It is the evening of July 26th, and we are just about to enter the doldrums. As I look out at the ocean, it’s totally calm. There’s no wind to be found. The water is flat and looks almost like glass. It is just beautiful. In fact, here in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I’ve just witnessed one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. (I’ll have a photo posted soon.) Continue reading Observations on the Open Ocean
Winds at 20-25 knots added to the excitement of the first day of our South Sea adventure. Cutting through the waves as we sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge into the howling wind made for some really wild sailing.
Els said it best: “Sam, you finally get a chance to see some real sailing by the Double X.” Continue reading We’re Off, Powered by Friendship
The Double X crew officially set sail for the South Seas on July 16, 2016, passing under the Golden Gate Bridge at precisely 12:30 p.m. It has taken over two years of preparation and a healthy dose of persistence, but it has been worth all the hard work. In fact, it’s nothing short of a dream come true. Continue reading Ready. Set. Sail.
It’s hard to believe, the first leg of the Double X journey, crossing the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to the Marquesas Islands, is just three days away. I expect it will take us about three weeks to cross the ocean, but with all the wild weather these days, it’s tough to predict just how long it will be before we arrive. Continue reading Eating Our Way Across the Pacific
We left Newport Beach on June 14th to motor up the coast to San Francisco for our departure to the South Seas on July 16th. Typically, the wind whips straight down the coast, so you need to motor up to make any progress at all. (If we sailed up, we would probably still be out there.) Continue reading A Tough Motor to San Francisco