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Name
Paul Kamen
Seeking
A spot on a boat
Direction
SF to Hawaii

No more calls please! WE HAVE A WINNER!

I've been offered the Navigator's berth on Pendragon. Same basic 1980 hull as Imagine, my ride in '18, but with masthead spinnakers and code zero, and different hull mods to de-IOR-ize it.  

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SF to Hawaii

Have navigated 25 races to Hawaii (15 pac cups, 9 Transpacs, 1 Singlehanded Transpac). No, I'm not addicted. "I could quit any time (if I wanted to)." 

I had a navigator's berth lined up on a big and potentially very fast boat, but the "no spinnakers at night" policy was a deal-breaker for me. So I'm refreshing my listing to get better placement. 

I've Navigated division wins (2000 and 2012) and a number of 2nds and 3rds. I especially enjoy working with first-time campaigns, and get them to the podium as often as not. I'm also a naval architect, have done inspections for Transpac and Pac Cup, conducted weather briefings and race prep seminars, etc. etc. And I bring an awesome music collection.  That's me in the "Call me Paul or Andy" experience dropdown. (Ask me for a thumb drive of my Pac Cup music at the next seminar.)

Have sailed as watch captain, foredeck boss, trimmer and swab. But have never sailed as cook! (I don't get seasick, knock on carbon) and might be amenable for that role if the navigator's berth is taken. Would like to try the cook/navigator combo if the boat supports only one non-watch-stander (in the tradition of Commodore Tomkins, who once won trophies for navigating the overall winner in a Mexico race, and ALSO the "fastest cook on the slowest boat" booby prize trophy in the same race, for being cook on the last boat to finish). 

Photo is from 2018 race. Mahi-mahi is a great-tasting fish, but it's a little fibrous and needs to be cooked. Ono, on the other hand, makes superb sashimi. Ono means "delicious" in Hawaiian.  

Other things I can bring to the project

+++ A few of my favorite lures and a very sharp filleting knife

+++ Celestial navigation instruction, if there's time and interest. Have won the Pac Cup navigators' trophy for the division win in 2000, a very difficult light-air year. Also the Mark Rudiger Celestial Nav award in 2019 Transpac. I teach celestial on the side.

+++ Various proven techniques for adjusting spinnaker power. Late in the race, those squally nights used to involve almost continuous sets, drops (or crashes), re-packing and re-setting, and much sleep deprivation. The "spinnaker thong" is my invention, and after years of resistance I now advocate spinnaker socks for squall management when appropriate.  

+++ Can build a light, economical, and very effective emergency rudder if you don't have one already.

+++ Favorite book about Hawaiian history: Unfamiliar Fishes, by Sarah Vowell. 

Email pk@well.com for my full sailing CV.  

My Skills
Bow
Spin Trim
Helm
Navigate
Cook
Rail Meat
Celestial
Sail Repair
Gender
Male
Approximate Age
Spry 70-ish or more
Experience
More than twenty. Call me Paul or Andy
photo
Contact Me
Paul Kamen, Naval Architect, P.E.
Surface Propulsion Analysis
1224 Campus Drive, Berkeley, California 94708
pk@well.com http://www.SurfacePropulsion.com
510-540-7968 510-219-8106 (cell)