Hanalei Bay

22.20 N

159.56 W

We arrived in Hanalei Bay from Honolulu at 9am on Sunday morning (June 10) after close reaching through 25 knot trade winds.  Not fun - especially on the first day out – but we made it through.  The reward is to be anchored in this gorgeous place on the northern shore of Kauai.  To the west of us is a ridge of steep mountains, lush green with jungle and cascading waterfalls.  

Ka'sala is the last boat on the right

At the head of the bay is two miles of pristine white beach with the funky village of Hanalei behind.  

To the east are a small river and a long pier – once the loading point for the rice that used to be exported from here.  

The water in the bay is turquoise blue and 25 degrees.  There are not many tourists and there is no hustle and bustle.  What a lovely way to relax for a few days before continuing on our northern passage!

Ka'sala is mid left

Yesterday we launched our kayaks to explore the river.  As we entered we noticed enormous bushes, at least 20 feet high, covered with yellow hibiscus-looking flowers.  

Floating along the river’s surface were similar flowers, but these were coral in colour.  

The bushes gave way to trees, grasses and other vegetation, most of which I have never seen before, giving it a very other worldly appearance.  We followed it for about 3 miles when it narrowed, and abruptly ended in a grove of bamboo.  

Along the way we could hear the sounds of strange insects and birds on the riverbanks, but only saw an odd red-billed duck-like creature and a small turtle.

We paddled back out to the bay, beached our kayaks and strolled into the village.  There is a small central core of quaint shops, cafes and markets and we found an unusual place to have lunch in a classroom of the old school.  

Afterward we strolled up and down the 2 mile, powder sand beach, enjoying the incredible mountain views, before returning to Ka’sala.

This place is a little wild.  The weather is constantly changing.  One minute we are in brilliant sunshine, the next in misty rain, followed by a rainbow. 

Ka'sala at anchor at Hanalei Bay

Outrigger canoes 

The sunsets are spectacular and the light and clouds that play along the mountain ridges are amazing to watch. 

It has been windy with over 20 knots gusting through the anchorage during the day – no doubt a result of the strong trades and the mountainous landscape.

In addition to exploring this place we have also completed all the last minute details to get Ka’sala ready for her next long passage.  Our bumpy 24 hour trip here pointed out to us a few things that needed stowing! We are now more than ready to go and will leave right after breakfast tomorrow (June 13). The trade winds are supposed to moderate, so we hope our first few days won’t be as rough as the passage here.  The projected weather forecast continues to look positive for the next week or so and we can only hope that it continues for us for all the 2430 nautical miles to Alaska!

Overview of Hanalei Bay - borrowed from the internet

Goodbye Hawaii

We have been in Honolulu for a little over three weeks and we are more than ready to continue on our journey home.  We have been very well looked after by the Hawaii Yacht Club and have appreciated its central location for accessing the city, but it is time to move on.  After breakfast, on Saturday June 9, we will sail out of the Ala Wai basin and head for the Ko Olina marina on the southwestern side of Oahu to fill up with diesel.  We are considering spending the night at anchor at Poka I, a bay a little further north from there, but if the conditions are condusive, we will reach across to the island of Kauai and Hanalei Bay, approximately 80 nauticual miles further on.

Kauai is the island at the upper left and Hanalei Bay is on its north shore

Hanalei Bay has been a traditional jumping off point for cruisers heading north for many years.  It is a beautiful, large round bay surrounded by steep green hills and cascading waterfalls.  We have been told that you feel like you are in Polynesia when you are anchored there.  There are some good beaches and a small town behind the surf.  We hope its laid-back atmosphere will be very relaxing for us after the hustle and bustle of Honolulu.  Additionally, the clear, warm waters will give Doug a chance to dive on the hull to make sure everything is in order below.  The trade winds are predicted to relax mid week, so our plan is to leave for Sitka on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Lifted from the internet - hope it's as nice as this!

The passage north is approximately 2700 nauticual miles.  It will be quite different from our straight-line passage from Mexico.  We will likely sail due north until we are above at least 40 degrees north, then start easting toward Sitka which sits at 57.05N and 135.33W.  Our heading will be dependent on the North Pacific high - an area we want to avoid because it has little wind.  As it is a circular flow, we hope to sail clockwise along its outer fringes.  As we leave Hawaii the wind will likely be on our beam, then gradually veer to our aft quarter where it will push us all the way to Sitka.  Of course, that description is incredibly simplistic and each day's conditions will dictate our point of sail.

We won't be sailing "as the crow flies"!

Another big difference between the two passages will be temperature.  We sailed to Hawaii in our shorts and bathing suits.  By the time we reach 35 degrees north we will be in our woolies and soon after that our Dickensen diesel heater will be on full time.  The ocean temperatures will drop from 24 degrees to a little over 10 degrees celcius!  We could encounter fog.  We have a greater chance of encountering higher winds and higher seas, though the time of year we are making this passage is optimum for avoiding these conditions.  Ka'sala is ready - the boat was made for this passage - and we are as ready as we can be.  I, for one, will be so glad to see the coastal mountains and the great forests again!

A cheery little flame will burn in the grate just below the tile

As I did on the last passage, I will be posting to the blog daily from our SSB radio.  As before, we will also be checking into the Pacific Seafarer's Net each day.  Don't forget, if you don't hear from us in a day or two, it is likely technical difficulties. We are not aware of any other sailboat which is leaving at the same time as us, but we may meet some in Hanalei Bay.  We do know of three who have been making the passage over the last month - one about to arrive in Sitka, the other half way to Bellingham and another who left at the beginning of this week. I am sure there will be others.

Sitka, Alaska

For the next two days we will be doing all the last minute chores such as buying provisions and storing them, laundry, filling water, storing canvas and bicycles and making Ka'sala into the ocean going vessel she is supposed to be.  North America!  Here we come!

Ka'sala is ready to go - Doug repairs and perfects the main track

Lots of draft beer was sampled

Without our bicycles we would have been boat bound

Surf's up - every dat!

Our home away from home - Hawaii Yacht Club

A quiet sea access tucked away beyond Waikiki

Diamond Head by land

Ka'sala's exclusive berth these last three weeks - note all the toys!

Magnificent fireworks every Friday night

Catching up on passage photos

We didn't take a great number of photos while we were underway, but we did get a few.

Last night in Mexico - waiting to clear customs at Nuevo Vallarta (can you see little Ka'sala among the mega yachts?)

I bought all my fresh vegetables and fruit at Costco, Mega and La Comer.   The grapefruit and oranges I bought from Costco lasted beautifully and I could have bought more.  By the end of the third week we only had apples and limes left.

Once I got all the fresh stuff on board I had to organize and store it.  A decision had to made whether to wipe it down with a vinegar solution or leave it as is until ready to be eaten.  I've tried it both ways and figure it is best to just leave it as it has likely been treated for longevity.  As it happened, everything survived except the cantelope which I had to cut up and refrigerate on the second day.

I got these plastic crates at Mega - asked the produce clerk and he just gave them to me.  I also used the thick purple paper trays that you often see apples on to separate the layers.  Because we would be using one of the settee berths to sleep on for the passage, I converted the forepeak into storage.  The whole system worked extremely well with two exceptions: the cantelope and the carrots (which started to go soft - I had to soak them in water and move them into the fridge to revive them).

The interior while underway - note the sea berth to the left with the lee cloths.

Galley while underway

Un retouched photo - the ocean at 20 degrees North is an incredible colour of blue!

Note the jordan drogue in the bag behind the helm - we didn't get anywhere near having to deploy it

We saw a lot of squalls on this trip, but many of them passed us by.  The white board with the maple leaf is the paddle of the monitor which self steers Ka'sala

Another beautiful sailing day - note the storm sail rigged to the mast in the red bag - never got close to using it.  Also note the dinghy upside down on the foredeck - we had our ditchbag tied within as we had the whole thing rigged as our life raft.  Also note the kayaks now stored on the sides of the carriage roof (usually stored on top) - not ideal, but allowed us to use the staysail (which is flying between the reefed headsail and mainsail) and still have enough room for the jacklines along the deck.

An evening squall - note the jugs on both sides of the foredeck - port are the diesel jugs and starboard are the water jugs (which we never used)

Only one of many glorious sunsets

Approaching Oahu in the Kauai Channel - usually notorious for standing waves because of a strong current against prevailing winds- we were fortunate that the trade winds were light that day!

Koko Head - a volcanic crater on the east end of Oahu - people actually build their houses on the rim!!??

Diamond Head with the sky scrapers of Honolulu peaking around the corner

Doug raises the quarentine flag as we approach Waikiki and the Ala Wai.  This flag was replaced with an American and Hawaiian flag once we had cleared customs and immigration later that day.

Honolulu - First Week

Our last night at sea was relatively benign.  The winds were constant between 10 and 15 knots and the seas remained relatively calm.  The only straw in the ointment was a counter current which ranged from .5 to 2 knots against us and added several hours to our final day.  By the time we reached the Kaiwi Channel we had to turn on the engine or we would not have arrived in Honolulu in daylight.  (I later learned that Kaiwi means "slowness" in Hawaiin - which has nothing to do with calmness - as this channel has the reputation of being quite rough - no wonder if the current is this strong against the prevailing trade winds.  Now I know why we saw such gigantic, close together waves when we crossed from Molokai 7 years ago).  As our last day at sea dawned, we could see the outline of Maui and Molokai behind us, and the great slab of Oahu ahead of us.  It is a wild and dramatic landscape with steep sided, green covered hills and extinct volcanic cones.  A subdivision spread out along the lip of a cone at Koko Head seemed nonsensical. 

In the Kaiwi Channel approaching Oahu

You can just see the white houses of the subdivision on the right of the Koko Head volcano ridge

As we rounded Koko Head, Diamond Head came into view and very soon after the skyrises of Waikiki and Honolulu.

Doug raises the "Q" (quarentine) flag as we glide past Waikiki

We arrived at the Aloha dock at the Hawaii Yacht Club in the Ala Wai just after 12:30 local time.  (We later realized we had our time mixed up as we had not known Hawaii does not follow daylight savings time).  Robbie Buck, the Port Captain, greeted us and once we were secure on the dock, Doug called US customs and immigration.  Within half an hour, Mr. Shoda was aboard checking our passports and boat documentation.  He found everything in order and we were free to go ashore, however we had to report to his office the next day to finalize the paperwork and renew our US cruising permit. 

On the Aloha dock at the Hawaii Yacht Club in the Ala Wai

 We also needed to be inspected by the Agricultural branch, however, the agent was not available until 8am the next morning.  We were required to keep our garbage aboard until she could inspect it.  And, inspect it she did, then we bagged it and she took it away to be incinerated.  While onboard, she checked through all my stores.  I had thrown all the remaining produce overboard the night before so I knew I would pass that test.  However, she confiscated the remaining eggs and two small steaks I had in the freezer.  She inspected all my opened dry goods, such as flour and rice, then went through the fridge.  I was required to wash down all my countertops with bleach while she supervised.  It was the most thorough check we had ever undergone, but I had no problem with it at all.

We did not fall over when we stepped on land.  In fact, on the first day it all felt completely normal to walk around and be in a big urban centre with all the associated sights and sounds.  It was almost as if the last three weeks hadn't even happened!  It wasn't until the following day that I felt discombobulated.  Our first night we wandered over to a nearby pub for draft beer and pizza and were in our bunks early. 

Next day, after the agricultural inspection,  we sorted out the rest of our US clearances and found ourselves at the Hawaii Brewery for lunch.  Doug was in heaven and with so many IPA choices he had to settle for a flight.

IPA heaven

On the way back to the boat we scoped out bicycle shops, grocery stores and laundry mat to be visited the next day.  I found the walking difficult after so many days just keeping my balance, and realized that I would need my bicycle if I was ever going to get around easily in this city.  Doug had them set up and ready to go the next morning.

Overlooking the beach at Honolulu - Diamond Head in the distance

 We have spent the last couple of days figuring out the bicycle routes, shopping for the boat and for us, doing laundry, cleaning, etc.  We are looking forward to slowing down a bit so we can enjoy a vacation in this dynamic place before we continue north again.

Happy to have my wheels again!

Aloha from Hawaii

We arrived at the Aloha Dock at the Hawaii Yacht Club at 10:00 UTC or 12:30 local time after 23 days, 6 and 1/2 hours and almost 3000 nautical miles.  Yay us!  Now to clear customs, etc, and settle in.  I will post more later!  Big thanks and hugs to all of you following our passage!

Tuesday, May 15 - Day 22

21.21 N
155.09 W

Distance travelled: 118 NM - 128 to go!

All going well, today will be our last full day at sea. At the moment, we are just coming up to the north side of Maui. We can faintly see land in the distance, but most of it is enshrouded in cloud and haze. We may see more land as we will pass closer to Molokai. We have heard that the volcano on the Big Island may blow its top, but we see no evidence of anything different from our perspective. If it does blow, the fall out will be downwind of Oahu, so it is unlikely we will notice a thing.

Last night was a quiet one and we both slept well on our off watches. The stars were once more incredible, but that was all we noticed - no wildlife, no shipping of any kind. However, we have begun hearing Hawaii Coast Guard notices on the VHF. We sailed through the night on a reach and this morning we shifted back to wing on wing to keep our course. The forecast is still holding good for us. We expect the winds to pick up this afternoon, but they are supposed to die down later in the evening. We will pass through the channel between Molokai and Oahu in the wee hours and pass by Diamond Head in the morning.

Last night on the Seafarer's Net we asked that someone call the Hawaii Yacht Club to notify them of our pending arrival. Jane did it for us and they are expecting us. It was a busy night for them as several boats tried to join the roster, but the reception was not great. We heard that a boat heading to Honolulu from Tonga lost its rig and had to return under power. Another sailboat, with a 74 year old solo sailor aboard, has been reported missing somewhere between the Galapagos and Hawaii. We are thankful we have such a sound boat and we are capable of such a journey.

Today I went through the provisions for the last time. I made up a big tomato sauce to freeze, with as many vegetables as I could and the rest I had to throw overboard. Hawaii does not allow us to bring in fresh fruit and vegetables and I feel we need to respect that. At first I was a little chagrined by how much I had to throw away - potatoes, carrots, cabbage, onion, garlic, ginger, limes, and peppers - but then I realized that I had planned our stores for a possible 30 day passage. We would have eaten these things if we had been that long at sea, so I believe my planning was close to perfect. And it's better to throw a few things away, than to not have them at all. Of course, we still have plenty of canned and dried foods, so we are a very long way from starving. On another note - we still have over half of our fresh water supply. Are we good, or what???

Tomorrow I shall try to post our arrival, so stay tuned. There may not be a lot of detail, but that will come later. Thanks to all of you who have been following our passage - we appreciate your thoughts and prayers - all that positive energy surely helps!

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