December 7 Monday Day 19
When the wind is so modest that we run the motor, it is time to take the opportunity to
mend sails. We have two sails on a roll. Jib sail and inner staysail. Both have so called "sacrifice cloth" which is made of different material than the sail - it's the
piece which is exposed when the sail is rolled up. The sun takes a mean toll,
especially of the threads where the clothis sewn on. Seams are bursting,
flutterin in tatters. I made an effort with tape, needle and thread in
Papeete, and today we go again. I have been at it a few hours now,
taping sewing and patching. It reminds me of the endless job of
darning, patching and mending Y 's favourite rag doll that just had to
survive childhood. Every night when she had done her day's duty and Y was asleep, I went
down and got the rag doll to repair a broken cheek or nose. Gullefin
survived.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Lat S 33 41°/ long W 110 03°
December 6 Sunday, Day 18
STORM turned into CALM, we do not understand the meteorologists here in the Pacific.
Had visitors after dinner yesterday, the storm is conspicuous by its absence, but
we had another good visit: a whole flock of dolphins jumping
around the boat. Do you remember when we last saw a flock of dolphins? That was
One morning in September outside the U.S. west coast, south of Santa Barbara.
The dolphins yesterday said that they looked after us throughout the Pacific
and finally, they had sighted us again. We exchanged polite phrases and
watched their antics. They swam behind us for a long time and sometimes ahead of us,
we observed a speed of 7 knots and they still had no problem to hang on. As long as there's
life there is hope.
STORM turned into CALM, we do not understand the meteorologists here in the Pacific.
Had visitors after dinner yesterday, the storm is conspicuous by its absence, but
we had another good visit: a whole flock of dolphins jumping
around the boat. Do you remember when we last saw a flock of dolphins? That was
One morning in September outside the U.S. west coast, south of Santa Barbara.
The dolphins yesterday said that they looked after us throughout the Pacific
and finally, they had sighted us again. We exchanged polite phrases and
watched their antics. They swam behind us for a long time and sometimes ahead of us,
we observed a speed of 7 knots and they still had no problem to hang on. As long as there's
life there is hope.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Lat S 32 35°/ long W 112 52°
December 5 Saturday Day 17, average speed 6.6 knots
Storm Warning, I read the weather report from Playa Ancha Radio. The area
is a couple of days to the east of our course, so much can happen before we get
there. But the weather is changeable, we have worked all night with our
sails because the wind was so variable, not in direction but in
strength. We have rolled out smaller sail, rolled in larger sail, taken in a
reef in the mainsail, taken two reefs in the mainsail, then the wind has subsided and
the procedure had to be done in the other direction. Is this a sign of a storm? We may
well see.
Storm Warning, I read the weather report from Playa Ancha Radio. The area
is a couple of days to the east of our course, so much can happen before we get
there. But the weather is changeable, we have worked all night with our
sails because the wind was so variable, not in direction but in
strength. We have rolled out smaller sail, rolled in larger sail, taken in a
reef in the mainsail, taken two reefs in the mainsail, then the wind has subsided and
the procedure had to be done in the other direction. Is this a sign of a storm? We may
well see.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Lat S 32 30°/ long W 116 02°
December 4 Friday Day 16, average speed 6.75 knots
I spent the night watch reading in our pilotbok of Chile, all the way
from Puerto Montti to Tierra el Fuego, it is about 1000 NM. There are
thousands of berths in the fiords. There is a place 310' south of P
Montti called Laguna San Rafael, where are you in a lagoon at a
glacier and there are dolphins, penguins and sea lions. Sounds completely
fantastic. Further names Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego,
Cape Horn, names that have always attracted me ever since I read Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World. He had problems with the indigenous population during his voyage around Tierra del Fuego; when he anchored for the
night he laid out thumbtacks on the deck so that no one would come on board.
Times have changed, thumbtacks no longer needed, but the magnificence of nature
remains.
I spent the night watch reading in our pilotbok of Chile, all the way
from Puerto Montti to Tierra el Fuego, it is about 1000 NM. There are
thousands of berths in the fiords. There is a place 310' south of P
Montti called Laguna San Rafael, where are you in a lagoon at a
glacier and there are dolphins, penguins and sea lions. Sounds completely
fantastic. Further names Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego,
Cape Horn, names that have always attracted me ever since I read Joshua Slocum
Sailing Alone Around the World. He had problems with the indigenous population during his voyage around Tierra del Fuego; when he anchored for the
night he laid out thumbtacks on the deck so that no one would come on board.
Times have changed, thumbtacks no longer needed, but the magnificence of nature
remains.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Lat S 33 04°/ long W 119 10°
December 3 Thursday Day 15
Today it's 14 days since we left Tahiti. I have made a small
summary:
The temperature has dropped from + 27 to +17.
We have sailed 2171 NM.
We have seen 14 unique sunrises and sunsets.
We have seen ONE fishing boat.
We have seen birds every day.
We have drunk 28 cups of coffee each.
We have been hard on the port tack 99% of the time.
We have due to this grown longer left legs.
We have seen a large flying fish in the eye.
Today it's 14 days since we left Tahiti. I have made a small
summary:
The temperature has dropped from + 27 to +17.
We have sailed 2171 NM.
We have seen 14 unique sunrises and sunsets.
We have seen ONE fishing boat.
We have seen birds every day.
We have drunk 28 cups of coffee each.
We have been hard on the port tack 99% of the time.
We have due to this grown longer left legs.
We have seen a large flying fish in the eye.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Lat S33 21°/ long W 121 27°
December 2 Wednesday Day 14, daily average speed 6.25 knots
Wake up! at 0300 is it's dusky outside as a bleak November day in
Gothenburg. My watch always begins in the middle of the night, it is always a bit
tough to leave the berth then, but it is quite amazing when the moon is up
how much light it gives. Tonight we also saw the lights from a passing fishing vessel
at the horizon. When I got up had Th mounted up our big oil lamp
which we bought in the U.S.. He had hung it above the saloon table. The
coziness factor was raised further. It's impossible to compare with the
thousands of watts you are doing away with every day in Gothenburg now in December, but
out here it was a great event. In a few days now, the climate
has changed from tropical to, yes plain dingy coldish weather simply.
Wake up! at 0300 is it's dusky outside as a bleak November day in
Gothenburg. My watch always begins in the middle of the night, it is always a bit
tough to leave the berth then, but it is quite amazing when the moon is up
how much light it gives. Tonight we also saw the lights from a passing fishing vessel
at the horizon. When I got up had Th mounted up our big oil lamp
which we bought in the U.S.. He had hung it above the saloon table. The
coziness factor was raised further. It's impossible to compare with the
thousands of watts you are doing away with every day in Gothenburg now in December, but
out here it was a great event. In a few days now, the climate
has changed from tropical to, yes plain dingy coldish weather simply.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Lat S 31 33°/ long W 123 30°
December 1, Tuesday Day 13 GMT -8 , daily average speed 6.8 knots
Yesterday was the day of hopes, today is the day of goals. We set deliberately and
unconsciously different targets; sailed one third of the route, sailed half
o.s.v. When we sailed to French Polynesia we ticked off the latitudes.
On this stretch we tick off longitudes. Now we have
been looking forward a couple of days to crossing the W120 degrees, whhich means
crossing the border to Chile SRR (search and rescue region) and their
economic zone. This means that we will benefit from the Chilean weather reports
I have already been taking home these for a few days and think they are
good and easy to read. They state just where low and high pressure centers are.
In addition, father-in-law will be able to plot us on the chart again
since his chart of Chile begins at W120 degrees.
In a few days, we will also have sailed half the distance.
Yesterday was the day of hopes, today is the day of goals. We set deliberately and
unconsciously different targets; sailed one third of the route, sailed half
o.s.v. When we sailed to French Polynesia we ticked off the latitudes.
On this stretch we tick off longitudes. Now we have
been looking forward a couple of days to crossing the W120 degrees, whhich means
crossing the border to Chile SRR (search and rescue region) and their
economic zone. This means that we will benefit from the Chilean weather reports
I have already been taking home these for a few days and think they are
good and easy to read. They state just where low and high pressure centers are.
In addition, father-in-law will be able to plot us on the chart again
since his chart of Chile begins at W120 degrees.
In a few days, we will also have sailed half the distance.
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