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SalNichols
Big Wall climber
Richmond, CA
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Here is one of the drawbacks to sailing a boat like Truth singlehanded: the frigging sails are ginormous. The mainsail alone weighs nearly 300 lbs. We had to build a big wall hauling system (albeit 6:1) to get it upstairs to the loft. The spinnakers are about 100 lbs, more or less, they're huge (over 2K ft2), and he has to sort them out downstairs in a space about the size of one of your bathrooms. Anytime he goes forward, he's standing knee deep in salt water moving at 18 kts., and if you read his blog he's wrestling with a very big, wet, heavy sail while he's doing it. Yesterday he had to cut one corner off of a $25K sail to keep it from being washed overboard and pulled under the boat. He still managed to get it back aboard. All of these sailors are real studs, but Alex has really been wrestling with one bitch of a boat for 10 days.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2012 - 11:25am PT
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Whew, finally Michael made half way. Truth finished last night...I got to thinking....was the Race Committee even there to meet him? No one has ever gotten there that fast.
I might need to add a couple days on to my rental. Oh dear. Oh dear. Stuck in Hawaii.
Susan
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Elcapinyoazz
Social climber
Joshua Tree
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I'm blown away by the level of skill and commitment involved in undertaking this
^^^ This.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 10, 2012 - 01:26pm PT
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Hang in there Michael.
Looks as if it's going to get fun from here on.
oh, yea, a little bit scary too.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 10, 2012 - 10:11pm PT
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Made it to Hawaii, Michael's not around. I'm goin' surfin.
Later,
Susan
My view
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jul 10, 2012 - 11:32pm PT
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Susan, do they allow swim fins in the race?
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rockermike
Trad climber
Berkeley
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Jul 11, 2012 - 01:41am PT
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hey, why don't we put together the first annual Supertopo around the world sailing trip? I'd be glad to be a deck hand - decades of windsurfing experience if that counts for anything. Lets see, if Chris Mac sponsors the bear we can put "Supertopo" on the sail. Maybe Patagonia would pitch in if we name the boat or something after them. I'm looking for an old mans adventure at this point. Trans-oceanic sailing should fit the bill. lol
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MisterE
Social climber
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:33am PT
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It's all about the happy arrivals, this one! :)
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Jul 11, 2012 - 09:59am PT
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DAMN!!!
RockerMike already said it. I was thinking about this thread, logged on to suggest that some of us get together and have Guido teach us. Then we could sail around the world.
I'm kinda curious. Being all cooped up with someone on a boat without much elbow room. Do people lose it with each other? I have damn sure heard some portaledge brain explosions.
I also noted several wyliecats. Those are pretty damn cool boats, and very simple. I almost picked up a small used one.
Hell, it can't be that hard to sail around the world. That guy from Duran Duran did it.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Jul 11, 2012 - 10:39am PT
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Yeah, and these days you don't exactly have to be no Nathaniel Bowditch.
You just need a good supply of batteries.
Oh, and Guido, I'll never think of a bow-thruster the same again. Is that
the patented BBBT? You know, the Ball Buster Bow Thruster?
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2012 - 12:30pm PT
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hey, why don't we put together the first annual Supertopo around the world sailing trip? Well that's a little ambitious. To really enjoy a sail round the world would take about a year! But to be a true ST adventure it would need to involve climbing. Which is getting more popular. Wonderful show last year at Facelift on sailing climbers.
Our next adventure, if we survive this one, is Mikes dream of heading down the Chilean Channel to South Georgia Island. He wintered over in Antartica as a researcher and dreams of returning to that area which is why he bought this type of boat. Plus some access to great ice climbing!
Yes, weird dynamics can happen on a boat but due to watch cycles you may be sleeping /napping while other crew is awake minimizing interaction.
As to the Ball Thruster, errr I mean Flipper Bow Thruster ... That's a wild picture...but
I think Mike would welcome any help about now. I'm convinced his old knot meter which was like a little paddle wheel would have given him some momentum..
Oh well another day of the beach and rum tonight with the Race Committee.
Susan
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Nohea
Trad climber
Living Outside the Statist Quo
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:05pm PT
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Completely unrelated to this topic, Netflix has a hilarious or very sad (depending on your sense of pity) documentary on a guy that joined a solo round the globe race called "deep water"; a curious film for sure.
Try to relax over there on the garden isle, looks/sounds like tough conditions over there.
Aloha,
Will
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jul 11, 2012 - 02:45pm PT
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Ok Susan here is another idea for future races.
Heck he is moving along at a nice clip right now, not to worry as she is a cruising boat and there aren't any other boats is the Race you would even remotely consider for South Georgia and points South.
Silver, they are taking the "logical" route home via Alaska and down the coast.
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The Alpine
Big Wall climber
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Jul 11, 2012 - 03:34pm PT
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If any of you supertopo sailors and hopeful sailors ever find yourself on the west coast of Florida, I'll take ya out on the high seas for a rip roaring good time.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2012 - 04:38pm PT
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for future races Guido....
Puleeeeze.....no no no. 4 SHTPs are enough. He still has the El Cap solo buzzing around in his bonnet. I just want to cruise and go places....I want to pull up next to you in New Zealand or someplace else exotic. He's sounding a lot more cheerful as he gets closer to "The Tree" on Hanalei Beach, even if the infamous tree isn't there anymore.
Where do you get those pics? Definitely not at Svens. They wouldn't stand for that nonsense.
Yes the sail back can be more of a beat. Some have lost their boats returning because of conditions or whale collisions. Others like us one year had such light winds we ended up motoring all most the whole way. This year return via Alaska...which is only about 100 miles further than a return to San Francisco. In Sept the beat down the coast will likely be ugly but hopefully not epic.
Fishing...many do. I don't think Michael is. We plan on fishing on the way to Alaska. The fish are big, duh, and always breaks my heart to see how much we must abandon even with our refrigeration. Fresh....well you get the picture. Yummmmy. As for helm work they all have auto pilots (as long as they have power) and once things get "dialed in" there are long periods of almost boredom. Those that are really strategizing the race are a little more preoccupied. And now as the finish looms and they turn toward Hanalei the leaders ... Well it's like any great marathon type competition...the next few days will be sooo exciting at party central....err I mean Race Committee Center.
Susan
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guido
Trad climber
Santa Cruz/New Zealand/South Pacific
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Jul 11, 2012 - 09:33pm PT
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Susan
Those are some shots from when we installed a bow thruster in NZ years ago. Must have fun hey what!
You should have a rip roaring ride down the West coast in the fall and yes there have been boats lost on the return passage to Cali from Hawaii. My good friend Skip Allan, one of the most experienced and talented sailors on the planet, after winning the 2008 Single Handed Transpac race lost his beloved Wylie Hawkfarm, "Wildflower" in a gale 300 miles west of Morro Bay. Here is a shot from the ship that rescued him.
On a side note Skip use to climb with Kroger and Davis in the Valley in his Stanford days. Small world indeed and a lot of crossover with sailing and climbing.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 11, 2012 - 09:45pm PT
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To really enjoy a sail round the world would take about a year It took Sarah and me a year just to go San Francisco - Mexico - Marquesas - Tahiti - Bora Bora - Hilo - San Francisco
I'd guess to enjoy a sail around the world would require 5 years.
Did you really mean "beat" down from Alaska in September? I haven't checked the Admiralty Sailing Directions for a while but I'd have thought it would be on or abaft the beam if it was blowing and from all around the compass in light airs.
Don't wait till October. We came across Lat 39 - 40 in October and there were major gales blowing in the Gulf of Alaska. Three of them caught us with 40 - 50 kt winds. A wild ride in a 30 footer....WHOOEEEEE
Michael
Sounds as if you're getting a good ride now. Hope you keep it all the way to the finish.
guido
Our boat was named Windflower. A Baba 30. I LOVE a cutter for cruising.
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SCseagoat
Trad climber
Santa Cruz
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 11, 2012 - 10:15pm PT
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Thanks HT for sage advice and a better perspective on a long voyage. We will be no later than mid September as we have plans to be at Facelift. I envy very much your cruise destinations. Very nice Very nice.
I wanted bow thrusters because Mouton is unbelievably poor handling around docks. The Garcia Passoa folks talked us out of it given the unusual configuation of the bottom of our boat. Said it would mess with aerodynamics of the bottom. So I guess we will continue to be the luncheon crowd entertainment as we try to get out of some slips we've been in. Like high tourist season in Monterey when we were blown sideways all the way down the fairway in plain sight of a "restaurant with a view". So it blows.
Time for water sports...
Susan
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jul 11, 2012 - 10:38pm PT
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So I guess we will continue to be the luncheon crowd entertainment as we try to get out of some slips we've been in. Like high tourist season in Monterey when we were blown sideways all the way down the fairway in plain sight of a "restaurant with a view" Oh yeah, don't I know about THAT. But you said it so much better than I could!
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cliffhanger
Trad climber
California
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Jul 12, 2012 - 02:37pm PT
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Big ships use tugboats for docking maneuvers. Perhaps you could enlist the help of a motorized dinghy.
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