Category: Captain’s Log

Current Position: 16 21.409’N 118 35.602’W; Course: 255; SOG: 6.2kt; TWS: 17.8 kt; TWD: 037; TWA: 131; Distance to waypoint (Hiva Oa): 1984 nm;
Comments: Just after I submitted my check-in yesterday, my dolphin buddies dropped by to say hi. Not as many as yesterday, perhaps a half-dozen, and they didn’t stick around too long. Shortly after that, I noticed the mainsail was misshaped. It was ballooned around the lazy jack lines. Thinking it was because I had the boom out 45 degrees, I went to the mast to loosen the lazy jack. Even when the lines were loosened to the point the sail pack had dropped, the sail was misshapen. Then I noticed the first jiffy reef line was not attached. It had abraded through where it passed through the grommet in the sail. Fortunately, there was enough line to reattach it. Next time I am at anchor, I will sew some dyneema (firehose ) sleeves around the lines where they pass through the sail. And, when it rains it pours. There are two tankers crossing my path tonight, one about 22:00 and the other some hours later. The tankers proved to be less of a problem than the other sailboat near me, Dovka. Nonetheless, I was awake the first half of the night monitoring the vessels. I was also kept awake because I had chosen to leave the sails wing on wing, which had worked great during the day, but at night the wind backed to the N but the swell remained from the NW causing the boat to rock violently. I sheeted the boom and tried to sail more of a broad reach, but the whisker pole was on the wrong side. To add to the problems, winds were gusting to 30 kt. Live and learn. I woke up to clear skies (it has been cloudy the past couple of days, and I cleared seven flying fish off the deck. At 8:00 I furled the jib, removed the whisker and sailed W on a broad reach at 5-6 kt in 17 kt winds. The other reason for heading W is there is a developing dead zone behind me and I don’t want to become becalmed.The 9:00 progress check showed I had made 110 toward Hiva Oa (2004 to go). it was a sunny day, which meant I had energy to make water. I took a shower and washed clothes. I calibrated the paddle wheel speed sensor. I knew it was off, but the app on my phone wouldn’t connect to it. I charged my backup iPad and for some reason it could connect. Now my BSPD and SOG are consistent. When I shook out the first reef in the main, I discovered the jiffy reefing line was not in fact long enough, so I temporarily spliced another one onto it. It’s always something. All the weather programs say I should be heading west to avoid a weakening system, so that is what I did (and will continue to do until Thursday morning or so). It will adversely impact my apparent progress to the Marquesas, but will be faster in the long run. I did over 6 kt the whole day. The control line on the wind vane needs to be replaced. It is original and has become hard and slick, so it slips sometimes in the cam cleats. I don’t think I have the right diameter with me, so I will look for some double braid when I get to FP. As I write this, a large cargo ship is coming up on my stern, about an hour away, but it looks like no action will be needed (it will pass to my starboard quarter by a mile or two).

Current Position: 17 08.323’N 116 45.342’W; Course: 223; SOG: 5.2kt; TWS: 14.8 kt; TWD: 041; TWA: 172; Distance to waypoint (Hiva Oa): 2088 nm;
Comments: At 8:00, the wind started shifting to the NE, making it difficult to maintain a heading of 260. I set up the TillerPilot for “Wind” mode and ran wind-on-wing, which points me directly at the Marquesas doing about 4 kt in 15 kt wind. This was about a kt slower than going west, but is actually resulting in more progress. There is also the advantage of following seas. Between my last two 9:00 progress checks, I sailed mostly 260 degrees. The wind was generally steady and I made good progress, 93 nm good to my waypoint. Later in the morning, I rigged my whisker pole for the first time to the jib. Properly shaping the foresail gained me an extra kt of speed. Since I can get 4.5-5.5 kts wing on wing I’m 11-15 kt wind, it may not be necessary to head west anymore, but rather I can head SW until I reach the ITCZ directly N of the Marquesas. I sailed all afternoon just east of Marquesas. Averaging about 5 kt. It was a much more comfortable sail. When heading W, the spray, heeling, and rocking made it uncomfortable to sit in the cockpit for very long, but after I began heading downwind, I spent most of the day in the cockpit reading. I marveled at how many species of seabirds I saw so far from land.

Current Position: 17 34.189’N 114 58.964’W; Course: 260; SOG: 6.6 kt; TWS: 18.9 kt; TWD: 017; TWA: 129; Distance to waypoint (Hiva Oa): 2175 nm;
Comments: At dusk last night I changed my course to due W in anticipation of a change in the wind direction. Shortly thereafter, the wind veered to the NE and the wind speed dropped to single digits. The SOG fell to 3.3 kt with a reefed main and most of the Yankee. I was reluctant to shake out the main at night. A pocket of dead air is supposed to develop just south of me, which I am trying to stay north of. That would be easier in the morning when I pass Isla Clarion. I was hailed by the 36’ sailboat Davis on the VHF just after dusk. The boat had been slowly gaining on me all day and was 16 nm off my starboard essentially on the same course. They were aware of my blog and were also on their way to the Marquesas. They were also aware of the developing weather and we both agreed that heading due W would be advisable. I was woken up at 3 by the flagging of the jib. The wind had finally picked up to the double digits (15 kt with 20 kt gusts) and had shifted to the NNW. I trimmed the jib and the boat picked up speed to 7 kt in a close haul. The early morning wind had arrived again. It was a good call to leave the reef in. The preceding calm had quieted the seas, making the ride more enjoyable. The current weather models have my course due W for the next 7-8 days. At 8:30, I struggled for 30m trying to set up the wind vane, but the wind kept shifting from the NNW to the NNE and fluctuation between 11-22 kt, so ai left the TillerPilot engaged and hoped the wind would settle down later. My “9:00 progress check” says I made 98 miles towards the waypoint, about 10 nm less than yesterday. This can be account for by the fact I was sailing W (not SW) and the fact I was becalmed a significant period of time. Much of that time was made up though by the brisk wind since 3:00. I cleared south of Isla Clarion about 30 nm at 13:00. The wind was still blowing so I changed the heading to 255 to reduce the heeling a bit and take advantage of the high winds to drive me closer to my waypoint. The wind was still driving me at hull speed. By 16:00 the wind had died down a bit, 14-18 kt. I went into the cockpit to adjust the wind vane and was surprised by a huge pod of dolphins. There were perhaps 25 around the boat, but I could see many more leaping in the distant on both sides of the boat. There had to be at least 100. I got my leftover dinner and sat in the cockpit. The main pod eventually disappeared, but a dozen of them were polite enough to wait until I had finished my meal.
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Current Position: 17 39.893’N 112 46.422’W; Course: 222; SOG: 6.1 kt; TWS: 19.1 kt; TWD: 005; TWA: 117; Distance to waypoint (Hiva Oa): 2268 nm;
Comments: I ran most of the night on the wind vane, but I was woken at 4:00 because the boat had headed up and was heeled over and was being battered by waves on the beam. I tried to reset the wind vane but had trouble trimming the sails, so I engaged the TillerPilot. Up until then, I had been getting up every 90 minutes to check the course and the AIS. No vessels have been within 60 miles since I left San Benedicto. In contrast to the stretch through the shipping lanes, the VHF was also quiet last night, so I got a relatively good night’s rest. I have arbitrarily picked 9:00 each day to measure my progress to the Marquesas. I was 110 nm closer at 9:00 today. The weather patterns have been similar each day. The winds veer to the N during the day a back to the NW at night. The winds blow relatively light in the morning, 11-15 kt, strengthen to 20-22 by late afternoon. The building of the winds and their backing usually causes problems with the wind vane in the early morning hours, often causing the boat to round up. Waves build as the winds do. The swells tend to be from the N and usually large, 7-9’, but the seas become confused at night, which is one of the reasons the wind vane may have problems then. I should clear Isla Clarion tomorrow to the S, then I may try to keep the boat on a westerly path for a while because it looks like lighter wind may be following me in a couple of days. Also, the winds will gradually shift from the NW to the NE over the next five days or so.

Current Position: 19 01.311’N 111 8.882’W; Course: 232; SOG: 4.2 kt; TWS: 13.1 kt; TWD: 359; TWA: 136; Distance to waypoint (Hiva Oa): 2383 nm;
Comments: By dusk yesterday, I had steady 20 kt winds and big seas. I had double-reefed the main and was using only about half the Yankee. I also hauled in the sails to lessen their exposure to the wind. Still, I was doing 6 kt SOG. I tried to slow the boat down so I would reach the anchorage a sunrise. Because the sails were not properly trimmed, the wind vane would not work … the boat wanted to round up), so I used the TillerPilot all night. I spotted San Benedicto just before dawn and reached the anchorage 2h later in 30 kt wind, angry seas, and grey skies, greeted by dolphins and seabirds. The crater bowl where I was supposed to anchor fell off steeply. At 45’ I felt I was too close to shore to anchor safely. Although I was looking forward to a stable platform to make a nice meal or two, I raised the sails and pressed on. I plugged in the coordinate for Hiva Oa. 2413 nm to the waypoint (as the crow flies) … daunting. The nice thing is there are going to be fewer freighters to contend with and the course does not have to be precise, so the windvane is fine. The seas were angry last night and the first half of today. I struggled to cook something hot, a bean burrito. Even though it calmed down in the afternoon with 15 kts of wind, I left two reefs in the main and enjoyed the relative calmness, albeit at a price of moving only 4.5 kt. I took a 3h nap. When I woke about 15:00, I shook out one of the reefs in the main and unfurled most of the Yankee. The SOG did not change much in part because I am running against a 1.5 kt current. I should have dropped the main and just run with the Yankee, but instead I altered my course due west to more of a broad reach than a run. Unfortunately, that put my on the path to Isla Clarion, the only solid object between me and the Marquesas. But, that is nearly 200 miles away … not a problem for tonight.
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Current Position: 20 34.772’N 110 23.470’W; Course: 179; SOG: 4.5; TWS: 17 kt; TWD: 317; TWA: 143; Distance to waypoint (about 20 nm from Isla San Benedicto): 62;
Comments: I had to remain alert last night as I passed through shipping lanes. At one point I had to thread between two 700’ cargo ships that were off my starboard beam. The closest of the two, Federal Infinity, communicated well via VHF and passes a half nm to my stern after adjusting his speed by half a knot. About 2:00 an alarm went off. The wind speed had dropped to 8 and backed to the NNW. The wind vane was struggling to keep the boat on course. I switched to the TillerPilot. I left the reef in the main but relaxed the main sheet and set the preventer. The boat had slowed to 3 kt. I confirmed I had cleared the bow of the tanker STI Brooklyn, which was 10 nm off my port. I turned off the Iridium GO and fridge to conserve power until dawn. It was a good call to leave yet reef in. By 3:00, wind was back up to 17 and the boat was going 6.5 kt in a dead run. In the morning I was greeted by a beautiful sunrise and 13 kt winds from the NNW. Sea state was relatively calm. I cleaned one fish and six squid off the deck. I reached the halfway point about 8:30 (110 nm in 20h, so averaged 5.5 kt). As it did yesterday, the wind and waved kicked it up a notch early afternoon. The forecast is for continued 15-20 kt winds through tomorrow, putting me at San Benedicto before dawn. I put a second reef in the main, shortened the Yankee, and made a new waypoint upwind and on the leeward side of the island. I should make the waypoint about 3:00, with another 4h to the anchorage.
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Current Position: 22 19.945’N 110 04.210’W; Course: 195; SOG: 6.8; BSPD: 7.9; TWS: 19 kt; TWD: 316; TWA: 130; Distance to waypoint (Isla San Benedicto): 185;
Comments: Because no wind was expected until the afternoon, I took the dinghy into Cabo for breakfast. On my way back, about 10:00, it was clear the wind was picking up. I finished readying the boat and weighed anchor at 12:30. Once I cleared the boats in the harbor, I raised the main with one reef and unfurled the Yankee about 90% in 20 kt winds to the beam. The seas were confused until I was out of the shadow of the cape, then they settled down and sailing conditions were nearly perfect. The waves were perhaps 6’, but the intervals were long enough that the ride was not too uncomfortable. As dusk approached, it became cloudy/foggy. I turned the radar to check for precipitation, but found none. In the first six hours, I travelled 36 nm to the waypoint (averaging about 6 kt). I decided to rest inside the cabin. I set alarms for winds over 30 kt and changes in wind direction more than 20 degrees. I plan to set an alarm every hour to check the instruments and the AIS. If there is a vessel closer than one hour, I do not plan to rest until it has passed.

Current Position: 22 53.385’N 109 53.877’W (Cabo San Lucas); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: Variable; TWD: N/A; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: I took the dinghy into Cabo today to do some shopping and offload trash. I have been studying the wind around Cabo and it looks like the best time to leave for San Benedicto is in the evening, especially if I want to sail out of here. I am tentatively planning to depart tomorrow at 4. If I wait until Wednesday, weather forecasts suggests the waves will result in excessive rolling.
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Current Position: 22 53.385’N 109 53.877’W (Cabo San Lucas); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: 6.1 kt; TWD: 95; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: I intended to prepare the boat today for the passage to San Benedicto, planning to leave in the morning. I wanted to make some water, but was concerned with the lingering effects of the red tide from yesterday. Since I cannot do what I planned (make water, change the prop pitch, clean the hull, etc.), I weighed anchor at 8:30 and made my way to Cabo San Lucas, about 45 nm away with 6 kt winds from the NNE. I motor sailed until about 11, when the wind picked up to 12-13 kt. I was averaging about 3 kt running. It was partly cloudy so the solar efficiency was not great, but enough that I could make water. I was in the middle of a gib, resetting the preventer, when I got a strike on the fishing pole. It took most of the line out before I could get to the pole. When I set the drag, whatever was on there flipped itself off. As predicted, as I approached Peurto Los Cabos, about 19 miles from Cabo San Lucas, the wind disappeared. I stowed the sails and motored in the rest of the way. About 4 nm from Cabo, I saw a pod of whales. They looked like they might criss my path, so I slowed down, but they were swimming parallel to the boat. I arrived in Cabo San Lucas about 17:00, after dodging several dozen jet skis.
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Current Position: 23 22.843’N 109 25.203’W (Los Frailes ); Course: At anchor; SOG: N/A; BSPD: N/A; TWS: light and variable; TWD: N/A; TWA: N/A; Distance to waypoint: N/A;
Comments: I was awaken at daybreak by two large sea lions who came to visit. After doing my chores (changing the ATF, and washing the deck, etc.), I went on a 3h hike, climbing the hill that overlooks the anchorage. It was a brutal hike that involved bushwhacking through manzanita. I was looking forward to taking a dip in the water when so returned, but to my surprise, red tide had rolled in while I was away. This put a damper on my plans to make water and dive tomorrow (to clean the hull and change the pitch of the prop.
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