Month: July 2025

Current Position: 17 39.075’S 165 33.441’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 6.4 kt COG: 270; TWS: 25 kt; TWD: 132; Distance to Waypoint (R1, Raine Passage, 272): 1296; Total Miles Sailed: 7107 nm; Engine Hours: 166.3 Estimate Fuel: 60+14+50
Comments: After a tumultuous start yesterday, it was nice to settle into some good sailing. The wind vane works well with its new Dyneema control lines. The lines have less friction and the wind vane seems more responsive. I forgot to put hose clamps on the cracked tubes before I left. I don’t think there is much chance of them failing, but I will reinforce them first chance I get. Sunset was about 17:25. Efata was still visible, barely. There were scattered clouds, some appearing to produce light rain, but nothing threatening. I was averaging close to 6 kt about 10 degrees S of the waypoint, so I left the sail configuration as it was overnight, a double-reefed main and 3/4 Yankee. New Caledonia was about 240 nm to my SW, but on my heading I should pass at least 50 nm N of it. However, there is an atoll N of New Caledonia that is a problem. This is one reason the PW route has me jibbing N in 175 nm, the other reasons are to correct for the latitude I am loosing and the fact there may be more wind N by Monday. The jibe also corresponds to a backing (and weakening) of the wind by Monday. I set alarm intervals of 2h and did not have to make any adjustments to the sails or windvane until I was awaken at 4:20 because the boat was heeled over too much. The wind was blowing 23 kt and had veered to 135. There was no evidence this was a weather disturbance (I could see stars). In fact, this was predicted and the timing was about right. I was about 3.5h ahead of schedule (PW always underestimates my speed at night) and about 15 nm further N (I am usually able to sail closer to a run). I had averaged 6.2 kt overnight. The first 60 nm was at a bearing of 263, but the last 32 at 274. I had averaged 5.8 kt since leaving Efata. I woke up about an hour before sunrise. I got 9h of sleep. Despite the periodic interruptions to check the status of the boat, I tend to sleep well while underwater. As soon as it was light enough, I went to the foredeck to take care of a few things. I had remembered in the middle of the night that I had left a mooring line there, a “wick-release” line that I use when I am leaving a mooring ball single-handed. Fortunately, it was still there, precariously attached to the Sampson post. I also tracked down the sound of a rope rapping against metal … it was the first reefing line that needed to be tightened. Finally, I heard the traveler move last night and sure enough the preventer had come loose. Sunrise was about 6:20. The GRIB was 25h old. I logged into the Iridium system and was having trouble connecting. The DataHub had not been collecting tracking data. I rebooted it and restarted the Iridium GO and it started working again, although it took several attempts before I was able to download the GRIB. Not much has changed. It looks like the wind will lighten up in the middle of the week. My ability to point the boat further N than predicted has made it unnecessary to jibe until tomorrow. It is dark and stormy today. The cockpit is wet and uninviting. Nothing like yesterday. But, there is strong wind driving me towards the waypoint. A large, menacing squall passed behind me at 7:30, causing 30 kt winds to veer to 140 and the boat to round up and heel severely while surfing at 8 kt. I had to secure my breakfast and steer by hand. Waves soaked me … a rude start of the day. The storms looked like they were unyielding … we’ll see. Atoll de Huon is about 195 nm to my E. The charts suggest the shallowest part is 16’, but I wouldn’t want to take the chance. It looks like I will pass N of it. If not, I will jibe. In any case, that should be an issues for tomorrow afternoon. It is 7:45 and the first sunshine appears from behind the storm that just passed behind me. I went down for a nap and was awaken by the alarm at 9:00 to sunshine. The nastiness had been blown away by the 30 kt wind and the boat was doing hull speed directly for the waypoint. By 9:30, the skies were getting dark again as another storm arrived windward. This was to be expected the rest of the day. However, I welcomed the storms as the wind was driving the boat near hull speed and the ride was not particularly uncomfortable. I have begun studying the charts through the GBR. It is complicated. At the entrance to the Raine Passage is the Great Detached Reef, which is horseshoe-shaped. Circling around to the back of it, it is possible to anchor in 50’ of water. If it looks like I am going to arrive at night, I will slow down. If the end of daylight, I will seek shelter in the Great Detached Reef until morning. From there, it is about 80 nm across the reef and to the shipping lanes. I will probably want to find a second anchorage somewhere in the reef that I can spend the night, so I can travel the rest of the way across the reef in daylight hours. It looks like Collette Reef, about 50 nm from the GDR would be a good choice. Once in the shipping lane, I can travel at night. I have looked at some of the tidal changes across the reef and they can be 10’ or more, which will make anchoring challenging. The total nm sailed since leaving the harbor yesterday is 7107-6941=166 nm (average speed 166/27=6.2 kt). The distance sailed on 1455-1296=159 nm. It has been a productive 27h.

Current Position: 17 35.532’S 168 07.670’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 5.8 kt COG: 268; TWS: 18 kt; TWD: 123; Distance to Waypoint (R1, Raine Passage, 270): 1443; Total Miles Sailed: 6953 nm; Engine Hours: 166.3 Estimate Fuel: 60+14+50
Comments: Last night I was walking across the access panel over the shower sump and it collapsed. I was lucky I didn’t break a leg. There are tabs of wood underneath the cabin sole that support the access panel and two of them had broken free. It turns out that we’re only held on with three nails that had rusted through. When I started the repair, I realized I was wrong. The nails were used to hold the wood in temporarily. Each tab had three wood screws driven into it from the top. I had to break out the tools and install three new screws in the tabs (from the bottom). I also checked the other access panels for signs they needed to be repaired. Most are not covering up deep drops (e.g. they have water tanks just beneath them) or they are not generally walked upon (e.g., the one underneath the ladder). After making the repairs, I went ashore and had a nice breakfast. When I got back to the boat I readied her to sail (brought the dinghy, rigged the sheets, etc. when I fired up the engine to weigh anchor, there was a strange ringing noise. I went to the engine room and found the ringing was a loose lock washer. A nut was missing from one of the engine mounts. I searched for it in the engine room but had no luck finding it. Fortunately, I found a galvanized M16 nut at the hardware store and by noon was leaving the harbor. As I left the shelter of the bay, the wind was blowing 20 kt from 122 and I was doing over 6 kt with two reefs in the main and about half the Yankee. I was on a beam reach until I cleared the bay, then was able to set a course via a broad reach for R1 (the beginning of the Raine Passage) which was 1450 nm away. Once offshore and away from the influence of the island, the wind was variable 15-23. I unfurled a little more of the jib, perhaps 75%. I was averaging 6.2 kt directly at the waypoint.

Current Position: 17 44.318’S 168 18.643’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 0 kt COG: N/A; TWS: 4 kt; TWD: 123; Distance to Waypoint (Vanuatu, Efata, Port Vila): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 6941 nm; Engine Hours: 164 Estimate Fuel: 60+15+50
Comments: I woke up about midnight and did not get to sleep again until 4:00. I had a couple of mosquitos that were driving me nuts. I put up some mosquito netting, but one found its way inside. I woke up again just before dawn. It is a rare cloudless day … good for provisioning. The boat is in good shape. All the significant issues have been addressed. The topside was readied yesterday. 80% below was readied. I will be ready to leave tomorrow. After my tea, about 7:00, I loaded the cart in the dinghy and went ashore to do the shopping. I need to be back and the perishables stored before my appointment with immigration/customs at 10:00. After checking out of Customs and Immigration, I took the paperwork to Yachting World and bought 50 gal of diesel. After stowing the fuel, I finished putting away the provisions and organizing the galley. Then I collected my laundry and settled the bill with Yachting World. My last task was to cook for the passage. I made a lamb sausage curry with lentils.

Current Position: 17 44.318’S 168 18.643’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 0 kt COG: N/A; TWS: 5 kt; TWD: 92; Distance to Waypoint (Vanuatu, Efata, Port Vila): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 6941 nm; Engine Hours: 164 Estimate Fuel: 60+15+50
Comments: Time is waining. I woke up at 2:00 and responded to the ABF with some more information they required. I went back to sleep about 4:30 and woke up just before dawn. I took the laundry and then went to the Port Authority to pay my port fees (I need a receipt to get the Zarpe tomorrow ). When I returned I made a lashing for the forward hatch cover to keep it in place in high seas. Then I took an inventory of the things that need to be repaired on the sail pack (zipper sewn, terminal support lines need to be replaced, etc.). Not wanting to deal with the hassle of removing the sail pack, I repaired it in place. I then took an inventory of the issues with the rigging and other hardware. I checked to make sure all the screws, nuts, and bolts were tight. I replaced a screw on a stanchion by drilling through and placing a bolt. Once I was sure all the repairs were complete, I put away all the tools and supplies. I reorganized by cups, dishes and pots to pair them down to what I actually use so I can store the extras in the inaccessible space behind the stove and have better access to the things I use routinely. I disposed of spent oil and filled the main water tank (20 gal since Tonga. The boat is 95% ready. Tomorrow is about settling bills, getting the Zarpe, and provisioning with fuel and food. I have to wait to get the fuel until tomorrow to get duty-free (saving about 20%). It is 14:00. My last job on my list for today is programming the chart recorder with waypoints to navigate through the Great Barrier Reef … a non-trivial task. I am using “Ken’s Torres Strait Passage Guide” to follow the southerly “Raine Island Route” (vs. the northerly “Bramble Kay Route”). The route is 80 nm long. The first waypoint R1 is at 11 37.400’S 144 03.900’E, a point between Raine Island and Detached Reef about 1500 nm away from Port Vila.

Current Position: 17 44.318’S 168 18.643’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 0 kt COG: N/A; TWS: 5 kt; TWD: 92; Distance to Waypoint (Vanuatu, Efata, Port Vila): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 6941 nm; Engine Hours: 164 Estimate Fuel: 60+15+50
Comments: Today I am going to finish relocating the bilge pump in the starboard lazarette, I am going to run wires and turnbuckles from the handrails on the hard dodger to the back of the Bimini frame to lend further support, and I am going to finish reorganizing the dishes and pans (I have four of everything in the cabinet, only use one, and there are things I cannot get to in the storage space underneath). I could not find the hose I needed for the bilge pump at the hardware store, so I am returning to Vila Marine, where I hope to also find marine-grade wire and turnbuckles. Well … I didn’t have any luck after visiting two marine stores and three hardware stores in finding the tubing. They wanted $170 each for the turnbuckles at the marine store, so I didn’t even ask about the SS wire. I can back to the boat and made the existing tubing work. I also used some cord to lash and secure the frame. I will figure out something more permanent later. I spent the rest of the day working on paperwork for Australia (ANOA and Biosecurity). I heard back from the Australian authorities about my plan … Thursday to Ashmore to Christmas … and it looks like it will be okay. I also got my visa (Electronic Travel Authorization) and I head back from Biosafety with exactly what to expect upon arrival. Thursday Island reached out as well will a long e-mail that details resources and process. I purchased an e-book that details a route through the Great Barrier Reef, with anchorages. Finally, I had the hull cleaned (to keep Australia happy).

Current Position: 17 44.318’S 168 18.643’E; Local Timezone: UTC+21; SOG: 0 kt COG: N/A; TWS: 7 kt; TWD: 23; Distance to Waypoint (Vanuatu, Efata, Port Vila): At Anchor; Total Miles Sailed: 6941 nm; Engine Hours: 164 Estimate Fuel: 60+15+50
Comments: While working in the cockpit, I noticed one of the scaffolding tubes that supports some of the solar panels had come out of its socket. I always suspected the single set screw of the joints would not be strong enough to hold everything together. I am going to use a ratchet strap to do that. It really needs to be welded, but that would require taking all the solar company’s off. I will tighten all of the set screw tomorrow. There was a fair amount of rain last night and it is cloudy this morning. I began the day, after my tea, by trying to find the leak in the fuel polishing system. Thinking it had to be one of the two parts I had taken apart, I reseated the Racor and the strainer for the pump. To make it easier to take the strainer apart in the future (it has been incredibly difficult), I wrapped the threads with teflon tape. There was still a leak, so I tried something different … I closed the valve on the fuel polishing system that samples fuel from one of the two tanks. When I turned on the fuel pump the system pulled very good vacuum suggesting the system is sealed. I then reopened the valve to the main tank and closed the valve in the main tank itself. Shockingly, the system pulled a good vacuum. The system is acting like there is no fuel in the main tank … but that is impossible. It was full in Tahiti and I have only run the engine a short period. The take-up tubes pass through a plate on top of the tank. In the backside of the plate the tubes are screwed in. I suppose it is possible I’m the tube is leaking there. The simplest test is to swap the take-up and return hoses, since both tubes go to the bottom of the tank. Switching the hoses did not fix the problem. From finally, I unscrewed the sending unit and looked into the tank with a flashlight. There was no fuel! The engine has 164h on it since it was installed. It had about 36h when I changed the transmission fluid and filled both tanks (for a total of 75 gal in tanks and 60 gal on deck. In Hiva Oa at the end of April it had about 65h on it (when I changed the oil), and I purchased 15 gal of fuel. I purchased another 25 gal of fuel in Tahiti. Since the 60 gal tank is empty, all the cans on deck are full, I gave used 60+15+25=100 gal if fuel so travel about 100h. At 1500 rpm I estimate the fuel consumption to be 0.7 gal/h, but sometimes I ran at 2000 rpm (although most of the hours were for charging batteries at 1000 rpm). So, I am guessing I did burn through the fuel. I have recalibrated the main tank sending unit so I can keep better track of the fuel usage. This also explains the water/sludge I pumped out … it was the bottom of the barrel. In any case, I will be leaving Vanuatu with 60 in the main, 15 in the day, and 50 on deck, as I did when I left San Carlos three months ago. I didn’t get done what I planned today, but I solved an important problem regarding the fuel system. I am going to start recording engine hours in my reports.