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12th Biennial West Marine Pacific Cup |
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Cup History
The West Marine Pacific Cup by Louis Ickler The Pacific Cup was born January 1979, after a meeting of the membership at the Ballena Bay Yacht Club. Hal Nelson approached Vytas Pazemenas, Commodore, with the idea of starting a low-key, fun race for fully-crewed boats from San Francisco to Hawaii. The first singlehanded race to Hawaii had just been successfully completed the previous summer and the club had a nucleus of members interested in ocean racing, so the timing appeared right. Berthing space in Oahu appeared to be unavailable, Maui already had the Victoria-Maui race finishing at Lahaina, and Hanalei Bay on Kauai could not handle a large number of boats. The best compromise appeared to be Nawiliwili on the southeast corner of Kauai, and with the support of a small but enthusiastic group of volunteers from the Nawiliwili Yacht Club a finish line was found. It was a small group of six who put the race together originally, but interest increased rapidly and more volunteers showed up. Hal was the first chairman, but the hat soon passed to Vytas, and then, in the year of the start of the first race, to Joe Oakley, then Commodore of the Ballena Bay Yacht Club, who with Emmett Ramey, worked tirelessly to perform a myriad of tasks. The first Pacific Cup started on June 15, 1980 with 40 yachts. In one of the roughest races to Hawaii, only 32 of the boats finished. The three Santana 35s in the race all had damage to their rudders during the first several days: Friendship was picked up by a Navy ship and Raccoon Straights returned to San Francisco with water pouring in a cracked rudder bearing, leaving Wild Hair the only Santana to finish in Hawaii. The 63-foot yawl Corsair retired from the race and was lost on a shoal on her way back. After the rough weather of the first few days, the winds diminished and only Merlin, the 67-foot Lee Custom, had the speed to outrun the high pressure area which moved down on the rest of the fleet. She reached Nawiliwili more than four days ahead of the rest of the fleet, to win first to finish as well as first on corrected timing. In 1982, the competition intensified among the big boats, although the number of boats racing under the International Ocean Racing (IOR) rule had declined to eight boats from 13 in 1980. Merlin was there again and beat her previous record by 1 hour and 28 minutes in elapsed time but was only able to place sixth on corrected time. The race was won by Temptress, a Swede 55, in the PHRF division and overall, with Zamazaan winning the IOR division. In 1984 Merlin again beat her old record and set a new record in elapsed time for the Pacific Cup of 9 days, 7 hours and 49 minutes. The winners on corrected time were Surefire in the IOR division and Magic Carpet in PHRF. In the newly-added doublehanded division, Light’n Up won, arriving only six hours behind Magic Carpet. In 1986 Merlin again set a new elapsed time record of 8 days, 14 hours, 53 minutes, followed by Swiftsure III only 40 minutes later, and Charley less than 6 hours later. Magic Carpet won on corrected time in 11 days, 9 hours while the IOR division was won by Sweet Okole. By the end of the 1986 race the Pacific Cup was well established as a race, although only 15 boats had entered in 1984. It was clear that the really big boats racing under IOR rules were finding it difficult to include this race in their busy schedules, and since the Pacific Cup ws not part of the established group of races which count toward season championship points, fewer of the IOR boats were showing up each year. At the same time, the attraction of the Pacific Cup as a race for cruising boats as well as aggressive racers, and the only offshore race out of San Francisco, was making it increasingly popular. The Ballena Bay Yacht Club was finding it more difficult to administer what was turning into a major event with volunteer help - especially in a club with a number of competing activities. Some of the members were becoming worried about the legal liabilities of ocean racing. The 1986 race had taxed the facilities of the Nawiliwili harbor and a number of sailors had begun to talk about some other finishing point in Hawaii. It began to look as if the race might fade away unless someone could organize a committed group to keep it going. At this point George Barrett decided to get involved, and on August 4, 1987, he assembled a number of sailors in an organizational meeting at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco. With the support of some leading participants from prior races and the Ballena Bay Yacht Club, he drafted the Articles of Incorporation for a new club, The Pacific Cup Yacht Club, whose function would be to take over the race. One of the first items of business was the choice of a new finishing line. Talks with Kaneohe Yacht Club, one of the three principal clubs on Oahu that had handled the finish of the Transpac race from Los Angeles, led to the important and happy choice of Kaneohe as the new finishing line. George R. Barrett had sailed the race as the chartering skipper of Charley, a Holland 67, which won third place in 1986. Although he looked forward eagerly to doing the 1988 race, his health began to deteriorate and when the boat he wanted to charter was committed to another race, he ran the race from the shore. He ran it well. It was George that made the 1988 race the first with a major sponsor, West Marine Products, the first to be governed by a yacht club set up soley for the purpose of running this race, and the first to have Kaneohe Bay as a destination. George died in the fall of 1988, and the West Marine Pacific Cup continues as a living memorial to him. In 1988 winds were lighter than usual at 15 to 22 knots, and the seas were smooth. With the Pacific high pressure stretched out in an east-west oval, boats that started out on the rhumb line soon began to fear that they were too close to the high, and by fourth day most boats had turned more to the south. The winner on corrected time was Saraband, a Westsail 32 that had sailed a consistent pace for 14 days, 17 hours elapsed time, an amazing feat in relatively light winds. Second and third places went to the veteran boats Wild Goose and Magic Carpet, while Kathmandu took first in IOR after her competition got caught too far north and suffered from light winds. The 1990 race had generally nice conditions except for light wind for the first few days. This race had a number of firsts, such as staggered starts over a four-day period and a record number of entries (peaked at 53 with 45 crossing the starting line). The idea of using staggered starts was to have most of the fleet sailing in the same weather conditions and for all entrants to finish within a few days of each other. Hopefully this would result in a fairer, closer, and more fun race. All in all, the new format was a great success. Most entrants finished within three days of each other, and the first five boats overall represented all four crewed classes. In fact, the first three boats overall represented a complete range of sailboat types with first being an ultralight, second a medium displacement racer-cruiser, and third a heavy displacement cruiser. The first three boats overall in order of finish were Oaxaca (Santa Cruz 50), Heart of Gold (Schumacher 50) and Saraband (Westsail 32). The 1992 race continued to grow: 46 boats starting and 43 finishing. The first start was windy and the next starts were very slow. Overall, the race was relatively fast. It proved to be a rhumb line race because the high was quite far north. Some boats successfully chose a great circle route. The two largest boats in the race (ultralight 70’s) were doublehanded. The smallest boat in the fleet, Team Bonzi, a Moore 24, did a sweep, taking both the doublehanded and the overall Cup trophy. Fleet second place went to Ghost, a Morgan 38 from Kaneohe. The 1994 race saw records fall. First, an all-time high of 58 boats participated. Second, 52 finished, and third, Steve Rander’s Rage broke Merlin’s long standing elapsed time record of 8 days, 11 hours and 1 minute by finishing it in 8 days, 7 hours and 13 minutes. Probably another first was a proposal of marriage during one morning’s roll call. The small boats dominated the corrected time standings, with Bill and Melinda Erkelen’s home-built Dogpatch 26, Moonshine, winning overall, Division B and the Double-handed class. Chimera, an Express 27, took second and the Olson 25, Siva, took third in the fleet. The starting conditions for the 1996 Pacific Cup were a repeat of 1992. The first day saw the boats blasting away from the coast, while the next three divisions were wondering if they would ever make it past the Farallones. Conditions were right for Rage which broke her own record of 8 days, 7 hours set in 1994 with a new record of 7 days 22 hours. Not only did the speed record fall, a record 60 boats made it to Kaneohe. Among them was Illusion, a tried-and-true California to Hawaii veteran Cal 40, sailed by Stan Honey and Sally Lindsay, who captured the overall corrected time honors and led a doublehanded sweep of the fleet. The Moore 24 Kangaroo Court took second overall, followed by the Custom 27 Wildflower. In 1998 the speed record was demolished by Roy Disney’s boat Pyewacket as she took more than a full day off the record, finishing in 6 days, 14 hours, and 23 minutes. Pacific Cup veteran Bob Nance won first overall on handicap in Water Pik. The records are getting tougher to beat every year, and just to make it a real challenge Bob traded his Newport 30 Water Pik for a Santa Cruz 50 for this try. It’s still too early to guess if the weather will make 2000 a fast race, but a look at the list of entries makes it clear that from small to mega boats, and from heavy cruisers to sleds, this will be another great race with something for every entrant. Truly the FUN race to Hawaii. Everyone’s A Winner Trophies & Awards Sailors with all levels of skill in boats large and small will participate in this major ocean race. Each sailor, whether they win a major trophy or not, should consider himself/herself a winner. This “can do” attitude continues to make the West Marine Pacific Cup the Fun Race to Hawaii. This year’s awards will be presented at the banquet scheduled for July 27, 2000. The Pacific Cup, a bronze cup awarded as a perpetual trophy for first place on corrected time among all PCR rating divisions. The Doug Vann Memorial Trophy, presented for the first time in the 2000 Pacific cup, is awarded to the shore support volunteer chosen by the host yacht club who through their enthusiasm and dedication best exemplifies the spirit of the “Fun Race to Hawaii”. The trophy, five silver dolphins leaping over a cresting sea, celebrates Doug Vann’s lifelong love of the sea and its creatures. Fastest Passage Trophy, a Steuben glass sculpture awarded as a perpetual trophy for the shortest elapsed time without time allowance. For a new record passage, the Merlin half-model is awarded as a perpetual trophy for the fastest passage on record from San Francisco to Hawaii. The time to beat is Pyewacket’s 6 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes and 20 seconds set in 1998 by Roy Disney. For each division, first, second and third place trophies (depending on the number of entries in each division). The West Marine Navigator’s Award, presented to the navigator that demonstrates the highest level of skill at the art of navigation by classical as well as modern methods. The winner will be chosen based on logs and charts submitted to the race committee, as well as on the finish position of the yacht. The George R. Barrett Memorial Trophy, a teak sailboat awarded as a perpetual trophy to an individual, chosen by the PCYC commodore, who has exhibited outstanding seamanship as well as distinguished service, dedication and enthusiasm for the West Marine Pacific Cup Yacht Race. 1998 Recipient: Bobbi Tosse. And then, there are the Fun Prizes. For each yacht, a significant and useful merchandise prize, awarded for notable performance in one of a variety of special categories, some just for fun and some for serious accomplishments during the race. The awards and the special categories are at the discretion of the committee, and will be announced at the awards presentation. Possible 2000 awards include:
Running Rigging for Offshore Sailing By Bruce Schwab As you prepare for the West Marine Pacific Cup, you’ll hear this over and over: “This (fill in the blank) is really, really important, don’t skimp on the bucks on this one or you’ll be screwed.” I wish I could say it is a different situation with the ropes on your boat, but alas, it is not. On a long ocean race, problems with halyards and running rigging are among the most common of failures. Here are some suggestions: #1: PULL THE RIG. You are nuts if you don’t, unless you’ve done it recently or want to spend a lot of time pulling yourself up and down. #2: SWITCH TO ALL LINE HALYARDS. Wire is becoming a thing of the past. Spectra, Technora, or Vectran fiber all have about the same stretch as wire and are lighter and more flex resistant. Wire is still more economical than high tech line but I would only use it on the main and jib halyards if you need to pinch $. For a non-surfing boat plain dacron line may be ok for the spinnaker halyards but not for much else. The high tech fiber lines give the very best strength to weight ratio when the “single braid” (12-strand) style is used with dacron sleeving added where you need to hang onto it. These assemblies look pretty much like a wire/rope halyard except the wire is single braid line. The only drawback with these as halyards is that they are so light that if you let go of the end of the halyard it blows far away from the boat. SPINNAKER GEAR: Probably the most common problems are with spinnaker halyards and afterguys. These lines take tremendous flex and wear in a downwind race. What often works for a whole season on the Bay gets wasted surprisingly fast in heavy ocean reaching and running. MASTHEAD: The 2 most common masthead setups for spin halyards are externally hung blocks off of U-bolts, or a “Tri-sec” type where the halyards exit straight off the sheaves over chafe bars or rollers. If you have externally hung blocks, make sure the bracket that extends them out from the masthead goes far enough to allow the blocks to swing well clear of the headstay or anything else. Also check the wear at the interface of the U-bolt and the block shackle. These often tend to saw through each other. It is becoming very popular to use spectra webbing or lashing here instead of shackles. Many wraps of spectra can be incredibly strong, light, and can flex forever. Make sure that there are no sharp metal edges touching the line. For a tri-sec style masthead, if you had wire halyards get rid of them (more on this later). These mastheads are fine as long as the chafe bars or rollers have enough smooth surface area for the rope to bend around and spread the load out. Install new rollers if needed. Make sure you have 2 spin halyards. It is customary to run at least one spin halyard external for these downwind races. The extra windage won’t hurt off the wind. I prefer not to run more than one external to avoid having too much line flopping around. AFTERGUYS: The afterguys take a lot of wear at the pole tip so one thing to check is the pole ends. For boats over 35’ or so I highly recommend an offshore style pole end with a lot of bearing area for the rope. For the guy itself it is hard to beat single braid spectra for its wear and flex life. Use a heavy “donut” to keep the shackle from messing the pole end or getting stuck. On larger boats you may need an aluminum donut that won’t split under high load. Svendsens makes a high load aluminum donut that I designed for boats over 50’. SHACKLES: For both the spin sheet and the guys use large bail shackles. These bear on the donuts better and allow enough room to hook the guy into the sheet shackle bail. Use “internal release” style shackles that can be spiked open under load and also have less of a tendency to “flog off”. Consult with a rigger on how to properly prepare the spinnaker lines for chafe. There are now very effective urethane coatings that really help. There is also good ol beeswax and leather, which are sometimes hard to beat.
If you have a jib furler, remember to keep the spin halyards out of the
way. Flip them behind the shrouds when not in use. One good “halyard wrap”
and a halyard can be messed up good.
The most critical decision of the Pacific Cup is where to cross the ridge. The reason this is critical is, once you get to the ridge and the wind veers, you cannot get farther south. It never pays to sail lower than your polars, and you can not jibe (onto the dramatically unfavored port pole) without huge penalty. That is why the middle third of the race is called “slotcars.” The middle third of the race begins as soon as you cross the ridge, and the pole comes aft. Throughout this part of the race, every yacht sails as low as it can (e.g. sails its downwind polars) on starboard pole. As you left the coast you made your decision where you wanted to cross the ridge, you sailed there, and now you have to live with it for four or five days. If you are too far to the north, you will be slowly destroyed by the yachts to the south of you, and there is nothing that you can do about it; you cannot jibe (without huge penalty), and you should not sail lower than your polars. If you are substantially too far north, you will experience torture. As the wind gets lighter, your polars force you to sail higher and higher, until you “spin out” up into the high. If you have to jibe to avoid total calm, your angle on port pole will have you heading due south, far behind your competitor’s transoms. The “slotcars” leg ends when the wind eventually veers far enough so that both jibes are symmetrical around the course to the finish, allowing you to sail either jibe. The final third of the race is “the run.” This is why we sail Pacific Cups. The wind picks up as you approach the Islands, and you get to practice your helmsmanship surfing tradewind swells. Generally the right hand side of the course is favored in the final third of the race, because the wind slowly veers as you sail west. In the final third of the race the wind speed is generally even across the course. Oddly, the boats that get too far north in the middle of the race, and stew about it for 3-4 days, often jibe onto port as soon as they can, sailing to the south when there is no longer a windspeed advantage. These boats then miss the right shift in the last third of the race and lose even more. Instead, favor starboard pole until you can nearly lay the Islands, and then approach Oahu on port pole. Be sure to account for the fact that the wind will continue to veer, and do not overstand Kaneohe. One way to avoid overstanding is to plot a waypoint that is 60-100 miles directly upwind of the finish and jibe onto port pole when you can lay that waypoint. The wind will continue to shift to the right, so that when you actually cross the line that is upwind of the finish you may find that you are substantially closer to Kaneohe than your initial waypoint. Approaching the Finish Arrange your final jibe or two so that you pass 10 miles upwind of the finish. Then sail half the remaining distance on starboard pole, and then make your final 5 mile approach on port pole. As you approach the finish, plot your track on the chart, and take GPS fixes as well as periodic bearings with your hand bearing compass. The finish buoy is hard to see. The best technique is to plot your position and navigate to the finish, rather than expect to see the buoy. It’s not even worth looking for the buoy until you navigate to within about one half mile of it. In the daytime, take bearings on:
Squalls Typically, you will get tradewind squalls for the last three or four nights of the race. They only occur at night, starting about midnight and continuing and strengthening until dawn. If there is a moon, the squalls are visible for miles because of their incrediible height. If there is no moon, you can often detect squalls behind you by watching for the absence of stars. If you have radar, squalls are easily detectable. Each squall on a given night will behave almost exactly like its predecessor, except it will be a little stronger. So “go to school” on each squall in order to sort out how to best take advantage of the next one. If one squall provided more fun than you really wanted, douse the kite and wing out a jib for the next one. If a squall is approaching, and you get rain before the wind, prepare for lots of wind. At dawn the squalls vanish, but leave calm zones around and particularly behind them. These calm zones are worth taking great care to avoid. The comments below assume normal right shifting squalls. Occasionally there will be a night of squalls with no wind shifts in them, or even with left shifts. The following characterizations are very typical, but the best prediction of what you will experience in a squall is the experience you had in the previous squall the same night. In contrast to popular perception, squalls do not generally work the way “catspaws” do. Catspaws have diverging wind in front of them. Surprisingly, tradewind squalls often have converging winds at their leading edge. The wind converges because there is an updraft in front of the squall. In addition, the average wind in the squall is generally veered about 15 degrees or so to the right of the prevailing surface wind, and the squall itself moves about 15 degrees to the right of the path of the surface wind. Behind squalls the wind is light, particularly after dawn. If you want to race aggressively, watch for squalls and jibe to get in front of them. As they overtake you, jibe to port pole. Stay on port pole during the squall, sailing as deep as you dare, and then jibe back to starboard only when the squall has passed completely over you and your wind speed and angle have returned to the prevailing conditions. If you jibe back to starboard pole too early, you run the risk of crossing behind the squall and getting into the light air in the wake of the squall. If you have the good fortune to be sailing on a sled, you can sail fast enough to stay in the accelerated wind in front of the squall for hours. This requires jibing back and forth in front of the squall, jibing about every 15 minutes. Each jibe “back” towards the squall will be at a horrible angle, because of the way that the wind “toes-in” in front of the squall; but jibe back anyway. The additional wind velocity in front of the squall makes up for the horrible angle. If you are racing aggressively, you will jibe over fifty times in a Pacific Cup, with most jibes taking place at night in squalls. Port pole is more effective to avoid the calm behind a squall because the squall itself is moving to the right of the path of the surface wind, so port pole allows you to diverge rapidly from the light air area behind the squall. It is perilous to exit a squall on starboard pole because of the risk of getting becalmed behind the squall, particularly near dawn. Weather Information The best source of information about the future position and strength of the high comes from the 500 Mb progs via weatherfax. Interpreting upper level charts is beyond the scope of this article, but various colleges have Meteorology courses. The next best sources of data are the surface analysis and surface progs which are also available via weatherfax. Satellite imagery via NOAA APT satellites is fun, but not really essential for a race in the tradewinds. Save this system for use in middle and high latitudes where there are lows and cold fronts to observe. Author’s Disclaimers All of the above comments are relevant to typical Pacific Cups. There are unusual races in which you have to break the above rules to win. Pay attention to your boat’s polars. If you are racing a light displacement boat, it is worth sailing extra miles to get extra wind, because no matter how hard it blows, a light boat will sail still faster if you get more wind. On the other hand, if you are racing a heavy displacement boat, do not sail any extra miles in order to get more wind than necessary to reach hull speed. If you sail farther to get more wind, you will have more fun, but your average speed won’t increase enough to pay for the extra distance. Watch for tropical depressions. The inverted troughs that extend north of a tropical depression can cause the tradewind direction to shift from normal. This can make a huge difference as you are picking your approach to the Islands. Finally Pick your strategy, and stick to it. Then whatever happens, make up your story for the bar in Kaneohe, and stick to it. Stan Honey has navigated in sixteen transpacific races and has finished first eight times. As navigator, Stan has set the single-handed, double-handed, and fully-crewed passage records for monohulls to Hawaii. In 1996, Stan Honey and Sally Lindsay won the Pacific Cup overall, and achieved the fastest corrected-time of any Pacific Cup, sailing their Cal 40, Illusion, double-handed. Prevent_Medical Emergencies by John H. Wright, MD Health and safety at sea, particularly under the stress of racing, requires planning and preparation for ultimate success. It is quite important to acquire an appropriate medical kit and know how and when to use it. It is more important to prepare so that it will not be needed; -i.e., “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Know yourself and your crew-strengths, weaknesses, and special needs. It may well be advisable for all or some of the crew to visit with their doctor to explain that they will be isolated from usual medical care for a period, to obtain medication or advice concerning any ongoing health problems, and the skipper should be fully knowledgeable of these problems. A visit to your dentist may be equally useful. Certainly crew selection must consider health deficiencies. For instance, I regularly sail with an insulin-dependent diabetic crew member and our kit has insulin. The member and the skipper know when and how to use this. It might be unusually hazardous for someone who requires close, regular medical attention to be isolated for two weeks or more, and their doctors could so advise. Some illnesses are likely to become significantly worse under the stress of fatigue, seasickness, or physical demands not normally encountered. Ischemic heart disease (angina), diabetes mellitus, seizure disorders (epilepsy), many psychological disorders, drug or alcohol dependence, peptic ulcer disease, migraine (headaches), irritable colon problems, and even rheumatoid arthritis are only a few which are recognized to be frequently worse with stress. Perhaps, in a specific instance, none of these would disqualify a known and valuable crewmember, but medical advice is needed and planning for special care or medication required. Certainly ideal low risk crew health would be important to consider in crew selection. Frequently, little attention is given to crew physical conditioning. We hear of some conditioning by Olympic sailors or by dinghy sailors or 12-meter contenders but seldom by others. Again, serious consideration to physical conditions should be given. A strong crew person with good cardiovascular reserve and stamina is much less likely to be injured or become ill. If possible, a regular exercise program with aerobics for two or three month’s pre-race would pay dividends in safety, enjoyment and performance. An additional benefit might be some weight loss (who needs a heavy crew for a long, downwind ride). This brings up diet (pre-race). I have seen some articles in sailing magazines recommending training diets. I am not saying these might not be useful, but I would be satisfied for my crew to be on an established, usual, nutritionally sound diet (weight reduction if overweight), with great attention to adequate fiber intake for regularity and a reduction to a minimum in alcohol or other drug use for two weeks prior to the race. Vitamin supplements should be considered before and during the race. Prevention of seasickness also begins prior to sailing with diet and avoidance of alcohol or much caffeine, spices, or fatty or heavy foods prior to departure. The use of anti-motion sickness drugs should be considered. The most effective items are prescriptions and must be obtained from a doctor. I like Transderm Scopolamine patches, but some in my crew prefer oral medication. We have had reasonable success with Phenergan and ephedrine in individual doses. I caution that these should only be used if tried previously, as the best anti-motion sickness medications all have some undesirable side effects – often sleepiness or dizziness. Some instances of drug interaction with other medications exist and require individual doctor’s advice. Much of the prevention of seasickness lies with good physical conditioning and proper diet. Lack of fatigue, adequate warmth, how one is positioned on the boat, visual clues, lack of head motion and each individual’s means of dealing with unaccustomed visual clues versus vestibular clues (balance, acceleration, gravity) affects one’s responses. Most of us with any ocean time are familiar with this. We also know how handicapped one may be if significant “mal de mer” occurs. Again, this factor should be addressed in crew selection; however be aware that if serious seasickness does occur, the crew member will need care and on rare occasions, could become so dehydrated from vomiting and the inability to retain oral fluids that medical/hospital care for intravenous fluids may be required. In consideration of health, maintenance and the prevention of problems, it is not often recognized, except in aviation circles, that smoking results in significantly poor night vision as well as all the other known effects on the lungs, throat, and heart and blood vessels. At least two crewmembers should have knowledge of at least basic First Aid. Red Cross courses are not expensive, are readily available, and are useful. If possible, a course in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) should be obtained for two crewmembers. Of course, should you have a doctor or nurse as crew you would benefit. If you are well prepared with knowledge, plans, good physical condition, and select crew, you may never even have to use your first aid kit. If you do, it will most likely be needed for common injuries. One of the most common and preventable is a burn. “Sunburn” or ultraviolet injury, totally preventable, is best treated by absolute limitation of any more exposure, increased fluid intake, aspirin or Tylenol, and skin cleansing, particularly blistered. Thermal burns from hot liquids could be serious and, if a large area of skin is involved, could result in shock, later infection, or even death. The seriousness of a burn is related to both the area involved and the depth of tissue involved-i.e. first, second, or third degree. If the throat or lungs are involved, it can be a serious emergency. All except the most superficial and small area burns may disable a crewmember due to pain, shock, or infection. Cuts (or lacerations) are also common. Most occur on the hands and face or scalp, and all may have worrisome bleeding which can be stopped best by direct pressure applied to the wound with fingers and a bandage. Usually a large bandage will maintain enough pressure if property placed. If the laceration gapes, some physicians might use adhesive “Steri-Strips” to bring the edges together. The main principles of wound care are: 1) do no more harm; 2) clean the wound, and remove foreign matter and dead tissue; 3) bring the edges together; 4) protect with a sterile dressing (wet dressing is no longer sterile or protection). Antibiotic ointment is sometimes used but is no substitute for the above principles. The best method of wound cleaning is gentle washing with an antiseptic soap such as Betadine or Hibiclens. Fracture of the ribs, fingers, or forearm bones could occur with a fall or with a runaway winch. Fractures of the thighbone (femur) or the leg (tibia) are common on the ski slope but unusual on sailboats. Penetration of skin by bone ends or a laceration over the bone results in a “compound” injury, which is more severe because of infection danger. All fractures (except a single finger) are likely to disable a crewman for the duration. All must be treated by placing the affected part at rest (splitting) with adequate padding (swelling will occur) and any available material to keep broken bones from moving. I have used a rolled magazine or large cushion with battens or commercial splint. Fingers may be taped to other fingers or taped to a cloth (bandage) roll in the fist. Sprains (torn ligaments) and strains (muscle injuries) may also be treated with splitting. Larger bone fractures could cause a lot of blood loss into the surrounding tissue and, with pain, result in shock. Shock is a condition characterized by falling blood pressure: symptoms include cold, moist skin; rapid, weak pulse; nausea; thirst; fear or even loss of consciousness. It may accompany many injuries especially particularly severe, extensive burns; considerable bleeding; severe infections (sepsis); prolonged vomiting or diarrhea; heat prostration; or hypothermia. Usual treatment of shock is aimed at increasing intravascular volume so that more blood will be returned to the heart, allowing an increased stroke volume and output, thereby increasing blood pressure and circulation; hence, the administration of IV fluids is a standard treatment. On a racing yacht, this may be impractical unless trained people and adequate equipment are carried; however, blood return to the heart can be improved by first aid means. Have the victim lie down with legs elevated; keep him warm; splint fractures; dress burns; stop bleeding; and, when he is able, give him liquids containing calories and salt such as broth, and ease pain with medicine. The presence of shock usually means a serious illness or injury that will require medical advice and likely more care than available aboard. A head injury may result from a fall or a blow by an object such as the spars or winch handle and unconsciousness is quite serious if it occurs more than briefly. Scalp lacerations may be very bloody and can lead to shock. Serious head injuries with brain tearing or bleeding inside the skull are often fatal, even with prompt, expert care; however, basic first aid should be begun in all cases. Treatment is similar to that of shock but the victim is best placed on one side or prone since vomiting is common. Breathing may be compromised by relaxation of the jaw and tongue, and airway maintenance is vital. Unconsciousness may be accompanied by seizure or unconsciousness may follow a seizure for some minutes. Medical help is necessary for any episode of unconsciousness beyond a very few minutes. A multitude of minor, but in the circumstances important and disabling, illnesses might strike. Most require little more than symptomatic care but could disrupt the crew duty assignments. One could foresee flu, colds, sore throats, minor intestinal upsets, toothaches, urinary tract infections, minor vaginal infections in the female crew members, or (as has in the past occurred) drug or alcohol withdrawal or toxicity or psychiatric illness (psychosis). Some of the latter can be quite seriously disruptive and hard to deal with. As a rule, significant medical illnesses such as hepatitis, pneumonia, heart attack, and stroke are unlikely if crew selection is good but if these occur would require medical help. I have often been concerned in a young group about appendicitis with its characteristic abdominal pain and vomiting but this seems to be very rare in the racing or cruising groups. Again, medical help by radio and rapid evacuation of the ill person may prove necessary. The characteristic pain and tenderness localized finally to the right lower area of the abdomen is the usual indicator for suspecting this diagnosis. A crewmember overboard, particularly in the cold, coastal North Pacific (even if recovery is prompt) may experience hypothermia. This condition, a result of heat loss and a fall in body temperature, may be recognized by the victim’s confusion, blue lips, shivering, and muscular incoordination. Shock or heart beat (pulse) irregularities may occur and CPR training may come to use. The symptoms may be somewhat delayed at the onset. Any person overboard in cold water should be suspect. Treatment consists of warming, drying, and resting the patient. The skin should only be heated by placing the person in a sleeping bag or blankets and another person may supply heat by joining the patient in the bag (body contact). Avoid alcoholic beverages but when the patient is alert and not sick, warm liquids may be given. Seasickness is not an unusual accompanying complication. In summary, many problems that could require treatment or even patient evacuation, can be prevented by crew selection, physical (doctor’s) evaluation, and conditioning. Safe practices and proper equipment can prevent many injuries. Planning and preparation can boost confidence and allow appropriate treatment of many conditions. A proper kit and the training to use it are indicated. A first aid course (Red Cross) and CPR training for two members is advised. Entering_KANEOHE BAY by Louis Ickler Finding Kaneohe Bay is not difficult, but it can be confusing, especially if this is your first time. The mental image you have may not be what you will see. At the end of a long race across the ocean most of us are eager to get in and there is a temptation to skip some of the navigational details. DON’T DO IT! The only way to ensure a safe landfall is to use proper navigational techniques. And you absolutely must have a copy of Chart 19359 (June 1990) to enter Kaneohe Bay. Let’s begin with the approach. Most sailors think they are coming from the east and expect the islands to appear ahead of them to the west. Actually, since Hawaii is south of San Francisco’s latitude, you will probably be coming in more from the north. Only the ULDBs and boats that can gain from sailing well south of the rhumb line will be on a westerly heading, and many boats coming into Kaneohe will not even sight the island of Molokai which lies east of Oahu, or Molokai Light, on its east end. Another source of confusion is the orientation of Oahu; since the windward coast lies on a line from southeast to northwest and Kaneohe Bay is several miles from the east end, not on the east end. The answer to these problems of perception is, of course, to use your charts and make sure of your position before you are close to land. This will save you from sailing into Kailua Bay or sailing right by Kaneohe Bay. By daylight you will see the high cliffs all along the north shore of Oahu, and at the extreme eastern end of Oahu the headland known as Makapuu, a 650-foot black cliff with a lighthouse near the top of the cliff. Makapuu Light is an occulting light, turning off briefly every 10 seconds, and is visible as far as 20 miles at night. To your right (west) from Makapuu, the lights of Waimanalo and Kailua will glow on the horizon, and just to the right of Kailua you should be able to see the flashing green and two white flashes of the aero beacon at Kaneohe Marine Corps Air Station. From about ten miles out you should spot an island, below or just left of the aero beacon, called Mokumanu, about four miles from the eastern point of Oahu. This marks the eastern side of the mouth of Kaneohe Bay. As you close the coast the aero beacon may disappear as Mokumanu Island rises in front of it, and the lights inside Kaneohe Bay will become more distinct. Remember to keep Mokumanu to your left, (the breakers offshore of Mokumanu are a very real danger even in daylight-stay well clear) and start looking for Pyramid Rock. Pyramid Rock is on the western shore at the Marine Air Station and is on what looks like a small rock, but is in fact 100 feet up and has a 4-second occulting white light on top. This light and the aero beacon will line up to form the finish line for the Pacific Cup, along with a temporary strobe placed for this race, and you should be in contact with the Pacific Cup Finish Line before you get to this line. Since there are shoals to the east, it is prudent to finish close to the strobe on a course that will take you to R2 buoy. The finish line buoy is approved to be placed at 21*28’30”N and 157*46’18”W. Excellent! You have now finished the race. While someone is confirming your finish time with the race committee you should have the rest of the crew on deck and ready to turn right 90 degrees well before you reach the R2 buoy, a 6 second red light, that marks the start of the Sampan Channel into the Bay. If your boat draws more than seven feet you will need to make this right turn and sail three and one-quarter miles on a heading of 320 magnetic to K buoy, from which you can enter the Main Ship Channel with plenty of water for any boat. If you draw less than 6 feet and want to use the Sampan Channel, you can return to R2 after clearing your decks and getting ready to motor or sail. For either channel coming into the Bay, contact the escort boat on station at R2 to guide you in to the yacht club through whichever channel you elect. If you come in the Sampan Channel, follow the escort and line up the range lights on the shore in Kaneohe, a flashing red and fixed red. The channel gradually becomes shallow, reaching six or seven feet at the inshore end. Leaving this channel your escort will lead you in a turn to the left, then past unlit G17 and the lighted G19 daymarks on your left and 4 second red lighted R16 on your right. If you enter the Main Ship Channel, take a heading of 227 magnetic at K buoy (flashing a Morse A white light) and line up the flashing red range lights on the far shore. When you reach the quick flashing red range mark on a piling in the middle of the channel, turn left and now line up this quick flashing red with another occulting red on the shore behind you. This back range will take you in to the next turn at G11A, an unlighted buoy. At G11A turn left again, and stay close to (but NEVER North of) a line from G11A to G13, a 4-second green. Look for a red daymark (lighted 4 seconds red at night) marked R16, just past the inshore end of the Sampan Channel, and keep it to your right. From R16 to R20 at the north end of Coconut Island and then right and down the Bay is all easy sailing in plenty of water and usually a broad reach. There are two routes into the club, one north (actually east) of the “Coral Patch” and one to the south. Your escort will lead you to a point due west of Kaneohe Yacht Club and line you up to enter the south channel. The North Channel is trickier, with an unmarked shoal about 400 yards north-northwest of the “garbage can” daymark and you should have a long talk with a local sailor before trying it. From the entrance to the south either your escort or a smaller launch from the club will guide you in; look for the two fixed red lights on the club lawn for a range, and keep a square green mark on a stake at the south side of the coral patch on your left. Keep the three red triangle marks on stakes on the edge of a coral shoal to the south of the channel to your right. After entering the basin at the yacht club you will be directed to a berth by the mooring officer. If the moorings are placed as they have been in previous Pacific Cup finishes, there will be ten buoys placed about 100 feet west of the bulkhead at the club, numbered from 1 on the south (your right as you enter) to number 10 on the north. The bow of your boat will probably be tied to the bulkhead with a line from the stern to one of the mooring buoys, and you should have a long line available at the stern for this purpose. Be careful throwing lines ashore or you might hit the tray of Mai Tai’s and cold beer coming aboard. All of us at Kaneohe Yacht Club wish everyone fair winds and following seas-and no race has more of that than the Pacific Cup. Lou Ickler sailed San Francisco Bay for many years before moving to Kaneohe. He and his wife, Kim, have sailed their boat Ghost in four Pacific Cups (1986-1992) and won Division A and the IMS Classes in the 1992 Race. Cruising the_Hawaiian Islands by Steve Hunt OK, so you made it in the “Fun Race to Hawaii!” Why not go for a “Fun Cruise” of some of the Hawaiian Islands before returning to the rat race? That’s just what my wife Marilyn and I did a few weeks after we finished the 1994 West Marine Pacific Cup race. Everyone knows how important preparation is for the race. Well, it’s just as important for a successful cruising adventure. We approached both elements as separate projects. To do well in the race, off comes all the heavy cruising gear. Fortunately, you can ship your anchors, chain, dinghy, outboard and all the heavy items you can imagine from the Bay Area, Seattle or Los Angeles. We built a sturdy wooden crate to hold it all, took it to Hawaiian Express in Hayward a few days before the start of the race, and it was delivered to us at Kaneohe Yacht Club about 14 days later, all for a reasonable fee. To plan our trip we obtained a Marine Atlas of the Hawaiian Islands, which had copies of all the NOAA charts, a copy of Charlie’s Charts and sought local knowledge available from many members of the Kaneohe Yacht Club. We spent about 3 weeks on our trip and feel that was adequate for the islands we visited. The best sailing in sheltered waters in all of the Hawaiian Islands is right in Kaneohe Bay. It’s a little confusing at first and you might run aground once or twice, but you will soon get to it. We did quite a bit of sailing in the bay before departing on our cruise of the islands. Our itinerary took us first from Kaneohe Bay to Hale-o-Lono harbor on Molokai, then to Manele Bay on Lanai. Then a quick look at Kahoolawe, and on to Okoe Bay near the southwestern tip of the big island of Hawaii. We worked our way up along the western shore of Hawaii, across to Maui and up along its western shore to Honolua Bay. Then on to the north shore of Molokai to Ilio Point and returning again to Kaneohe Bay to conclude our trip. In more detail, we left the bulkhead at KYC at 0900 and arrived at the Hale-o-Lono anchorage on Molokai about 1600. The entrance and exit can be a little dicey with big waves, but certainly doable in most conditions. Just don’t lose steerage way. This is an old barge harbor and is protected except when southerly winds blow. It’s about the right distance to travel for your first day. We left Hale-o-Lono about 1000 the next day headed for Kaena Point on the Island of Lanai. We tried to work our way west along the south shore of Molokai before going across, but winds were right on the nose. We tacked and headed for Kaena Point in 25/30 knots of wind, gusting to 35 knots, greatly appreciating our autopilot and dodger. We had been told this should be a good anchorage, although a little exposed. We decided it was unsafe under existing conditions and continued on to the sheltered commercial harbor of Kaumalapau two thirds of the way down the western shore where we spent the night. Interesting, but too commercial for us. The passage along the western shore was very protected and beautiful with high cliffs and spectacular scenery. Next time we would skip Kaumalapau (don’t these names get you?) and go to the Manele Bay on the south shore. Twenty years ago we spent several days anchored in White Manele Bay in a small chartered sailboat, so it was fun to return. However, White Manele is now a marine sanctuary, so you can’t anchor there. We continued on to the harbor at Black Manele and were greeted by a school of spinner dolphins upon our arrival. The Harbormaster on Lanai was great. She couldn’t have been more helpful or hospitable. The huge pineapple plantation that used to be in the crater bowl is gone, replaced by the tourist industry. There are two beautiful luxury type hotels on the island. The Inn at Koele is up in the center of the island near Lanai City and is somewhat reminiscent of the Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite. The Manele Bay Hotel overlooking the ocean is equally spectacular in a much different way. We enjoyed a wonderful meal at each. If you want something more economical, yet quaint and with very good food, visit the original 10 room Lanai Hotel up in the city. You can hike, snorkel, play golf, rent a 4-wheel drive car to explore, or just relax. We spent five or so days on Lanai and thoroughly enjoyed it. The next leg of our passage was the longest, Lanai to Okaoe Bay on the southwest corner of the Big Island. It’s important to arrive during daylight, so we left Lanai at about 1330 hours for an overnight sail and anticipated arrival the following morning. Typically you should expect strong winds and perhaps heavy seas as you pass by the Alenuihaha Channel. That’s another reason for traveling at night, because the winds and seas are often more moderate. A beam or broad reach should serve you well and keep you comfortable through this stretch. We sailed most of the way with one reef in the main, no jib, and were flying. You will probably get wet, but isn’t this what it’s all about? It’s great sailing in shorts with warm weather, even though you’re taking on some spray. Once again, the autopilot does the trick. Marilyn & I each took one hour watches during the night. It’s easy and fun to do for one night. We were advised to keep the wind abaft the beam and it was good advice. There is little point in trying to point up higher, more direct course, because as soon as you get in the wind shadow of Hawaii somewhere off Kona you are almost guaranteed to run out of wind. Probably, the farther offshore you are, the longer you will be able to sail. You will still have several hours of motoring ahead. We arrived in Okoe Bay at 1930 hours the following morning, and were greeted by another school of spinner dolphins upon entering the Bay! It’s a little intimidating to cross the Anenuihaha Channel, but this was one of the most enjoyable sails of our trip. We were fortunate to have a full moon, twinkling lights from the island, moderating seas and wind conditions. Okoe Bay is very difficult to get to by land and possesses a stark beauty combining turquoise waters with lots of black lava. We spent three days exploring the ruins, hiking on the jumbled lava flow, viewing the blowhole and the breathing rocks, and snorkeling in several of the coves. Next we headed north to Honaunau or the City of Refuge which is a National Historical Park; a nice park and well worth seeing. There is also very good snorkeling in the little bay. We continued our northward trek to Kealeakua Bay and the Captain Cook Monument. Here, timing is everything. This is a great anchorage, but, since it is now a Marine Life Conservation District and Underwater Park, you are not allowed to anchor. We knew this ahead of time and planned our arrival in Kaawaloa Cove for a little before 1300 hours when the tourist catamaran leaves its mooring and doesn’t return until after 0900 the next day. It’s OK to use their mooring as long as you are out of their way when they return the next morning. It’s really the only way to see the area since you can’t anchor. The cove is teeming with fish as the tour boats feed them regularly. This was one of our favorite spots. We were told there was a yacht club at Keauhou Bay and we could probably tie up there or anchor in their bay. Not so. They are principally a social club and have no guest dock. All the moorings were taken, so we had no other choice but to continue northward to Kailua, Kona. We made the mistake of calling the infamous harbormaster at Honokohau Harbor. He says he controls the west coast of Hawaii and basically you are not welcome, as there is no room. We were practically ordered to anchor out in Kailua Bay and report to him upon arrival. We suggest you go into Honokohau Harbor, get off your boat, and try to talk face to face to arrange for a berth for a few days. Another option, if your boat needs some work, is to talk to the people at Gentry’s Kona Marina. We were there by land and they seem like nice folks. The low point of our trip was anchoring in Kailua Bay. It was compounded by the fact that there were tremendous swells coming in offshore from Hurricane John. No winds, but enormous swells. Kailua Bay is a rolly anchorage even in the best of conditions. Since Triumph was rolling from shear to shear, we arranged to use a large commercial mooring that was available, went ashore and stayed in a hotel. Don’t even think about taking your big boat into the pier. Although you can take your dinghy in, the dinghy slips are rented, so they aren’t too happy about having you stay there either. We recommend making arrangements to stay in Honokohau Harbor, and then rent a car to do your land based sightseeing. Next stop was Kawaihae Harbor. There are quite a few pleasure boats here, but it is primarily a deep-water seaport to provision the island. The harbormaster was very helpful. Matson Navigation has a container barge that comes regularly. When we were there, Kevin Costner and company were filming Water World, one of the year’s biggest flops. Watching all of this held our interest for several days. At the very least, this harbor is a good place to wait for proper conditions to cross the Alenuihaha Channel to Maui. We suggest an early morning departure, continuing north to Upolu Point before crossing the channel. We had a beautiful reach across in 20-25 knots of wind and moderate seas. Your destination should be La Perouse Bay on Maui and you can evaluate whether you think this would be a satisfactory anchorage. We found it to be a little inhospitable and continued on up the western coast to Lahaina. We looked in at Wailea, Kihei, and Maalaea enroute. We didn’t have time, but would like to have seen Molokini Island. Lahaina is a bit touristy, but always fun. The anchorage is rolly, but we’re used to that by now. You might get lucky with a berth in the harbor. It never hurts to ask. After a couple of days, we got one of the Lahaina Yacht Club moorings, rented a car and did all the appropriate tourist things ashore. Next stop, just for the night, was Honolua Bay on the northwest coast of Maui. This is a very pretty setting, calm and no rolling. There is room for maybe four or five boats. It’s the best jumping off point to cross the Pailolo Channel to Molokai. A 0900 departure on a broad reach got us comfortably across the channel in 20-30 knots of wind. The north shore of Molokai is magnificent with steep cliffs rising from the water; clouds shrouding the peaks and providing the rains that feeds the numerous waterfalls. We had planned to anchor for lunch in the bay near the leper colony in Kalaupapa, but 30-knot winds and rough seas changed our minds. It was delightful sailing with the wind, so why stop? We chose an anchorage for the night, which was tucked around Ilio Point on the northwest coast just off the hotel. From here it’s an easy daysail back to Kaneohe Bay. |
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Doug Vann, Lisa Niemczura , Walt Niemczura | |
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