Hello All,
We made it over to Vaitahu, it is the next bay over from where we were. It only took 25 minutes to get here. The guys from the east coast were right behind us. After anchoring up the east coasters and I went to town. Tobias was catching up on sleep so he stayed behind. We just hung out and went to the 2 stores in town and I got some Cheetos and Oreos. I haven't had junk food in a while so it was a nice treat. Oh and a few beers to go with lol. We explored around town and talked to a few locals with my french for cruisers book, that was fun. Some of the folks speak pretty good English.
I think we may move on tomorrow to the next bay, we will see how it goes.
Well I am invited over for dinner tonight on the Dawn Star, that is the guys from the east coast, so we will talk to you later.
PEACE
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Still in Hana Fefau Bay
Hello All,
We are still hanging out in the bay, after we got invited to church Sunday. After the services we were invited to an after church lunch. There was fish, chicken and pork with BBQ sauce that was excellent. The whole town was there and the local fisherman that invited us ended up being the local wood and bone carver. He spoke very good English so we had a nice visit with him. We went back to town today to look at all of his work and it is excellent. He goes to a convention in Tahiti 2 times a year and joins up with 150 other artists and sells his work. He is very well known through out the Islands. He showed us the easy way to open a coconut and gave us bananas right off the tree and some guava fruit. Last night we had dinner on the boat of Steve and Trish from England, we met them on Atuona when we first got here. They showed up about mid-day yesterday. Three other guys from the east coast we met in Atuona also showed up so it was like old home week. This has been a great experience here and we have been loving it. I don't know what we will be doing tonight, Tobias just left with the guys to go spear fishing. I think I will go to Steve and Trish's and see what they are doing. We will leave in the morning to Vaitahu, it is 2 miles north of us and will check all that out. It is the biggest Village on the Island so maybe we can get some fresh baguettes and a few other things.
That's all I know for now so I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
We are still hanging out in the bay, after we got invited to church Sunday. After the services we were invited to an after church lunch. There was fish, chicken and pork with BBQ sauce that was excellent. The whole town was there and the local fisherman that invited us ended up being the local wood and bone carver. He spoke very good English so we had a nice visit with him. We went back to town today to look at all of his work and it is excellent. He goes to a convention in Tahiti 2 times a year and joins up with 150 other artists and sells his work. He is very well known through out the Islands. He showed us the easy way to open a coconut and gave us bananas right off the tree and some guava fruit. Last night we had dinner on the boat of Steve and Trish from England, we met them on Atuona when we first got here. They showed up about mid-day yesterday. Three other guys from the east coast we met in Atuona also showed up so it was like old home week. This has been a great experience here and we have been loving it. I don't know what we will be doing tonight, Tobias just left with the guys to go spear fishing. I think I will go to Steve and Trish's and see what they are doing. We will leave in the morning to Vaitahu, it is 2 miles north of us and will check all that out. It is the biggest Village on the Island so maybe we can get some fresh baguettes and a few other things.
That's all I know for now so I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Arrived at Tahuata Island
Hello All,
We had a good day coming up to Tahuata Island. The wind was 15 to 20 knots on a beam reach and seas were awesome. We are anchored up at Tefau Bay at the moment. There is a little town here we are going to check out. There is ancient roads and stuff here we will look at and a small fishing boat came by a little bit ago and said we are welcome to go to church in the morning so I guess we will get to see all the locals that live here. It is a day off for everyone so we won't get to see the wood carvers at work. I guess they are very good and there work is sold in Tahiti. We will head for the next bay north Monday morning.
Fatu Hiva Island was awesome. We walked through the little town with a fresh stream that runs all the way through and said hello to a few locals, all are very friendly. Then we hiked up an old road to the top of one of the mountains and looked down over the bay and the little town. I got some really good pictures the whole day so when I can I will post them. Fatu Hiva is one of the most beautiful islands I have ever seen. We only spent 2 days there but it was worth every minute.
Okay well that's all I know so I will let you go.
P.S.I need to quit writing these emails at night. It is a real challenge to keep my brow from dripping on the keyboard. It is only 88 degrees in here lol.
PEACE
We had a good day coming up to Tahuata Island. The wind was 15 to 20 knots on a beam reach and seas were awesome. We are anchored up at Tefau Bay at the moment. There is a little town here we are going to check out. There is ancient roads and stuff here we will look at and a small fishing boat came by a little bit ago and said we are welcome to go to church in the morning so I guess we will get to see all the locals that live here. It is a day off for everyone so we won't get to see the wood carvers at work. I guess they are very good and there work is sold in Tahiti. We will head for the next bay north Monday morning.
Fatu Hiva Island was awesome. We walked through the little town with a fresh stream that runs all the way through and said hello to a few locals, all are very friendly. Then we hiked up an old road to the top of one of the mountains and looked down over the bay and the little town. I got some really good pictures the whole day so when I can I will post them. Fatu Hiva is one of the most beautiful islands I have ever seen. We only spent 2 days there but it was worth every minute.
Okay well that's all I know so I will let you go.
P.S.I need to quit writing these emails at night. It is a real challenge to keep my brow from dripping on the keyboard. It is only 88 degrees in here lol.
PEACE
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Arrived at Hanavave Bay, Futa Hiva
Hello All,
We have made it to our next anchorage. This is a beautiful bay with all the mountains and valleys. I am getting some good pictures from the boat, we will go to shore tomorrow and check the place out. It is a little town with a school,church and store. I will know more tomorrow about the place so I will let you know how it goes.
This morning started at midnight so we could make it here before dark. It is about a 61 mile crossing and part of that trip was against the wind trying to get around Hiva Oa. It wasn't to bad, the boat just rolled like hell going into the swell. Once we got around the corner it was smooth sailing south with 15 knots of wind the whole way. We will be here a few days just looking around then move on the the next island.
Well I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
We have made it to our next anchorage. This is a beautiful bay with all the mountains and valleys. I am getting some good pictures from the boat, we will go to shore tomorrow and check the place out. It is a little town with a school,church and store. I will know more tomorrow about the place so I will let you know how it goes.
This morning started at midnight so we could make it here before dark. It is about a 61 mile crossing and part of that trip was against the wind trying to get around Hiva Oa. It wasn't to bad, the boat just rolled like hell going into the swell. Once we got around the corner it was smooth sailing south with 15 knots of wind the whole way. We will be here a few days just looking around then move on the the next island.
Well I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Leaving Hanaiapa Bay Thursday
Hello All,
We had an eventful day today. Tobias went snorkeling again today and I got out my snorkel gear and went to put a new zinc on the prop shaft. The old one was getting pretty rotten and it must have came right off when I wrapped the line around it the other day. I also got the hull clean at the water line so the boat looks much better. We took the dingy to shore to look around after all the chores were done and ran in to a local named William. He speaks a little English so we visited for a bit at his home. He had a yacht guest book that we signed, I guess everyone that comes here signs it. There were lots of books with lots of folks that have signed in over the years. He gave us some fresh fruit from his property, Papaya, bananas, huge pamplemousse and some limes. He came back to the boat with us and checked it out. I found a photo of my boat I gave him so he can put it in the book with all the rest. We gave him some nuts, pasta and some pasta sauce. He seemed pleased by the trade of goods.
It was a little over cast today and rained for a spell. It was nice to not be so hot for a change. We will be leaving for Fatu Hiva this morning. I am hoping the wind has lied down enough for us to get around the corner of the Island with out tacking, at least for most of the way. We need to go 15 miles to get around so we can head south. By then we should be on a nice beam reach with Saint Monitor doing all the steering.
That all I know for now so we will speak to you all soon.
PEACE
We had an eventful day today. Tobias went snorkeling again today and I got out my snorkel gear and went to put a new zinc on the prop shaft. The old one was getting pretty rotten and it must have came right off when I wrapped the line around it the other day. I also got the hull clean at the water line so the boat looks much better. We took the dingy to shore to look around after all the chores were done and ran in to a local named William. He speaks a little English so we visited for a bit at his home. He had a yacht guest book that we signed, I guess everyone that comes here signs it. There were lots of books with lots of folks that have signed in over the years. He gave us some fresh fruit from his property, Papaya, bananas, huge pamplemousse and some limes. He came back to the boat with us and checked it out. I found a photo of my boat I gave him so he can put it in the book with all the rest. We gave him some nuts, pasta and some pasta sauce. He seemed pleased by the trade of goods.
It was a little over cast today and rained for a spell. It was nice to not be so hot for a change. We will be leaving for Fatu Hiva this morning. I am hoping the wind has lied down enough for us to get around the corner of the Island with out tacking, at least for most of the way. We need to go 15 miles to get around so we can head south. By then we should be on a nice beam reach with Saint Monitor doing all the steering.
That all I know for now so we will speak to you all soon.
PEACE
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Hanaiapa Bay, French Polynesia
Hello All,
We made it to the next bay to the east on Hiva Oa. We left Hanamenu Bay at 0500 this morning. We had to motor for a half hour till the wind picked up and when it did we headed north so we could tack back in to the bay. We only had to go off about 7 miles to get back to the Island. Going from east to west is against the wind for us but once we get around the corner we will be on a beam reach down to Fatu Hiva. I think we will stay here a few days, it is a beautiful bay and very well protected from easterly winds. There is a little village here that is connected by road to Atuona. I took the dingy in for a bit today but didn't look around to much. Tobias went snorkeling by the beach, the water is very clear here. I think we set a new record for heat today,93 degrees. Can you say hot!
Well that is all I know for now so we will talk to you soon.
PEACE
We made it to the next bay to the east on Hiva Oa. We left Hanamenu Bay at 0500 this morning. We had to motor for a half hour till the wind picked up and when it did we headed north so we could tack back in to the bay. We only had to go off about 7 miles to get back to the Island. Going from east to west is against the wind for us but once we get around the corner we will be on a beam reach down to Fatu Hiva. I think we will stay here a few days, it is a beautiful bay and very well protected from easterly winds. There is a little village here that is connected by road to Atuona. I took the dingy in for a bit today but didn't look around to much. Tobias went snorkeling by the beach, the water is very clear here. I think we set a new record for heat today,93 degrees. Can you say hot!
Well that is all I know for now so we will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Monday, March 22, 2010
Still in Hanamenu Bay
Hello All,
Today was another eventful day. I worked on the boat today and got some more stuff fixed. At 11:00 a.m. Tobias and I took the dingy to shore to go have lunch with the locals and at the last minute I decided to head back for the boat. I didn't want to leave it that long with the wind blowing 30 and the swells were breaking over the bow so he went and had a really good time and some good food and I was hanging out on the boat grinding my teeth. About 2 p.m. I went to pick him up and as I got close to the shore I had a wave break over the dingy and I got the shower I needed for a day and the outboard got an oil change to remove the salt water after we had to row back. I am loving this bay, I can't think of so many lessons learned all in one place.
We will leave this windy paradise tomorrow for a bay just 8 miles east of here. We will see if it is more protected, I hope so.
All is good and the weather is awesome so I will let you know what the next bay is like tomorrow night.
PEACE
Today was another eventful day. I worked on the boat today and got some more stuff fixed. At 11:00 a.m. Tobias and I took the dingy to shore to go have lunch with the locals and at the last minute I decided to head back for the boat. I didn't want to leave it that long with the wind blowing 30 and the swells were breaking over the bow so he went and had a really good time and some good food and I was hanging out on the boat grinding my teeth. About 2 p.m. I went to pick him up and as I got close to the shore I had a wave break over the dingy and I got the shower I needed for a day and the outboard got an oil change to remove the salt water after we had to row back. I am loving this bay, I can't think of so many lessons learned all in one place.
We will leave this windy paradise tomorrow for a bay just 8 miles east of here. We will see if it is more protected, I hope so.
All is good and the weather is awesome so I will let you know what the next bay is like tomorrow night.
PEACE
Saturday, March 20, 2010
-09.45.90, -139.08.39
Hello All,
We made it to Hanamenu Bay at 1630 this after noon. It is on the north west side of Hiva Oa. We had really good wind coming over, in fact a little to good. We went between Hiva Oa and Tahuata Island and the wind just smokes through there. We had 40 knots on a down wind run with 2 reefs in the main and just the stay sail and we were doing 6.5 knots. On the leeward side of the island the wind let up to 10 knots till we came around the other side and then it hit like a train. My shackle I had mounted to hold the sail on the boom snapped right off and the sail went flogging around. Tobias jerry rigged it as best he could so we could get to the bay. We had to tack 2 times to get in here because the wind was coming out of the north east at about 35 knots. Tomorrow is work on boat day and then we can go to the beach and have a look around. There are a few residents that live here but no town so we will go in and say hello and see if its okay to look around some. The bay has a little swell but its not to bad and the mountains around us are very jagged and tall, kind of a miniature grand canyon feel to it.
We will stay a few days I think and then move on to the next anchorage about 8 miles east of here.
I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
We made it to Hanamenu Bay at 1630 this after noon. It is on the north west side of Hiva Oa. We had really good wind coming over, in fact a little to good. We went between Hiva Oa and Tahuata Island and the wind just smokes through there. We had 40 knots on a down wind run with 2 reefs in the main and just the stay sail and we were doing 6.5 knots. On the leeward side of the island the wind let up to 10 knots till we came around the other side and then it hit like a train. My shackle I had mounted to hold the sail on the boom snapped right off and the sail went flogging around. Tobias jerry rigged it as best he could so we could get to the bay. We had to tack 2 times to get in here because the wind was coming out of the north east at about 35 knots. Tomorrow is work on boat day and then we can go to the beach and have a look around. There are a few residents that live here but no town so we will go in and say hello and see if its okay to look around some. The bay has a little swell but its not to bad and the mountains around us are very jagged and tall, kind of a miniature grand canyon feel to it.
We will stay a few days I think and then move on to the next anchorage about 8 miles east of here.
I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Friday, March 19, 2010
Hanging out with other sailors
Hello All,
I know it's been a few days since I have written but we have been busy meeting cruising folks and checking out the little town. They have some well stocked grocery stores, a bank and a few little hotels. We have had a few dinners on some other boats. The cruising folks are so friendly and are a lot of help. The other day we needed some water to put in the tanks and we were told the water at the tap on the dock was not good, so our neighbor on a 56 foot sailboat gave us some of his because he has a water maker and 400 gallons to spare so we were grateful. The boats have been coming in here one by one every day. I just met some guys on a sailboat that just got in from San Diego. They made it in 22 days, they said they had awesome wind the whole way and I'm guessing they were a little faster than me. The guy from Britain that owns the 56 foot boat made it from the Galapagos Islands to here, which is around 3000 miles, in 16 days. He has a fast boat lol. There has been a lot of action here in the bay today, the supply ship came in this morning and a cruise ship came in making dozens of trips with there little tender dropping people on the beach.
I think we will be leaving here Saturday morning and head for a little bay on the north west corner of Hiva Oa Island and hang out there a few days. It is remote so we should be by ourselves. I tried to get on the internet in town today but it is so slow it would have taken days to down load pictures so for now I will just have to keep you guys in suspense. I have got some really good pictures so as soon as I can I will get them posted.
That's all I know for now so I will talk to you guys soon.
PEACE
I know it's been a few days since I have written but we have been busy meeting cruising folks and checking out the little town. They have some well stocked grocery stores, a bank and a few little hotels. We have had a few dinners on some other boats. The cruising folks are so friendly and are a lot of help. The other day we needed some water to put in the tanks and we were told the water at the tap on the dock was not good, so our neighbor on a 56 foot sailboat gave us some of his because he has a water maker and 400 gallons to spare so we were grateful. The boats have been coming in here one by one every day. I just met some guys on a sailboat that just got in from San Diego. They made it in 22 days, they said they had awesome wind the whole way and I'm guessing they were a little faster than me. The guy from Britain that owns the 56 foot boat made it from the Galapagos Islands to here, which is around 3000 miles, in 16 days. He has a fast boat lol. There has been a lot of action here in the bay today, the supply ship came in this morning and a cruise ship came in making dozens of trips with there little tender dropping people on the beach.
I think we will be leaving here Saturday morning and head for a little bay on the north west corner of Hiva Oa Island and hang out there a few days. It is remote so we should be by ourselves. I tried to get on the internet in town today but it is so slow it would have taken days to down load pictures so for now I will just have to keep you guys in suspense. I have got some really good pictures so as soon as I can I will get them posted.
That's all I know for now so I will talk to you guys soon.
PEACE
Sunday, March 14, 2010
First steps on French soil
Hello All,
We got anchored up here yesterday at 1030. The locals were having a party down here on the big pier where the supply ship ties up so we were greeted to live Marquesan music as we entered. We got all settled in and aired up the dingy and went to shore. I brought all my paper work along with me to checked in. We only walked about 300 feet when some nice locals offered us a ride to town. It is a mile from here so we took them up on it. After getting there we figured out the Gendarmerie was closed for the weekend so we looked around briefly and walked back to the boat. I was a little worried about hanging out there not being checked in first.
We met a Belgium cruising couple after returning and asked them about the check in problem we had and they said, this is the Marquesas Islands, don't sweat it, just do it Monday and have a good weekend. I am not sure what is on the agenda today but I am sure we will find something to do. Tomorrow we will go get officially entered into the Islands and go get some fresh baked french bread and take a good walking tour of this fabulous little island.
Everyone speaks Polynesian first and French second so it makes it interesting to ask questions around here. I came prepared though, I have a french for cruisers book I brought along to help out.
On a side note, our first step on land was most interesting, can you say I feel drunk lol. It took us most of the day to get over the lack of motion from being on the boat so long.
That all I know for now so I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
We got anchored up here yesterday at 1030. The locals were having a party down here on the big pier where the supply ship ties up so we were greeted to live Marquesan music as we entered. We got all settled in and aired up the dingy and went to shore. I brought all my paper work along with me to checked in. We only walked about 300 feet when some nice locals offered us a ride to town. It is a mile from here so we took them up on it. After getting there we figured out the Gendarmerie was closed for the weekend so we looked around briefly and walked back to the boat. I was a little worried about hanging out there not being checked in first.
We met a Belgium cruising couple after returning and asked them about the check in problem we had and they said, this is the Marquesas Islands, don't sweat it, just do it Monday and have a good weekend. I am not sure what is on the agenda today but I am sure we will find something to do. Tomorrow we will go get officially entered into the Islands and go get some fresh baked french bread and take a good walking tour of this fabulous little island.
Everyone speaks Polynesian first and French second so it makes it interesting to ask questions around here. I came prepared though, I have a french for cruisers book I brought along to help out.
On a side note, our first step on land was most interesting, can you say I feel drunk lol. It took us most of the day to get over the lack of motion from being on the boat so long.
That all I know for now so I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Friday, March 12, 2010
-913.13.27, -138.20.28
Hello All,
LAND HO!!We have spotted Hiva Oa Island 40 miles out off the starboard side. That is our first land fall. There is a town on the southern side called Atuona, that is where we will anchor and do all the formalities with the local gendarmerie (means police in french) It sounds like a pretty cool place from what I have read. I guess we will find out soon enough. I hope to obtain a 3 month visa for French Polynesia so we will have time to do some serious exploring. I looked into all of this customs business a while ago and everything looked good for a 90 day stay but from what I have heard they change the rules every year but not the rule book so according to my sources they have been only giving 30 day visas but this year it is back to 90 days. Well enough of all that, we will have a good time no matter how long we get to stay.
I don't know how well my email will work on anchor so you may have to bear with me. I will look for WiFi in town but I think that will be a stretch. We should be getting in around 10 am. I will try to email tomorrow night and see how it works.
That's all I know so everyone have a good night.
PEACE
LAND HO!!We have spotted Hiva Oa Island 40 miles out off the starboard side. That is our first land fall. There is a town on the southern side called Atuona, that is where we will anchor and do all the formalities with the local gendarmerie (means police in french) It sounds like a pretty cool place from what I have read. I guess we will find out soon enough. I hope to obtain a 3 month visa for French Polynesia so we will have time to do some serious exploring. I looked into all of this customs business a while ago and everything looked good for a 90 day stay but from what I have heard they change the rules every year but not the rule book so according to my sources they have been only giving 30 day visas but this year it is back to 90 days. Well enough of all that, we will have a good time no matter how long we get to stay.
I don't know how well my email will work on anchor so you may have to bear with me. I will look for WiFi in town but I think that will be a stretch. We should be getting in around 10 am. I will try to email tomorrow night and see how it works.
That's all I know so everyone have a good night.
PEACE
-7.47, -137.34
Hello All,
We are 140 miles away from the islands now. The weather here in the southern trades has been excellent. It has been calm seas and 5 to 10 knot winds and just a few clouds around the last few days. The stars down here are pretty cool, I am not familiar with them so it's all new to me. The Southern Cross has emerged it self from the horizon and like our big dipper up north is very prominent in the night sky. The night shifts have been pretty cool to see all the heavens. The wind picked up a little tonight so we are making good speed the only problem is at this rate we will get there tomorrow night around 8 pm our time and it's dark then so, I never thought I would say this but we may have to reduce sail and slow the boat way down to get there in the light, always something here on the high seas to make life interesting. I don't know how this email is going to work being surrounded by the mountains of the island but I will try to get a line out once we get in.
It will be pretty cool to see land after all this time. I will get lots of pics for everyone to see when I can get to the internet.
Well that's all I know for now so will talk to you later.
PEACE
We are 140 miles away from the islands now. The weather here in the southern trades has been excellent. It has been calm seas and 5 to 10 knot winds and just a few clouds around the last few days. The stars down here are pretty cool, I am not familiar with them so it's all new to me. The Southern Cross has emerged it self from the horizon and like our big dipper up north is very prominent in the night sky. The night shifts have been pretty cool to see all the heavens. The wind picked up a little tonight so we are making good speed the only problem is at this rate we will get there tomorrow night around 8 pm our time and it's dark then so, I never thought I would say this but we may have to reduce sail and slow the boat way down to get there in the light, always something here on the high seas to make life interesting. I don't know how this email is going to work being surrounded by the mountains of the island but I will try to get a line out once we get in.
It will be pretty cool to see land after all this time. I will get lots of pics for everyone to see when I can get to the internet.
Well that's all I know for now so will talk to you later.
PEACE
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
-4.54, -136.12
Hello All,
It has been a few days since I wrote. All is going great. We have had 2 beautiful days in a row here in the mid 80s and the wind has been blowing non stop. We have been making 100 miles a day so we should be getting there in a few days. It has been a challenge to keep the boat going on a good coarse because of the wind direction but it looks like it is starting to work in our favor now that we have got over the equator. There has been a lot less squalls and the weather has been getting better. I am still adjusting to the heat here. I wonder if you ever get used to it.
Ok, well I will write to you as we get closer so take care and will talk to you soon.
PEACE
It has been a few days since I wrote. All is going great. We have had 2 beautiful days in a row here in the mid 80s and the wind has been blowing non stop. We have been making 100 miles a day so we should be getting there in a few days. It has been a challenge to keep the boat going on a good coarse because of the wind direction but it looks like it is starting to work in our favor now that we have got over the equator. There has been a lot less squalls and the weather has been getting better. I am still adjusting to the heat here. I wonder if you ever get used to it.
Ok, well I will write to you as we get closer so take care and will talk to you soon.
PEACE
Sunday, March 7, 2010
-1.26.32, -133.35.84
Hello All,
Today is an awesome day, the wind is blowing 16 to 18 knots and the sea is pretty flat so we are making good time. Yesterday it blow over 20 all day so I had the boat in low gear just to make it more comfortable. We didn't make a lot of miles but had a decent day. We are still hard on the wind trying to stay on coarse. I am hoping to get into a good easterly or east south east wind within a few days. It is very hot and hard to slave over this computer very long so I will say good bye for now. It think I will start writing this at night, a little cooler then. Okay, I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Today is an awesome day, the wind is blowing 16 to 18 knots and the sea is pretty flat so we are making good time. Yesterday it blow over 20 all day so I had the boat in low gear just to make it more comfortable. We didn't make a lot of miles but had a decent day. We are still hard on the wind trying to stay on coarse. I am hoping to get into a good easterly or east south east wind within a few days. It is very hot and hard to slave over this computer very long so I will say good bye for now. It think I will start writing this at night, a little cooler then. Okay, I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Saturday, March 6, 2010
1.44.00S, -132.55.00W
Hello All,
Well we finally made it past the equator at 0530 this morning(03-07-10). It is giving us a hello greeting by blowing 25 to 30 knot gusts. We are bucking into the swell somewhat so I have us doing about 3.5 to 4 knots with a stay sail and a single reef in the main. Any faster than that and the deck is a wash and more uncomfortable. We had good sailing yesterday and it was sunny most of the day. If we can keep up the pace we should be seeing land in about 6 days. I am looking forward to that for sure. The boat is holding up good so far. The nights are getting longer and longer on watch but we are hanging in there. When I write a book about this adventure I am going to include what this crossing is like, at least for us. All the books I have read don't talk about this crossing much. They just say how pleasant it was or nothing at all. We have had a few pleasant days but for the most part we have earned every mile. I don't mean to sound negative but the crossing name (Coconut Milk Run) doesn't fit the bill. I will think of a cooler name later on lol.
Ok well I better get going and see whats going on outside. Talk to you all later.
PEACE
Well we finally made it past the equator at 0530 this morning(03-07-10). It is giving us a hello greeting by blowing 25 to 30 knot gusts. We are bucking into the swell somewhat so I have us doing about 3.5 to 4 knots with a stay sail and a single reef in the main. Any faster than that and the deck is a wash and more uncomfortable. We had good sailing yesterday and it was sunny most of the day. If we can keep up the pace we should be seeing land in about 6 days. I am looking forward to that for sure. The boat is holding up good so far. The nights are getting longer and longer on watch but we are hanging in there. When I write a book about this adventure I am going to include what this crossing is like, at least for us. All the books I have read don't talk about this crossing much. They just say how pleasant it was or nothing at all. We have had a few pleasant days but for the most part we have earned every mile. I don't mean to sound negative but the crossing name (Coconut Milk Run) doesn't fit the bill. I will think of a cooler name later on lol.
Ok well I better get going and see whats going on outside. Talk to you all later.
PEACE
Friday, March 5, 2010
1.4892, -131.47.17
Hello All,
Here I am again, bored on a night shift so I figured I would fill you in on the latest events. The last few days in the Inter tropical Convergence Zone has consisted of rain, squalls, sunny weather and actually some pretty good wind. We had a nice sunny day 2 days ago so I got out my still wet laundry and put it up on deck to dry. It took forever with all the humidity but I got the job done. We have had 4 squalls hit us since we have been in the zone. You can see them coming so you get lots of warning before they hit you. The first one we didn't really heed the warnings and had all the canvas flying. Boy was that a mistake. We rapidly reduced sail only to have it pass 20 minutes later. We then put all the sails back up and carried on. It was a major pain for only 20 minutes of hard wind so I thought the next time it happens I would just put the boat hard on the wind, basically spilling the wind from the sails, stalling it out until it passed. My plan worked great and with the help of my steering vane to keep it hard on the wind we survived 3 more of them that way. This morning the wind started turning SSW which was our coarse and it was starting to calm so I figured I would fire up the engine and motor for a bit. As soon as I got the sails down and fired up the wind came up a little, always happens after you pull the sails down, I started motoring and 10 minutes into my my decision to burn diesel the wind came up more, like 15 knots so now I am going into swell and 15 knots of wind, hell of a way to start the morning. I waited for Tobias to get up and we put the sails up again and I just put it hard on the wind to try to stay on coarse the best I could. I haven't added up how many hours I have put on the engine so far but I will bet it is around 10 hours so far, not bad for coming so far. Later today the wind shifted to our favor so we are well on our way.
We should be at the Equator tomorrow sometime and then hopefully start picking up the southern trades. We had 86 degrees today and the sun packs some heat. I am glad we have had a nice breeze to cool us somewhat. The sea has been pretty quiet for wild life. I have only seen a few birds and flying fish. I usually pick a dozen off the deck in the morning. They are not big enough to eat ,most are about 4 inches long.
Well that's all I know for now. I will write you again here in a few days.
Take care,
PEACE
Here I am again, bored on a night shift so I figured I would fill you in on the latest events. The last few days in the Inter tropical Convergence Zone has consisted of rain, squalls, sunny weather and actually some pretty good wind. We had a nice sunny day 2 days ago so I got out my still wet laundry and put it up on deck to dry. It took forever with all the humidity but I got the job done. We have had 4 squalls hit us since we have been in the zone. You can see them coming so you get lots of warning before they hit you. The first one we didn't really heed the warnings and had all the canvas flying. Boy was that a mistake. We rapidly reduced sail only to have it pass 20 minutes later. We then put all the sails back up and carried on. It was a major pain for only 20 minutes of hard wind so I thought the next time it happens I would just put the boat hard on the wind, basically spilling the wind from the sails, stalling it out until it passed. My plan worked great and with the help of my steering vane to keep it hard on the wind we survived 3 more of them that way. This morning the wind started turning SSW which was our coarse and it was starting to calm so I figured I would fire up the engine and motor for a bit. As soon as I got the sails down and fired up the wind came up a little, always happens after you pull the sails down, I started motoring and 10 minutes into my my decision to burn diesel the wind came up more, like 15 knots so now I am going into swell and 15 knots of wind, hell of a way to start the morning. I waited for Tobias to get up and we put the sails up again and I just put it hard on the wind to try to stay on coarse the best I could. I haven't added up how many hours I have put on the engine so far but I will bet it is around 10 hours so far, not bad for coming so far. Later today the wind shifted to our favor so we are well on our way.
We should be at the Equator tomorrow sometime and then hopefully start picking up the southern trades. We had 86 degrees today and the sun packs some heat. I am glad we have had a nice breeze to cool us somewhat. The sea has been pretty quiet for wild life. I have only seen a few birds and flying fish. I usually pick a dozen off the deck in the morning. They are not big enough to eat ,most are about 4 inches long.
Well that's all I know for now. I will write you again here in a few days.
Take care,
PEACE
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
4.31.04, -129.51.83
Hello All,
I am writing you this on my night shift ,midnight to 4 am.I figured I would get the best reception at night now that I am getting so far out here. I am still using the sail mail site out of San Diego but I am sure I will have to find another one closer here soon. We are at 4 latitude now and I do believe we are entering the Inter tropical Convergence Zone, it is an area by the Equator between the northern and southern trade winds. The pressure has dropped and we are seeing very heavy rain, the most I have seen since Kodiak or Cordova Alaska. The winds have been pretty steady so far, it will puff up for a bit then calm back down. I did laundry in the squall we had yesterday but with out thinking about it now I have to get them dry and it is not happening by just hanging them up in the cabin, I need a sunny day so I hope one comes before they turn to mold lol. We made 128 miles the other day, I think that's a new record for us.
Ok well I better keep a look out here, for what I don't know lol,I haven't seen a boat in like 10 days or so.
I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
I am writing you this on my night shift ,midnight to 4 am.I figured I would get the best reception at night now that I am getting so far out here. I am still using the sail mail site out of San Diego but I am sure I will have to find another one closer here soon. We are at 4 latitude now and I do believe we are entering the Inter tropical Convergence Zone, it is an area by the Equator between the northern and southern trade winds. The pressure has dropped and we are seeing very heavy rain, the most I have seen since Kodiak or Cordova Alaska. The winds have been pretty steady so far, it will puff up for a bit then calm back down. I did laundry in the squall we had yesterday but with out thinking about it now I have to get them dry and it is not happening by just hanging them up in the cabin, I need a sunny day so I hope one comes before they turn to mold lol. We made 128 miles the other day, I think that's a new record for us.
Ok well I better keep a look out here, for what I don't know lol,I haven't seen a boat in like 10 days or so.
I will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
Monday, March 1, 2010
7.32.58, -128.41.73
Hello All,
It has been an event full weekend here on the high seas. The wind has finally let up enough to get the yankee jib back up and we only have one reef in the main sail so we are making 5.5 knots. Two days ago while I was finishing my blog up I heard Tobias yell hang on! at that very instant I felt the boat roll hard to starboard. The tea pot which was securely mounted to the top of the stove hit me in the back, I looked up through the window and I just saw water, this lasted a few seconds and then the boat righted itself. We had a 10 foot wave come from behind, which is common, picked up the back of the boat but as it was riding up the wave an unexpected one came from the port quarter just as big and slammed the boat sideways, so down we went sideways till we hit the bottom of the trough. Luckily we just had minimum sails up and not much speed so it recovered okay. In the boating world that is called a 'broach' and it is not a good thing at all. I was doing my look around the engine room just looking to see if things were dry and secure I decided I would check the oil in the engine and what I saw made me break a sweat, sea water in the oil. I have a wet exhaust system on this boat and all I can figure is all of the waves pounding my port quarter, which is where my exhaust comes out, for the last 7 days forced water in my engine. I had to use up 3 gallons of oil to get it to clean up and I stuffed a sponge in the exhaust hole to prevent any more water being forced in.I am hoping that is all the excitement we get for a while.
The weather has been very nice. The full moon makes it really easy to see at night and its very hot and humid. The coldest I have seen at night in the last 5 days is 76 degrees and its getting 83 in the day with the sun behind a cloud.
All is good here, 17 days at sea now and still doing okay. I hope to see land in 10 to 12 days if we can keep our pace up.
That is all I know for now so will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
It has been an event full weekend here on the high seas. The wind has finally let up enough to get the yankee jib back up and we only have one reef in the main sail so we are making 5.5 knots. Two days ago while I was finishing my blog up I heard Tobias yell hang on! at that very instant I felt the boat roll hard to starboard. The tea pot which was securely mounted to the top of the stove hit me in the back, I looked up through the window and I just saw water, this lasted a few seconds and then the boat righted itself. We had a 10 foot wave come from behind, which is common, picked up the back of the boat but as it was riding up the wave an unexpected one came from the port quarter just as big and slammed the boat sideways, so down we went sideways till we hit the bottom of the trough. Luckily we just had minimum sails up and not much speed so it recovered okay. In the boating world that is called a 'broach' and it is not a good thing at all. I was doing my look around the engine room just looking to see if things were dry and secure I decided I would check the oil in the engine and what I saw made me break a sweat, sea water in the oil. I have a wet exhaust system on this boat and all I can figure is all of the waves pounding my port quarter, which is where my exhaust comes out, for the last 7 days forced water in my engine. I had to use up 3 gallons of oil to get it to clean up and I stuffed a sponge in the exhaust hole to prevent any more water being forced in.I am hoping that is all the excitement we get for a while.
The weather has been very nice. The full moon makes it really easy to see at night and its very hot and humid. The coldest I have seen at night in the last 5 days is 76 degrees and its getting 83 in the day with the sun behind a cloud.
All is good here, 17 days at sea now and still doing okay. I hope to see land in 10 to 12 days if we can keep our pace up.
That is all I know for now so will talk to you all soon.
PEACE
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