Quick update + Q&A

As we continue pressing south toward Panama, Hazel currently has Belize off her starboard side and the Cayman Islands off her port. For the past 24 hours we have been sailing on either a close beam reach or a beam reach. In sailor speak, that means the wind is hitting the port side of the boat at roughly a 90 degree angle. I have included a visual for those who prefer pictures over jargon.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/9dc351_c89887e862334110be00de99e39f72f1/360p/mp4/file.mp4

The real complication is not the wind. It is the confused seas. A strong northern front is sending a swell down from the north, and it is colliding with the usual east southeast swell. When those two meet at just the wrong moment, both at their peak, they stack into a steep breaking mess that slams over Hazel’s bow and brings her nearly to a halt. Add in a stubborn one knot current pushing against us, and you can imagine how smooth and efficient is not the theme of the day. If conditions were always perfect, everyone would sail.

I pulled three questions from Ingrid’s list to answer today. If you have more, send them to her. She has kindly agreed to organize them so we can respond to what interests you most. And even though many of you are family and close friends, I will not reveal who asked what. No need to be shy.

Q & A

Why did you choose this trip in the first place?

The short version is that I have always wanted to attempt a global circumnavigation.

Growing up in Red Wing, you fall in love with the water early. I started on the Cannon River, exploring every bend with my best friend Chris Perkins. Later, my parents gave our family a boat and a boathouse, my gateway to the Mississippi. If you have followed this journey, you already know how deeply I love and respect that river.

Moving to California opened the door to ocean sailing and racing. Once you are in the Southern California sailing community, opportunities multiply fast. I was lucky enough to crew on several race teams. And trust me, when it comes to racing, you want to be crew, not the owner. Some captains would spend five thousand to twenty thousand dollars per race just on repairs afterward. They push their boats to the limit until something breaks.

My first serious offshore dream was the Transpacific Yacht Race, commonly known as the Transpac. It is a biennial race of about two thousand two hundred twenty five nautical miles from Los Angeles to Honolulu. But early in my career, taking a month off work was not an option. So I started smaller. I crewed Wet Wednesdays out of Long Beach Yacht Club, buoy races, three day offshore races, Newport to Ensenada, Long Beach to Manzanillo. As crew, you raced the boat to the destination, the captain hired someone else to bring it back, and we either drove or flew home.

So why this trip now? It is the culmination of all those building blocks. And I am a Viking. It is in my DNA.

Are you glad you are here in this exact moment?

In this exact moment, it is more no than yes. Because Hazel is on a beam reach in a consistent twenty five knots of breeze, she is heeled over almost to the gunnels. Imagine living in a small forty foot tube with everything tilted at twenty degrees. And that twenty degree angle is not consistent. It swings between ten and thirty degrees. Every simple task requires thought, preparation, and a plan for where your hands and feet will go so you do not end up on the floor.

Peter and I were doing general maintenance on the deck hardware yesterday. After eight to ten trips from the cockpit to the bow, we were exhausted. The physical toll makes you feel old fast. You should never take joy in someone else’s struggles, but sometimes watching Peter try to navigate inside Hazel has me laughing so hard I have tears in my eyes. I have never heard a man grunt so much, and the words that come out of his mouth when he gets slammed from side to side are something to behold. In the end, we both laugh because it makes you look completely incompetent.

What challenge has taught you something useful?

There is no one to call. There is no one coming to rescue you. There is absolutely no help. You are responsible. There is nowhere else to turn. It begins and ends with you. Of course, it goes without saying that God has His hand on Hazel and her crew. There is power and peace in that understanding.

The biggest lesson I have learned on Hazel is the ability to prioritize quickly. Everything has an order on a sailboat. You must understand that order and follow it. If you do not prioritize correctly, you will have significant problems.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/9dc351_4b07f1b0b0804a2bae6e3e6c1f6627e8/360p/mp4/file.mp4

Editors Note: We love to see your comments, please be sure to add your name to the username field so we know who you are! Furthermore, if you are looking to follow Hazel we use marinetraffic.com - updates are spotty, hopefully this link will follow you to her: https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:9108035/mmsi:368386380/imo:0/vessel:HAZEL