Don't try this at home kids. With a mission to be the first to sail an El Toro around Oahu and the motive to raise money for the National Parkinson’s Foundation, Mark Denzer departed Ala Wai on October 25 for an epic journey. This was not a stock boat. It was modified by adding flotation for the rough stuff and a code zero and oars for the light stuff. Mark sent us a log of the trip.

The Log of Cowabunga 2

Leg 1:  Ala Wai Harbor to Kaneohe Yacht Club. Saturday, October 25. Elapsed Time: 11 hours. Wind speed: 0-12 knots. Departed Hawaii YC at 0530 hours. Rowed to Black Point, sailed past Sandy Beach under main and jib, then rowed around the tip of Mokapuu Point. Sailed from Rabbit Island to Kaneohe YC with main and jib. Approximate distance: 30 miles. Top speed, about eight knots surfing the reverb off Koko Head. [ed: Eight knots in an El Toro? Cowabunga indeed!] Escort boat from Rabbit Island to KYC: Bill Myers on Cirus. Stopped at KYC due to no wind, thunderstorms, darkness.

Leg 2:  Pokai Bay to Ala Wai Harbor. Saturday, 11/1. 12.5 hours. Wind: 0-18 knots. Depart Pokai 0700 hours. 50% rowing in currents until Ko Olina, then short tacking for hours around Barbers Point in .8 knot counter-current. Short tacking in shallow water to avoid the current around Ewa Beach and the reef runway. Big wind shifts and variability. Jib up and down several times. Some breaking waves in the shallows. Lots of wind in town near sundown, then dropped off at sunset. Pulled into HYC at 1930 hours. Approximate distance: 25 miles. Top speed, about four knots. Escort boat: none

 

Leg 3:  Haleiwa to Pokai Bay. Tuesday, 11/4. 9.5 hours. Wind: 0-8 knots. Depart Haleiwa at 0700 hours. Rowed and sailed in light conditions and small swell to Kaena Point in about 3.5 hours. Main and jib up all the time. one-knot counter-current on far side of Kaena Point. Hard to round the point. Once around the point, the wind died, so I rowed the next four miles against a one-knot current: hot, sweaty, humping it for at least two hours. Finally a west wind kicked in about eight knots and pushed me the last miles to Pokai Bay. Top speed, about 4 knots. Approximate distance: 19 miles. Escort boat Haleiwa to Kaena Point: Dan Nichols on Southern Cross out of Haleiwa Harbor.

 

Leg 4:  KYC to Haleiwa. Wednesday, 11/5. 12 hours. The best voyage of all: the classic Haleiwa run. Wind: 0-16 knots. Depart KYC 0515 hours. Sailed in a 4-7 knot SW land breeze till past Chinaman’s Hat Island. Rowed in sloppy conditions against .8 knot current to Kahana Bay. Took four hours to reach Kahana, averaging barely over two knots. SE wind slowly filled in and reached 12-15 knots by Laie Point. Rendezvous with Ghost and the Icklers at Kahuku Point. Sailed at 5-8 knots on port jibe, surfing the chop, flying around Kahuku Point, main and jib up. Shifty west sea-breeze after Sunset Beach, short-tacking to Haleiwa at 1915 hours.  Approximate distance: 32 miles. Top speed, eight knots off Kahuku Point. Escort Boat to Kahuku: Ghost.

 

Lots of safety equipment was added and some changes where made to Cowabunga 2 before Mark attempted sailing in the open water of the Pacific Ocean.

Some general comments from Mark:

1) Had to break the trip into legs due to weather (no wind, large waves, too much wind, no moon), short window, and work-schedule problems. I was not confident of being able to handle every possible scenario in the dark with no moon, no chase boat, complicated control lines, oars, safety gear, etc. Resolved to sail 90% in daytime or full moon. Total distance covered with tacking: over 130 miles.

2. 2)Self bailing, foam filled cockpit and foam filled chambers were necessary for safety and convenience of not bailing.
   

3. 3)Too little wind was more of a threat than too much. I rowed or row/sailed a total of 25 miles, sometimes against one-knot currents, and lost 10 pounds. I would do this trip with more wind next time.
   

4) The El Toro performs better on all points of sail with the jib, in light to medium winds.

5) It is very difficult to raise and lower sails, eat food, communicate, do repairs, re-rig, and do navigation while steering an El Toro, even in the daylight let alone darkness. The boat does not heave-to or self-steer well. Do not attempt this trip unless you are an experienced offshore and dinghy sailor, and have conducted extensive practice in similar conditions with the boat fully rigged and prepared for the ocean, and fully loaded with all gear, PFD, VHF radio, etc. Do not think about doing this without oars. If the wind dies in a current, or if you break your rig, there will be disastrous or fatal consequences for you.

6) Safety Gear: Oars, oar locks, foam flotation, VHF, cell phone, flares/whistle, PFD, water, food, jib, running backs/stays, anchor, ditch bag with mask and fins, and for all risky areas: a chase boat.

There were three different versions of the boat, with different amounts of foam, jib setups, tiller lengths, bowsprit, and different placement of the oarlocks. After really failing two sea trials, I came up with the final, and it worked great: lots of foam to be fully self bailing, with the oar locks placed far back, and the jib windward sheeted, but with the oars stored in the down position to allow good hiking. I would take it anywhere coastal in under 20 knots (and warm water)!

 

My dad Jim was a crazy sailor himself. We cruised and raced a lot till the Parkinson’s took over. He was a great guy who influenced everything about my life, certainly the enjoyment of the ocean, hard work, family loyalty, and an appreciation of a nutty challenge just for its own sake.

Our family is humbled by the many generous donations to the National Parkinson Foundation in memory of my Dad, Jim Denzer. Contributions totaled $4,219. My original goal was $500. A big mahalo to the many contributors and sponsors!

- Mark Denzer