I have been fascinated with wind and sailing for longer than I care to remember. Starting out in small boats on lakes in the Midwest taught me some basics, but eventually a job aboard a coastal schooner in Maine really started expanding my horizons. After a delayed stint in engineering school I figured out that a job in wind energy was not just a dream but a realistic career, so wind became a constant feature in my life.
Bareboat cruising and racing on SF Bay have been pastimes over the years. Since I started racing with SSS sailors in 2001, I have been hooked on singlehanded sailing and the special camaraderie that develops between us. Thoughts of sailing to Hawaii have been percolating for a while, and I have stood on the shores of Hanalei Bay more than once wondering what it would feel like to arrive by boat. The deciding event was being able to trade up from a Moore 24 to a WylieCat 30 last March.

Navigation: GPS Chartplotter, two back-up handhelds, paper charts and tools, AIS, backup sextant, planning to have a laptop possibly with MaxSea.
Steering: NKE hydraulic, two back-up RayMarine tiller pilots
Communication: Irridium SatPhone, SSB, VHF
Food: Packaged soups, fruit shakes, frozen chili, oatmeal, dried fruit, nuts, smoked fish, eggs

Special Thanks: To my wife Julie for supporting this indulgence, to my friend Erik who has often provided good sailing advice, and to many other fiends and colleagues who have lent their encouragement even when the attraction is not obvious.