SINGLEHANDED TRANSPAC — A
s we write this, we know that the Hanalei we'll see this summer will not be the same as the Hanalei we visited in 2016. The devastating flood of mid-April has literally changed the landscape. Homes, roads, parks and many structures were destroyed. A river changed its course. Sands have shifted. We really don't know exactly what we'll find there. What we do know is that the Singlehanded Sailing Society, as well as other visitors, whether arriving by land or by sea, will be welcomed and accommodated. We know the bridge into Hanalei is open, and we presume that our rental car will reach our destination, allowing us to rendezvous with those who will arrive by sea. We know it will be humid, and it will rain. Roosters will crow at all hours of the night and day, geckos will chirp, and mosquitoes will hunt for tasty flesh to pierce. We know the water of Hanalei Bay, on the north shore of Kauai, will be warm and salty. We k n o w t h a t a c o u p l e d o z e n singlehanded sailors will converge in the bay, drop anchor, and step onto the beach. We know that a temporary community will coalesce, joining the larger community of Hanalei for a brief time. In these pages we introduce you to some of the sailors who will form that ephemeral community. Crazy Rhythm — Santa Cruz 27 John Simpson, Alameda, CA SSS Previous SHTPs: none John Simpson has wanted to do the Singlehanded TransPac for a long time, and this year it looks like things are falling in place to make it happen. "It's hard to say from exactly where the desire to do this race arises, but there is a special challenge to sailing solo. In a world about to be filled with autonomous vehicles and delivery drones, going to an environment where you intend to rely on your own devices to succeed (or fail) has a certain allure. Or maybe it's like Louis Armstrong said about the rhythm of swing: 'If you have to ask, you'll never know.' I would hate to look back years from now and think, 'I really should have done...'" John did his first ocean race in the late 1980s on Hurricane, "the only keelstepped Express 27 I have ever seen." The first boat he ever sailed was one he built himself. "I forgot to lower the centerboard and made massive leeway, with a puzzled look on my face, until I Page 90 •
Latitude 38
• June, 2018
fetched up on the muddy shore. The SC27 has a fixed keel, so I should be OK." Boat prep and full employment have precluded physical training, but he says that, "The prep work has involved a huge amount of boatyoga." Modifications include a 6-ft x 2-ft sleeping cushion that exactly fits the cabin sole, "the only convenient place to sleep on the boat," and an emergency rudder. "Mounting the solar panels was a bit of a challenge." Crinan II — Wyliecat 30 Don Martin, Alameda, CA SSS Previous SHTPs: none "I have a literary interest in singlehanded sailing," says Don Martin, "and I have devoured everything I could read starting with Slocum and Chichester." Don began sailing as a teen on a Minnesota lake. "No other sailboats, but I could beat most fishermen at anchor and a few that were trolling." Since those days, Don has gotten plenty of ocean races under his sailing glove, including two Pacific Cups and eight Coastal Cups. Provisions will include canned, freezedried and dehydrated food. "I've also been practicing making empanadas for the first couple days out." Two years ago, Al Germain of the Wyliecat 30 Bandicoot gave Don his emergency rudder. "When I commented on the LongPac in the SSS Forum that I wouldn't do the race again without a dodger, Pat Broderick (Wyliecat 30 Nancy) gave me an unused dodger that came with the boat." Don started racing on Crinan II when Bill West owned her. "He was open to letting me sail singlehanded in SSS races. Eventually, I took ownership and prepared it for ocean racing and the possibility of an SSS TP." Since he retired, Don has been able to put considerable time into preparation and planning. Dark Horse — Olson 30 Shad Lemke, Wilsall, MT SSS, South Flathead YC Previous SHTPs: None Like many open-ocean races, the SHTP has a requirement for a qualifier. Most Bay Area sailors use the odd-year LongPac race as their qualifier. But Shad
Lemke is from Montana, so instead he sailed his 400-mile qualifier during the gales of spring. He reported winds of up to 40 knots and breaking waves that overtopped the mast of his ultralight Olson 30. SSS member and volunteer Jackie Philpott interviewed him for the SSS Forum and website at www.sfbaysss. org. " The breeze at night is a little chilly, but it's still warmer than Montana," he told her. "Dinner is going to be Mountain House spaghetti. I'm never getting the breakfast skillet again; it was pretty bad." Despite the seas, he had no nausea. "Meclizine is working." He says that sailing and bronco riding are similar. "You have to deal with what you are dealt and don't get bucked off!" Dolfin — Pacific Seacraft 37 Bill Meanley, San Diego, CA San Diego YC Previous SHTPs: 2016 Bill Meanley finally lived his dream of doing the SHTP in 2016. "Now I need something to compare it with — or maybe
