Current Position: 3 43.757’ S 132 48.908’W; Local Timezone: UTC-9; HDG: 216; COG: 228; SOG: 4.4 kt (not yet trimmed); TWS: 12.6 kt; TWD: 098; TWA: 117; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): 520 nm; Total Miles Sailed: 2863 nm;
Comments: I slept hard last night, waking up periodically to ensure everything was okay,, and adjusting the course a few times to try to reduce the rolling, which was severe at times. At one pint I furled in the jib, because it didn’t seem to be serving any purpose. I got up about 5:15, just before sunrise. The skies were well-lit by a near full moon. It was squally, but I was motoring under bare poles, so I was not particularly concerned. There was no evidence it had rained again after the shower just before dusk yesterday. I had left a large amount of climbing gear on the mast last night. At daybreak, I went forward to retrieve it. The halyards are a mess. It may take hours to figure out how to untangle them. I had to cut away a climbing runner to get to most of the gear. A major rain storm showed up while U was working. The only climbing gear left is a Prussik knot on one of the halyards that I had to abandon while I was climbing the mast because it had become jammed and I couldn’t loosen it while it was weighted. I’ll get to it when I sort out the halyards. My plan is to do that after the storm passes. Then, I will deal with the original problem, the main halyard that is stuck on the step. I think I can run a second halyard up it and pull from the bow to release it, but all the other lines need to be sorted out first. This is disappointing because I have great wind now. I continue to motor, albeit slower, to cut down on the rolling. Well, when it rains it pours … the day tank was down to 10 gal, so I was going to turn on the auxiliary fuel pump to fill it. I noticed more water in the Racor, so emptied it. When I turned the switch, the auxiliary pump did not come on. This is the second one of these pumps that has failed in the last couple of years, I have a spare, but replacing it requires taking the entire publishing system apart. I could reroute the lines to have the engine’s pump pull directly from the main tank, but I know I’m pumping water out of there and I am not entirely sure the pump is powerful enough to draw fuel through the system. With 10 gal in the day tank, I have about 10/0.6×5=83 mile range, more than enough to maneuver into Hiva Oa. Furthermore, I have 50 gal of fuel on deck that I can add directly to the day tank after filtering it through a Baja filter, so I am going to punt on this one and deal with it when I am at anchor. A bigger problem Is I noticed last night that I couldn’t furl in the last few feet of the jib. In the light of day, I can see that the Dyneema line for the running backstay came unattached from its storage point middeck and somehow got wrapped around the sheet for the jib forming what looks like a perfect Prussik knot that is too high to reach (because of the high cut of the Yankee). My choices are many, but I am going to try the simple one first, using a boat hook to try to slide the tangles mess along the sheet until I can deal with it. The good news is I untangled the jib sheet and running backstay line. The bad news is the Prussik line I abandoned yesterday miraculously wrapped around lower shroud. Now there is a knot on either side of the radar dome that makes it impossible to pull either end of the spinnaker halyard (what I was using as backup protection when I climbed the mast). It cannot be freed without climbing the mast . Since I won’t need the spinnaker for the remainder of the trip to the Marquesas, I will punt on this too. I untangled the static climbing rope I keep on the mast, which also serves as an emergency halyard. I will try to use it to run a line along the main halyard to the point where it is fouled so I can try to apply opposing force to free it. Well … the Prussik line (un)miraculously untangled itself from the starboard side and I was able to lower the spinnaker halyard enough to reach the Prussik and remove it. The spinnaker halyard is now serviceable and I untangled the staysail halyard as well. The static climbing rope is has a tangle it it. When get that out and the line stowed I will see if I can pull a hat trick and free the main halyard (the origin of this mess). I am not subject to seasickness, but staring up the mast for hours while the boat is pitching is disorientation. Also, the sun is nearly overhead, which is making it difficult to see what I am working on. Going to “nap” on the problem. I got up as a squall started to move in. I untangled the last of the halyards just as it started to rain. The main halyard was still snagged though. Effectively, I was right back were I started 24h ago, except the halyards are nicely separated and tied off like a spider web to keep them out of the way during the next step, which is freeing the man halyard. I stayed out in the rain and got a shower before heading to my berth for some more rest. It is noon (UTC-9). It took me five hours to untangle the halyards. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. I did drink a carton of orange juice that was supposed to last until my next provisioning, and probably a gallon of water. I cannot seem to get hydrated. I ate a Cliff bar and a piece of chocolate before laying down. The storm brought heavy rain for an hour, but the wind did not exceed 12 kt. I am back under sail, but not without further drama. When the jib halyard got hung up with the backstay line and I furled the jib, the force pulled some of the jib out of the furler. I rounded up under power and tried to raise the jib, but the cord kept coming out of the slot because there was one spot that was slightly damaged. It took me 30m to get it raised again, in part because I was in the middle of a storm with 15 kt winds. I couldn’t leave it as it was or the sail certainly would have been destroyed. The situation is not perfect. I could not free the main halyard, and I wasn’t about to go back up the mast until I am in a sheltered anchorage. I had to use the spinnaker halyard, which wraps around the upper shroud. There will certainly be chaffing and the possibility of failure. When I have a chance I will lower the mainsail and check. It might also bee a good idea to add some anti-chaffing material. I put one reef in the main and will leave it like that. Sent from my iPhone
Comments: I slept hard last night, waking up periodically to ensure everything was okay,, and adjusting the course a few times to try to reduce the rolling, which was severe at times. At one pint I furled in the jib, because it didn’t seem to be serving any purpose. I got up about 5:15, just before sunrise. The skies were well-lit by a near full moon. It was squally, but I was motoring under bare poles, so I was not particularly concerned. There was no evidence it had rained again after the shower just before dusk yesterday. I had left a large amount of climbing gear on the mast last night. At daybreak, I went forward to retrieve it. The halyards are a mess. It may take hours to figure out how to untangle them. I had to cut away a climbing runner to get to most of the gear. A major rain storm showed up while U was working. The only climbing gear left is a Prussik knot on one of the halyards that I had to abandon while I was climbing the mast because it had become jammed and I couldn’t loosen it while it was weighted. I’ll get to it when I sort out the halyards. My plan is to do that after the storm passes. Then, I will deal with the original problem, the main halyard that is stuck on the step. I think I can run a second halyard up it and pull from the bow to release it, but all the other lines need to be sorted out first. This is disappointing because I have great wind now. I continue to motor, albeit slower, to cut down on the rolling. Well, when it rains it pours … the day tank was down to 10 gal, so I was going to turn on the auxiliary fuel pump to fill it. I noticed more water in the Racor, so emptied it. When I turned the switch, the auxiliary pump did not come on. This is the second one of these pumps that has failed in the last couple of years, I have a spare, but replacing it requires taking the entire publishing system apart. I could reroute the lines to have the engine’s pump pull directly from the main tank, but I know I’m pumping water out of there and I am not entirely sure the pump is powerful enough to draw fuel through the system. With 10 gal in the day tank, I have about 10/0.6×5=83 mile range, more than enough to maneuver into Hiva Oa. Furthermore, I have 50 gal of fuel on deck that I can add directly to the day tank after filtering it through a Baja filter, so I am going to punt on this one and deal with it when I am at anchor. A bigger problem Is I noticed last night that I couldn’t furl in the last few feet of the jib. In the light of day, I can see that the Dyneema line for the running backstay came unattached from its storage point middeck and somehow got wrapped around the sheet for the jib forming what looks like a perfect Prussik knot that is too high to reach (because of the high cut of the Yankee). My choices are many, but I am going to try the simple one first, using a boat hook to try to slide the tangles mess along the sheet until I can deal with it. The good news is I untangled the jib sheet and running backstay line. The bad news is the Prussik line I abandoned yesterday miraculously wrapped around lower shroud. Now there is a knot on either side of the radar dome that makes it impossible to pull either end of the spinnaker halyard (what I was using as backup protection when I climbed the mast). It cannot be freed without climbing the mast . Since I won’t need the spinnaker for the remainder of the trip to the Marquesas, I will punt on this too. I untangled the static climbing rope I keep on the mast, which also serves as an emergency halyard. I will try to use it to run a line along the main halyard to the point where it is fouled so I can try to apply opposing force to free it. Well … the Prussik line (un)miraculously untangled itself from the starboard side and I was able to lower the spinnaker halyard enough to reach the Prussik and remove it. The spinnaker halyard is now serviceable and I untangled the staysail halyard as well. The static climbing rope is has a tangle it it. When get that out and the line stowed I will see if I can pull a hat trick and free the main halyard (the origin of this mess). I am not subject to seasickness, but staring up the mast for hours while the boat is pitching is disorientation. Also, the sun is nearly overhead, which is making it difficult to see what I am working on. Going to “nap” on the problem. I got up as a squall started to move in. I untangled the last of the halyards just as it started to rain. The main halyard was still snagged though. Effectively, I was right back were I started 24h ago, except the halyards are nicely separated and tied off like a spider web to keep them out of the way during the next step, which is freeing the man halyard. I stayed out in the rain and got a shower before heading to my berth for some more rest. It is noon (UTC-9). It took me five hours to untangle the halyards. I haven’t eaten anything since yesterday morning. I did drink a carton of orange juice that was supposed to last until my next provisioning, and probably a gallon of water. I cannot seem to get hydrated. I ate a Cliff bar and a piece of chocolate before laying down. The storm brought heavy rain for an hour, but the wind did not exceed 12 kt. I am back under sail, but not without further drama. When the jib halyard got hung up with the backstay line and I furled the jib, the force pulled some of the jib out of the furler. I rounded up under power and tried to raise the jib, but the cord kept coming out of the slot because there was one spot that was slightly damaged. It took me 30m to get it raised again, in part because I was in the middle of a storm with 15 kt winds. I couldn’t leave it as it was or the sail certainly would have been destroyed. The situation is not perfect. I could not free the main halyard, and I wasn’t about to go back up the mast until I am in a sheltered anchorage. I had to use the spinnaker halyard, which wraps around the upper shroud. There will certainly be chaffing and the possibility of failure. When I have a chance I will lower the mainsail and check. It might also bee a good idea to add some anti-chaffing material. I put one reef in the main and will leave it like that. Sent from my iPhone