Drifting in Pardise!

It's late and I'm tired but if they can still be at it so can your shore bound correspondent

Here are a couple of messages back and forth with the boat today:

Thanks for this note. Yes, it was brutal. The e-mails from you and Rudy were helpful and we did really try, and sailed as best we could, but we just couldn't’t get out of the hole. Of course I am only writing this note because I think that we have finally broken free of the mother High and are now on our way to live the dream. It was an interesting couple of hours. I had never imagined that the ocean could be that flat. No swell, no ripples, not a breath. The main didn’t pump that badly because there weren’t really any waves. Ironically we had to put the first reef in just so the main didn’t saw itself in half on the backstay. Both of the best lines go to Chuggy who was surprisingly upbeat through the whole affair. I had a restless sleep thinking that he was just going to come down and slit my throat. Anyway Chuggy is going to rename the boat HighHunter and he says that he never wants to see his face in the Pacific Ocean again.
We are through most of that now though and are sailing pleasantly in light winds toward the high that will carry us to Hawaii. Roscoe has taken a keen interest in the navigational aspect of the race now so we are in good hands. As I write this I have a batch of Dirty Rice on the stove for the boys so hopefully tomorrow will bring better stronger winds. As we recall from 2003 the best parts of the race are usually saved for the end.
Over and out,

Doug

My reply

Dear Doug and those sailing again,

It is pretty easy for us at home to say bear down and try harder while sitting on the couch sucking on a Lucky (oh sorry to mention that Evil). I know only too well how completely stopped the Dart could get.
Don’t get complacent it looks to me that while it may not go completely haywire again improvement will be a slow process. But not to be a dream wrecker either I don’t remember ever seeing such a classic trade winds formation or as stable as the one predicted beginning only 200 about miles down the track.
Take care of Chuggy’s new main! Chuggy probably still likes the light wind as much as he ever did but he is a Leader and just doesn’t let it show! There was no chance of cutting your self with the knives that used to be on that boat so not to worry.
After seeing his reflection now Chuggy can imagine how the rest of us feel all the time!
Roscoe has probably just finished all his first tier reading and is getting into the navigation manuals now. At the rate you are travelling so far I expect him to be a board certified Brain Surgeon by the time you guys arrive!
Do you mean windier in the global sense or just onboard? Like what are adding into the dirty rice? Remember that is small boat.
It seems to me from here that the last 36 hours have been much more challenging for you than 2003 episode. Just imagine how great the (by all reports) fantastic ending will be relatively then!
Grinder
PS: It’s just about 2000 and still completely daytime light here.

PPS; I am taking tomorrow off to work on the boat since I missed Canada Day mostly due to a Narrow Escape related hangover. I will get into the office to field your much enjoyed e-mails and update the Blog however.

grinder!
Thank christ/wilson (our Hawaiian good luck wind rattle) we made it out of that hole.
Things in the pacific are once again peaceful for the “adivan racing team”
must have screwed up on giving you my parents email they must be XXXXXXXX.net not shaw, my bad
Thanks again, it’s great having such a great follower/mentor on shore. Wish you were here (and I know you do too)
Cheers from the beautiful blue waters of the pacific!
evil

My reply

Dear Drifters,

Jesus Christ now don’t you go getting mushy on me Evil - but I know how it can happen.
Thank God you are moving again! How fast are you moving again? The four-hour delay tells me that you were making 4 knots at 1530. Or maybe I just needed to be there for the past 24 hours for that to get me excited!
It can now be told that in the Back Home Navigators Pool I had the 1600 slot that the fast moving northbound ridge would pass over you while your southish angle would get you into some breeze on the down course (very much preferred) side of it. So I would say we have a wiener!
Because of the 4 hours delay the 50’s are only now all showing up in the San Pedro Channel about half way to the West End. The fastest boat in the fleet is making 7.6 and the slowest 7.5 so it is a massive cluster everybody all side by side - even zoomed right in! But if they don’t get out of the synoptic wind before midnight, and even if they do maybe, I think they will be wishing they were you for the next couple of days - not good near shore - sort of like how it was for you or worse. Typically things look a whole lot better for the movie stars by Sunday’s start. The rich guys can even buy the weather I guess!
I will get you Dad up to speed with a barrage of past e-mails.
My wife is away so I have been living on fast food. What’s for dinner there?
Grinder
PS: You will let me know when I spinnaker goes up eh?

Cap't Blogmeister