Together for the first time at BYC.
Wednesday, July 6, 2016
Friday, July 1, 2016
The Finish Line
We have planned our route as best we can ahead of time. We have a couple different kinds of weather information. We even know how to get detailed start line weather and Kathy tells me that she has tidal current charts to help us out under the Golden Gate.
What is there left to do? Well, the Finish Line would be one example.
Unlike the Transpac Race (That is held on odd numbered years.) our race does not finish at the Diamond Head Buoy off of Waikiki. Instead, our finish line is in the open ocean off of Kaneohe Bay on the east side of Oahu.
The orange cross marks the approximate location of the Pacific Cup finish line. The picture below shows this part of the chart in more detail.
The finish line consists of that part of a line through the aeronautical beacon on Puu Hawaiiloa (On the Marine Corps Base.) and Pyramid Rock that extends NNW from the yellow cross where the line crosses Latitude 21deg 29min.
This is a little different than previous years because there is a new rule that boats are not permitted to cross the part of Latitude 21deg 29min that is indicated by the horizontal red line on the chart. You can easily see why. All those little dots cluttering up that part of the ocean represent the locations of different kinds of experimental machines for producing electricity from wave motion.
So, when we are finishing we will pass just north of a temporary buoy located near the yellow cross on the chart. Our official finish time will be when we cross the line from Puu Hawaiiloa through Pyramid Rock. Then we will follow the green arrows to the "Sampan" channel and on into the bay. It will take us about a half hour to reach the Kaneohe Yacht Club where we are expecting a big reception.
What is there left to do? Well, the Finish Line would be one example.
Unlike the Transpac Race (That is held on odd numbered years.) our race does not finish at the Diamond Head Buoy off of Waikiki. Instead, our finish line is in the open ocean off of Kaneohe Bay on the east side of Oahu.
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| Kaneohe Bay |
The orange cross marks the approximate location of the Pacific Cup finish line. The picture below shows this part of the chart in more detail.
 |
| Detail of the Pacific Cup finish line. |
The finish line consists of that part of a line through the aeronautical beacon on Puu Hawaiiloa (On the Marine Corps Base.) and Pyramid Rock that extends NNW from the yellow cross where the line crosses Latitude 21deg 29min.
This is a little different than previous years because there is a new rule that boats are not permitted to cross the part of Latitude 21deg 29min that is indicated by the horizontal red line on the chart. You can easily see why. All those little dots cluttering up that part of the ocean represent the locations of different kinds of experimental machines for producing electricity from wave motion.
So, when we are finishing we will pass just north of a temporary buoy located near the yellow cross on the chart. Our official finish time will be when we cross the line from Puu Hawaiiloa through Pyramid Rock. Then we will follow the green arrows to the "Sampan" channel and on into the bay. It will take us about a half hour to reach the Kaneohe Yacht Club where we are expecting a big reception.
Yet Another Kind of Weather Map
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| COAMPS shoreline detail |
Our regular weather maps don't properly show the details of the wind as it meets the shoreline. For the first few hours of the race we need more details like the ones provided by this special chart. Here the blue crosses are roughly located at the Pt. Reyes Lighthouse, at the Farallon Islands and at the Golden Gate Bridge.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Another Kind of Weather map
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| Thursday Morning in San Francisco |
Forty knot gale from the north right outside the Golden Gate.
Pretty mellow (On the way to Hawaii.) otherwise.
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
New Crew Member
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| Alejandro Dorazio |
Proud care taker and skipper of Bear
Class number 32 "Little Dipper".
I have been sailing in the bay for
about five years and love racing sailboats. I am a pastry chef by trade, and I
love working with my hands. Very passionate about wooden sailboats.
WEATHER (or not)
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| GRIB file for SF to HI effective 2016-06-29-0600 UTC |
I just made an email request for a prediction of the San Francisco to Hawaii weather for tomorrow. Then I sent out the request and got this custom made weather map a few minutes later. It shows the wind speed and direction, and the air pressure isobars. I've drawn a straight line from the start line to the finish line just to guide the eye. Clearly going straight takes you into lighter winds. A more southern route is indicated. But there's the rub. How south can you go without suffering from the increased distance?
That's what makes it a race. Makes it fun.
Please comment to the blog. We want to hear from you.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Ways to Communicate
This might be the last “Navigation Note”. A review.
1. Sailmail
I want to remind you that the primary means of communication with Shadowside during the race is via “Sailmail” over the SSB radio. The most important factor to keep in mind is to NEVER, NEVER, NEVER just hit “reply” when responding to an email from us. That will clog up the system and make a big mess.To write to us, or to respond to something we have written to you, simply use the email address shadowside@hrmginc.com.
It is a good idea to start each email to us with routing info like:
From: Sally
To: Joe
Subject: Family Emergency
2. Satellite Phone
Just send mail to: 881632663215@msg.iridium.com3. DeLorme “inReach”
Use the "message" popup at https://share.delorme.com/ShadowsideLocated a little below the top of the page on the left side.
4. Finally, the Blog
Just “Comment” on any blog post, and it will come to us.
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