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Rapid Growth Found in Oxygen-Starved Ocean ‘Dead Zones’ |
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Thursday, 14 August 2008 |
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The New York Times By BINA VENKATARAMAN Published: August 14, 2008 Many coastal areas of the world’s oceans are being starved of oxygen at an alarming rate, with vast stretches along the seafloor depleted of it to the point that they can barely sustain marine life, researchers are reporting. |
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Read more...
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Tuesday, 05 August 2008 |
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Mission accomplished! The paper boats / 'get well' notes have been delivered to the children of the Kapi'olani hospital. |
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 14 |
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Wednesday, 30 July 2008 |
A little late but here comes the last email... We crossed the finish line around 2am on Monday. Official finish time is 13d 15h 56m 23s. We finished fourth, 1h 9m behind Moore Havoc. You can find our arrival picture at http://pacificcup.org/08/arrivals/pc08-arrival.php?yacht_id=29. You'll see a very tired but very happy and proud Papa.
As you arrive in the dark and adjust to the artificial lights it is fun to hear those voices in the background. Peter and Jeff, previous owners of Le Flying Fish (used to be Keeli Quinn) and who competed in the Pac Cup 06, made a point of being there. Merci! THEY know first hand what we've gone through over the last 14 days. We understand each other when we share stories. Then it's 'Papa', 'Papa' with Segolen and Evan Luc. I have missed those little voices during the crossing. Dorianne, Stella and Dag (parents in law) were also present, battling the squalls and the rain coming through the night. What a special moment to share!
The 'get well'/paper boats crossed the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii, and tomorrow morning they'll complete the last leg of their journey. We'll be giving away those paper boats to sick kids from the Kapi'olani hospital, making sure to tell the kids about the story of those paper boats. There might be some local media; something that Evan Luc always looks for ;-)
It is the end of an incredible 2 week adventure, the end of an 18 months project... It's going to take some time to adjust to this new phase. I hope you enjoyed our daily updates. Hopefully it made some sense as it was quite challenging to write those emails in this environment, with a constant level of general fatigue and with the intensity of the race.
It was my 3rd crossing to Hawaii. I still have never flown 'TO' Hawaii :-)) A fun fact I love... I look forward to reading all of your emails of support.
In the end... the KIDS won! This is what truly counts...
Merci,
Stephane
www.sailorsonamission.org
www.pacificcup.org
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 13 |
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Monday, 28 July 2008 |
We just made our 100 mile check-in, meaning we're only 100 miles from the finish line. Next check-in will be at 25 miles from the finish line. We got it by a huge cloud with some major rain and wind. For a while we were sailing 10+ knots and everything was great. Well, for the past 2 hours we've been sailing super slow... very frustrating to get those extremes from one minute to another. The wind is supposed to be in the 16-18 knots range in the area. Let's hope we find it soon so we make some headway towards Kaneohe Bay.
Last night was maybe the wildest night in my 3 crossings to Hawaii. It was cloud after cloud with no visibility. We were sailing in the low teens at all time. This morning we calculated we covered 65 nm in 6 hours, basically 11 knots average. The concentration was extreme. There was no margin for error, everything was going so fast. Let's hope our last nights is a little bit more relax.
Moore Havooc had a great day yesterday and there are now ahead of us. Congratulations to them for this great comeback.
We're probably going to arrive in the middle of the night, probably around 8am Pacific Time or 5am Hawaiian Time. We'll be first in line for breakfast. To arrive at night is not so much fun for the scenery and for navigation but we'll take it. Let's just hope tonight has a nice moon and some steady breeze (and no crazy clouds).
Below are some of the things I'm not going to miss for a while:
- Live on my butt, on my knees or on my back in a confined environment. I cannot wait to stand up and walk for a change.
- Drink 'room' temperature water, with or without Gatorade powder. We're looking for some fresh fruit juice, mai thai...
- Live with the same clothes on for days. Everything needs to be washed thoroughly after 14 days in this environment
- Prepare some hot water in an always in motion boat. Always dangerous to go from the measuring cup to tea pot to freeze dried food bag.
- Live without someone banging on the deck to call you on watch. That happens at least 4 times a day, sometimes more if we need to gybe.
- Live with a life jacket around my neck. It gets heavy after a while with the life jacket, harness and tether.
- Live with a head lamp on my forehead. It will be nice to switch the light with just an on/off button as opposed to 1 click is red light, 2nd click in white light, 3rd click is a beam light, 4th click to turn everything off.
- Live with crazy clouds dumping huge wind and rain; and then leaving behind in the middle of a wind hole. How about some nice steady breeze for a while?
However I'm really going to miss:
- The sound of the ocean: the wind into the sails and the waves passing by the hull.
- Spend the night sailing in short, t-shirt and bare foot. The temperatures are perfect.
- Being remote from civilization. So refreshing... No idea what happened in the past 2 weeks, probably not much but I'm sure the news media has created all kind of sensational news with nothing.
Slowly we'll have to adjust back from those 14 intensive days. What an experience!
One more night and we'll step a foot on land. The family has come to Hawaii. It is the first time for the kids so they are really excited. I cannot wait to hug them. It's going to be an emotional moment I have been waiting for a long long time.
Stephane
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 12 |
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Sunday, 27 July 2008 |
Isn't the weekend supposed to be more relax than the week? Well, I guess not... The wind and Moore Havoc have decided otherwise for us. We're still in 3rd but by not much. Moore Havoc is still better positioned than us to the wind. This morning the winds have been light and dead astern. We have to split gybes in order to make headway to Hawaii. Not great... We just got hit by one of those major clouds. Plenty of wind (good news) however bringing us away from Hawaii :-( We have to gybe but the conditions are too wild. We hang in there hoping this cloud will cross behind our path but it looks more like it's following us. By now we're sailing 300 degrees but Hawaii is at 250. We decide to douse the spinnaker and re-hoist after the gybe to be on the safe side. Just as we're about to go ahead with the plan, bang, we're now laying on the water. Quickly we let go the spinnaker halyard and the boat rights itself up. The kyte is completely soaked but we have to bring it inside the boat before it decides to fly away from us. Bags and clothes are kind of wet but not too bad. At least we're in nice warm weather. We did a chicken gybe, re-hoisted the kyte, and are now flying towards Hawaii. Well, this little adventure is not going to help against Moore Havoc...
What a wonderful poem! We love it. Thank you Doug. It helps with a day like this. So close to Hawaii, and still so far away...
With Le Flying Fish far out to Sea
Two Samaritans Steph and JP
When a wave ups and dips
Think of small paper ships
Those Kids Hearts shall arrive You Safely
Let's consider the chance quite remote
A Flown Fish would fly up on your boat
With Full Moon on your bow
We can tell you right now
Serendipith shall keep you afloat
We don't care if you finish last, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!!!!
Doug R.
Stephane
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 11 |
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Saturday, 26 July 2008 |
Another wonderful note of support (see below). Thank you Suzanne. You guys at the foundation and at the school are great, it is such a pleasure to work with you on those projects.
The strategy that we have been building over the last couple days doesn't look so good anymore... As of today we're still in 3rd position but the advantage is for Moore Havoc and Moonshine. The breeze came up north and they're fully taking advantage of it to make a comeback. And with the wind going right we are at another disadvantage on them. The cards have been played, we can only keep pushing hard until the end and see what happens. At least it makes it for an interesting finish for people following the race online.
The latest weather forecast shows 18 knots all over the course starting Saturday night until Monday. Until then we're going to have to live with 13-15kts. Will we get there for breakfast, brunch or lunch on Monday? We're really dying to have a normal meal...
We thought about ordering some pizza with our Sat phone tonight. A great idea for a Friday's night out. However we couldn't figure the zip code we were in. We settle for some spaghetti with meat sauce. Funny, it is 10pm Pacific and still day light, a sign we're really getting close to Hawaii.
Stephane
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Stephane & JP,
It is so much fun to read about your exciting adventure. I look forward to your updates each day.
And thank you so much for making Children's Hospital Oakland part of your adventure. This is truly a remarkable and unique fund raiser for the Hospital. You and JP have put so much time and effort, not only in the sailing part of this race, but also in reaching out on behalf of the sick and injured children of Northern California who come to Children's for their care. Your visits to our School Room were so much fun for the children and staff - and educational as well. The kids probably didn't even realize they were learning when they were having such a good time. Certainly a way for them to think about and do some fun things even though they were in the hospital. All of your projects were also very creative and clever. And of course, we all enjoyed having Le Flying Fish in the courtyard of the hospital. Climbing up into your boat was a real eye-opener about how truly small Le Flying Fish is - in that big ocean.
Thank you again for your fund raising efforts - we really appreciate everything that you have done over the past several months for the Hospital and your ongoing fund raising efforts. As you have reminded your fans over the past several days, they can donate to the hospital by logging on to your website: http://www.sailorsonamission.org/ and click on the Children's Hospital logo on the homepage.
Good luck on the last leg of your journey,
Suzanne
Suzanne M. Beauregard
Director, Corporate Relations
Children's Hospital & Research Center Foundation
2201 Broadway, Suite 600
Oakland, CA 94612
510-428-3885, ext. 2983
www.chofoundation.org |
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 10 |
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Friday, 25 July 2008 |
Thank you Mrs Schroeder for this wonderful note of support. I thought I would share your words about 'the twinkle in each child's eyes' because it is so true. During my long journey to Hawaii fond memories are coming back... With the 5th graders we played a game to guess how long different items (can, plastic bag, ...)take to decompose. I can still hear the sound of the classroom every time when they will eventually get to the real number of years. With the 2nd graders I just wished I had videotaped the folding of those paper boats. It was hectic but the 72 kids showed great perseverance to follow all the instructions. They should be proud of themselves. And the Kindergartens impressed me with their questions. There was the future engineer asking how you raised the sails, the future doctor asking if we would be taking medicine with us,... Their minds were totally captivated by the project.
It was such a special moment for myself to spend the day with those kids. They gave me back more than I gave them.
On the sailing side we're now in squall territory. We get hit by those powerful clouds all night long. They bring rain and huge amount of wind. It makes sailing at night even more intense. Last night I got a wonderful show from the moon. As a the dark cloud of a squall cleared the moon appeared dead astern of the boat, creating this wonderful bright light in the middle of a dark sky. And then forward of me there was a moon bow. I had heard about it but never seen one. 4 more nights of squalls to go...
Stephane
www.sailorsonamission.org
www.pacificcup.org
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Dear Stephane,
We are all so happy to hear that you are safe and understand more than ever how small your sailboat is and what great plans you have gone to in order to remain safe during your voyage.
We treasure the day in late May that you came to St. Isidore School, parked your lovely sailboat in the parking lot, and gave tours to your daughter's Kindergarten classes, your son's grade 2 classes and the fifth grade who had role-played living on a tall ship during at the time of the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
It was so much fun to watch the twinkle in each child's eyes. So few have the chance to see a sailboat up close and to have so much information from such a sweetheart of a dad. Your own children loved it the most!
We are so proud to have you sailing to Hawaii and visiting Kapi'olani Hospital with notes from the children of St. Isidore School. How well you carry the Gospel values with you that the parents, teachers and I teach each day. Thank you for being such a great role model for us all!
I am so pleased our darling Kindergarten teacher, Miss Astillero, will met you in Honolulu. Our prayer continues for you to stay safe.
Please take lots of pictures so we can enjoy a return trip to school with the sailboat and you. God bless you and keep you safe.
Our gratefulness for you good work for children both here and there in Hawaii.
Fondly,
Jean Schroeder
Principal
St. Isidore School
435 La Gonda Way
Danville, California 94526
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 9 |
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Thursday, 24 July 2008 |
Yesterday we kept on pushing south to look for more pressure. Just before night we dropped the main and the spinnaker to inspect the lines for chafe. Then we decided to hoist the .6 spinnaker and for the occasion renamed it 'wind maker'. At first the spinnaker was confused but after a brief 'tete a tete' he understood the mission. Later that night he delivered and we got strong and steady winds. It made for some fun sailing/surfing in a dark night.
At 4am we got lifted and decided to gybe. We then had a nice 6 hour ride straight towards Hawaii. It felt good to knock down some miles directly towards the finish line. We did some more south today but are now pretty much committed to go west for the next few days. It will be difficult to make a come back on Barbaloot and Alternate Reality but we put ourselves in a position to at least try. From now on every mile sailed will be pretty much a mile closer to a mai thai. Waiting for that moment where you can see the Islands far on the horizon... always a great feeling after so many days at sea.
Just did an inventory of the food. We have only consumed 3 days of freeze dried food out of the 16 days we brought. Kind of interesting as we've been at sea 9 days. Our diet has been mostly based on everything you could easily grab and go on watch, meaning no more bananas, no more apples, 1 more carrot, 10 oranges left, the cereal and snack bars took a hit... It looks very much like we're going to have to start eating the freeze dried food if we want to survive the remaining 5 days.
One piece of advice if you use some freeze dried food: follow the instructions on the box. Be advised not to shake the pack right after you add the boiling water. The pressure is such that it can open the zipper and you can imagine the rest. Always fun to spend part of your off watch cleaning the mess inside the boat.
Stephane
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 4 |
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Wednesday, 23 July 2008 |
Still grey out there but we're getting into warmer latitudes. It feels good to remove some layers. As I write this email we have 1,500nm left to the finish line. However we'll be sailing many more miles, looking for favorable winds and waves to get there faster.
I'll try to answer some common questions about the trip:
- What do you bring on board the boat? It is a small boat but we need to bring everything we need for 2 weeks. Below is a summary list:
sails: 1 mainsail, 2 jibs (#2 and #3), 4 spinnakers (two .6, one .9, one 1.5), a trysail and a storm jib
safety: liferaft, epirb, man over board pole, lifesling, flares...
communication: SSB radio, VHF radio, satellite phone, laptop...
food: 16 days of freeze dried food, breakfast and snack items, fruits, camping stove and 30 gallons of water boat items: outboard, gas, anchor, tool box, parts
navigation: 2 gps, 1 compass
personal stuff: foulies, lifejacket, sleeping bag, boots, sun block...
- Do you sail the boat back to California? No, we ship the trailer to Hawaii and bring the boat back on the trailer in a ship.
- Why would you sail to Hawaii for 2 weeks when you can fly to Hawaii in 5 hours and then spend 2 weeks on the beach? Too difficult to explain this one... Let's say it's a childhood dream. Where I come from in Brittany offshore sailing, especially short handed sailing, is a very popular sport. I grew up dreaming about Eric Tabarly's adventures and today I get to experience it (at my own level of course).
- What do you do when you're off watch? Sleep is the primary thing to do but you also have to eat, check the weather, do some navigation, report our position... It is quite busy, the days and nights go really fast.
Have a great weekend,
Stephane |
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Pacific Cup 2008 - Le Flying Fish - Day 6 |
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Wednesday, 23 July 2008 |
oday was shower day! Finally... I guess. The sun only came out for a few hours but anyway the temperatures are now nice enough that there was no excuses anymore. I took some clean clothes from a ziploc bag and made sure to ziploc the dirty ones.
Yesterday I forgot to mention that a flying fish landed on the bow. I took a picture before trying to rescue it. As I grabbed his tail he tried to escape and found his way back in his environment. I guess he came to say hello to his bigger cousin.
Last night we gybed and have been going south to look for more win and to escape the high pressure coming down. We'll see if that pays off...
Got it by a big squall (big cloud with strong winds) last night... and did round down. The boat was on its side for a few minutes. It took some time to clean up the mess and hoist the kite back up. Every night is going to be the same drill from now on. Small squalls at the beginning of the night, getting bigger as the night goes on.
Need to check the latest weather files to see if we should gybe back now that it looks that we have found the wind we were looking for.
Stephane |
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