Crew Wanted: Palau to Hawaii September to December 2010

[pbmaise]

The legs of my trip Thailand to Palau are full. I'm looking for crew from Palau to Hawaii

• Palau - September 13th - 20th, 2010

Palau is, one of the most incredible stops we make on this trip. It is a divers wet dream. Blue hole, blue corner, jelly fish lake, manta ray diving, and wall diving are all top top notch. Wreck diving is also fun. In fact I like to moor the sailing vessel directly over a huge WWII wreck. The ship was sunk by an American submarine. We can see the hole ripped into the side. The engine room is my favorite part of this dive. This harbor connects to dozens of small islands that are fun to snorkel around. In the mornings I like to kayak around and listen to the bird calls.


If you like, I will try and arrange a visit to the caves where conservation officers are working. Over 20,000 men in uniform died fighting over these islands in WWII. The caves are being cleared out and bones returned to their home land. Read the book Tales of the South Pacific for a fictionalized account of the war.


Palau is the last place good place to join or depart from this trip if you only have a limited time.

• FSM September 23rd – November 10th 2010

Its a very quick sail from Palau to Yap. Yap is our port of entry into the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). We clear customs and begin heading to remote coral atolls. On some atolls the islanders wear traditional dress, and we will too. Don't worry guys, the traditional dress here is a cloth wrap,not a penis gourd. I obviously love FSM which is why we are spending so much time there. Look it up on the map. FSM is huge, it takes weeks to cover it from end to end and that assumes no stops. Adding in stops at places you will never forget takes time.


Never in your life time will you forgot these islands. The children all come running with flowers in their hair. Each child is anxious to show you they learned the word “Hello”. At one island I visited last year, we were the first private yacht to visit in 3 years. Many of those kids had never seen a private sailing vessel. They depend on a government ship that arrives twice a year. This means people on these islands grow or catch the great majority of their food. They have no refrigeration to store unhealthy meats and fats. Unlike other places in the world, these people are unspoiled by tourists. They don't run after you begging for a handout. I stock the sailing vessel with a few items I know they love the most. The most appreciated items are sail cloth, extra rope, swim fins, swim masks, and notebooks to write in . For older islanders I like to give out magnifying glasses so they can read. Islanders in turn tend to share all they can offer, this tends to be nothing more then a meal, or perhaps a wooden carving.


One of our stops is the Oroluk atoll. Just 4 people live there. Imagine how nice it is to pull my sailing vessel into their lagoon and have them swim out and greet me by name. I've been on the last two sailing vessels they have seen. They love to come aboard, watch an action movie and sleep up on deck. They in turn bring fresh lobster or rare sweet coconut land crabs. They harvest copra (coconut meat) to buy a few supplies from the government ship that arrives only a few times a year. All 4 are really nice people and just appreciate the fact they have visitors to break up their routine.


Right now I know they are pacing the beach, watching the horizon and anxious for my return. The idea occurred to me on my last visit that they really don't have an easy opportunity to to back to there home atoll. They were all born in Kapingamarangi. I'm thinking of taking them back. Go ahead look it up on the map. Kapingamarangi is about as remote and out of the way of the normal cruising routes as it could possibly be. It is a little diversion on the way to Hawaii and I expect it will be quite an adventure. Expect to be greeted and treated like royalty. We will be taking back to their home atoll guys that have not seen their families in years.


After dropping the guys back in Oroluk, our next stop may be to see another friend of mine on picture perfect Mokil atoll. Here the lagoon is small enough to give you a good feeling of remote tropical islands. There is a small town with about 80 homes and two roads. There are no cars. There is almost a Disney World like feel to the place. I mean it seems like someone has come and manufactured the place to be perfect. It feels like a movie set. However, there are no tourists and the place is very real. It is impossible to bring the sailing vessel into the atoll's lagoon, so this is just a day stop. Hopefully we will be able to sample bread made from taro flour. I had it last time and it is one of the main reasons I want to return. The other reason is the choir at their church has harmonies that sound very similar to the movie The Mission.


We exit the Federated States of Micronesia in Pohnpei. This atoll still has its central volcanic core mountain. It has several great waterfalls and an ancient walled city built before Westerners arrived. I love a small hotel perched way up the hill. It has a restaurant right out of Conde Nast with panoramic views of the ocean and islands below. The manta ray dive here is easy and the wall dive, incredible. We will be spending about 3 nights in Pohnpei. This is really your best exit point from the trip if you don't want to make the last few legs to Hawaii.


Note: Currently we are not planing on on stopping at the FSM atoll called Truk aka Chuuk. Like the Philippines we can discuss the merits of stopping there and keep the option open. It mainly offers wreck diving just like we just did in Palau.

• Marshall Islands - November 15th 2010

Admittedly, the capital of the Marshall Islands is not my favorite place. As far as I am concerned the only reason to stop there is the great pizza I found at a restaurant called the Flame. A neighbor of mine from Hawaii runs the local hardware store, and I have other friends usually moored in the bay. So it is largely a social call. When you are a sailing vessel owner and begin to see your plans in terms of years, and you know the best place to buy butter in 8 different countries, you get a idea how narrow other people's view of the world is. Planning a social call 6 months in advance is rather normal for me to consider.


The outer Marshall Island atolls are much nicer then the capital. They are worth the stop. However, keep in mind we have to back track to the capital city to exit the Country. Like other flexible options, seeing remote Marshall Islands will depend on trip timing and when people need to connect to flights returning them to their home countries.


The Marshall Islands is our last stop before a rather lengthy run to Hawaii. This last leg of the trip will most likely have the roughest seas, highest winds, and most thrilling and fastest sailing.

• Hilo Hawaii - December 15th, 2010

Hilo is my home port in Hawaii. It is on the island of Hawaii. That island is also called the Big Island. The Big Island is the largest of the islands with the most things to do and see. The active volcano is of course the largest and most interesting attraction. Hawaii's hotels can be very expensive. You are welcome to stay aboard another week after arrival so you have an inexpensive stay. Alternately, there are places that are not too overpriced. I guess I should mention I own a bed and breakfast that is a good value. It is near a clothing optional beach and the lava flow. Most planes to the mainland and Europe/Asia depart from Honolulu Hawaii. It is called Absolute Paradise Gay Bed and Breakfast. You can fly out of Hilo to Honolulu for about $75 USD. Alternately, there are some direct flights you can take from the West side of the Big Island from the city of Kailua Kona.


Note: If you are not a US Citizen or hold a Green Card, to arrive in Hawaii you must first apply and obtain a US visa. You cannot come into the US by private boat if you are not a US citizen unless you have already applied for and been accepted.




About my boat

• About The sailing vessel – Safety and Comfort

I'm an engineer. Engineers do not listen to myths and we are able to tell when someone is basing their opinion only on personal conviction. We root our decisions in logic, research, and fact. Yes, there may be many people that disagree, however, the plain fact of the matter is a trimaran is the safest and most seaworthy sailboat you can select. Insurance underwriters agree with this. That is why the cost to insure a trimaran is the lowest of all types of sailboats.


Here are some of the reasons why you should consider sailing aboard this sailing vessel above all others.


It is made of wood! Most wood, and this wood in particular, has a remarkable property. It floats! More specifically my sailing vessel is made up of a sandwich of wood and epoxy. The epoxy makes the boat 100% waterproof. Fiberglass, steel, carbon fiber, aluminum, and ferro cement boats are all heavier then water. This means for my sailing vessel you could go around knocking holes in every bulk head, let the water in, and the boat would still float. In fact it still could carry a sail. Don't try that with any other type of boat.


An epoxy wood core sandwich boat is very labor intensive and expensive to build. This boat, launched in 2000. was built in the USA by Richard Barrie. He was a professional boat builder working in California . Jay Kantola, a highly experienced boat designer, designed the boat for safety under any sea condition. In other words, this is not a boat built by a hippie in his backyard, using blue prints on a paper napkin. The total construction time on this boat was 8 years using West System epoxy resins. If you want a boat made to similar specifications be prepared to shell out 7 digits.


This trimaran was built for family cruising. It has a big galley, large bunks, solid teak features, large storage areas, and carries tons of food, water, and fuel for extended trips. This is not light weight racing trimaran designed for ultimate speed. One good comparison you can make with this sailing vessel is to compare it to a Volvo station wagon. A Volvo station wagon is built for safety and capacity too. It is a safe car. Yes there are other types of cars like Indy 500 race cars. However, there is no valid safety comparison between a Volvo station wagon and an Indy 500 race car. One if built to carry heavy items at highway speeds. The other is built to carry the least amount at the highest speed. So, if anyone is worried about you sailing on a trimaran, be sure to them you are riding in a Volvo not an Indy 500 race car.


I've sailed some miserable miles in a racing sailboat. After the first few hours of getting splashed, cold, and wet it isn't much fun any longer. It especially isn't fun in the middle of the night. There is an old Ukrainian proverb that says “It feels good when someone stops knocking you in the head with a hammer.” I think that is the real reason all those racing sailors look so happy at the end of their races.


One reason multi-hull sail boats are so popular is their stability and size. This particular multi-hull is bigger than most. It is 22 meters (65ft) long and more importantly it is 12 meters (40 ft) wide. I've traveled the seas in both larger and smaller mono-hulls. I can tell you from experience that it is so much nicer to live on a boat that rides nearly flat upon the water.. It is also safer. Up top you don't have a steep wet sloping surface that causes you to fall overboard, and down below it is better to cook without having boiling pots of water come flying off the stove. Sleeping is more comfortable when you are nearly flat and not strapped in. On a larger boat you also get more sleep. With a larger crew watches can be split up into shorter segments.


Trimarans are not as popular as catamarans for one big reason. They are much more expensive to build. Obviously there are three hulls instead of two. A little less obvious fact is that these hulls are joined by a total of six cross arms. Most catamarans have just two cross arms.


There is a big reason why trimaran owners except the extra construction costs. That reason is called the mast. The mast is of course the central driving force of a sailing vessel. The wind exerts thousands of pounds of force against the mast base. In a catamaran the mast base is supported on a cross arm. In a trimaran it is supported by the central hull...the strongest part of the boat. Catamarans are excellent choices when sailing around calm waters. They also provide more room up top. However, when it comes to big seas and large ocean crossings, give me a trimaran.


The boat has a first rate 150 HP Izuzu Engine that we can call upon when need be. I have extensive fuel filters to keep this engine running and we can run her out of fuel, prime it, and restart with no problems. All seawater lines have been replaced and the engine room is served by a brand new bilge pump. The boat has a drip-less shaft seal system and new cutlass bearings. Both standing and running rigging are new. The entire exterior paint job is restored to brand new. Sails are not brand new, however, they are more then adequate to give us the speed we need. I also carry spare sails.



Minimum expected contribution toward overall costs to operate this trip are 50 Euros per day per person. This said, I keep two spots open for younger sailors that have not earned these kinds of dollars yet.




Regards
Phil