Galen Diana Sailing

Sunday morning sunrise.
Day 53 of bone marrow transplant recovery. Beautiful environment to heal the body and mind and feeling stronger each day, one day at a time…

~Captain Rodney

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
Made port by Sea. Discharged from Bed.

When I first wrote about “the bridge between two solitary journeys”, I didn’t realize how closely they would mirror one another. The nineteen days I spent at sea prepared me in ways I could never have imagined for the nineteen days I would later spend in the hospital. Another vessel, another voyage.

“Induction” was my first phase of chemotherapy and felt like sailing into uncharted waters. It was my first time ever admitted to a hospital, and nothing about it felt familiar. The days blurred together, marked by the steady hum of machines and the quiet footsteps of the night shift. I was awakened constantly, not by changes in wind or weather, but by nurses checking vital signs and medications. Small rituals that became the rhythm of this new sea.

The same music that kept me company on the open ocean played through my headphones as I walked the hospital halls. Those walks became my way of staying afloat. I refused to drift. Even when my body wanted to rest, I pushed myself to walk an hour, three times a day pacing the corridors like decks in heavy weather, finding balance in movement. I eventually worked my way up to walking ten or eleven miles per day. It began at walking 7,000 steps the second day I was in treatment and then I challenged myself to walk an additional 1,000 steps against the previous day everyday day until i reached a goal of 20,000 steps. I made it to 23,189 steps.

After nineteen days, I was discharged and back on land but still very much at sea. Since then, I’ve been an outpatient, returning twice a week for bloodwork and transfusions. A few days ago, I had another bone marrow biopsy, and now we wait anxiously and hopefully for the results.

In about a week, I’ll set sail again: another two to three weeks in the hospital for the next round of chemotherapy. After that, the course will turn toward a bone marrow transplant also known as stem cell transplant which is the next horizon on this long crossing.

The sea has changed, but the lessons remain the same: stay alert, stay moving, and trust the vessel you’re in even when the horizon disappears.

Both journeys, by ocean and by bed, have taught me that strength isn’t found in stillness or speed, but in the steady choice to keep navigating, one wave, one breath, one step at a time.

For my stem bone marrow transplant I will be going to Stanford Medical in Palo Alto. They tell me I must find a place to live in the area close to the hospital for two months post stem cell recovery.

The Galen Diana can accommodate as my housing near Standord however I need to be able to find a marina in Redwood City that will take us in on a temporary “live aboard” basis. If anyone here in the Bay Area has any connections with the harbor master or anybody with some influence with these marinas please pass on the word. Westpoint Harbor and Redwood City Marina are two options that can accommodate our needs. There is a sense of urgency here and any help is most welcomed and appreciated.

Thank you all for the continued support, kind words of encouragement, and being there during my first of many voyages on this journey. It’s a comfort to know I’m not alone and the numbers of supporters is overwhelming to my soul.

Have a beautiful day.
Captain Rod

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
One by Sea. One by Bed.

Day 19 “Sprint to the Finish"
Wed Aug 25 2021 09:32:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Day 19 at Sea. Day 19 in Bed.

Like a “race horse” in the last mile, Galen Diana has stepped it up and holding a solid 8-9kn SOG. She has 100 miles to go which she is on pace to reach the finish line within the next 15 hours. We have a good chance of crossing the finish line before midnight tonight for a Wednesday finish! Oh wait, she just hit a 12.1kn SOG as she picked up a swell. Can she make it by 10PM? What a way to finish a long distance passage of 2,878nm (estimated) within 19 days, 15 hours (estimated). I think it’s time to put the Dom in the chiller.

I woke up to a rough seascape with swell and strong winds. It would be my last sunrise and the clouds let the sun peek through for a moment before the morning turned grey. I had this overwhelming feeling of happiness knowing I would be home soon but I also had this deep feeling of sadness knowing this journey was coming to an end. However, I knew that there would be another day soon we would be back on the ocean within six weeks after my return home and this time I would set sail with my wife Alison and our little chihuahua Belle on a destination to Mexico and begin a new adventure. That itself put a smile back on my face.

We continued to make good time with a good heading bringing us towards the “gate”. I would stand on the bow of the boat with binoculars looking for land. Point Reyes would be my first sighting and that would be before nightfall. I saw a huge gray whale break the ocean surface just off my port bow. He followed along side us for a while but eventually we slowly began to part ways. Our Albatross also was following us in and stayed with us throughout the afternoon until we lost sight of him after sunset.

Today would be our last sunset and by then the clouds opened up and we were treated to a beautiful fall California coast sunset. It was a bright yellow sky and when the sun was dropping behind the horizon it layered in colors appearing as a ball of red hot metal with pronounced layers due to the dence haze of airborn particles of smoke and dust.

We crossed the finish line at 00:55 Thurdsday, August 26. We achieved our objective of survival. Better yet we beat our best time on a return from Hawaii at nineteen days, fifteen hours and fifty five minutes covering a distance of 2,885 nautical miles.
The Dom popped and a toast for the moment of achievement. I even let Galen Diana soak up a taste.

We were so happy but still all alone. At this hour there was no one to greet us at the bridge. That didn’t stop us from our celebration though. The music was loud , we were dancing thinking we were the only ones out there and then I looked up and saw a huge cargo ship bearing straight at us. Holy s**t. Where did he come from… so we got the hell out if his way pronto. We didn’t come all this way to complete this journey and “bite the dust” at the finish line.
We are going to live and sail another day.

Ok, Alison and Belle are waiting for us at our dock in Sausalito so we got to go…

Technical Data
COG 110dT, SOG 8.3kn, TWS N @ 34kn (gusts to 42kn), AWS 27kn, AWA 110dP, Roll up to 24dS, Swell 3-6’ mixed and wedging in our favor. Sea Temp 51.8dF. Position 38d 31N - 124d 41W. 67nm West of the coast parallel with Healdsburg, Ca. and 100nm NW of San Francisco. Top SOG last 24hr 12.1kn

Weather
Cold and gray morning. Low ceiling marine layer. No direct sun currently but bright. Outside temp 64dF, below deck 72dF (heater engaged). Seascape rough and rugged. A lot of white caps and mixed seas.

Final Sailing Trivia “Head/Toilet”
Some of you might ask “why do sailors say they’re going to the “head” instead of the restroom etc…?” Back in the day when sailing ships had square sails and could really only sail with the “trade winds” which carried the ship downwind. The toilets were built into the head or forward most part of the ship so that the natural aromas, that were not pleasing to the nose, were carried away downwind of the ship.

I thoroughly loved writing these updates to share with you all. It gave me something to look forward to at the beginning of every day. This has kept me focused, disciplined and motivated for a mostly enjoyable and absolutely memorable life accomplishment.

Thank you for being here with me on this journey in spirit and sending good vibes my way. It helped me get through the challenging days of isolation and loneliness.

Fair winds and following seas,
Capt. Rodney

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
One by Sea. One by Bed.

Day 18 “Surfing USA"
Tue Aug 24 2021 09:32:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Day 18 at Sea. Day 18 in Bed.

We are in the United States again and “Surfing USA”. At 0900 (PDT) we have navigated 2,612 nautical miles (2,873 miles) in 432 hours (18 days).

I am beginning to grow more excited every day knowing I’m within reach of my destination. It’s been a long three months since we set sail from San Francisco and started this prolonged adventure sailing between California and Hawaii, the Hawaiian islands and then home. The first three legs of this adventure I had crew. The last two just me and Galen Diana. I miss my wife and dogs and our tiny little treehouse in the forest. I love being on the ocean but I’m ready to go home.

We have now only 264nm to the “Gate”, which is the demarcation line; a border line separating the “ocean” from the “inland waters” marked between Point Bonita on the north side of the channel and “Mile Rock” to the south which is at the entrance to the San Francisco Bay. Three miles East of that is my “finish line” at the Golden Gate Bridge where the celebration begins. “Pop”..! and a glass to celebrate with nothing less than Dom Perignon.

My ETA is looking like this; At my current “average” speed 6.9kn I have a window between Wednesday PM and Thursday AM. However, I am beginning to sail in to an already active wind storm which potentially could see wind speeds of up to 40kn. The swell is projected to be at 12’ but the question remains “how steep will they be?”. As long as they are not “breaking” swells, Galen Diana will be charging the swells using their energy to accelerate our SOG to bring our ETA up to tomorrow afternoon. Surfing the swell is so exciting and fun. Part of the fun is watching the speed gauge while riding a swell to see the “double digit” numbers… However, if the swell is too steep and dangerous we will depower the boat by reducing sail area, angle of tack and carefully navigate through the gale. Either way works in getting us in the direction of home, to the finish line and that bottle of bubbles.

Speaking of “bubbles”, yesterday I crossed the “sea of glass bubbles”. The ocean surface was covered with them. Thousands everywhere looking lilke a bunch of glazed doughnuts surrounding us. We saw this before in this same region the past two times we came through this stretch. When taking a closer look they are not the doughnuts at all(I guess I see what I want to see at this stage if the journey). They are those little “jellies” that float on the surface with the clear “sail”. Their technical name is “Velella”. Remember a couple posts back when I encountered just a few sailing by us? They are known as “By-the-Wind Sailor” (Velella) is a colonial hydrozoan, not a true jellyfish, that floats on the ocean's surface with a distinctive triangular sail that catches the wind, propelling it across the open ocean. Composed of specialized polyps that share a common digestive system, these blue, disc-shaped creatures feed on plankton using stinging cells and are found in temperate and tropical waters worldwide. They are often found in large numbers on beaches after storms, where their sails angle to the left or right, determining their direction relative to the wind.

Technical Data
COG-115dT, SOG 7.6kn, TWS N @ 23kn, AWS 24kn, AWA 77dP, Roll up to 15dS, Swell 4-7 @ 5 sec and building.

Position 39d 21N - 127d 35W, 187nm West of Fort Bragg, CA. 264nm from San Francisco. Max SOG last 12 hours 10.8kn.

Weather
Mostly cloudy with sunshine. Dry with periods of rain. Outside temp 67dF, below deck 70dF. Pressure 29.53 (dropping). Seascape rugged, sloppy almost “victory at sea” status. Swell building now up to 8’ and some breaking at the crest.

Daily Trivia “Shake a Leg”
Shake a leg, meaning to “hurry up”. originally meant “to dance”. Every man able to shake a leg bought a ticket to the dance…

Okay, Galen Diana to “shake a leg” here and giddy up… Golden Gate Bridge… let’s get there.

Happy Tuesday and until tomorrow.
Capt. Rodney

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
One by Sea. One by Bed.

Day 17 “Dancing in the Moonlight"
Mon Aug 23 2021 10:06:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Day 17 at Sea. Day 17 in bed.

Less than 427 nautical miles to go and over 2,447 navigated the past 408 hours.

At 0639 today Galen Diana and I reached 2,430 mile mark which is the distance we sailed direct from Dana Point, CA. to Honolulu, back in July of Leg 3 of our three month adventure. We completed that passage in 17 days, 16 hours for a 5.7kn average SOG. Together, on this return GD and I beat the time for that distance covered by 19 hours doing it in 16 days, 21 hours for a 6,0kn average SOG. Furthermore, it appears we are going to crush our 2014 return passage (21 days) by at least two days. I have to say this passage has been mostly fair weather in comparison to the past two returns and very different wind patterns which did allow us to pinch off some distance on our northerly tack up to latitude 43. However, twice we were caught in a dead calm on this run. I rather enjoyed that experience of the magical wonder of a dead calm at sea with the reflections of anything in the sky and universe adding an abstract dimention expanding the physical space.

Being out on the outer edge of the garbage patch. Within this area the sea thrives with life simply due to the food chain created by all the debris. Hauling up the netting and line was evidence of how rich the food chain is and the variety of sea life between ocean dwellers and sea birds that live and survive out there in the middle of nowhere. I got lucky I guess to be able to experience all that colorful beauty portrayed in the environment of calm seas and tranquility.

From a distance I saw something floating in the calm waters ahead. As we drew closer I quickly grabbed the camera and started shooting. I realized it was a giant sea turtle. But way out here? As we drifted close I clearly saw it was an enormous sea turtle the size of a hood of a VW Beatle. This guy appeared to be the “king sea turtle” sporting a colorful robe as he swam below the surface. The colors and patterns reflecting off his shell were stunning and rich. I managed to capture some images also showing barnacles in his back the size of a cue ball. He swam deep and that was the last I saw of him.

We had a full moon last night which lit up the road for us. It was so bright that the reflection off the rugged ocean surface gave us the same “shimmer” same as the sun does when it is low. Scattered clouds would shade the moonlight creating a stunning show of dramatic light and color in the night sky.

I had a question sent to me via email regarding “who is Boreas”? So to clarify for anyone who hasn’t caught “wind” of this, There are four “Great Gods of the Wind”. Boreas-North wind, Eurus-East wind, Notus-South wind and Zephyrus- West wind. I fed each of them a nice glass of “Nicky Foo” at Galen Diana’s name change ceremony in 2013. It’s the good stuff, real champagne which is how it should be done. Therefore, we have a bond with the gods of the wind and they are supposed to remember us and provide kind and fair winds to be in our favor. Unfortunately if we happen to be out on the seas near another boat that did the ceremony with cheap sparkling wine then we are forced to endure their punishment merely by our proximity to their vessels position… Are you buying this maritime folklore yet?

Technical Data
COG-115dT, SOG-7.3kn, TWS NNE @ 25kn, AWS 24kn, AWA 80dP, Roll up to 17d-S, Swell 4-6’ off port beam. Sea temp 58.6dF. Position 40d 53N - 130d 55W, 305nm West of Euerka, CA, 427nm NW of San Francisco, 2,447nm navigated in 408 hours (17 days). Top SOG last 24hr 11.8kn.

Weather
Cloudy with traces of light blue, dry, cool, air temp outside 67dF, below deck 71dF, Pressure 29.58 (dropping so rain likely), Seascape rugged like an ocean with some whitecaps.

Daily Trivia “Rope on a Boat”?Purchased as “rope” once it is used on board a boat rope is called LINE, or by name of the rigging part it has become (i.e. “main sheet”, “jib sheet”, “halyard”, “outhaul”, “furler” “rhode”, “downhaul” to name a few). Sailors will tell you that there aren’t many ropes aboard a ship or boat. There is the “bolt rope” at the foot or luff of a sail, or a “tiller rope”, or a “foot rope” attached to the lower border of a sail, or a “bell rope”, or a few other rare ones like “soap on a rope”. Everything else is a line.

So things are beginning to come together but there is that last hurdle ahead of us. I don’t believe we will see the “Rockies” but perhaps one final “gale” with winds in excess of 40kn. Swell model is looking manageable at up to 12 feet, following seas.

Have a nice Monday.
Capt. Rodney

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
One by Sea. One by Bed.

Day 16 “Dark and Stormy"
Sun Aug 22 2021 10:42:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)
Day 16 at Sea. Say 16 in Bed.

With only three to four days to go I know I am getting close to my destination due to this dark and stormy weather I’ve been through more than once before within this charted area on the North Pacific Ocean. The question remains, “will I face the Rockies?” We didn’t in 2016 but we sure did in 2014.

As we approach the coast day by day I am watching the weather window looking for any wind storm in my path sporting winds of 40-50mph creating what I like to call “The Rockies”. This is the scariest environment I have ever been in. It’s up there with being on a plane in horrific turbulence praying for dear life. However, on the ocean if we were to crash, it’s not necessarily “end of story”. We are equipped with a life raft, epirb, plb’s, survival suits, ditch bag with emergency food and water, flares, satellite phone, etc… So at least we have a fair chance of survival should something disable Galen Diana forcing an “abandon ship”.

So they call it the “high seas” out here for a reason. These may only be on the lesser scale of high seas nonetheless they stand high up to 25-35 feet high (trough to peak) and some are breakers. Not only is the wind howling through the rigging playing an extremely loud and eerie tune to add to the drama, the massive swells surround us as far as the eye can see. They tower as “A” frame peaks breaking just at the crest, however that ball of white water breaking at the crest of the swell could be 4-8 feet of heavy, very cold water which crashes over the deck and swamps the boat. In 2014 we took a big one off our bow and the weight and impact of the water took our spray hood off to the side of the boat (Basically slapped Galen Diana’s hat off her head). Luckily we were able save her hat and make repairs later after we made it through the “Rockies”. There were moments within that thirty hour wind storm I wasn’t too sure how things were going to play out. We notified the coastguard of our position and that we were ok but in heavy weather. I made the mistake if emailing my wife about the environment and that we didn’t know for sure if we could make it out. Things were so uncertain I just wanted a chance to let her know how much I loved here should something happen. She wouldn’t hear from us again for a long and painful twenty-four hours later. She was in a state of painful and anxious suspense. Alison couldnt eat nor sleep. She was on tenterhooks awaiting good news and experiencing a roller coaster of emotions. Trapped between hope and fear, she was worried she would never see me again. I hope never to put her through such emotions of losing me ever again. This voyage was Galen Diana’s and my first crossing together from Hawaii to California on this route and we didn’t know what to expect. That experience was a huge learning curve and invaluable. With a crew of four, we did have one veteran sailor with us who was an old salt. He held a long lasting record sailing the “Transpac” back in the day. “Merlin” was the boat he skippered. It was a Santa Cruz 60 or 70 and a fast boat. We did watch together and he coached me on heavy weather sailing and sail trim for maximum VMG (Velocity Made Good) which basically gets you up to your top speed for the particular environment. I’ll never forget those “one on one” lessons. The confidence that comes with this type of hands on coaching, especially from someone of his caliber and experience is priceless. He was a friend and a good man. RIP Carl.

Technical Data
COG 115dT, SOG 8.2kn, TWS NNE @ 22.4kts. AWS 24kts, AWA 60dP, Roll up to 17d. Swell 2-3’ off beam. Sea temp 61.7dF Position 42d 02N - 133d 57W, 428nm West of Brookings, Oregon. 565nm NW of San Francisco. 2,289nm navigated the past 384 hours (16 days).

Weather
Dark and cloudy. Rain on and off. Colder. Air temp topside 68dF, below deck 73dF. Pressure 29.60, Seascape rugged but not rough and rowdy. Colors best describe as silvertone or noir.

Daily Trivia “Listening for Bad Weather”
“Sound traveling far and wide A stormy day does like betide” This is another (English) version of the saying about “sound” and bad weather; this one suggests that you actually can hear bad weather approaching, say, when a faraway train whistle is audible when normally it would be faint. The reason the sound carries farther is that the whistle was blown under a lowering cloud ceiling whose extending barrier may not have reached your position yet.

Perhaps that’s why I could hear the engines of the “heavy” that passed by (as I write this) before I could see it. There is a low cloud ceiling…

Have a sensational Sunday (Go niners),
Capt. Rodney

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
Day 15 at Sea. Day 15 in Bed.

Day 15 “The Home Stretch"
Sat Aug 21 2021 12:21:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)

“The Home Stretch”
After rounding the final turn and in the straight away, Galen Diana has only 700 nautical miles to go on what may be a total of 2,874nm from Oahu, Hi. to San Francisco, CA. My ETA is bouncing around between Tuesday, August 24 and Thursday, August 26. This arrival window would meet the twenty day passage objective. It is looking good so far. As long as The Great Boreas can go ahead and challenge me in a game of stamina. I have the strength and determination to take him on. So now Poseidon has chimed in and is helping Galen Diana along by giving her a push with some 6’ steep swells off her aft port quarter she can surf increasing her speed to double digits. She had her second best 24 hour mileage posting today at 166nm / ave speed 6.9kn (last 16 hours average 7.3kn). My 49’ enjoys the surfing however it becomes a wild ride at times. Last night at 02:45 the wind jumped to 35kn and I have FULL SAIL. I’m napping below deck and I feel this “fish tailing” with a G-force holding me to the bulkhead as Galen Diana is charging the swell, peeling off to the left then slashing back on course. I’m just a passenger here while she is having her fun. So I put on my harness, go topside (in the rain) depower(reef) and trim her sails to keep her under control. How about that, no more “Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride” and we still maintain our maximum hull speed without being on the edge of “out of control”. Almost an hour later as I was just getting in to a deep sleep an AIS alarm wakes me and we have another “heavy” within the danger zone. I just had a Cargo ship pass six hours earlier at a range of 4nm. I’m on a popular road here and must be back in the shipping lanes. It’s like I’m on I-5 between Los Angeles and San Francisco on that remote and desolate stretch speeding home thinking I’m going fast and then all these “Big Rigs” are passing me by… Just an hour ago I had my third surface contact within twelve hours. Cargo ship “Argus” a 934’ vessel carrying hazardous or pollutant. Destination Los Angeles.

Technical Data
COG 105dT, SOG 9kn, TWS N @ 27kts, AWS 28kts, AWA 80dP, Roll up to 30dS(due to swell impact), Swell 4-6’ @ 6 sec (steep), ocean surface rough and rugged, sea temp 62.4dF

Position 42d 38N 136d 19W
*562nm West of Port Orford, Oregon.

Weather
Mostly cloudy with periods of rain. Temp. 65dF outdoor, 71dF below deck. Pressure 29.66 which has dropped within the past twelve hours and still dropping. Winds should stay steady and favorable as long as I can out run the high pressure forecasted to shift come Monday.

Daily Trivia “Sailing speed Knots?”
In “olden days”, the speed of a vessel through the water was measured by a “chip log”. A weighted wooden float was attached to the end of a line that was allowed to run out off a reel. Knots were tied in this line at regular, specific intervals (47 feet, 3 inches) and counted as the line ran out for a specific time, measured by turning an hourglass (actually a 28-second glass). The number of knots that passed gave the vessel’s speed in nautical miles per hour. Hence the speed was measured in - what else - “Knots”, and it still is today.
~Chapman’s Seamanship and Piloting.

Well now I guess I’ll go topside and see if I can squeeze out a few more knots out of miss GD.

Have a super Saturday.
Capt. Rodney

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TWO SOLITARY JOURNEYS
Day 14 at Sea. Day 14 in Bed.

Day 14 “Check Mate"
Fri Aug 20 2021 10:17:00 GMT-0700 (Pacific Daylight Time)

I made it though and beat the “high”. Yay!
Twenty-nine hours under the “iron sail” making revolutions for five knots. That was the plan in order to reach a waypoint by this morning that was 145 miles East with prediction there would be wind by this morning… and viola. At 04:15 (HST) while making my rounds I could see The Great Boreas(god of the north wind) has spun around to the east side of the high pressure bubble to my left and is now on Galen Diana’s port beam. We made it through the high despite all the moves it took including dodging the “heavies”. Check mate on that game. However, after reviewing the forecast it looks like the “high” would like to try for a re-match on Sunday. Sorry Charlie, this boat has sailed.
Actually the high is predicted to shift again towards the East by Sunday-Monday and to avoid that trap again Galen Diana will need to cover over 328 miles in just over two days which at her current SOG she will most likely cover 375nm in that time.
The wind model is looking really good for us now. The weather continues to improve for us as we reached this latitude. We have also come east over 848nm from the longitude we were on when we set sail from Oahu, Hawaii.

One interesting observation I had yesterday was how much, ever so slight, the suns trajectory was positioned to the right of us. It never got directly over the boat. So picture this, we are heading East on a course of 090dT. The sunrise and sunset should be fore and aft, which they are but the path it takes from rise to set is “off set” to the right of the boat. It wasn’t this noticeable Sunday-Monday when we were on the same heading of 090dT but that was three degrees lower on the latitude line and 180nm south of our current position. So the warm and sunny side of the boat is the Starboard (South side) and the cool shady side is the Port (North side). How ‘POSH’ is that since I’m headed home and my cabin is on the port side.(This will make sense later in the post).

The entire day was magical. Even though we had to burn diesel, we had a glorious ride on a colorful liquid road of glass full of reflections. This road took us across the flatlands followed by rolling hills as a long period swell began ti fill in. I saw a refrigerator (which from a distance looked like a container) gave me “the chills”. CONTAINERS. Shipping lanes…they’re out there for real. The object was just off my starboard bow in plain sight at about a mile away so I altered my course to get a closer look. The water was so flat and everything like debris and seabirds on it looked like they were sitting on a mirrored surface. Then, when a ripple from a breeze swept by, the reflections made for some epic photos. Everthing from debris, clouds, birds and the reflections from the sun, clouds and moon. Bonus points for me in that I successfully deployed the flying camera (without bloodshed) and captured Galen Diana gracefully strolling across an eire “dead calm”.

Another “heavy” and another close CPA at .53nm. Cargo ship “Malto Hope” at 15:00 (3pm) cuts it close within 1/2 mile range to get a good look at Galen Diana as they steam on by. I love these close encounters (at daytime). Seeing these ships out in the open ocean is not the same as in the San Francisco Bay. These guys are opened up pushing at 14kn. and iver 20kn. The waves off the bow displaced by the bulb are perfect peelers. At their range and using a telephoto lens I can capture some insane images of this. Also I can verify they are looking at us because when I review the photos during my downloads I can see the crew leaning over the rail checking us out and maybe a wave or a tip of their hat.

Technical Data
COG 100dT, SOG 7.7kn, TWS E 18kts, AWS 20.4kts, AWA 60dP, Roll up to 9dS. Swell 2-3’ on beam. Sea Temp 61dF. 1984nm navigated/336hrs.

Weather
Overcast/cloudy/sun. Gray and cooling. Another layer and a warm hat for comfort. Winds out of the North and ocean surface coarse but not rugged yet.

Daily Sailing Trivia “POSH”
Originally it was “P.O.S.H.”, an acronym, on a seafaring traveler’s tickets from England to and from India. It indicated “Port Out” and “Starboard Home” accommodations. Which meant your cabin was on the shaded and more comfortable side of the vessel for both passages, hence, posh.

Well, at least I have POSH today…

Have a fantastic Friday,
Hasta manana.
Capt. Rodney