Tina Roberts, amazing woman and owner of Ragtime shares this look at life aboard the woody goody on their way to Hawaii. They are currently wining Division 1!
Offshore report Ragtime. Position W 120 49.87
N 29 18.540
The past two days have been slow. And slow in a sled is 25 mph in a Camaro SS RS – crawling. Why can’t we go faster!?!?!
In the middle, halfway to the finish, the winds this year are anemic. Low of 7, bursts of 16. Average in 10-12 range. The sea state is mostly bidirectional, where waves come and go, but don’t line up with any surf-ability. So we plod along.
We’ve been on one gybe for three shifts. As the crew rotates the conversation drifts around. Discussions could be a far fetched as scenes from Talladega Nights, favorite donut shop in the OC, boats they’ve crossed oceans on, what will that cloud port produce…..endless hours of nothing talk. And yet telling.
Our crew, Keith Kilpatrick, Ernie Richau, Dustin Durant, Eric Heim, James ‘Hippie’ Clappier, Austin Book and myself. Several great sailors and an owner with a heart for a classic UDLB. We meld together under the spotted starry sky and between butter chicken curry and Rueben sandwiches. Or one’s coffee preference – cream, sugar, black, options, levels and mixing techniques.
In 8 days you get to know one another. Not by deep philosophical conversation, but chirps and threads waiting for the next wind shift.
Who’s funny and who’s not. Who’s not can be just as funny. The 1:00 – 5:00 am crew has been dubbed the Coco Cowboys for their insane chocolate consumption and charged caffeinated concoctions. It’s what keeps them awake trimming, driving and grinding. While the quiet crew sleeps.
Everyone is feeling and hearing for changing conditions. Little gets by these guys. Experienced sailors. Optimistically, talk will turn to MaiTai’s in the next few days, when, finally we hope the old sled powers into Kaneohe Bay on the trade winds to a fast finish. In a race she’s never competed and yet been here 14 times for Transpac.
So far, so fun? Absolutely. Not sure we wanna get off in Hawaii….. track their progress here. Title inspiration thanks to The Dead Milkmen.
