KK-42, Mexico to Marquesas in 19.5 Days

I just got this email and here's the link to their blog. My hat goes off to them.

After 19 days and 8 hours at sea traversing 2,749nm, the Krogen 42' Oogachaka has reached her destination! Ken and Patty Sebby arrived in Nuku Hiva, the largest of the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia. They departed Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on March 20th and crossed the Pacific Ocean unaccompanied.

The Sebbys sent a daily message via SailMail to a long email list, keeping friends and family in the loop of their amazing adventure. Some days were rough and exhausting, like the day there were 29' swells or when the fuel filter need to be changed at a rather inconvenient time. Other days were a little less exhilarating, such as the day Ken and Patty's main issue was checking all the breakers on board before they realized the switch on the back of the blender was in the off position! They proved to be prepared for everything a three-week trip at sea handed them.

Ken and Patty spent several months attending seminars and classes, preparing, and provisioning for this extensive adventure. What a feat to have accomplished by a single couple! More details coming soon as we hear more from the Sebbys, but in the meantime for those who like statistics:

Miles: 2,749

Gallons of fuel consumed: 756

Time: 19 days, 8 hours or 464 hours

1.93 gallons per hour*

3.64 nmpg*

5.92 knots*

*includes down time for oil change filters and "McGyver stuff"

Oogachaka

Thanks for posting this Larry.

I heard of their feat and blog yesterday.
I would like to know about the failure of their fore guy.

Larry, I've been following this couples's blog for a few years now. What's remarkable to me is that Ken and Patty are relatively newcomers to boating. Just a few years ago they were learning the ropes of recreational boating on the upper reaches of the Columbia River. Like many of us, Ken was still working (in Boise?) so their boating happened over long weekends and holidays. To read about their early experiences with boat handling and mechanical breakdowns is humorous, though typical of what we all have experienced as newbie boaters. However, what is not typical of this couple is there headlong advancement from day trippers to blue water passagemakers in such rapid succession! Within a year or two of owning their KK, and still very much on a steep learning curve, they crossed the notorious Columbia River bar and headed north to Southeast Alaska! After several months they returned to Anacortes and prepared for a trip down the west coast. This is when they had the paravanes fabricated and installed. Unfortunately, as they departed Anacortes, they caught one of the poles on a channel buoy and had to make the passage without the benefit of stabilizers. The rig was repaired in SD then they headed south to Mexico, ending their trip in Puerto Vallarta. For most of us (certainly for me) that would be considered "mission accomplished"! But it wasn't long before Patty was posting remarks about crossing the Pacific to Tahiti! I believe they were part of the annual Puddle Jumpers flotilla made up of mostly sailors heading to the South Pacific. So there they are, safe and sound, and crazy proud of their accomplishment. All this in a typical brokerage 80's trawler by a couple of retirees with little more to bank on then good luck and the desire to cross the ocean to Paradise. I can hardly wait to read what's next!

Wait. 29' swells?

Did I read that correctly ?

:-0

I have been following their blog off and on as well. Their trip was particularly interesting to me in light of the Rebel Heart aborted trip that has taken over the CF forum for the last 3 weeks. Making PV to Nuku Hiva your first open ocean passage is pretty ballsy! It was also fascinating that the wifely half of the crew was so keen on making the trip, IME a bit of an anomaly.

They did a great job and accomplished what they set out to do.

Their story is pretty amazing. As far as I know they are the first KK42 to do this trip. It goes to show what you can do if you want to.

Impressive trip

Wow, that is a great accomplishment. We took a 48 ft KK Whaleback from San Fran to Hilo. So we can appreciate traveling over 2,000 miles at sea. It was a great trip but we also experienced 20 ft swells that lasted several days. However, there was no wind so the swells, although a little scary at first, were not a big deal. Having a wife that is an enthusiastic partner is really great. My wife captained our boats for about 20 years.

Thanks for relating the accomplishment.

Shawn

Larry

Great story, thanks for the posting.

Do you know how much extra fuel they had on board and how it was stored?

Bay Pelican said:

Larry Great story, thanks for the posting. Do you know how much extra fuel they had on board and how it was stored?

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Think they said 300 gallons in a bladder, in the middle of their salon.

cardude01 said:

Think they said 300 gallons in a bladder, in the middle of their salon.
View attachment 29169

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no wonder they spent the entire time in the pilothouse. Interesting read in their blog, not trying to be flippant but you can sometimes read a lot between the lines. I met them when we did our cruise up the Columbia/Snake rivers a few years back. They had a lot to learn and were most likely the greenest (not the environmental kind) K42 owners on earth. With the low rpm they ran at they really got the fuel burn down. Interesting that when we did that crossing a couple that were good friends managed a 17 day crossing in their 50' sailboat.. two days faster.
When I heard they were going West I thought it would either go good for them, or they would never be heard from again.. glad they were successful.
HOLLYWOOD

Do you know if they were running the Gen?
1.9 gal/hour seems high

Patty and Ken are now only days away from arriving on Australian shores. Amazing voyage.

http://www.oogachaka.info/blog

The KK guys who exhibited a 48 at the August Sydney BoatShow were quite excited this voyage, as well as the Dauntless one.

As well they should be.

BruceK said:

The KK guys who exhibited a 48 at the August Sydney BoatShow were quite excited this voyage, as well as the Dauntless one.

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I'm the proud owner of that KK48 but I have no desire to undertake a voyage of that order of magnitude. Amazing people.

Thanks for posting this, Larry. I'm having trouble keeping tabs on all the daring adventures of KK 42's! I'll be doing my own treacherous blue-water crossing soon (well, lake Okeechobee is blue, after all). Do you think I'll need paravanes?

Sincere congrats to the great Oogachaka crew!

Oogachaka

healhustler said:

I'll be doing my own treacherous blue-water crossing soon (well, lake Okeechobee is blue, after all). Do you think I'll need paravanes?

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Larry, if you cross Lake Okeechobee you will be a "gray water" sailor. That's kind of like a red belt in karate. Oh yeah, if you run paravanes you'd better run them shallow.

healhustler said:

I'll be doing my own treacherous blue-water crossing soon (well, lake Okeechobee is blue, after all).

Oogachaka

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Considering the color of lake Okeechobee, crossing it would make you a tea teetotaler.

Moonstruck said:

Larry, if you cross Lake Okeechobee you will be a "gray water" sailor. That's kind of like a red belt in karate. Oh yeah, if you run paravanes you'd better run them shallow.

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Thanks, Don.

I understand that Ken and Patty have this morning arrived in Sydney and cleared customs, more news as it comes to hand

I`ll email David Lockwood, Sydney boating journo, and see if I can get something happening, definitely news IMO.

BruceK said:

I`ll email David Lockwood, Sydney boating journo, and see if I can get something happening...

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Email sent, together with Sydney contact info for Ken & Patty kindly supplied by local TF member "Oogachaka in Sydney"(Brian). I sent info on the "Dauntless" voyage too, and invited David Lockwood to view both threads on TF.

Arrived Sydney
No comments · Posted by Alan in Trips

8/27/14 ”We made it to Sydney and were at the Customs and Border Protection dock by 8:00 a.m. local time. Three hours and almost $500.00 later we were officially checked in and we headed back out to go north about 16 miles to Pittwater, where our broker Andrew greeted us out in the ocean in 4 meter swells and 25 plus knots of wind in a 40 foot inflatable to lead us in to our mooring. Then he went to fetch his work boat for us to use to get back and forth to shore and showed us where the Yacht Club was to get something to eat. He also loaned us a WiFi stick to use. It certainly feels like we are in good hands with Andrew. We just got back in the dark but easily found OOGACHAKA which her blue LED lights guiding us. We are going to crash for the night and regroup tomorrow. Glad this part of the trip is behind us – way too much wind and waves for too many days in a row.”

Ken & Patty OOGACHAKA

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Yeah!!! Another courageous crossing of the Pacific. I can't wait to hear the details of their arrival, but meanwhile, another candidate for Capt. Cojones award.

Heal-given that both accomplishments are by fellow KK's, maybe it should be Kaptain Kojones!

THD said:

Heal-given that both accomplishments are by fellow KK's, maybe it should be Kaptain Kojones!

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Kan you imagine the krap that would result from that?

What a great story!
Makes me very optomistic of my future voyages if I 58 or more footer.
Interestingly one of the boats I have looked at some is a KK 58.

They were selling Oogachaka in Australia a year or so ago. Don't know if it ever sold. Apparently getting to Aussie was their dream and once realized, the boat was history.

THD said:

They were selling Oogachaka in Australia a year or so ago. Don't know if it ever sold....

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It sold but took a large price reduction and over a year. Few people here recognize the brand, despite KK exhibiting at the 2014 Sydney Boat Show,with a local TF member`s beautiful KK48. Another local TF member wanted to buy it but was voted down by his wife. Maybe the possibility it had taken a hammering en route was a consideration.

Did the kk42 have auxiliary power?