Current Position: 9 57.747’S 139 p7.108’W (Hanamoenoa Bay, Tahuata) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Fakarava): 570; Total Miles Sailed: 3435 nm;
Comments: I got up early and did things to ready the boat. I rechecked the cabling for the wind instruments and I am pretty certain the problem is on top of the mast, either the connectors or the instrument itself. I can’t help think it is not a coincidence that the wind instruments failed when I stared using the spinnaker halyard as the main halyard (wrapping it around the top of the mast). I am going to have to wait until the boat is steadier before checking it out. I went to the service station when they opened at 7:00, got 15 gallons of diesel and topped off the gasoline . I am tax-exempt because I am transiting through French Polynesia, so I saved about $1/liter in taxes (about $60), almost half the cost. I also bought some provisions (eggs, French bread, etc.). By the time I returned to the boat, stowed the stuff, got the outboard and dinghy aboard, readied the boat, and hauled anchor, it was 9:00. It was only 14 nm to Hanamoenoa Beach on Tahuata Island, but I had to zigzag through the channel that separated the two islands. Since half the distance was on the leeward side of Tahuata, I just motorsailed with the jib. I couldn’t get the engine over 1400 rpm for some reason. It seemed starved for fuel. It may have something to do with the fact that I overfilled the day tank and it could be that the vent line is clogged. Or, it could be that I didn’t sufficiently bleed the line, especially the engine fuel filter. It was a good call to motor sail. The seas were very rough in the channel and the winds variable. It would have been difficult to sail through it (and not worth the effort for such a short distance). Also, motoring revealed the issue that needs to be addressed with the engine. As expected, the leeward side of the island was relatively calm and the winds light. Since the engine was running, I made water during the hop to the new anchorage. All around the island, the shore was dotted with buildings. I did not see any roads, so transportation is presumably by horse or sea. I arrived at the anchorage at noon. There were two boats anchored already and a third would arrive later. I was warned by people already there that the black flies were horrific after dark, and under no circumstances should I have any lights on. Then they showed me a photo of their deck that was covered with a carpet of flies so thick the deck was black. I dove on the boat and cleaned the hull of razor clams. Unfortunately, there must have been jellyfish because I got some painful stings on my feet, where the fins were. Still, it’s the first time I’ve been in the water in a month (Hiva Oa’s bay was too dirty), so it was worth it. There was a small village with a dock that I was tempted to visit, but between the flies and jellyfish, the anchorage is not very nice (although esthetically beautiful). I am spending the afternoon cooking meals for the passage and will plan to leave for Fakarava early in the morning. I love the pressure cooker … 15 minutes of propane and I’ve made a lentil, vegetable curry. It’s a 5 1/2 day passage to Fakarava, and the wind is supposed to die down towards the end. The final day is a bit tricky as there are atolls to avoid, and ideally I would arrive at the north (Garuae) passage early in the day, to give me plenty of time to find a safe anchorage (free of coral heads). Fakarava has restricted the anchorages to five locations. The rules are changing all the time. I have read you basically have to visit Rotoava to pay the fees and learn what the current rules are. By 14:30, two of the boats had left the anchorage in search of less fly-infested waters. However, my plan is no lights at night, portholes closed, and the screen in the companionway, then exit the cabin and weigh anchor after the morning sun has driven the flies away. The black flies started arriving as soon as it got cloudy at 15:20.
Sent from my iPhone
Comments: I got up early and did things to ready the boat. I rechecked the cabling for the wind instruments and I am pretty certain the problem is on top of the mast, either the connectors or the instrument itself. I can’t help think it is not a coincidence that the wind instruments failed when I stared using the spinnaker halyard as the main halyard (wrapping it around the top of the mast). I am going to have to wait until the boat is steadier before checking it out. I went to the service station when they opened at 7:00, got 15 gallons of diesel and topped off the gasoline . I am tax-exempt because I am transiting through French Polynesia, so I saved about $1/liter in taxes (about $60), almost half the cost. I also bought some provisions (eggs, French bread, etc.). By the time I returned to the boat, stowed the stuff, got the outboard and dinghy aboard, readied the boat, and hauled anchor, it was 9:00. It was only 14 nm to Hanamoenoa Beach on Tahuata Island, but I had to zigzag through the channel that separated the two islands. Since half the distance was on the leeward side of Tahuata, I just motorsailed with the jib. I couldn’t get the engine over 1400 rpm for some reason. It seemed starved for fuel. It may have something to do with the fact that I overfilled the day tank and it could be that the vent line is clogged. Or, it could be that I didn’t sufficiently bleed the line, especially the engine fuel filter. It was a good call to motor sail. The seas were very rough in the channel and the winds variable. It would have been difficult to sail through it (and not worth the effort for such a short distance). Also, motoring revealed the issue that needs to be addressed with the engine. As expected, the leeward side of the island was relatively calm and the winds light. Since the engine was running, I made water during the hop to the new anchorage. All around the island, the shore was dotted with buildings. I did not see any roads, so transportation is presumably by horse or sea. I arrived at the anchorage at noon. There were two boats anchored already and a third would arrive later. I was warned by people already there that the black flies were horrific after dark, and under no circumstances should I have any lights on. Then they showed me a photo of their deck that was covered with a carpet of flies so thick the deck was black. I dove on the boat and cleaned the hull of razor clams. Unfortunately, there must have been jellyfish because I got some painful stings on my feet, where the fins were. Still, it’s the first time I’ve been in the water in a month (Hiva Oa’s bay was too dirty), so it was worth it. There was a small village with a dock that I was tempted to visit, but between the flies and jellyfish, the anchorage is not very nice (although esthetically beautiful). I am spending the afternoon cooking meals for the passage and will plan to leave for Fakarava early in the morning. I love the pressure cooker … 15 minutes of propane and I’ve made a lentil, vegetable curry. It’s a 5 1/2 day passage to Fakarava, and the wind is supposed to die down towards the end. The final day is a bit tricky as there are atolls to avoid, and ideally I would arrive at the north (Garuae) passage early in the day, to give me plenty of time to find a safe anchorage (free of coral heads). Fakarava has restricted the anchorages to five locations. The rules are changing all the time. I have read you basically have to visit Rotoava to pay the fees and learn what the current rules are. By 14:30, two of the boats had left the anchorage in search of less fly-infested waters. However, my plan is no lights at night, portholes closed, and the screen in the companionway, then exit the cabin and weigh anchor after the morning sun has driven the flies away. The black flies started arriving as soon as it got cloudy at 15:20.
Sent from my iPhone