June 11, 2007 0118 (UTC -10 hours Hawaii Standard Time) N27055.1 W152053.3, Temperature 72.9, Pressure 1024 mb, Course 0270 magnetic Wind 0900 @ 13 knots, Seas: 5-6 feet from East, Para-vanes down, Miles Completed 502, Miles to Go 1853, SOG 5.1 kts average. 1400 RPM Greetings from the North Pacific, Done Dreamin' is once again prowling the seas. This time we are on our way from Hawaii to Port Angeles, WA. This will complete the final ocean passage of a very large figure 8 around the Pacific. During the past seven months, Done Dreamin' has been docked at lovely Ko Olina Marina on the island of Oahu. I did make a couple of trips to neighboring islands during that time and enjoyed having friends and relatives visit. The time in Hawaii gave me an opportunity to spiffy up the boat and do some general maintenance that I had been putting off. June 6 found everything ready for our departure, with a nice high-pressure area developing between Hawaii and Washington. I have been very fortunate to find a very experienced crewmember. Joni Hildal has over 50,000 sea miles and holds a USCG masters license. In addition, she is an accomplished diver and undersea photographer. She has traveled to many remote parts of the world and it has been fun to swap stories of places visited. As expected, we are encountering a rough passage into the trade winds. Most sailboats head due north to get on the North side of the Pacific High where they can get better winds. However, for us heading straight into the high-pressure area, with its light winds and calm seas, is the best plan. Of course, we have been slugging our way through 15 to 20 knot trade winds to get to the high. Fortunately, we are about there, the winds are dying down, and we should encounter good conditions from here. Before departure, I checked and re-checked every system. All seemed to be in good working order. However, the sea is a cruel master and sure enough, there has already been some problems. My Port and Stern running lights stopped working the first night out. The problem is that their contacts corrode. It is an easy fix to clean off the corrosion and have them in working order. The water-maker presented me with the next challenge. This beast is a most labor-intensive piece of equipment. I thought I had mastered it by the time I left New Zealand, as it worked without a hitch all the way to Hawaii. But alas, it threw me another curve. I was making good water but the tanks were not getting any fuller. After a little investigation, I found that the electronic diversion valve was inoperative and all the good water was being sent overboard. The fix is fairly simple, just by-pass the valve and salinity tester and go straight to the tank. Now I must be careful to check the quality of the water before letting it drain into the tank. What would boating be without some challenges? Well, our SOG (speed over the ground) has been gradually picking up as the NE Trades die off. It is good to be at sea again. Life is a Cruise, Joni and Larry Larry Rick Done Dreamin' Nordhavn 40 #33 Site: http://gricknet.homedns.org/Dads%20Web/doneDreamnHome.htm