‘Detour’ to Alaska — 2,800 Miles From Hawaii
The pickup crew of SV Detour was ready to depart Honolulu on June 24. After braving the chaos of a busy Walmart and completing $1,200 of provisioning at the more peaceful Safeway, we were stocked for a 20-day passage from the tropics to frosty Sitka, Alaska. What followed taught valuable lessons through unexpected challenges.
We motored out of Ala Wai Harbor, but ominously, we soon heard odd noises from the propeller. Quickly anchoring just offshore, we snorkeled to investigate. We found a trash bag tightly wrapped around the propeller shaft. Our captain, Quirin, was concerned the plastic might have been drawn into the shaft seals, potentially allowing seawater into the saildrive. Fortunately, we caught it early. After carefully removing the plastic, we missed the fuel dock’s early closing time in nearby Kewalo Basin Harbor. So we returned to the welcoming Waikiki Yacht Club for an unplanned, though pleasant, extra night.
After fueling the next day, we set off on an overnight sail to Kauai, arriving just at sunrise. The sail was a gorgeous mix of broad and beam reaching, under the majestic Milky Way and a sliver of moon.
Detour is a well-maintained 1980s French CMPF Via 42 aluminum expedition boat with retractable keels. It was recently purchased in New Zealand by Quirin Grossman, a 34-year-old Swiss citizen, licensed captain, sailing instructor, and Ph.D. in systems engineering. A rotating cast of friends had helped sail the boat from New Zealand through French Polynesia to Hawaii. Our crew would take her to Alaska, and others would continue on to Europe.
Our crew of four consisted of Quirin, our capable captain; Tom Howard, a 33-year-old British adventurer and novice sailor whom Quirin had met during his travels in Thailand; Cecil Taylor, a 42-year-old Florida-based general contractor and surfer who excels at boat repairs; and me, Jim Immer, a retired 66-year-old OPB sailor and chef from Sacramento.
After securing Detour in a tight slip at Nawiliwili Harbor, we rented a car and toured Kauai’s Poipu and Waimea Canyon. Back at the dock, some generous local fishermen who’d heard of our Alaska plans gifted us three ahi tunas, which we promptly filleted and froze. That evening, we enjoyed a big roast chicken dinner from Costco, shared beers with friends from two other Sitka-bound boats, and had our last “normal” night of sleep. After a thorough hull cleaning, we departed the afternoon of June 27, hoping for an 18-day passage.