In N Out - Grenada
Latest Position: 47 miles off St George Harbor, Grenada
From Laurence in Grenada:
Yesterday saw the completion of the job list on Intrepid though not without a few surprises. A last minute inspection of the rigging revealed some major issues which were dealt with at the speed of light (or almost).
The test sail was excellent. We went out into St George Bay to test both autopilots, check the sail repairs and run the reefing lines. We brought Intrepid to a sheltered part of the bay to swing the compass of Zac's new autopilot which was generously sponsored by the American Sailing Association. It was a blustery afternoon blowing a steady 20 knots with gusts near 25 knots. I will detail more of the repairs when I get back.
Mike Smith was an invaluable help as was Jen who photographed everything that moved and some things that didn't!
Michel from the sailing vessel Sundowner, an 85' Oyster, was on board to help with the rigging issues and also took 2 days rebuilding four of Intrepid's much worn winches.
Zac and crew had worked long and hard and were very tired. When we returned to the slip in the afternoon, Zac decided to delay his departure until the morning so he could leave in a more relaxed way - without rushing. We were able to get to the fuel dock and have Zac clear customs before the sun set.
This morning we enjoyed a complimentary breakfast at the Port Louis Marina compliments of Steve. Guy Gittins, who has been instrumental in arranging hotels etc here came down to say good bye. Clyde, who arranged the sponsorship of Zac's slip came down as well. It was a beautiful morning with plenty of sun and a nice breeze blowing through the harbor.
Zac decided to bring Intrepid further into the harbor to raise the main sail in lighter winds and was able to sail past the Port Louis Marina and the Grenada Yacht Club on his way out. The port Louis Marina provided a 35' launch, captained by Roger, that had been used previously as an America's Cup chase boat which was an excellent platform for the Grenada Broadcasting Network to film Zac's departure. Mike Smith was awesome behind the scenes filming Zac's departure from the hills behind the bay.
It was a jubilant send off with the local mariners blasting their horns and shouting out wishes of luck as he sailed by. It was a very proud moment for me as well as a big relief for the whole team. Job well done!
A huge thank you to everyone here in Grenada who stepped forward to be a part of this. On to Panama!
Cheers,
Laurence
posted by Zac at
6:46 PM
33 Comments:
Can Jen cut out the cartoon postcard like photos of these important milestones please :-(
Or get some pictures full size in proper color so us sailors can see the boat and fittings close up.
It's turing into a comic show. The previous pictures make Intrepid's beam appear like 4 feet across. When it's 11 feet.
WOW!
That was some fast pit stop!
Well done, and what a support team!
Look forward to hearing dispatches from the trip to Pananma. Crazy to think this circumnavigation of Zac's is going to be winding up one of these days.
All the Best.
- Grant Fjermedal, Seattle
It's great to hear that Zac is on his way again. I'm waiting to read about his crossing of the Panama Canal and of course his trip up the coast and back home.
Putting that 4,000 mile leg behind him was an epic milestone. It's great to know the repairs have been made and he is ready for the journey home.
Godspeed Zac. Just watched the KCET piece (1st episode) and look forward to the next one when it is online. Really appreciate your faith and that you are not shy about sharing it. Matthew 10:32 is a wonderful promise: "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven."
Blessings,
The Kittiwake Kids
How exciting! If I understand the route correctly there are only two more legs of the long journey until Zac is back in home port. What a day that will be. We will continue to pray for success and safety.
The Bakers
The pic (Thx Miss Jen!!) w/the American Flag on Lady Intrepid brought tears to me eyes as Capt Zac! full sailed out of Granada. God bless ye lad!
Thx Lord Laurence for the update!
Safe Sailing - blessed winds, str8 wakes & Blessed currents/Waves 'til ye reach the Canal.
HUGS!
Tomi/ATL
Wow! The repairs and restocking of Intrepid occured at near lightning speed. Looking forward to hearing more from Laurence once he returns.
I love the photo of Zac as he heads off to Panama. I always love the photos with our colors flying. Safe travels, Zac.
oh my gosh Jen.... please!~ sorry, but I agree with the first post... Thanks for taking the pictures. We all appreciate your time, effort and money spent. However, to properly show what Zac's life is like, just leave the photos alone. It will be simplier, maybe less costly for you too. Thanks,
Mike MN
Wow!
what a well written description of Zac leaving the harbour there....just like I was sitting in the front row..
And yes, my wife is correct when saying that Zac has changed a lot since visiting us here in East London/South Africa.
A very determined looking face.
Go Zac, Go !
Will et al
What a magnificent job.
Well done everyone, for getting Zac back on the water and heading for home. Looking forward to Jen's documentaion of the repairs, rest and relaxation...if there was a little!
Once again, Laurence's account of the time in Grenada, gave me goose bumps...amazing.I could sense his relief that repairs were well done, gratitude for all the help and his enormous pride in his son.
On to Panama....I'm soooo excited.
Well done all.
UK friend
Sail on Captain Zac!! God Speed. <><
Hugs
Anita
Waterloo NY
Captain SV "Wombat"
Wow! That was QUICK!!! Very impressive and quite different than SH....
Smooth sailing.......
Daveh
dave@davehickson.com
I truly do not know how Zac will go back to 'normal' living after a year of visiting magic places, meeting so many new faces and having the adventure of his life. Once he gets home, reunites with his family and friends do you think that feeling of 'now what' will set in? Now that he has wunderlust in his blood how will he control it to simply be grounded? I know if it were me I would not be able to settle down, I would want to be off again on another journey.
Is he actually looking forward to being home or does he wish his journey could go on and on? I would wonder how he will ever go back to 'normal' again because he has changed so much and sees the world in such a different way.
God Bless Zac. May your journey be safe and swift.
Balmoral Sailor
Wow! What a whirlwind of repairs - great job! Hope Zac continues to have good winds all the way to Panama. I sure hope we can see him pass through the canal... Looking forward to the next KCET installment.
Take care all, Peace, Your Oklahoma Well-Wisher
Jen, always know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I like the idea of catching the flag on the yacht you were shooting from as you captured Intrepid's departure. Nice touch. Good job!
Sail on, Zac! You've got us all more excited than ever.
Lee
In N Out? Are you using the lure of a Burger as a siren's song to draw Zac ever closer to home?
Zac,
Stay focused on the job at hand and fight complacency as you get closer to home. Each day can bring a new challenge so even though you are a seasoned world traveler stay vigilant while you aim Intrepid for home.
SteveB
Birmingham,AL
I live in Panama and just heard from your journey from a church in Miami, FL.
I would like to see here in Panama, or at least to take a picture of film you while you cross the Panama Canal, specially Miraflores Locks, the last locks to get in Pacific Ocean.
We praise God for your courage to do it!!!
Your servants,
Lester and Gaby Orellana
orellana.lester@gmail.com
My cell phone (507) 6751-1924
Laurence,
You must be busting with pride everytime you see Zac sailing in or out of a new port.
Jen,
I love your photos and I agree with a previous post, it brings a tear to my eye when I see our colors flying on Intrepid.
Panama here we come. Go Zac go!
Sail Safe.
Mona
Tucson, AZ
The comic show starts with people making critical comments about Jen's photos. She's not a paid commercial photographer hired to document all things technical about Zac's boat. She's using her artistic license to illustrate Zac's adventure. This is a blog with pictures not a finished, published coffee table book. Get a life folks. It matters little that Intrepid's beam looks out of size. Boat fittings close up!!
Do you plan to outfit your boat by reviewing Zac's equipment.
I encountered ire the first time I posted about Jen's photos some weeks back. Informed that her photos are being made for an upcoming book, thus carry her copyright, I settled for the thumbnails.
Now, again, I agree with others about their use. This is ZAC's blog, and it's his adventure we are invited to share. Anyone, including Jen, can certainly provide photos that add to the tremendous value this site has for all of us, rather than diminish it. For thousands around the World, Zac's experience is being felt personally; it's our only opportunity to be brave and youthfully alive.
Got to hand it to Laurence, that he knows what he is doing with boats. Should be advertising his capabilities from this voyage and repairs.
Would love for Laurence to list what he would have done differently to Intrepid have rigged her and got her this far.
From the FAQ, just general data about swapping in overengineered parts. But to date, specifically what he would consider not to or to have done before Intrepid left.
Other than the engine which conked out -- out of his control
The radar -- same
Windvane -- same
etc.
If Laurance were to start the whole thing again tomorrow, what would be done differently to the boat?
I know from Zac's end, we'd get him 100 x's satellite phones with spare batteries that are always charged. :-)
When I read poor Mike's blog I get the distinct impression the complete opposite has take place with their campgain, that is it seems to me no one bothered to refit their vessel before taking off. It's beyond comprehension. Two rudder bearings failing, a plugged in auto pilot that was never tested, now engine parts simply worn away. I don't understand it. All wearable parts on that boat simply never inspected or replaced fresh before setting off. Some sort of hurried campagain, here's a boat 'as is' go and sail it. Mind boggling.
I agree with Lee and Mona...I got all choked-up when reading Laurence's description of boats tooting and people shouting out good wishes to Zac as he sailed by!.....how proud he must be of his son.....I'm proud and they don't even know me! It's like seeing a U.S. service man(Armed Forces) and I well up with gratitude...
Like it or not, Zac is one to emulate.
Go Zac Go!!!!
Betty E., Lomita, CA
Why doesn't Zac take some pictures from his POV. Straight ahead wbile he's sailing and steering. So we can see what he is seeing. Also a nice big clear picture of inside Intrepid. B I G photos 4mb each with his digi cam. Can Zac email attachments from Intrepid over the sailmail? Maybe Mom can hint to him when they next talk, on a nice sunny calm day, take a proper picture from where he is sitting and steering Intrepid, so we can see what he is seeing.
Really rather simple :-)
To Anonymous
Your'e right, no one should be critical of jens photos. She is posting what she feels will be of the most interest to the people who log on to the blog. However, as a retired boat rigger, I would be very much interested in photos of the installed equipment and its failures. As the Islander 36 was designed as a comfortable coastal cruiser and not intended for blue water use, much modification would have been necessary to the boat before a voyage such as Zac's could be undertaken. As his voyage is a first time venture, there is bound to be equipment failure as well as success. Any one who is planning a blue water cruise which requires modification of a coastal cruiser would benefit immensely from photos detailing the installations and what worked and what didn't. Although Zac will be the greatest beneficiary of this trip, Laurence will have gained much knowledge that he can apply to his work as a Boatright. As I mentioned before, no matter how many years you have worked on boats, it's still a never ending learning exprience.
JACK
MDR
Note to Jen: great job on the photos, I'm glad you have a chance to be there to take them!
And to Zac: keep in up man, you're almost home.
Ben B., Columbia, SC
Miss Jen: Keep up the great effort. We are all fortunate to view your photos of this amazing venture.
Balmoral Sailor
Brings tears to my eyes!
Hi Zac,
have a great sail across the Caribbean. Too bad that there is no time for more stops on the way, but I guess that is true for the whole journey.
Sail on!
All the best,
RK
PS: Great pictures Jen. Keep them coming.
Though I don't understand why everybody - ehh- some are so excited about that flag.
Enjoy the Caribbean Sea, Zac! It's the last truly foreign waters for you. Good weather, good sailing, good health, and Godspeed to you!
I admire Mike's determination and guts so much, and hope he succeeds one hundred percent, but I also feel immense relief at everything that keeps him from entering the Southern Ocean by himself in that stupid racing boat... maybe he will be able to toss it all in some day, with his dignity intact, and his life ahead of him. Ever since I first heard of him being sent alone into the worst seas in the world in one of the lightest class of boats ever built I have wished he didn't have to risk it.
Jen has provided Zac and all of the rest of us with a particularly valuable sort of documentary record that none of us could have imagined retelling this voyage without. Kudos to Jen. Her artistry is her own. She is more than entitled to express it, since she is paying her own way and has nobody to answer to. Thank you Jen for all you have done this year of your life, for I have benefitted from it and have nothing but praise for your gifts to us all. Thankyou a thousand times. I wish I could help pay for your work, but I cannot. May be, one day, it will pay for itself. That would be really cool. Your critics have pointed out to all of us the strange truth that nomatter what we do in this world of ours there will always be people who have nothing good to say about others. But that is nothing. Sticks and stones an' all...
I was struck by the showing of the colours, too. A nice big flag it is. And I'm not even a Yankee. But the small vessel with the large flag bespeaks an earlier time, and is a fine, romantic image.
-HB
Looks like Mike is off and sailing. Interestingly appears to be going North of New Zealand. Not South towards Cape Horn.
Trying to guage the distance with Google Earth. Looks like close to 9000 miles with nothing in between - no where to stop? That's a super long haul. Can only wish him well.
http://admin.octracker.net/data/GMap.aspx?e=fd4a33e3-837d-410e-8585-3dcb6baf9b6e
Why would it be so great to be 'almost home'?? I would want to just keep sailing and sailing--going home will be soooo boring and his independence will be GONE.
What a great story Laurence. You must be very proud of Zac knowing so many people are pulling for him. And those good bye's leaving the marina must have placed a huge lump in your throat. You're a lucky man to have all this love around your family with everyone coming around to help out. This is what I would call WORLD WIDE support. It's nice to know that we still have so many loving and caring people still left on this planet earth.
Jen we have missed those great pictures. It's nice to know we can see Zac again through your camera lens. Thanks again for taking all those pictures and supporting Zac throughout all your travelings. Your love for this project is truly amazing. Thanks for all the great pictures!!!
Sail On Zac,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
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