San Francisco 1502 Nm, Kaneohe 681 Nm
More than 1/4 of the way. By virtue of a 169 Nm day yesterday we have increased our average speed to 148 Nm per day for the first four days. Not bad for close reaching into 20 kt winds.
For people new to sailing it must seem strange to be reading all this bragging about going 7-8 knots. That's about 8-9 mph. You could go faster on a bicycle. Trust me. For us it is a big deal. For other sailors, like us, considering a similar trip it is interesting to note that we basically have not changed course or speed or point of sail or, for that matter, wind conditions, since we set out 5-6 days ago. Another point is that my original plan of going without a dodger was a really bad idea. I'm so glad we put the frame back on at the last minute. The protection we jury rigged out of a storm sail, on the way out the Sampan Channel, is not perfect, but it's a big help.
The health benefits might not be the first thing you think about when considering an ocean crossing in a small boat, but they are considerable. Just about everyone on the boat can probably expect to be more fit at the end of this voyage than they have ever been in their lives. Think about it. Six hours (watch) of aerobics a day, and the rest of the day spent in a small room lunging about at a 20 deg. angle. Even while sleeping. I'm a good example. At age 72 I've been (for the last year) waking up each morning with an ache in my lower back that goes away with some stretching exercises and a cup of coffee. On this trip the problem simply disappeared.
1 comment:
I guess you meant June 6, not June 5?
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