Ocean Ventures

I've just returned yesterday from the Honolulu to Newport Beach, California passage aboard Ragtime. The trip was great and it was fantastic to be able to make the crossing on such a well known boat with great crew.

Due to the forecast at the time of departure, we were able to make the passage more direct for California rather than head due north as is usually required. Having said that, we still had quite an uphill battle, as we had headwinds almost the entire trip. Ragtime is designed as a fast downwind racer, so beating upwind meant relatively slow (for a raceboat) progress and a lot of slamming into the waves.

Many people would imagine that sailing across the oceans on a 65 foot sailboat would mean a luxurious cruise. Unfortunately, that wasn't  the case as Ragtime is well known to be a 65 foot boat with the interior of a 25 foot weekend cruiser. She was built for speed not comfort, and considering that she was finished in 1966, Ragtime has not done bad at all and is still winning races such as the Sydney Hobart and the Tahiti Race.

Since boxed and canned food at sea can become quite tiresome after a while, we tried our luck at fishing during the crossing. Before leaving Honolulu, we stocked up on some high quality fishing gear in hopes of supplementing our diet at sea with some fresh fish. Luck was not with us however, and we made the entire crossing without catching a thing. It was a pity because we were all looking forward to a change from canned food and the usual sailing grub.

We did encounter one gale about two thirds of the way across, but most of the trip consisted of relatively light winds. Since it was a delivery, and we were on a schedule, that meant that we had to motor a bit.

Here's a few pictures of the trip and I will be sure to post some more when I get them all organized.

I am continuing to prepare for the voyage and work on the sponsorship. Departure for the world voyage is set for early September!

Cheers,

Ryan

It's been a while since the last update so I will take the opportunity to let you all know what's happening.

I have continued to talk to sponsors and others interested in the trip. It is amazing to have so much interest and support coming from all over the planet.

I talked to Zack Smith with Fiorentino Para anchors and they have kindly agreed to provide both a sea anchor and a drogue for the voyage.

A sea anchor is a parachute like device that is attached to the bow during a storm. This keeps the boat in a safe position to the waves and allows them to pass without damaging the vessel. The sea anchor is sure to get a lot of use in the southern ocean and I will be lucky to have the best equipment to use.

Another technique to use in a storm is to run downwind with the weather but this can pose a few problems. When you run with the storm the boat can pick up speed and surf along the wave out of control. For a boat not designed for surfing this can cause the vessel to get knocked down or to broach. However, a small boat sailor can deploy a drogue to solve this problem. A drogue is very similar to a sea anchor but it is deployed from the stern of the boat and is used when running downwind with the storm. When the boat picks up speed this slows her down considerably and lets the waves pass safely.

On another note I am preparing to join the crew of Ragtime on the sailing passage from Honolulu to Los Angeles. To sail between these two points you usually end up sailing far to the north of a straight line to get the most favorable conditions passing around the North Pacific High.

Many people imagine the high to be a permanent weather system allowing sailors to be slingshot to their destination. In reality it is constantly changing position and you have to position yourself in just the right place for getting ideal conditions. If you get too close to the center of the high you can find you can find yourself becalmed for days at a time. On the other hand if you are too far away you can lose the favorable wind or get stuck in a low coming from the north.

I look forward to testing my navigational skills on the passage and getting a taste of some exciting North Pacific weather!

All the best,

Ryan

For those following other young solo sailors, Zac Sunderland and Micheal Perham (both around 17 years old) happened to be in Cape Town, South Africa at the same time for a while which is quite ironic considering they are both sailing completely different routes around the world. Interestingly, Minoru Saito, a sailor from Japan who is attempting to become the oldest circumnavigator also stopped in South Africa for a while and they all enjoyed sharing a few yarns. The press has had their excitement too!

Michael was attempting a nonstop circumnavigation aboard his open 50, but equipment failure has forced him to stop three times so far. This is one example where having simple but reliable systems on board would be much better than trusting temperamental electronics. He is however continuing to sail his boat into the Roaring Forties soon.

Well, I worked like mad to get everything ready for the delivery from New Zealand to Hawaii. It took a lot of effort to get the necessary details taken care of with flights, schooling, communication, etc., but it looked like everything was falling into place. That is until shortly before departure when we discovered that my passport was no longer valid. This may be a minor problem for most, but not so much for a sixteen year old who was due to fly alone one way to New Zealand.

There was actually some chance with getting an expediter to take care of the details and issue an emergency passport, but that fell through when they sent the wrong form and there was no time to get it all taken care of before departure. That was that.

Despite these challenges, there is hope to join leg two of this delivery from Honolulu to LA on the same boat. This would mean not sailing as far, but the route would still offer some challenges. Sailing from Hawaii to the mainland, one has to go over the North Pacific High, and this usually means passing over Forty degrees north where some exciting weather can be experienced. There is also a tendency for storms to develop off the coast of California, which could make for a wet arrival. 

In the mean time I will continue working with sponsors and hopefully fit in a few sailing days as well.

Cheers,

Ryan

I'm due to head down to New Zealand in a week or so to help sail a boat 5,000+ miles from Auckland to Honolulu. This is another delivery with Brian Caldwell, and I am very thankful for him inviting me to sail with him again. This trip will start at the edge of the Roaring Forties, so we van expect some more extreme weather this time!

The boat we will be sailing is Ragtime, a Spencer 65 which was built in New Zealand in the 1960's. At the time, she was one of the most innovative boats, and is a bit of a legend in her homeland. She went straight from construction to offshore racing, and made some incredible victories over the years. She has sailed in 15 transpac races, more than any other boat, and is still winning against boats 40 years younger. Most recently, Ragtime sailed the race from LA to Tahiti in 10 days corrected time!

It will be fantastic to be back on the water, especially on such a great boat! That's all for now, but I will keep you updated as plans progress.

Fair Winds,

Ryan

In the time since returning from the crossing to Hawaii it has been all work; mainly continuing the search for sponsorship, but also training for the voyage and catching up on schoolwork.

As always I am inspired by the many people who have offered their time and resources to helping get this voyage on the water. I may sail alone, but this journey is possible only because of the many people involved.

I am proud to announce two new sponsors: Hire a Boat New Zealand who kindly donated two EPIRBs and Urban Green Energy who are signing on as a main green energy sponsor. The EPIRBs (emergency position indicating radio beacons) are one essential item that every sailor hopes to never use. In case of disaster the EPIRB sends a signal that is picked up by satellites and informs the Coast Guard of your position. This technology is now reliable to within a few yards of the boat's position and has saved many sailors who would otherwise have surrendered to the deep.

Urban Green Energy is a company dedicated to promoting wind power---very relevant to my voyage as I will travel all the way around the planet propelled exclusively by the wind. Other environmentally friendly companies are encouraged to become involved in the carbon neutral lap of the world.

I hope you all are enjoying a great start to the New Year!

Fair Winds,

Ryan Langley

I've just returned from crewing on a 45 foot sloop across the Pacific from San Diego to Hawaii. The trip was mostly uneventful, with varied weather from sailing close hauled through cold cloudy weather to running through the trade winds closer to the end of the trip. There were some huge storms to the North of us, so we rode some impressive  swells during part of the trip.

The boat was skippered by BJ Caldwell who, in 1995, had the record for the youngest person to sail around the world alone. He has since done deliveries and races all over the globe, including 23 deliveries between Hawaii and the mainland. Training with someone who has gone through much of what I am right now has been a great experience, and I have learned a lot.

I am still working away at securing the financing for the trip, and at the same time training hard for my round the world odyssey. It has been interesting to follow Michael Perham who is two stops into his proposed nonstop voyage around the world aboard his Open 50, Totallymoney.com. It was unfortunate for him to have to stop, which was due to problems with his Autopilot. An Open 50 is designed exclusively for speed over safety, and they are known to be difficult to sail, so it wouldn't be my first choice of vessel for the youngest record.

There is a short article in Cruising World magazine featuring Zac Sunderland and myself about our voyages which can be found at cruisingworld.com. Thats all for now.

Mahalo,

Ryan

Hi Everybody,

It is great to have people from all over following my progress and to hear some are planning expeditions of their own. The past year, not to mention the past week, has been extremely tough for businesses in the US, and it isn't the easiest time to get sponsorship. Due to the challenge of raising the necessary funds, and the approaching austral winter,  I will have to put off departure until next fall. It is disappointing to not be able to head out when I originally planned, but I am still totally focused on making the trip happen. I certainly have no regrets with attempting the voyage and will spend the next year focused on the coming attempt.

Having more time to get everything together will give me the opportunity to put some serious sea miles under the keel before leaving on my world trip. One of the best places to train for the Southern Ocean would be the North Pacific, and I plan on preparing for my voyage with a crossing of the great North Pacific. For those wondering about the record status with sailing around the world, the current youngest nonstop circumnavigator is 18 years and 41 days by David Dicks of Australia, which means I have almost two years to complete my world sail. This voyage is about seeing whats possible and having young people go for their dreams, and the record is simply a goal to aim for, not the reason for the trip.

I've been talking with some filmmakers who think the voyage will make the ultimate documentary on adventure, youth, and environment. I will certainly will have plenty of time to shoot some good footage with nine or so months at sea. As far as films go about offshore sailing, one of the best is Lionheart by Jesse Martin. Another great one would be Jean du Sud around the world filmed in the 80's by Yves Gelinas. Making a film will be another great part of the voyage and will definitely be a lot of fun to film. 

So, the voyage won't start this year, but it will still take total focus and a lot of work to get it on the water. I thank everyone who has so kindly become involved, and have helped in so many ways. Without the help of everyone, the voyage would not be possible. I am determined to complete this voyage, and look forward to heading out in style next fall.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there are oceans to cross.

A lot of progress has been made and I will head out soon for an attempt at sailing around Vancouver Island. We have had a tough time working out the insurance for the boat, but Dad finally got through and that detail is worked out. There has been lots to do from fixing the depth sounder to figuring out the route. although I am not usually a fan of relying on tempormental technology, the depth sounder will be necessary to navigate through the narrow channels and fjords of British Columbia. As always, there is still several things needing attention such as provisioning and re registering the VHF. 

From Port Angeles, I will make coastal hops up the inside passage, about 250 miles to Cape Scott, where I head for the open Pacific. The other half of the trip will be sailing down the exposed coast where I will have to watch out for fog and rough weather brought by low pressure systems tearing across the north pacific ocean. The most challenging part, I think will be coming up the inside where there will be all kinds of navigational challenges.

We have had exceptional weather for the Pacific Northwest this past week, and I hope it will continue to be great for my upcoming trip. September typically has less fog than September, and is before the Autumn storms that make the coast a nightmare to sail later in the season. One of the greatest benefits in doing the trip in September is the crowded anchorages of summer are pleasantly empty, and you can cruise for ages without seeing many other boats.

Thanks again for all the encouragement from everybody, it is fabulous to have so many people inspired by my venture, and has certainly given me more reason to keep at it.

Yours for the Oceans,

Ryan