So close we can taste the ham, but sadly we think we’ll be too late. Next Monday no holding us back from a giant hunk ham for Monday Night BBQ. We were making great speed of 7 to 8.5 knots with the Bumblebee spinnaker, but the wind increased to 25 knots and we both got a little nervous about managing it single handed at night so we brought Bumblebee down at sunset. The wind stayed fairly strong and we thought about sailing wing on wing, but the wind direction would have pointed us directly into the island of Maui. We decided to stick with a full main sail, most of the evening. In the early morning the wind died and we were only going 3 knots, so we turned on the engine to motor sail in the light winds. We have motored more than we have sailed traveling French Polynesia in reverse, so why not motor the last leg?!
We were sailing outside Maui 13 to 20 miles and surprisingly we were able to get AT&T service. Sara’s phone is out of commission after swimming when lobster hunting, so she took her SIM and put it in Wade’s iPhone, presto we have service! Of course the service was short lived as we got further away from Maui, but it was so nice to have the power of the internet in the palm of our hands. We both agree that French Polynesia’s biggest bummer but also nicest feature is the lack of internet connection. Sometimes there was speed, but it cost a fair bit. Sometimes there was a connection but watching a page load was like watching the grass grow.
We are super excited to be back in the good ole Hawaii! We are stowing sails and pulling out fenders and dock lines to prepare for tonight’s landfall. We are also dragging our handline, hopefully the Marquesan fishing tiki works in Hawaiian waters!
Cheers,
Wade and Sara
Math Be Hard For Sailors – Ala Wai
Destination: Hawaiian Islands Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor (21°16.795’N, 157°50.743’W) Prize: Hawaiian post card from us to you and a black pearl with shell Submissions are accepted until 4/24/16.
Please only submit the date and time only, no need for your crazy calculations via ComfortCruising.com Math Be Hard For Sailors Contact Form. Weather: Sunny and partly cloudy
Ves. Pos. 21°15.022’N, 156°43.788’W
SOG: 6.4 kts
Course Over Ground (COG): 270°
Time: 12:26:39 PM 4/24/17
Nautical miles to destination as a bird flies(Crs Rng & Brg): 62.1 nm & 272°
Apparent wind speed (AWS): 7.5 kts We are running down wind so true wind is this plus 6.4
Apparent wind angle: Port 156° Running down wind the wind angle moves back and forth from port to starboard.
