⚓️ Sailing Adventures, Part 2 of 2 ⛵️
I once owned a sloop,
and I sailed across the Pacific on one.
In August 1973, I sailed from Hawaii to Los Angeles on a 63' sloop. The crossing itself took 21 days without sight of land.
I recently wrote about two of my death-defying endeavors: Sky Diving Adventures (1972-1973) and Scuba Diving Adventures (1974). They were both short-lived experiences, each lasting only a few months.
I then started writing my slightly safer Sailing Adventures covering six years (1973-1978). They consist of two overlapping compilations of experiences:
⚓ My Own Sailboat ⚓️ (including stories from 1973-78) was covered in my last missive.
⛵️Crossing the Pacific⛵️ (including stories from May 1973 - July 1974) is featured in this missive.
⛵️ Prologue
It is a Saturday in late May 1973, a month after I purchased my 26’ sailboat with three guys. After a long afternoon of sailing, my boat partners and I go to the nearby Red Onion restaurant in King Harbor where there is live music and dancing and good food. It is the main spot south of Marina del Rey for the nautical crowd to hang out.
The Red Onion restaurant in King Harbor, Redondo Beach
There I meet the crew and skipper from a 63’ sloop named the Orient. They have been honing their racing skills in the San Pedro area that afternoon, training for the upcoming TransPac race from San Pedro to Hawaii. I am invited to join them the following day while they continue their racing.
It is an exhilarating experience for me to be in a sailing race on a large beautiful boat on Sunday. I find out more about the Orient and JB, her owner/skipper.
The Orient sailing off Southern California in the early 1970's. Its 81’ mast is much longer than the 63’ yacht.
JB is 33 years old (a year older than I), and he played pro-football for the San Diego Chargers before getting his law degree (it made more sense using his brains than his brawn). He made enough money early in his career by finding tax loopholes for wealthy clients so he could pursue his dream – to own a sailboat and race in the TransPac.
The Orient is berthed a half-hour north of me in Marina del Rey, and JB lives an hour further north in the San Fernando Valley with his wife and young daughter.
JB, owner and skipper of the Orient, in San Pedro in May 1973.
I also learn that after the race finishes, the boat will be staying in Hawaii for three weeks before it sails back to Los Angeles in early August with a smaller crew. I really would love to be on that return voyage, but I will not ask to be invited.
I run into JB and his crew again a couple of weeks later in the Red Onion, not long before the Orient races off across the Pacific on July 4. The crew has evidently put in a good word with JB about me, because he asks if I would like to sail back with them. I can help out in the galley, and I will also get more sailing experience.
I readily accept the invitation. The plan is for me to fly to Honolulu at the end of July, several days before the return voyage. The boat has to be provisioned, and a few days will be spent sailing the islands before leaving land behind. The return trip to Los Angeles is expected to take 20 days (unless we are caught in the doldrums* where we could get stuck for a couple of weeks or more). Thus, I plan on being gone for most of the month of August (or longer).**
* Maritime doldrums refer to a belt around the earth near the equator where sailing ships are often becalmed (stuck) on windless waters. In the portion of the Pacific between Hawaii and the mainland where we will be sailing on the return voyage, the doldrums are much worse during the month of August.
The more southerly TransPac route in July is in the trade winds zone and is not affected by the doldrums. (The trade winds or easterlies are the permanent east-to-west prevailing winds.)
** One of the benefits that I have working for The Aerospace Corporation is four weeks of paid leave each year (versus two weeks that most other companies offer). Thus, I won’t have to take much time off without pay.
In July, I fly with my 9-year-old son Mike to Michigan so he can stay with my parents for the remainder of the summer.
⛵️ The Orient
In her day, the Orient was a bona fide queen of the North American ocean racing circuit.
The Orient during the 1957 TransPac race, where she finished in 2nd place.
Sixty-three feet of sleek, traditional racing sloop,* she bears no resemblance to her counterparts in this modern age, but that beautiful dark blue hull once raced to victory after victory on both the East and West Coasts as well as the Great Lakes.
* A sloop is a sailboat with a single mast, typically having only one headsail, called either a foresail or jib, in front of the mast and one mainsail aft of the mast.
Technically, the Orient is a cutter as opposed to a sloop. In this modern idiom, a cutter is a sailing vessel with a single mast and more than one headsail. In addition to a jib sail, cutters carry a staysail directly in front of the mast, set from the forestay. A forestay is a stay (line or “rope”) from the top of the mast leading forward and down to support a ship's foremast.
The Orient and her sister boat, the 72’ yawl* Baruna, were designed by the illustrious Sparkman & Stephens. They were built of teak in Hong Kong in 1937, launched in 1938, and are both as exquisite a sailboat as one would ever hope to see.
* A yawl is a two-masted fore-and-aft-rigged sailboat with the mizzenmast stepped far aft so that the mizzen boom overhangs the stern.
The Orient and the Baruna both claimed illustrious racing careers on the East Coast. Both were sold to new owners in San Francisco in 1953, where they continued their duels and battles until each was sold to owners outside San Francisco – Orient in 1963 and Baruna in 1968.
If that wasn’t enough to tie them together, the owners of the two boats (Tim Moseley, Orient, and Jim Michael, Baruna) founded the Barient Winch Company in 1958 and introduced a revolutionary new line of sailboat winches* to the sailing world. The name of the new company was a combination of the two boat names: BARuna and OrIENT. Moseley had developed the winches using Orient as his guinea pig, rather successfully.
* A winch is a mechanism used to reel in, to let out, or otherwise adjust the tension of a rope, line, wire, or cable. Boats and ships make use of multiple winches to handle halyards* and sheets,** as well as anchor or mooring lines. The basic mechanism consists of a spool or winch drum to wind in and store the line.
* In sailing, a halyard or halliard is a line that is used to hoist a ladder, sail, flag or yard (a spar on a mast from which sails are set). The term halyard comes from the phrase, 'to haul yards.’
** A sheet is a line (rope, cable or chain) used to control the movable corner(s) (clews) of a sail. (For years, I mistakenly thought that a sheet was a sail.)
The company caught on fast and for many years Barient was the winch of choice for large racing yachts worldwide. The company has since been sold and put out of business by its new owners.
The Orient is a TransPac veteran who competed in five TransPac races prior to 1973.
The TransPac route from Los Angeles to Honolulu
On her first TransPac in 1955, she was dismasted on the first night out. She placed second in 1957, first in 1963, sixth in 1965, and fourth in 1967.
⛵️ TransPac 1973
On July 4, the Orient starts out in the 27th TransPac race at 1 pm off the Pt. Fermin buoy in Los Angeles Harbor with 58 other yachts. She has a crew of 14 including JB (Skipper), a navigator and a doctor.
On July 16 after 13 days at sea, the Orient crosses the finish line off Diamond Head on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, finishing 11th out of 14 in Division A.
The Orient crossing the finish line off Diamond Head on July 16, 1973
By 1973, the solid teak construction of the Orient makes it difficult for her to compete against the more-modern, light-displacement sailboats that are her main competitors in the race.
⛵️ Honolulu
⚓️ Arriving in Hawaii and Meeting the Crew
On Saturday, July 28, I fly to Honolulu and take a taxi to the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor where the Orient is moored.
JB is busy showing his wife around the island. She will not be sailing back with us, and will fly to Los Angeles that afternoon.
I meet the other four return-trip crew members, and I find, much to my surprise, that I know one of them from earlier in the year. I met Stretch (so named because he is 6’ 7” and slender) earlier that year in March at a St. Patrick’s Day party.
The other three are Nav (the Navigator), Billy (the First Mate), and Jimmy. Nav and Billy crewed on the race over to Hawaii.
Top left: The Orient docked at the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor in Honolulu.
Top right: Crew and visitors partying aboard the Orient in the evening. In the rear are Skipper, Mickie Rothschild* and Stretch; two of the visitors in the front are playing a harmonica and guitar.
* Mickie Rothschild is one of the females who visits the boat frequently while it is docked in Honolulu for three weeks. I could write a whole missive about her alone. She had been married to John Rothschild, a grandson of the New York Rothschild family. Mickie is attracted to Stretch and really wants to sail back with us. Her only problem is that she has a young son that she can’t leave behind. I get to know Mickie well when she comes to Manhattan Beach with her son later that year and moves in with Stretch.
Center: Mickie and the Skipper at the party.
Lower right: On board the Orient in the harbor. Two visitors are on the left with Jimmy, one of the return crew.
Lower left: Two visitors on board the Orient in the harbor.
⚓️ The Other Girls
I learn that when the TransPac yachts arrive in Honolulu, the harbor is swarmed by girls and guys who want to see all of the boats and try to hitch a ride back to the mainland on one. By the time I get there, five girls have already been selected by the crew to sail back with us. Nav has latched on to Debbie; the other four are Patti, Kathy, Claudia and Paula. The full crew complement is now eleven, consisting of five guys and six girls.
⚓️ Provisioning the Boat
The plan is to spend three days provisioning the boat for the return trip. Then we will depart Honolulu and sail the islands for several days before leaving for the mainland.
I am the only female who has previously been invited along, and I am also about ten years older than the other girls; thus it is no surprise that I am put in charge of the galley and of the girls – naturally, females are expected to do the cooking. Besides, the other girls have no sailing experience and have to contribute somehow.
I spend the next three days planning menus, shopping for groceries, and loading everything into the small refrigerator, freezer and cupboard spaces in the tiny galley.
⚓️ The Islands
Once we depart Honolulu, we will sail east for two days between the islands of Molokai and Lanai to the port town of Lahaina on the island of Maui.
Map of the Hawaiian Islands showing the key locations during our time there
We will relax for two days in Lahaina and then leave land behind, spending twenty days or more days at sea before landing in Marina del Rey in Los Angeles.
⚓️ The Knockdown
Two days before I arrived in Honolulu, the Orient participated in a race between Oahu and Kauai in order to get the new crew shaped up for the return trip to the mainland. During the race, the boat had taken a knockdown!*
* A knockdown occurs when a sailboat lays over far enough to put the mast in or beneath the water. This usually happens when the boat is caught abeam by a large wave, which is a condition to avoid if at all possible. Most sailboats will quickly recover from a knockdown once the wave has passed. If the mast goes too far into the water, the boat could capsize from the weight of the water in the sails and/or the mast could break.
Fortunately, the Orient’s mast had not dipped too deeply into the water, and none of the crew had gone overboard or had been injured.
⚓️ The Stipulation
The Skipper announces one stipulation for the voyage – once we leave Honolulu, no booze nor drugs of any kind are allowed on board for the safety of all. Thus, we had better get our partying out of the way in Honolulu or when we are ashore in Lahaina.
⚓️ The Sailing Plan
If we sail on a straight line to Los Angeles, we will be beating* into the wind all of the way back, requiring us to maintain course by constantly tacking.* This route will require more effort and discomfort for us to get there than our alternative plan.
* Beating is the procedure by which a ship moves on a zig-zag course to make progress directly into the wind (upwind). No sailing vessel can move directly upwind (though that may be the desired direction). Beating allows the vessel to advance indirectly upwind.
* Tacking is a sailing maneuver by which a sailing vessel, whose desired course is into the wind, turns its bow toward the wind so that the direction from which the wind blows changes from one side to the other, allowing progress in the desired direction.
The Skipper’s plan is to sail north/northeast to a latitude north of San Francisco, then come about (tack) once for the only time in the entire trip, and then sail in on a long reach* all the way to Los Angeles.
* A reach is when the wind is coming from the side of the sailing craft.
The lower route on the map is the actual course of the Orient from Los Angeles to Honolulu (13 days from July 4-16). The upper route is the actual course we took on our return crossing (21 days from August 6-26). It shows how, on our return, we sailed on a northeasterly course to a latitude north of San Francisco, came about once, and then sailed on a long reach all the way to LA. We were in the doldrums for 4½ days (August 19-24).
⚓️ Features of the Orient
At this point before we set sail, I need to pause and explain some details about the Orient.
⚓︎ Design Specs
⚓︎ LOA (length overall, length of the hull, including rear deck extensions): 63' 3’′
⚓︎ Beam (width at the widest point): 14′ 0″
⚓︎ Draft (the minimum depth you can safely take a boat without the bottom of the hull hitting the surface below the water): 8′ 6″
⚓︎ Design or Class: Cutter (see definition above)
⚓︎ Engines: 1 Perkins diesel, 85 horsepower
⚓︎ Designer: Sparkman & Stephens
⚓︎ Builder: Wing on Shing Shipyard, Hong Kong
⚓︎ Year Built: 1937
⚓︎ Space
The Orient is a racing boat and was designed as such. She is not like a motorized yacht with wide decks and large compartments below with lots of space. She is narrow and sleek with a width of 14’ at her widest point, and space above and below deck is limited.
⚓︎ Space Below Deck
⚓︎ Captain’s Quarters: There is a small enclosed area in the stern which can sleep two.
⚓︎ Galley: Unlike most sailboats, the galley (kitchen) is forward in the bow. It is tiny and cramped, and has barely enough space for two to work. A tether can be fastened between the ends in rough weather to keep the cook from being tossed around too much; this will leave your hands free to work, but it doesn’t look like it will offer much security or restraint. There is a hatch (an opening in the deck) above the galley with a transparent cover for lighting that can be opened fully or propped open at an angle to allow air in.
⚓︎ Main Cabin: Between the Captain’s Quarters and the galley is the main cabin, with two bunks stacked on each side and a foldable table in the middle with banquette seating below the bunks for ‘dining.’ The two cushioned dining benches can also be used for sleeping.
⚓︎ Sleeping Accommodations: So count them – there are sleeping spaces available for 8 people counting the 2 cushioned benches – and we are a total of 11. While we are in port, sailing between the islands or in the doldrums, many of us can lay out sleeping bags on deck. That will not be possible once we are under way on the open ocean.
⚓︎ Head:* There is a small head on the port side across from the Captain’s Quarters. The head also has a tiny shower.
* The head (pl. heads) is a ship's toilet. The name derives from sailing ships in which the toilet area for the regular sailors was placed at the head or bow of the ship.
⚓︎ Fresh Water:
There is a storage tank for fresh water. On the long voyage we are about to undertake, the fresh water has to be conserved for drinking; thus there will be no fresh water bathing or showers. Our bathing, if any, will be a swim in the ocean (if possible), or from a bucket of seawater raised from the ocean, or from rainfall (if we encounter any).
⚓︎ Engine & Fuel:
The Orient does have an engine and a limited amount of diesel fuel – enough to motor for roughly 4 days if there is no wind. We know that we will have to enter the area of the doldrums on our way home – we just don’t know how long we will be in them, nor if we have enough fuel to motor out. It is also nice to have some fuel remaining at the end of the voyage to motor into the dock. Another fuel item: since we are too large to dock in Lahaina’s harbor, we will be unable to take on any fuel
there.
⚓︎ Electric Power:
There are batteries* on board to run the refrigerator, freezer, lights, navigation equipment, etc. There is also a generator, which runs off of – you guessed it – fuel. The generator is used to recharge the batteries, if needed.
* It is important to note here that in order to conserve the ship’s batteries once we leave port (where there are electrical hookups), we are taught to only open the refrigerator and freezer when absolutely necessary, and then to keep them open for the minimum time needed. I call it the “Reach and Grab” technique.
⚓︎ Propane:
There is a propane tank for the stove with sufficient propane, the Skipper assures us, to last for the trip’s duration.
⚓︎ BBQ:
The Skipper brought along a small BBQ and a bag of charcoal to use on deck when we are in the doldrums and the boat won’t be rolling. We bought steaks for it, which we stored in the freezer.
⚓︎ Navigation:
GPS* does not yet exist in 1973. Near land, navigation can be accomplished using signals from shore-based radio beacons. Once we are at sea, we will have to rely on using a sextant to take measurements from the sun and moon and stars and manually compute our position (when and if the weather allows you to see them). That’s why we have a Navigator with us.
* The project to develop the Global Position System (GPS) was just being started by the U. S. Department of Defense in 1973. The first prototype spacecraft wasn't launched until 1978, and the full constellation of 24 satellites became operational in 1993. Originally limited to use by the U. S. military, civilian use was allowed from the 1980s.
While I was at The Aerospace Corporation, I worked with the engineers who were developing GPS, so I could understand how it could be used to aid our tactical military forces.
⚓︎ Communications:
The Skipper has recently installed a new communication system on board that should allow us to reach the mainland and connect to telephone lines there once we are three days out from Hawaii (18 days from home).
⛵️ Sailing to Lahaina
⚓️ Two Days from Honolulu to Lahaina
On August 1, four days after I arrived, we leave Honolulu and set sail for Lahaina on the island of Maui, two sailing days east. Lahaina will be the kicking off point for our return journey home.
Top: View of Diamond Head; the finish line of the TransPac is to the right of it.
Bottom left: First Mate Billy behind the Skipper, leaving Honolulu.
Bottom right: Offshore from Lahaina where we anchor for two nights.
We sail by Molokai and Lanai on our way, anchoring overnight off Lanai.
The following day, on August 2, we sail to the port town of Lahaina on the island of Maui, where we will layover for three days before we leave land behind for the next three weeks.
⚓️ Lahaina
The harbor in Lahaina is not large enough for us to pull into, so we anchor offshore. The small harbor also does not have a ferry service to take us ashore. The Orient does not carry a dinghy onboard, and obviously did not tow one on the TransPac race. So for the next three days we swim ashore, holding our clothing above our heads to keep them dry so we can change into them in town.
In 1973, Lahaina is a small town with its main street paralleling the water, and with not much to see or do. There is one decent bar on the water where we spend most of our time. We swim ashore in mid-morning and stay in town until the bar closes at 10 pm. There are crews from other boats that hang out in the bar also, and we manage to catch a ride back to the Orient on one of their dinghies each evening so we don’t have to swim back in the dark.
⛵️ The Watch Systems for the Return Voyage
⚓️ The Crew Watch System
For the safety of all, it is necessary on any sailing craft to have more than one person at or near the helm at all times, so that if anything goes wrong, there is someone else to help and/or take over. Because a ship needs to be manned 24 hours a day, the crew are split into two or more teams or watches* so that they can sleep and relax when not keeping watch. A typical watch system has the crew divided into four shifts* of six hours (six-on-six-off) during 24 hours.
* The periods of time or shifts spent at the helm are called watches.
The Skipper wants to use the Swedish Watch System, which has alternating shifts of four hours during the night (2000 – 0800 hrs) and six hours during the day (0800 – 2000 hrs). His only problem is that his crew consists of five guys, including himself, and it is very difficult to maintain any watch system with an odd number of crew.
His solution is simple – even though I have limited sailing experience (I have only owned my own boat for three months), the Skipper names me as the sixth crew member, thus creating the perfect Swedish Watch System. Each crew member will work a four-hour shift during the night and a six-hour shift during the day.
⚓️ Barbara’s Female Watch System
Being in charge of the girls, I am aware of two potential problems that I wish to prevent.
⚓︎ First, I noted earlier that the boat has maximum sleeping accommodations for eight without sharing the narrow bunks. If two crew members are on watch during the night, there wouldn’t be room for the other nine persons to be sleeping without somebody doubling up. So my solution is to have two girls always up on deck with the two crew members standing watch. They can bring them coffee and keep them company, thus making standing watch a much more enjoyable task.
⚓︎ Second, I wish to prevent any possible friction between the girls while we are living and working together in close quarters and under sometimes trying conditions. This is not just while we are on watch, but when we girls are slaving in the galley. We have to prepare and serve three meals a day, and clean up after each meal.
Thus, I set up my own Female Watch System, alternating the tasks done by each girl each day, and who they work with on each task. To make it easy for each girl to see what her duties are at any time, I have created three circular discs on sheets of paper; the inner two are attached to each other, and I rotate them each day by sixty degrees.
A girl has only to look my chart at any time to see what tasks for the day are assigned to her and who she will be working with on each task. For each meal, the two girls assigned will prepare and serve it, as well as do the clean-up afterward.
⛵️ Leaving the Islands - Last Sight of Land for 20 Days
⚓️ Leaving Lahaina
On Saturday, August 5, I call my son and parents in Michigan for the last time before we set out the following morning to leave the last land we will see for 20 days and head back to the mainland. I tell them that I should be able call again in three days using the Skipper’s new communications system.
It is a beautiful day in Lahaina on Sunday, August 6, with cloudless skies and a brisk breeze. At noon, we sail out into the Molokai Channel* with all sails set, and all hands on deck to wave goodbye.
* The Molokai Channel lies between the islands of Molokai and Oahu. Its maximum depth is 2,300 feet and it spans 26 miles. It has a reputation of being one of the toughest ocean channels in the world because of its usually strong winds, strong currents and large swells.
Within an hour, the winds have picked up to a roar, the boat is heeled way over, and the sails are straining hard on the mast. The Skipper makes the decision to head back to Maui so we can lower the sails under safer conditions.
We anchor offshore where the winds are not as bad, and safely drop the sails. Then we wait all afternoon for the winds to die down so we can leave once again.
⚓️ Second Try
The wind continues to blow hard all evening. The other five girls, who have lived in the islands for a while, all say, “The winds never die down in the Molokai Channel!”
At last, the Skipper decides that we have to leave since it doesn’t appear that it will ever get better, and at midnight we start out again – this time with only the mainsail up and tightly reefed.*
* Reefing is the means of reducing the area of a sail, usually by folding or rolling one edge of the canvas in on itself. The converse operation, removing the reef, is called “shaking it out.” Reefing allows the carrying of partial sail in strong winds, and is the primary safety precaution in rough weather.
Once again we are all on deck to say goodbye to the last land we will see. Skipper and Billy are both at the helm, I am seated with two girls on the starboard (right) side, and the three other girls are seated on the port (left) side.
It is a bit chilly in the dark with the strong wind, so I am wearing my only warm clothing (a lightweight ski jacket).
Everything is going OK, although I am not used to sailing in the middle of the night and in winds like this.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, OUT OF THE DARK FROM NOWHERE, AN ENORMOUS ROGUE WAVE* SWEEPS OVER THE STARBOARD BOW!
It picks me up along with the two girls sitting beside me, and tosses us on top of Skipper and Billy at the helm, totally drenching everyone onboard!
* Rogue waves (also known as freak waves, monster waves, episodic waves, killer waves, extreme waves, sneaker waves, and abnormal waves) are unusually large, unexpected and suddenly appearing surface waves that can be extremely dangerous, even to large ship such as ocean liners.
They present considerable danger for several reasons: they are rare, are unpredictable, may appear suddenly or without warning, and can impact with tremendous force.
Rogue waves are not necessarily the biggest waves found on the water; they are, rather, unusually large waves for a given sea state.
Fortunately, very fortunately, with Skipper and Billy both gripping the wheel, they are able to maintain control of the boat, and no one has been washed overboard or injured.
It takes the next couple of hours with both Skipper and Billy manning the helm until we are able to sail out of the Molokai Channel into open ocean, and the winds and seas calm down somewhat.
My only warm jacket never fully dried out over the next 20 days of our sailing.
⛵️ Heading North to San Francisco Latitude
Once we leave land and head north, the wind and waves increase. For the next eight days and nights, the boat is heeled over 45 degrees to the port (left) side and it is continually crashing bow-down into one huge wave and rising high on the next, over and over.
The other five girls are terribly seasick for the first three days, frequently vomiting and unable to lend any assistance! My Female Watch System is worthless!
Now, I am not only a full member of the crew sitting two watches a day for a total of ten hours at the helm, but I am also cooking three meals a day for eleven people!
Add to that the challenge of even cooking in the galley in the bow under these conditions! The galley is tiny and cramped, and a slave to every motion of the sea. The tether, which is fastened on each side of the galley to keep me from being tossed around, doesn’t offer much sense of comfort or stability. I distinctly recall trying to cook while being thrown around the space, bouncing off the cabinets for what seemed like hours.
The Nav (seated in the middle next to Skipper) has just spilled his plate of food all over the table and himself when the boat encountered a large wave. Patti (seated), Debbie and I are obviously enjoying the scene.
The table tilts with the boat’s roll in an attempt to stay level under sail. Note a bunk on the starboard (right) side and the galley in the bow behind me.
The galley also has no ventilation without propping up the edge of the hatch cover to let some air in. The problem with this is when a larger wave is encountered and water is washed over the bow, I am drenched when it comes splashing through on me.
Fortunately, I have never been seasick before nor since. Somehow I make it through these three days, and the other girls gradually recover and are able to start lending assistance.
I love sailing the boat under these conditions. I want to get all the sailing experience that I can, so during the day when I am not cooking and cleaning up, I spend as much time as possible on the wheel.
There is such a feeling of power to be at the helm of a large boat like the Orient in heavy seas, keeping it heeled over so far that the waves are just lapping over the gunwale, and realizing that you hold the lives of eleven people in your hands!
⛵️ Changing Course
⚓️ The Coming About Party
On the evening of the eighth day, we are planning on coming about in the morning and heading southeast on a long reach to LA. The Skipper has planned a celebration for this occasion – a Coming About Party!
We have not had any alcohol (or marijuana, for those who are so inclined) since leaving Lahaina. But Lo and Behold! The Skipper hauls out a couple of liters of wine that he has hidden away just for this occasion! 🍷
The watch crew is rotated frequently so all can partake, but there isn’t enough for anyone to over imbibe and be a danger at the helm.
We are all looking forward to the long reach after we come about in the morning, because we will no longer be heeled so far over and pounding into the waves.
⚓️ Coming About
On the morning of our ninth day at sea, we are all on deck as we come about and change direction toward the southeast. However, the winds and seas have changed during the night.
Instead of calmer sailing after we come about, for three days we are once again driving into the wind and seas, but heeling over 45 degrees the opposite way to the starboard side! It takes some time for our inner gyros to adjust to a 90-degree body alignment change. For a long while, we are all a bit groggy and are banging into walls and objects when we try to walk.
⛵️ The Long Reach
After three days beating hard southeast and heeled over the opposite way, the winds and seas die down, and we are finally sailing on our long reach to home. We have been at sea for eleven days so far.
⚓ Navigation
Everyday on the trip whenever possible, Nav gets out his sextant and shoots the sun at different times during the day, while his assistant Debbie writes down all of his readings. Afterward, they calculate our position in latitude and longitude. If the day is cloudy and the sun isn’t visible, they try using the sextant at night with the North star Polaris or the moon.
⚓ The Contest
At the beginning of the long reach, the Skipper announces a contest. Everyone will guess how far the boat will travel in the next four days. The winner gets his/her choice of wishes for a day (like not do galley duty or stand watch).
And the winner is… the Skipper, of course! He did study and select the route, and he does have the most experience with the boat.
⚓ Fishing
Nav is finally able to troll a fishing line and actually catches a beautiful three-foot mahi-mahi, which makes a welcome change to the dinner menu.
⚓ Lack of Communications
We have been at sea for twelve days now, and out of communication with the world for all of that time.
The Skipper’s new communication system that he installed, which should have allowed me to call my son after we were at sea for three days, has not worked! My son Mike and my family must be frantic by now!
In Michigan, from the left: my son Mike, sister Leone, brother Mark, father Frank & mother Leona
⚓ Fresh Water Showers
We encounter rainfall once during this leg of our trip. It is a thunderstorm that lasts a couple of hours until we sail through it. I put our kitchen pots on deck to catch as much fresh water as possible. Everyone is very happy to take fresh water showers on deck in the downpour.
⚓ Sea Bathing
If the seas are calm enough, once a day we head into the wind to stop the boat for a half hour so that everyone can finally bathe in the ocean.
One person always stays on deck with a gun in case a shark appears, and also to make sure that the boat doesn’t sail away without us.
If we can’t stop, there is always the bucket bath on the right.
Bucket baths and swimming in saltwater don’t leave you feeling terribly clean afterwards, but it’s better than not bathing!
⚓ Other Boats
We have not seen another boat since we left land off Maui. Finally, we spot a ship crossing the horizon on our port side. We are anxious for news of the doldrums ahead that the ship will have passed through. The Skipper tries to reach it on our radio, but it does not respond.
We see several more ships on the horizon over the next several days, but none will communicate with us.
⚓ The Ghost Freighter
Finally, a large freighter looms closer than the others. We are all on deck waving at the boat to attract its attention. It won’t answer our radio calls either. It suddenly turns 90 degrees and heads directly at us!
We can’t see anyone on deck, and as it gets closer, we see that it is from Denmark. The tedium of the voyage is getting to some of the girls, and a couple of them are ready to jump ship for a Danish sailor.
Everyone is staring at the oncoming ghost freighter
We start to get concerned as to what the ship’s intentions are as it keeps bearing down on us. It is humongous in size as it looms over our tiny boat when it gets closer. There is no way that we can sail out of its path. It could just run us over and sink us, and no one would ever know!
AT LAST, it does a 90 degree turn away from us and heads off to the west – the Ghost Freighter with still no one visible on board.
⛵️ The Dreaded Doldrums
A day later, we finally enter the doldrums, where the wind stops completely and the sea is absolutely flat. We turn the engine on and start motoring, only hoping that our fuel will last long enough to get us back into the wind. At least, manning the helm is a lot easier now.
The Skipper in the stern and Nav at the helm motoring through the doldrums
⚓ Rationing
At this point, we start seriously rationing, since we don’t know how long we may be stuck. It could potentially be for a couple of weeks or more if we run out of fuel! We ration everything from food to water to cigarettes.
⚓ The BBQ & the Steaks
The Skipper gets out his BBQ and charcoal, and I go to the freezer to get out the steaks to thaw. But they aren’t there! I finally find them in the rear of the refrigerator!
I had been noticing a bad smell coming from the refrigerator, but since we have been using the Snatch & Grab system to conserve battery life, I didn’t want to leave the door open long enough to investigate its cause.
After over two weeks in the boat’s refrigerator, the steaks have turned putrid, and I throw them overboard for the sharks!
⚓ Sleeping on Deck
The only good thing about the doldrums is that the seas are flat and we can sleep on deck, thus relieving the crowding down below.
Bedding strewn over the deck during the doldrums
⚓ The Propane Dies
Further into the doldrums, we run out of propane for the stove! The Skipper was sure that we had enough for the trip, but this is his longest voyage on the boat, and he has no experience with how long it would really last.
As it turns out, it is very fortuitous that the steaks spoiled – now we have charcoal and a BBQ with which to cook. But it is a very small bag of charcoal, and I ration the briquettes to four per day. Every morning, we keep cooking meat over the coals until the embers disappear.
But the BBQ only takes care of the meat. How can we cook the remainder of the food?
My solution is to use the heat from the sun that builds up under the plexiglass cover over the main hatch used to get below deck (see the photo above). The cover is slid forward to open the hatch, creating my new ‘oven.’
To make pasta, I leave it in a pot of water under the cover for several hours. I do the same for the vegetables. For eggs, I crack them on a griddle and leave them under the cover for a while. The hatch cover oven/grill is not a perfect solution, but it makes otherwise inedible food possible to eat.
⛵️ The Wind Picks Up
On the morning of the fifth day in the doldrums, as we are getting very low on fuel, a small breeze appears. We hoist up the sails and manage to get a little headway and then more as the breeze picks up. We just make it out of the doldrums as we run out of fuel for the engine!
⛵️ The Last Leg
The last three days under sail to the mainland are wonderful. We are back on a nice reach, with good winds and seas, making sailing a joy. I am still spending as much time as I can on the helm.
Stretch & I reveling in the great winds and weather, knowing that we are getting close to to the end of our journey.
At last, our communication system is able to reach the mainland after 17 days at sea, and I am FINALLY able to call my son and parents in Michigan. They are SO relieved! They have been very concerned, and assumed that I must be dead!
Finally, on August 26, our twenty-first day at sea, we spot our first land. It is San Nicolas Island on our starboard side. Next we see Santa Barbara Island off our port side. Now we can see the whole coastline of the Los Angeles basin and the mountains surrounding it.
Before long, we are sailing past the Coast Guard station at the entrance to Marina del Rey and into our slip.
WE ARE HOME!
⛵️ Epilogue
⚓ Sailing to Catalina Island on the Orient
In September 1973, Stretch invites me along with some other friends for a weekend sail on the Orient to Cat Harbor on the windward side of the Isthmus on Catalina Island.
⬅︎ Stretch and the Orient in Cat Harbor
I am surprised that JB allows someone to take the Orient out without him along.
⚓ The Orient Reunion Party
In December 1973, the crew of the Orient meet at Stretch’s apartment in Manhattan Beach for a party to celebrate a successful voyage from Hawaii.
By this time, Mickie Rothschild and her son have come to California and moved in with Stretch.
Top left: Stretch & Mickie
Top right: Stretch, Mickie’s son JR, & myself
Bottom left: JB (Skipper)
Bottom right: Mickie & Jimmy
I learn at the party that JB is going to sell the Orient – that is why he was so cavalier about letting Stretch sail it to Catalina without being along himself.
⚓ Waterskiing on the Colorado River
Over the Fourth of July weekend in 1974, I join several of the crew members from the Orient (from both the TransPac race and the return voyage) at the Colorado River to waterski. I invite my girlfriend Suzanne to join us. JB is there as well.
Suzanne, myself & JB at the Colorado River
Although I do not realize it during the weekend, this is the last time that I will ever see any of the crew from the Orient.
⛵️ Postscript
⚓ The Orient Becomes the Lucky Lady
In 1974, JB sold the Orient to a movie company. On December 25, 1975, Orient made her first public appearance as the rum-running sloop, Lucky Lady in the $15 million film of the same name. Her costars were Gene Hackman, Liza Minelli and Burt Reynolds.
The producers chose Orient for her reputation as a high-performance racer on San Francisco Bay during the early 50s.
Upper left: BEFORE – In 1973, the Orient I knew before JB sold her to the filmmakers.
Upper right: AFTER – Orient after she was trashed for her role as the “Lucky Lady,” loaded with hootch and ready for speakeasy patrons during prohibition.
Lower left: RUM RUNNERS – Burt Reynolds [lower left in dinghy] and Liza Minnelli [almost onboard] star in a new (1975) seagoing adventure film about prohibition called “Lucky Lady.” The boat in this photo is the Orient, which was a dark blue hull when she was moored in Marina del Rey.
Lower right: “Lucky Lady” 1975 Poster
The original Lucky Lady was the star of a ninety-seven-ship, rum-running armada that operated between Mexico and California during prohibition.
Filming began in Guaymas, Mexico in February 1975 and finished in July of that year. In the process, Orient was bastardized for the movie, with her dark blue paint stripped and the Barient winches removed to make her resemble the rum runner that she represented. The film opened on Christmas Day 1975 in Hollywood.
⚓ The Orient Becomes Kool
Following the film Lucky Lady, in 1976 Orient was purchased by a cigarette company and renamed Kool, where she was raffled off as the $100,000 grand prize of the Kool cigarettes ad campaign.
As you might suspect, her raffle-winning owner didn't have the means or knowledge to maintain her.
⚓ The Orient After Her Fame
Since 1976, Orient has gone through several owners and has undergone at least three renovations. She has resided in Long Beach, Newport Beach and San Diego prior to her current home.
The Orient underwent a 2-year restoration around 2000 after being purchased as little more than a derelict by a Santa Barbara resident, Kathy Roche, who remembered seeing the gorgeous yacht under sail as a child. She is now permanently moored in the Channel Islands Harbor just south of Santa Barbara. She is still beautiful and sailing in 2021 at 84 years of age (the same age as Stan 😛).
⛵️ .And Now Some Music to Go With My Story
(Click on the photos to see and hear the songs.)
⚓ First Song: A Pirate Looks at 40
The initial lyrics of this First Song reflect my feelings about sailing across the Pacific. Later lyrics are not representative, but I love the melody and Jimmy Buffett’s singing.
"A Pirate Looks At Forty” by Jimmy Buffett
Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all.
Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of them dream, most of them dream …
⚓ Second Song: Leave Her, Johnny Leave Her
My Second Song is another sea shanty telling a member of the crew to “Leave Her, Johnny Leave Her.” The "her" being left is not a woman, but the ship. This shanty was traditionally sung when the ship had docked after its final voyage.
"Leave Her Johnny, Leave Her” by Johnny Collins
Oh, the work was hard and the wages low,
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her."
I guess it’s time for us to go,
And it's time for us to leave her.
(Chorus) Leave her, Johnny, leave her!
Oh, leave her, Johnny, leave her!
Oh, the voyage is done and the winds don't blow
And it's time for us to leave her.
Oh, I thought I heard the Old Man say:
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her."
Oh, tomorrow you will get your pay,
And it's time for us to leave her. (Chorus)
The winds blew foul and the seas run high.
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"
We shipped it green and none went by.
And it's time for us to leave her. (Chorus)
I hate to sail on this rotten tub.
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"
No grog allowed and rotten grub.
And it's time for us to leave her. (Chorus)
We swear by rote for want of more.
"Leave her, Johnny, leave her!"
But now we're through so we'll go on shore.
And it's time for us to leave her. (Chorus)
⚓ Third & Last Song: I Am Woman!
It is now time for me to leave the Orient and move on to other adventures.
But before I sign off, I want to add a Third Song. You have now read about my adventures in several arenas including sky diving, scuba diving, rock climbing, sea kayak camping, long-distance biking, sailing my own boat, and lastly sailing across the Pacific.
You might wonder if I have any more adventures up my sleeve to write about, and I do – and most of them are with my husband Stan.
This last song is reflective of my feelings while pursuing adventures throughout my life, as well as having had a career in an almost totally male world.
Helen Reddy couldn’t have said it better in her song, “I Am Woman.”
"I Am Woman” by Helen Reddy
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again
(Chorus) Oh yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to, I can do anything
I am strong. (Strong)
I am invincible. (Invincible)
I am woman.
You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul (Chorus)
I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand (Chorus)
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