Sailing Adventure on the SSV Makani Olu: Part 1 of 3

  Adventure week has come and a grand adventure has been undertaken. I have been signed on as second mate aboard the 96ft 3 masted tall ship Makani Olu for the first week of April. I am just coming off an amazing week of scuba diving, underwater photography, and exploration with Heidi on Maui and already excited to head back out for adventure.

  I wasn't quite sure about sleeping arrangements, watch schedules, or even the sail plan but at 8am Monday morning I was ready with my sleeping bag, camera, and foul weather gear. The crew consisted of Captain Emma, 1st Mate Kalei, 2nd Mate Dai Mar, and 13 student crew. We separated in three watches on a modified Swedish watch system. 2 six hour watches during the day, and 3 four hour watches at night. With no steward on board whatever watch was on duty leading up to a meal would be in charge of cooking and setting out that meal.

  The sail plan was bold, and we soon found out that to do everything on the plan would be a bit unattainable. From Kaneohe Bay on Oahu's east side we would sail to Haleiwa on the north shore, over night there, and wake up for a wedding on board the next morning. Yep that's right, the captain got married and the first mate officiated the wedding, which was barefoot, breezy, and with a Hawaiian flare.

  After the wedding the sailing would get serious. Sail through the night to Ka'ula Rock which is about 20 miles west of Ni'ihau, get in the water if we can, and continue sailing to Lehua rock located just off Ni'ihau's NE tip. Followed by a day exploring Lehua rock before crossing the channel to the Na Pali coastline of Kauai. From here the sail plan takes us to Hanalei Bay on Kuau's north shore before a big crossing back to Kaneohe Bay on Oahu. All this in seven days.

The trip started out a bit ominously with Captain Emma coming down with a stomach bug. Hoping for a speedy recovery for her wedding the next day and the trip in general, Kalei and I took the first two watches on our way around to Haleiwa. It was pretty amazing making it out of Kaneohe Bay and setting our course and our sails to the north. I was looking for an adventure and I found it.

  The ride was a bit bumpy with steady winds. My "C" watch was struggling a bit with sea sickness but we made it around to Haleiwa and anchored shortly after dark. I was pumped to have the trip underway and anxious to see how it would play out with big winds in the forecast.

  Stay tuned for the next installment... the 'Forbidden Island' of Ni'ihau!

Location: Honolulu County, HI, USA

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