Bright Angel

Bright Angel

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Bright Angel is a 1990 Mason 44 cutter, built in Taiwan at the Ta Shing boat yard for Pacific Asian Enterprises, a Dana Point, CA company that now builds the Nordhaven ocean trawlers. She was designed by Al Mason, and has a very traditional look about her; but, more importantly, she is a great sea boat and a comfortable home.
 
Bob & Linda Hargreaves bought Bright Angel in Seattle in 2003, in anticipation of blue water cruising after retiring; their first boat, a 1979 Ericson 29, was much loved, but not up to ocean sailing. Bob worked as an attorney for the Washington State Attorney General's Office, and was a commissioned officer in the Washington Army National Guard; Linda was a business development manager for L'Oreal's Redken line of salon professional hair care products.

In 2010 Bob & Linda left their home port of Olympia, Washington, and set sail for Southern California and Mexico. After two seasons in Mexico, in 2012 they joined the "Puddle Jump" and sailed from Banderas Bay to the Marquesas and worked their way across the Pacific through French Polynesia and Tonga to New Zealand. For the next four years they sailed back and forth from NZ to the tropics - to Fiji three times, and then to Vanuatu and New Caledonia. In 2018 they concluded their full-time cruising and sailed Bright Angel home to Washington from NZ, with stops in Tahiti and Hawaii. They plan to continue cruising in Puget Sound, the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands, and further north in British Columbia.

Recent Updates

Bright Angel - June 18, 2015
Posted:

Another miserable night; high winds, rough seas; but thankfully, no squalls. A little tired (and a lot tired of these conditions!) but all is well on board.

Bright Angel - June 17, 2015
Posted:
Miserable night; high winds, rough seas, and about six hours of squalls - 1400 to 2000 (highest winds in squalls 40 knots). Fun meter for this passage is now pegged at zero; and on top of that, our ... Read More
Bright Angel - June 16, 2015
Posted:

Fairly comfortable night; motored thru light winds and some squalls (highest winds in squalls 28 knots). Will set sails at first light, as winds have filled back in. All is well on board.

Bright Angel - June 15, 2015
Posted:

Comfortable night; all is well on board.

Bright Angel - June 15, 2015
Posted:
Two days out of Marsden Cove, NZ, enroute to Fiji, and 250 nm down the track. We had the expected strong winds at the start (westerlies in the 25-30 knot range, some stronger gusts). We hugged the ... Read More
Bright Angel - June 14, 2015
Posted:

all well and all sorted after the turbulent start

Bright Angel - June 12, 2015
Posted:

via relay as still too close for 8MHz

Bright Angel - June 12, 2015
Posted:
Cleared out of New Zealand, will leave Marsden Cove for Fiji within the hour. Expecting strong (20-25 kt) westerlys outside, but will hug the coast going north until winds go sw, then will head ... Read More
Bright Angel - May 31, 2015
Posted:
In Marsden Cove after a fairly rambunctious sail up from Gulf Harbour yesterday, 30 May. For our escape from the clutches of Gulf Harbour, where we had been holed up for almost four months getting a ... Read More
Bright Angel - January 12, 2015
Posted:

Anchored in Oneroa Bay, Waiheki Island. Enjoying our cruise of Great Barrier Island and Hauraki Gulf.

Bright Angel - November 23, 2014
Posted:
At the Q Dock, Opua! Quickest passage yet - 8 days, 22.5 hours - Denerau Marina, Fiji to Opua Marina, NZ. Awesome sail yesterday, and thru the night - nw winds, 17-19 knots during the day, and 22-27 ... Read More
Bright Angel - November 22, 2014
Posted:
Motored thru the night with very light (1-3 knot) s-sse winds. We are approaching the sw quadrant of the high pressure system; winds have picked up to 10-12 knots from the west - sailing again! We ... Read More
Bright Angel - November 21, 2014
Posted:

Sailed thru the night with sse then se winds. Winds died off around 4 a.m.; motoring again. At sun up were visited by an albatross; beautiful! All is well on board.

Bright Angel - November 20, 2014
Posted:

Passed thru front yesterday a.m.; few squalls, no drama. Southerly winds since; now 16-20. Motoring to make southing; very lumpy ride. All is well on board.

Bright Angel - November 19, 2014
Posted:

Approaching front. All is well on board.

Bright Angel - November 18, 2014
Posted:

<p>Still motoring; under sunny skies yesterday, grey this morning. Wind is still light. All is well on board.</p>

Bright Angel - November 17, 2014
Posted:
Glorious day of sailing yesterday under sunny skies, fairly calm seas, and fresh breeze. Wind went light last night at 2030 hrs, and we started motor sailing. On a somewhat more westerly corse now ... Read More
Bright Angel - November 16, 2014
Posted:
Smooth sailing at last! Wind and sea has moderated considerably. On a comfortable beam reach with suit of sails in 11-14 knots of ese wind and a 1.5-2 meter ssw swell on the starboard quarter ... Read More
Bright Angel - November 15, 2014
Posted:
Rough start to the passage; thru Navula Pass at 1430 local, with strong sse winds 22-25 knots, and rough seas. Wind and sea moderated around 0100 this morning, but seas are still quite lumpy in 17-19 ... Read More
Bright Angel - November 14, 2014
Posted:

Leaving Port Denerau, enroute to Navula Pass, then on to Opua, NZ!

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