Friday, August 27, 2021

OAHU/KO OLINA MARINA/END OF CRUISING SEASON






Ko Olina 1st Lagoon by the Marriott





After careful weather watching, we decided to leave Hanalei Bay on August 8th. The trade winds were finally going to slack. It was important we waited for more mellow conditions as this is an upwind sail, meaning Soulstice would be close-hauled/close reaching to get East to Oahu. We weighed anchor around 10am as we gave an estimate of a 20-hour sail (100 nm at estimated 5 knots/per hour). We wanted to arrive early with the good visibility but not too early that it was dark and we were going into an unfamiliar marina. We ended up taking 24 hours due to the oncoming wind and waves/swell and some motoring as the wind died once we got into the lee of the island. 

The entrance to Ko Olina is very spacious and dredged well. There is minimal tide fluctuation throughout all the Hawaiian Islands with changes of 2 ft maximum. This does not make up for the marginal anchoring elsewhere, ha! but does definitely make other decisions easier. We docked in our slip D8, a starboard (right-sided) tie, which we are not fond of but made it work. They said there were no port (left-sided) ties for our size slip available. Our boat walks to port when maneuvering and makes it easier to dock on that side. Our fenders were quickly changed and our dock line was set up on Soulstice right before we docked. There is a huge pylon that separates the dual slip. Another boat was adjacent to us on the port side. We had no wind luckily and Stephen did an excellent job docking Soulstice in her new home to be for the next several months. 

We now had slightly less than 2 weeks to get Soulstice ready for some downtime in the marina. Each time we have left her in Mexico since cruising, it was a full decommission. Once in the slip in Mazatlan and then once on the hard/dry-docked in Puerto Penasco. There is quite a lot of prep to leave your boat in either scenario. Since hurricane season was winding down, supposedly ends in November, we felt we could do a partial decommission. This being said, Hurricane Linda was soon approaching but was said to be a tropical depression by the time of her arrival to the Hawaiian Islands. Nonetheless, she came quite close and was a good reminder that hurricane season was not quite over. The sea surface temperature or SST was still a bit cold to carry her furry for continued strength and endurance to reach us. 

The nice thing for us this time was that instead of working our butts off for 8-12 hour days getting Soulstice ready to leave safely and securely was that we could have more mellow days with built-in relaxation time. We did several hours of work each day to prep her but then could be done at 4pm instead of 8pm. We chose to leave her sails up and most of our rigging. We removed some lines for sure. Stainless steel cleaning/rust abatement/waxing was attended to as well as protecting any hardware with 303 protectant and UV protection. Stephen did some gel coat lovin’ in some areas and decided to take on wood maintenance as well with some Cetol layers on handrails/cabin trim/ & cockpit combings and Halcyon to bowsprit/interior companionway trim and galley rails. These have been weathered and UV exposed and needed attention. Unfortunately, one day after Stephen spent a few hours doing the Cetol and just had a finished up, the ONE and ONLY rain squall for the day came through! He was devastated and now gun shy. He had to re-sand and re-apply but not after watching the radar diligently and with hesitation prior to committing to the process of re-application. 

The other usual chores include pickling the water maker, exercising and closing all the thru-hulls, and defrosting cleaning the fridge, changing engine oil and filters, new Raycor and secondary filters for the engine, and topping off fuel tanks and water tanks. Batteries were removed out of electronics and some interior loving with vinegar, 3M mild block, and orange oil on the interior wood. We decided to leave our dodger /bimini up but applied another layer of 303 Fabric guard. The Hydrovane was given lubrication and shining too. We cleaned the bottom and changed zincs in the Hanalei Bay prior to leaving to come to Ko Olina so we should be good on that for some time. Luckily, since we did our bottom paint this past March on the hard, the bottom just had an easier layer of slime and no serious barnacle build-up and sponges did the trick. Our dinghy too was cleaned in Hanalei and nicely stored back on our deck prior to the passage over to Oahu. She has a folding transom so she sits on deck in a large bag. 

Our last chore prior to leaving Soulstice was sun covers and sunshade for UV protection and to keep the boat cooler. I will say that Hawaii is quite lovely for a decommission. The weather gets hot but there is a breeze and especially at night, the temperature is magnificent. Every night I would fall in love with Hawaii because of the climate. In Mexico, we always left when the heat was sweltering with little reprieve. You just had to be comfortable in a state of sweat ALL DAY. At least in Hawaii, the nights were cooler and the humidity is less than expected. Some days 33% and other days saw max at 58% but rarely higher than that. 

During this time, we caught up with old cruising friends, Steve and Chelsea, on SV Jeanne Anne. We met them coming down the coast leaving from Seattle with our 1st cruising season. They were in the marina and also did Mexico to Hawaii passage at similar times; they were one week ahead of us on the same passage. We were able to chat with them nightly on the Pacific Seafarers Net at 0300 UTC on 14.300 USB. They went straight to the marina on Oahu and did no cruising of the HI Islands as they planned to get jobs right away. They have some major projects on their vessel to include engine re-power and their focus was a paycheck. Steve is going to check on Soulstice for us and run her engine 2x month for us. We met numerous other marina tenants who were all very kind. Some are retired and go back and forth to the mainland, some are liveaboards and actively working and some have HI homes and come to the marina on off days, to include families. 

The marina is just adjacent to the Ko Olina resort complex, so we have access to all the lagoons and a nice paved walking path on the perimeter that circumnavigates each hotel. It is a nice area with Kapolei being the closest town. We can walk to Home Depot/Target/Costco by a dirt road of 2.5 miles each way and believe me, we did several times, ha! Uber is not really around in that area and is super expensive. There is a bus but is long and the bus stop itself is 2 miles away. There is an app called Hui which does allow you to rent a car for even an hour and for up to several days. We walk because we are cheap and it is good exercise! 

Right as our time was approaching for our flight back, the remnants of Hurricane Linda passed over. It was definitely some wind but no more than 30 knots and some squalls. The windward side got more of a downpour and the peaks of Oahu seemed to break it up before it came to the lee side, very typical. 

It is always hard to walk away from Soulstice after a season of memories on her. She has been a good sailing vessel and our home for us and we depend on her a great deal. We always feel grateful we purchased a worthy blue water cruiser and try to care for her well to reflect our appreciation. We are also grateful that still in a time of worry, instability on so many levels, and mistrust, that we are able to hold onto some valuable truths. These are that your time here on this planet is limited and invaluable and we continue to make efforts to appreciate our Mother Nature, respect her, and others who feel the same. 

Next up…. Work to fill the piggy banks, dealing with smoky Carson Valley of Nevada, and re-entry into the full throes of the hurricane of humanity! 


“ All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us” — J.R.R. Tolkien

Last sunset sail for the season on passage from Kauai to Oahu

Approaching Ko Olina Marina

D8 in Ko Olina:) New home
Hurricane Linda downgraded to Tropical Depression by time of arrival to HI



And we always think we will have less 🤔baggage...... 

Monday, August 23, 2021

Hanalei Bay



Kauai Hanalei Bay


Stephen and I left 7/8 from Honolua Bay to come to Kauai. We had previous intentions of anchoring on the south side of Lanai but the southern swell discouraged us. It would not only make the anchorages rolly but would disrupt the visibility of water and make anchoring even more concerning for the risk of dragging anchor. We chose to sail along the north shore of Molokai which is known to be stunning with magnificent green lush peaks with some over 4,000 ft high spilling water over their lips creating a Hollywood tropical movie scene. Mt. Kamakou at 4,970ft is the highest on Molokai.


It was a broad reach sail that afforded good speeds but despite our speed and hand lines out, no fish to be caught. We were able to see potential anchoring spots that were recommended in our Hawaii cruising guide. Again, many of these recommended anchorages still with the risk of coral and lava rock to consider, and finding the “sandy patch” to anchor in most ideal. We could have spent a night perhaps in one of these spots but trade winds were going to kick up and then make our sail to Kauai more challenging, so we decided to enjoy the scenery and continue with our planned route to Hanalei Bay. It was 198 nm from Honolua Bay, Maui to Hanalei Bay, Kauai. 


We arrived just before sunset, a 36-hour sail as projected, to Hanalei Bay. It is a large bay with a generous sandy bottom, affording many boats a place to moor. There were approximately 20 boats in the anchorage when we arrived and still plenty of room. Mike, on SV Easy, was slower than us and was not going to make it in by sunset. He chose to be conservative and heave to, which means setting up a sail configuration to basically stall the boat. You have to account for drift/current but this way he can rest and plan for a morning arrival in the bay with plenty of light. Cruisers choose to do this if they are unfamiliar with a new anchorage. Hanalei is a bay you could come into in the nighttime and be safe but his decision is the most optimal. We also noted many boats here unfortunately do not put an anchor light on, which they should for safety. 


It has been just over 3 weeks here now in Kauai. This bay is a lovely, sandy spot with a 2-mile long beach and has 3 rivers that intersect it, Hanalei, Wai’oli, and Waipa. It also has a backdrop of waterfalls and mountain peaks with elevations of 1,000-4,000ft high. Based on precipitation, you can sit in the cockpit, drink your coffee, and count waterfalls with the number changing daily. This typically is the bay’s off-season. The winter is a busy time because the north swell rolls in and it becomes a surfing destination. Laird Hamilton and his wife Gabby apparently reside here and take advantage of this gorgeous surf destination. Our local friends gave us the beta on that and that also Pierce Brosnan resides here. 


We have enjoyed open water swimming the shallows of the bay with great clarity and doing some paddleboarding. It does get very windy early on so paddleboarding can be a challenge for sure! We have made dinghy rides down the Hanalei River,  which is bordered by hibiscus bushes the entire way. 


During our 2nd week in the bay, Alise Robertson and her family came to Princeville for holiday. They and another family had been planning a Hawaii vacation for over a year but due to COVID have had to make many changes in their plans. Eventually, it all worked out and they had a house rental in Princeville for the two families to share. Stephen and I did purposely plan to sail to Hanalei in time for their holiday so we could see them. Unfortunately, the trade winds have been locally breezy, aka gusts in the 30’s, so we did not take them out for day sail. They generously offered to pick us up in Hanalei and we were able to share some meals and do some hiking with them. There are road closures so at times we have had to paddleboard over to another beach across the river, lock up the paddle-boards in the woods and hike up to a paved road for pick up. That was a fun adventure too. They would drop us off, it would be raining and night time and we put our headlamps on and made our way back to the paddleboards and then paddle back to Soulstice. It was like a nighttime stealth mission to get home. Always an adventure with the logistics of getting off and back to the boat when in an anchorage. We were grateful for the company and it was really fun to have Nevada friends here in Kauai and be able to appreciate the gorgeous sights together. 


After they left, we were fortunate to get a rental car, really a rental truck! Carolyn, a friend of SV Easy Mikes’, rented her Toyota Tacoma to us. She was giving the local cruisers a “deal” since her normal rental price is $250/day and she IS getting that! WoW!! You cannot even find a rental car to rent in Hawaii these days or much less anywhere for that matter I hear. So… We had a lovely week of cruising around Kauai with specific destinations and one of those being Waimea Canyon. Stephen and I have both been to Kauai before and Waimea Canyon but so many years ago we hardly remember. We enjoyed two amazing hikes on the Awa’Awapuhi Trail and the Nu’alolo trails which afforded us incredible views and were DRY!!!  That side of the island is much drier and has no mud slogs :) They both came with some decent elevation gain to earn those vantage points. 


We also took advantage of the transportation and went to….. Ta-Da: Laundromat Express -YAHOOOOOO!! Laundry had not been done in 3 weeks- how fantastic! For whatever reason, Hanalei Bay has everything you need including a post office but does not have a gas station or a place to do laundry.  Additionally, our transportation allowed us to get propane and dinghy gas replenished, oh yeah, and a short Costco trip! Another great venture was a splendid walk on the 7-mile paved path in Kapa’a with spectacular shoreline views. We even walked some it again to make our prosecco and hammock time feel earned afterward.


Now we are awaiting a weather window to sail back to Oahu. When I say back it is because I mean it is upwind sail heading East. The trade winds are intense this week at 25-30 knots and so we are looking for something a bit more mellow since that kind of wind on the nose (bow) so to speak means not moving very fast, very uncomfortable ride, beating up your boat a bit, and lots of tacking. We would like teens - gust in low 20’s. This upcoming Saturday/Sunday has potential. 


The anchorage also is thinning out. Some of our cruising friends that had itineraries of sailing to the Aleutian Islands, Oregon and California have all left! We are tracking them all on their Predict Wind trackers, many have the Iridium Go. It is fun to see other folks’ trackers and their postings. Despite all their different destinations, the one goal on every return that way north is to skirt around the Pacific High on its top/north side and catch the westerlies (range between 30-60 degrees latitude) eventually. It is like a moving bowl of jello but inside that big blob is NO wind! So it is most ideal to avoid otherwise your trip could be VERY long and most folks do not carry that much fuel just to motor through on such a long journey. Best case scenario for S. Ca and Aleutians which are shorter destinations 2 weeks but most others to Mainland Alaska and Pacific NW 3-4 weeks. 


Nuff’ said for now! The next stop after this Oahu and Soulstice will be put in a slip in Ko Olina Marina. 








North coast of Molokai





Yummy spring roll dinner night

Beach at Hanalei Bay
Stephen, Ron on SV Mar de Luz and Rusty on SV Pitu chatting at Farmers Market
Hanalei Farmer's Market


Nice soccer field next to market- These kids will have a hard time playing elsewhere
Serious Cpt. Steve in Hanalei Bay
"I love my boat life"



N. shore Molokai - late entry


Taro fields Hanalei
Alise Robertson:) 
Lincoln and Alise
Adam, Lincoln & Alise - dinner in Hanalei
Fledgling Albatross- they are often found in Kauai by the windward coast
Returning under head lamp to get paddleboards so we can paddle back to Soulstice in the night
dragon fruit and sour sop ( our Favorite!!!)
He loves to grill!
Carolyn, Greg ( Locales) and Mike from SV Easy

Napoli Coast - Rusty graciously took us down coast on his 53ft Amel Super Maramu




Hike in Hanalei eating strawberry guava



View of Hanalie Bay from local hike at elevation



Hawaiian Nenes
 

Camp fires on Hanalei Beach
Walking trail at Kapa'a

Na Pali coast hike- Waimea Canyon
Saimen at Wongs with hot sauce
Nu'alolo cliff trail

check out the reef








Malasada yummy!!
Awa'awapuhi trail








Rainbow Eucalyptus



So this was posted late due to no Wifi and icloud not updated for > a month.... One more Hawaii post to go

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