Author: Mot

got a little on you? with the plan and the painting only just begun we’ll pick up at approximately where we left off. we take full advantage of the hospitality of the girls in the office of Nawiliwili Harbor on the southeast side of Kauai to get us up to spiffy with some newly needed grit and a fresh island Tropical Mango flavor

got your board? sticking with the game plan the troops came together as charged and we were able to set out from the harbor in a timely fashion. into the wind and heading south we get a final glance of the coastline and the safety of our port at home

getting a jump on the game and leading the charge to make the scheduled haul out date our gang of four rallied the open sea through the Kauai channel and onwards towards the sanctity of Oahu and the work center dry dock of the Ke’ehi Marine Center…

another one from the bow proving that Columbus was indeed right! with help from the open ocean and of course the fish eye lens we get our first real glance and relief of the globular state and our beckoning horizons ahead

together again as the ultimate team our cast of characters adjust into the late afternoon tidying up the shit show a bit… hunkering down just before the evening passes through and the sunset begins

mere moments before the man crush our lead player moves us through to a misty state of mind…. we prep the sails, straighten the cockpit, check illumination, confirm instruments, gear the troops and allow our first time stowaway to get rid of the last little bit of extra “baggage” before strapping in for the overnight full moon run

whoops? we wake to find that the mixed in the face south and east winds, building open ocean swell, all the howling at the fully lit overhead reflecto machine and of course a two or three hour unsupervised free sail with only a Sirens call guiding us in a roughly general direction has lead us slightly off course left with the task of beating hard north to gain our desired off point…

as luck would have it spying surprisingly nary a bit of land in our sights & with the gods on our side the wearied team beats back north to the east to reach the goal point. off time but entertained by the challenging albeit enjoyable sail

as the morning moves forward. the new days sunshine coupled with some regrouping, a few quick chart adjustments, a short “team meeting” & of course a fresh cup of strong coffee, we regain the original plan, step up our pace and return to our plot of sticking with the old school line of reasoning… “it’s the journey, not the destination”

belly up to the bar boy & girls it’s our call to lunch… the anxious team gathers around with can openers in hand allowing themselves to be easily bullied by the beef on the menu!

clear the companionway! we’ll swing below to check the living situation, alert everyone to our recent breakthroughs & get a condition report on the crew

everything tastes better on a boat? our disjumbled mess begins to build between wave batterings and the occasional tack. with forethought we’d have had made better plan, take note & for next time… bring the maid!

as per usual and seemingly as soon as it starts it seems to end… the ever so slightly rattled overdue crew reaches gently into the afterglow of the new days sunlight. rainbows mark our arrival as we begin the wrap up. relaxing as we finally reach sanctity & take a moment to decompress at “the ball”

with sights and the signs of our new found land our refreshed crew feels the call of duty to begin the transition towards what was and what is to be… getting back to life and it’s responsibilities we shuttle in the final moments of togetherness slowly breaking free of the easily cut ties that bind

having one and as well enjoying the last moment of the day that seemingly just arrived. we’ll wrap with one from the dock to leave you wiggling in your seats, expectantly waiting & anxiously tuned in here at www.luckystarsail.com while we gather new energy to prove our new tasks… we’ll hope you hold tight while we wait for the wind in our hair to make haste & sail on!

summer months dwindled, shortened days, passed rains and hints of the inclement rumble reminders of the inevitable ramble…

taking a moment to glance back on the fine times and recent memories of course only slightly short of absolute perfection… as always not always sunshine and rainbows but like they say “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes”

saying special thanks to our sponsors while drinking the pizza and eating the rum… we stack up the view space to enjoy some of the final moments of our Hanalei Bay summer land hideaway

winds and with swell back up we get a move on. shaking or rather stirring a cruise into the nether sphere gives us a short glimpse to the forthcoming

our round two game plan moves us to greater dimensions. wet but worthy the crew basks in yet another round of the semi wild and somewhat wooly

reaching our teamwork quota and like a bat out of hell we are thrown into the morning squall of face front winds.. we flap south to the east to end up coming in more than mildly lukewarm and make home base in more than record time

a man has got to eat… first mate, expedition leader and master key to the puzzle himself takes a brief “moment at the bow” checking course to verify our optimums & proper wind positionings

clear the companion way, Captain at the helm or women drivers right… since setting a solid pace we’ll settle into our current situation and set sights on the horizon

fudging in at the docks with only torn sail, a few minor scrapes & of course some scratches… we again say thanks to Nawiliwili Harbor & especially the girls in the home office while taking a brief moment to unwind, stretch out and restock

we’ll get prepped, let you standby and look forward to hearing back from you here at www.luckystarsail.com while we move forward into our new horizon

a rainbow runs through it… we snag an aerial shot of the mountainside summertime harbor at Hanalei Bay, our getaway north shore haven gives us a taste as well as a slice of “Hawaii Life”

giving killer view points and yet far from a threat TS Fernanda moves north and west through the evening rewarding yet another distinctly epic sunset from the coast

love versus fear based… a certain sense of reality sets as a record number of storm cycles gather globally wide in our wet wild & water filled world

birthday bashing with the boys & girls… special wishes to the wild ones and to the whole team over at the HBYC, we especially enjoyed all the down home cooking, the good times yes and no photos but thanks for letting us eat cake!

testing the waters & proving once again that sometimes the best way to hold on is to let go… the father daughter team of Pat & Mayme Grenz tests their boundaries to take an undeniable leap of faith

speaking softly while carrying a big stick and reminding you to put ’em up or shut ’em up & for sure make sure to keep checking back for more of the adventure while the www.luckystarsail.com tour continues full sail into open ocean

phone bill overdue, registration unpaid & an unsettled storage unit fee awkwardly menacing the mind frame we’ve breeched midsummer to find letting loose as the only solution

placing a reef, the stronger land related winds first offshore brought us quickly up wind north east and out to some great if not graceful off shore sailing

yep. better trim that mainsail er i mean haul in the working jib… we coax our way north riding a steady breeze with gentle swell

aft quarter at port with a little bit of the bubbly as life below three thousand feet sizzles beneath our feet

generally speaking we’re about right here… sextants drawn & high noon passing overhead our wayward passengers sit centered motionless while the universe unfolds around us

in lieu of getting all literary & shit… glancing views of home base the stretching shoreline beckons a return

keeping in mind to save some for the ride home we’ll head towards shore not only a day later but a dollar richer & remember to remind you to keep reminding yourself to track the adventures as well as our progress here at www.luckystarsail.com

 

we rolled north into an epic early summertime bay after perfect sailing conditions on way from our winter retreat in Nawiliwili Harbor on the south side of Kauai

special special special thanks to Joby Joyner & Rebeca Stirling for the on prompt arrival time & for the most amazing sail!

do pardon the early morning shit show on our end.. but the mandatory tour & the new teak “additions” really do help tie the place together

some tacking… a wonderfully balanced delicate “wing on wing” (thanks to Joby) mid section… and a totally surfy jybe right at the point… we made great time & straight into downtown Hanalei

after few days or so of routine maintenance, work load & get to what could be loosely considered as getting back to the grind

we’ll be settling into some of the local flair…

including but not limited to sunsets…

the obligatory daily rainbow…

and boats, boats, boats & more boats…

stay tuned at www.luckystarsail.com to tour our selection of random blog reports, photo selections, latest news & updates…

with the Thursday yacht club race series pushing through the spring months we were anxious to get out for some sailing and well needed practice at sea

Lucky Star proved to be a formidable opponent not necessarily beating off the competition but definitely holding solid in her class

a little offshore, a little “purple drank” we blazed out of the harbor to enjoy some light winds and some real times with good friends

taking advantage of the opportunity the sail against the epic Kauai backdrop made our in and out most enjoyable to say the least

with dawn coming early on a ship we made the call to turn in and settle down with the anticipation of the next day’s off shore invite

firm winds, surprisingly robust gusts and only a minor knock down brought us about through the mixed conditions early the next morning on race day

special thanks to Fast Company’s rag tag team for the invite and the training… we definitely weren’t first but for surely not last so please stay tuned here and www.luckystarsail.com we will be back!

finding ourselves “on the hook” in yet another exotic location & with time ticking to get ahead we decided to jump right into some repairs & some well needed spiffying up

at first chance we were able to stretch out a bit, lay out gear, look into nooks & get into all the crannies that had yet been neglected… some time to explore

getting a round about idea as to what exactly things were, how all this stuff works, where it all goes, unfold, fold and finally where to put it

special thanks to Nawiliwili & the girls in the harbor office, all the shore side help, the castaway gear a.k.a. booty and especially the surplus lattes!

multiple mast climbs and dives overboard to check fittings ensued. cleaning and taking inventory on what was going to need to be done to keep us “ship shape”

juggling the workload of swabbing the deck, oiling the teak and polishing the stainless… the months ticked away and we were able to finally get ahead of the program

the nights set and evening after evening ensued with one great sunset after another we were able to get a grasp on the tick list. make the basics happen and get into more pressing projects at the hand

although burly and the only way to go, a steel boat in the tropics so far as proven to be quite a workload and a most enjoyable undertaking. constant maintenence and keeping a dutiful eye on any new noticable “spot” and oh the paint! as they say… you’ve got to be on it

proving the point we went ahead & tore into the gunnel rebuild project… beefed her up and got’er done

on to the next task

we’ll take a break from the work scene for a moment to enjoy the mid season rains…

settle in and enjoy the current progress…

keep tuned in here at www.luckystarsail.com as we continue to “live the dream…”

apprehensive at first but inevitably getting talked into it. buddies mine convinced me so i took the chance & jumped aboard for the weekend special… a good opportunity to check on our neighboring island

keep your hands on the wheel there Admiral Gaspar? your turn to drive? or smoke it if you’ve got yacht? we grouped up as the winter waves washed the northern shores and made headway into the open ocean… off coast after the evening sun

gaining deep & prepping we were able line our sights, set tack and hunker in anxiously to await the trip ahead

unfortunately what bode best for some did not rest well with others… losing some of our mates to attrition the crew was reduced to the capable. changing our course of action we set out cautiously into the unknown and into the night

forced to turn on backs to what was, we set sights to the immediate futures and on to the new order

on watch through the night the lucky two surfaced alert yet unscathed. with no time to daddle we were set into action and moved forward to the shipwrights tasks at hand

fetch me another beer swab! the cast and crew take a well needed quick nap after the rough 26 hour all night passage and heavy like north western windy seas

man overboard & doing as much underwater pre prep as possible before the hurried crunch of our scheduled three day haul out

brushing the teeth or oiling the teak? we made quick work of the minor details and set into motion our plans to get on a good bottom coat while the window was open and wide

whoops you missed a spot? scraping, sanding, wiping, taping, cutting, brushing, rolling… the the light blue four to one went on well and without a hitch

after some major breakthroughs, finally gaining way and catching a glimpse of the light at the end of the fumey tunnel the captain gave order and a well deserved break was served… lunch!

cans empty and with belly’s full, the crew reorganized and decided to indulge on the sights, the sounds & the sunsets of the shore side

with the sun setting the rag tag crew wandered the sublime downtown streets

unbeknownst to us we discovered yet another little known fact of the ancient islands…

shutting the town down, escaping city life and scurrying back to the docks unharmed we eased the fence line to settle in for the next mornings doings

saying thanks and proving once again that oil & water don’t mix we’ll look forward to you keeping it tuned here at www.luckystarsail.com where we’ll keep you abreast to all the comings and goings of an ocean at life!

with the first swell of the season and the north shore winter bearing towards us a short month away… i found myself short changed and laid up, shore bound with no way in & no way out

back to back cuts… one from getting tubed and then not getting tubed, the second from a minor demolition mishap turned survivor man tv show turned disaster

the epic continuing saga of cuts that never heal had sidelined the team and left us essentially stuck between a rock and a nightmare waiting to happen

two back to back 19 foot 21 second impending NW swells heading our direction AND 5 to 6 foot east seas with 30 knot winds at the only refuge available made the statement… “close only counts in horseshoes & hand grenades” seem a bit more profound than usual

you’ve got to get your boat out of Hanalei or maybe you should see a doctor about that… haven’t decided yet?

the calls went out and were thankfully returned “i’ll meet you at eight o’clock…” Al Baroni Master Sailor and the King of Diddling himself had come to the rescue

some heavier head winds and an off placement slowed our start but with a minor sail adjustment we were able to power through… beating down off the brilliant fall coast of Kauai

with daylight ticking and the forgone perfect timing thing in swing we were able to work south and east as support groups kept track of our progress from shore

we watched the sun set over mountainsides as we laughed, we talked story instead of crying and don’t tell his wife, smoked cigarettes & bonded realizing that as Al was to less than lightly say a few hours later… “this is going to be dicey”

praised be for jet fuel and as to be as under spoken as can possibly be thank you but not my boat

keep checking back at www.luckystarsail.com for more of those body flushed, blind in the night, wing on wing and hauling with flames on your ass & you had to be there kind of moments…

as one tosses aside the proverbial bowline and steps offshore the realm of simplicity coupled with complete dependability intensifies… finding a balance we tread a fine line

the sails are set to reorganize and dry… the crew rallied like champs to make our date. we were able to clear free the slip gain out of the safety of the harbor & set sail easily into the open ocean

unspoken deadlines met & conditions found we can now settle into the creature comforts off the north shore in Hawaii

with curiosity at an all time high the easy early summer conditions got us overboard… doing some scrubbing & enjoying the plentiful shape of Lucky Star with her three quarter cutaway keel

HANALEI BAY TAKE 2 TIMELAPSE BOATS V3 CUT

time ensued & the summer continued to press on…

notes taken and the blur of the day to day presses us onward to gain depth, helping to reach an understanding

the bottles of rum were THIS big… friends were met, came, went and delivered! a certain sense of seriousness was soon on tap for what was to be

tracking paths soon became a routine order

casual good times suddenly sidelined, extras and backups were wielded as a scent of oh shit wafted the typically fragrant midnight blooming jasmine scented tropical evening air

HANALEI BAY TAKE 2 TIMELAPSE FLOWER V2

luck having it, multiplying nights of teeth gritting despair the storm gods were finally kind holding the storms off to north. with the mixed period pulses pounding we learned of another secret of the ages… ain’t nothing like surfing off your boat!

we’ll release you from our grasps for now but insist you check back for more nail biting suspense filled moments and adventure here at www.luckystarsail.com