From: Michael Mullin
Sent: October 11, 2018
To: Will Curry
Subject: Ananda the twice repaired

Will, for your interest:

Our most important crew, faithful servant Ananda, got us home. We were one month on a close reach pounding back from Cabo San Lucas to Ucluelet, against strong NW winds.

On the way down we ran for three days in front of violent 30+ NW. Hydrovane engaged but with assistance to prevent broach. Spent 48 hrs standing, facing aft, tiller in hand. The vane was bent by the end. I straightened it out with clamps. That got us to Mexico, again running in front of NW but less strong.

Then the pile driver crunched into us. The shipyard in Ensenada repaired that, very well.
At which point you sent a new vane. We finally picked it up on Sept 3 rd, the day we left, (another story. )

The second repair got us home.

Will get the new one in service in the spring, hopefully for a trip to Haida Guaii.

Absolutely love your Hydrovane

Keep well, Michael

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On Fri, Oct 12, 2018 at 11:38 Will Curry <will@hydrovane.com> wrote:
Hi Michael,

Thanks for taking the time to send this report. It sounds like Ananda has been serving you well, aside from the damaged vane frame – Good to see you have a replacement assembly. Normally once the vane tube is damaged it shouldn’t be repaired as the weld creates a weak point which you’ve discovered.

It sounds like you did the clipper route back to the Pacific Northwest. I’ve always been intrigued by this option rather than pounding up the coast. How far offshore did you have to go? I know some people that have sailed half way to Hawaii before changing tacks.

If you get any good photos of the vane and the boat in Haida Gwaii we would love to add them to our library. Cheers.

Kind Regards,

Will Curry

~~~~~

From: Michael Mullin
Sent: October 12, 2018
To: Will Curry
Subject: Re: Ananda the twice repaired

What you call the clipper route, yes. We had total and steady NW winds. 30 k violent along the coast & out quite a ways. Spent three weeks on stbd tack, close hauled, skirting the bright red and seeking the nice 15k green, on the weather fax. About 300 m out parallel to the coast then ending up 530 out at 136W off Oregon. Then 10 days on port tack back into the coast. Ran 10 hrs downwind once, 100 m out with dolphin escort; then the last morning a wild downwind surf. With Ananda steering the whole way. As many as 6 days went by & never touched the tiller or the vane.

But Ready for a rest. Thinking of painting it, signs of corrosion starting. Suggested paint?

Keep well
Michael

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