Dr. Stanley Paris & Kiwi Spirit II

Sometimes circumstances accumulate to a point to where a unwelcome but wise decision must be made - and right now I am faced with exactly that. The final straw occurred over the last two days when I learned from the WSSR (Word Sailing Speed Record Council) that even a successful restart from Bermuda and back again would not give me the record I seek as the oldest to have solo circumnavigate the globe as by the new rules I am short 346 miles. Here is a quote from email receive

It seems the autopilots are now satisfactory and so the remaining problem is battery charging and use. The batteries are charging unevenly and at a slower rate then they should. Usually with one hydrogenerator down I get a positive charge but now it takes two down thus increasing vulnerability to damage. Three were stripped of blades in the week’s sail to Bermuda. Additionally the instruments that tell me how much is coming from the hydros and solar are giving way false figu

With Thanksgiving weekend over people are returning to work here in Bermuda and we will be seeing today an electrician and a refrigeration expert. We have repaired three small holes in the mainsail, replaced a lost VHF antenna on the mast and replaced a hydro head. Additionally we found and believe we have corrected the fault with the water ballast tanks which were failing to hold water on the high side of the boat. What we can’t get help with here in Bermuda is the electroni

Safe and snug in St. George’s, Bermuda. In the background the White Horse pub for draft beer and fish with chips. Project Manager Steve Pettengill arrives tomorrow and we get to planning then work. Will give an update when all assessed. Having slept no more than 45 mins at a time tonight will be special.

There are a number of issues – mostly electrical and electric. This department has been a problem all along and several experts have not solved it. Here are the items in order of becoming an issue since leaving St. Augustine just five days ago. Main auto pilot over works and squirrels the boat. Different settings do not seem to help. Loosing battery power fast despite three hydrogenators down. Last voyage just one down was usually enough to keep up the batteries. Three down

Day Zero – Saturday November 18th Departed St. Augustine at 10:00am and was released at the Outer Sea Buoy at 11:00. Good crowd on the City dock and another two dozen or so on the bridge. I counted 22 escort boats as KS2 with her tanks sealed was towed to the start. As we entered the cut smaller boats peeled away and some dozen as I hoisted sails while still to Boat US. Sailed off in calm seas with full main and small Code Zero but before long had a breeze of 18 knots and kno

Kiwi Spirit II departure from St. Augustine, Florida today, November 18, 2017.

Oh my, I am ready. The boat is complete. Food is on board - canned, refrigerated, frozen, dehydrated and fresh. Full water tank and two adult beverages a day for 150 days. Milk powder to reconstitute 100 liters. Spares parts and repair materials. Redundancy. What have I forgotten? I wish to thank all those who have contributed to this effort especially to my project manager Steve Pettengill, my son Alan who came up from New Zealand to assist and mostly my wife Catherine for a

With eight days to go the corporate and individual sponsors whose support goes to the Foundation for Physical Therapy have been placed on the boat. My sincere thanks to them for supporting physical therapy research. If you feel left out your name can still go on a sheet that I shall carry around the globe. If I am successful you will be able to say that your name has sailed around the world nonstop and non-assisted. On my return they will be placed on the hull along with the

Picture below shows the mainsail on 3rd reef. Off the Azores in 40 knots with a furled J2 (staysail), we were overpowered on 3rd reef and so we have now installed a 4th reef. The past two weeks project manager Steve Pettengill and son Alan - both of whom have circumnavigated solo, have been out with me every day practicing all manner of maneuvers, sail sets, etc. Next week KS2 comes out of the water to have her bottom cleaned and painted. The bow and stern thrusters along wit