Wednesday July 30, 2008 - PM Update

7/30/08 - 8:30 PM
Latitude: 25.51 min (25.85)
Longitude: -151.52 min (-151.8667)
DTF: 471
SOG: 3.9
Course:230

The winds have been light today but Ruben still got in 37nm, which is a total of 77 miles in a 24 hours period. Not bad for a cute little boat, in the middle of the ocean, with a broken arm!

Ruben's a little tired, still sunburned and still looking forward to getting to Hanalei.

Keep him in your thoughts and prayers!

Note from the Home Crew:

A few of you "non-sailor" folks have asked us what the DTF and SOG stand for in the position reports. So, for those of you that don't know...

DTF = Distance to Finish
The number of miles Ruben & Sparky have remaining to get to Hanalei

SOG - Speed Over Ground
The speed Ruben & Sparky are traveling, reported in knots. (1 knot = 1.151 Miles Per Hour)

-hc

Wednesday July 30, 2008 - AM Report

Sparky 7/30/08 @ 8:00am
Latitude 26.8 minutes (26.1333)
Longitude: -151.15 minutes (-151.25)
Course: 230
DTF: 508
SOG: 4.9 !!!!

Ruben is kicking some butt! Last night he made 40nm towards Hanalei!

He can't talk long anymore, but he's making great progress. The only misfortune is he didn't sleep last night because of a horrible sunburn on his back. He found the Aloe Vera and is going to take it easy today.

-hc

Tuesday July 29, 2008 - PM Update

Sparky @8:23PM 7/29/08
Longitude: 26.26 minutes (26.4333)
Latitude: -150.36 minutes (-150.6)
SOG 3.9 knots
Course: 235
DTF: 548

Ruben woke up this morning and swears he had the best breakfast that he’s had in month! He had dried eggs and ham and some good instant coffee. Breakfast of champions!

The sun has been out for a couple of days which is brightening his spirits! Well, actually…that’s not all that’s brightening his spirits!

Today was the launch of phase two of his new jury rig. He topped his current rig by opening up the mangled, squished portion of the piece of mast he was using for phase one, and inserting the twisted, crooked, piece of what’s left of a spinnaker pole. He then ran a jib halyard up the pole.

The successful, phase two, is now 8 to 9 feet tall running twin headsails. While talking to him on the phone tonight, he hit the downside of a swell at 6.6 knots! His speed is ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 knots.

Tonight he’s ingeniously formulating the next phase of his creation which will get him closer to Hanalei Bay! While devising his plan he is thinking about Synthia’s comment to him when the mast came down, “you’re a single handed sailor, so you’ll figure it out!” – thanks Synthia!

Today he enjoyed the company of two 3 foot long shark looking fish who stayed on his bow. He named them George and Gracie. These friends will join the military ball named “Kermit” which he found on the first week of his trip.

He’s so excited about his journey now. Tomorrow he might follow the advice of our friends Karen and Bill and actually throw the hook out!

***

What a stud! If anyone can overcome this situation and finish strong, it's going to be Ruben. I'm grinning from ear-to-ear as I write this - I'm proud of his ingenuity and happy to hear about his progress. He's motivating me!! What an inspiration you are Ruben. Keep going!!! We're all rooting for you! R-u-b-e-n! R-u-b-e-n! R-u-b-e-n! -Mike Munn

Comments and well wishes for Ruben can be emailed to sparkysfo@gmail.com

-hc

Tuesday July 29, 2008 - AM Report

Good morning. We are so proud and excited for Ruben. His coordinates this morning are:

Sparky @10:35am 7/29/08
Longitude: 26.42 minutes (26.7)
Latitude: -150.01 minutes (-150.01667)
SOG: 2.9 knots
Course: 238
DTF: 582

In a 24 hour period Sparky has gone 59 miles!! Yesterday at 8:00am his DTF was 641. Last night he didn't get much rest. The boat is rocking more than before and there are still pieces of his rigging on the deck making noise. Today he plans to clean that up, and work on a new solution using the larger piece of his mast - which may reduce some of the rocking.

He was excited to see what he can accomplish with more sail area today. At his current rate he could make it there by August 6th or 7th! Wow - he never ceases to amaze us!

Time on the SAT phone is now being rationed because the generator fuel is almost gone. We won't hear from him again until tonight's check-in.

Many of you have asked how to help, please keep the emails and encouragement coming! It's giving him strength! We shared a couple more emails this morning with him from Mike Munn and his brother - thank you! It means so much to him to hear who's following and cheering for him. Keep him in your thoughts and prayers...

***

Comments and well wishes for Ruben can be emailed to sparkysfo@gmail.com

Monday July 28, 2008 - PM Update

PM Update

7/28/08 22:30
Longitude: N26.46 minutes (26.7667)
Latitude: W-149.33 minutes (-149.55)
Average speed: 2.3 knots
Course: 235
DTF: 608 nm

Ruben will be in Hanalei Bay and will finish this race. Today he was able to rest, regroup, eat, and regain his determination. His current rigging is moving him in a steady course with an average of about 2.5 knots and hopefully 50 plus miles a day. At this rate we’re hoping to reach Hanalei bay within 12 days or better.

With the hope of increasing his speed, tomorrow he plans to replace the current jury rig with the larger portion of his mast which is approximately 12 feet high. He’s feeling better and his spirits are high.

This afternoon he was able to regain communication with his friend, Chris Humann which was encouraging and, as always, Chris was unselfishly supportive. Chris and Ruben have worked out a communication schedule via the SAT phone until the SSB antenna is stabilized. He also hopes to speak to Ken Roper (The General) this evening, who also lost his rig in 2004 and finished the race. He’s commented many times on the inspiration that Ken brings, and is looking forward to the conversation, encouragement, and the amazing amount of experience that Ken can advise him with. He also has heard the love and support from the fleet, friends and family which has meant so much to him and is providing him strength and energy to keep going.

He has plenty of food and water, the only concern is the fuel for his generator. His solar panel is charging the battery, but he’s using the generator for the SAT phone. So he plans to try and conserve the fuel and will limit communication to just reporting coordinates and hopefully short log reports.

Thank you for everyone’s support! His father said the following about Ruben during his qualifier -
“Ruben is tough as nails and when he makes up his mind about doing something, he will do it”.

Monday July 28, 2008

From Ruben's shore contact, Robbie:
Ruben flies his spinnaker and hand steers from the am, to the pm check-in, then puts up the twins at night. He's done this daily from the first day he was downwind. Today he decided to take a break and put up twin head sails during the day. In the early afternoon he hoisted and reefed his mainsail (in addition to the twins) to increase his speed. At about 11:45am, pacific time there was a gust of wind, he rounded up, and the mast broke 2 to 3 feet above the boom gooseneck. Fortunately there were no holes in the boat or in Ruben. It took him several hours to retrieve the mast and rigging from the water.

After spending time bobbing around, he's managed to use the bottom portion of the mast and the lower shrouds, forestay, and a halyard on the stern to jury rig a new mast. Using his jib, he's able to steer a steady course going between 1.8 and 3.5 knots.

He said the mess on his boat is unbelievable and is doing his best to clean it up. He's tired, but now with the new rig he's feeling better.

***

The Home Crew will post any updates on the situation as soon as we have them.

-hc

Thursday July 24, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 29 37 N 141 81 W
Distance to finish: 1046!!!
Speed: 5.5 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 29 03 N 142 83 W
Distance to finish: 990
Speed: 5.0 knots

This just in…Ruben is halfway to Hanalei!!!
The Home Crew was surprised with a phone call from Ruben this morning announcing that he had reached the halfway point!!! (Can you hear us cheering? We are...very loud!!!)

Ruben's Report:
Ruben said that he woke up this morning to find a few (really tiny) flying fish on Sparky’s deck. He snapped a few pictures before he flicked them back into the water. He said he is surprised that he has not seen more sea life, but there is still plenty of ocean left to cross so he will be keeping his eyes open. He said that just for fun he is getting creative with his food, then mentioned something about a mixture of chili beans and Vienna sausages? (Whatever floats his boat, right? – definite pun intended!) He assured us again that he still has plenty of food. He said he has been eating and enjoying the jerky everyday! (Thanks Mom & Dad!)

The weather and water are getting warmer, he's starting to hit that "pineapple express", and still sailing the boat "like it was stolen" (as one of his fellow competitors have commented).

Your thoughts, support, energy and love are very much felt by the skipper, in that little boat, in middle of the ocean! So, please keep those comments coming! (Click here to add a comment now.)


Fleet Report:
Dogbark finished at 9:04 this morning.

(Ankle Biter) Every day, Hanalei is a little bit closer!

-hc

Wednesday July 23, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 30 38 N 139 85 W
Distance to finish: 1163
Speed: 4.7 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 29 82 N 140 78 W
Distance to finish: 1106
Speed: 5.8 knots

Ruben's Report:
Ruben was so excited to hear that he's in today's Lectronic Latitude! (Check it out here)

Ruben’s spirits were much higher today, although he is a little upset that he has had to begin rationing some of his favorite foods such as the chili beans and fruit cocktail (but he assures us that he still has plenty of other food). Black Feathers and Carroll E are both ahead of Sparky, so he is trying to take every advantage to catch up. There was steady wind today – so Sparky was able to make up some miles.

Ruben expects to hit halfway early tomorrow and said he will take pictures of his halfway party. He is hoping to make it to Hanalei by either the 1st or 2nd.

He said that he loves getting the comments from the website!
So keep those comments coming! (Click here to add a comment now.)

Fleet Report:
(Alchera) I'm definitely looking forward to finishing the race though, and then hanging out under 'the tree' and greeting each of the skippers as they arrive each day. Should be another 2-3 days roughly. I hope I cross the finish in the daylight - anchoring in beautiful Hanalei Bay with its backdrop of mountains, rainbows, and waterfalls is a sight not to miss.

-hc

Tuesday July 22, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 31 43 N 138 15 W
Distance to finish: 1267
Speed: 6.0 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 30 85 N 138 85 W
Distance to finish: 1221
Speed: 5.5 knots

Ruben's Report:
Ruben is doing okay. He was feeling a bit frustrated - first by the lack of wind, and then by too much wind today. This resulted in a couple events while flying the spinnaker - but he recovered and everything is fine. He's flying twin headsails now for a while and looking forward to reaching the halfway point soon.

Fleet Report:
(Wildflower) Post rollcall chat was off the mark last night, with a discussion how best to dispatch a chicken for the cooking pot. Perhaps there is a need to schedule an appointment with the fleet psychiatrist.

(Carroll E) All's well among the flock. The "small" boats are all huddled within a 20 mile radius, herded by the crook and allure of the rhumb line. The menacing star has started making its regular appearances, boosting general crew morale as well making significant contributions to the electron bank and solar shower.

-hc

Monday July 21, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 32 37 N 136 78 W
Distance to finish: 1352
Speed: 2.5 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 31 95 N 137 58 W
Distance to finish: 1305
Speed: 4.1 knots


Ruben's Report:
Ruben checked in with the Home Crew personally this morning and he sounded great! He said that the wind had died down quite a bit, but he was staying positive and pressing on towards Hawaii…albeit slowly for now.

Fleet Report:
(Ankle Biter) Day ten and I'm not even halfway yet. I'm in good company, too. Oooooh, boy. Will this be a twenty-day SHTP for me?

(Alchera) The boats further back in the fleet are seeing the lighter winds, and aren't happy about it. Poor Sparky reported he was only doing 2.5 knots at the checkin this morning.

-hc

Sunday July 20, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 32 62 N 135 53 W
Distance to finish: 1416
Speed: 5.1 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 32 43 N 136 42 W
Distance to finish: 1371
Speed: 4.2 knots


Ruben's Report:
Week 1 is now complete and Ruben is doing great. He had a late night sail change at 2:00 am - but was up early enjoying a cup of coffee and oatmeal this morning. He is looking forward to the half way mark which is now just a day or two away!! Hooray!!!

Fleet Report:
(Feral) There are no boats in sight right now. He enjoyed being in sight of Sparky and felt Ruben is quite an excellent sailor and has done well in this race!

(Warriors Wish) If you ever wonder why we do this stand beside me tonight. The moon has risen high above the clouds, its light dancing off the waves. The big dipper hangs directly above me as the wind and waves push me on my way to Hanalei Bay.

-hc

Saturday July 19, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 33 33 N 133 40 W
Distance to finish: 1533
Speed: 5.5 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 32 82 N 134 50 W
Distance to finish: 1470
Speed: 5.3 knots


Ruben's Report:
Ruben is doing great. He has really enjoyed hearing all the comments and well wishes left for him on sparkysfo.com. He says that it lifts his spirits and is very encouraged to hear about all the people rooting for him.

Message from the Home Crew:
Keep those comments coming! You can submit your comments and well wishes by going to: http://www.sparkysfo.com/comments/
Please feel free to submit comments as often as you want! We will continue to make sure Ruben gets them while he is out there.


Fleet Report:
(Ankle Biter) Regarding winning...anybody that prepares their boat as thoroughly as you have to do, to do this race....anybody who gets on board and sails alone from San Francisco to Hawaii is a winner.

(Feral) It is a glorious day today and Tom said it makes you want to just stick around and savor the beauty, but he does need to get to Hawaii. He saw Sparky last night, so they chatted on the radio. He said it felt great to do that! Sparky had a bit of a challenge of its own last night, as Ruben found himself bailing out 30 gallons of water that had come in over Sparky's bow. Tom thinks all is fine now. Both tried to keep a watch on each other's boat last night, but it was hard to wake up at the right time to accomplish that fully, due to tiredness.

-hc

Friday July 18, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 34 50 N 131 18 W
Distance to finish: 1660
Speed: 5.7 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 33 75 N 132 25 W
Distance to finish: 1595
Speed: 6.1 knots


Ruben's Report:
Ruben is doing great! He is starting to feel the competition heat up, especially between Sparky, Feral and Carroll E. He is flying the spinnaker as much as possible and seems to be on a regular schedule now for sleeping and eating.

Ruben and Sparky are feeling good!


Fleet Report:
(Carroll E) ... Back to the pursuit of those elusive "small" boats. Happy Friday.

(Feral) ... Tom notes that now Sparky and Carroll E claim they are ahead of him...he respectfully thinks in fact that the opposite is true. There's a definite competitive spirit lurking beneath his recent, difficult and annoying preoccupations of the day.

-hc

Thursday July 17, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 35 63 N 129 13 W
Distance to finish: 1777
Speed: 5.9 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 34 92 N 130 05 W
Distance to finish: 1723
Speed: 6.0 knots

Ruben's Report:
Said that he got a good amount of sleep and that he feels great. He has continued to fly the spinnaker and is cruising right along (quite fast at times) giving the other boats a run for their money!

Fleet Report:
(Feral) Though he can't see them, he knows Sparky is just ahead and that Carroll E is just behind, trying hard to creep up on him. He heard Christian asking for a repeat of Feral's coordinates several times on the radio. So the "arch enemies" are closing in on each other.

-hc

Wednesday July 16, 2008

Daily Check-In Position Reports

AM
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 36 63 N 126 78 W
Distance to finish: 1905
Speed: 5.8 knots

PM
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 35 98 N 127 78 W
Distance to finish: 1848
Speed: 5.7 knots

Ruben's Report:
He reports that he is doing fine. There was more good wind today and he flew the spinnaker for about 3 hours. (Oh, and Sparky and Kermit are good too.)

Fleet Report:
(Ragtime!) The competition is just as intense in the back of the fleet, with the slowest boats working hard to eek out gains. Since we're racing on handicap, It is quite possible that one of the slowest boats will win overall. For example, I need to finish 97.2 hours before Sparky to beat him. Similarly, Dogbark needs to finish 105.4 hours before Ragtime! to correct out ahead.

(Carroll E) The "little" boats (i.e. Sparky, Feral and Black Feathers) are moving along the course nicely, causing concern among the "bigger" boats in the division.

-hc

Tuesday July 15, 2008

Daily Check-In

Sparky
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 37 37 N 125 17 W
Distance to finish: 1993
Speed: 4.3 knots

Sparky
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 36 87 N 125 68 W
Distance to finish: 1960
Speed: 4.1 knots

After Ragtime! reported that "Sparky picked up a military-looking ball from the water. The General suggested he NOT pull the pin. Several assured him it was not a prized glass fishing float." The home crew asked him to share a little more information about the infamous "ball"...

Ruben reports:
He found the ball before this mornings check in and the whole fleet all had a good chuckle when he told them about it. He said the ball looks like a frog, so he named it "Kermit". He said he's enjoying talking to Kermit and Sparky, and it sounds like they are having some great conversations! He reports that he has also been singing. (Which is comforting to the home crew to hear since Ruben has a tendency to sing when he is happy and things are going well.)
The winds are steady now and he's moving at a good pace. Last night he got about 4 hours of sleep. He's really happy to have the Navik Windvane, as he has not had to steer at all. In fact, he says that the windvane is so reliable he has put away the autopilot completely. He spent the day today organizing his cabin. He says that he is missing his friends and family and today it dawned on him how much further he has to go! He is doing great and is really getting into the groove of things.


Fleet Reports:
(Feral) For the first time, Feral has finally had favorable winds for Hawaii. This has lasted several hours. For most of the day Feral and Sparky sailed very close to each other. It still doesn't feel like Hawaii weather; it is cold, drizzly and seas "lumpy". In fact, he said it felt much like sailing on the San Francisco Bay, except you are far out in the ocean.


-hc

Monday July 14, 2008

Daily Check-In

Sparky
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 37 30 N 124 20 W
Distance to finish: 2035
Speed: 3.3 knots

Sparky
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 37 25 N 124 67 W
Distance to finish: 2013
Speed: 1.5 knots

Ruben reports:
"Winds are fluky but I'm having a great time. I'm so excited to be out here. So far all I've seen is Jellyfish. Today the seas were like a mirror with no wind."


Fleet Reports:
(Feral) At night you can see the lights of competitor boats and they have all frequently communicated with each other... Earlier, Sparky came up almost next to the Feral.


-hc

Sunday July 13, 2008

Daily Check-In

Sparky
Time: 0900
Lat/Long: 37 57 N 123 37 W
Distance to finish: 2078
Speed: 4.0 knots

Sparky
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 37 43 N 123 97 W
Distance to finish: 2048
Speed: 1.7 knots

Ruben reports that there is no wind and that there are really big jellyfish everywhere! He enjoyed the Curry Chicken he had for dinner. He is having so much fun listening to the fleet on the SSB. He said that Ken "The General" Roper (Harrier) is hilarious and has kept them laughing all day.


-hc

Saturday July 12, 2008

Evening Check-In

Sparky
Time: 2100
Lat/Long: 37 62 N 122 80 W
Distance to finish: 2106
Speed: 3.1 knots


Fleet Report:
Lots of marine life around the islands with many sightings of humpbacks, sea lions, seals, seabirds and near the main ship channel a lot of very large jellyfish. - Dogbark

Forecast for tomorrow: Light winds

-hc

Saturday July 12, 2008

And He’s Off!

He did it! Ruben set sail at 12:15 pm today and has successfully started the 2008 Singlehanded Transpac! The day was both emotional and exciting for Ruben. As what up until now had just been a dream, suddenly became reality.

The race got started in mild winds off the Corinthian Yacht Club race deck as scheduled. Bagpipes played as each boat was towed out to the start. The gun was fired, and before long, Sparky and the 21 other boats in the fleet had worked their way out past the Golden Gate Bridge and were officially on their way to Hanalei!

-hc

Friday July 11, 2008

The Eve of the Race

After attending the Skippers Meeting, Ruben spent a majority of the afternoon attending to last minute details and final adjustments. Loading and stowing all his food, water and other supplies into Sparky’s already cramped cabin required careful planning and strategy. Two members of Ruben’s “home crew” drove out to say hello and were able to lend a hand by running errands to pick up a few last minute supplies.

Tomorrow is the big day…

-hc

June 1, 2008

Following My Dreams

Hanalei Bay, Kauai is my favorite place on earth (no joke), and to have an opportunity to arrive by sail via a sailboat race is too amazing! That said, the reality of wanting to participate in this event has been about the preparation, as just wanting to go is not enough. This process is proving to be an incredible life changing experience, and the race hasn’t even started yet…or has it?

Thankfully, I’m sailing a humble good old boat that keeps things simple. The boat was built for midget offshore racing back in 1962. Yes, the boat has been around longer than me, but she is strong, capable, beautiful, and an absolute joy to sail! I believe I may be the “slowest rated” boat in the fleet, but with new Pineapple sails and a sprayed racing bottom, I’ll sail Sparky as fast as I possibly can - watch out Chris Humann! In all seriousness, I am very much looking forward to having this sailing/life experience knowing that I am following my dreams, wherever they may take me.

-Ruben