Blog from Kinetic

by David Sutcliffe, July 14th, 2012

Winds were lighter overnight and continued lighter for today.  Still enough to sail and make good progress, but not enough for Kinetic to make another 200 mile 24 hour run.  Up to a point, it is harder to sail well in light winds than in heavier winds, because getting the most out of the sails and boat is harder at wind speeds that aren't enough to get the boat up to hull speed.  We're working hard to keep the speed up and the bow pointed in the desired direction.

It's getting hot and humid inside the boat, and it's T-shirt and shorts weather on deck.  At latitude 33 degrees North, we are a thousand miles South of Vancouver's latitude, on a rough level with San Diego.

Supplemental to Jeff's report of yesterday - an alternative definition of sleep deprivation is proposed, especially applicable to teenagers:
"sleep deprivation occurs when a person sleeps so much that they are deprived of other activities ..."
Funny Ha Ha, Dad.  Seriously, Jeff hasn't been sleeping any more than anyone else.  He's been busy today with videography and DJ'ing the music, with selections from the Stones (Vern), Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie (courtesy of Corinne).

Responding to a question from onshore, our steering maintenance consisted of tightening the Vectran steering cable.  Keeping fingers clear of the quadrant and the much-stronger-than-steel cable is essential when performing this operation while the boat is underway and being actively steered.  Ideally, we would only do it when not underway.

With today being our seventh day at sea, time is now wheeling by in a blur - eat, sail, chores, sleep; repeat, all day, all night.  We have two six hour watches ('work shifts' for landlubbers) each day, and three four hour watches each night.

This morning, the first flying fish was spotted, skimming the waves to escape from a perceived predator, namely Kinetic!   We would all fly too, if we could, to evade a twenty eight thousand pound, forty eight foot long shape hurtling along at eight or more knots directly towards us.  Flying fish are common and we expect to see many more as we progress South.

Today we've seen more small debris, mostly small fishing floats, tangles of rope and plastic bottles, but also a complete wheel and tire from a car or small truck.

Just after the lunchtime watch change at 1300 hrs, the cry of "Thar She Blows" (or maybe it was a less traditional but more succinct shout of "Whales!") was raised by an observant and exuberant Alex, who at twenty no longer qualifies as a teen.  She, obviously, was not suffering from either form of sleep deprivation.  The whales, a small pod of four to six whales, were determinedly steaming North in a tight group, obviously intent on some distant destination.

SPECIAL BULLETIN - UPDATE

At 2321 hrs HST on Friday, July 13, Kinetic passed the halfway to Maui point.  We now have 1,154 nautical miles (half the race's total rhumbline distance of 2,308nm) to the finish line.

Kinetic's elapsed time for the first half of the race was 6 days, 16 hours, 16 minutes.  Brenda won the onboard pool for having the closest estimated halfway time.  The halfway celebration will occur tomorrow, during daylight hours.

The second half of the race is looking to have lighter winds and lower boat speeds than the first half, and may take longer.

Kinetic is Goin' to Maui!

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