All entries under Bio-diesel

Today we are all celebrating a ton of hard work and the successful completion of the Phase 1 (West Coat, USA) portion of the Voyage for Cleaner Energy! I cannot believe this day is here. I feel like the entire Voyage crew just ran a few marathons together. Today Robert gave his final west coast lecture at UC Davis and the sailboat departs soon for the Panama Canal delivery to the East Coast. The land crew is busy sorting out all of our gear in the biodiesel van and the boat crew is feverishly preparing for their trek down south to Panama. Sailboat 2041 has been docked in Santa Barbara for an entire week and we have received the warmest welcome from all the locals, the media, the many students and local businesses we have met during our stay. We could not have dreamed up a better place to “wrap up” Phase 1. Thank you all for the tremendous support! We have so many memories, connections and photos to share with you all soon! I want to personally thank all of the amazing passengers we had along the west coast. I remember each of your smiles so clearly. I remember how we laughed and laughed at the thousands of dolphins that played off the bow of the boat that one day near San Diego. I remember thinking our faces were going to freeze off near Seattle. I remember that amazing song Captain Mark made up on Cinco de Mayo – and Hannah’s guacamole! I remember all those balloons we rescued from the high seas. Thank you all for making this journey a success. We will be in touch soon.

Have a beautiful day wherever you are fellow travelers.

• Maura Fallon-McKnight (Comms)

Today was my first real sailing experience. What better way to take the adventure head-on then to take your first sailing ride on boat 2041, a 67 foot yacht traveling the world on a“Voyage for Cleaner Energy.” After seeing Robert Swan tell his crazy and enthusiastic stories at my school, San Diego City College, of walking to both poles, sailing around Africa and speaking to students and country leaders on the affects of human actions on the environment, the only way I wanted to spend my twenty-second birthday last Wednesday, May 7, was touring the boat that carried such an amazing message. With a little persistence, and a return visit the following day for a second tour (where I also was able to take a bay tour and meet the full crew) I annoyed Maura enough to allow me to come with the crew for a sail up to Newport Beach. This was an amazing opportunity, there’s no way I was going to pass it up! I was invited alongside my Anthropology professor Steve Boucaren, a student from San Diego State,and a couple of fellow City College students, Beau and Marsha.

The morning started off. . . interesting. I awoke later than expected and got to the Harbor as fast as I could after picking up Beau. We boarded the yacht a little after 7:15 AM. Being that this was going to be my first real sailing experience, I was a little nervous as to how my Ohio-born, land-locked body would react with the motion of the ocean. To take extra steps, I bought some Dramamine the night before. We got on and got all settled in by running through a quick intro of ourselves to each other. The eclectic collection of different individuals aboard was the element that excited me most for the day ahead! As we departed the harbor, we put on our harnesses and became familiar with the boat. Hannah, the crew chef on board, brought up some muffins as a muncher for breakfast. This was the only thing I ate so far. The morning was actually a lot colder than I thought it would be with gray skies and cool winds. I think it was the first morning in San Diego since I have moved here where I wore jeans, two shirts, a fleece sweater and winter hat! The ride was smooth at first as we passed beautiful San Diegan cliffs and departed from the harbor. I was feeling great, until about twenty minutes later. . . .I most likely tripped my mind out and could not ease it as I kept thinking of the possibility of sea sickness. For precaution purposes, I took a couple of Dramamine, but it was too late. Within an hour after taking them, I could feel my mind swimming in nausea and all of the blood was sucked out of my face. I went to the bathroom and looked in a mirror - even my lips were white! It didn’t take long for others to catch on as I sat their quietly in the doghouse, hands folded in front of my turning stomach with a grim, green face. After multiple remedies from ginger, to fresh air, to simply taking deep breaths, I proudly puked my guts up onto the beautiful and great yacht that is 2041! I left my mark! I felt terribly embarrassed and even worse when the deckhand, Jake, had to help me clean it up.

I knew if I just started over,I could get myself together. I napped in one of the bunks for almost 2 hours and it was awesome. I never thought sleeping on a boat (especially after puking all over one) that it would be that peaceful. I slept like a baby in a rocking cradle that was the ocean. I awoke a million times better and was stoked to enjoy the rest of the day with my new friends and the sea. Today, there was never a dull moment. I got my sailing experience as I tugged a few ropes and manned the jib (I have no idea what that means or if that is what I really did, but it’s a learning process, right?!) From great conversations with educated, aware, interesting and passionate people, to catching fish, to great meals, to the relaxation that only floating upon the sea can bring you, to even the pukers (I was so happy to hear I was not the only one who had barfed up their pride). When I woke, Hannah prepared us hummus and pita chips for a snack, and a delicious pita-turkey-swiss-possibly Italian dressing-sandwich with a perfect pink lady apple. I chatted up with Brent, the laid-back handy man and first mate on board, on Aussie politics and the open sea. Maura, the paparazzi and group coordinator, had so much to say about her passionate biology-related knowledge and cool hiking stories. (I was excited to hear that she was a Berkeley Alumni and even more excited to go!) The Captain did a great job at explaining the workings of all the technicalities on board, from the bio-diesel engine to the solar panels overhead, and was knowledgeable in sailing, the environment, and sea related topics. Hannah had so many great experiences from her past to relate to, especially from her time with the Peace Corps and being stationed in Malawi. Jake, the deckhand, was a quiet student that was chosen as a student to go to Antarctica. He said he had to just get up and go the day after they called! Pretty amazing people.

I spent alot of time on the front deck of the boat. It was so amazing to look out and just see open sea, and only the horizon. At the very front, I just sat there, with no other view of the ship in front of me, and it felt like I was floating alone along the sea. It was an ecstatic and very blissful moment. I was eventually joined by the rest of the crew and guests and we just got to know each other more and laid out in the sunshine. Later, as if they day could not get any better - we started to see at a distance what looked like fish jumping up out the water, all over around the boat. We turned around and we didn’t have to go far to find a massive pod of dolphins swimming all around us. There had to be way more than a hundred in the pod, as they surrounded the area around the boat. They playfully rode next to us, getting so close that they were actually hitting the bottom of the boat. Gliding back and fourth and cutting rapidly through the water, they jumped up out of the water and cut across each other, showing us tricks and turning over on their bellies. We were just as interesting to them as they were to us.

I am so happy to have experienced today on this boat. It symbolizes action and hard work of those that are fighting to make a difference in this world and live through earth, not just in it. At the same time, Maura put it perfectly today: “See, working for a cause and living the right way can be fun!” Indeed it can be, as today I participated in learning how to live a sustainable lifestyle and act respectively toward the environment, and it was all a blast! Thank you to the crew of 2041 for this amazing experience. I hope I can join the cause even further in Antarctica one day.

• Ryan Ballard, San Diego City College Student

Waking up at 4am was not nearly as bad at it should have been. The pitch black and freezing cold actually led to some learning about charts and navigation. Last night I enjoyed an excellent dinner, followed by some great conversation with the crew about sustainable practices and efforts going on. Today was uber-beautiful all day, no need for shirts, shoes, and the like. We spent mostly all day up on deck, and I had some time to read some school stuff (about 5 min) before I put that down for a book from the galley (much better!). We talked all through lunch, where after a big group of balloons was spotted, and consequently retrieved from the water by myself and a couple mates. The water was surprisingly warm, and I had the chance to lay out for the rest of the afternoon and talk, as well as a small Cinco de Mayo celebration with chips, salsa, and fresh guacamole.

I am one of four Cal Poly students on board, and this experience has enabled me to get another perspective on the aspect of global warming, renewable energy, and sustainability, which is going to help in several projects I have going on right now. I missed a midterm which will not be able to be made up, a class which if I miss one more I fail, a lab class that can not be made up, but it doesn’t matter. This is college, this is my time. This is something that I have to do, and I have learned much more from this day than an entire week I could have spent in class. And the best part is that I actually care about it, and it is something that is going to affect us all in the near future. JUST SAY YES!

I am currently the president of Cal Poly Biodiesel, a group of student on campus currently in the process of building a reactor to turn waste vegetable oil from on-campus dining services to usable biodiesel fuel for the many tractors, vans, and other machinery on campus that currently use diesel. It has been a long and hard process, but our findings and process have proved that something of this magnitude can be done, with cooperation from the college, Campus Dining, and students. Our goal is to create a model program for other schools and campuses around the world to follow, using the information we have gathered, our hardships and how we overcame them, etc. For more information, please email: cpbiodiesel (at) gmail (dot) com. A website will be up in the next month or so.

James Pickering
President, Cal Poly Biodiesel
General Engineering Department, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

I came aboard the 2041 Wednesday night in Portland, for my first night at sea on a sailboat in my life. As expected, living on a boat is kind of like camping – need to save water and electricity, can’t really shower, don’t want to get injured or eaten being so far from a hospital . . . except that our “tent” never stops moving. I’ve done a pretty good job of ensuring the bumps on my head are symmetrical, and tonight sured up my friendship with our deckhand, Jakie, by launching a cup of hot tea onto his crotch while he was peacefully watching a movie. On a positive note, the enjoyable surprise of the night was most certainly eating fresh baked cookies (in the middle of the ocean!), which Hannah graciously made for all of us.

Of course, living at sea comes with a few disappointing reality checks.

This morning we all performed our designated chores, and I learned that cleaning a bathroom on a boat, while deceptively small and simple looking, is no easier than at home. As a new member of the crew I wanted to do a good job, so I tried cleaning all the hard to reach places, and obtained my first battle wound when the toilet bit me as I tried to reach underneath it to give a good scrubbing. Luckily, Maura (ie mom) was around to immediately ensure I clean it properly and apply a band-aid.

Last but not least, we’re seeing and discussing various forms of clean/renewable energy that are on board, and it’s clear that we are (technologically) still in a state of transition. While we are on a “sail” boat, we’ve been using the diesel engine (run on vegetable oil) the vast majority of my time so far, since there has been almost no wind. Wind is incredibly useful and powerful, but when we’re on a schedule, we need to resort to the old fashioned engine – and engine exhaust is unpleasant no matter what you burn. The combination of wind-power and a fuel-powered engine seems to be a good model for other boats or even cities. We’re using another biofuel, alcohol, for cooking in the kitchen; again, while renewable, convenient and fairly energy dense, it’s still important to cook (as with any fuel) in a well-ventilated kitchen. To summarize, we have wind, solar, and biofuels to help provide our energy needs aboard – none of them are “silver bullets”, but each have their advantages, and all are fully functioning symbols of how we can meet 100% of our essential energy needs without encouraging (through spending money) assistance from fossil fuel dominated electrical lines or fueling stations.

Bret Strogen
PhD Student, Environmental Engineering
University of California, Berkeley

As each day blends into the next it’s all of a sudden time to set sail again. Three days in Seattle and the only Seattle flavor we got to experience was a quick sneak away to the famous Pikes Place Market where Brent, Jake and I grabbed a cup of Joe at the first Starbucks ever and then bought some fresh produce for the next leg of the journey. I could have spent hours picking fruit, smelling flowers and watching freshly caught fish get thrown across the crowd but we absorbed the smells, sights, and sounds and got back to the boat where there is always work to be done. Cleaning up from one journey and preparing for the next takes a lot of energy and leaves little room for free time so I think it is safe to say that we are all ready to get back to sea where the solitude and (often) the madness of the open waters is therapy for the soul.

At each port we give tours of the boat and today Maura handled the tours and surprise radio interview with grace. I was running around trying to stock the boat with enough food for 9 hungry sailors! This afternoon, in the midst of it all, 300 gallons of soybean oil was fed into the belly of 2041. She’s a hungry beast and the task took over 4 hours but she’s full now and ready to take us where we need to go. In the middle of the daunting task my dad and stepmom arrived with fresh Washington grown asparagus….enough for every day of the voyage. Yummy. I snuck away to a delicious seafood dinner while Brent and Jake stood in the surprise spring hailstorm that Seattle so graciously bestowed upon us and with freezing fingertips they filled her up. Thanks guys.

So….Round one- Success. Round two- here we go. Happy Sailing.

Hannah Huntley

Good Day to all,

Its a crisp cold morning here as we enter Admiralty sound inbound for Seattle Washington . We have been at sea for eight days now and have traveled across 1023 nautical miles of the Pacific Ocean to reach this place. Up topside alone on the dawn watch, as I look out at the grey light filling the overcast sky and feel the chilling bite of the wind on my hands and face, I am reminded of how far we have come since sunny warm San Francisco , CA . It is a good thing to get out and stretch the soul, get a little uncomfortable, see something new, reconnect with the earth, and really feel what it is to be alive on this planet. For me sailing up here in the cold latitudes was never part of the dream. I have always been drawn to the tropics, flip flops, shorts, palm trees and coconuts kinda cruising.

It is beautiful here! What I would have missed had I not come this way. Funny how we can get trapped in our ideal of what is enjoyable or not, comfortable or uncomfortable, thriving or suffering. It feels wonderful be bundled up sipping coffee and admiring the snow capped peaks from the deck of our good ship 2041. Watching the light slowly win out over the grey of dawn as if a master artist was adding color to the palate of their painting that is being created before me now. Had I stayed home safe and warm I would missed all this and what is to come next.

Our vessel is running on vegetable oil, solar and wind energy but mostly it is powered by us - our bodies with muscles and tendons to pull on lines that control our sails and our imaginations to give us the will to get out here. It takes us and we take it to these fantastic places. The need for clean energy is so very visible at moments like these, when one can see clearly that an environment which has been slowly evolving for millions of years must hold that course. If we change course to quickly in our boat we loose control, we crash jybe.

Yesterday we entered the Strait of Juan De Fuca turning off the wind for the first time on our voyage. Running before a good size sea I wanted to have some fun, run wing and wing strait down the waves to feel the boat surf along with the swells. I have done this many times before, never losing control (confident in my knowledge and skills, like the humans who are so confident they can do what they want with the atmosphere). I turned too far ,the wind shifted off the land a bit and boom we crash jybed! Will it be the same for our planet? What will be broken ?What will be lost? Had I been a bit more cautious, taken a little more time and set a preventer(a line run forward from the boom to keep it from slamming across the boat during a accidental jybe), nothing would have broken. We were lucky only a batten car was broken. Will we be so lucky with our earth?

Today this very morning it became clear to me as crisp and clear as the dawn that the voyage for clean energy is about taking the time to set that preventer, minimize the potential for damage to our good ship earth.

From an enlightening moment that cost nothing more than being out in clean fresh air…

• Skipper Mark