Beating and Bashing
Position: 06/20/09 at 1500Z 19 26.550N 105 44.759W
Heading out of Barra de Navidad, I had to dodge my way through some coastal shallows before hitting the open sea. The night was pretty stormy with the last bits of the low pressure system passing over. The wind was pretty confused with the southerly winds from the storm dying out and the normal north westerly filling back in.
By the morning I had the full force of the NWwinds on the nose to where I wanted to go so I have been sailing on a westerly tack with the wind 30 degrees off the starboard bow and slowly beating into 15-20 knots with sharp seas. Right now I've got 3 ships around me, one about 2 miles off that the AIS shows I am on a collision course with. I'll have to keep an eye on them for a while tonight.
Before I do, I wanted to answer a question about what the sky is like out at sea from Thor. Most of the time it is super clear and there are a lot of shooting stars but when there is heavy cloud cover like last night and tonight, it is pitch black. A full moon out at sea on a clear night is an amazing thing. I have not seen much in the way of trash in the oceans. The most trash I have seen was right off the coast of Los Angeles. I was on the lookout for the so called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vortex of garbage the size of Texas, that was reported to be nearly on my course across the Pacific last year, but never saw anything.
This would be a good time for you to ask me more questions. I'll do my best to answer as many of them as I can. Keeps my mind busy with something interesting during the days.
Cheers,
Zac
Heading out of Barra de Navidad, I had to dodge my way through some coastal shallows before hitting the open sea. The night was pretty stormy with the last bits of the low pressure system passing over. The wind was pretty confused with the southerly winds from the storm dying out and the normal north westerly filling back in.
By the morning I had the full force of the NWwinds on the nose to where I wanted to go so I have been sailing on a westerly tack with the wind 30 degrees off the starboard bow and slowly beating into 15-20 knots with sharp seas. Right now I've got 3 ships around me, one about 2 miles off that the AIS shows I am on a collision course with. I'll have to keep an eye on them for a while tonight.
Before I do, I wanted to answer a question about what the sky is like out at sea from Thor. Most of the time it is super clear and there are a lot of shooting stars but when there is heavy cloud cover like last night and tonight, it is pitch black. A full moon out at sea on a clear night is an amazing thing. I have not seen much in the way of trash in the oceans. The most trash I have seen was right off the coast of Los Angeles. I was on the lookout for the so called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a vortex of garbage the size of Texas, that was reported to be nearly on my course across the Pacific last year, but never saw anything.
This would be a good time for you to ask me more questions. I'll do my best to answer as many of them as I can. Keeps my mind busy with something interesting during the days.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at
7:46 PM
63 Comments:
You have planned this trip and spent the last year ralizing your dream. What would you like to do upon your return to Marina Del Ray?
K
Zac,
When your out there with nothing on the radar and cruising alone out in the middle of the sea, do you use running lights or keep them off till your close to traffic? Also on this journey you have had at least two encounters which baffle the mind as you would say. 1st being a possible mermaid and the 2nd being the strange lights and explosions. Are you now a believer of sailor's tales that there's more to this big ole world then we will ever know?
And the last question and I believe the most important question anyone would want to know. Will you auction off the boat? Sell it straight out? or cut it up into small bits and sell it that way? or at least cut the sail up into 1 inch squares and sale it that way?
Rodney Birditt
Valley, Alabama
Zac,
It's exciting to live vicariously through the vivid descriptions of you and your family! Quite a gift of gab you all have!
Our questions are regarding smell: Do the oceans each have a unique scent? How far are you off land, approximately, before you smell it? What has been the most overwhelmingly memorable, and not, odors? After being by yourself for long periods, is your sense of smell heightened when you are around people again?
Blessings for the home stretch!
P.S. Just read in our paper about a whale, on its way to Alaska, which has been hanging out in MDR for the past three weeks. Maybe its waiting for your return :0)
Gayle, Brian, Xan, Riley, Jesse
Any thoughts re college? We must talk
Hi Zac, I enjoy reading your daily posts about your adventure. I have great respect for you! What has been your favorite and least favorite experiences from your journey?
Hi zack its grat to folow you a rond the world thank you for sharing it with us all
Wat would you say is one of the monst inporten pice of gear on bord ?
thank you BILGERAT101
Planning, if notice received in time, to stand by with camera in hand when you arrive at MDR. Would love shots of you, your Mum and Dad.
So - if you see an old, long-haired dude taking pictures when you arrive, would you extend your hand?
Blessings as you approach home.
Glad to hear that you are well on your way again! I would have so many questions I wouldn't know where to start, so i will just 'listen' to the others!
Thanks for the update.
Stay safe Zac.
Nearly home!
UK friend
Hey Zac,
On Google-earth, it looks like a pretty impressive 'cloud' that you are just on the edge of. I hope all is well. I only wish that wind would push forward instead of beating you back.
My question is this. It's the year 2030, and you have a 15 or 16 year old son or daughter, and he/she wants to sail solo around the world and try and beat your record. How will you respond to that? :-)
Be safe Captain!
Namaste~~
Zac,
What has been the best and worst stretch of water you've crossed to date?
Off all the equipment on the boat what have been the most important to you daily?
Reading Zac's blog from yesterday, and the comments, I happened to be listening to a really beautiful song on youtube ("Fly Away Home - 10,000 miles" - You can hear it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe6hCOCOrM8 to see what I mean.)
And as the singer sang of a great journey, everything I read about Zac's journey seemed even more amazing.
My very good (unknown) friend Anonymous ;-) sure hit it on the nose when he wrote about Zac leaving harbor in the middle of the night:
"All I can say is I simply cannot and can't fathom what he is doing i.e. getting on a boat in pitch black darkness and sailing out into the ocean. If you're not a sailor, simply close your eyes and try to navigate to your kitchen or bathroom.
Amazing."
I've sailed for about 50 years and the idea of leaving an unknown port, in total darkness, with the remnants of a tropical storm still cranking through . . . scares the heck out of me. And I'm not afraid to admit it. ;-)
And the words of "The Croaker" seemed especially poignant:
"There'll be other things to challenge you. Do not be impatient! You're still a tadpole in many ways and you've got a lifetime of adventures to plan and wonders to anticipate."
And there seems to be some interesting promise in what John Gezelius writes: "Any thoughts re college? We must talk"
With Zac's dedication to the philosophy of "Do Hard Things" the whole world is open. Hard Things come in all sorts of packages:
- Dog sledding to the North Pole
- Going to college to explore knowledge
- Working with the young to give them hope and vision
- When the time is right, becoming a husband and father
Speaking of which, Happy Father's Day to Laurence. And belated Happy Mother's Day to Marianne.
Now it is back to work for me. Have to work until 6 a.m., go to sleep for 2 hours, so my 3 children can make me breakfast in bed and bring me drawings from school and such to celebrate the fact that about 11 years ago I stopped to help a motorist stranded along the side of the road, ended up getting married to her, and soon after became a first time father at age 50. Of all the journeys I've done in life, this has been the best - by far - and I hope it is a path that someday, perhaps a decade or two earlier than for me, Zac takes. He'll have sure acquired a lot of wisdom to share.
- Grant Fjermedal, Seattle
Hi Zac,
I've read your blog everyday since you started this incredible voyage and we've all watched you become more self-assured and emotionally strong. Since you've been at this for a year, making decisions and taking care of yourself, do you have any apprehensions about being at home again?
I think I'm going to go through withdrawal without having your blog to read every morning. You're amazing!
Lee
Hi Zak. has traveling around this beautiful earth. Has the majestic and awesomeness power of God deepen your faith?
PeterJ.
Hey Zac,
Just wondering, out of all the places you've been to, if you had to choose one to live in, which would it be? And why? Where were the people the friendliest? Where was the scariest? And where was it the most beautiful/exotic? And did you find that most places they spoke English or was communication ever a problem? And does that spur you on to learn another language and which would it be?
Hey - you asked for questions . . .
:)
God bless you! Have a safe journey home.
- a clan from South Dakota
Zac, any chance one of your little brothers would want to take a turn circumnavigating planet Earth?
You, of course, might manage their trip like your Dad has done for you. Happy Father's day to Laurence.
You asked for some questions, so here goes.
Does Intrepid lean to one side as you're sailing or is it level on the surface? I'm also following your rival, Mike Perham. he has a video where it looks like his boat is about to tip over it is leaning over so much. I know nothing about sailing as you can tell by the question.
peace and good sailing,
bob
Happy Fathers Day Lawrence!
You have done a great job with Zac!
Timothy Burns
Morning Zac...
As seems to be true to form these days, your blog has provoked thought. Although, beating & bashing was not I had in mind. Didn't think trash was either, but your blog on "Trash the Size of Texas" has been an eye opener. I looked her up. That big fat mess would probably set you back at least a month, if you had to sail around her. Sailing thru her? I'd have to be towards the end of my trip to stand seeing her...it would break my heart. Capt. Charles Moore, on a Feb/09, did a video, a trash clean up on LA beach, & awareness on Earth Day. Seems we're tossing 2 million plastic containers!!!!!!!every 5 minutes. I don't think most of us can even put our minds around that, but we sure better open our eyes to it. He calls it, "The Journey of the Caps"...headed across the Pacific for Cabo San Luca. Also says, "Only we humans make waste that nature can't digest." He closes with, "All the king's horses, & all the king's men, will never gather up all the plastic, and put the ocean back together again." I must say, after years of sailing the oceans, a lifetime of visiting them, swimming in them, even living on one...I can't imagine how profoundly sad we would all be, if she just up & floated away. I, for one, am going to try to buy glass from now on...change something. Plastic is non-biodegradable. Your experience, again, Zac, touches all of us. You're going to have some real power here on earth...once you sail back to shore. Will you use that power to start some kind of following, somekind of, say, protection for the oceans, for the seas that you love to sail...to surf? Like I wrote before, you would be perfect, having sailed globally, to join forces with the Gore's, Clinton's, Pitt's, to change the face of our seas...the future of all children, grandchildren, and sealife everywhere. Some of them are already floating in the trash. You are going to have a voice; a voice people are going to listen to. I pray you take advantage of this good thing. Then, once you embark on that opposite journey...the Artic...you can speak for the ice and all those who depend on her, for life. There's a knock at the door. Who can it be? Why, it's Zac...speaking for you & me. I pledge to follow, grandson in hand, on the quest to stop the polluting of our oceans from now on. There's no turning back, remember, just moving on.
Signing off till dark, from Atlanta. Eyes wider open, Brenda and Desi
Oh, and Happy Father's Day to Lawrence...and to my Dad, and all Dad's everywhere!!!!!!!
Brenda and Desi
Hi Zac.
Is it possible that there is a typo in the position?? My guess is that you are somewhere at 19.550N 105 44.759W
Axel
Zac,
Do you ever get to see the "green flash" that lasts only a second at sunset? We see it down in the Caribbean. Just wondering! :)
Heather
I got a question :-)
Is there any one thing that has been bugging you constantly, that you wished you had brought along.
I don't mean a water maker for the boat or a fancy chrome handle for the tiller.
But say, that sweater, or the other flip flops, or the other bathing suit. Another pen or marker. Your Swiss Army knife, that CD the other water bottle etc. etc.
One item that when you were packing you said, "nah leave that", that today you regret and think about?
:-)
Zac,
It has been my experience that some of life's most profound joys and simple pleasures have been discovered in unexpected and unheralded places. Your recognition of the street taco stand with .50 tacos was refreshing. Maybe you could partner with Anthony Bourdain and do a follow up sail to revisit some of the places you've stopped. You and your crew could sail Bourdain to a few of the stops. Surely living in LA you could find an agent that could make this must see tv happen. Just thinking out loud.
@ Balmoral Sailor
"˙His eye is on the Sparrow so I know he is watching you. God is on your shoulder. Sail safe.
God Bless"
Excellent post! I heard a gospel choir from Tuscaloosa, AL perform this at a Sunday Church
Service in Auburn, AL while I was in college. The memory of the performance moves me to this day!
SteveB
Birmingham,AL
Hi Zak, Today is Sunday and I'am ready to go to church with my family. The Gospel reading for today is found in Mark Chapter 4 vs, 35- I feel it is the perfect reading for you. That day as evening drew on he said to them. "Let us cross over to the farther shore". Leaving the crowd, they took him away in in the boat in which he was sitting: while the other boats accompanied him. It happened that a bad squall blew up. The waves were breaking over the boat and it began to ship water badly. Jesus was in the stern through it all,sound asleep on a cushion. They finally woke him and said to him. "Teacher, does it not matter to you that we are going to drown?" He awoke and rebuked the the wind and said to the sea: "Quiet! Be still!!" The wind fell off and everything grew calm. Then he said to them, "Why are you so terrified? Why are you lacking in faith?" A great awe overcame them at this. They kept saying to one another, "who can this be that the wind and the sea obey him?" (End of Reading) I feel you can relate to this reading. You seemed to be in the shoes of Jesus, you have been tested every day on your journey, but you didn't rely on fear to take the best of you. You can draw your own conclusion of this beautiful reading. I have not totally follow your log, but you put them and the whole world to shame. I pray that you can share some of the spirituality of your trip with young people.
Peter Elia
subun043@yahoo.com
For the Panama Canal watchers; Natasza's going through today and tomorrow if you want to see it:
http://blog.nataszacaban.com/?msg=236&lang=1
Please disregard my last comment. Was a blond moment on my side :-(
Axel
Cap'n Zac,
I have been following your journey since the beginning, and it is a great story. Have you any idea if your route home will take you to the inside or outside of San Clemente and Catalina Islands? I thought it might be cool to come sail with you for a bit if your route passes close enough to Oceanside for me to get to your location in a day sail.
Zac, I just read the article about you in ESPN Magazine. I am 41 years old and always wanted to learn to sail. You have inspired me to take a 3 day course and I am looking into buying a sailboat! Kudos to you and I wish you well!
@ Grant - Great post today; especially how you meet your wife! I thought your revelation about departing port in darkness would make you, an experienced sailor, nervous. That gives me greater insight into how amazing Zac really is. For Zac, it's just another day at the office, so to speak.
I also liked your reference to Croakers thoughts. I believe there are many of us that feel similarly.
@ John G - liked your question. As a now 51 yr. old, my greatest regret was not finishing college. However, I'm in the process of doing that now. Just got my AA and am working towards the next degree.
@ Becky - good question! I always enjoy your comments.
@ Zac - Inquiring minds want to know.....did you, or did you not get the haircut?
@ Laurence and all the Dads out there - HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!
@ Marianne - How is the planning for Zac's arrival going? Will there be a meet and greet area for the "Pac?" Name tags would be nice...or give us the heads-up and we can bring/wear our own....
Zac, I just read the article about you in ESPN magazine. I'm 41 and always wanted to lean to sail. You have inspired me to register for a 3 day class and revitalized my dreams! Thank you for allowing me to momentarily escape everything while I reading your story! Good luck and stay safe!
Zac,
Looking back at your journey what would you have done different and what would you have brought with you? How would you prepare differently for another major sailing adventure?
I hope your next stop is MDR!
Wondering... what book you are reading right now?
What is the first thing you are going to do when you get home- home in your house?
Following you from day one.
Carla in Palm harbor, Florida
Hi Zac, when i was at the MDR fundraiser, i got the feeling the your sister was going to be the next Sunderland to head out to sea..if this is true, what advice do you have for her?
Laura
Zac:
Namaste asked about your advice to a hypothetical child of your own who wanted to circumnavigate at some point in the future.
That's a good question. Prepare your answer now! At that time in the future when you're a father, your perspective will be veerrrry different. Being a father is the ultimate adventure into the unknown! There'll be sunrises and sunsets and there'll be storms like you've never seen, but when a little set of eyes appear over the side of your bed chirping, "Happy Father's Day!", you'll feel like the richest man on Earth.
You're an amazing young man and I expect that you'll be an amazing man and father. You'll understand much that those who've just coasted through life will never comprehend.
Your trip is just beginning. Sail on and may God continue to bless you and yours, now and in the future.
The Croaker
Looking at the sole single full size picture of Intrepid that Laurence took in the bay in Panama, it would appear that if you hung some decent sized rain gutters all around the frame of the custom made solar panel arch with a small down spout in the middle over the tiller, you could have one awesome shower system for when it rains. Alertnatively, depending on the load bearing capabilities of the custom made solar panel arch, build up a tank on top. If the panels are too sensitive, nice big thick piece of clear perspex plastic over the panels, then 4 thick clear perspex walls all around. Maybe 1 or even 2 ft? Catch the rain, kind of like a big aquariam up there, which a shower head even again over the tiller. Wouldn't that be a luxe rain shower system while on the voyage.
The again you may have to enclose it otherwise it would slosh out and all over the show if you're rocking about, and then again it may be top heavy and unbalance the whole boat. Hmmm...
Question being, was anything like this considered and if so, what was determined that it couldn't work?
:-)
Zac, I can only imagine how proud your dad is of you on this Father's Day --- and everyday, for that matter!
By the looks of the weather map, you may need to duck in to Cabo. I know this great little cantina...
Enjoy your day... Be safe...
As always, my prayers are with you.
Blessings -
Marie
WA St.
Dear Zac.just read espn,never read it before,but i was curious about the young man on the cover-you.
im amazed.
im a mom of 4,and i grew up in the south bay.i love redondo beach.
just hello here to you....and my prayers that you make it home safely.
peace to you dear Zac
T.Solis
What's the coolest wildlife encounter you've had?
Zac:
I've been following your trip from day one. I check your blog everyday and it's been gripping. When I think of you pulling into MDR soon, it's a blessing that you're safe and the achievment is legendary, but I'll truly miss checking up on you. Thank you for touching the lives of so many people in such a positive way and I hope there's another adventure to follow.
Jay
Some info on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It is there, but it is not a bunch of visible garbage as most people seem to think. It is actually comprised of a huge amount of microscopic plastic pellets. Even though they are not visible, they are a big problem because they are small enough to get into the food chain. There is some great information in a book called "Flotsametrics" by Curtis Ebbesmeyer. http://flotsametrics.com/
Any Desire to meet Jessica Watson?
Hi Zac,
I was finally able to obtain the ESPN magazine with the feature about you. Gosh, great article!
You are indeed amazing young man!
My question:
Living in San Diego, I am curious as to when you belive you will be off our coast and how far off the coast you believe you will be as you pass San Diego? Please don't be concerned I am not planning to intercept you or anything of the sort. I just want to know when to wave!
You are an inspiration to us all young and old.
God Bless you Zac.
Cheryl
After this trip, will you ever put sea salt on your food ever again?
How about a post from Laurence on this special day. His thoughts, ideas, feelings etc. etc. :-)
just wondering.... you mentioned clear nights and shooting stars in a dark sky. Would you have ever seen anything really usual that you could describe?
Zac,
As a "young" grandfather, I have used your adventure to inspire my grandkids to look towards achieving their dreams. My question is this...do you have any idea how much of an inspiration you have been to thousands of people over the last year? And when during your trip did you realize it and what do you think about how people are looking at your adventure to think about their own dreams? I've enjoyed following you young man. What an honor.
John
Well, Zac, I guess the old, be careful what you ask for is true. A million ?'s...even from me! Now you won't have a sec to spare! I won't keep you. God Bless & be safe tonight. We're thinking of you. Atlanta. Mimi & Desi
Hey Zac,
Looks like you got more than enough questions already from folks, so I'll just leave you with this encouraging verse that I stumbled across recently:
"He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor! Let them praise the LORD for his great love and for all his wonderful deeds to them." -Psalm 107:29-31
God speed!
Kevin in Santa Barbara, CA.
@ Brenda and Desi
Great Post! I wish everyone would realize how important it is to save the oceans and the planet by not over-fish, using glass, taking canvas bags to the grocery store, etc.
@Laurence
Hope you had the greatest Fathers' Day!
@ Axel
Oh, boy, you probably lost a few fans with your last "blond moment" post. Perhaps "senior moment" would have been better. However, if you are young, then, just say it as it is: "male moment!"
Tee hee,
Marilyn in Woodland Hills
Hey Zac,
You're finally on my charts! I've been following you throughout your journey and now I can plot your position at http://www.TempBreak.com.
Here is your last position on the Eastern Pacific chart: http://www.tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=se&lat=19_26.55&lon=105_44.759 and here is your position on the Puerto Vallarta chart: http://www.tempbreak.com/index.php?&cwregion=pv&lat=19_26.55&lon=105_44.759.
If you hit the "m" key while viewing the chart, it will show you the latest MODIS satellite shot. The SST and Chlorophyll shots should help you see when you are getting near some fishy spots where you might want to make sure you have a line in the water. :)
God Speed!
Eric
Zac,
I just wanted to let you know how much of an inspiration you have been. I am always telling people about your adventure. Today my girlfriend surprised me with a gift. Next weekend we are going to sail on the Stars and Stripes, the Americas Cup Winner. I will be a member of the "crew". I have always wanted to sail. Thank you for everything.
Tim Burns
Well now Zac has to worry about tropical depression TWO-E. It's forecast to head north and could impact Zac in the next 2 or 3 days. That should give Zac enough time to reach Cabo if necessary. Hopefully from there it will be smooth sailing as far as tropical weather is concerned!
Zac -
my boys are still following you on the map ... you are a huge blessing to homeschool moms in respect to teaching geography and map skills!
James and Connor want to know what you are looking forward most to eating upon your return home. And also when you will be touring the Southeast US? (your #1 TN fans will be there if/when you do!)
It will be a long hard bash up that Baja coast often with 20-30 knots on the nose. I've done it many times. It will be one of your more challenging aspects of the trip. One time in 50 I had a southerly due to a hurricane much further south down off Mexico. That bash northwest is almost as tough as Pt. Conception to San Francisco with 30+ on the nose and more.
jamescsail San Diego
Hey Zac,
Forget everything else...You are going UpHill. Use every advandatage you have to your favor Every Wind Shift- Every Tide Roll - (Remember the old saying "I am going 3000 miles and I have a 30gallon tank")
Do what ever you have to do to climb the hill. Go to far out and it's not good. stay too far in - it's not good either.- happy climbing!!! Love U Zac - You Are A lot of our Heros!!! - Jim Webb
I have a question of severe importance:
If you were a hot dog, and you were starving...would you eat yourself?
Cheers,
Matt
Guess you have seen, you are now amongst a named storm in the sea west of mexico....Godspeed Home !!
Ok, you're almost home and I have a question: For a year now, you've just sat around all day floating from one place to another and I just want to know...
Did you get your homework done?
;)
Its been a heck of a journey, Zac, thanks for letting me go the distance with you.
Zac,
Prayers as you stare down those storms. So, a few questions in case you get REALLY bored:
1) What's the stupidest question you've had from a reporter? (As a journalist, I get to ask this, right?)
2) Think you said you've lost weight on the journey -- heading back to the gym when you get home to bulk back up?
3) The single best piece of advice you got before or during your journey (I know, that may be a tough one).
4) Name the two or three people who most inspired YOU along the way and why.
Cheers,
Jack Mulkey
in the South Bay
Zac,
I'm just about ready to head to bed but had to read my daily dose of your blog. I'm trying to figure out how to be there when you arrive, and bring my 15 year old son (with hair as long as yours!) along with me.
hey zac or anybody have you heard anything about saito the 75 yr. old sailor lately. what I can see may 17th was his last post..
see you soon zac yourawsome!!
mark
Good gracious, the title of this post sounds a bit close to the knuckle for a teenage boy all alone for so long ;)
Just kidding. :)
On a serious note, are you in touch with Mike Perham and do you have any plans to do any adventures together in future? It seems that you both have a lot in common and would make a good team.
Good luck with the rest of the voyage.
Hello Everyone,
So Zac asked for questions and they came pouring in. I do not believe Zac will be bored for quite a while. He has a list of questions from this entry that should last until after he gets home.
I hope the sailing is going well and your feeling the anticipation!!!
Sail On Zac,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
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