It seems that this email I sent yesterday was not received, so I am trying to send again to see if I can get it to go through. As of this morning we are officially cleared into the country with the agriculture inspection. All officials were absolutely friendly and welcoming. We have already visited a giant shopping mall...definitely back in the land of plenty! Crew are all happy to be here and to get a bit of a rest before setting off again. Likely will be here for a couple of weeks because the parts we need just shipped today out of South Africa. We now have internet so you are welcome to return to WhatsApp or our gmail to stay in touch with us!
----- Original Message -----
Subject: We have arrived!
Date: 15 Jun 2021 02:25:52 -0000
From: VE7SVM
We are at the dock, surrounded by giant skyscrapers!!! We arrived just shy of exactly 27 days since we left Tahiti. On one hand that feels like forever ago but at the same time it really doesn't feel like that many days have lapsed since May 18. We were welcomed by the beautiful faces of Isabel, Johanna and Steve who helped get Maple in her spot. This is likely a temporary spot as it is situated at the yacht club's working dock, but hopefully now that we are here we can find somewhere we are not in the way for a couple of weeks to get repairs completed.
We have been checked in by a CBP officer who was super friendly, but we are still not allowed to leave the boat until we have seen someone from the Agriculture department who will want to see what food we have on board and remove our garbage. So we can't leave Maple until tomorrow morning, at which time we will be free to wander and explore what Honolulu has to offer. Thrilled to be here and in hindsight perhaps we should have just planned to come here all along.
Thank you for following along with us on this passage. Stay tuned for our next leg to Alaska...
----- End of Original Message -----
Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Sunday, 13 June 2021
LAND-HO!!!!
Okay, I said I would not write again until tomorrow evening, but this is just too exciting not to share!! We have officially spotted Oahu on the horizon at 56nm out just as the sun is about to set. So exciting!! Suddenly these monster waves are not irritating me as much. Based on current speed, we might manage to get to the dock before nightfall tomorrow...stay tuned.
Still here
TIME: 2021/06/14 02:34
LATITUDE: 20-33.79N
LONGITUDE: 158-37.58W
COURSE: 011T
WIND: NE 18
SPEED: 3.5
Distance to Oahu: 61NM
We are still out here. After a lovely 12 hour reprieve yesterday from the wind and waves, they started to return around dinner time last night and have only continued to build since then. We are motor sailing directly into the wind with both engines and averaging 3 to 3.5kn, not great, but at this stage we'll take what we can get. We are very, very tired of slamming into the seas and very, very ready to be sitting still at a dock. Arriving tomorrow is still not totally out of the question, but time will tell.
The only entertainment we have had are four birds sitting on the bow of Maple for hours!! Two of them insisted on sitting perched on the lifelines. I have no clue how they stayed balanced for so long on a tiny wire in bouncy seas with webbed feet. Now that we are back to upwards of 2m seas, they have disappeared. Clearly that is their limit for when they are better off flying.
I really hope that when I write next we are tied to a dock. If it is not obvious, we are done with this passage. You may recall a couple of weeks ago when D suggested we just plan to settle in Hawaii, that is sounding very good right now!!!
LATITUDE: 20-33.79N
LONGITUDE: 158-37.58W
COURSE: 011T
WIND: NE 18
SPEED: 3.5
Distance to Oahu: 61NM
We are still out here. After a lovely 12 hour reprieve yesterday from the wind and waves, they started to return around dinner time last night and have only continued to build since then. We are motor sailing directly into the wind with both engines and averaging 3 to 3.5kn, not great, but at this stage we'll take what we can get. We are very, very tired of slamming into the seas and very, very ready to be sitting still at a dock. Arriving tomorrow is still not totally out of the question, but time will tell.
The only entertainment we have had are four birds sitting on the bow of Maple for hours!! Two of them insisted on sitting perched on the lifelines. I have no clue how they stayed balanced for so long on a tiny wire in bouncy seas with webbed feet. Now that we are back to upwards of 2m seas, they have disappeared. Clearly that is their limit for when they are better off flying.
I really hope that when I write next we are tied to a dock. If it is not obvious, we are done with this passage. You may recall a couple of weeks ago when D suggested we just plan to settle in Hawaii, that is sounding very good right now!!!
Fun never ends....
So funny story...just after I sent the last group message "Two More Sleeps...hopefully" our primary boat computer died. This is the computer that we normally connect to the radio to send these emails. This computer is the only piece of technology that was still original to when we moved onto the boat. So it really had a good run because lets face it, electronics on boats don't last long. And yes, for those who are paying attention it is that computer that crashed to the floor and cracked its screen on basically day one of this passage. So the fact that it kept on trucking for an additional three weeks I suppose is miraculous. However, I am grumpy about it because I am tired of broken s*&t during this passage!!
Anyway, there is some good news. We were smart enough to put the program needed to connect to the radio onto a different computer so we have a backup...because if the lesson has not been learned on this passage for everyone...you should have a backup and probably should have a backup to the backup. I laughed once when I learned of a boat that had a spare rudder on board...who carries a spare rudder?! Well in light of this passage for us, I was very much wrong to laugh, yup, we should have a spare rudder...why not two while we are at it! Anyway, I am off track. Back to the computer issue. So yes, we have the ability to still connect to the radio, whew! What I don't have are any email addresses that were added more recently than when the program was placed on this backup computer. Confused?! It is okay, basically if you have received this email then you are the lucky ones (well perhaps that can be debated depending on whether you have thoroughly lost interest in receiving these emails and have been muttering to yourselves for days "Aren't they there yet?"). And if you have not received it, well, you have no clue and will blissfully no longer be receiving emails from us. However, if for some reason you realize that you have been dumped from this group email, feel free to email me a message as it will still come through to me and I will get you back on here.
On a separate note, it was also shortly after that last message I sent, D broke my heart by saying that it might in fact be three more sleeps before we arrive. The wind has picked up and of course is right on the nose for us so it means we are now only averaging 2kt of boat speed. Sigh. Are we there yet?!...
Anyway, there is some good news. We were smart enough to put the program needed to connect to the radio onto a different computer so we have a backup...because if the lesson has not been learned on this passage for everyone...you should have a backup and probably should have a backup to the backup. I laughed once when I learned of a boat that had a spare rudder on board...who carries a spare rudder?! Well in light of this passage for us, I was very much wrong to laugh, yup, we should have a spare rudder...why not two while we are at it! Anyway, I am off track. Back to the computer issue. So yes, we have the ability to still connect to the radio, whew! What I don't have are any email addresses that were added more recently than when the program was placed on this backup computer. Confused?! It is okay, basically if you have received this email then you are the lucky ones (well perhaps that can be debated depending on whether you have thoroughly lost interest in receiving these emails and have been muttering to yourselves for days "Aren't they there yet?"). And if you have not received it, well, you have no clue and will blissfully no longer be receiving emails from us. However, if for some reason you realize that you have been dumped from this group email, feel free to email me a message as it will still come through to me and I will get you back on here.
On a separate note, it was also shortly after that last message I sent, D broke my heart by saying that it might in fact be three more sleeps before we arrive. The wind has picked up and of course is right on the nose for us so it means we are now only averaging 2kt of boat speed. Sigh. Are we there yet?!...
Saturday, 12 June 2021
Two More Sleeps...hopefully
TIME: 2021/06/13 03:17 UTC
LATITUDE: 19-42.47N
LONGITUDE: 159-12.54W
COURSE: 040T
SPEED: 2.4
WIND_SPEED (T): NNE 6
Waves: NE 1M
Miles to Oahu, Hawaii: 121NM
What a difference a day makes with no wind, calmer seas and lots of sunshine!! Last night we were struggling with trying to figure out which way to point the boat, at times seeing only a single knot of boat speed and that was with an engine on! But eventually we figured something out that allowed us to not head too far away from our destination and not too bouncy but see a mind blowing 2.5kn of boat speed. We are cooking with fire now, look at us go!! Since mid-morning the winds have died out completely and I will say shamelessly happy to be motoring along towards Oahu. We should be able to arrive in harbour on Monday morning, exact time still to be determined. Thankfully nothing else to report...all is well on Maple!
LATITUDE: 19-42.47N
LONGITUDE: 159-12.54W
COURSE: 040T
SPEED: 2.4
WIND_SPEED (T): NNE 6
Waves: NE 1M
Miles to Oahu, Hawaii: 121NM
What a difference a day makes with no wind, calmer seas and lots of sunshine!! Last night we were struggling with trying to figure out which way to point the boat, at times seeing only a single knot of boat speed and that was with an engine on! But eventually we figured something out that allowed us to not head too far away from our destination and not too bouncy but see a mind blowing 2.5kn of boat speed. We are cooking with fire now, look at us go!! Since mid-morning the winds have died out completely and I will say shamelessly happy to be motoring along towards Oahu. We should be able to arrive in harbour on Monday morning, exact time still to be determined. Thankfully nothing else to report...all is well on Maple!
Friday, 11 June 2021
Quick Update
TIME: 2021/06/12 03:12 UTC
LATITUDE: 18-53.09N
LONGITUDE: 159-42.49W
COURSE: 077T
SPEED: 2.7
WIND_SPEED (T): NE 16
Apparent Wind: 50 Deg Port, 20kt
Waves: NE 1-2M
Miles to Oahu, Hawaii: 177NM
COMMENTS: The wind and seas have moderated a bit. The debate we are having is whether to keep sailing but going either too far east or too far west. The decision we have made at the moment is to motor sail as close into the wind and seas as possible with the assistance of one engine to keep fuel consumption lower, hence why our boat speed is currently painfully slow. We will continue to evaluate what course is best for us as we continue our slow progress over the next few days. We could arrive in Oahu as early as Monday morning but we will have to continue to adjust our ETA as the miles pass.
The one amazing piece of news is we have a confirmed marina slip in Waikiki Yacht Club located in Honolulu. This is all thanks to Steve on Chasing Waterfalls, whose family we first briefly met in Galapagos and then had the opportunity to spend a bit more time with in Raiatea after confinement was lifted. Not sure how he pulled it off, but we will just gratefully take this huge win after what has felt like a lot of strikes against us. Oh, and a big thank you to Nat for reaching out to Steve to begin with!! We are just ready to be tied to a dock and endlessly sleep. Then face the long list of repairs and cleanup we have on our hands.
Maple continues to be a rockstar and sail/motor under less than optimal conditions. The crew are tired, but doing well! Trying desperately to eat all meat, eggs, produce and cheese on board, but I have a feeling some will have to be tossed overboard before arrival. Meat lovers pizza with extra cheese is on the menu tonight. :)
LATITUDE: 18-53.09N
LONGITUDE: 159-42.49W
COURSE: 077T
SPEED: 2.7
WIND_SPEED (T): NE 16
Apparent Wind: 50 Deg Port, 20kt
Waves: NE 1-2M
Miles to Oahu, Hawaii: 177NM
COMMENTS: The wind and seas have moderated a bit. The debate we are having is whether to keep sailing but going either too far east or too far west. The decision we have made at the moment is to motor sail as close into the wind and seas as possible with the assistance of one engine to keep fuel consumption lower, hence why our boat speed is currently painfully slow. We will continue to evaluate what course is best for us as we continue our slow progress over the next few days. We could arrive in Oahu as early as Monday morning but we will have to continue to adjust our ETA as the miles pass.
The one amazing piece of news is we have a confirmed marina slip in Waikiki Yacht Club located in Honolulu. This is all thanks to Steve on Chasing Waterfalls, whose family we first briefly met in Galapagos and then had the opportunity to spend a bit more time with in Raiatea after confinement was lifted. Not sure how he pulled it off, but we will just gratefully take this huge win after what has felt like a lot of strikes against us. Oh, and a big thank you to Nat for reaching out to Steve to begin with!! We are just ready to be tied to a dock and endlessly sleep. Then face the long list of repairs and cleanup we have on our hands.
Maple continues to be a rockstar and sail/motor under less than optimal conditions. The crew are tired, but doing well! Trying desperately to eat all meat, eggs, produce and cheese on board, but I have a feeling some will have to be tossed overboard before arrival. Meat lovers pizza with extra cheese is on the menu tonight. :)
Thursday, 10 June 2021
Yet More Gratitude
TIME: 2021/06/11 02:02 UTC
LATITUDE: 17-32.91N
LONGITUDE: 159-45.33W
COURSE: 342T
SPEED: 4.0
WIND_SPEED (T): ENE 20
Apparent Wind: 70 Deg, 20kt
Waves: NE 2-3M
Miles to Oahu, Hawaii: 270NM
Oh no, here comes another sappy email about gratitude!! But how could I not be, less than 48 hours after we lost use of our starboard rudder, we have new parts ordered, the possibility of a marina slip being investigated, and paperwork being completed for permission to arrive in Hawaii. All of this done by the incredible cruising community we have met since we started on this journey with Maple.
First, a huge thank you to Shaun. We first met Shaun and Sherrie and their two girls in Turkey back in 2015. What are the chances of two Vancouver area families spending part of their first year on their respective boats in the same marina in Turkey!?! It was an instant connection that has continued since. Our paths have intersected from time to time, include with Sherrie back in Vancouver a couple of times. They are currently in Vancouver after they were forced to leave their boat behind in Malaysia when they could no longer renew their visas during Covid. Shaun has been sending us daily weather forecasts and routing suggestions since we left Tahiti. Now he is a HUGE lifesaver by ordering for us two new tiller arms from South Africa to be delivered to Hawaii. And he is throwing in a new alternator for us at the same time! Maple will be as good as new with two functioning rudders and two engines capable of charging once all is installed!! Thank you so much, Shaun!!!
Next on the list to thank are Mary Beth and Bill. We first met them in Shelter Bay Marina in Panama in early 2019. (As an aside, that is the last time we have been in a marina!) How could we not meet as we were just two boats down from each other with the exact same boat. Clearly people with good taste!! We also had a chance to meet a couple of times in French Polynesia before they then sailed to Hawaii. I think they managed this trip with breaking a lot less stuff than we have on ours. Anyway, all it took was for me to email them with a few questions since they are currently in Oahu, and they immediately took action. They have inquired with their marina, Ko' Olina, to see if there is any chance of squeezing us in. The jury is still out, but we are still so grateful for their willingness to jump to action when needed. They have generously allowed us to use their address at the marina to ship our parts!!
Last, but certainly not least, we have to thank Mark and Isabel. We first met in Fakarava in French Polynesia back in 2019 and have been fortunate to share many an anchorage with them throughout the country. They are currently on a stopover in Oahu after having a fantastic, smooth trip from the Marquesas. See it is possible to do this trip without breaking stuff!!! It must be because they are on an awesome Aussie built Seawind! :) They have inquired with CBP that we are able to check in to the US in Oahu and are helping us by getting the necessary paperwork started on our behalf!!
Plus we have received countless offers of help and quick answers to questions from other cruisers over the last two days. This community of sailors is truly remarkable. We never cease to be amazed by the generosity that this community will give without any expectation of anything in return. From saving people's drifting dinghies to sharing spare parts when possible to jumping to action when things are not going very smoothly on an ocean crossing.
Thank you so much for everyone's support and good vibes as we try to reach Oahu. The seas and winds continue to be very strong for us so we continue to just make our way north towards Kauai. Hoping the forecast for lighter winds and seas becomes a reality soon. All continues to be well for Maple and her crew!
LATITUDE: 17-32.91N
LONGITUDE: 159-45.33W
COURSE: 342T
SPEED: 4.0
WIND_SPEED (T): ENE 20
Apparent Wind: 70 Deg, 20kt
Waves: NE 2-3M
Miles to Oahu, Hawaii: 270NM
Oh no, here comes another sappy email about gratitude!! But how could I not be, less than 48 hours after we lost use of our starboard rudder, we have new parts ordered, the possibility of a marina slip being investigated, and paperwork being completed for permission to arrive in Hawaii. All of this done by the incredible cruising community we have met since we started on this journey with Maple.
First, a huge thank you to Shaun. We first met Shaun and Sherrie and their two girls in Turkey back in 2015. What are the chances of two Vancouver area families spending part of their first year on their respective boats in the same marina in Turkey!?! It was an instant connection that has continued since. Our paths have intersected from time to time, include with Sherrie back in Vancouver a couple of times. They are currently in Vancouver after they were forced to leave their boat behind in Malaysia when they could no longer renew their visas during Covid. Shaun has been sending us daily weather forecasts and routing suggestions since we left Tahiti. Now he is a HUGE lifesaver by ordering for us two new tiller arms from South Africa to be delivered to Hawaii. And he is throwing in a new alternator for us at the same time! Maple will be as good as new with two functioning rudders and two engines capable of charging once all is installed!! Thank you so much, Shaun!!!
Next on the list to thank are Mary Beth and Bill. We first met them in Shelter Bay Marina in Panama in early 2019. (As an aside, that is the last time we have been in a marina!) How could we not meet as we were just two boats down from each other with the exact same boat. Clearly people with good taste!! We also had a chance to meet a couple of times in French Polynesia before they then sailed to Hawaii. I think they managed this trip with breaking a lot less stuff than we have on ours. Anyway, all it took was for me to email them with a few questions since they are currently in Oahu, and they immediately took action. They have inquired with their marina, Ko' Olina, to see if there is any chance of squeezing us in. The jury is still out, but we are still so grateful for their willingness to jump to action when needed. They have generously allowed us to use their address at the marina to ship our parts!!
Last, but certainly not least, we have to thank Mark and Isabel. We first met in Fakarava in French Polynesia back in 2019 and have been fortunate to share many an anchorage with them throughout the country. They are currently on a stopover in Oahu after having a fantastic, smooth trip from the Marquesas. See it is possible to do this trip without breaking stuff!!! It must be because they are on an awesome Aussie built Seawind! :) They have inquired with CBP that we are able to check in to the US in Oahu and are helping us by getting the necessary paperwork started on our behalf!!
Plus we have received countless offers of help and quick answers to questions from other cruisers over the last two days. This community of sailors is truly remarkable. We never cease to be amazed by the generosity that this community will give without any expectation of anything in return. From saving people's drifting dinghies to sharing spare parts when possible to jumping to action when things are not going very smoothly on an ocean crossing.
Thank you so much for everyone's support and good vibes as we try to reach Oahu. The seas and winds continue to be very strong for us so we continue to just make our way north towards Kauai. Hoping the forecast for lighter winds and seas becomes a reality soon. All continues to be well for Maple and her crew!
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