Thursday, June 26, 2014

Honolulu: the voyage can now continue; me; present position; when




    When I reached Hilo I had only two moderate measures of Laphroaig left.  I drank one not to celebrate the end of the passage from San Diego, but to celebrate the passage itself; and the other when I arrived here.
    Not finding Laphroaig in any local shops, I went online and found a source a mile away.  I walked there this morning and bought their last two bottles.
    Ten year Laphroaig is expensive here, as are many things.  I paid $72 for a bottle that in Evanston costs $45.  The flatlands have their advantages.
    The voyage can now continue.

———

    On the advice of Steve Earley, a culinary expert who sides as a professional photographer and open boat sailor, I traded in my GoPro 2 for a GoPro3+Black  Edition. 
    I’ve had the 2 for a while and its clunky operation and menu system have been insuperable barriers.  Steve told me that the 3+ linked to and controlled by an iPhone/iPad app is a joy, and he is right.
    I set the 3+ on a rail mount on GANNET’s stern to take time lapse photos at 60 second intervals, went about my business and then walked to the yacht club bar to have a martini and watch the deciding game of the college world series.
    When I came back I found that it had taken more than 100 photos before the battery ran down.  This is one of them.

    The camera angle is extremely wide which induces distortions.  GANNET’s tiller is not that curved.  However, I’m going to try to do this at sea from time to time.  Some of you, including Steve, have requested more photos of me while sailing.  We’ll see what we get.

———

    I deactivated the Yellowbrick when I arrived at the Waikiki Yacht Club without realizing that I had done so before it had transmitted my final location.  The last position the tracking map showed was at 8 a.m. local time just as I was about to turn into the entrance channel. 
    This afternoon I activated the Yellowbrick and sent a manual update which is now on the tracking map if you want to see where GANNET presently is.
    I have again deactivated.

———

    Several have asked when I am moving on.
    Unfortunately that is not in my control.
    For the past few days I have been a beast of burden, carrying backpacks of supplies, mostly cans, bottles and cartons, back to GANNET.  A friend noted that I have only a small back pack.  When it is full, it is more than heavy enough as my back can testify.
    I’m through.  Except for a few minor items and those things I’ll buy fresh the last day, GANNET is reprovisioned.
    I’m waiting for the sailmaker and the rigger.  When they do their work, I’ll go.  And if they don’t do it soon, I may go anyway.
    A reader sent me a link to an online discussion of this voyage.
    One man wrote, “I’ll bet he bails in Hawaii."
    I’m not going to, but I must confess to having considered responding, “You lose.  Send me all your money.”