Oct 29^th 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 14^th 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.

August 16^th I am now half way to Hawaii with 2,800 nms under my belt and about 2, 500 nms left to go. Having just passed through the Intertropical Convergance Zone or more well known as the Doldrums the winds have now changed directions from the SE Trades to the NE Trades. I spent three days in the doldrums fighting for every mile, chasing every ghost of a wind and still consider myself lucky as some people get stuck here for weeks on end. The good news is that it rains a lot in the Doldrums so I was able to replenish my water supply which was running near empty and have a few refreshing rain showers as well. Oh the life of the sailor. I watched the development of Hurricane Flossy with much interest as she was in my vicinity. In the end she passed 500 miles NE of me speeding on her way to Hawaii. Next there was an earthquake in Peru which sent a Tsunami scampering off across the Pacific towards Hawaii. I did not feel any effect from that but I decided that I had enough excitement for that week together with all of the Squalls I had sailed through in the Doldrums. Life ain’t boring out here. One thing you realize is that the sea is rough on your boat and equipment. I had the reefing line part from constant chafing and had to take the Genoa (fore sail) down to run a spare line to the system. Getting it down was easy. Getting it up in 25 knot winds was hell. A few choice words were heard by the sea world. Weather totally dictates what you do on that day. A stormy weather day or high winds day means you need both hands on the boat so I call that an “Open a can of something to eat day”. On good weather days I’ll make a proper meal in the pressure cooker and maybe bake as well. You learn to sip your tea or coffee in between the waves or find yourself with a few scorch marks to complement your tan. I had just finished baking Bisquick drop biscuits when a huge wave hit the boat. Everything went up in the air and for the next few seconds I learnt how to juggle biscuits. I only let one drop, I wondered afterwards if that was why they were named “drop biscuits.” I have not been without company. Two birds have been my constant borders for the last 1,000 miles. At first the one slept on the rear solar panel but made such a mess that I banished it to the front porch (bow pulpit). I guess birds don’t believe in the saying “don’t shit on your own doorstep”. Or maybe they thought “hey it’s not my doorstep it belongs to that fellow down there!” Anyway it was joined the next night by its friend and they both slept on the front porch as I had put a pole across the solar panel at night to stop them using it. The front porch is not a problem as the waves constantly break over the bow keeping the foredeck clean. These are not small birds. With a wing span of about five feet they are quite impressive as they come in for a landing. Sorta like a scene out of Top Gun where they were landing a jet on an aircraft carrier in turbulent seas. Sailing in the Trades is the best sailing there is. Constant winds from the same direction makes life a lot easier. Put the sails up and leave them there. Just a bit of tweaking now and then does the trick. If all sailing was like this there would be hoards of people and boats out here. I can see it now those real estate developers would build housing on huge oil derrick type structures with hot dog and hamburger stands to feed the needy sailors. What a nightmare! To get back to my last email and the water in the bilge problem. The answer is in case you’re wondering “No, I haven’t solved the problem but it hasn’t got any worse.” I now have a Pop-Eye type right arm from all the pumping.

Aug 20^th Everything was going along swimmingly with Omache knocking off 100 nautical mile days till when I ran into a gale. I tried to furl in the rest of the Genoa as a quarter of it was still out but the winds were too strong so I tacked and heaved too. It immediately became calm and I when down below and cooked dinner and started to relax even though the wind was howling outside like a banshee. The next day the winds had dropped a bit and I managed to reef in the rest of the Genoa. Even though it was hard to reel the rest of the Genoa in I thought nothing more of it and continued on with the staysail and a double reefed main. That night I heard the most awful banging and crashing noises on deck. Up like a flash I was out on deck to see what could be causing such a racket. The furling system had parted from the stem of the boat and was flailing all over the fore deck. As fast as I could I put on my hardness and tether and went foreward. It always surprises me how in situations like this one just focuses on the job at hand. And a job it was indeed. Somewhere deep down I found the strength to harness the furling Genoa and lash it to the lifelines while I tried to insert the clevis pin that had come out allowing the system to part with the stem of the boat. After many tries I managed to get the pin back in much to my relief. Then it occurred to me that the forestay must have broken for this to have happened. I tied everything off and decided to wait till morning before going up the mast and accessing the total damage. I was very thankful that Omache is a cutter rig as the staysail stay had kept the mast from coming down. Why, I questioned do these things always happen at night. Thankfully I had a LED light that fits like a headband so I was able to see what I was doing. With the gale now blown out the next day was calm so I took the opportunity to go up the mast and saw what I had suspected. The forestay had indeed separated from the mast. I used the spinnaker halyard and another spare halyard to jury rig the mast to the fore of the boat. That meant 3 trips up the swaying mast. At the end I was exhausted and drank a gallon of water. I could still sail Omache but it would be without the wind power of the Genoa so my progress towards Hawaii was going to be a lot slower Genoa provides more than half of the wind power that drives the boat). I knew I couldn’t risk another gale with this jury rig so my first decision was to head south closer to the equator where there was very little chance of another gale. It took me ten days to get below 8 ° N where I felt safe from gale force winds. But in doing so I was further than ever from Hawaii. Looking at the situation realistically I put my expectations aside and surrendered to the fact that the journey will take as long as it takes. A peacefulness came over me with this acceptance. I am now thankful that I overstocked food wise and am sure that I will be able to catch rainwater along the way. So with this new outlook I settle back and stop counting the days and began again to enjoy the journey. The next few days remained calm and I was constantly going in the wrong direction. Almost as if by compensation I had a wonderful time watching the most colourful Mahi-Mahi, Zebra Fish and Nurse Sharks all in the same day. I think they enjoy the shade that Omache provides. That evening the Dolphins came to play in Omache’s wake. All-in-all a magical day. The next day it was totally calm so I went up the mast again and secured a spare halyard to the top of the mast down through a snatch block at the stem of the boat and back to a winch. With this ½ inch halyard in place I felt a lot more comfortable with the jury-rig. Just as I was relaxing from all my climbing I heard a crash on deck. The tri-colour mast head lens had fallen off and landed on the deck. Ah well “no peace for the wicked” up the mast again to tape it back on. At the end of the day my legs were shaking from exhaustion. This time I remembered to drink lots of water so I didn’t get cramps again. At last the south winds arrived and Omache was at last able to head west towards Hawaii. Not for long though and that evening saw me battling to make any headway at all. I decided to head further south even though it was off course with the hope of catching the south-east trade winds that would certainly point me in the right direction. So for the next week or so Omache staggered like a drunken sailor towards its eventual goal. Once again I went through the doldrums and the only good thing I can say about the experience is that it gave me an opportunity to catch some much needed rain water. During my diversion south I had both the traveler shackle and snap shackle break at different times leaving the boom flying back and forth (gibing) out of control. What amazes me is where one gets the strength from to harness the errant boom and lash down allowing one to make the needed repairs. But I guess that’s when adrenalin kicks in.

Sept 2^nd What a beautiful day. The kind of day that reminds me why the great French sailor Bernard Montessier chose to change direction and sail to the South Pacific instead of staying on course and winning the “Round-the-World” race. Or in his own words to save my soul. A big part of me being here is to connect with my soul and all that is. To feel full consciousness and there is no better place than the sea for this to happen. Interesting to note that all ancient temples were built on water or close to water. The going is slow but the fact that it’s in the right direction makes it peaceful and I feel a great joy. I am trying to separate myself from time judging my progress by miles achieved. Instead I surrender to the fact that the journey will take as long as it takes and when I arrive it will be over (or at least this longest part of it). Sometimes you have to go “off-course to get on-course.” In the meantime there is the journey itself, filled with nature’s blessings and challenges. The birds, dolphins, beautiful fish, Pacific blue water, star filled nights, phases of the Moon, the gentle waves of the trade winds and the soft silky feel of the morning breeze on your face. These are all blessings. The challenges happen quickly as if Mother Nature (Gaia) wants to know if you have enough gumption to be out there in the wild blue yonder or maybe she’s just letting you know all sides of her nature. I don’t go looking for challenges nor do I want to conquer Mother Nature. I merely want to be at one with her. To enjoy her blessings and learn to deal with her challenges which once dealt with also bring me joy. The only thing I wish to conquer is my fear. The strange thing about fear is it only comes into being when I think of what may happen. When it happens there is no time for fear only action as your mind is fully concentrating on the task at hand. So to alleviate the fear mongering mind I try to live in the present moment. It is far more peaceful that way.

Sept 3^rd My birthday. I feasted on a hearty breakfast of pancakes. For dinner I cooked a mushroom and olive Risotto, cooked in a leek based soup in the pressure cooker. For this birthday I asked for nothing no expectations, no gifts, no family, no friends, no land, no wind - and it was bliss. Just me, Omache and the ocean. I was in a state of grace. Truly at one with all. And so on my Blue Water Birthday I received the greatest gift of all full consciousness. The only dampener on the day was discovering that my two wine bladders (5 litres each) had leaked into the bilge. At least I had a bottle of red left which was duly opened. The weeks that follow were steeped in frustration of no winds or winds out of the wrong direction. What’s new! The one day I woke up to the patter of rain on the cabin roof top. My legs were burning from another climb up the mast the day before to secure a piece of wire from the mast head to the broken stay. It had been hell hanging on for dear life while trying to attach the bulldog clamps around the wire as the mast swung back and forth with the not so gentle swell. Dragging myself outside I was soon feeling totally refreshed by showering in the rain. It started to really pour and within an hour I had collected 20 gallons of water. Enough to replenish my total water supply. I even had water to spare so I did some much needed washing. That night I ate the last of my potatoes my fresh food supply was now finished. Still I had lots of beans and rice, pasta and canned vegetables plus canned and dried fruit. Once I got below 5degrees south the wind changed to South East. Although they were not consistent it did allow me to go in the right direction again. The one day the sea was alive with a huge school of Mahi-Mahi. As far as the eye could see they were there, many of them jumping out of the water and landing on their sides making a huge splash. Their iridescent colours - unlike anything you see on land - sparkling in the sunshine. I also tried using the sextant for the first time but the boat was bucking too much to get a good fix. But at least it’s a start. Having spoken to a ham radio operator in Hawaii he told me that I should try eating the flying fish that occasionally land on the deck. So having had seven land on deck the night before I decided to give them a try. Surprise, they are actually very tasty. I fried them in a saucepan to cut down on the oil splattering and ate them with some canned veggies. I would have loved to have had some potatoes left to have with them! Seeing my obvious delight in eating the flying fish the next morning Neptune sent me no less than a dozen of his best. These I declined and fed them to the now ever present Mahi-Mahi. I only hope that Neptune doesn’t take this as an insult! The follow day, more fish from Neptune I guess he isn’t upset. I heard a drumming noise and wondered what on earth it could be. I made my way into the cockpit in time to see a yellow helicopter flying past. I wave and it banks circling back to Omache. Coming so close that I can clearly see the two persons on board. I give the thumbs up signal to let them know all is OK on board. They reply in turn and head off into the far horizon. Helicopters are used out here in the ocean to spot large schools of fish and to direct the fishing boats to them. Later that day I did indeed see the fishing boat. This is the second one I have seen on my journey. I’m reading this book about a fellow traveler only he is traveling on the American river system and stops every night at a local pub for food and refreshment. His description thereof is so vivid that it is totally unfair to me with my dwindling food supplies. I have to put the book down till I restock my larder. After a couple of weeks of Omache staggering around like a drunken sailor searching for his ship and making no headway towards Hawaii I am treated to the sweet sailing following winds. Omache lifts up her skirts and scampers along doing 60 nms in 24 hours. The most mileage in a long time. I am elated. Even the fact that the head (toilet) has stopped working doesn’t dampen my spirits. For the next few days I wrestle with the head problem and find that the seal on the toilet seat is not sealing. The Lavac head as it’s called works with vacuum to draw in the sea water. In true McIver style, the solution I found was to seal the head with Glad Wrap to seal it when pumping. Just remember to take it off when using!!! After weeks of almost no sunshine the solar panels were just able to providing me with enough juice to run all of my electrical needs on board. The next day the sun is out and all is suddenly well. What wonders the light can do for ones soul. I had a feeling about catching fish so that afternoon I trailed a lure and to my surprise within 10 minutes I had a bite. A huge Mahi-Mahi was on the line and leaping out of the water fighting me all the way as I slowly reeled him in. As I bent over the side to gaff him, he gave one last leap and managed to throw the hook. There goes dinner – or so I thought. !0 minutes later I had another fish on the hook. Not a Mahi-Mahi as it wasn’t leaping out of the water. I had to get this one on board before I saw that it was a nice mid-sized tuna. While I was filleting the fish the lure was dangling over the side. I heard a commotion and looked over the side to see a number of Mahi-Mahi trying to get to the lure. And I thought catching fish was going to be hard! Thanking the fish for giving me its spirit I feasted on Sushi and fried fish for dinner. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator on board to store more fish but it’s comforting to know that nothing is wasted in nature’s food chain and the rest of the fish is soon consumed by other fish. I am now at 5 ° north and the SE trades have kicked in. The winds however are fickle and Omache has good and slow days but at least I am able to make some progress west. I practice using the sextant and am getting better with my sights. I also use the time to try “sheet-to-tiller” steering. It works and I’m elated. Sheet-to-tiller works by connecting your staysail sheet (line) on the windward side to the tiller. Using a bungee cord on the other side of the tiller balances the set-up. As the wind changes direction so does the sail and hence the tiller as well keeping you on the same angle to the wind. Simple yet effective. Most of my self steering is done by my wind vane Schwing but it’s nice to know there is a back-up that does need electrical power.

Sept 26^th Full moon and a beautiful clear night which I appreciate each time I get up to adjust the sails. Lots of flying fish aboard, they must be more active in the full moon phase. The next day I was treated to a perfect sailing day and achieved 63 nms, a record with the jury rig. I now have to be more careful with my water supply as I’m down to 17 gallons. At a stretch that will last me another 34 days. Not enough to reach Hawaii. Still I know in the back of my mind I have to cross the doldrums and their rain bearing squalls yet a third time as I head up towards Hawaii. I’m not panicking, just being cautious. Two days later at 128 ° West I do indeed head up towards Hawaii and as I enter into the doldrums there is thank goodness more rain. Within a couple of hours I totally replenish my water supply. With this abundance of water I can once again cook Jambalaya and my Cuban dish as the dried beans take a lot of water to soak in. Salt water doesn’t work as they do not soften in it.

Sept 30^th It’s my son’s birthday and I try to send him a message via email. No luck I’m just too far from the ham radio stations for the signal to get through. Still I send him a message telepathically hoping he picks up on it.

Oct 1^st It’s been six months since I left Salt Spring Island. Hard to believe. What a difference a few days make. Now I have virtually no wind, only did 13 miles in 24 hrs most of it backwards. Very frustrating, I feel like tearing my hair out except I’ve cut my hair so short that that wouldn’t work! After three days of good mileage I thought I was over these light winds. I must collect myself and look at the situation from a different point of view. I look outside and see the Mahi-Mahi jumping out of the water as they chase the flying fish and later I see my spirit bird who once again circles and looks in on me from high above. These things together with a magnificent rainbow lift my spirits. I have now run out of a few of my staples, notably rice and flour. No more boat made bread. Boo-hoo! I have also finished all of my snacks but I do have some dried and canned fruit and Arborio rice left. On the liquid side I have long run out of alcoholic beverages, powered Ice Tea and Gatorade but have more than enough Rooibos tea and coffee left. I do a total food inventory and to my relief I actually have enough canned food on board to last another 50 days. I am extremely thankful for my over stocking of the larder in Panama with every nock and cranny filled to capacity with provisions. I’m up the mast again. This time to attach a block for the spinnaker halyard. The plan is to see if I can use the Yankee foresail just attached to the halyard and fore stem. The spinnaker would be perfect in these slight winds but I am not really comfortable using it. The sea is calm but there is a strong swell so I have to once again hold on tight to the mast. At this time I am glad that I weigh so little. Back on deck I look down at my legs and hardly recognize them as my own. They’ve become matchsticks. The leg muscles believe in the use them or lose them theory. Nothing like running or walking to keep them in shape. Try that on a 27 foot boat being tossed about at sea! So I’ve been doing legs exercises to keep the strength if not the baulk. One of the best things I did before leaving for this journey was to get my amateur ham radio license. Not only do I have contact with other hams but certain nets like the Maritime Mobile Net in the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Seafarers Net in the Pacific track your progress on Ship Track for all to see. All you have to look for is my call sign VE7WCO. On the Atlantic side being closer to land I was able to use a modem connected to my computer to send and receive emails as well. It hasn’t worked out as well in the Pacific maybe because I’m thousands of miles from land. I spoke to a fellow South African on the radio who was delivering a Moorings 43 foot catamaran to Tahiti then flying back to Cape Town (where the boats are built) for another delivery, this time to the Caribbean. Nice job. He teased me telling me he was having Boerewors (South African farmer’s sausage) for dinner. The bugger had me drooling! I consoled myself with a great chili made in the pressure cooker. Well, when the North East trades kicked in, they did so in force. I went from little or no wind to 20 plus. I put 2 reefs in the main to stop Omache from being over powered and sat back and enjoyed the ride. With the winds aft of the beam it is very comfortable sailing. These NE Trades are what can be expected all the way to Hawaii. Both Omache and I are happy on this new course. As expected our daily mileage climbs significantly, one day even reaching 121 nms. The most on the entire trip. Not bad seeing as I have no foresail. What made me even happier was being able to talk to Sally. Tom, a ham radio operator noting that we had an exceptional signal asked if I wanted to call anyone. A few minutes later he was able to patch me through to Sally. It was as if Sally was next door the clarity of the call was that good - what a wonderful surprise. That night I saw a shooting star a fitting end to a most wonderful day. This morning is grey but it’s stopped raining. I’m delighted with my solar panels. I’ve only once had to run the engine to charge the batteries. And that after days of grey skies. The Lavac head (toilet) is playing up and I’m unable to pump out the holding tank. I think there’s a composting toilet somewhere in the future. There’s a beautiful full rainbow on the horizon. Always a good sign. The sun comes out and I’m able to dry out wet clothes and towel. With all the water I have I treat myself to a good scrub and fresh water shower. I put clean sheets on the bed - what a luxury, what a feeling to be clean again. Even with clean sheets on the bed I slept fitfully as I haven’t got used to the new movement of the boat. You need to get into the new rhythm of the boat it’s like changing from a waltz to a Tango. Once you are comfortable with the rhythm everything falls into place. That evening I’m sitting in the cockpit eating dinner watching the Mahi-Mahi chase the flying fish and the birds doing their aerobatics stunts thinking how much better this is than watching TV. This is the real reality show! Jim Spencer, a ham radio operator on Salt Spring Island has been a fantastic support in monitoring my progress and keeping Sal informed. Unfortunately the signal is very seldom good so we haven’t been able to use a phone patch.

Oct 18^th Crash! My jury rigged furling forestay has come crashing down. And yes, it’s nighttime. I go on deck to have a look and too my relief the other jury rigged halyards are in place and the mast is still secure. I lash the furler to the lifelines and decide to tackle the disassembling of the furling system in the morning. Next morning after making sure I had breakfast for energy I took the system apart and lashed the pieces to the deck fittings. Some of the aluminum foils were damaged and will have to be replaced. Other than that I hope to be able to repair it in Hawaii. The sail however is another matter. It is in a sorry state as I had to cut it in places to get it down. The sailing is now great with consistent winds and mostly sunny weather. Each day I’m getting closer to my destination as the mileage drops away and I’m once again in tune with the rhythm of Omache and her dance partner, the sea. On a very sad note my brother-in-law, Emil passed away. In any other circumstance I would have been there for my sister Maureen in South Africa. But being some 600 miles from the nearest land that is impossible. I will always remember Emil as the big brother I never had and he will always be in my heart. Last night I had the most vivid dream of watching Hawaii rise majestically out of the horizon. It was so real yet even in the dream I knew I was still 500 miles away from Hawaii. In my dream I was so excited that I called on all of my guides and angels to share my joy. They love seeing beautiful visions through human eyes. It will be interesting to see how close in detail the real Hawaii is from the dream Hawaii which is still vividly etched in my memory.

Oct 23^rd - 100 days Enroute. Sitting in the cockpit I watch in awe as the as the 3 metre North East trade winds that tower above me lift Omache up and gently let her surf down the other side. Momentarily she reaches speeds in excess of 8 knots then the next wave comes along to do the same as if effortlessly changing partners in an aquatic dance. Looking back, as frustrating as it was at the time I realize that it took a gale and losing my forestay for me to lose my “goal oriented” ways and except the journey for what it was. A true bonding with nature. With the sea providing me with a bounty of fish, the sun providing me with energy and the sky with rainwater for drinking. It doesn’t get more simple or enjoyable than this.

All in all - it was a “Journey Without a Journey Within”.
Enough said, I’m off to go and find myself a COLD BEER.
Cheers to all! Elvin