind download confirmed that we would be safe to anchor at Bahia de los Sueños (B. de los Muertos) and so we did, loathe to navigate the San Lorenzo channel at night.

Bahia de los Muertos (rebaptized Bahia de los Sueños)

It was nigh when we arrived at the anchorage and, of course, after some 800 anchor drops without a hitch, Big Bertha’s foot switch refused to work.  And that is why we have 2 anchors!  We dropped Lit’l Lou (43Kg Raya) and left it at that.  JP would replace the foot switch’s corroded connector in the morning.

It was a splendid night, clear to the north, clouds churning to the south, and a small swell rocking us gently.  

WILLA to the South… we are just at the edge of the weather system

From there, it was another half-day run to La Paz where Marina La Paz happened to have a vacancy for a few days.


Marina de La Paz: Great docks, spa time for DOMINO
And so we are!  Washing and scrubbing and rinsing and waxing and giving our Big D. a full spa treatment.  She worked hard once again and did it all happily.  Darn, we love that boat!

Off to the islands…
till next time

dominomarie

TRANSPAC III

By on October 26, 2018 in Domino

TRANSPAC III


October 26, 2018
La Paz, Baja California, Mexico


DOMINO deserve a badge: 50,000 NM under the hulls, and counting.

Honolulu to Cabo San Lucas in less than 11 days, it was my kind of Transpac; one with absolutely nothing to report, no mechanical problem beyond a blown fuse that stopped the autopilot for a few minutes, no engine problem beyond a distended alternator belt (easy fix) and the best weather window we could have hoped for… expect for Hurricane WILLA that was waiting for us in Cabo.

Leaving Hawaii behind, sunrise to the east
For weeks, JP had watched the weather and patterns for this 2,660 NM trip.  Since this route is traditionally against Force 4 winds (11-16kts) and 8’ seas, running against 05-1 Knt current, he had been looking for a bit of a break, hoping for lesser winds.  PredictWind could give us a 10-day outlook, so the plan was to leave when Predict Wind was clear and to make the crossing as quickly as possible, hopefully in 10 days, clocking 260 NM/day.  We waited and waited, and suddenly a window opened.

October 10: take the Honolulu bus to Pier 1 and get our Zarpe from Customs to please the Mexican authorities.

The fuel dock in Ala Wai no longer sells fuel to the public.  It is now privately owned.
BUT.. for a fee ($200) the owner will let you dock and fuel up from a truck.
We used the Fuel Man
On October 11, at 0400, in pitch darkness, we eased to the old fuel dock at Ala Wai Marina in Honolulu, paid a $200 fee to the owner of the dock to use the space (yikes!) and the Fuel Man truck rolled in.  Two hours later, we had loaded 2,600 gallons and lowered our waterline by a foot.  A bit of cleaning up, a nice breakfast, a last run to the store for croissants, and by 1100 we were off.
The first 2 days were a dream: less than 10 knots of SE wind and flat seas, a Dorado in the cooler.  We were running 10-5 to 10.7 kts.

The next 2 days were rougher, 20-25 kts E wind on the nose, 6’ swells with a crossed 2’ wind chop.



Going upwind, 13-18Kts of wind, 10.5 Kts boat speed

The last 6 days were just peachy, the wind stabilized around 15-18 kts,  seas 4-6’.  It was a good time for fishing and catching another Dorado. While we were running East, the wind backed progressively from SE to E, then gently to ENE, N, and to NW 1 day out of Cabo.  We were expecting to make 14 Kts on the last day (1500 rpm) but, surprisingly, we were working against 1.5 to 2 knots of current.  So yes, it was uphill all the way, except maybe for the last 50 miles.

Five-day outlook: we knew it was going to be close
Our only concern was Hurricane WILLA.  We kew it had a chance of developing even before we left Honolulu.  After sort of petering out on day 1 and 2, WILLA reappeared on day 3 and looked horrendous, as if it were going to hit Cabo and run up the west coast of Baja the way GEORGE had just done.  We decided to wait and see, slow down to 8.5 kts, not just because the going was rough that day, but we also wanted to see what that hurricane was doing.  

Arriving Cabo: we need to keep on going!
The next day, WILLA had stalled in her track and we decided to make a run for it, go as fast as possible with keeping a 500 gal reserve just in case we would have to ditch our route.  And, as the days went by, running faster and faster (up to 13kts) as our load got lighter, we ducked the storm and made our destination at last.

Our daily recon: WP14, we clocked 283 NM that day

By the numbers:  
  • Distance: 2,661 NM
  • Time: 10 days, 18 hours
  • Average speed: 10.3 kts
  • Fuel used: 2,000 Gal.
  • Reserve: 600 Gal.
Arriving Cabo ahead of WILLA

We arrived Cabo San Lucas early on the morning of October 22 as WILLA’s outer bands were churning overhead, the sky heavy with clouds, the air misty, but no big wind. The barometric pressure had dropped to 1009, 12 ticks in the last 3 days.  

The beautiful white rocks at Cabo San Lucas.  We arrived with drizzle and flat seas, no wind

We had just turned the Cape when the Port Captain announced that he had closed all the beaches, anchoring in the bay and was warning agains high-sea navigation since WILLA was but hours away.

Would you know there is a hurricane coming?

There was nothing for us to do but keep on running, all the way to the safe harbor of La Paz.  

Rounding Cabo San Lucas, the cave.
Nobody on the beaches, the Port Captain has shut down the beaches,
restricted navigation to wharf-to-wharf only.

We slowed down and enjoyed the scenery, trying to adjust to the heady smell of Mexican scrub brush, lazing on 1 engine wile 2-meter waves from the south were pushing us along.  A last PredictWind download confirmed that we would be safe to anchor at Bahia de los Sueños (B. de los Muertos) and so we did, loathe to navigate the San Lorenzo channel at night.

Bahia de los Muertos (rebaptized Bahia de los Sueños)

It was nigh when we arrived at the anchorage and, of course, after some 800 anchor drops without a hitch, Big Bertha’s foot switch refused to work.  And that is why we have 2 anchors!  We dropped Lit’l Lou (43Kg Raya) and left it at that.  JP would replace the foot switch’s corroded connector in the morning.

It was a splendid night, clear to the north, clouds churning to the south, and a small swell rocking us gently.  

WILLA to the South… we are just at the edge of the weather system

From there, it was another half-day run to La Paz where Marina La Paz happened to have a vacancy for a few days.


Marina de La Paz: Great docks, spa time for DOMINO
And so we are!  Washing and scrubbing and rinsing and waxing and giving our Big D. a full spa treatment.  She worked hard once again and did it all happily.  Darn, we love that boat!

Off to the islands…
till next time

dominomarie

CRUISING HAWAII – Oahu

By on August 19, 2018 in Domino

CRUISING HAWAII – Oahu

August 19th, 2018
Lahaina, Maui

Hawaii in Summer… Dodging Hurricanes… HECTOR
If a major storm had not thrown us off our course to Alaska and forced us to divert to Honolulu, we never would have chosen the Hawaiian Islands as a cruising destination.  There are several reasons for that.

Kewalo Basin and Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Honolulu.  No transient docking available


The sad state of Ala Wai Boat Harbor
  • Few protected anchorages.  The Eastern coasts are, obviously, exposed to the trade winds and unsuitable.  The Western and Northern coasts are made of steep cliffs and rocky shores, steep drops, and count very few natural anchorages.

The work dock… we nudged Domino next to the SWATH 
  • Decrepit harbors.  I hate to say it, but it is true.  The yachting population is not a State priority and the State-controlled harbors are in dire state of disrepair.  Take Oahu, for example.  It took us 4 days to find a berth at the Ala Wai in Waikiki, and only after we got denied by all of the other State-harbors, private harbors and yacht clubs.  

The splendid and immense Pearl Harbor, the only safe harbor in all of the islands, of course, is reserved to the military and the only way to get a mooring is to be military personnel.  Well, scratch that!

Riding HECTOR on the lagoon

Keehi Harbor (State-owned), by the airport, is another enormous harbor, with fair protection.  We called, and there is NO berth or mooring for a 65’ boat, and there is NO anchoring in the enormous Keehi lagoon.  Yet, when we took a peek at the harbor, a good 30% of the docks were destroyed, and of the boats present, I’d say a good 20% were derelict.  Some weird traffic goes on at night too, making you wonder what’s going on under the nose of the harbormaster!  However, when hurricane HECTOR reared its head, we anchored in the lagoon anyways, and beseeched permission as soon as the harbormaster’s office opened.  After some back-and-forth, we were allowed to stay until it was safe to cruise again.

Friday Night in Waikiki’s Ala Wai Boat Harbor
Kewalo Basin (State-owned) had no room for us.  We waited 4 days for any yacht to be moved around, but no, no room for a transiting yacht.

Koalina Boat Harbor (private) was promising… but no, no room for a 65’ boat, and even if there had been, the monthly fee was $3,000 and NO live aboard.

The yacht clubs were no better.  The Hawaii Yacht Club had no room above 45’ and the Waikiki Yacht Club had no room, period.

The perk:  Fabric shopping!
Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Waikiki (State-Owned)  –  After spending 4 days at the loading dock (usually a 30’ limit) and with no other option available to us, we begged the harbormaster to let us stay at the work dock, a 24-foot wide berth for our 23’ wide cat… a tight fit.  We took it, at $231/week, no easy-way electricity 9have to register with the city; we passed1), no facilities, no bathroom and transients and taxi drivers urinating outside the condemned public bathroom.  The weird thing?  We were happy of have found a space to park our boat.

The Ala Wai Boat Harbor – So many derelict boats that should not be there!

All this to say, don’t cruise Hawaii with a big boat!

By now, I’m sure that you have written to the Hawaiian congressmen and begged to support yachting in their district, right?

Learning the Hawaaian quilting with the pros… the real deal!

For all the ugliness of the situation, there were a few bright points.  Hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping (Don Quijote is the best!), night life, Ukulele lessons, Friday night fireworks, World Cup on TV, and —my favorite— learning to quilt the traditional Hawaiian way with the legendary Poakalani clan, the Serrao Family. 

Ukulele and Hawaiian Quilting!

But once JP got the fuel pump fixed and installed the new washer dryer (you read right!), we were off cruising again.


Thank you, my Captain!

POKAI BAY – (Wai’anae) 21*26.661N, 158*11.536W
If you have a small boat, you can anchor behind the breakwater, but we found the proximity of the park a bit loud.  This is a cool spot.  Every morning, large pods of spinner dolphins come to feed in the area… and an armada of charter boats follows, dozens of people in the water to swim with the creatures.  With a bit of luck and patience, we managed to slip quietly down our swim ladder and have some 1-on-1 with a small pod, papa, mama, and newborn baby!  

How can we not love these amazing creatures?  Spinner Dolphins
Snorkel on the outside of the breakwater and you are sure to find a few turtles.  As for me, I was pretty jaded and ready to go back to the boat when I was surprised by a 4-foot Zebra Moray Eel.  You never know!

Zebra Moray (Photo Graham’s Island.com)

NORTH SHORE – WAIMEA BAY – 21*38.421N, 158*03.943W
Strange… sailboats are allowed to anchor close to shore.  Motor yachts must anchor outside of a line that stretches between the outermost structures built on both sides of the bay.  Still, it’s good holding and a mythical spot.
All day, we watched hundreds of enthusiasts jump off the Black Rock… they jump at night too, crazy buggers!
The snorkeling in the bay is marginal, just big boulders and nothing much.
But…. we anchored at North Shore and could just imagine the force of the winter waves by looking at the steep grade of the beach and the cliffs around.  Moana! Never to be underestimated.

Fourth of July at the Ala Wai… we have 40 flags out!

Off to Molokai, Lanai, and Maui….
Till next time,

Ahi Poke, anyone?
dominomarie

CRUISING HAWAII – Oahu

By on August 19, 2018 in Domino

CRUISING HAWAII – Oahu

August 19th, 2018
Lahaina, Maui

Hawaii in Summer… Dodging Hurricanes… HECTOR
If a major storm had not thrown us off our course to Alaska and forced us to divert to Honolulu, we never would have chosen the Hawaiian Islands as a cruising destination.  There are several reasons for that.

Kewalo Basin and Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Honolulu.  No transient docking available


The sad state of Ala Wai Boat Harbor
  • Few protected anchorages.  The Eastern coasts are, obviously, exposed to the trade winds and unsuitable.  The Western and Northern coasts are made of steep cliffs and rocky shores, steep drops, and count very few natural anchorages.

The work dock… we nudged Domino next to the SWATH 
  • Decrepit harbors.  I hate to say it, but it is true.  The yachting population is not a State priority and the State-controlled harbors are in dire state of disrepair.  Take Oahu, for example.  It took us 4 days to find a berth at the Ala Wai in Waikiki, and only after we got denied by all of the other State-harbors, private harbors and yacht clubs.  

The splendid and immense Pearl Harbor, the only safe harbor in all of the islands, of course, is reserved to the military and the only way to get a mooring is to be military personnel.  Well, scratch that!

Riding HECTOR on the lagoon

Keehi Harbor (State-owned), by the airport, is another enormous harbor, with fair protection.  We called, and there is NO berth or mooring for a 65’ boat, and there is NO anchoring in the enormous Keehi lagoon.  Yet, when we took a peek at the harbor, a good 30% of the docks were destroyed, and of the boats present, I’d say a good 20% were derelict.  Some weird traffic goes on at night too, making you wonder what’s going on under the nose of the harbormaster!  However, when hurricane HECTOR reared its head, we anchored in the lagoon anyways, and beseeched permission as soon as the harbormaster’s office opened.  After some back-and-forth, we were allowed to stay until it was safe to cruise again.

Friday Night in Waikiki’s Ala Wai Boat Harbor
Kewalo Basin (State-owned) had no room for us.  We waited 4 days for any yacht to be moved around, but no, no room for a transiting yacht.

Koalina Boat Harbor (private) was promising… but no, no room for a 65’ boat, and even if there had been, the monthly fee was $3,000 and NO live aboard.

The yacht clubs were no better.  The Hawaii Yacht Club had no room above 45’ and the Waikiki Yacht Club had no room, period.

The perk:  Fabric shopping!
Ala Wai Boat Harbor, Waikiki (State-Owned)  –  After spending 4 days at the loading dock (usually a 30’ limit) and with no other option available to us, we begged the harbormaster to let us stay at the work dock, a 24-foot wide berth for our 23’ wide cat… a tight fit.  We took it, at $231/week, no easy-way electricity 9have to register with the city; we passed1), no facilities, no bathroom and transients and taxi drivers urinating outside the condemned public bathroom.  The weird thing?  We were happy of have found a space to park our boat.

The Ala Wai Boat Harbor – So many derelict boats that should not be there!

All this to say, don’t cruise Hawaii with a big boat!

By now, I’m sure that you have written to the Hawaiian congressmen and begged to support yachting in their district, right?

Learning the Hawaaian quilting with the pros… the real deal!

For all the ugliness of the situation, there were a few bright points.  Hotels, restaurants, bars, shopping (Don Quijote is the best!), night life, Ukulele lessons, Friday night fireworks, World Cup on TV, and —my favorite— learning to quilt the traditional Hawaiian way with the legendary Poakalani clan, the Serrao Family. 

Ukulele and Hawaiian Quilting!

But once JP got the fuel pump fixed and installed the new washer dryer (you read right!), we were off cruising again.


Thank you, my Captain!

POKAI BAY – (Wai’anae) 21*26.661N, 158*11.536W
If you have a small boat, you can anchor behind the breakwater, but we found the proximity of the park a bit loud.  This is a cool spot.  Every morning, large pods of spinner dolphins come to feed in the area… and an armada of charter boats follows, dozens of people in the water to swim with the creatures.  With a bit of luck and patience, we managed to slip quietly down our swim ladder and have some 1-on-1 with a small pod, papa, mama, and newborn baby!  

How can we not love these amazing creatures?  Spinner Dolphins
Snorkel on the outside of the breakwater and you are sure to find a few turtles.  As for me, I was pretty jaded and ready to go back to the boat when I was surprised by a 4-foot Zebra Moray Eel.  You never know!

Zebra Moray (Photo Graham’s Island.com)

NORTH SHORE – WAIMEA BAY – 21*38.421N, 158*03.943W
Strange… sailboats are allowed to anchor close to shore.  Motor yachts must anchor outside of a line that stretches between the outermost structures built on both sides of the bay.  Still, it’s good holding and a mythical spot.
All day, we watched hundreds of enthusiasts jump off the Black Rock… they jump at night too, crazy buggers!
The snorkeling in the bay is marginal, just big boulders and nothing much.
But…. we anchored at North Shore and could just imagine the force of the winter waves by looking at the steep grade of the beach and the cliffs around.  Moana! Never to be underestimated.

Fourth of July at the Ala Wai… we have 40 flags out!

Off to Molokai, Lanai, and Maui….
Till next time,

Ahi Poke, anyone?
dominomarie

Transpac 2 – Part II

By on June 29, 2018 in Domino
TRANSPAC 2
Week 2
Running from the storm
This is definitely NOT Alaska!  Aloha Waikiki!

Day 8 – June 11 – Dang! This storm is not going away!  Instead of weakening, it’s gaining strength and dipping south, forgetting to turn north.  The NOAA report is transmitting yet another PAN PAN and the edge of the storm is bearing southeasst, in our direction.  The two highs to the NE of us were supposed to give this huge front the boot, but they are quickly vanishing.  Meanwhile, the monster is gobbling a couple of small disorganized lows, gaining in strength and scope, bearing down on us.  Our guardian angel, Peter Mott of Northland Radio in New Zealand, shoots us an email, urging us to dip south, as low as 25N, four degrees south of where we are.
June 11 GRIB – We are at the green marker… 31* North –  planning on going SE

  Easily said but not really possible since the entire area to the south is restricted, from Midway to the French Frigate Shoals near Kauai.  That’s right!  Midway atolls is under the control of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and my inquiries as to whether or not we could seek refuge in case of Force Majeure were answered sternly; do not attempt to enter the Midway Wildlife Refuge or any part pf the Papahānaumokuākea Reserve or you will be fined heavily.


Plan A: Run south and double back to the west
Plan B: Run south, wait, and run back north
A&B impossible, of course!
Plan C: Stick to the northern border of the reserve


Fortunately, DOMINO’s range of speed and her fuel capacity give us options.  For now, we’ll just go as south as possible, trailing towards 27 degrees N, along the northern border of the Papahānaumokuākea Refuge Zone until the next weather report, as slow as we can on 1 engine: 7.5 KTs.

 If the storm decides to dip even more south, we’ll be left with only one option: hightail it to Kauai, 760 NM away, steaming at 15 kts, a 50-hour trip.  Refuel, wait for weather to improve, and resume to Sitka!  
In anticipation of some rocky seas, I’m taking advantage of the smooth ride (8 days of smooth ride!) to bake a turkey-and-leek quiche.
Miles today: 166NM
When in doubt, cook!
TURKEY and LEEK Quiche
  • 2 leeks, steamed, sliced thinly, sautéed with onions and ginger (see Wahoo recipe in Week 1)
  • 6 slices of turkey or ham (sliced or cubes)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 Cup milk or light cream
  • 1 Cup grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese
  • Salt, pepper.
  • Herbed Pie crust for 9” pie (250g flour, 120g margarine, pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp thyme or Herbes de Provence, 1/4c water)

Pre-heat over 375F – Roll out dough to form circle wide enough for 9” pan, and line the pan with herbed crust.
Prick the bottom, place waxed paper at the bottom, line with baking weights, bake at 375 for 12 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together, the eggs, milk, salt, pepper.  Fold in the meat and grated cheese.
Take the crust out of the oven, remove weights and paper, pour egg-meat-cheese mixture, bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until golden.  Insert a toothpick in center to check cooking: it should come out just moist.
June 12 GRIB
Day 9 – June 12 – The wind is still SSW, but starting to ramp up in the 18-20Kt range, the barometer has fallen 5 points overnight, and I wake up to an obstructed horizon, the air thick with mist, the ceiling so low it seems to crush us.  Bad signs. We fire up the Iridium and download an updated PredictWind GRIB.  The southernmost bands of the storm are on us, and we are getting into the squash zone, the low to the west, the high to the east, and we know it’s not a good place to be.  

June 13 – We gotta get out!
This is as much as we want to wait.  Time to make our exit.  Escaping hurricanes isn’t new to us: Thomas in the Caribbean, Irene in New York, we wait as long as we can to see where these unpredictable beasts will decide to go then we zoom out. 


By mid-morning, we are zooming at 15 kts toward Kauai.  I’m amazed to see how squeezed we are, the wind at times from the SSW, at other times out of the SSE, trying to make up its mind, sometimes in the teens, sometimes in the 20s, the seas small but incredibly confused.

By evening, JP announces that we have used almost half of our fuel and going to Alaska is no longer an option anyways.  We’re only 500 miles from Hawaii and that’s where we are going!

Our final course

The rest of the trip is uneventful.  The Coast Guards inform us that Kauai is a port of entry but there is no customs office and must divert to Honolulu (still trying to figure that one out!)  
June 14 GRIB forecast… need to be as far as possible
Of course, there is always a mechanical challenge.  This time, the STB high-pressure fuel pump starts leaking a bit of diesel as we rev-up the engines to hold our 15kt speed.  Hot fuel is the diagnosis.  But if we keep the RPM below 1200, no problem.  JP figures we eventually will have to install a fuel cooling system, and fix that fuel pump anyways.  
Glad to be safe in Honolulu and not on our way to Alaska!
It took us 10 days 10 hours to travel 2827 NM.  This was definitely NOT the Transpac we expected, and was a very long detour since Majuro to Hawaii is only about 2000 miles.  Of course, we are disappointed not to have made it to Alaska.  Of course, finding a place for DOMINO in Honolulu is a nightmare.  But here we are.  We had a beautiful cruise, dodged another major storm, learned a lot more about our boat, and live to play another day!

Four days later: should we go now?
Till next time

Nah… let’s play!

dominomarie

Transpac 2 – Part II

By on June 29, 2018 in Domino
TRANSPAC 2
Week 2
Running from the storm
This is definitely NOT Alaska!  Aloha Waikiki!

Day 8 – June 11 – Dang! This storm is not going away!  Instead of weakening, it’s gaining strength and dipping south, forgetting to turn north.  The NOAA report is transmitting yet another PAN PAN and the edge of the storm is bearing southeasst, in our direction.  The two highs to the NE of us were supposed to give this huge front the boot, but they are quickly vanishing.  Meanwhile, the monster is gobbling a couple of small disorganized lows, gaining in strength and scope, bearing down on us.  Our guardian angel, Peter Mott of Northland Radio in New Zealand, shoots us an email, urging us to dip south, as low as 25N, four degrees south of where we are.
June 11 GRIB – We are at the green marker… 31* North –  planning on going SE

  Easily said but not really possible since the entire area to the south is restricted, from Midway to the French Frigate Shoals near Kauai.  That’s right!  Midway atolls is under the control of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, and my inquiries as to whether or not we could seek refuge in case of Force Majeure were answered sternly; do not attempt to enter the Midway Wildlife Refuge or any part pf the Papahānaumokuākea Reserve or you will be fined heavily.


Plan A: Run south and double back to the west
Plan B: Run south, wait, and run back north
A&B impossible, of course!
Plan C: Stick to the northern border of the reserve


Fortunately, DOMINO’s range of speed and her fuel capacity give us options.  For now, we’ll just go as south as possible, trailing towards 27 degrees N, along the northern border of the Papahānaumokuākea Refuge Zone until the next weather report, as slow as we can on 1 engine: 7.5 KTs.

 If the storm decides to dip even more south, we’ll be left with only one option: hightail it to Kauai, 760 NM away, steaming at 15 kts, a 50-hour trip.  Refuel, wait for weather to improve, and resume to Sitka!  
In anticipation of some rocky seas, I’m taking advantage of the smooth ride (8 days of smooth ride!) to bake a turkey-and-leek quiche.
Miles today: 166NM
When in doubt, cook!
TURKEY and LEEK Quiche
  • 2 leeks, steamed, sliced thinly, sautéed with onions and ginger (see Wahoo recipe in Week 1)
  • 6 slices of turkey or ham (sliced or cubes)
  • 6 eggs
  • 1/4 Cup milk or light cream
  • 1 Cup grated Swiss or Cheddar cheese
  • Salt, pepper.
  • Herbed Pie crust for 9” pie (250g flour, 120g margarine, pinch of salt, 1 Tbsp thyme or Herbes de Provence, 1/4c water)

Pre-heat over 375F – Roll out dough to form circle wide enough for 9” pan, and line the pan with herbed crust.
Prick the bottom, place waxed paper at the bottom, line with baking weights, bake at 375 for 12 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together, the eggs, milk, salt, pepper.  Fold in the meat and grated cheese.
Take the crust out of the oven, remove weights and paper, pour egg-meat-cheese mixture, bake at 350F for 25 minutes or until golden.  Insert a toothpick in center to check cooking: it should come out just moist.
June 12 GRIB
Day 9 – June 12 – The wind is still SSW, but starting to ramp up in the 18-20Kt range, the barometer has fallen 5 points overnight, and I wake up to an obstructed horizon, the air thick with mist, the ceiling so low it seems to crush us.  Bad signs. We fire up the Iridium and download an updated PredictWind GRIB.  The southernmost bands of the storm are on us, and we are getting into the squash zone, the low to the west, the high to the east, and we know it’s not a good place to be.  

June 13 – We gotta get out!
This is as much as we want to wait.  Time to make our exit.  Escaping hurricanes isn’t new to us: Thomas in the Caribbean, Irene in New York, we wait as long as we can to see where these unpredictable beasts will decide to go then we zoom out. 



By mid-morning, we are zooming at 15 kts toward Kauai.  I’m amazed to see how squeezed we are, the wind at times from the SSW, at other times out of the SSE, trying to make up its mind, sometimes in the teens, sometimes in the 20s, the seas small but incredibly confused.

By evening, JP announces that we have used almost half of our fuel and going to Alaska is no longer an option anyways.  We’re only 500 miles from Hawaii and that’s where we are going!

Our final course

The rest of the trip is uneventful.  The Coast Guards inform us that Kauai is a port of entry but there is no customs office and must divert to Honolulu (still trying to figure that one out!)  
June 14 GRIB forecast… need to be as far as possible
Of course, there is always a mechanical challenge.  This time, the STB high-pressure fuel pump starts leaking a bit of diesel as we rev-up the engines to hold our 15kt speed.  Hot fuel is the diagnosis.  But if we keep the RPM below 1200, no problem.  JP figures we eventually will have to install a fuel cooling system, and fix that fuel pump anyways.  
Glad to be safe in Honolulu and not on our way to Alaska!
It took us 10 days 10 hours to travel 2827 NM.  This was definitely NOT the Transpac we expected, and was a very long detour since Majuro to Hawaii is only about 2000 miles.  Of course, we are disappointed not to have made it to Alaska.  Of course, finding a place for DOMINO in Honolulu is a nightmare.  But here we are.  We had a beautiful cruise, dodged another major storm, learned a lot more about our boat, and live to play another day!

Four days later: should we go now?
Till next time

Nah… let’s play!

dominomarie