Port Moresby - Day 1
Hello All,
It's late here and Zac is pretty busy getting the boat ready for customs so I will give a brief update now.
Zac is sitting in the quarantine/customs lagoon on a mooring awaiting the Papua New Guinea customs agents. Somehow he managed to sail into the harbor...we'll have to get more info in that tomorrow. He had had a pretty rough night last night with heavy winds (30 knots gusting to 35) and those big, steep swells that I'm sure he will always remember. He tacked off course some to avoid getting in too early and ended up arriving later than expected.
So our boy is safe for now and will have the engine looked at right away to evaluate any damage.
On another note: Laurence will be speaking tomorrow night at the Beachcomber Tavern in Oxnard. They are avid sailors and boaters and have been following him since he was at the yard not so far from them in Ventura. They have graciously offered to give all tips from the evening to Zac to cover expenses and repairs. Their address is: 206 Ocean Dr Oxnard, CA 93035
(805) 985-6030 I believe things will get started around 7:30pm. He will speak for a bit on Zac and his trip and then call Zac and have a question and answer time. The tavern is a rather small place (has been there for 70 years!). If some of you from the LA area are interested in something like this, we are arranging another talk after Darwin in late September in the West LA area.
Thank you for your support!
Team Zac
It's late here and Zac is pretty busy getting the boat ready for customs so I will give a brief update now.
Zac is sitting in the quarantine/customs lagoon on a mooring awaiting the Papua New Guinea customs agents. Somehow he managed to sail into the harbor...we'll have to get more info in that tomorrow. He had had a pretty rough night last night with heavy winds (30 knots gusting to 35) and those big, steep swells that I'm sure he will always remember. He tacked off course some to avoid getting in too early and ended up arriving later than expected.
So our boy is safe for now and will have the engine looked at right away to evaluate any damage.
On another note: Laurence will be speaking tomorrow night at the Beachcomber Tavern in Oxnard. They are avid sailors and boaters and have been following him since he was at the yard not so far from them in Ventura. They have graciously offered to give all tips from the evening to Zac to cover expenses and repairs. Their address is: 206 Ocean Dr Oxnard, CA 93035
(805) 985-6030 I believe things will get started around 7:30pm. He will speak for a bit on Zac and his trip and then call Zac and have a question and answer time. The tavern is a rather small place (has been there for 70 years!). If some of you from the LA area are interested in something like this, we are arranging another talk after Darwin in late September in the West LA area.
Thank you for your support!
Team Zac
posted by Zac at
10:18 PM
24 Comments:
Marianne,
I hereby withdraw my offer of a get together for the L.A. Zac Pac as a talk by Laurence (now that his post proves that he is not a figment of your imagination,) would be a much superior event.
I would still be willing to donate a couple of bar stools and some exercise equipment from my factory for a silent auction.
I am sure that I speak for all of the bloggers that we are relieved that Zac is safe and the problems will be quickly resolved.
Bill Mann
Laurence yes ! Would be very interested in the West L.A. get together. Happy to hear Zac made it in safely ! Cheers mate!
Chris, Alhambra, CA
Zac,
Hope all goes well with the engine repair.
For those of you wondering where Zac is now, check out this map:
www.creative-cruising.com/TrackZac
It integrates a map on top of his blogs so you can see where is reported blog occurred on the map. Usually it extracts the position from the blog, but because he's been sailing "on the sly" we've had to guess his route to Port Moresby, but having been through there I have a good quess.
It also keeps track of his time and distance, about 75 days and 7625 nM so far. It's interactive so you can zoom in/out and move about!!
I'll have to backdate the unreported blog positions if they get updated, but at least you can see his rough track since he last checked in!!
enjoy
Chris
ps. If you zoom way in you can see the docks and the harbor.
O.K. Dudes & Dudettes, Question time..Can someone explain the flying/protocol of flags at sea.
Zac, No doubt U will endeavor to score a Papua New Guinea drivers license!
Thanks for the update....good to know Zac is safe. A good rest will do wonders!
My T-shirt arrived yeaterday; just in time for Labor Day festivities at my sailing club!!
Best wishes with repairs, hopefully all will go as planned.
God Speed
Anita ~_/)
Waterloo, NY USA
Ah, good to hear Zac is in safe harbor. PNG may have a deserved bad reputation, but I suspect Zac will have good hosts there to watch out for him.
I hope the engine work goes smoothly and there's no damage beyond a need for a good purge and the refit with a backflow valve - whether a simple one way or a gate, and of course new fluids.
Zac, I hope you can take advantage of the stop and get a little rest, some more supplies (lotsa Spam, you *know* you've gotten a taste for it now... :) ), at least some fresh water.
Cheers all,
willy
milford, ohio
Glad to hear he's safe. I imagine he's had some close to terrifying moments in those swell troughs. But Zac seems to have solid constitution.
The Google Earth route map hasn't been updated since the 19th. We know he's in PNG, but is there a reason? Security? Too much else going on?....just curious.
Hi Zac.
Great to hear you made it to the repair shop.
Boy was I wrong - I am 300 miles behind you in my Google tracking. Security mission accomplished LOL. I'll find out where I was wrong when we get the positions for the past weeks. Have fun in Port Morseby.
Axel
heye@madisoncounty.net
Very glad to hear "our boy" is safe!
from Iowa
It really is a team event, isn't it!? This whole thing is so well orchestrated, while at the same time, so impromptu, given the decisions of "mother nature"! Team Sunderland is doing a fabulous job!
Would love to come to a West LA update!
Dana
Santa Monica
Hello Zac & Everyone,
So Zac has arrived at the unscheduled stop already. I guess he can even surprise his parents from time to time. Those winds always seem to come up when you don't need them but at least he's safe on a mooring now.
Laurence & Marianne I wish the news would have come out sooner about Laurence speaking at the Beachcomber Tavern. I made plans for the weekend just a few days ago but would have loved to be there with everyone. I hope the place is filled and everyone tips at least 500%. I will make the one in West LA whenever you can schedule it. Please let us know when you have a confirmation of a location, date, and a time. I can't wait for the next one!!!
I wanted to say Thank You to everyone who wrote me a short thanks for my second blog yesterday. What a great story. One day I'll tell everyone who the writer was.
Bill Mann, thanks for all the emails and the history. It's great to know we have such great individuals writing in each day. I love the way this blog continues to get better with time. We have a few let downs every now and then but that's expected. We are all different individuals and we think differently. Everyone keep up the great work. I must admit the only reason we write here is because the daily blogs we read coming from a Sunderland family member nearly every day. It starts all of our wheels in motion. Thanks to all the Sunderlands even the smaller one's who are currently loosing time with Mom & Dad because of all the work it takes to keep Zac's dream alive. We really appreciate the time the smaller Sunderland's are loosing with Mom & Dad so Zac can be safe and the world could be well informed. Thanks you so very much to all the Sunderland kids!!!
Stay safe Zac. I know you'll represent our country well and everyone will admire you for what your doing and most of all for Who You Are.
Enjoy Land,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
P.S. Loved the drawings Zac did.
Okay, Zac's safely in port. Can someone update the kmz file? (Google Earth Tracking file)
I've posted 4 new images to www.temphost100.com.
IMAGES #13 through #16, showing Zac's "straight line" distance so far of about 6,000nm to his current location in Port Moseby.
Darwin is another 970nm (straght line).
DISTANCES SO FAR (approx. & straight line)
~~ MDR to Hawaii - 2,300nm
~~ Hawaii to the Marshals - 1,980nm
~~ Marshals to PNG - 2,200nm
APPROX TOTAL SO FAR = 6,500nm
UPCOMING DISTANCES(approx. & straight line)
~~ PNG to Darwin - 1,000nm
~~ Darwin to Port Louis - 4,200nm
~~ Port Louis to Durban - 1,600nm
~~ Durban to Cape Town - 775nm (but this is a serious leg here)
APPROX TOTAL AT THIS POINT = 16,000nm
FUTURE BIG LEGS (approx. & straight line)
~~ Cape Town to St. Helena - 1,700nm
~~ St. Helena to Trinidad (through the doldrums) - 3,700nm
APPROX TOTAL AT THIS POINT = 21,400nm
Miles to get !HOME! from Trinidad = 4,500nm
Daveh
Great good news! Good luck with the engine, but it is also good to know that Zac gets a nice good sleep while being at Port Moresby before going for the Torres Strait.
Best wishes
Randolf
Zac - we are fooling around with home printed iron on transfers and I thought I might want to put something on the back of my Zac's Solo Tee. I decided on -
Virtual
CREW
Hope that's okay! Since I feel like I am (at least virtually) on board with you, I am AT LEAST a "Virtual CHEERLEADER/PRAYER WARRIOR " - If not CREW. :)
I hope it will be cool.
May G-d bless you in your coming and your going in PNG.
LA in MN
So glad to hear that Zac is safe and well, and in PNG to get his engine repaired. I find myself holding my breath reading the posts lately! Very nice to hear from Dad in the previous post and thanks again to Mom for the update. Wish I could come to one of your events, but it's just not that convenient from Oklahoma!
Take good care all of you -- keeping Zac in my prayers...
Your Oklahoma Well-Wisher
I'm so glad you're safe Zac! It seems you are being required to learn a lot about patience on your journey. You should be able to take on anything after this!!
Rest well.....Zac and family!
As always, our prayers are with you.
Question -
Can anyone film the Laurence talk and post it on YouTube? That would be cool. I will gladly send in my "tip" from Idaho.
Thanks from
Zac Pac-cer Maureen
Marianne,
Zac is just incredible (of course you know that) sailing into an unknown and dangerous port coming out of high winds and seas, amazing yet again!
Yes by all means, L would drive up to LA to hear Laurence meet some of your 'team'.
Zac, I hope you enjoy you very well earned R&R!
Cheryl
I've posted 4 new images to www.temphost100.com.
IMAGES #13 through #16, showing Zac's "straight line" distance so far of about 6,000nm to his current location in Port Moseby.
Darwin is another 970nm (straght line).
DISTANCES SO FAR (approx. & straight line)
~~ MDR to Hawaii - 2,300nm
~~ Hawaii to the Marshals - 1,980nm
~~ Marshals to PNG - 2,200nm
APPROX TOTAL SO FAR = 6,500nm
UPCOMING DISTANCES(approx. & straight line)
~~ PNG to Darwin - 1,000nm
~~ Darwin to Port Louis - 4,200nm
~~ Port Louis to Durban - 1,600nm
~~ Durban to Cape Town - 775nm (but this is a serious leg here)
APPROX TOTAL AT THIS POINT = 16,000nm
FUTURE BIG LEGS (approx. & straight line)
~~ Cape Town to St. Helena - 1,700nm
~~ St. Helena to Trinidad (through the doldrums) - 3,700nm
APPROX TOTAL AT THIS POINT = 21,400nm
Miles to get !HOME! from Trinidad = 4,500nm
Daveh
Maureen,
I'm definitely going to be there tonight, and am borrowing a friend's digital movie camera. I don't promise great results, as this will by my first attempt (not only to use a digital movie camera, but also to try and upload it to U-Tube!). It may take some time!
I am a digital user for my stills, and my Canon has a movie function, which I've used, but it wouldn't be appropriate for something like this.
Wish me luck!
Marilyn
Woodland Hills
Zac and Team Sunderland,So glad to hear that Zac will tend to Intrepid and her engine. Zac needs the rest, as well as his boat. This will help him be much more alert during the Torres Straight crossing.I hope that this stop doesn't put him in additional danger when leaving the area. I am sure that this has all been addressed, as Team Sunderland appears to be covering all the bases. I am priviledged to be a part of the Zac Pac and a witness to the tremendous efforts in helping Zac complete this endeavor.
We loved the "virtual crew" reference. This is an amzaing group of people who participate on this blog, not to the mention the even more amazing people who are the subject of the blog.
Suggested iTunes songs for Zac's new ipod: Into the Mystic, by Van Morrison.
Zac & Family,
You are an amazing bunch! Zac you are in my thoughts and prayers daily. I must say " You Rock!" Also reading your mom's comments about you being a typical teenager at times, it gives me hope about mine. LOL ;-)
Marianne & Laurence, god bless you both for allowing and supporting your son to go on this journey.
JMG in Lake Orion, MI
Zac:
I'm sitting in the Amen corner to those who are impressed by the participants on this blog, your supporters and Zac-Packers all.
First, was the photo at the beginning of this entry of the Intrepid arriving in PNG? If so, she looks clean, bright, and well take care of. All things considered, that's fantastic, Zac. You've implied that you're so busy that your steed is being abused and ignored. It does not show and I think you're just embellishing the story.
Lying awake last night musing over your overall journey and the stop in PNG in particular, I had this revelation, the classic light bulb went off. I'm going to share it with you even though I strongly suspect that you are waaay ahead of me on this.
"Hey, Zac's interlude in PNG is giving him and Intrepid time to rest and recuperate prior to going toe to toe with the Torres Straits. There must be local 'old salts' as well as current cruisers around the yacht club who have dealt with the Straits over the years or just recently. What an opportunity to mine the local experience and expertise on the Joys, Trials, and Tribulations of the Straits. Why reinvent the wheel? You will be doing people a favor to allow them to help you. It'll give them present satisfaction and future stories of "When Zac was through these parts, I was able to ..."
There's an excellent probability that a 'young salt' could give them advise about faith, patience, persistence, keeping the nose to the grindstone, and getting on with whatever needs to be done.
FrogPond
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