The Molokai Hoe (Oct 10, I'm finally posting now) was great. It was windy the days leading up to the race and the prediction for race day was for 18-22 mph winds. That prediction was about right and made the toughest part of the race getting in and out of the escort boat. The Kioloa was a beautiful escort boat and the crew were great. With the winds and waves, though, the boat was getting bounced around pretty good and the ladder was narrow. I fell off the ladder at least a couple of times. Once we got into the lee of Oahu the seas calmed and we got in a race with, and passed, another boat. Definitely one of the great experiences of my life. Picture from James McKeague.

The Molokai Hoe was on October 10. We got there Thursday the 7th and stayed until race day (Sunday) in a real nice house Al rented for us. Our landlords the Davis's brought us breakfast and dinner every day we were there, and they let us use their truck. We shared the house with Aka Hemmings and members of his Pure Light crew. They were all really nice and fun people.

We rigged on Thursday. It took hours because we rerigged once because there was some mixup between the short and long cords, and then had to derig and rerig the entire ama and iakos because the front and rear iakos were mixed up. That stuff's gotta be right.

The night before the race we met with the escort boat crew and Mike Spalding.

Another pic from Jane's race.

Here's a picture from the last race: Jane's race was held on 9/11/2010 and went from Anaehoomalu Bay to Keauhou (32 miles). I'm sitting in seat 5.

New boat and long distance season

Wow it's been a while. I got a new boat @ the end of June, a Maa Afi from Papu Williams of Pineula Vaa and I love it. The Huki is fine inside the breakwater and is as good there as the Maa Afi, but outside in the waves the Maa Afi is much better at going through the bumps and especially riding the bumps. The seat is lower and more forward and I think that really helps in bumpy water. Anyway, now it's October, we've done 4 long distance races (6-man canoe), and this weekend is the big one--the Molokai Hoe (October 10).

counting calories

Pulled a muscle @ lower right side rib last Saturday (3/20/10) and haven't paddled or done any exercise since Sunday. Really hurts and sleeping's difficult.

Anyway, I was 220 in June 2009 when I started paddling, and I am between 202 and 205 these days. I'm paddling 4-6X/wk, my muscles are built up and I feel fit, but my weight is still high. I have to modify my diet now if I want to lose any more weight.

One reason is Eckhart just posted something about being overweight being bad for your heart (that got me off my ass because of our John Myles experience), and second I entered a race and didn't do all that well. I'm a beginner but every extra pound makes the boat sit lower and results in more drag. I'd have to buy a new all-carbon boat (~$4000) to lose 5 boat pounds but I have at least 20 fat pounds to give. I like this fatsecret thing; it's easy to enter food and weight, and there is an app so I can enter stuff on my phone.

We'll see.

Al with a whale's tail in the distance

Whale encounter.

Feb 28 2010. Frayed cable. Ordered new cable set from Huki on Monday, got here Friday. Had Papu install cables Saturday. Thanks Papu.

ama damage from 11/13/09

Papu fixed all of this--less than 2 weeks.

My Huki.

Paddling

Well I am loving paddling. We were at a party in June and Norbert asked if I wanted to come down and paddle with Keaukaha canoe club. Here are my intermittent notes:

Started with Keaukaha June 22. Practice schedule is Monday and Wednesday at 5pm. Norbert suggested it, and I went to check out a race on Saturday June 20. Didn't get in the water the first day, and briefly went in on June 24, just to pick up the flags. I don't think I've missed a practice since, and I've paid my dues. We've been to Richardson's twice on Saturday runs.

OC1 purchase: contacted craigslist seller re oc1 July 29

This was a Huki V1-B, I looked at it in the afternoon, just before our practice. I got it the next day, July 30.

I bought it for $1700--seller, Rob, was real nice.

I took it out last Saturday and Sunday, 8/15 and 8/16.

Saturday launched at Keaukaha halau, went up Wailoa and back. No huli. Great. Saw Miri when I got back. She recommended getting space in the halau. I contacted Jan Roehrig that night via email, and she said she'd set me up Monday with a space.

Sunday 8/16 saw Gordon, followed him to Wailuku. Huli'd (first one) on the way there.

Monday paddled with Keaukaha and paid Jan $90. She gave me a key and a set of instructions--I'm in a berth on the bottom (I think it's #39), and am automatically on the wait list for an upper berth. I met Amy, who's moving out to an upper berth.

Tuesday morning took canoe down about 7:15 and ran into Jimmy Naniole. He took me out to the end of the breakwater and inside the breakwater, and then back in (4.7 mi). Huli'd on the way out. Jimmy is much faster than me. Used the garmin for the first time. Works great. Don't know average speed because I forgot to turn it off and got some car movement.

Put canoe in berth.

Paddled Wednesday with Keaukaha. I notice I work much harder when in the oc6. We have practice Saturday at 1. I'll have to bring the garmin.

Took oc1 out Thursday morning 7:30. No Jimmy, so I went out to the inside green and back. Ave speed 3.6, max 6 mph. No huli. I practiced bracing--shift weight to right and brace when feels like it's going over. 2.7 mi, 45 minutes.

Took oc1 out Friday morning 7:30. I went out to the inside green and back--pretty bumpy. Then went up Wailoa--that run is nice and smooth. ave spd 3.7, max 5.9. 3.9 mi total, 1 hour.

Paddling class: Signed up for the UH CCECS recreational paddling class, and went to first class July 2. Thursdays 7-9am. Joe Kalima is a great coach. Attended every week until the last day, August 13. That day after class there was a real nice pot luck. Wilfred brought a big bottle of vodka, and made a bunch of jello shooters. I brought a sushi platter from KTA.

Trying out the garmin: To Wailoa, then to flat buoy and then to inside green. about 5.4 miles.

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/11785510

9/12/09: Went out maybe 16x on the oc1 now. It's great. I'm now able to get my heart rate up--I couldn't before because I was just trying too hard to stay upright. I'm still slow, though--around 5mph.

John Myles: Not enjoying paddling as much the last few days. We lost John Myles last Wednesday (9/23/09) during team practice.

injury 10/9/09: Think I pulled, sprained or tore something doing pullups last week. Was a little sore Saturday, then I paddled Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday it really started hurting, and now coughing and especially sneezing is very painful in my armpit. On advil and sometimes muscle relaxants I got for the stiff neck following rear-end collision. Last paddled on Tuesday, and I think I'll rest until next Tuesday.

Richardson's with oc1 10/18/09: Went to Richardson's with Al and Mike Beavis yesterday. I really suffered the last hour or so. I was planning on a short paddle and didn't eat, and no Gatorade. I felt like I barely made it in. My head was tingling and I was stopping every 5 minutes or so. Mike Beavis wrecked Al's canoe surfing at the lighthouse.

Today (10/19/09) I did my buoy run with the oc1 and felt great. I made it a point to take it easy and ave speed was 4.9--fastest so far. Awesome.

email to Bob (11/18/09):

Hi Bob,

Here's an update of my weekend.

Surf was real big on Friday. I huli'd and was amazed the leash held when the wave took the boat.

turns out it's impossible to turn the boat when you're not in it. So waves kept hitting from the side, taking the boat and pulling the leash really hard every time. I tried holding on real tight to the iako, but it was impossible to hold. I could get on the boat between waves, but once I lost the seat, it was hard to stay on the boat as my ass slid off when the waves hit.

Got hit 4 or 5 times, and finally got on as fast as possible and paddled out to the side.

When the waves pulled the leash taught, the tension of the cord against the ama, cracked it--it looks like it happened twice. I didn't notice until the next day. Al lent me his spare seat so I velcro'd it in and was gonna paddle, and then I checked my ama and found that it's cracked pretty good in 2 places. It leaks. I was gonna try to fix it myself and found that there are cracks connecting the 2 big cracks so there's a big area to repair.

So....I called Papu. He said he could fix it so I brought it down.

Right after the incident I was bummed because no canoe, and I thought, "I can buy one," because there are 2 Pegasus's (Pegasi?) in Hilo on Craigslist, one for $2000, the other for $2800. I could have a back up canoe, plus my birthday's coming up, and Christmas. I contacted the seller for the $2000 one, but didn't get a response. The $2800 one, it turns out, is Miri's boat, and as you know I was supposed to meet her Monday (she couldn't make it in the end). I've known Miri since the 1st grade. I talked to her for a bit and she needs the money, but that kind of ruined it for me--I wouldn't feel good paddling her boat after learning that, and I would always feel like its *her* boat. I told her yesterday that I couldn't buy her boat. She said no problem.

In my head I already almost bought the $2800 canoe, so all of a sudden,$3,000 for a new canoe not loaded down with guilt is just, what? In the ballpark. Practically the same. A bargain, really. So I went down yesterday, got measured and gave Papu my down payment. Maa afi just like you and Norbert, red and white, same colors as my Huki. Yesterday your boat was really almost ready--it was assembled with iakos and ama, and the stickers were on. I think just the cables needed to be installed.

I still don't have a canoe for now, but am excited about getting one made for me. I hope Papu fixes my ama soon.

Until then, I don't know. I can't paddle this Saturday because we're going to Kona.

Then I thought today--*Hey!* Bob's going to have 2 canoes down there real soon. I got excited and called you. As soon as hung up I realized how presumptious that was, and I'm sorry for doing that. A bit of paddling withdrawals is all.

Anyway,

take care,

Mike

Canoe damage and ordering new canoe:

Last Friday 11/13, went out into big surf, huli'd. Lost seat and spent stormy Saturday looking for seat on beach and rocks with no luck. Al lent me his spare seat. I put it on Saturday, and discovered cracks in ama. On Sunday called re $2800 canoe on craigslist--it is Miri's canoe. Miri is reluctant about selling her canoe so I don't want to buy it. Called re $2000 canoe on cl, no reply. Both cl canoes were pegasus. Monday went to Home depot to buy sandpaper, resin to patch ama. It's a big patch job, so I called Papu Williams at Pineula Vaa, and brought the ama down. He said he could fix it for $80, so I asked him to do it.

The next day, Tuesday, I withdrew 1580 from HFSCU, and gave Papu a down payment for a Maa Afi, red and white. He took my measurements, and told me about 10 weeks.

I am without canoe until Papu fixes my ama.

Update: ama picked up, nicer than new 11/30/09.

new berth 2/1/2010: I went paddling this morning, and saw Mike Hayashida. He said I could move my canoe up to Miri's old berth. I was down in 39, almost the bottom right corner.

race 1/30/2010: Norbert and I did the O'Shaunessey race Saturday. I was pretty far back in the pack

I did it in 1:03:42 and Norbert in 57:57. That was good for 12th and 11th place for 50-59.

The next day we went to Richardson's (10:30) with Al and Jeff, and just like last Sunday a whale came and hung out with us for a bit. Plus we saw a big pod of dolphins. They were really acrobatic.