Aloha Hawaii!
Sailboat passing along the North Shore, OahuCurrent Position (as of 3:00 UTC): 21.04N, 158.15W
My last morning in beautiful Hawaii was spent removing the old solar panel regulator, buying a new one and reinstalling it. Craig, the Hawaiian cameraman from Itik, graciously picked me up at the yacht club to bring me to the solar panel store. He hung around to lend a hand including taking me to lunch and taping my departure. Craig is just one of the many friendly Hawaiian people I have met. While I'm at it I should thank Howie, Vice Commador of the Hawaii Yacht Club, and his wife Barbara for all of their help and support during my stay at the club and Ron du Bois for spending so much time troubleshooting and fixing my SSB (It was a faulty USB cable. Thank God for Radio Shack.) There were 2 other cruising boats at the club while I was there; Lady Sarah of Lymington, which happens to be the small town on the southern coast of England that my dad is from, and Mahana, with a father and son, Chris and John, who flew to San Diego from Australia, bought a boat and set about to sail it back to Oz! They actually left San Diego the day I was initially supposed to leave on May 31st and got stuck in a terrible gale for 3 days! Lady Sarah is headed north to Alaska and Mahana is headed to Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands, which is an island group south of the Marshalls. We have set up our own Single Side Band radio net at 4:00UTC each day to check in on each other. So far they both have had light winds. That has not been my experience!
I pulled out of the Ala Wai Boat Harbor about 12:00pm today and was hit with 25 knots. I figured the wind was whipping around the island and pressed on going 6 knots under a reefed main sail alone. The wind has died down to about 15-18 knots which is great but the swells are sharp and messy, drenching my cockpit and slapping the hull around. I remembered reading in The Dove, that it is a tradition to throw your lei in the ocean as you leave Hawaii so you know you will go back one day. I made sure to do this because I definitely want to come back here one day!
It is a little sad to leave Hawaii, I had such a great time here, especially seeing Will and relaxing at the beach. Being back at sea is instantly familiar but it will take a few days to settle in. I have been putting off turning on the radar. It is necessary to keep me safe but I'm not looking forward to interpreting those alarms! It is such an intense part of my day watching the radar and plotting my course. Hopefully it won't take as long to get in the groove on this leg.
All of my film and photos are back on the mainland where people are busy putting together a slide show of my first leg, among other things! Please stay tuned for this.
Gotta get back to it here.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at
8:12 PM
52 Comments:
Godspeed, Zac! It's ALWAYS hard to leave Hawaii! ;-)
We are really enjoying reading about your adventure and appreciate your entertaining posts.
I hope you catch some great fish on this leg!
God bless, Zac!
Jim Cosgrove and family
Palos Verdes, CA
Can't wait for photos and more stories. I, like so many others, am absolutely hooked on the Zac blogs. Are you sure you are only 16 yrs old! You have such a mature way about you - at least through your writing style. I am really interested in the daily routine and your adventures. It will be interesting to hear how you modified your organization and provisioning based on your experience on the first leg. Learning is always great. May you sail safely and with good winds.
Wonderful to see you are off with some good wind. Good luck on this leg. There are many of us who will track you regularly.
Also, I notice that there is a link on your web site to a Clerpoint weather report, but it is not being kept current.
Zac, you are reporting your position with UTC time, but I'm not sure the date is correct. if you left at noon Honolulu Time on July 17, that would be 2100 UTC. I'm assuming your reported position is 6 hours later at 03:00 UTC, which should be on July 18 UTC. Is this correct?
Oh, and catch a big one for us! (For me, catching a big one is surfing down the waves that follow me home in the evening. Let us know if that happens out in the open sea.)
Jim
Hey Zac,
So obvious that you really loved Hawaii. It really is a special place. I'm so glad you got to experience it is such a great way. You will meet wonderful people in every port, I'm sure. What a life experience.
Ahh, I thought it would be a shock to get back out on the water. I hope you are excited about what lays ahead. Dropping your lei in the water was exactly the right thing to do. You will be back someday.
So you will focus on the task at hand, and your blogger community is here to give you support and encouragement.
Be safe and remember you are in a lot of prayers.
Best,
Peter
Boy, Zac. You've been out to sea some 4 weeks and you've already had a huge amount of memorable experiences. There's so much more yet to come. I hope this next leg is even more memorable! Wishing you the best!
Scott
(Los Angeles, CA)
Can you say a bit more about the onboard video coverage? Where are the cameras, and are they on all the time? If you control them, how often are you recording? Where is all the footage being recorded? At what resolution and frame rate? Do you have any privacy?! How do you feel about it?
On your way again after a wonderful interlude.... as you say, it may take a bit to get back into the rhythm. My family and I wish you fast and safe sailing over this next leg.... as I said in my last post in reply to your mother's comments, I know - being a parent myself - it's got to be so challenging for them, too, to have you do this. Sometimes it's harder for the person who has to sit at home, because there's not much they can do make sure you'll be OK; that's why they absolutely welcome shouldering their part in supporting you, because they love you so much.
Zac, I have to suggest that when you get back to Hawaii next time you have to go climb this thing called the the "Stairway to Heaven".... it is a 3,922 step steel ladder in sections which climbs 2,800 feet very, VERY steeply up the ridges above Haiku Valley, near Kaneohe, on the other side of Oahu. My brother-in-law, who was stationed at the Marine base, introduced me to it a couple of years ago.... it is totally spectacular. The ladders are in poor condition (which only makes it more dramatic and fun) and it is actually off-limits, supposedly, but people go anyway. The trail itself was created to access a naval radio antenna site during the Second World War, and the original ropes, ladders and wooden steps were replace by the metal stair/ladder sections by about 1953.
(I was going to suggest you go in an earlier post, but I figured there wouldn't be enough time during this particular stay.)
Zac, all that you managed to do and see while in Hawaii is just a small taste of what's to come! Hope you have good, steady winds and few of those sleep-disturbing ship alarms on your next push!
Good luck!
Good to hear you had some R & R.
Could you tell everyone alittle more about your boat?
Hull speed?
Sloop or cutter?
Displacement?
How about some more pics inside,looks quite spacious for a sailboat.
Well,Straight Wakes and rest easy.
Mike S.
Glad to hear you are back on the road! Great update - thank you.
Safe Sailing!
Minnesota Family
BON VOYAGE, ZAC! Will stay tuned, from here in New Hampshire!
Off you go again! I'll be looking forward to when everyone gets all that footage sorted out from the first part of your journey. Kind of cool how you found some other ships making voyages like yours.
Good luck to you as you get going again!
Safe journey,
~Kate~
I am a fellow sailor (although I have never done anything like you are doing) and I am following your adventure every step of the way. I think what you are doing is great and wish I could be out there with you! What an adventure!
Have a blast!
Sam in North Carolina
hye zac
nice photo on.. nice trip to Hawaii,aiye? so,lookin 4rd 4 ur photos,etc..
*til nxt tme*
xoxo
mel
Great that you're back at it Zac! Knowing how the 'hard' can draw you away from the tasks at hand, especially when it is Hawaii, you've done well to get the R&R under your belt, fix things that weren't right and now are feeling the spray in your face again. Onto the next port, my young friend, and God speed you on the way and keep you safe.
Hi There Zac,
Great post as usual. I can almost feel the mist and smell the sea back here in OKC. Can you tell us a little more about your new "bullet proof" laptop? Sounds like you definately made the right decision to pull into Hawaii for maintenance and reprovision.
Much can be learned about a person by who they associate themselves with. I continue to be very impressed with your choices.
And here are three words to encourage you on this next leg: Peace, Acceptance, and Trust.
God Bless,
Bob in OKC
Zac,
Welcome back to the sea. Praying for good wind, weather and everything working. Yes, I think that we all want to come back to the Islands. You sound full of adventure and ready to go. Best of everything. Keep that blog coming, some of us have really grown to taking the time to read what you are sharing and explore in our minds the joy you are having. Thanks, mom and dad for your continued support and prays for all of you.
Bill
Minneapolis
Hello Zac,
It's great to know you made a few new sailor friends in the harbor. What a great idea, check up on each other at a given time of the day in case something happens. It's great to know fellow sailors are concerned about you journey as well that your concerned about there travel. This is a kind and loving human spirit. I wish we had more of this in our world today. Imagine what it would be like???
I know you probably hated leaving Oahu as I did a few months back but we are all excited to hear about your second leg. Just think, I came back to work and you get to keep sailing around the world. It's hard to leave the Island but you will get to leave many Islands during this journey.
Let me know if you replenished your lures and if you found your tackle box? It's so great to read your detailed blogs the last three days, very interesting and very detailed. Thanks for keeping us all informed.
Sail On Dude,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Zac,
Good Luck on your next leg!!
Marie and daycare kids!!
Hi Zac,
It sounds like everything went extremely well in Hawaii and then some! That's awesome, and now on with the second leg of your journey! How exciting and I am sooooo jealous! :) That is so incredible that you got to meet and surf with Bethany! Well, this has been a lot of fun for me to check your blog and watch your interviews and I look forward to the rest of your story.
It's July 18th and there is a full moon tonight you should have a beautiful sky if its clear. ALSO, there is a Total Solar Eclipse on August 1st however I dont know where one has to be to see it. The article I read said its to be one of the last total solar eclipses because our moon is moving farther away from us. You could Google it and see where it will be visible but I think it was way North and most of Europe that gets the best show...
Take care Zac!
Best,
Lisa
go get 'em zac.....
Congratulations Zac, I am so proud of you. I read your blogs daily and always interested in your travels and think what you are doing is brilliant. You can do this! Be safe and well on your continued journey. glad you had a wonderful rest and visit with your family in Hawaii. You are a marvelous young man! Linda Simeone
Hi Zac.
Welcolme home to the ocean :-) Will you put the pics on the blog or the homepage?? Whats your call sign and/or boat ID?? I may have found a free AIS tracker.
Greetings
Mast & Schotbruch (
German for good Luck on the boat)
Axel
Z A C !!!
Anchors away! Glad to hear you are at sea again. Looking forward to seeing the pics from the first leg and hearing more about your daily progress. How long do you anticipate for you to make it to the Marshall's; another 20 - 30 days perhaps? Sending prayers your way for continued safe travels.
Melanie in Torrance
aloha zac ; the excitement begins again. i am pleased that you were able to solve your solar panel and SSB problems. it is always sad to say goodbye to the hawaiian islands ... but.....just think what you have ahead of you!
john baker/hollywood/ca/USofA
Hello, Zach,
I'm a teacher on summer vacation, and was doing research on Robin Lee Graham and his journey on the Dove. I found a link to your website, and spent quite a bit of time reading through your blog. I'll be teaching fourth and fifth graders this coming school year, and I know they are going to be excited when they find out about you! We'll look forward to following your progress every day. I am praying for your safety, pleasing winds and weather, and that you will feel God's presence with you always.
Donna Hunt
North Richland Hills, Texas
Hey Zac,
Since you stayed in Hawai'i for almost a week are you still on schedule or close to being on schedule? Is it even possible to get ahead of schedule...prolly depends on the wind huh...well take it easy out there bro...just so you know you're becomming a household name!! When you get close to Australia Im going to refer to you as "the Sunder down under"
see you on the flip flop
Late!
Zac,
If you got underway from Hawaii Y.C. [21°17'10.14"N/157°50'34.36"W] at noon (local time) on 7/17/08, that was 1900, 7/17/08 UTC (GMT).
Your reported position per your blog (dated 7/17/08) is “Current Position (as of 3:00 UTC): 21.04N, 158.15W”.
That’s 0300, 7/18/08 UTC since the position could not have been reached before you departed.
Latitude1 Longitude1
21:17:10N 157:50:34W
21.286N 157.843W
Latitude2 Longitude2
21:02:24N 158:09:00W
21.040N 158.150W
22.702 miles
22702 meters
Elapsed time is 8 hours
[0300 7/18/08 UTC – 1700 7/17/08 UTC]
Avg. Speed = 2.84 Kts.
For clarity, your position reports should include both time and date UTC. Dates appearing on blog postings are the date of the post, not the UTC date of the position.
“73”
Wayne – KQ6WG
I think that it is sad that you had to ebable moderated comments.
I was wondering if there was a blog entry on why you named the boat intrepid? (maybe i missed it)
Glad you got a clean bill of health and you are at sea again (not sure you are) LOL
Awesome pictures! Keep it up ... the first leg is done!
Go Zac! Such a fantastic thing you're undertaking; what a fantastic experience you'll have and memories to savor.
Stay safe and steady winds...
willy
Go Zac! Such a fantastic thing you're undertaking; what a fantastic experience you'll have and memories to savor.
Stay safe and steady winds...
willy
I presume the picture of the sailboat passing along the north shore of Ohau is not the Intrepid. If it was, he's kind of going the wrong way ;)
omg!! I just realized my previous comment was in error!
It should have read:
If you got underway from Hawaii Y.C. [21°17'10.14"N/157°50'34.36"W] at noon (local time) on 7/17/08, that was 2300, 7/17/08 UTC (GMT) since you are in -11 zone
Your reported position per your blog (dated 7/17/08) is “Current Position (as of 3:00 UTC): 21.04N, 158.15W”.
That’s 0300, 7/18/08 UTC since the position could not have been reached before you departed.
Latitude1 Longitude1
21:17:10N 157:50:34W
21.286N 157.843W
Latitude2 Longitude2
21:02:24N 158:09:00W
21.040N 158.150W
22.702 miles
22702 meters
Elapsed time is 4 hours
[0300 7/18/08 UTC – 2300 7/17/08 UTC]
Avg. Speed = 5.68 Kts.
For clarity, your position reports should include both time and date UTC. Dates appearing on blog postings are the date of the post, not the UTC date of the position.
My apologies for the error.
"73"
Wayne - KQ6WG
I don't know that one ever leaves Hawaii. Once there, it really stays with you. I have been following your blog for days now, suggesting it to the 16 year olds I know. You are one amazing young man. We hope your winds and fish are plentiful but do turn that radar on. The noise from the alarms are supposed to wait you up unfortunately. Which, of course, contributes to the sleep deprivation aspect of sailing alone. Glad you caught some good nights sleep in Hawaii, you just have to catch it while you can out there. Hey, that all u can eat buffet, was that at the Sheraton Princess K.? There's is pretty good.
We're rooting for you from Illinois! Stay safe, be healthy
and keep blogging.
Kate from Illinois
Aloha and Godspeed Zac. Sail well.
Balmoral Sailor
Zac, how exciting to be on the high Seas again. I first saw your story on CNN as I am sure many did and it is quite an amazing adventure. Be safe and just know that there are a lot of us out there rooting you on.
BTW I haven't been to Hawaii in years, but your description of Oahu and Honolulu makes me want to go back soon! Take care & Aloha.
Eric Crossley
Laurel, MD
Your the man Zac
enjoy the full moon
and getting back into the rythumn of the sea
your friends
mark n adino vicksburg,ms.
nice to be undersail again...
for pauline----here's zac's comment on the how he chose the name INTREPRID -----
"After a lot of discussion, debate and dictionary.com searches the name Intrepid was chosen for my boat. She will need to be "resolutely fearless, dauntless, brave, courageous and bold" to cary me around the world!"
john baker/hollywood/ca/USofA
Zac
Sounds like a great time, glad you are under way again. I was worried you may not get started again, well done.
Well no wonder I couldn't find you at the harbor on Thursday evening. My family and I stopped by to see the Interpid but she was nowhere to be found. Ended up having dinner on the beach at Waikiki, watching the sunset and working :-( on the beach on my laptop. I guess there are worse places to have to take work home to.
God bless and God-speed on your journey.
Thanks for sharing your adventure with us all.
Allen
Zac,
I read everyday and talk about you to my co-workers and friends AND I have posted the link to your blog on my MySpace page. I'm sure with everyone who reads about your daily blogs and ends up talking about you in regular conversation will aid you in becoming more recognized (if not famous) with every port call. I am living vicariously through your adventure...and loving every minute of it! May your next step to the Marshall's be grand for you!!
Carolyn in Orlando
hey! i'm cheering you on, i got you up on my page at home. hope u make it...oh, and your super cute! hehe*
my question for you is, have you ever seen ALASKA? i'm so curious to if its as beautiful as i dreamed.
Go Zac!!!
Glenys
Auckland
New Zealand
Well, Zacx, boy - you've gone and done it! No turning back now! I figure everything from now on will be a real adventure with all kinds of new ports of call and interesting people to meet. Hard to believe this is actually goingto take a year. Smooth sailing.
Steve P, yuma, AZ
Hah, Wayne, looks like timekeeping is not our forte. I made a similar mistake. Honolulu should be 10 hours behind UTC, so if Zac left at noon local time, that's 2200 UTC (( had said earlier it was 2100 UTC, and I actually get paid for doing arithmetic!)
Jim
Hey Zac,
I can’t remember exactly how it was that I came across your story initially. But I must say that ever since I first found out about your amazing adventure I was hooked! Never really thought much about such things in a while, but I was instantly taken back to my misspent youth and doing a solo road trip of about 3,500 miles when I was 17 and thinking how cool that was… it pales in comparison to the once in a lifetime trip you are on!
I haven’t said anything on your blog comment before, because I was just too in awe of what you are trying to do (and are succeeding at in great fashion). Your layover in Hawaii left me in “Zac Withdrawal” for a couple days. I found myself checking the blog several times a day just hoping for a glimpse into what was happening there in Waikiki… but figured you were having too much fun to worry about posting. Your mom promised us it would be worth the wait… and was she ever right!
You indeed had a wonderful time in Hawaii! That is very evident from your comments. Everyone keeps pointing out that you are such an extraordinary man (and they are right!) but I couldn’t help but notice and laugh my butt off when I hit the part about you skating ‘around the mall (and through a few stores)’ and thinking to myself that you are still a teenager who can and does act like one from time to time! Way to go!!
Like many other people out here reading your blog, I will continue to follow your travels and wish you many strong winds to carry you to your next destination.
Safe sails and Godspeed, Zac!
And to Laurence and Marianne – and the rest of the Sunderland Clan – thank you so much for gift you have given us in the person of your son and allowing us to share with you the pride in his accomplishments! You are truly his inspiration and excellent role models for parents worldwide!!
Karl.
nice trip , hope you will get over all obtacles
Zac, for some reason i couldnt post till now....wierd.
It was awesome getting to hang and surf with you! Seeing you and your family was definetly a high point of my trip :D. Hope you have safe sailing and that the equipment keeps working!
Aloha Nui Loa,
Will
Zac, You mentioned Robin Lee Graham as one of your inspirations. I read Dove when I was a young teenager. That was decades ago, and I am now a recreational sailor myself (coastal cruising a home-built 20ft shoal-draft cat-ketch). How would you compare yourself with Robin Lee Graham? I don't remember anything about his background, but I know the world was a different place when he sailed, he had to earn money as he went, and the technology has changed tremendously.
Good luck on this next leg!
Jeff Michals-Brown, Core Sound 20 Beatrice Ann
Zac,
You've mentioned before that Robin Lee Graham was an inspiration for you. I read Dove decades ago when I was a young teenager, and am now a recreational sailor myself (coastal cruising a home-built 20ft cat ketch). I don't remember anything about Graham's background, but I know the world was a different place when he sailed, that he had to earn money as he went, and that the technology has come a long way. How would you compare yourself with Robin Lee Graham?
Good luck on your next leg!
Jeff Michals-Brown
Zac, your blogs are the highlight of my day. I look forward to checking your blogs daily and making sure you have had a good session at sea. It's great how many people are pulling for you out there. I love your explanation of these Bobbie birds. I am an animal lover and I guess I might have let the bird stay in my cockpit to rest, but if it comes to maritime safety, you know best. Why do these birds attempt to go for the boats? Is it to rest or out of curiosity? I think this leg of your journey will wratch it up a bit for you now, as you are gettig further out now and I suspect the seas will be bigger. But it's happening in stages so you can adjust and sail accordingly. Hope you do not encounter many squalls and have an easy time of it. My thoughts are with you. Keep up the great work! Your blogs are so entertaining and educational. Awesome. Linda Simeone
Hawaii, even as the word rolls off your tongue, vivid images are already forming in your mind: Lying on a secluded beach, your cares drifting away with the gentle ocean waves. Exploring lush tropical rain forests, immersing yourself in a thousand different shades of green. SCUBA and snorkeling in crystal-clear waters, coming face to face with schools of rainbow-colored fish. Toast another day with a Mai Tai and catch another brilliant sunset.
Anirban
Hawaii Drug Treatment
As always an excellent posting.The
way you write is awesome.Thanks. Adding more information will be more useful.
Bathmate
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