July 18th, 2021
Hawaii - The start of our Journey on Sirena
Oahu
Our trip on Sirena started in Honolulu. Well, mine did anyhow. Greg's been sailing for years. We left at the beginning of July after being at dock for nearly 6 months because of travel restrictions due to Covid. Our first stop was just up the coast of Oahu to Po'kai Bay. We spent the July 4th weekend anchored in the small bay. We kicked back, enjoyed being on anchor, swam, and people watched. We saw fisherman, local kids jumping of the breakwater, paddle boarders, canoe crew practices, wind surfers, people on the beach, and even a group of fire fighters swimming by during a training exercise. At night we saw scattered fireworks and fire dancers practicing on the beach. And of course throughout the entire weekend we watched boats come and go. Some gracefully anchoring, others not so much. Po'Kai Bay was also where we first flew the drone off the boat! Very cool. One afternoon I swam to shore and walked along the beach. On the way back to the boat I caught a ride from a paddle boarder which was much appreciated.
Kauai
After chillin in Po'kai Bay for 5 days, we lifted anchor and headed to Hanalei Bay. 108 miles later we arrived at Kauai in the early morning. I had never been to Kauai before, and it was a treat arriving by boat at sunrise for the first time. Hanalei Bay is surrounded by lush green cliffs with numerous waterfalls. A beautiful place to be. We hung out in Hanalei Bay on anchor for 2 weeks. The first days upon arrival we did practically nothing. It was great. While there, we went ashore a few times and walked up to the little town of Hanalei. One day we took the dingy as far up the Hanalei River as we could, exploring until the river became only 2 feet deep and we had to turn around. I did a little hiking on the beach all the way out to the point. 4 miles consisting of beach walking, crossing a river, climbing up and over and under trees and rocks, and then finally walking back to town on the road.
Unexpectedly, we met and hung out with the Single Handed Transpac Racers!! The last boats arrived the night before we got to Hanalei Bay. It was kind of funny to seeing boats and people I know from San Francisco all hanging out in Hanalei. We even attended their awards ceremony and mingled with the sailors and their families and friends. Pretty nifty. Anchored next to us is where we met Jamie Wylly. He raced Northern Star, a beautiful Sabre 426 in the Single handed Transpac! We went over in our dingy to say hi and as they say, the rest is history. We became good friends and was able to help him out with a few things. Jamie was super appreciative, low-key, and is a great guy to be around. A week after Jamie's arrival, he flew in crew Jon Knowles, and they departed for San Francisco. We have been able to keep in touch the last few by texting via satellite. Still amazing how you can be in the middle of absolutely nowhere and you can text from your phone!
During the second week of our stay in Hanalei, we became friends with our neighbors Steve and Jen on Soulstice. Greg had seen the boat in Mexico the previous sailing season. We had fun hanging out with them and sharing stories over cocktails! Turns out they are both ham operators! Greg is as well, and I am studying for my license. One afternoon Jen and I went ashore and had coffee. It was so good!
Soon we'll be departing for California! I will post updates along the way. :)
Toni & Greg