Month: April 2025

Current Position: 10 25.222’S 139 31.937’W; Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: 214; COG: 220; SOG: 4.5 kt; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Fakarava): 533; Total Miles Sailed: 3474 nm;
Comments: I woke about 2:00 to the sound of the chain being strained. A strong offshore breeze had developed and I had not paid out enough chain to properly set the bridle. I let out some more chain and went back to sleep. It was 6:15 when I woke up . I had slept nearly 11h … very unusual. There were no flies, meaning what the other’s experienced was an unusual swarming event or my fly evasion plan worked. The wind was still blowing strong offshore (from the west, opposite the prevailing trade winds). I made a large batch of chai tea for the passage. The last time I made some was in Mexico. At 7:40 a catamaran appeared on an obvious heading to Tahiti. It encouraged me to stop sipping tea and get ready. I had a few chores to do. I loosened the bleed valve on the engine fuel filter and confirmed there was no air in the line. I still had a leak in the dinghy, apparent through one of the bolt holes for the wheel mounts. When I examined the bolts, it was clear from the stains which two were leaking. I applied chalking to it to allow it time to dry before I used the dinghy again, stowed everything, and pulled anchor at 9:00. As I left the wind shadow of Tahuata, the wind was strong (about 15 kt), but it became variable until I was well clear of the leeside of the island. At one point I was in nearly flat water with no more than a couple of kt wind, but I could see whitecaps a couple of 100 yards out, indicating 15 kt winds. Eventually, I settled for 5.5 kt boat speed in a near beam reach with one reef in the main and most of the Yankee showing. Heeled 10 degrees, it didn’t make sense to present more sail. In the first 3h, I averaged 5 nm/h on, but much of that time I struggled with getting the wind vane to control the boat. I don’t know if it is the new control lines (that are slightly larger diameter, or perhaps the wind vane was tweeked. After studying it for a few hours, it became evident the vane was not freely flapping. There was resistance that wasn’t there before. Although the manual states that lubricants should not be used, I put some PB Blaster on the meshing gears and worked the vane back and forth manually. That seemed to help and I started to being able to hold course, although the wind vane did not react as quickly as it used to. I feel with continued use it will start freeing itself up. Part of the difficulty in finding out what is going on with the wind vane is it has been gusty all day, and the change in wind speed naturally affects the wind vane. It is a bright sunny day, so I started to make water about 1:00. After a passage from Mexico to the Marquesas that was marked by squalls and pounding seas almost every day, it is very nice to be sailing in sunshine and calm seas. The wind vane has almost working well again. It still has troubles when I am moved way off course by a wave or gust of wind. I’m going to use it overnight, but set alarms every hour to make sure I’m on course.

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.
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Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: it was my plan to finish my chores and leave Sunday, but I have been invited to Pifa’s father’s birthday today at the family compound in the north side of the island. It is an opportunity I cannot pass on. It may still be possible to leave Sunday, perhaps later in the day. I got up early, cleaned the bilge, replaced the control line on the wind vane, epoxied and screwed together the dorade box. Pifa picked me up about 9:00 and returned me to the boat about 16:00. It was a remarkable cultural experience that I will describe in a separate post. The gas station is not open on Sunday, so I will prepare the boat tomorrow, pick up diesel when the station opens at 7:00 on Monday, then sail to Hanamoenoa Bay on Tahuata Island, about 10 nm away. I will stay two nights, make water, clean the hull, and do some cooking for the passage to Fakarava Atoll.

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: I worked on the boat all day today … never left. Reinstalled the repaired stanchion and the Dyneema lifelines (which required new eye splices), climbed the mast to recover the main halyard (but didn’t look at the wind instruments because I did not have the energy), worked on the fuel system problem (the engine fuel pump is not powerful enough to draw fuel through the polisher, so I will be hand-filling the day tank until I find another pump), and I cleaned the outside of the boat. I have a short list of things I need to do. I hope to depart Sunday. I have been invited to Pifa’s father’s birthday party tomorrow on the other side of the island, if I can find transportation.

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: At 3:00, I heard the horns of a ship and minutes later a tender pulled up alongside my boat and asked me to move. While I thought I was clear of the dock as I was in the same place I was in when the last ship was here, this one was larger. A dozen boats had to move anchor in the dark at once. It was a melee. After I pulled anchor, I put my engine in forward and nothing g happened. I quickly dropped anchor again. I had been working on the transmission yesterday and the cable was loose. I quickly addressed the problem and moved the boat. However, several boats overlapped with mine. It was difficult to sort out as the prop wash from the ship’s bow thruster was sending the smaller boats spinning in seemingly random directions. I let several boats get settled, then moved mine to a place that seemed free. It was difficult maneuvering in the crowded anchorage. I picked up the car at 8:30, got the repaired stanchion, filled the water bottles, and did some provisioning. I note I used 12-14 gallons out of the 40 gallon tank since leaving San Carlos, mostly for rinsing dishes. I also used about 20 gallons of drinking (bottled) water. Drinking water is relatively difficult to come by at Hiva Oa. The town water comes from the stream that runs through town, and it is often dirty. The only source of spring water nearby is located between Atuona and a smaller village further down the coast. That is where I got my water. I ran through some of the items on my punch list today … sewed the stack pack, replaced the lines on the wind vane, etc. When I returned to the boat at 3 the ship that had arrived the this morning was already leaving. When I I got to my boat I saw it had been moved, apparently dragged out of the way. The strange thing was they said the ship would not be leaving g u Tim that night. Also, my boat was exactly where it was when the ship arrived. Sent from my iPhone

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: While the stanchion was welded yesterday, the island lost power, so when I went to pick it up, I was told I would have to come back tomorrow because there was no way to pay. I planned to go up the mast this morning, but the boat is rolling more than it ever has while I’ve been anchored at Hiva Oa, so much so that it will be hard to get any work done. So, I’ve signed up to visit the archeological sites at Puamau, on the north side of the island. The visit to the villages on the north side of the island and to the archaeological sites was fascinating. The guide Bryan O’Conner, brother of my friend Pifa, provided information about the history and culture I could not have gotten any other way. I am supposed to (finally) have a car tomorrow, so I should be able to provision. A lot of boats have cleared out. I may try to move my boat more inside the breakwater early Friday morning and go up the mast, weather permitting.

Current Position: 9 13.463’S 138 07.952’W (Hiva Oa) Local Timezone: UTC-9 1/2; HDG: N/A; COG: N/A; SOG: N/A; TWS: ?; TWD: ?; TWA: ?; Distance to Waypoint (Hiva Oa): at anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 3422 nm;
Comments: I took care of business today. Had the broken stanchion welded, finished fixing the bent bowsprit extension, repaired the broken dorade box and made a repair to the toe rail with some epoxy. I am going to try to go up the mast tomorrow to retrieve the main halyard and figure out what is wrong with the wind instruments. I have a car rented on Thursday to run around supplies. On Friday, I am taking a day off and have hired a guide (Pifa’s brother) to show me the historical sites on Hiva Oa.