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we raced from Los Angeles to Hawaii...
See us in the Transpac Brochure
Ode to rhiannon
From Marina del Rey, dawn breaks clear,
As Rhiannon casts loose her mooring lines,
Her hull cuts through the swells without fear,
While Captain Stacy charts the course through ocean's signs.
The crew works deck to deck with practiced hands,
Each sail trimmed right for maximum speed,
As California fades to golden strands,
They chase the trade winds' call, fulfill the need.
Through days of spray and starlit navigation,
The Crew’s dream unfolds on endless blue,
The yacht responds to wind's sweet conversation,
Her bow pointed toward Hawaii's view.
At last Diamond Head Light pierces the night—
Rhiannon's crew has sailed their dream to aflight.
by Jamie Myer
What we learned
Fishing
Fellowship Hour
Provisions
Definitely, fishing! We needed more lures and more line since the fish kept taking ours!
There's nothing like catching a fish at sea and having the freshest sashimi and ceviche ever!
We consciously decided to use smaller lures since the larger the lure, the larger the fish and we weren't going to slow down because we had one on the hook!
Provisions
Fellowship Hour
Provisions
You can't eat too well on board a racing vessel! We provisioned for 4 meal times a day with snacks and drinks available 24/7 and "fellowship hour" at 4pm when we were all awake.
We pre-cooked 70% of our meals and snacks, had "fast" cookie dough in the freezer for night watch treats.
We planned a menu so we would have 20% more food than
You can't eat too well on board a racing vessel! We provisioned for 4 meal times a day with snacks and drinks available 24/7 and "fellowship hour" at 4pm when we were all awake.
We pre-cooked 70% of our meals and snacks, had "fast" cookie dough in the freezer for night watch treats.
We planned a menu so we would have 20% more food than we thought we needed because sometimes you just get a hankering or the transit takes longer than expected!
Even so, if doing Transpac again, we'd make a few changes - more tea and instant coffee, more vegetables and better vegetable storage. We had a good selection of pots and pans, but should have had a few more serving bowls.
Fellowship Hour
Fellowship Hour
Fellowship Hour
One of my favorite times of day -- when all 7 of us were awake. Each day had a theme. Tracy was the mastermind and wove days that celebrated each crew member (did you know this about him/her) with favorite music, food, drink, spirit animal, etc. Other days were themed by National holidays and we were all surprised to open gifts from loved
One of my favorite times of day -- when all 7 of us were awake. Each day had a theme. Tracy was the mastermind and wove days that celebrated each crew member (did you know this about him/her) with favorite music, food, drink, spirit animal, etc. Other days were themed by National holidays and we were all surprised to open gifts from loved ones that were wrapped and surprises to all of us! Some were games to play, challenges to solve, tasks to do... and the ones from the kids were the hardest!
Medical - Preparations
Repairs are to be Expected
Medical - Preparations
The medical dynamic duo of Tracy and Courtney blew me away! It started with a medical questionaire and a list of medications to ask our doctors to perscribe for our med kit.
Not only did they create a literal hospital aboard in case we needed anything, but they also understood that the most invaluable medical skill is our ability to obser
The medical dynamic duo of Tracy and Courtney blew me away! It started with a medical questionaire and a list of medications to ask our doctors to perscribe for our med kit.
Not only did they create a literal hospital aboard in case we needed anything, but they also understood that the most invaluable medical skill is our ability to observe each other and to know ourselves.
Every week for the 6 weeks leading up to the race they emailed the crew with a "Med Minute" on a topic for self care: heat stroke, bowl movements, a hygiene checklist, signs of hypothermia and dehydration, basic CPR and use of our donated AED. The one on direct vs indirect communication (the same discourse through different styles) is one I will always treasure on and off the water - brilliant!
Rhiannon's Handbook
Repairs are to be Expected
Medical - Preparations
when I got on the first boat I helped cruise (S/V Quest), I was handed a stack of index cards held together by a ring and was told, 'read this before you ask.' I realized that if someone was injured, it'd likely be the person who knows the most about how the boat works. Now that I'm the sole owner of Rhiannon, that'd be me.
Originally, I
when I got on the first boat I helped cruise (S/V Quest), I was handed a stack of index cards held together by a ring and was told, 'read this before you ask.' I realized that if someone was injured, it'd likely be the person who knows the most about how the boat works. Now that I'm the sole owner of Rhiannon, that'd be me.
Originally, I made the handbook for cruising, then to keep this crew from distracting me. What it has become is truly a second brain for the boat!
From the location of tools and spares to how to operate specific equipment, safety and emergency procedures and personal health tracking, each person who spends a night on the boat gets their own copy of the handbook and I keep tinkering with it, making it better as I understand the boat better and better!
Repairs are to be Expected
Repairs are to be Expected
Repairs are to be Expected
Everyone had chores and chores were part of the watch schedule. Details for each of the chores were described in the Rhiannon Handbook and included cleaning the galley, heads, berths and floors, doing dishes, preparing food, checking lines for chafe, moving halyards and other working lines a few inches every 6 hours to minimize chafe, ch
Everyone had chores and chores were part of the watch schedule. Details for each of the chores were described in the Rhiannon Handbook and included cleaning the galley, heads, berths and floors, doing dishes, preparing food, checking lines for chafe, moving halyards and other working lines a few inches every 6 hours to minimize chafe, checking blocks and standing rigging for potential failure, looking at the rudder post, thru-hulls, engine room, watermaker, battery meter and solar energy generation. Water and fuel were measured daily. Sails, shackles and blocks were checked for wear.
Careful observation uncovered failing backing plates from turning blocks before equipment had full failure. Having enough spares allowed us to rerun sheets under load.
For all that happened, it could have been far worse! I'm grateful to a keen-eyed crew and creative problem solving.
Video
Transpac Crew Spotlight: Alex Luck
BOW
Alex has been sailing all his life and has sailed in many different parts of the US and Canada. Having done Van Isle 360 and a few other big races, he is ready for the next one!
Transpac Crew Spotlight: Brian Drawert
NAVIGATOR
Brian sails out of LA California. Although has only raced for about 4 years he is a phenomenal boater and navigator and will keep us going fast and on track.
Transpac Crew Spotlight: Courtney Wingard
TRIM & MAST
Courtney has been a PNW boater and racer all her life and has raced in other parts of the world including the Caribbean and Japan. She is a member of the Seattle Yacht Club and an active member of the PNW/Seattle race community. Although bow is her first love, she can do any position on the boat. This will be her first ocean crossing and she can't wait!
Transpac Crew Spotlight: Steven Schmitz
Steven grew up in Millwaukee, Wisconsin and has been sailing for about 10 years. He has raced on both Seawolf, a Diode 36 and Wolfhound, an 11 meter one design. He is a father of 2 and builds space crafts as a career. We are very excited for him to be a part of this team and his enthusiasm and sense of humor will keep us going.