Gibsons resident Peter Heiberg has recently returned from an epic journey that included a solo sail from California to Hawaii.
Heiberg, owner of the PJ-50 Scaramouche, completed this trip that included participating in the single-handed Transpac Race, in which he won the Jack London Trophy for first to finish in just 14 days.
The race began in San Francisco and ended in Hanalei Bay on the north shore of the Hawaiian Island of Kauai.
This is the second time Heiberg has competed in the race, which takes place every other year.
Winning the Jack London Trophy didn’t mean an outright win for the career sailor, as all boats are handicapped, but it did mean he was the first boat to cross the finish line and be greeted with a lei and a mai tai. An outrigger canoe with local Hawaiian paddlers was also on hand as were many of Heiberg’s family and friends.
“I’m a mariner by profession and I worked on cruise ships and really sailed all my life,” he said. “My father was an Olympic medalist in the sport, and really, he got me interested. I couldn’t imagine not spending my life on the water.”
Heiberg lived in Gibsons in the early ‘80s, left for a while and decided to retire back in the community about four years ago.
One of the biggest challenges, he said of the race, was just getting his boat out of San Francisco.
“It was some very tough sailing conditions, very strong winds and tide. Several boats had to turn back,” he recalled. “In a world-wide scheme of things, racing solo is pretty small beer, but I have always wanted to cross an ocean by myself. I have the boat, I’m 66 years old and getting to the point where I couldn’t do this anymore, so I said now is the time. I’m certainly just thrilled with how everything turned out. It was a great adventure.”
The passage, which began on June 29, took Heiberg just over 14 days. The record is seven days, 22 hours, which is held by Steve Fossett, a well-known explorer and daredevil. During the race, participants check in with other racers twice a day on the single sideband radio. This daily routine is a welcome break from the long hours of solitude.
There were 16 participants in the race. Two boats returned to shore within 24 hours of starting as a result of the challenging conditions at the start; one lost its rudder three days out and was towed back to San Francisco by the Coast Guard. There were numerous other mishaps and experiences of broken shrouds and spreaders.
“The race attracts an odd assortment of people. You have to be resourceful — there is no one to help you but yourself, but you have a great sense of accomplishment when you finish a race such as this,” Heiberg said.
This was Heiberg’s third race to Hawaii in six years. He also completed the Pacific Cup from San Francisco to Kaneohe Bay on Oahu, fully crewed in 2010. In total, Scaramouche has sailed almost 18,000 miles in this period.
Besides living on the water, Heiberg is also an author and is getting set to release a new book entitled Lee Shore Blues, which talks about his life and experiences on the water.
He will be hosting a book signing from noon to 3 p.m. this Tuesday, Oct. 14 at the Bitterend Marine Store in Gibsons, where his book is currently on sale.
