Vancouver to Hawaii Trip Preperation

Destination Kailua, Oahu (21° 18'N 157° 43'W), ~2400 miles!

“Who is staring at the sea is already sailing a little.” - Paul Carvel

Departure Scheduled from Coal Harbour at 11.00 am on 31 May, we expect the passage to take between 21 AND 25 days.

You can follow the journey here; Trip Log

THE CREW

. . it must be remembered that the sea is a great breeder of friendship. Two men who have known each other for twenty years find that twenty days at sea bring them nearer than ever they were before, or else estrange them. ~ Gilbert Parker

Skipper - Jim Lavers

A certified CYA sailing instructor who has been sailing since his boyhood in Cornwall, England. He has sailed extensively in B.C. waters over the past 30 years and has also logged over 45,000 miles of offshore sailing. His voyages have taken him to Mexico, Costa Rica, Hawaii and French Polynesia. Jim's history reflects his love of sailing and his deep respect for the ocean. One of his greatest pleasures in teaching lies in sharing these feelings, together with his experience and expertise, with others.


Crew - Bob, from Vancouver, one of my partners in Trident

Crew - Steve, from the wilds of Ontario.

Crew - Don, from far away, Bowen Island

Crew - Me, from sunny White Rock. I'm used to the type of "sailing" in this photo! A bit of adjustment necessary!



We had a crew meeting four weeks before departure. Both outbound and inbound crews met on Berkana. Steve was only able to join via a very unreliable Skype link. The vibe with the outbound crew was really good, this feels like a crew that will have some fun and pull together!


THE BOAT

"There is but a plank between a sailor and eternity." -Thomas Gibbons

Berkana is a Valiant 40, a solid proven offshore cruising boat. Her clean and efficient design makes her a safe comfortable cruising boat.


The accommodations are cosy; with 5 people, their personal gear, 30+ days provisions and a full inventory of sails on board. The forward cabin is full of sails, this means we will have to "hot bunk", IE when you come off watch, you kick someone out of a bunk, they roll up their sleeping bag, you roll out yours.



We will carry 140 gallons of water, plus some additional water in jerry cans. We will also catch rainwater along the way for washing clothes and the occasional fresh water shower!




Jim has taken care of all provisioning and we hope to supplement this by catching fish along the way. Real fresh Sushi, got to be beter than the Metrotown food court!

"Only fools and passengers drink at sea." -Allan Villiers. It will be a dry boat, apart from Jim's promise to reward the crew with a "tot" of Dark Navy Rum every 500 miles (IE every three or four days). Fortunately, I have learned a trick from Columbus and plan to keep two logs, one real and one for the skipper. The one Jim sees will have us covering 500 miles every couple of hours. Yo ho ho!

SAFETY GEAR
"Out of sight of land the sailor feels safe. It is the beach that worries him." -Charles C. Davis

There is a VHF and SSB radio, for communication with other boats, a GPS with AIS (Automatic identification System) which allows course and speed of commercial vessels to be tracked on the GPS screen, weatherfax to get weather updates, a Emergency position indicating radio beacon(EPIRB) that can be set off in an emergency and automatically sends a distress signal via satellite. In addition, Steve will also bring a personal EPIRB, we will have a few handheld GPS's on board and I'm bringing a satellite phone and data kit, to send e-mail updates and download weather reports (note satellite phone may fail, so no contact means a failed unit, so don't panic! The two EPIRB's are our emergency communication and that signal goes straight to a rescue co-ordination centre.)
There is a 6 person life raft with an emergency kit that includes food, water, desalinator and fishing gear. It also includes a set of four long straws and one long straw, passed down to Jim from his great grandfather on the Whale ship Essex. I'm not sure why we need these? Getting the milk out of coconuts on Pitcairn Island? If you find the reason please let me know before we depart. Sometimes I sense Jim has a hungry look in his eye.
THE ROUTE
In theory we will follow this route. As yet there is no sign of the Pacific high so some improvisation will likely be necessary!



In June it is likely that the summer weather pattern will have set in and the pacific high should be in place. The middle of the high has no winds so you cannot sail the direct route. So we head SSW from Cape Flattery and follow one of the isobars around the high, into the westward trade winds at approximately latitude 26 to 30 degrees North .
"A tradewind starts gently, without gusts — a huge ocean of air that slowly and resolutely begins to move with ever-increasing strength. Suddenly everything comes to life. Spirits rise as the sails fill. The boat heels slightly and moves ahead. The almost oppressive silence gives way to the sound of the bow cutting through the water. Gone is the sea’s glassy surface, and with it the terrible glare. Close the hatches and ports! We’re sailing again!" - Jim Moore from By Way of the Wind, 1991.
Once we find the trades we take a direct course to Hilo Hawaii a total distance of 2400m. Of course this is the preferred plan, but we are totally dependent on the winds!
If things go according to plan this crossing should take 21-25 days, leaving 5 - 7 days to claim the Islands for Canada (Except one small one which will be flagged for Scotland at the request of Mr Tommy Cook!), cruise the islands and convert the natives, before flying home. "Convert them to what?" I hear you say! Well, I'm sure there will be lots of free time during the crossing and what better way to spend your time than to invent a new religion!
Jim's wife will join him in Hawaii and they will spend a further 10 days in Hawaii. Bill, Jim, Fred and Voytek, the return trip crew, arrive around the 1oth July to take the boat back to Vancouver. These guys have the harder sail, against the trades, so will end up going further North and "enjoy" more upwind sailing! I'm leaving the satellite phone on board and am looking forward to their updates.
Our Start point in Vancouver is 49° 18'N 125° 08' W our destination Kailua, Oahu is 21° 18'N 157° 43'W. You can use this formula:

Distance = r * acos[sin(lat1) * sin(lat2) + cos(lat1) * cos(lat2) * cos(lon2 - lon1)]
Or take it from me, it's about 2400 nautical miles!

We will track progress on Google see:


View Larger Map


WHAT TO BRING
"At sea, I learned how little a person needs, not how much." -Robin Lee Graham
The first week of our passage could be cool, maybe wet too! This is a chart of sea temps, pretty cool! No cold! Also, we could end up heading close to the wind for the first few days, with waves breaking over the bow. As we get further south things will warm up and we will be running with the wind. So we will need wet weather gear for the first week and shorts & T-shirts for the rest. I went to "Mountain Magic", our local outdoor equipment store to pick-up a couple of pairs of Polaroid sunglasses. While there I was sold on the merits "Icebreakers" Merino wool shirts (from New Zealand), supposed to not get smelly! So picked up several shirts, under ware and socks. I'm sure the rest of the crew will appreciate them!

"One of the best temporary cures for pride and affection is seasickness." -Henry Wheeler Show.
I brought a few different items for prevention of sea sickness, patches, Gravol, Bonamine, ginger, pressure wristbands. Lets hope they work. But just in case I will bring some crackers and electrolyte drink powder too!

Also packed three bottles of sunscreen and a couple of hats, expect to see a bit of the sun!

For the night watches I've got 30 dark chocolate fruit and nut bars, that should get me through!
To all who have sent good wishes and "bon voyage", I thank you. To those who recognize the deeper significance of this experience for me, I thank you again. And of course a special thanks to Morgan, Cate and Cheryl for supporting my little indulgence! I love you all.
Recommended Reading
If you are following this Log, you may also be interested in the following:

• Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund (thanks Barbra)
• Christopher Columbus: The Voyage That Changed the World
• Captain James Cook: A Biography by Richard Alexander Hough
• Mutiny on the Bounty
• The Cain Mutiny
• In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
• Demon of the Waters: The True Story of the Mutiny On the Whaleship Globe
• Sole Survivor, the true account of 133 days adrift
• The Perfect Storm
• Jaws, I, II III, (ok enough)
• Over the Edge of the World: Magellan's Terrifying Circumnavigation of the Globe
• Cod
• Robenson Crusoe
• A Hard Chance: The Sydney-Hobart Race Disaster
• Capsized/the True Story of Four Men Adrift for 119 Days
• Fastnet, Force 10: The Deadliest Storm in the History of Modern Sailing
• Rescue in the Pacific; A True Story of Disaster and Survival in a Force 12 Storm
• Titanic (No plans to go this far North and can't stand Celene Dion!)
• Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage (No plans to go this far South, even to escape Celene Dion!)

Ok, you land lubbers if those did not tempt you towards the sea, how about an old poem, courtesy of Peter Shaw!

Sea-Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,

And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again,

for the call of the tide running is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull's way and the whale's way,

where the wind's like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

John Masefield

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