Zac the Shellback
Latest Position 0337UTC 16August08: 01.55S, 170.18E
So yesterday I had pretty light winds between 4-8 knots on the nose from my rhumbline to my next waypoint. It was a long day of tacking and dodging squalls. I finished rigging up some new lures with metal leaders and new hooks. I'm hoping to pick something up soon.
As the day went on the winds gradually shifted in a direction that I could make good progress toward the waypoint without tacking. I crossed over the equator about 8pm with full sail up going about 7 knots running from a squall with a ship 6 miles off my bow. When I crossed he equator, I filled a cup with rain water, toasted to King Neptune and ran up on deck to reef before the squall hit hard. The squall only had about 25 knots but the rain lowered the visibility to almost nothing which would have been no problem if the ship wasn't so close. The radar is pretty much useless in a squall because it picks up all the rain clouds. The whole radar screen for 8 miles around was the color of a solid object. Luckliy it blew over quickly and the ship passed 3 miles off my beam.
After the squall the wind stayed relatively strong at 15 knots so I left a reef in the main, pulled out full genoa and flew along at 7 knots with no squalls. Being in the Southern Hemisphere is pretty much the same as the Northern so far. I am actually officially in winter now. Winter with 90 dgree weather and way too much humidity. Anyway, I am now a shellback and it feels good to pass another milestone on the way back home.
Cheers,
Zac
PS Yes, Warren I received the fishing gear. Thanks!
PPS Another great article from Pat Reynolds:
http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2008/08/14/columns/nautical_news/nn1.prt
So yesterday I had pretty light winds between 4-8 knots on the nose from my rhumbline to my next waypoint. It was a long day of tacking and dodging squalls. I finished rigging up some new lures with metal leaders and new hooks. I'm hoping to pick something up soon.
As the day went on the winds gradually shifted in a direction that I could make good progress toward the waypoint without tacking. I crossed over the equator about 8pm with full sail up going about 7 knots running from a squall with a ship 6 miles off my bow. When I crossed he equator, I filled a cup with rain water, toasted to King Neptune and ran up on deck to reef before the squall hit hard. The squall only had about 25 knots but the rain lowered the visibility to almost nothing which would have been no problem if the ship wasn't so close. The radar is pretty much useless in a squall because it picks up all the rain clouds. The whole radar screen for 8 miles around was the color of a solid object. Luckliy it blew over quickly and the ship passed 3 miles off my beam.
After the squall the wind stayed relatively strong at 15 knots so I left a reef in the main, pulled out full genoa and flew along at 7 knots with no squalls. Being in the Southern Hemisphere is pretty much the same as the Northern so far. I am actually officially in winter now. Winter with 90 dgree weather and way too much humidity. Anyway, I am now a shellback and it feels good to pass another milestone on the way back home.
Cheers,
Zac
PS Yes, Warren I received the fishing gear. Thanks!
PPS Another great article from Pat Reynolds:
http://www.argonautnewspaper.com/articles/2008/08/14/columns/nautical_news/nn1.prt
posted by Zac at
9:56 PM
32 Comments:
CONGRATULATIONS ZAC! Another milestone and I'm so happy for you!
Hope all goes smoothly now as you make your way to Darwin. And here's hoping that you'll catch a fish along the way!
Smooth sailing and many blessings!
Jennifer
Sherman Oaks, CA
Zac covered about 120 nM between the last two blog entries, not bad considering he's in the doldrums. Yes, for all you land lubbers out there, you could cover Zac's 24 hour distance in two hours of freeway driving (unless you are in LA).
The url for the tracking map got cut off yesterday it is
http://www.creative-cruising.com/TrackZac
I changed the default zoom a little as a balance between the Zacpack followers and new viewers. Remember it is an interactive map.. you can zoom in and out and the zoom level for older entries changes based on the surrounding area. In Majuro, you can even see the anchorage where the yachts stay and get a good look at an atoll formation.
To see the whole route, including destinations still to come, use the "zoom to bounds" button (it's the furthest to the left in the upper right hand menu).
Congrats on becoming a shellback Zac, maybe your toast will bring the fish!!
Zac, welcome downunder! Good going mate!
Glenys
Auckland
New Zealand
YEEEHAAAAA!!!!! Go Zac go..good on ya mate! Now you can check crossing the equator off the list which brings you another step to your goal!! I wish I was there to see it. WOW!!
Highs and lows huh Zac....you have to go through the valley to stand on the mountain, no worries you know that. If what you're doing was easy everyone would be out there!
No luck with the fishing yet?? I feel your pain...LOL! Many times my dad and I will be out and he's hauling in fish one after the other and I'm standing there thinking, isn't this fun...NOT! Hang in there you're bound to catch something.
I ordered a t-shirt yesterday, will be proudly sporting it once it arrives. I think I will wear it on race day at my sailing club ~_/)maybe it will bring me luck....the "Wombat" is a Hunter 240....I can't exactly turn a plowhorse into a throughbred but she's good in light air. I'm the smallest boat in our cruising fleet and get no respect.....LOL!!!
I check your progress and read your blog EVERY day, it's like reading a good book and can't wait until the next chapter.
Sail on, be safe. Sending along prayers and well wishes
God speed Sir Zac, we're so proud of you.
Anita M. Miracle RDH
Waterloo, New York USA
Hi Zac,
To one Shellback to another - May the Gods keep you safe. You had it easy becoming an Shellback. I had to go through so much on board the USS Enterprise. Let me say that I was on my hands and knees for about 4 hours. You need to see some pictures to really know what it is like.
You seem like you are making good time. At the rate that you are moving, you maybe home in less then a year.
You need to tell everyone if the toilet flushes in the opposite direction now that you are in the south.
Again Zac - Great Job getting to the south - Keep it up, your doing a great job.
Until next time.
Gary - Houston Tx.
Zac, You are no longer a Polywog. That is, presuming you have never been south of the equator before. Well either way you are now not one as, until you have ventured into the southern hemesphere, you are considered a Polywog.
Safe Sailing,
Peter Mercer
Another sad day when the saints sit silent. A boy toasts a nothingness and leaves the Almighty nameless.
Sorry Zac, I thought you would take many of our blogs to heart.
Again, choose wisely, because you may have satisfied supstition, but who holds the reigns to the weather?
Sail on,
Jerry
Congrats on the crossing the equator! I have a feeling the fishing will be better down under.
Captain Zac,
I haven't written lately but I am still enjoying your blog daily with my morning coffee.
I am glad that you were able to take the time to experience the Majuran (sp?) culture as that is an extrememly important part of this trip. World records sound great but the relationships and the memories that you are creating will be what you cherish the most for the rest of your life.
Your fish will come when you need it the most. In our three years of blue water sailing we only managed to catch one fish. We watched a mahi follow the boat for two days before we finally snagged him and brought him on board on my husbands birthday. We had a line out the entire time but he never bit. He felt more like a companion than a meal after several days of us watched him watching us. What a birthday treat it was! We had over 36 steaks for breakfast lunch and dinner for several days. So be patient. The big one will come!
Congrats from a fellow shellback! Sail on and be safe.
Tammy
Many congratulations, Shellback Zac! Glad to hear you have some winds again and looking at google earth positioning, you seem to be moving right along.
Stay well, Zac. And congratulations again for crossing over!
Cheers,
willy
milford, ohio
Ahoy Zac the Shellback,
Another Gold medal moment for you Zac and your family.
Cheers
Zac,
Congratulations! Sounds like you had a great day. I just want to let you know that I just love checking your position every day. I end up spending way too much time on Google Earth researching any little piece of land that is near you - but, I love it! Thank you for sharing this adventure. Take care - Minnesota Family
Hello Zac & Everyone,
Well I'm glad you finally crossed into the Southern Hemisphere. It's also great to know that you have better winds moving you along much faster into Australia.
For all the bloggers out there please take note. Last night I rented the movie "White Squalls" with Jeff Bridges. If anyone out there has never seen this movie please rent it ASAP. So many phrases in this movie reminded me of Zac and his journey. If you already saw this movie a few years back rent it again. I promise you this movie will inspire you and your children. In my opinion children under the age of 13 should not watch this movie but this is my personal opinion. The movie does not resemble exactly what Zac is currently doing because Zac is doing this solo but it does teach us many things about sailors and how they come together from different walks of life, and how you must respect the ocean and it's power. I could preach for hours about this movie but please just rent it. If you rent this movie I would love to hear your opinion about it. Please fell free to email me with your response.
Zac, after watching White Squalls I have a new respect for what your doing out there. Please stay safe, be alert, and most of all keep your mind busy. Coming from my 48 year man's heart, "Your my Hero". Thanks for all the reading memories you have given me these last two months. I'm looking forward to seeing you again at the MDR docks.
Take Care & Sail On,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Congratulations shellback Zac !! You are really on your way. Kinda scary with the squall and the nearby ship.
could you do one favor? for the landlubber in me, could you explain the phrase ". . so I left a reef in the main, pulled out full genoa"
peace,
bob
college station, tx
If somebody want's to see how a heavy rainfront/thunderstorm looks on radar just send e-mail to: heye@madisoncounty.net
and I will send 2 pic.
It's from an old Decca 101 radar but it shows what Zac is talking about regarding tracking ships on radar
Axel
Zac the Shellback! Where does that term come from anyway? Turtles?
Glad to hear you have some wind again. That heat! UGH! You have your chapstick??
Hope those doldrums were left in the N. Hemisphere and you are enjoying His new mercies today.
It must be SO weird to have people being so intimate with your trip and feeling like they know you well and even know your family - when they've never met you. Instant celeb status is really a mind-tweaker too. Well, don't get too weirded-out I'm sure most people are just harmless vicarious armchair sailors.
Do you ever think it might be dangerous to post your coordinates. because of pirates or evil-doers or anything?
Anyway, Sail on, Cap'n and thanks for the entry in the Captain's Blog. :)
Zac, It sounds like you were pretty distracted as you crossed the equator, with an eye on the ship and the squalls coming.
I wanted to see where you are in relation to the equator on Google Earth, and figured out that if I go to the "view" menu and check "grid," it displays the Equator, plus the latitudinal and longitudinal lines on the globe. That suggestion is for others, like me, who may not be familiar with the intracacies of Google Earth.
Any chance you will start answering a few of blogger questions each day, or maybe one day a week? I don't want to add any pressure, especially on this leg, but your fans are interested in your thoughts, food, books, music, coping mechanisms, etc. while on the sea. So many want to know how the "makwon" tasted.
Sail on safely,
Marilyn
Woodland Hills
Zac,
Congratulations on crossing the equator, big milestone!
Thanks for the link to Pat Reynolds story, it was a great read.
Good luck with the fishing lines. You'll catch something soon, the odds have got to be shifting in your favor.
Stay safe.
Mona
Tucson, AZ
Congrats on the crossing Zac! And that was a real "edge of your seat" moment with the ship blindly close. Well done.
Do you have anything made by NIKE on board? Shoes, shirts, etc.
Thanks Billabong. There is also a tracking link on Zac's website and some are using other google mapping as well. You guys have your own incredible journey going. Welcome aboard!
Rock on Zac!
Scot
Californialcweibc
Congrats Zac on reaching the Southern Hemisphere. Think of all the things you've accomplished so far! Wishing you well...
Cheers!
Zac, Keep sailing, Very exciting! And keep trying for that fish. you WILL get it. Mr. Wahoo
To Jerry (Discovery Island):
Chill out, amigo. There was no slight to to the saints and all the good works of man are a tribute the creator. Your words almost sound like a threat and I find that very sad, all things considered...
To Marilyn:
Another nice tool in Google Earth is the "ruler" - you can use it to measure the distances, say that Zac has traveled day to day or how far he is from a given land mark. Pretty accurate. I've put it on my toolbar, but you can find it under the tools drop down.
I can second Douglas' recommendation for "White Squall". Long been one of my favorite movies - good soundtrack, too, and based on a true story... Link at IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118158/
Cheers!
willy
milford, ohio
Congratulations Shellback,
This is a real accomplishment, particularly by a solo sailor.
It sounds like your "crossing" initiation was dealing with the squall and the nearby ship. Good job. You still managed to do something.
Your writing seems to be improving as you go along. Again, you are a very talented person.
Keep up the good work. If you can find the time, please try to answer some of the questions.
Have you been eating the fruit from Majuro and any of the other "treats" they sent along for you.?
Happy sailing. Fair winds and calm seas.
Linda and Bill
Washington DC
Awesome Zac! Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress. From your writing it sounds like you are getting more comfortable on your boat. Hope you continue to have good winds.
Steve
Birmingham, Alabama
I'm just curious, has anyone else noticed that the Google map satellite views of the upcoming land masses/atolls, appears to be updated as Capt. Zac nears them?
Am only asking as maybe, just maybe, the USofA gov. is also tracking our HomeWorld Circumnavigation Ambassador.
By the bye, congrats Capt. Zac shellback! Based upon my google map searches, you should be "safe" traversing the S. Pacific toward Darwin over the next few days from "upcropping" atolls & "unmapped" landmasses.
HUGS!
Tomi/ATL
Hi Zac,
CONGRATULATIONS, SHELLBACK!
Glad to see you're sailing right along and reached another milestone.
It sure sounded pretty scary with the ship being so close and no visibility.
Think positive and stay safe. You're always in our thoughts and prayers.
Safe sailing,
Dick & Gin
Upland
With all the blogging you mention ships being close by. You have been plotting them on radar right?
A little rapid radar plotting is important tool in your "toolbox" in the open "pond".
Fair winds and following seas to you young Zac .
To Willyboy,
I'm chilled, but just encouraging Zak to dive into thoughts and insights a little deeper than the old man and the sea.
Threats? No.., who am I to do that. Our Maker has already done the honors.
Jerry
Hi There Zac,
Congrats my friend on crossing down uder! Be encouraged, you have accomplished so much, and the journey is incredible!
You are in our thoughts and prayers!
Bob in OKC
Well said, Willyboy!
Congrats Zac! Greetings to all following Zacs blogs. I know there are those already tracking Zac's progress. Well, so am I. Here's a link to my Google Map.
Smooth sailing...
RandyC
Dear Zac,
You are the coolest dude in the galaxy, guy! Eight-star congratulations to you for undertaking this great adventure. You have learned, and will learn more, about yourself and about life in a way that no amount of formal education or ordinary experience could possibly deliver. Go get that record!
Howard Friesen
Newport Beach California
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home