Experiences Forge Expertise
- Ingrid Molitor
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Before diving into the meaning behind the title, Hazel has a handful of refit updates officially completed.
Hazel now has an outdoor shower, which will make self care easier and far more enjoyable for the crew. With any luck it might even inspire Peter to embrace a higher frequency of personal hygiene. Hazel certainly appreciates being kept fresh and scent free.
Hazel is proud to announce that the new head is fully installed. If you have followed the blog, you already know this upgrade is the single biggest improvement for crew comfort and hygiene. The new system is a Jabsco electric flush with a built in macerator. The plumbing and hose routing proved challenging and eventually required a redesign to shorten the runs and increase their diameter. The goal was simplicity, and the result is a major win.
The five gallon bucket will remain aboard as a backup in case a future technical issue arises.
Hazel traveled from Ko Olina Marina to Ke’ehi Marine Center for mast removal. You might wonder why she went four miles offshore and essentially made a large U. The United States Government restricts a significant area around the airport and Pearl Harbor. Under normal conditions you are not allowed to enter these waters. In an emergency you would be permitted, but during routine sailing you must remain approximately three to three and a half miles offshore.
On the way to Honolulu, Hazel was greeted by ARM Cuauhtémoc, the Mexican Navy’s primary sail training tall ship. She is a three masted barque known as Mexico’s Ambassador and Knight of the Seas. She was sailing Hawaiian waters with 280 cadets, serving as a floating naval academy where they learn seamanship, navigation, leadership, and teamwork. She also acts as a goodwill ambassador, visiting ports around the world to share Mexican culture and diplomacy. Since entering service she has sailed hundreds of thousands of nautical miles and circled the globe multiple times.
After about four and a half hours on the water, Hazel reached the mouth of Kalihi Channel. The entrance into Honolulu was dramatic due to large swells from an offshore tropical storm. On both sides of the channel, waves of four to six feet crashed only fifty yards away. The depth drops quickly from about sixty feet to nine, creating ideal surf conditions. Several wave runners were towing surfers into the big swells. I was too focused on steering Hazel through the entrance to take photos, but you can imagine the scene
Preparing for mast removal is no simple task. First, all stays and furlers that support the mast must be loosened. Then every safety pin securing the standing rigging must be pulled. When the moment comes to lift the mast, the final pin on each rigging and furling member is removed. Hazel has nine standing rigging cables. Inside the mast are all the electrical wires and halyards that raise and lower the sails. As shown in the photos, every wire must be disconnected and later reconnected when the mast is re stepped.
Pulling a mast is a detailed process that requires an experienced crew and trained marine specialists. My crew was led by a foreman named Paul, my namesake. He was a classic foreman, barking orders and yelling at everyone, yet clearly loved by his team. He has a big bark and a small bite, and he is never without a cigar. Of all the men working at the marine center, all but two were wearing Red Wings. I thought that was pretty great.
As you can see, Hazel’s progress continues and many of the refit projects from the last blog are underway.
However, we may need to pause some of the work for the next two days. A tropical storm, possibly strengthening into a hurricane, is headed toward the Hawaiian Islands. The photo below shows the severity of what is approaching. I spent much of the day preparing Hazel for the weather. I hope the storm changes course, but if it does not, Hazel is ready. I would always prefer to be at sea under sail rather than tied to a dock, but without a mast we have no choice.
I agree the shower and head upgrade are game changers. I hope you are safe with the current weather conditions in Hawaii.
"Then all you have, see, is the experiences. That's all there is Johnny...everything...the Experiences" Grandpa Gustafson Grumpy Old Men
Out door Shower is Brilliant Mon
Love the labeling PERFECT