Day 1 | Clay’s Perspective

10 Feb Day 1 | Clay’s Perspective

This our second Blog and my first of this voyage aboard “M/V Starr”, bound from Honolulu to points West. We departed the Waikiki Yacht Club at 1003 on Wednesday, February 8, 2023, with a favorable weather forecast and a crew anxious to be underway and done with the endless details associated with life ashore. Our timing was excellent.  We started with 20-25 kt. Tradewinds that gave us a nudge along our planned route, aided by a westward flowing current.  This is our third day out and we are currently easing down our track in beautiful conditions, while Honolulu is being assaulted by gale force winds. Good thing we left when we did.

We are headed for Guam for a refueling/reprovisioning stop enroute to Okinawa and Japan.   Our crew includes Owner/Captain Don Stabbert, Mate Sharry Stabbert, Co-Captain Sam Landsman, Nurse Celeste Mausolf, and Crew Clay Hutchinson.  We have a good watch system (Ship’s time):  Clay 0000-0300 and 1200-1500; Sam 0300-0600 and 1500-1800; Don & Sharry 0600-0900 and 1800-2100: Celeste 0900-1200 and 2100-2400. We have some great cooks aboard.  Don always produces some excellent meals, as does Celeste, who has prepared a couple of winners thus far.  Celeste learned to cook from her mother in Cajun Country. She served a spicy creamy oatmeal with Kale and fried egg the first night.  Who knew that those ingredients could be combined? Definitely a step up from the boat food that I am accustomed to eating.

We have experienced a few of the minor surprises that always crop up early in a voyage, but Don knows his boat and is prepared with a fix as soon as the issue arises. Sam has a good grasp of the boat systems and is a patient and helpful coach.  I have made two previous voyages on “Starr” in 2018 and 2019 and while the learning curve is not as steep this time, there is still much to recall.

 The night watches are a joy in the comfort of the wheelhouse.  Last night a few Boobie Birds were circling and occasionally landing on the foredeck. Unfortunately, they were also leaving calling cards on the deck. We will rig some small stuff lines to ward off the Boobies. We will be approx. 150 due south of the Boobie’s home at French Frigate Shoals this afternoon and will gradually move out of their fishing range. We have also seen a Laysan Albatross gliding above our wake.

That’s it for now.  Stay tuned for updates as we search out new islands and boldly go where many have gone before.