To Hawaii

[Senojev]

Can anyone tell me what boat Delfin has? Tried looking at old posts but no luck. Looks substantial!

 

[Senojev]

Found a couple of photos … a little bigger than a Willard 36! Would still appreciate any info or a link.

 

[hollywood8118]

Can anyone tell me what boat Delfin has? Tried looking at old posts but no luck. Looks substantial!

Steel Romsdahl.
I have been aboard a few times and it is a beautiful small ship.


Hollywood

 

[Delfin]

Can anyone tell me what boat Delfin has? Tried looking at old posts but no luck. Looks substantial!

She was built in 1965 in Alesund, Norway, by Romsdal yachts, on a hull design that had been around since 1860 as a herring fisher. One of two with a third, Ulysses, at 52' compared to Delfin's 55. Steel below, aluminum above. Purchased and gutted by her second owner in 2000, who replaced any suspect steel, widened the saloon by eliminating the port side walkway, repowered with a Cat 3306, new 20 kw Genset, faired and painted. I purchased her in 2003 as an empty hull and fitted her out to taste. All hydraulic.

Masts are used for get home sails and launching dinghy and foredeck Boston Whaler.

Pretty efficient hull, but I think she hobby horses more than optimal because of the North Sea bow and canoe stern. Burns 3 gph at 7 knots, 2 at 6 knots giving her just under 7,000 mile range as she carried 2,250 gallons of diesel. We cruise at 7 knots with a hull speed of 9.5.


Sorry for the image, but I'm not sure how to fix that ...

 

[Insequent]

Fixed it for ya.

 

[Delfin]

Fixed it for ya.

Much obliged.

 

[markpierce]

So, you aren't happy unless you are the captain?

 

[O C Diver]

So, you aren't happy unless you are the captain?

Rather be captain of my own vessel, than cargo on somebody else's.


Ted

 

[Old Sea Dog]

What Ted said. I do not have the boat for ocean passages. Probably not going to happen at my age. Admire those that do.

 

[Delfin]

375 miles west off Cape Mendicino under partially sunny skies, winds of around 15 - 20, waves and wind abaft the starboard beam. now on a rhumb line course for Hilo.

So far, everything is running fine, except for the water maker. Consistent with Murphy's law, the low pressure pump appears to be failing, as it is only pumping 1 gpm instead of 3, so a low pressure alarm interrupts operation. Not a big deal as we have 600 gallons of water on board, so unless my McGuyver solution doesn't work, we'll just do Navy showers and push come to shove, coffee brewed with rum. That will work, won't it?


The McGuyver solution is to use a transfer pump I use to push fresh coolant into the boiler annually to push sea water to the low pressure pump. Lacking fittings, I'll be using hose within hose plus hose clamps to make the connection. The water is clean out here, so the impeller pump should be able to handle it, and it has the capacity to push twice the volume required. We'll see.

 

[hoplite808]

I live on Oahu. If you need some help with anything when you get here let me know.

I’d recommend these guys for fuel. https://b-e-petroleum.business.site/

 

[rgano]

People keep trying to tell me that I should take a cruise ship, but I who am used to doing the driving and having responsibilities when aboard a ship, respond glad to when they let me drive. Otherwise, booooooring.

 

[Fletcher500]

Steaming on a rhumb line for Hawaii. Life can not get any better. Safe travels.

 

[Delfin]

June 19

Making about 170 nm/day. The wave and wind has finally shifted more to the stern so the motion of the boat is closer to a slow and stately rocking horse than anything else I can think of. Jury rigged a booster pump to feed the low pressure pump on the water maker, which seems to be failing. Surprisingly, it works just ducky. 1,521 miles to go to Hilo, and with the water maker fixed for now, all's well.

 

[O C Diver]

Happiness is a simple solution, the smarts to perceive it and make it work.

Ted

 

[sunchaser]

I’d betcha Delfin has a McGyver or two up his sleeve for next oh-oh. 170 nm is good and the envy of a Nordhavn or two.

 

[Delfin]

I live on Oahu. If you need some help with anything when you get here let me know.

I’d recommend these guys for fuel. https://b-e-petroleum.business.site/

Thanks very much for the info. I was thinking Honokohau, but it's probably cheaper in Honolulu, yes?

 

[Delfin]

I’d betcha Delfin has a McGyver or two up his sleeve for next oh-oh. 170 nm is good and the envy of a Nordhavn or two.

Burning 3 gph, which I think is ok....

 

[Delfin]

1370 NM to go, so should arrive on the 28th. Gray skies but little wind and a nice quartering swell.

 

[Delfin]

1302 miles to Hilo. Current conditions that should last until we make landfall are the reason people get hooked on ocean voyaging. Following seas with a light breeze mile after mile after mile with the swell lifting the boat, and creating a hypnotic motion.

We have a guardian Albatross that has been hanging around the boat for the last three days. There is zero wildlife other than fish this far out, so I know it's the same bird. He ghosts over the waves without flapping, just gliding along. I see him in the water occasionally, then not at all for hours, then he appears and flies past the boat circling around and then glides off. Pretty cool.

 

[hollywood8118]

Carl,
Have you been dragging a lure(s) out there?
The Pacific can yield some tasty Dorado and Ono to the lucky voyager.
I'm envious of your current conditions.. perfect crossing weather.
Enjoy the ride.

Hollywood

 

[Delfin]

Carl,
Have you been dragging a lure(s) out there?
The Pacific can yield some tasty Dorado and Ono to the lucky voyager.
I'm envious of your current conditions.. perfect crossing weather.
Enjoy the ride.

Hollywood

I think we'll trail a line tomorrow. Not heard to catch a Dorado, and the last time out this way we caught a nice Albacore. I'll settle for the Mahi Mahi.


And yes, we're lucky on the conditions....


Carl

 

[hoplite808]

Thanks very much for the info. I was thinking Honokohau, but it's probably cheaper in Honolulu, yes?

The states only refinery is located on Oahu and then shipped to the other islands. If you want to refuel on the Big Island and are planning to pull in to Honokohau small boat harbor I'd first check with Hawaii Petroleum at https://hawaiipetroleum.com/ the fuel sold at the harbor I think is done by the State of Hawaii. I haven't bought fuel from there and if that's your plan definitely double check with the Harbormaster first.

Their phone number if you have a satellite phone is (808) 935-6641 otherwise they have quote forms on their website if all you have is internet.

 

[Delfin]

The states only refinery is located on Oahu and then shipped to the other islands. If you want to refuel on the Big Island and are planning to pull in to Honokohau small boat harbor I'd first check with Hawaii Petroleum at https://hawaiipetroleum.com/ the fuel sold at the harbor I think is done by the State of Hawaii. I haven't bought fuel from there and if that's your plan definitely double check with the Harbormaster first.

Their phone number if you have a satellite phone is (808) 935-6641 otherwise they have quote forms on their website if all you have is internet.

Thank you Sir!

 

[Delfin]

1175 miles to go, at the latitude of LA. Our r sident albatross is still keeping us company, gliding a few inches above the waves sometimes. Decided to fish and in about 10 minutes hooked something big enough to break 80# test. Maybe a good thing as that would be a of tuna to process.


We're headed directly for the North Pacific garbage patch, and already seeing a fair amount of floating plastic.

 

[w8n4sun]

Amazing you can give live updates (with pictures) in the middle of the Pacific. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Delfin]

Sunset in the Pacific.

 

[Cold Duck]

Good time to go. We live 6 months in Kona. Just finished coming back to the mainland in May. We look for a repositioning Cruise Ship from Austrailia coming to do the Alaska run for the summer. We get an additional cruise of all teh Hawaii Islands, 5 at sea days, then 5 Days cruising Alaska for just a little more than the First class airfare to Calif. Great way to go. We looked at taking out trawler to Hawaii but there aren't that many good harbors in Hawaii during the winter. Was better to buy a house and a nice 22' trailer boat. Been there since the '90s.

 

[Delfin]

850 miles to go. Still amazing conditions, little wind and low northerly swells. Not quite enough wind to raise a 'get home' sail, but perhaps later.

No luck fishing yet, other than having line break on one and steel leader chewed through on another. Probably sharks.

 

[KnotYet]

Delfin, on my long-ago crossing the wind picked up quite a bit as we closed on HI.
The channel effects seem to begin well before you spot that green dot/line on the horizon.