Check out NAI'A's progress on the map!
Position Day 1: April 24th Noon: 34.08N 125.27W, 263 miles from San Francisco.
Michael's Report: Weather rough as expected, 25-30 knots with
good seas from the beam. I am a bit fatigued, been sea sick, now resting
a bit. Basically, wet, cold, miserable sailing with a 2nd reef and the
jib. One autopilot already out, four more to hopefully remain keeping course.
Altogether a good days run!!
Thanks to everyone at the dock, especially Mark Rudiger, Scott Shaffer,
Peter, and Steve Sheidler for taking the bon voyage party out on Revolution.
Thanks for the flowers, flying sushi.
Position Day 2: April 25th Noon: 31.17N 137.53W, traveled 212 miles.
Position Day 3: April26th Noon: 28.32N 129.21W, traveled 182 miles.
Position Day 4: April 27th Noon: 26.49N 132.43W, traveled 208
miles.
Michael called in at 7:30pm on this day. Sounding well rested, traveling
at 10-15 knots with a full main and spinnaker. He had not called in the
prior days due to a wrong radio setting at simplex instead of the necessary
duplex setting.
Position Day 5: April 28th Noon: 26.17N 136.25 W, traveled 220
miles
"I woke up this morning with NAI'A in a jibe, the Spinnaker had wrapped
around the headstay, things were looking messy. So, I straightened it all
out and all is well now. At times, the autopilot doesn't keep a tight enough
course."
Position Day 6: April 29th Noon: 27.02N 140.45W, traveled 220
miles again.
At 5:30 pm, Michael's position was 27.17N 141.45W , 275 course magnetic,
sailing along at 8 - 14 knots.
Position Day 7: April 30th Noon: 26.28N 144.20W, 193 miles traveled.
The radio went dead this day, "a little scary", since it's Michael's
only form of communication to land. Questioned low fuses?, low battery?,
but after taking it apart, he found a loose power connection - fixed and
a RELIEF!!
Position Day 8: May 1st Noon: 26.43N 146.31W, 119 miles traveled.
Winds are slowing down, only about 2 - 3 knots. It's like a lake and
hot out, but beautiful. NAI'A is sailing with the "whomper" sail up, bringing
her speed about 1 knot faster than wind speed. Had a sea H2O bath today.
Will reach the big island of Hawaii in 600 miles.
Present Position at 8:15pm on Day 8 is: 26.44N 147.02W.
Position Day 9: May 2 Noon: 26.15N 149.24W. Traveled 158 miles.
Position Day 10: May 3 Noon: 26.38N 153.12W. Traveled 206 miles.
Last night there Michael was stuck between two low pressure zones,
being faced with lots of wind and seas across the beam of NAI'A. He sailed
with a 2nd reef in the main the whole night.
Present Position at 11:15pm is 26.57N 154.56W, approximately 400 miles
North of the big island Hawaii. Now cruising with a full main and genoa.
Position Day 11: May 4 Noon: 27.09N 157.19W. Days run 223 miles.
Position Day 12: May 5 Noon: 27.09N 161.21W. Days run 216 miles.
Present position at 6:30pm on Monday, May 5 is 27.17N 162.31W, course
set at 272, seas 8 - 12 knots. Michael is presently sailing over LaVelle
Sea Mount, which begins 3 miles under the ocean and the mountain is 1 mile
tall. There are a string of mountains under the sea he is passing over
before he reaches Midway. They are all named after composers. Sunday night
he hit another low trough with seas crossing NAI'A's beam for hours. Monday
was beautiful, sailing naked with the screecher up at 17 - 18 knots. When
he called, he was reefed down again with north swells hitting his beam.
Just a note from his editor here, his spirit sounds healthy and he says
hello to all!!
Position Day 13: May 6 Noon: 27.17N 165.41W. Days run 232 miles.
Position Day 14: May 7 Noon: 27.05N 169.13W. Days run 190 miles.
Present position at 6:30pm on May 7th is 26.55N 170.19W, with course
set at 253, seas 8 - 12 knots. Radio is cutting in and out with the loose
wire, so Michael is holding the radio together while speaking. Presently
surfing waves with help of a groundswell.
Story from Michael: "Last night I hit the halfway mark bringing the
Big Decision! of whether to drink my one bottle of wine or wait until my
birthday on May 13th. I figured I'll have more birthdays, so I went ahead
and had roast beef and fettucine, green beans, a bottle of Cabernet, and
a delicious raspberry chocolate brownie for dessert. Music, song, and quite
a festive evening." I headed north to look for wind, but now have to head
back south to get to it.
Position Day 15: Thursday, May 8 Noon: 26.39N, 173.22W, Days run 222 miles. Passed the Hawaiian Archipelago, about 160 miles south of Midway Island.
Position Day 16: Friday, May 9 Noon: 25.35N, 177.15W, Days run
219 miles. Traveling for 36 hours with the "Whomper" Spinnaker. Light winds,
but moving along nicely. The high has weakened. Today there were hundreds
of sea birds. A spectacular site.
Present position at 9pm on Friday night was 25.29N, 177.50W, with a
course of 275, seas 7 - 14 knots. Good surfing runs right now.
Position Day 17: Saturday, May 10 Noon: 25.34N, 178.20E, Days run 239 miles.
Position Day 18: Sunday, May 11 Noon: 26.08N, 173.51E, Days run
245 miles. Winds are at 10 - 15 knots, seas are good for surfing, which
NAI'A handles well at 19 - 20 knots. Michael had reefed the main down until
he took her all the way down, still averaging over 9 knots with just the
Spinnaker up. Last night he saw the first ship since he left the Golden
Gate shipping area.
Present position at 7:09pm on Sunday, May 11th: 26.25N, 170.39E with
1,771 miles to go to Misaki. Course set at 275, seas 8 - 13 knots.
Position Day 19: Monday, May 12th Noon: 27.37N, 170.13E, Days run 214 miles.
Position Day 20: Tuesday, May 13th Noon: 26.18N, 167.15E, Days
run 180 miles, with 1513 miles to Misaki.
May 13th - Happy 52nd birthday to Michael!! He reports the weather
to be fluky, wind dropping to one knot at times with heavy rains and squalls.
One high pressure system to another. The wind and weather are supposed
to improve soon.
Position Day 21:Wednesday, May 14th Noon: 26.34N, 165.04E, Days run 117 miles.
Position Day 22:Thursday, May 15th Noon: 27.27N, 162.44E, Day
run 148 miles. Today it was calm most of the day. Winds just filling in.
Michael went swimming twice and shaved his beard.
Present position at 11:30pm is at 27.38N, 162.15E, course 260.
Position Day 23: Friday, May 16th Noon: 27.40N, 161.44E, Days run 54 miles.
Position Day 24: Saturday, May 17th Noon: 27.42N, 160.34E, Days run 62 miles.
Position Day 25: Sunday, May 18th Noon: 27.57N, 159.02E, Days run 83 miles. As you can see, it has been very slow going. Michael is stuck in a high with no wind, it's hot, and this is generally hard for him to handle. The first 20 days he averaged 8.7 knots and has been averaging 3.5 knots the past 5 days. There is no way he will make it to Misaki in 30 days as he hoped, but is still shooting to break the record and be there before 34 days.
Position Day 29: Thursday, May 22nd 3:00pm: 34.12N, 148.27E,
Days run 124 miles.
430 MILES to MISAKI!! It's been rough weather the last 2 days with
one low pressure after another. Michael is running with just the jib. The
weather is supposed to clear a bit soon. He has not been able to connect
with KMI in Pt. Reyes, so he radioing through Sydney which will work fine.
hen he reaches within 20 - 25 miles of Misaki he will call Ken Hayashi
for timing his arrival on Channel 16 VHF. Michael sounds in good spirits
and he is close to breaking the record.
NAI'A CAPSIZED Day 30!! At 11:30pm on Friday, May 23rd, Judge Reppy received an emergency phone call from the US Coast Guard, saying that Michael's EPIRB went off. The following morning at 8:02am, Midnight in Japan, I received a call from Michael. Here is his story:
"I capsized 250 miles from Japan, it was a Pitch Pole, was running with
main & spinnaker, I was down below, woke up, I was sleeping, came above,
the boat was going very fast, stuffing, I went below to get on my gear
to get the Spinnaker down, the boat stuffed and I came up just in time
to see the boat stuffed and pitch pole , I dove down in the cabin and the
boat went upside down much to my horror. It was unbelievable thing to happen.
I got the epirb, survival suit, cut the liferaft off of the net, inflated
it. NAI'A is lost!
Then about two hours later a Japanese rescue helicopter went overhead
and notified a ship, three hours later I was rescued by a Japanese ship
called "Century Highway". They have given me food and a hot bath. I'm Ok.
But the boat has been lost. I should be in Yokohama on Monday. That's the
story, as tragic as it is, at least I'm alive."
May 26th - after conversation with Michael - the story is amended that when Michael awoke, he realized that the boat was going too fast, put on his gear, then came above, just about 5 seconds too late to save NAI'A. He tied a rope to her from the liferaft, until the cargo ship came close, then for safety reasons cut her loose!! Michael's personal story will be posted on the web site soon!!