MAINTENANCE DAYS IN HONOLULU

This stop in Honolulu is providing an excellent opportunity to catch up with some maintenance that I have been unable to attend to whilst moving around.  In fact, it’s the only period of downtime alongside I have had since departing from Canoe Cove in BC.  In Canoe Cove my focus was on getting everything working after winter lay-up.  Now my focus is on maintaining all the working equipment and systems needing some care after sailing to Hawaii.

Today was winch servicing day.  A full day working on the boats winches.  By the end of the day I had services all six cockpit winches and the Maxwell anchor windlass.  The Lewmar winches are a delight to service, so simple to strip down, just a Philips screwdriver needed.  It seems that the secret of good design is always simplicity.  The winches on the mast are next in line when I get the time.

Today saw the first two boats of the Transpac arrive in the Ala Wai boat Harbour.  Both are trimarans of the foiling type.  The speeds these boats get up to is fantastic, both came from Los Angeles in four days something.

The pace of sailing development is incredible.  We see monohulls averaging twenty knot runs over twenty-four hours.  Americas Cup boats that seem to defy the laws of physics.  Single handed round the world sailors achieving speeds that were unthinkable just a few years ago.  I wonder how long it will be before one of the big production boatbuilders, French probably, launches a foiling cruising boat operated by computers.

This afternoon I rigged the canvas awning over the boat.  I should have done it earlier!  The cabin is now shaded and much cooler.  The aft end of the shade I pull forward otherwise it covers the solar panels that I rely on for electrical power.  Only three more days before the first of my guests arrives.  It will be good to have company again.