Homeward bound
Late on a cold wet evening Omache glided into Victoria inner harbour. I was looking for a large red-roofed building under which lay the customs dock. At night of course there is no such thing as red. All colours are shades of grey. Thinking that I had found the correct dock I tied up and went up the ramp to find the customs phone. Not only was I at the wrong dock but I had inadvertently locked the security gate leading back to the dock! So here I was in the pouring rain on the wrong dock looking forlornly at Omache (my home for the last year and a half) who was just out of reach. Welcome back to Canada I thought. A vast difference from my landing in Hawaii where I was greeted with a lei and fresh fruit.
My immediate problem was how to get back to Omache. I could take off my clothes and swim to her but the water was freezing or I could scale the security fence which looked very menacing with nails sticking out from the perimeter to prevent such a feat. Thinking nothing is impossible and with that feeling I clung to the fence and slowly clawed my way round to the other side. No one was more amazed than me to be standing on the other side again without an injury or tear in my clothing. Back on Omache I found the customs dock one dock away and sure enough there was the phone. A few moments and questions later the customs lady (who by the way thought I was ‘nuts’ to have embarked on such a journey) gave me my clearance number and wished me well. I found a public dock next to the customs dock and slid Omache into a berth. I then ‘jerry-rigged’ the security gate so I could return and went ashore to phone Sal. My last thought before I fell asleep (I had been awake for 60 hours) was that the journey of discovery was over – I’m home and despite the weather it felt good.
Continue reading ‘Hawaii to Victoria’
Oct 29th Land-ho I cried to myself. Sweet words bringing with them the sweet vision of land. After over 6,000 non-stop nautical miles (7,000 statute miles or 10,000 kms) of blue ocean, the lush land of Hawaii rising out of the sea on the horizon was indeed a most beautiful sight. Having been at sea for 109 days I had to shake my head to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. There at the dock were Randy, Stu and Roland (Ham radio operators on the Pacific Seafarers Net) welcoming me to the Big Island Hawaii. Bringing with them traditional gifts of locally grown fruit. And of course the Lay. What a landfall and what a wonderful way to end a most memorable journey.
July 14th After a week in Balboa it was time to move on. I knew I had been there too long when I started ordering the water taxi in Spanish. They won’t let you use your dinghy as the currents are too swift for all but the largest outboard motors. The story goes that a couple got swept out to sea in their dinghy never to be seen again. Whilst in Balboa I took the opportunity to see Old Panama City. The 500 year-old Spanish buildings are stunning. Every corner or street reveals another gem of a building or church. The whole town is under going a major renaissance with a lot of the original private buildings being renovated and turned into offices, shops, cafes or luxury apartments. The architecture is similar to Havana in Cuba but unfortunately most of Havana’s buildings are in a state of major decay. So with my diesel and water tanks full and my larder restocked with fresh fruit and vegetables (later I would be so grateful for over-provisioning) I bid Adios to Balboa but not to Panama because first there was a detour to be had called the Las Perlas Islands. One of those “Can’t miss” places. Only 50 miles from Balboa it is like stepping into another world. A group of islands of which only a few are populated with pristine waters and lush, unspoilt vegetation make these islands a unique cruising ground. Of course if you need daily supplies or entertainment then these islands are not for you. At Las Perlas I took the opportunity to dive beneath Omache to check the hull and give her bottom a good scrub. On land most people run for cover when it rains. Here you run outside to shower and cool down. So when a squall moved through the anchorage I stood in the rain for a fresh water shower and then once the decks were clean I devised a way to divert the water flowing down the decks into my water tank to top it up. I was glad of the chance to practice this as I might have to catch water along the way to Hawaii. And so Hawaii beckons and with it the longest passage of the journey - a mere 4,500 nautical miles from Panama as the crow flies. A journey of the unknown as I have never been more than 500 miles off shore before. This time I will be more than 2500 miles from any land. Hawaii is literally in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It is a time for learning not only how to sail long distances but a time to learn more about yourself. Your inner resources. The route to Hawaii will take me 3 ° N of the equator until I reach 110 ° W then I will start to turn up towards Hawaii. This is the old Clipper route that was used by those trading vessels to take advantage of the trade winds. If it worked for them, it should work for me.
Continue reading ‘Landfall Hawaii - Aloha’