Some of you might remember from last year I asked the question "what's
the best time of year?"
Well, rather than leave last Sept. as my first thought was, I headed
several warnings and waited till this summer. Actually I set of July
1st. All of June was calm weather up the coast but I had already
payed the marina for June so I left July 1st. Of course, weather
systems were just starting at that time so I spent a week in the bay,
anchor drills, battery checks, etc., abit blustery in the bay at this
time to but not to bad in the south bay along Gen. Anch. #9. So,
along about the 9th a nice pattern is setting up out along the coast
so I get ready to go. Just then I notice alittle grinding in the
steering [hydraulics]. So I set in to Berkeley to get some fluid.
July 11 a little system is coming down the coast but it looks like
it'll stay close in [as most of the "medium" systems do...] so I head
out and sure enough I'm spending 2 days to get past the Farralons
[becalmed quite often]. now it's about the 13th and nice wind W or SW
and not to bad, 10-15, rather perfect actually. Weather is continuing
to build along the coast but all forcasts are for "still not bad" in
the western areas of "60-250 nm off the coast". A couple more days,
still nice. I set the sails at night for a generally good bearing,
rudder amidships, just slightly to weather. And most days I wake up
hove-to in a calm and along about 9 to noon the breeze starts and it's
back to sailing. On the 20th, I'm past 128W and just broaching 41N.
OO, it's a nice day for sailing! And I notice something that I've
never seen before, the speedometer is registering over 8 knots!
[bouncing as high as 8.4!] Well, I'm going down to get the GPS and
see what the "true" speed is [at 36ft. waterline, I should top at
7.2...] and glancing at the Ammeter, I notice I'm drawing 15 amps!
What the hell? I look alittle farther in the cabin and yes, thats
water sloshing up the edge of the sole! Yikes! Well I heave to to
check things out and lordy, I'm scared. Water's coming from all the
way forward and I don't know why! Both automatic bilge pumps are
running close to 90% duty cycle but the water level [after awhile]
seems to be going down. Well, to skip alot of head-scratching and
crying and praying, eventually I figure out that if I keep it less
than 4 knots, I get only 1 bilge pump running from 50-80%. At this
time, weather is still nice at 128 and looks good with a slight
eastering to Astoria [NNE 4-500nm] [first planned stop] but a week
long bad spell is stagnating off Humboldt Bay [which is due east, over
150nm].

What would you do? No EPIRB, no HF [rx, but not TX], still in the
cargo lanes [not the lanes, but I've seen one nearly every day...].

Well, I'm in Eureka, 8 days now, took me 7 days at 3 knots average
[slept most nights hove-to], weather was near gale or gale, mostly NW-
N the whole way in [still some nights almost calm...]. I'd lost 20
lbs. and could barely sign the coast guard inspection sheet. But I'm
almost Human again. Time to get into action on a repair plan, might
just sell it though, I would've given it away that first day in but
nobody asked for it...

The vessels name is Kanwara [Dora, I call her, "you're a good girl,
Dora" {Heinlein}], a ketch, 42 on deck, 48 OA, 11.96 tons registered,
built in England in 1946, a one of a kind for Maurice Griffiths who
mostly built smaller shoal keel boats.

To that guy who said the coast weather was horror, you were right but
it sure is nice out at 128W!

O, anyone anyone like to predict whether it's the keel falling off,
the garboard, or something else?

tom
=-==