Current Position as of 1700UTC: 14.37N, 170.16W
Yesterday was a good day even though I am working through some charging issues. I have been eating more and attempting to fish and especially happy to be sailing so well.
Spoke with Lady Sarah and Mahana today. Lady Sarah is still in Kauai until Claire has her stitches out in a few days. They changed their plans and instead of going to Alaska will go to Vancouver, British Columbia for the season there. They are waiting for a friend to fly in for crew as Claire's hand won't be able to do the sailing jobs it used to. Mahana is in some rougher weather with swells building and a few squalls.
I have been up since 4:00am with a stormy patch (not sure if it should be considered a squall). It is 8 miles wide according to the radar and shaped like a quarter moon. I am in the tail end of it with winds of about 18 knots and pouring rain! It has been pouring for hours. I am soaked through but it is warm and the windvane is handling the stearing so I closed up the boat and came down below. I am reading up on the approach to Majuro and am excited to be getting closer.
Not sure what I'll get up to today. My fishing lines are all tangled so I'll probably spend a few hours putting that right once the weather clears up.
Cheers,
Zac
From Mom:
Someone asked for the address in Majuro for any of you who want to send Zac a postcard or letter:
Yacht Intrepid
Mr. Zac Sunderland
Poste Restante
Majuro, MH 96960
USA
Thanks for the electrical tips. I am passing them along to those in the know!
Yesterday was a good day even though I am working through some charging issues. I have been eating more and attempting to fish and especially happy to be sailing so well.
Spoke with Lady Sarah and Mahana today. Lady Sarah is still in Kauai until Claire has her stitches out in a few days. They changed their plans and instead of going to Alaska will go to Vancouver, British Columbia for the season there. They are waiting for a friend to fly in for crew as Claire's hand won't be able to do the sailing jobs it used to. Mahana is in some rougher weather with swells building and a few squalls.
I have been up since 4:00am with a stormy patch (not sure if it should be considered a squall). It is 8 miles wide according to the radar and shaped like a quarter moon. I am in the tail end of it with winds of about 18 knots and pouring rain! It has been pouring for hours. I am soaked through but it is warm and the windvane is handling the stearing so I closed up the boat and came down below. I am reading up on the approach to Majuro and am excited to be getting closer.
Not sure what I'll get up to today. My fishing lines are all tangled so I'll probably spend a few hours putting that right once the weather clears up.
Cheers,
Zac
From Mom:
Someone asked for the address in Majuro for any of you who want to send Zac a postcard or letter:
Yacht Intrepid
Mr. Zac Sunderland
Poste Restante
Majuro, MH 96960
USA
Thanks for the electrical tips. I am passing them along to those in the know!
posted by Zac at
10:40 AM
18 Comments:
Zac its wonderful to read that your doing well.
louie
Wow you're approaching the Date Line and Equator at nearly the same time! I bet next time you post it will be the day after tomorrow where you're at!
(.....or something like that....)
Great to hear from you Zac. According to your current position, you're making great time and should be to Majuro in no time. Hope those rains ease up for you today. You appear to be traveling a bit north. Any reason for not moving southward yet? Perhaps reefs or storms. Just curious.
Continued safe travels!
Melanie in Torrance
Hi Zac, Sorry to hear about your electrical problem. Last year one of my solar panels gave out and in the process of figuring out how best to replace it I researched all kinds of ways to charge batteries. I built a little device called a Bedini SSG that charges in a different way and tried it out on a Catalina trip last week. It ran off a small 2 watt panel just great. Here is a video that I posted on Youtube http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=d2uJhJmATXU I also used other solar panels as well to keep the batteries charged. You can bypass the charge controller if you are careful and just disconnect the solar panels when your battery volltage gets to 14 volts Also, I noticed that you are sailing through a patch of ocean where there was alot of nuclear testing long ago. If you catch any fish there, see if they glow in the dark before you eat them. LOL.
Good sailing. Plam trees and coconuts straight ahead.
Hey Zac! My name is Jenni & I'm a 911 operator here in SoCal. I read about your journey while reading my local paper one day. There was some kind of insert this particular day & it got my attention. ALtough I've joined your journey a little late in the game but I been able to catch up with your blogs. What a brave kid you are! And as the mom of young adults trying to find their way in life, I can tell you that your decision to sail the seas is very inspiring. Your support system is incredibile and you are so very blessed! Looking forward to your latest blog and I pray for a safe and successful journey!
Hi Zac,
Great to hear that progress is good.
I get the impression that your route was chosen for reasons other than accomplishing a circumnavigation in the shortest possible time and thereby making your record (Yes I know you'll do it!)harder to beat.
The name of the game seems to be enjoying the experience rather than setting a record that would be very hard to beat. That sounds good to me. If you feel like telling us "Zac Watchers" your priorities I'd be fascinated to hear them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Majuro is a great place but why not go direct to Tarawa?
On the subject of daily updates - the more regular you are the more folks will worry if you miss one. My advice would be do them only when it fits in with your main job - sailing Intrepid and keeping safe. The worriers will soon get to learn that you're busy and you'll come back to us as soon as you can. You have more than amply demonstrated that you know what you're doing.
Enjoy yourself!
Tim.
Hey Zac,
We have been camping for the last 5 days, and have been missing your journey. We all rushed to the computer(s) as soon as we got home and read everything that we have missed. We are glad that you are sailing swiftly and things are running smoothly. It has been our prayer that you would make it to Majuro in record time!! We will be sending you a little post card, maybe an In-n-Out burger one! We thought of you as we were cooking on our Coleman stove and we ran out of fuel in the middle of dinner! But at least we had a campfire to finish the job.
Keep up the great sailing and keep looking to the Lord for his direction, peace and security.
You are doing great Zac and we have every confidence that you will arrive in Majuro in great time and condition.
Take Care,
Kristi for the Nashes
Good to see you making such progress.
Your problem with the fishing line reminded me of a short essay my Mom wrote that was published back in the 1960s.
I shall find it and will publish it tomorrow on my blog if you are interested in reading it. It is about learning the virtues of patience and perseverance as she was untangling a ball of yarn.
You are not giving your Dad a lot of time before having to fly out to meet you again. I am not sure if he is praising or cursing that wind.
Not sure if your Shower was as good as the ones in Hawaii but I am sure you did not mind it.
Good sailing and Godspeed.
Bill M.
If you cross the equator alone, do you have a ceremony?
It looks like you already passed the Johnston Atoll. Did you see it?
Marilyn
Woodland Hills
Hey Zac, its amazing what you are doing! keep up the good work and attitude!
I am David Windey, a Colombian living in Panama, and last sunday got the last Sail magazine where there is an article about your adventure. I just cought up with your blog, and is quite interesting reading all your experiences while at sea! This is truly inspiring as Sailing has been a dream for me, hopefully this year I'll do my first trip from Panama, to Cartagena.
By the way we run a Wakeboarding School right on the Panama Canal Lakes, we look forward for you passing the canal and perhaps watching you and your boat here. Obviously is gonna take still a long time for you to be navigating these waters LOL.
While here we can offer help in anyway we can. Also a friend runs the Panama Sailing School.
well Zac keep on going!
Zac,
Just good to hear from you. Warm rain usually ment a shower. Trust it was refreshing. Keep up the report. I however have heard nothing about your studies. Hope these are going well also.
Bill
Minneapolis
man Zac, you are really moving along. It is always very cool to read your blog and let us tag along with you on this magnificent journey.
at your mom: I know how nerve wracking this must be. I worry when my kid drives down to Houston.(90 miles) Come to think of it, Zac is probably safer in the middle of the Pacific than J is in Houston. LOL
Hi BOY!!!
I road in you last blog that your fishing lines are all tangled. ja ja. Nathing happend at purpose, perhaps you must lern samething... Patient BOY. You gona needed to put all in order...
Other thing: Same blogger ask you about your Study, jajaja I think that your school are at the same place where you'll see it at the last time.. or I was Wrong?.
keep sailing, bee good, and the most important " BEE SAFE BOY"
See you
Glen (AR)
Wow, it seems like you're making much quicker progress on this leg than the MDR - HI leg! Yay!
Do I understand the route correctly? Once you reach the Marshalls, you've completed the longest leg of your trip? Those aren't nautical terms, but I hope the question makes sense.
From Iowa
Time for a question, ZAC.
What about the lifelines on your boat. I don't recall seeing netting that people use on some boats to make things as safe as possible & to avoid being swept overboard.
I know you're using a tether... but what about netting? Any comments would be interesting.
Also, yesterday, I mentioned the book I"m just now finishing by Naomi James, "At One With The Sea" .... she mentioned that she was leaning over the hull to do something... and nearly fell over..... but wasn't too scared knowing she tethered on...... UNTIL SHE TURNED AND REALIZED THAT SHE HAD FORGOTTEN TO ATTACH THE TETHER. She said her "blood ran cold."
C-18
Hey Jac, your adventure is very Educational. It's a lesson in Geography, of places I have forgotten about! Had to look on the map for "Majuro".
As for your dinner of fried Spam, (and to think it was a "gag gift" from you Mom) sounded delicious! I let the Spam people in Austin, Minnesota, know about the notoriety you gave them on your popular Blog. Spam was a main staple for me, back in collage days. :-)
PS, I hope you don't take this note as "spam"! :-)
Keep sailing, -Greg, Mpls/MN
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