Yes, net picking not nit picking! In times past I am sure many would have had to deal with the latter. Try to find a copy of a documentary series called "Ring of Fire" in which the crew of the Bogeys in Indonesia sit around examining each other's heads. The series has some brilliant footage of sailing in the Celebes Sea by two documentary-making English brothers.
Getting back to Ladybug, we are still drifting along with the pumice at speeds varying from 0 to 3 Knots. The winds have been 0-5 Knots from SSE to SSW and we are doing our best to keep the sails happy. Last night we took them down altogether to sleep for five and half hours. Ladybug rolled gently in the slow one meter swells and drifted for a few miles. We peered out every 20 minutes or so to check if anyone else was around. Two other yachts were in the periphery of our horizon but none came close enough to worry about.
Under these mild conditions we have time on our hands, so we spend a lot of it listening to weather forecasters and chatting with our cruising buddies on the single sideband radio. We even have friends within VHF range to commiserate with while we are all stuck in the middle of the "high" for at least another 36 hours. Then we may have to wait for another "low" to pass over the top of New Zealand before we sail for Opua.
Some of the bigger yachts with bigger engines and more diesel have been motoring since yesterday to reach NZ before the "low" transpires next Wednesday. These boats can average 150 miles per day going full tilt with their longer waterline whereas we average nearer 100 miles.
Since we have little chance of beating the front, we are enjoying the summer weather - sunshine and blue skies, flat seas. Good conditions to do some baking. I made a batch of almond squares yesterday, a favourite recipe from my lovely sister-in-law, Jasvir, in Vancouver. No doubt we shall be waddling ashore when we reach Opua!
Our 0745 position this morning was 26 00 South 178 15 East. We made a whopping 69 miles' progress in the last 24 hours.
Friday, November 16, 2012
"Windigo" Update
We received an update on the yacht "Windigo" yesterday via friends on "Long Shot II" who are in touch with the RCCNZ. A vessel called "Follow Me" located "Windigo" at 24 49.3S 179 49.3E at 1522UTC on Nov 12. The yacht seems to have drifted in an easterly direction from its original position and will probably continue in that direction and then NE according to their drift models.
"Follow Me" got tangled with line from a search and rescue life raft that was also drifting nearby at 24 41S 179 59E. They punctured the raft to scuttle it but it is probably still afloat below the water surface and less visible. A second life raft has not yet been located.
Vessels approaching the area close to the above way points should pay attention, especially if motoring.
"Follow Me" got tangled with line from a search and rescue life raft that was also drifting nearby at 24 41S 179 59E. They punctured the raft to scuttle it but it is probably still afloat below the water surface and less visible. A second life raft has not yet been located.
Vessels approaching the area close to the above way points should pay attention, especially if motoring.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Day 6 - Fleeces and blankets
It may be the influence of the cold front that is giving us stable weather, but it is turning decidedly chilly on Ladybug. We put on trousers this morning for the first time and I am wearing a cardigan as I type this message in the pre-dawn glow. Rani is asleep on the settee berth, wrapped snugly in a blanket - another first as we have only recently needed sheets. New Zealand will be a shock to us after 6 months+ in tropical countries.
Yesterday we received good news - the weather looks very stable for the next week except for a low that will pass well south of us. We have also learned that there should be mainly easterly winds on our approach to New Zealand in place of the predominant southwest winds. This allows us to point straight for the island now, rather than running off to the west and should save a day or two on passage. However this could change with no notice...
Determining where to point Ladybug has been a challenge and we have tried to combine the computer generated forecast models with input from forecasters and the observations of boats that are out in front of us. To this, you need to figure in your boat speed, feasible direction, a comfort factor so you will not be bashing into big seas, etc. We have started using the route planning feature of OpenCPN along with its ability to overlay weather forecast data. This still requires manual manipulation but allows one to plot the boat's progress along an imaginary line and see what the winds should be like at each position. I would like to write a software program to help me figure this out, but do not have access to everything I need to do this on board.
We are still sailing through pumice - floating volcanic rock - and discovered some in our raw water strainer for the engine. 'Lisa Kay' who has been sailing in the fleet from Tonga lost their water pump impeller, perhaps due to ingesting pumice, but may also have been due to an old impeller. The water stopped running and the hot exhaust gases melted their muffler. They only noticed this when water was coming into the boat from holes melted in the exhaust system. Fortunately they were able to jury rig a repair and received help from several cruisers to repair the muffler when they made 'landfall' at Minerva Reef. The pumice comes from an eruption that occurred south of Raoul island in the nearby Kermedec islands. Apparently there is a floating island of the stuff 30 by 300 miles wide floating somewhere south of us.
The sailing yesterday was lovely - close reaching in light SE winds. Around dark, the wind died down to zephyrs and we ghosted along all night at 1-2 knots. Rani even hand steered around 3 am for an hour or so to keep us moving.
Our position at 7:45 am on Nov 16 was 25 28 S 179 10 E. We ran exactly 100 nautical miles in the last 24 hours, not bad considering we had almost no wind all night. The wind is back up to a few knots from the SSE, seas are calm, and we are making good progress directly toward the North Cape of New Zealand.
Yesterday we received good news - the weather looks very stable for the next week except for a low that will pass well south of us. We have also learned that there should be mainly easterly winds on our approach to New Zealand in place of the predominant southwest winds. This allows us to point straight for the island now, rather than running off to the west and should save a day or two on passage. However this could change with no notice...
Determining where to point Ladybug has been a challenge and we have tried to combine the computer generated forecast models with input from forecasters and the observations of boats that are out in front of us. To this, you need to figure in your boat speed, feasible direction, a comfort factor so you will not be bashing into big seas, etc. We have started using the route planning feature of OpenCPN along with its ability to overlay weather forecast data. This still requires manual manipulation but allows one to plot the boat's progress along an imaginary line and see what the winds should be like at each position. I would like to write a software program to help me figure this out, but do not have access to everything I need to do this on board.
We are still sailing through pumice - floating volcanic rock - and discovered some in our raw water strainer for the engine. 'Lisa Kay' who has been sailing in the fleet from Tonga lost their water pump impeller, perhaps due to ingesting pumice, but may also have been due to an old impeller. The water stopped running and the hot exhaust gases melted their muffler. They only noticed this when water was coming into the boat from holes melted in the exhaust system. Fortunately they were able to jury rig a repair and received help from several cruisers to repair the muffler when they made 'landfall' at Minerva Reef. The pumice comes from an eruption that occurred south of Raoul island in the nearby Kermedec islands. Apparently there is a floating island of the stuff 30 by 300 miles wide floating somewhere south of us.
The sailing yesterday was lovely - close reaching in light SE winds. Around dark, the wind died down to zephyrs and we ghosted along all night at 1-2 knots. Rani even hand steered around 3 am for an hour or so to keep us moving.
Our position at 7:45 am on Nov 16 was 25 28 S 179 10 E. We ran exactly 100 nautical miles in the last 24 hours, not bad considering we had almost no wind all night. The wind is back up to a few knots from the SSE, seas are calm, and we are making good progress directly toward the North Cape of New Zealand.
Day 5 - experiencing turbulence
If you have ever been in an airplane when it goes through a pocket of turbulence, then you have some idea of what it is like to sail on a small boat in a rough sea. To make things more interesting, the 'pocket' can last for days, there are no seat belts, and you must do complex tasks like type at a computer or cook a meal while being tossed around like rag dolls. The GPS records how fast the boat is traveling, keeping a record of the maximum speed. It currently reads 83.6 knots - a bit unlikely, but in the last minute I have watched our speed vary from 3 to more than 10 knots as we fall off one wave and run into another.
Yesterday was quite tranquil for much of the daylight hours. We observed a partial solar eclipse (the full effect being seen a few hundred miles south). We used the sextant with its viewing filters to safely view the earth's shadow as it obscured nearly 2/3rds of the sun. Our first albatross paid us a visit around this time - a giant bird that circled the boat a few times. In flight it was graceful - zooming towards us like a fighter plane. Bobbing in the water, however, it looked more like an overgrown and slightly gawky seagull.
The calms seas allowed for the first proper shower of the passage. Oh bliss! Plus it smells better now down below in the closed up confines of a boat at sea.
The tranquility ended around supper time when the southerly breeze freshened and swung gradually into the south/southeast. We have been bouncing along now for more than 12 hours, passing Minerva reef around 9 pm. We did not stop because entering the reef at night would be tricky and also because we have a fair wind for making progress toward New Zealand. We were close enough to see the lights on the masts of the little community of yachts nestled within the reef's protecting ring and we were sad we had to pass it by.
Our position at 7:45 am was 24 09 S 179 49 W: Heading about 220 at a speed of 5 to 6 knots in 12 knots of SSE breeze and 1.5 meter seas. We are sailing under 2-reefed main and partially furled jib. We sailed about 125 miles in the last 24 hours.
Yesterday was quite tranquil for much of the daylight hours. We observed a partial solar eclipse (the full effect being seen a few hundred miles south). We used the sextant with its viewing filters to safely view the earth's shadow as it obscured nearly 2/3rds of the sun. Our first albatross paid us a visit around this time - a giant bird that circled the boat a few times. In flight it was graceful - zooming towards us like a fighter plane. Bobbing in the water, however, it looked more like an overgrown and slightly gawky seagull.
The calms seas allowed for the first proper shower of the passage. Oh bliss! Plus it smells better now down below in the closed up confines of a boat at sea.
The tranquility ended around supper time when the southerly breeze freshened and swung gradually into the south/southeast. We have been bouncing along now for more than 12 hours, passing Minerva reef around 9 pm. We did not stop because entering the reef at night would be tricky and also because we have a fair wind for making progress toward New Zealand. We were close enough to see the lights on the masts of the little community of yachts nestled within the reef's protecting ring and we were sad we had to pass it by.
Our position at 7:45 am was 24 09 S 179 49 W: Heading about 220 at a speed of 5 to 6 knots in 12 knots of SSE breeze and 1.5 meter seas. We are sailing under 2-reefed main and partially furled jib. We sailed about 125 miles in the last 24 hours.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
A Plastic Free Boat
I find myself thinking often about plastics and our impact, in general, on the world out here. The beaches of paradise are littered with plastics. Even remote Suwarrow would yield a few garbage bags full from the small beaches on the main island.
So is it possible to cruise without using plastics? It would certainly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels to do so, but without a huge effort, I think it is not feasible. Too many things we take for granted are made from plastic.
Starting with the boat, we would have to build one from some other material other than fiberglass, which is plastic resin reinforced by glass fibers. Our running rigging would have to be replaced with wood or metal blocks and lines made from natural materials such as hemp or sisal. We would forego electricity on board, because wires and connectors use plastic for insulation and almost all electrical devices are made at least in part from plastic, valuable for its insulating qualities. Reverting to cloth covered wire and wooden/metal appliances might be possible, but the results would be unlikely to hold up in a wet, salty environment. Without electricity, we lose our depth sounder, GPS, and lighting. The latter would need to be done entirely with kerosene and would require lanterns for the running lights (two or three), anchor light, and interior lights. We would have no engine, since the pipes that feed water and the many of gaskets that seal it are made of plastics. Plumbing would also have to be re-done with metal pipes only, sealed with lead or oakum joints. We would have to look long and hard to find a metal compass to navigate by and an all metal sextant for off-shore work. Our chronometer would also need to be all-metal and glass - hand wound. I suspect a 'simple' non-plastic boat would cost more to build and be a pain to maintain.
Re-provisioning would be possible, but difficult, without plastic, since most processed 'foods' are packaged in plastic. We would bring cloth bags to the local market and have to be very choosy as to what we bought in the grocery store. Perhaps this is where we can have the most impact - by buying fewer plastic containers, especially out here in places like Tonga, where most plastic is simply thrown on the ground, burned, or dumped in the ocean.
So is it possible to cruise without using plastics? It would certainly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels to do so, but without a huge effort, I think it is not feasible. Too many things we take for granted are made from plastic.
Starting with the boat, we would have to build one from some other material other than fiberglass, which is plastic resin reinforced by glass fibers. Our running rigging would have to be replaced with wood or metal blocks and lines made from natural materials such as hemp or sisal. We would forego electricity on board, because wires and connectors use plastic for insulation and almost all electrical devices are made at least in part from plastic, valuable for its insulating qualities. Reverting to cloth covered wire and wooden/metal appliances might be possible, but the results would be unlikely to hold up in a wet, salty environment. Without electricity, we lose our depth sounder, GPS, and lighting. The latter would need to be done entirely with kerosene and would require lanterns for the running lights (two or three), anchor light, and interior lights. We would have no engine, since the pipes that feed water and the many of gaskets that seal it are made of plastics. Plumbing would also have to be re-done with metal pipes only, sealed with lead or oakum joints. We would have to look long and hard to find a metal compass to navigate by and an all metal sextant for off-shore work. Our chronometer would also need to be all-metal and glass - hand wound. I suspect a 'simple' non-plastic boat would cost more to build and be a pain to maintain.
Re-provisioning would be possible, but difficult, without plastic, since most processed 'foods' are packaged in plastic. We would bring cloth bags to the local market and have to be very choosy as to what we bought in the grocery store. Perhaps this is where we can have the most impact - by buying fewer plastic containers, especially out here in places like Tonga, where most plastic is simply thrown on the ground, burned, or dumped in the ocean.
Day 4 - purring engine
Yesterday saw us making quite good progress from the early morning on. We had sailed under the edge of a bank of low grey clouds, hoping to take advantage of some winds after a too calm night. This proved to be a good move, for while our friends 20 miles away were motoring, we sailed all day in breezes up to 10 knots. The seas were down and the wind only a little behind the beam. Eventually as the wind died down, we unfurled all sail and were still making 4 knots when we noticed around sunset that we would soon sail out from the edge of the front and into clear skies.
As I guessed, this meant the end of our wind, and after sailing southeast (90 degrees from our desired course) for a few hours, we finally lost any semblance of forward movement. There was still enough swell to make taking down all sails and waiting it out an unpleasant prospect, so we started our diesel for the first time on this passage. She has been purring away at 1300 rpm, pushing us at 3.5 to 4 knots for several hours now, while we doze below with ear plugs in to drown out the unaccustomed din.
We had our first movie on passage - a late afternoon matinee, watched while we still had a reliable breeze. The feature presentation was "The Best Years of Our Lives" - a nearly 3 hour long movie about servicemen returning to their US hometown after World War II. This An excellent film with thoughtful dialogue and very good acting. It deals with the difficulties soldiers, sailors, and civilians experienced adjusting to a changed life after the prolonged upheaval of war. Many of the truths the movie explores are still relevant today. I guess this is what makes a classic.
We saw one boat last night, which motored past us maybe 4 miles off as we sailed sluggishly to the southeast. Also, our friends on 'Melody' suffered a broken paddle shaft on their Aries windvane self-steering gear. We checked our Monitor windvane parts, but determined that our shaft replacement piece would not fit their gear, despite the American Monitor being a copy of the British Aries. Holge on Melody believes he can sleeve the shaft with a slightly modified winch handle, but will need to stop in Minerva to make the repair.
We have been sailing through fields of pumice, the detritus of an underwater volcanic explosion that occurred nearby. Apparently the pumice reaches all the way down to New Zealand,. So far, it has not affected our water cooled engine.
At 7:45 we were located at 23 11 S 177 56 W - Te sails are up in 1-2 knots of SW wind and were making 1-2 knots in relatively smooth seas.
As I guessed, this meant the end of our wind, and after sailing southeast (90 degrees from our desired course) for a few hours, we finally lost any semblance of forward movement. There was still enough swell to make taking down all sails and waiting it out an unpleasant prospect, so we started our diesel for the first time on this passage. She has been purring away at 1300 rpm, pushing us at 3.5 to 4 knots for several hours now, while we doze below with ear plugs in to drown out the unaccustomed din.
We had our first movie on passage - a late afternoon matinee, watched while we still had a reliable breeze. The feature presentation was "The Best Years of Our Lives" - a nearly 3 hour long movie about servicemen returning to their US hometown after World War II. This An excellent film with thoughtful dialogue and very good acting. It deals with the difficulties soldiers, sailors, and civilians experienced adjusting to a changed life after the prolonged upheaval of war. Many of the truths the movie explores are still relevant today. I guess this is what makes a classic.
We saw one boat last night, which motored past us maybe 4 miles off as we sailed sluggishly to the southeast. Also, our friends on 'Melody' suffered a broken paddle shaft on their Aries windvane self-steering gear. We checked our Monitor windvane parts, but determined that our shaft replacement piece would not fit their gear, despite the American Monitor being a copy of the British Aries. Holge on Melody believes he can sleeve the shaft with a slightly modified winch handle, but will need to stop in Minerva to make the repair.
We have been sailing through fields of pumice, the detritus of an underwater volcanic explosion that occurred nearby. Apparently the pumice reaches all the way down to New Zealand,. So far, it has not affected our water cooled engine.
At 7:45 we were located at 23 11 S 177 56 W - Te sails are up in 1-2 knots of SW wind and were making 1-2 knots in relatively smooth seas.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Chasing squalls!
It is Day 3 and we are wishing for a little bit of that wind from Day 1. Yesterday was beautiful with the 10-15 ESE, blue skies and sunshine, but just after supper we were shaking the second reef out of the mainsail as wind speed dropped to less than 10 Knots. After midnight, we were being thrown around by 2m swells from south and east and the sails were slatting in less than 5 knots from the east. Neither the windvane nor the tiller pilot were able to hold the SW course to Minerva Reef, so we turned south and then southeast to keep going. Other boats close to us reported that they had either taken the sails down and or switched on the motor at around the same time.
This morning we were excited to see a line of squalls south of us. Wow!Wind! We deliberately changed our course to get some of that wind. And maybe we could get a boat wash at the same time! As we approached the biggest and blackest patch we put a second reef in the main. "Hurrah, we are up to 6 knots plus again!", we sang over the radio net. That elation was short lived. Another hour later we were shaking out the reef again. These squalls seem to be light and static, hardly moving at all, but we are still chasing them to keep moving, even if it is in the wrong direction and at only 4 Knots.
According to the weather sources we will be in zero to light winds for the next two days. This means we may stop at Minerva Reef for a day if we get there in a day or two. But nothing is for certain. At times like this I wish I were on a fast boat like Segue, a large Canadian catamaran which set off later than us from Vava'u but anticipate being in Opua by Friday. They made 224 miles in 24 hours on Day 1!
Our position this morning at 0745 was 21 59 S 176 51 W. We ran 131 miles in 24 hours but probably only 100 in the right direction.
This morning we were excited to see a line of squalls south of us. Wow!Wind! We deliberately changed our course to get some of that wind. And maybe we could get a boat wash at the same time! As we approached the biggest and blackest patch we put a second reef in the main. "Hurrah, we are up to 6 knots plus again!", we sang over the radio net. That elation was short lived. Another hour later we were shaking out the reef again. These squalls seem to be light and static, hardly moving at all, but we are still chasing them to keep moving, even if it is in the wrong direction and at only 4 Knots.
According to the weather sources we will be in zero to light winds for the next two days. This means we may stop at Minerva Reef for a day if we get there in a day or two. But nothing is for certain. At times like this I wish I were on a fast boat like Segue, a large Canadian catamaran which set off later than us from Vava'u but anticipate being in Opua by Friday. They made 224 miles in 24 hours on Day 1!
Our position this morning at 0745 was 21 59 S 176 51 W. We ran 131 miles in 24 hours but probably only 100 in the right direction.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Position update Day 2
It's Remembrance Day at home - a day later out here and we are enjoying much more peaceful conditions than yesterday - winds 10-15 ESE and seas down below 2 meters. Still bumpy but much less water on deck. Position at 7:45 was S 20 17 W 175 47 - we made 148 nautical miles in the first 24 hours from our anchorage in Vava'u - an average of over 6 knots.
In retrospect, we should have sailed a bit further west to make things a bit less violent on board. Making tea in 3 meter seas and 25 knots is a potentially painful experience. Today we were able to cook and eat porridge with only a slight boil-over.
In retrospect, we should have sailed a bit further west to make things a bit less violent on board. Making tea in 3 meter seas and 25 knots is a potentially painful experience. Today we were able to cook and eat porridge with only a slight boil-over.
First night en route to NZ
We departed about 15 hours ago from Tonga bound for New Zealand amidst a fleet of fellow cruisers. The seas were still rough - left over from the low that passed a few days ago to the south and a new chop produced by 20+ knot winds. We have been close reaching with water washing over the decks and coach roof and finding its way inside through hatches and portlights that no longer seal entirely when submerged in green water.
There has been much chatter on the VHF and sharing of weather data on SSB. A few of the boats have signed up for custom weather routing and are generously sharing this with the fleet. I wrote a small program to covert some of these data to a route that can be displayed on OpenCPN - my small contribution to all this.
Position at 11:15 PM local time 19 38 S 175 09 W - - somewhere off two volcanic islands in the Ha'apai group of Tonga.
Will try to do daily updates. The passage should take less than two weeks and we may break it up with a stop at Minerva reef.
There has been much chatter on the VHF and sharing of weather data on SSB. A few of the boats have signed up for custom weather routing and are generously sharing this with the fleet. I wrote a small program to covert some of these data to a route that can be displayed on OpenCPN - my small contribution to all this.
Position at 11:15 PM local time 19 38 S 175 09 W - - somewhere off two volcanic islands in the Ha'apai group of Tonga.
Will try to do daily updates. The passage should take less than two weeks and we may break it up with a stop at Minerva reef.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Rotis and Routes
On this eve of our departure to New Zealand, we ran through our 14 point "to do" list in a very tranquil anchorage. Most importantly we inspected the standing and running rigging, fixed the leaking portlight which dripped saltwater over the settee during our last passage and re-enforced the lines which hold the solar panels and wind-vane steering in place.
We also held a pre-passage meeting yesterday with other yachtie friends who are leaving from Vava'u to discuss the weather and route strategy. Everyone is keen to leave as soon as possible and while a few were ready to depart today, most of us had to re-provision and will depart tomorrow or Monday. The forecast looks good with moderate winds and seas for up to one week. Of course, the wind is a fickle friend and depending on the dance between the highs and lows of barometric pressure, it may become overly enthusiastic or desert us altogether. The main thing is to keep abreast of the meteorological reports spanning more than a thousand miles. Over the next two weeks, we shall be staying in touch with David from Gulf Harbour Radio, NZ, and downloading grib files (computer generated wind and sea states) and some friends are receiving personal weather routing.
I had the enviable task of galley duty, preparing some simple meals to eat during the next couple of days while the swells may not be conducive to culinary creations. As a result we have a large container of hummous, fourteen plain rotis, a saucepan of lentil, chaco and carrot stew, and some cut mangoes, papaya and pineapple for dessert. There was not enough to bake the almond cookies, so hopefully there will be quiet days at sea to do so.
On a positive note, the people on Windigo, the boat we reported as being rolled a few days ago during the deep low, have been rescued and are on their way to New Zealand. The boat was abandoned and is apparently still floating, so we will be on the look out for it on our passage through that area.
Anyway - we are ready! So wish us good luck and we will be on our way after breakfast tomorrow. We will try to post a daily position report and check into the Pacific Drifters Net on SSB 8131 USB at 0715 and 1730 local NZ time.
We also held a pre-passage meeting yesterday with other yachtie friends who are leaving from Vava'u to discuss the weather and route strategy. Everyone is keen to leave as soon as possible and while a few were ready to depart today, most of us had to re-provision and will depart tomorrow or Monday. The forecast looks good with moderate winds and seas for up to one week. Of course, the wind is a fickle friend and depending on the dance between the highs and lows of barometric pressure, it may become overly enthusiastic or desert us altogether. The main thing is to keep abreast of the meteorological reports spanning more than a thousand miles. Over the next two weeks, we shall be staying in touch with David from Gulf Harbour Radio, NZ, and downloading grib files (computer generated wind and sea states) and some friends are receiving personal weather routing.
I had the enviable task of galley duty, preparing some simple meals to eat during the next couple of days while the swells may not be conducive to culinary creations. As a result we have a large container of hummous, fourteen plain rotis, a saucepan of lentil, chaco and carrot stew, and some cut mangoes, papaya and pineapple for dessert. There was not enough to bake the almond cookies, so hopefully there will be quiet days at sea to do so.
On a positive note, the people on Windigo, the boat we reported as being rolled a few days ago during the deep low, have been rescued and are on their way to New Zealand. The boat was abandoned and is apparently still floating, so we will be on the look out for it on our passage through that area.
Anyway - we are ready! So wish us good luck and we will be on our way after breakfast tomorrow. We will try to post a daily position report and check into the Pacific Drifters Net on SSB 8131 USB at 0715 and 1730 local NZ time.
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