Old Fools Journal: Excerpts from the Log of Serenity

Serenity in the Ali Wai Yacht harbor Honolulu

Here are a few lines from the Log of the Good Ship "Serenity". Serenity possessed me from 1974 until 1992. I called her home during that time. Serenity is a 40 foot long 23 foot wide ketch rigged (later changed to sloop) trimaran with a 38 hp BMC diesel engine. She was a "Piver" design originally but hand built and highly modified by one Al Parker originally from Australia. I have never met a more talented lunatic craftsmen in my life. Piver would not have recognized his design. The boat was improved in so many ways that the list is rather long. She was made of plywood and fiberglass covered with such skill and care that it looked as if it were dropped out of a mold. On taking possession I immediately commenced to change all that.

Al Parker and his dog Pot. The good looking one is the dog. I never noticed before but Pot has a dancing hula girl on his chest.

On Valentines day 1984 SWMBO and I threw our lot in together and departed in my 1954 Cessna 180 from a dirt street in Quartzsite, Arizona bound for Hawaii to pick up Serenity and sail around the world.

Excerpt from the log:
February 29, 1984 - Arrived back on board (Serenity) with Donna (SWMBO*).
*She Who Must Be Obeyed

There was a lot of work to do before heading off around the world and besides we were on a honeymoon and making like rabbits. That took a lot of time.

Excerpt:
March 12, 1984 Moved (the boat) to the Ali Wai from Keehi (lagoon)

Much more convenient to provision at the dock in the Ali Wai. Besides we needed to say final goodbyes to Honolulu and the Hawaii Yacht Club. We had both watched a lot of sunsets at cocktail time from the yacht club and we knew a lot of people there. They have a great shower room.

Excerpt:
April 3, 1984
Departed Ali Wai for Pokai Bay. Gas dock (for diesel) at 1245. Pokai 1800 (arrival).
Jib only/wind 10 -15 knots. 20.6 miles on sum log 26 charted. Small craft. (I believe small craft warnings were up when we arrived)

April 7, 1984
Capitaine Ullysse - Maragelle (I don't remember this but it must have impressed me at the time)

April 8, 1984
Set Watches (This is prior to the wide spread use of GPS. Accurate time was important)

April 10, 1984 Tuesday.
Shifted anchor to outside Pokai (Bay).

Wednesday, April 11, 1984
Sailed at 0600 for Nawiliwili, Kauai. Arrived at 2100 (approx). E wind 15 kt, sloppy sea, sunshine. 63.4 miles logged, actual 80 (Miles) or thereabouts.
Towing generator packed up in route. (I had a generator on deck that had a half inch nylon rope with a 6 hp Evinrude propeller on it that kept the batteries charged. The propeller was mounted to a 3 foot shaft and something ate it. That was the second time something ate my generator propeller. There are some big critters out there in the ocean. It was a good idea but did not take into account that it was just a big thrashing fishing lure to some really big fish. Not a very good start so early in a trip around the world.)

Monday, April 23, 1984
Brought 80 gallons water by skiff. Dined yesterday (Easter) with Gary and Nora Holland, Larry and Bonnie Miller and their son Mike, Peter of Redondo Beach and others. I'm sure that a good time was had by all but all I remember is someone passed me something to smoke and then it was the next day.

We spent an afternoon going up the river that comes down from the mountain and enters the sea next to the harbor. It was a great trip we went as far as the outboard would take us then rowed or poled and finally one of us had to get out and tow the boat. So since we were doing a scene from the movie "African Queen" we decided that SWMBO would be Humphrey Bogart, since she smokes cigarettes, and I would be Katherine Hepburn. That was the last time I remember being that silly.

Wednesday, April 25, 1984
Dinner with Phil Funnell of "Third Meadow" from B.C. (British Columbia)
SWMBO in "Third Meadows" kayak. She was one happy camper and took to the kayak like she had been doing it all her life. I don't know how I got out of having to buy her one. Phil was a very gracious man and let her use it all she wanted.

Excerpt:
Thursday, April 26, 1984
Rain. Brought 35 gals water by skiff. 42 gals in main tank. Used 35 gals since last. (The top of the main cabin was designed by Al Parker to catch water when it rained and funnel it into the main water tank which held a 100 gallons. After it had rained enough to wash the deck all I had to do was close one valve and open another and wait for the tank to fill. Apparently it didn't fill the tank that day. I can't believe we used 35 gallons in 3 days. Must have been taking a lot of showers).

Thursday, April 27, 1984
Departed Nawiliwili 1144 bound toward Hanalei Bay. Light wind NE, Sunny.
"Good medicine" day. Porpoises for about 30 minutes ended with one big whale.
Arrived 1815. Only boat in Hanalei. (How nice that was)Thursday, May 3, 1984
5 gallon in main tank caught. (caught rain water and I scribbled this note. I was much to busy having fun with my date to fool with much log writing.)
When I was in Hanalei a few years prior to this the sky line on three sides was trees. This time it was construction cranes building condos ruining paradise for those well heeled people who wanted to enjoy paradise looking out the window of their air-conditioned rooms. From dawn until dark in Hanalei Bay we could hear the constant beep-beep-beep of construction equipment. Until this visit Hanalei was my idea of paradise but no more. The sound of concrete growing across the landscape was more than I could bear. I will never go back.

Luckily I had my own little piece of paradise, a good ship and an exiting delightful companion. What more could one want.

As in Nawiliwili there is a river so of course we had to do the river trip in the dinghy. I ask a fisherman on the bank what kind of fish he was catching and he said "Da kin little fish you eat".

When the river got so shallow we couldn't go any further we found some kids groveling around catching fresh water shrimp. They seemed a little nervous at first but when they determined that we were just turistas they relaxed and explained that we were in a national forest and what they were doing was not exactly legal. They ask us to please not tell the man. We didn't.

Friday, May 11, 1984
Brought out 42 gallons water with Avon. (Avon = inflatable dingy)
Dinner on board with Kurt and Sonny from "Windlass". (Apparently we were really sociable people but I don't remember most of these people or the occasions. Maybe if my long term memory ever kicks in I will. )

Sunday, May 13, 1984
Brought last anchor (in) at 1430. Set sail at 1445 bound toward California.
course 350*M (002T) (I know that is not the direction of California from Kauai but since the trade winds flow generally from the east we could not go that direction so we were going north to hopefully pick up westerly winds. We never found them.

More excerpts from the log another time.