The Sea's sense of humor
Sunday, June 8, 2008
New words from Junk, illustrated by this very exciting action photo of Marcus typing.
Day 6. The winds are beginning to subside, and should clear enough mid week for Junk to forge ahead. Granted, the sea has a mind of its own - with all due respect.
Here's one we didn't predict: the recent stormy seas have been twisting the caps off our Nalgene bottles only, while the other plastic bottles hold perfectly tight.
According to Marcus:
The sea is a master of twisting the caps off of bottles. We have 1000 polycarbonate sports bottles. I can count dozens with loose lids, still attached by their plastic O-ring. We even pulled out two bottles, where the sea twisted both caps off and put one cap on the other bottle! The sea also has a sense of humor. We have a new plan.
The plan: sealing the Nalgene caps with a rock solid cement glue. Tedious, tiring work - here's Joel counting bottle caps in his sleep - but at least gives our captains something to do in the meantime.
Junk's bottle cap issue certainly pales in comparison to the large water bottle crisis outlined in this USA Today article, an excerpt here:
"Plastic water bottles produced for U.S. consumption take 1.5 million barrels of oil per year, according to a 2007 resolution passed by the U.S. Conference of Mayors. That much energy could power 250,000 homes or fuel 100,000 cars for a year, according to the resolution.
Cornell University professor and environmentalist Doug James said the irony of bottled water is that it's marketed as clean and healthy when its production contributes to unnecessary environmental degradation.
"Fiji water, for example," he said. "A one-liter bottle is taken out of the aquifer of this little island, and shipped all the way across the world, producing like half a pound of greenhouse gases so you can have this one-liter bottle of water."
A reminder of exactly why we are doing this project.
First photos from sea!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
We just received our first email from JUNK - proof that our solar powered, satellite phone system works! Even amidst continued stormy weather...
Marcus recounts:
Last night JUNK was hit with the worst storm yet, 50-60 mph gusts slapped at JUNK while at anchor near San Nicholas but all the raft did was bob up and down. Still, we've got work to do."
Someone asked about communications from sea: Marcus and Joel have an Iridium phone which allows them to call, email, and send low resolution photos like the ones here. Huge thanks to our communications sponsors Explorer Satellite and OCENS Inc for this - would be a very long 6 weeks without....They also have two broadband radios. And a friendly seal who seems to want to climb on board just offered to deliver short messages back to the mainland.
Getting back to work without an espresso maker on board, brutal.... Read more!
Lightening the load in San Nicolas
Friday, June 6, 2008
Things that came home from San Nicolas: books, bangles, beer, and even a bunny.
After a night at San Nicholas Island Marcus and Joel finally got the chance to survey the excessive number of last minute items friends donated at the departure.
The pronouncement: Junk needed to lose some weight.
Turns out a lot of the well intended gifts exceeded the bare necessities criteria. So they offloaded a number of things onto our friend Jody's boat, including some books that would never get read, a cooler full of cheese and ice, a bunch of knick knacks, a twelve pack of beer a jovial friend had offered up at the last minute, an electric tea set, and even Joel's pet bunny which he had innocently brought along without thinking through the extent to which the high seas might not be bunny-friendly.
The net result is a leaner, cleaner and tighter ship, ready for the high seas.
Day 4: waiting out the storm
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Now that our blogger is back on land, regular updates on Junk's progress on the way. Our two sailors are currently anchored off San Nicolas Island, waiting for the storm to pass, and to hitch a ride on the next south-blowing winds.
After our good byes in Long Beach:
©Peter Bennett/Ambient Images
first order of business was making room for 4 adults in a TIGHT space crammed with 6 weeks worth of supplies. For the first few days, Junk would have two extra crew mates - Nicole Chatterson (Algalita's office assistant) and myself. To give an idea of the cabin size:
Here's Marcus, with a fraction of the stuff we packed in there.
©Peter Bennett/Ambient Images
It was a human jig saw puzzle, w/ some very stiff necks and backs the next morning...
Day 2 of the tow brought our first technical challenges. Both Marcus and Joel had been very concerned about the pressure towing Junk would place on the raft. Designed to float along gently at 1-2 knots, being dragged through waves and wind at higher speeeds would test her limits.
After a sleepless night of slamming along to the tune of Junk's unusual crunching/squeaking noises, we woke to find a small rip in one of the front pontoons, with bottles leaking out onto our deck. For immediate repairs, Marcus dove under the boat to sew the rip, while Joel stitched from above, and crew shoved bottles back into the net.
©Peter Bennett/Ambient Images
The force of the tow tore a small hole through the netting, which Marcus and Joel repaired at sea. This sort of pressure was strictly a function of the tow, and may be the most stress Junk undergoes in the entire 6 weeks.
We arrived intact at San Nicolas Island, and managed to bring Junk crew over to the tow boat for a final hot meal and shower.
Which required shuttling them in a small dingy, amongst sizable swells and approaching gale force winds, a bit hair raising.
All went fine, until the motor fell off the dingy on Joel's return ride, leaving Jeff bobbing about in the pitch black - storm on the horizon. Being a resourceful young man, he hauled the motor on board by the fuel line, and signaled us with his flashlight for a rescue. Marcus then had to leap from Alguita's stern over to Junk - all in all, a dramatic send off.....
Junk Raft Departing for Hawaii
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Junk Underway!
Amidst tremendous energy from a cheering throng, Junk set sail Sunday for Hawaii. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect send off - a wonderful crowd of friends, supporters, and media showed up to wish the journey well.
©Peter Bennett/Ambient Images
©Peter Bennett/Ambient Images
After a somewhat eventfull, mildly dramatic tow to San Nicolas, we left Marcus and Joel last night, anchored down by the Island to wait out some wicked winds. Details and photos to follow.
©Peter Bennett/Ambient Images
They were both in great spirits overall, having seen Junk weather her first major test, and eager to begin sailing solo. The adventure begins.
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