Sail Cutthroat

The never ending stream of guests finally ended at the very end of July leaving us alone for the first time in quite a while. It seems so long ago that we were in Mexico enjoying almost nightly happy hours, Mexico shopping trips, and of course beading…not to mention getting the pre-cruising task lists accomplished. 

Preparing for the family/friends event in June to celebrate Roger’s 65th Birthday and our 30th Wedding Anniversary was next on the docket. Since there were quite a few people (about 20 in all) coming from the mainland it warranted some real planning and execution. That really occupied most of May for me. It is something we will remember with fondness for years to come. After all, that really was the reason we chose to sail to Hawaii and not French Polynesia.

Our trip to Kauai was probably the most eventful of the summer and in some ways will influence how we spend our remaining time in Hawaii. It’s hard to believe that while the 3000 mile trip from Mexico was rather benign, sailing the channels between the Hawaiian Islands is quite another story indeed. The seas become very choppy and short as they get funneled between the islands making for uncomfortable travel. Part of this may have been the result of the tropical depression that was building southeast of us and providing unstable weather and higher than normal winds and seas. It was worth it though as we anchored for a week in Hanalei Bay enjoying the beauty of the Napoli Coast and the laid back enchantment of the north shore of Kauai. The mountains provide a magnificent backdrop for this crescent shaped bay. There is lots of activity here every day from people enjoying the beautiful beaches to the sailing outrigger canoes ripping through the bay (and rarely venturing outside) to the outrigger canoes working daily to prepare for their next competition. It’s quite the show. Then of course, there is the Hanalei River that starts with the waterfalls high up the mountains and gently caresses through the lowlands and out to sea.

The trip back to Oahu is why people sail from the east to the west. It also explains why there are lots of boats out of harbors for a range of maybe 5 miles, and then you won’t see a boat until you’re right outside the next harbor. There’s nothing and nobody in between. The winds and waves experienced on the trip to Kauai were just short and choppy. On the return trip, they are right on the nose and far more annoying. We first went to Nawiliwili, the largest port in Kauai, which is on the east or windward coast of Kauai. This is where the cruise ships dock and while there is a nice little town with lots of shopping and restaurant choices, it lacks the beauty of Hanalei – it’s pretty ugly. The advantage was that it shortened the trip back to Oahu considerably ensuring we could do this in one day. We also waited until the trade winds were predicted to be more from the NE rather than just straight out of the east where the wind would preclude sailing unless we wanted to head for Tahiti first. The major downside to this trip was when the engine stopped and wouldn’t restart once we were close to our harbor entrance. This caused us to have to drop the dinghy, hook up the outboard and tow the big Cutthroat back into her slip in the dark with Crewcutt tied up alongside and providing the power. Yes, that’s right; there is NO BoatUS or Sea-Tow in the islands. Nor would any of the boats who were in the area respond to our radio calls – thanks a lot. So much for helpful charter and fishing boats here. There is still some discrepancy as to how this happened, but th longer we’re here and the more “experts” get involved, we apparently got some bad fuel when we arrived in Ala Wai. That sure makes more sense to me than the other theory of water leaking in through the filler cap on the deck. We’ll probably never know the real answer but we will be more vigilant on both counts now that we are aware of the potential problems. The fuel polishing dude is kept very busy here, so go figure!

Okay, so we think that issue is now resolved. Now, for a couple of other long term cruising observations…after all, we’ve been aboard now for just under two years and in very different locations causing a variety of challenges that were probably not anticipated at the outset. Here’s Roger working in his “office” – adding more grounding to our SSB Radio.

Weight loss and gain - now here is a classic discussion. I think all of my cruising friends experienced the wonderful 10 pound drop in weight during the “passage” to wherever. I found that to be amazing. Was it all the water we drank, or the constant motion of the boat requiring 24/7 use of all those core muscles? Probably a combination, but whatever it was I liked it. I know I wasn’t dieting along the way, so it wasn’t for lack of food! That’s the good news. The bad news is that it comes back quickly…not as fast as it came off, but it does return and with a vengeance. Our exercise program has had to change drastically. Walking, swimming, push ups and pull ups have replaced the weight equipment, treadmill and elliptical. I miss those! There is no gym available for us to use here – unfortunately there is no reciprocity between the marina and any of the resort facilities. At first I really didn’t understand this one – it’s a first rate marina, so why not include everyone? Well after being here for a few months, I can see why. Most of the tenants here would have been evicted from Paradise Village, let alone held up to Sunroad Scott’s scrutiny. We’re sort of in Hawaii Redneck land. Our dock is the first class upgrade; unfortunately, most of the owners are absentees and just have captains checking on the boats. That is except for the two charter boats closest to us and the revolving door of new faces they bring. The rest of the marina tenants (mostly weekend visitors) are let’s just say, “interesting” best describes them.

I need to do something about my hair. Changing hairdressers has always been traumatic for me so when we decided to go cruising I figured it was time to simplify things. I refused to be held hostage to my hair dryer, curling iron and array of products used during my working career. The problem is that my very fine hair actually looked good then – as long as I had 2-3 perms a year. So we bought all the hair cutting equipment and got a few short lessons from my favorite hair dresser in San Diego, Robert. In the short run this worked out and I actually got lots of positive comments on my hair, but the situation is reaching critical mass. Since we are going straight back to Tampa now and skipping San Diego, finding another solution will be a high priority. Now, Roger’s hair is easy and looks great if I say so myself, but I need some serious help.

Shopping – You can get anything you want on the island…bet you all knew that one. Fine dining is abundant, but with the cost of milk at $5 per gallon, it’s definitely cheaper to drink Martinis. Chili’s is very proud of their $12 hamburger, and you pay less for eggs shipped in from the mainland (stamped US – I find that funny, I always thought Hawaii was a part of the US) than you do for the locally produced ones.

Transportation – we have resisted buying a car since we will be back on the mainland for so long, and we really are leaving here next June. Enterprise Car Rental picks us up and we get the manager’s weekend special each week. So far it’s working out okay, albeit we did some more extended renting while we had all of the visitors.

August will be our finish up the repair list month and get the boat ready to leave it for some time. We just finished refinishing the teak cap rails – that’s always a big job. This week it’s change the oil in the engine, generator, and outboard. Hopefully, we’ll get some local sailing in as well – maybe even a dive or two.

We keep extending our stay in the mainland – effectively Florida. You might ask “Why?, aren’t you in Paradise and why would you want to leave?” We’ve been around this little island about 100 times, and seen about all there is to offer. The short answer is we’re looking forward to some shore leave. We’ve been on the boat almost full time now for 2 years. We’ve had one “project” after another from route planning to maintenance planning, to party planning and right now, I’m out of meaningful things to do. We also need to do some checking in on the family. An extended visit there will allow us to take off again next spring for our long journey back to the West Coast via Alaska and Vancouver.

I apologize for the length of this. I think it has helped me review where we are more than anything else, and I hope it gives all of you a better idea of what’s happening aboard the Cutthroat. Unless something exciting happens, this will be my last epistle until we get back to Florida. Please stay in touch – our emails and cell phone numbers remain the same. We have lots of activities and some trips already planned which we are excited about, and look at this time as a great way to catch up with many of you.