Current Position: 10 35.560’S 142.14.585’E; Local Timezone: UTC+20 SOG: 0 kt COG: N/A; TWS: 11 kt; TWD: 84; Distance to Waypoint (Thursday Island): At anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 8820 nm; Engine Hours: 193; Estimate Fuel: 49+12+50;
Comments: I have been watching boats come back and forth between TI and HI. It seems like everyone takes the designated channel, which is convoluted and out-of-the-way. I cannot help but thing a dinghy could take a more direct path. It is 15:30, the tide is +4’, low tide is in an hour (+3.7’), and very little of the reef is showing. I would need to leave at 9:30 in the morning for my 10:30 appointment, and the tide is going to be +9.2’. It is 16:00. I turned on my instruments because I am watching stuff float by. Sure enough, my boat speed is 2 kt (while at anchor) and my SOG is 0 kt (duh, because I’m at anchor). I woke up at 4:30. Not sure why except it was remarkable quiet. The water was like glass. At 9:00 I took the dinghy over to the Horn Island dock and caught a ferry across to Thursday Island. I attended the 10:30 appointment with the ABF. I was interviewed by two officers for about 30m. After that I was interviewed by the biosafety officer for 15m. I agreed to meet the biosafety officer at 10:00 tomorrow to transfer the food that needs to be disposed of. The interview process was friendly, but very in-depth. I then did some laundry, got a few groceries, and got a meal. Everything is very expensive. When I returned to my boat I was working below when I was hailed in VHF 16 by an ABF patrol boat. I was boarded by three ATF officers. Two went below and rifled through the cabin while a third interviewed me. Again, very thorough, very professional, and very friendly. In preparation for my eventual departure, I have been trying to understand the relationship between the tides and currents and so far no luck. This morning, near low tide, the current was 1 kt from the N while this afternoon near low tide I have a 2 kt current from the S. Perhaps by the end of the week there will be some pattern. I noticed some black soot near the exhaust port. This suggests incomplete burning of the diesel and is consistent with the fumes I have smelled recently. Prior to this I have seen white smoke, indicating water in the fuel. My best guess is I have gotten seawater in the day tank from the vent. I have seen the water and there is a correlation between finding water in the Rocor filter and how much the boat has been heeled over to the starboard (where the vent is in the side of the boat. This salt water has probably partially clogged the injectors. So, I need to do three things: 1) fix the source of the problem by rerouting the hose to the vent, 2) drain the day tank completely into the main tank (by rerouting the delivery hose temporarily), and 3) replace the injectors. I have onboard what I need to do these things, except perhaps the hose. To avoid damaging the engine, I feel like I need to do these things while at TI.
Comments: I have been watching boats come back and forth between TI and HI. It seems like everyone takes the designated channel, which is convoluted and out-of-the-way. I cannot help but thing a dinghy could take a more direct path. It is 15:30, the tide is +4’, low tide is in an hour (+3.7’), and very little of the reef is showing. I would need to leave at 9:30 in the morning for my 10:30 appointment, and the tide is going to be +9.2’. It is 16:00. I turned on my instruments because I am watching stuff float by. Sure enough, my boat speed is 2 kt (while at anchor) and my SOG is 0 kt (duh, because I’m at anchor). I woke up at 4:30. Not sure why except it was remarkable quiet. The water was like glass. At 9:00 I took the dinghy over to the Horn Island dock and caught a ferry across to Thursday Island. I attended the 10:30 appointment with the ABF. I was interviewed by two officers for about 30m. After that I was interviewed by the biosafety officer for 15m. I agreed to meet the biosafety officer at 10:00 tomorrow to transfer the food that needs to be disposed of. The interview process was friendly, but very in-depth. I then did some laundry, got a few groceries, and got a meal. Everything is very expensive. When I returned to my boat I was working below when I was hailed in VHF 16 by an ABF patrol boat. I was boarded by three ATF officers. Two went below and rifled through the cabin while a third interviewed me. Again, very thorough, very professional, and very friendly. In preparation for my eventual departure, I have been trying to understand the relationship between the tides and currents and so far no luck. This morning, near low tide, the current was 1 kt from the N while this afternoon near low tide I have a 2 kt current from the S. Perhaps by the end of the week there will be some pattern. I noticed some black soot near the exhaust port. This suggests incomplete burning of the diesel and is consistent with the fumes I have smelled recently. Prior to this I have seen white smoke, indicating water in the fuel. My best guess is I have gotten seawater in the day tank from the vent. I have seen the water and there is a correlation between finding water in the Rocor filter and how much the boat has been heeled over to the starboard (where the vent is in the side of the boat. This salt water has probably partially clogged the injectors. So, I need to do three things: 1) fix the source of the problem by rerouting the hose to the vent, 2) drain the day tank completely into the main tank (by rerouting the delivery hose temporarily), and 3) replace the injectors. I have onboard what I need to do these things, except perhaps the hose. To avoid damaging the engine, I feel like I need to do these things while at TI.