SSS logo

Singlehanded Sailing Society

2006 Singlehanded TransPac

Back to Race Entries

Dwight Odom

Na Na

Saga 43

#1

Sausalito, CA

During the sail back to California in 2000, I told my daughter, Melissa, that I was so happy with the race and the result that I would never have to do "THAT" again. But it seems that every 6 years I am required to sail singlehanded across the big pond from San Francisco to Hawaii, and then home again. I grew up in Southwest Texas where the largest body of water was a stock tank that we swam is as kids. I met a wonderful lady during medical school (Mary) that had been the sailing director of Camp Lake Hubert for Girls in Minnesota, and she taught me to sail in Galveston Bay out of the Houston Yacht Club. After moving to Auburn we had a lot of fun sailing a Catalina 22 on Folsom and Donner lakes, and soon I was sailing the SC 27 Chief in SF Bay and the ocean doing YRA and SSS races. The first SSS TransPac in 1994 was a real experience with no wind and a flood tide at the start, an autopilot that died with a subsequent accidental jibe which resulted in a broken boom. I repaired the boom and had a wonderful sail on to Hawaii using the Monitor windvane. Mary and Melissa sailed back through the islands to Oahu, Lanai, and Lahina on Maui prior to the sail to Port Townsend, WA. I got NaNa, a Saga 43, in 1999 to prepare for the 2000 Race. She is ready to go again with new sails and her tested double headsail which worked great in 2000. I will enjoy home made lasagna and tacos by Maria.
The trip home will be even more enjoyable with Melissa and Barb. Barb is the daughter of one of the Stephens brothers of boat building fame in Stockton.
Nav: Autohem instruments including radar and 6000 autopilot. radar detector, Monitor windvane,
YC: Folsom Lake YC Home port: Schoonmaker Marina, Sausalito Age:68
Motivation: The personal satisfaction of sailing to Hawaii as fast as possible in my boat, handling all the little problems that occur, and doing the navigation and weather prediction to make the trip quickly and safely.
Special thanks: Mary Odom, Kim Desenberg and KKMI, List Marine, Cynthia Petroka at UK Sails