May 15, 2013
Anchorage position: 16°49.756'S 153°55.565'W Maupihaa atoll south east anchorage
As we approached Maupihaa we deployed some new fishing lures and immediately had a double hook up. We ended up loosing both fish and a bunch of line to either really big tuna or big sharks feasting on the tuna we just hooked. Either way we got more lines in the water and soon lost a third lure and even more line even after a protracted battle chasing one of the beasts with the boat for awhile. Some sort of big monsters are lurking around Maupihaa atoll. Finally we hooked a nice yellow fin and wound it in at top speed before it got eaten as well. The final score big fish 3, LightSpeed 1. We were excited to be back at Maupihaa atoll, our favorite stop in all of French Polynesia and happy to have some fresh tuna to share.
Luckily timing allowed an easy transit of the 60' wide reef pass and from there we motored directly for the north anchorage (16°46.73'S 153°57.08' W, 4M sand) to catch up with our favorite south pacific family. A true Polynesian welcome with lots of big hugs and kisses on each cheek after which we were adorned with beautiful shell leis. Some trips you shouldn't repeat as they're never the same, but Maupihaa is one that should never be passed up. We visited well past sunset and made plans for a big lobster dinner the following evening. Hio captured 15 lobsters in just 2 hours of wading on the reef and we enjoyed a real feast. Somehow, five days have already passed at Maupihaa atoll. Snorkeling outside the pass was superb with hundreds of blue-silver trevali, giant green wrasse, the usual complement of parrot fish and tons of sharks. Drifting through the pass you can see a cannon from the wreck of the Sea Adler and outside the reef a good length of ships chain that might serve as a good tie off for a temporary mooring. I took my spear gun hoping for a pelagic target, but after firing the spear at a parrot fish I was overwhelmed by a pack of aggressive sharks and made a hasty exit to the safety of the dinghy. No fish for dinner tonight. Another day we walked nearly the length of the atoll, alternately exploring the central road and making forays out to the ocean to beach comb.
We're also enjoying the company of s/v Miss Goodnight with a dinner aboard their Lagoon 440 and also a beach bonfire. A huge south swell has been battering the atoll the last few days and the reef pass is ebbing at an alarming rate, so we'll stay until the swell moderates and the pass again becomes safe to transit.
That's it for now.
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Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Near Maupihaa atoll
May 11, 2013 (5am local [UTC-10})
Position: 16°50'S 153°16'W
It's 5am and the sun has yet to brighten a moonless night filled with a grand array of stars. I'm guessing we're now on the edge of a different time zone as there should be at least a little glimmer of a new day on the eastern horizon by 5am. Our passage from Moorea has been a tiny bit bumpy at times with frequent squalls and plenty of rain, but overall pretty easy as sailing. In contrast, friends Cinda and Fred on s/v Songline are doing some bashing as they sail directly into the NE trades on their way from American Samoa toward Hawaii and Alaska. As of day 18 they've covered 900nm with 1360 remaining to Honolulu. These two define patience. Back in January we contemplated the same voyage and decided it would be better to sail twice the distance by sailing back to the Marquesas to set up for a better angle to Hawaii, but after all that effort we bailed on the Hawaii idea and are now circling back. 4000nm under the keel later we are living proof that not having a really firm plan can burn you from time to time.
Getting back to the question of why the suns not up yet. Along the equator the sun rises later at a rate of one minute per 15 nautical miles of easting sailed. (360 degrees/24 hours = 15 degrees longitude * 60 nautical miles per degree = 900 nautical miles / 60 minutes = 15 nautical miles per minute. At a latitude of 17 south it's something like 14.35 nautical miles per minute as it's a smaller circle and 15 degrees of longitude requires only 861 nautical miles of sailing (861/60 = 14.35). So, having sailed 912 nm to the west since Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas the sun is now rising something like (912/14.35)= 63 minutes later each day. Yep, time to change the clocks.
Today we should be dropping anchor at Maupihaa atoll, our all time favorite atoll in the South Pacific. The pass is tricky, but we think the conditions will be settled enough to safely transit the 60 foot wide opening in the reef gaining access to the calm waters inside. Huge seas are on the way so once we get safely inside the pass will close out for a few days as the 5 meter SSW swell roar through.
That's it for now.
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Position: 16°50'S 153°16'W
It's 5am and the sun has yet to brighten a moonless night filled with a grand array of stars. I'm guessing we're now on the edge of a different time zone as there should be at least a little glimmer of a new day on the eastern horizon by 5am. Our passage from Moorea has been a tiny bit bumpy at times with frequent squalls and plenty of rain, but overall pretty easy as sailing. In contrast, friends Cinda and Fred on s/v Songline are doing some bashing as they sail directly into the NE trades on their way from American Samoa toward Hawaii and Alaska. As of day 18 they've covered 900nm with 1360 remaining to Honolulu. These two define patience. Back in January we contemplated the same voyage and decided it would be better to sail twice the distance by sailing back to the Marquesas to set up for a better angle to Hawaii, but after all that effort we bailed on the Hawaii idea and are now circling back. 4000nm under the keel later we are living proof that not having a really firm plan can burn you from time to time.
Getting back to the question of why the suns not up yet. Along the equator the sun rises later at a rate of one minute per 15 nautical miles of easting sailed. (360 degrees/24 hours = 15 degrees longitude * 60 nautical miles per degree = 900 nautical miles / 60 minutes = 15 nautical miles per minute. At a latitude of 17 south it's something like 14.35 nautical miles per minute as it's a smaller circle and 15 degrees of longitude requires only 861 nautical miles of sailing (861/60 = 14.35). So, having sailed 912 nm to the west since Fatu Hiva in the Marquesas the sun is now rising something like (912/14.35)= 63 minutes later each day. Yep, time to change the clocks.
Today we should be dropping anchor at Maupihaa atoll, our all time favorite atoll in the South Pacific. The pass is tricky, but we think the conditions will be settled enough to safely transit the 60 foot wide opening in the reef gaining access to the calm waters inside. Huge seas are on the way so once we get safely inside the pass will close out for a few days as the 5 meter SSW swell roar through.
That's it for now.
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Thursday, May 09, 2013
LightSpeed setting sail for points west.
May 9, 2013
Cooks Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia
Later today we'll be setting sail for points west. Bye bye French Polynesia... we'll miss your cheap crunchy baguettes, but not your overpriced beers and outrageous $400/gal bottom paint. After nearly 9 of the last 12 months sailing the Marquesas, Tuamotu and Society Islands we're ready for new adventures.
What's next? Maybe a stop in the Cooks? Bevridge reef then Niue? Or maybe Suwarrow then Vava'U, Tonga? We'll set a comfortable course and sail where the wind takes us. One way another we'll be sure to explore off the beaten path locations in Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomons islands this year. In 2014 we're envisioning Papua and a slow tour of Indonesia.
LightSpeed anchored near the entrance of Cooks bay on the island of Moorea.
Cooks Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia
Later today we'll be setting sail for points west. Bye bye French Polynesia... we'll miss your cheap crunchy baguettes, but not your overpriced beers and outrageous $400/gal bottom paint. After nearly 9 of the last 12 months sailing the Marquesas, Tuamotu and Society Islands we're ready for new adventures.
What's next? Maybe a stop in the Cooks? Bevridge reef then Niue? Or maybe Suwarrow then Vava'U, Tonga? We'll set a comfortable course and sail where the wind takes us. One way another we'll be sure to explore off the beaten path locations in Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu and the Solomons islands this year. In 2014 we're envisioning Papua and a slow tour of Indonesia.
Marquesas and Tuamotu wrap up
Wednesday, May 08, 2013
How to obtain French Polynesian Yacht Clearance, French Polynesia Yacht clearance May 2013
French Polynesia yacht clearance procedure as of May 2013. This is for those of you didn't use a yacht agent.
For clearance from French Polynesia you have two options. Since it's our third time to FP and our visa was almost expired we chose option (2) shown in the 'Clearance' document below as we needed to leave quickly. IF you have more time on your visa then be sure to complete Steps 1 and 2 while in Papeete then sail up island and complete the final steps with the Gendarmes in Bora Bora and obtain your final clearance there.
Here's what we did to clear directly from Papeete, Tahiti to a foreign port.
Step 1: Try to find the Harbor Master office before they close for lunch.
Hint: Downtown Papeete at the 'Moorea' ferry terminal bottom level on water side of building (see map below).
Step 2: Try to get to the Customs (Douane) office when they are actually open... before 11:30AM
Hint: It's near the container port across the water from the ferry/harbor masters office on Motu Uta. The Customs (Douane)office is about 1500pf taxi ride or if your a crack sleuth only a 25 minute walk from the harbor master. Go in the main door at Douane and walk down the hall ~1/2 way finding the office on the right.
Note: We completed steps 1 & 2 the day before our departure and step 3 on the day of departure. The guidance below says you need 2 days advance notice, but that was not necessary in our case.
Step 3: Go to Immigration at the airport the day of departure.
Location: Faaa airport. Find the food court near the middle of the airport, take the stairs on the right side of the food court half way up find a mid-stair on the right. Throught he door into the roof court yard find the immigration office on the right.
Step 4: Collect you bond at the bank.
Step 5: Be a good visitor and leave French Polynesia in a timely manner. Be aware that customs patrol boats routinely check papers even in the remotest of anchorages.
Tuesday, May 07, 2013
Thursday, May 02, 2013
Attention the fleet: Cruising Solomon islands, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Attention to the fleet:
Is anyone thinking of sailing toward the Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea around October 2013?
We love to share a few anchorages with some like minded cruisers who are going off the beaten path in the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Dave & Kathy Kane
dbkane@gmail.com
WDF2150
s/v LightSpeed
www.dksail.com
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Is anyone thinking of sailing toward the Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea around October 2013?
We love to share a few anchorages with some like minded cruisers who are going off the beaten path in the Solomons, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Dave & Kathy Kane
dbkane@gmail.com
WDF2150
s/v LightSpeed
www.dksail.com
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Marina Tahina, Tahiti mooring ball A9
May 2, 2013
Position: 17°34.97'S 149°37.31' W
Marina Tahina mooring ball A9
LightSpeed is back in Tahiti after 5 days and 3 hours of mostly great sail from covering 794nm from Fatu Hiva, Marquesas to Marina Tahina, Tahiti. The last few hours sailing toward Tahiti we were ripping off 9.3 nautical miles per hour which was a great finish to the voyage. A few highlights of the trip were catching a huge blue marlin, stopping for a night at Toau for snorkeling, stopping for a night at Niau atoll for more snorkeling and hitting 18.5 knots of boat speed on huge surf. Most days we flew a spinnaker and most nights just the jib thus the average speed of only 6.5 knots overall.
Today will be a bit more mundane as the laundry is piling up and the cupboards to be filled for the long voyages ahead.
That's it for now.
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Position: 17°34.97'S 149°37.31' W
Marina Tahina mooring ball A9
LightSpeed is back in Tahiti after 5 days and 3 hours of mostly great sail from covering 794nm from Fatu Hiva, Marquesas to Marina Tahina, Tahiti. The last few hours sailing toward Tahiti we were ripping off 9.3 nautical miles per hour which was a great finish to the voyage. A few highlights of the trip were catching a huge blue marlin, stopping for a night at Toau for snorkeling, stopping for a night at Niau atoll for more snorkeling and hitting 18.5 knots of boat speed on huge surf. Most days we flew a spinnaker and most nights just the jib thus the average speed of only 6.5 knots overall.
Today will be a bit more mundane as the laundry is piling up and the cupboards to be filled for the long voyages ahead.
That's it for now.
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Wednesday, May 01, 2013
Inbound Tahiti
May 1, 2013 8:45Am local (GMT-10)
Underway Position: 17°12'S 148°50'W
Inbound Tahiti with 40nm remaining to Point Venus anchorage on the north side of Tahiti. The wind finally filled in after a slow night of motor sailing in calm conditions. Loving it right now with 12 knots out of the SSE and 8.8 knots of boat speed. If the wind continues to cooperate we may sail the additional 13nm to Marina Tahina on the west side of Tahiti today.
Water, fuel, groceries, fishing lures and a haircut for Kathy and we'll start looking for a weather window to the Cooks. At the moment it looks like the last tropical depression/cyclone of the season is tracking from Fiji past the Cooks and then dropping quickly to the southeast. That's good news as for the next 6 months we should have smooth sailing in predictable trade wind conditions.
That's it for now.
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Underway Position: 17°12'S 148°50'W
Inbound Tahiti with 40nm remaining to Point Venus anchorage on the north side of Tahiti. The wind finally filled in after a slow night of motor sailing in calm conditions. Loving it right now with 12 knots out of the SSE and 8.8 knots of boat speed. If the wind continues to cooperate we may sail the additional 13nm to Marina Tahina on the west side of Tahiti today.
Water, fuel, groceries, fishing lures and a haircut for Kathy and we'll start looking for a weather window to the Cooks. At the moment it looks like the last tropical depression/cyclone of the season is tracking from Fiji past the Cooks and then dropping quickly to the southeast. That's good news as for the next 6 months we should have smooth sailing in predictable trade wind conditions.
That's it for now.
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Fishing bliss
April 30, 2013
Time 6:20 PM local (GMT-10)
Underway Position: 16°38'S 147°28'W
Sailing for Tahiti with 127nm remaining to Point Venus anchorage.
Today we raised the anchor at Niau atoll and got underway well before sunrise. Drinking in the delicious early morning cool while sipping on coffee is south pacific bliss. Every wink of lost sleep was soon forgotten as the pre-dawn sky transformed into a magical kaleidoscope of color.
As Kathy whipped up a batch of baguette style French toast topped with honey, I gearing up for some early morning fishing as we navigated toward deeper waters. Despite frequently changing lures and altering course to sail over a seamount, our early morning fishing was unproductive. Visions of fresh sashimi for lunch faded into fish tacos from a long forgotten slab of fish from the back of the fridge. The tacos were great, but the fishing was unexpectedly slow. The next feature on the boundless ocean floor was a deep canyon that offered some promise.
And then we hit the magic mile.
A solid strike on my newest homemade lure was quite a rush, made all the better for the super calm clear waters to watch fight unfold as we landed a 25 pound tuna. Getting underway again it was just moments before aerial acrobatics ensued blue marlin gangman style. The spool winding low we were treated to one last show before a parting of line down below. Next on stage was a aerial performer of a different stripe, flashing green and blue like a flashing strobe light. A mahi leaping and a lunging she did fight, but we short distance released loosing the fight. Then the final act, another blue marlin gave a tiny purple lure a real whack. Mob hit or not we gave immediate chase as line stripped off with alarming pace. Reel and muscles screamed in pain as sweat filled visions of trophy fish reigned. Line cranked in and whipped out with haste, but could Dave's arm could keep pace? On went the battle under blazing sun until the fish was released all in good fun.
We hope to arrive at Point Venus anchorage on the north side of Tahiti on Wednesday evening.
That's it for now.
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Time 6:20 PM local (GMT-10)
Underway Position: 16°38'S 147°28'W
Sailing for Tahiti with 127nm remaining to Point Venus anchorage.
Today we raised the anchor at Niau atoll and got underway well before sunrise. Drinking in the delicious early morning cool while sipping on coffee is south pacific bliss. Every wink of lost sleep was soon forgotten as the pre-dawn sky transformed into a magical kaleidoscope of color.
As Kathy whipped up a batch of baguette style French toast topped with honey, I gearing up for some early morning fishing as we navigated toward deeper waters. Despite frequently changing lures and altering course to sail over a seamount, our early morning fishing was unproductive. Visions of fresh sashimi for lunch faded into fish tacos from a long forgotten slab of fish from the back of the fridge. The tacos were great, but the fishing was unexpectedly slow. The next feature on the boundless ocean floor was a deep canyon that offered some promise.
And then we hit the magic mile.
A solid strike on my newest homemade lure was quite a rush, made all the better for the super calm clear waters to watch fight unfold as we landed a 25 pound tuna. Getting underway again it was just moments before aerial acrobatics ensued blue marlin gangman style. The spool winding low we were treated to one last show before a parting of line down below. Next on stage was a aerial performer of a different stripe, flashing green and blue like a flashing strobe light. A mahi leaping and a lunging she did fight, but we short distance released loosing the fight. Then the final act, another blue marlin gave a tiny purple lure a real whack. Mob hit or not we gave immediate chase as line stripped off with alarming pace. Reel and muscles screamed in pain as sweat filled visions of trophy fish reigned. Line cranked in and whipped out with haste, but could Dave's arm could keep pace? On went the battle under blazing sun until the fish was released all in good fun.
We hope to arrive at Point Venus anchorage on the north side of Tahiti on Wednesday evening.
That's it for now.
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Monday, April 29, 2013
off the beaten path Anchorage at Niau Atoll, Tuamotu
April 29, 2013
Anchor Position: 16°07.5099'S 146°22.8949' W
Water depth: 42' Coral rubble with poor holding
Off the beaten path anchoring at Niau Atoll, Tuamotu, French Polynesia
Near Niau atoll anchorage
Niau atoll wharf landing
Yesterday we stopped at Anse Amyot on the north side of Toau atoll. The water was clear and the snorkeling around the anchorage quite nice. We would have gone for another snorkel expedition outside the pass, but are seriously low on dinghy gasoline, since I've been fishing so much lately. If our friends on Patriot are reading this, we're 2 for 2 on yellow fin from LightSpeed and 0 for 1 on Marlin. I'm 3 for 4 for live baiting for yellow fin from the dinghy one of which I caught on a lightweight salmon trolling rod with 14# line. The blue marlin was hooked just off the coast of Fatu Hiva and after a big run and a few head shakes our sorry old Penn reel was out of line... spooled.
Weather GRIB's suggest we may not have any good sailing wind for almost a week. With super settled conditions we decided to try anchoring off the passless Niau atoll, something that wouldn't be possible with regular tradewinds and seas. From Anse Amyot it was a leisurely 23 nm motor to the wharf on the east side of Niau atoll. I wanted to try a med moor inside the very tiny basin, but Kathy's better judgment prevailed and we opted to anchor off the NW side of Niau atoll instead. Niau's topography is unique from most of the other Tuamotu atolls as it seems a bit raised with some sheer coral cliff abutting the waters edge and a steep drop off below. We motored just a few boat lengths off the shore for several miles around the island and found depths greater than our ability to measure as our sounder functions to only 300'. Near the west end of the airstrip, that can be identified from sea by the wind sock, we dropped anchor in a shallow area of only 42' but the bottom quickly drops away to the abyss just off our stern. From the boat it was a short swim to shore where we enjoyed a walk along the beach then jumped off the coral and snorkeled back to the boat. Kathy spotted a new to us variety of fish which is quite unusual given the huge number of hours we've spent snorkeling.
It looks like we'll have a lovely calm night here at Niau atoll unless a wind shifting squall upends our tenuously set anchor. I'll be running the SailSafe anchor alarm app on my android tablet, the piercing alarm will definitely wake you up if the boat moves outside the preset parameters.
Tomorrow we may need to do some motor sailing for the remaining 200nm to Tahiti where Kathy is excited to go shopping at the Carrefour supermarket.
That's it for now.
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Anchor Position: 16°07.5099'S 146°22.8949' W
Water depth: 42' Coral rubble with poor holding
Off the beaten path anchoring at Niau Atoll, Tuamotu, French Polynesia
Yesterday we stopped at Anse Amyot on the north side of Toau atoll. The water was clear and the snorkeling around the anchorage quite nice. We would have gone for another snorkel expedition outside the pass, but are seriously low on dinghy gasoline, since I've been fishing so much lately. If our friends on Patriot are reading this, we're 2 for 2 on yellow fin from LightSpeed and 0 for 1 on Marlin. I'm 3 for 4 for live baiting for yellow fin from the dinghy one of which I caught on a lightweight salmon trolling rod with 14# line. The blue marlin was hooked just off the coast of Fatu Hiva and after a big run and a few head shakes our sorry old Penn reel was out of line... spooled.
Weather GRIB's suggest we may not have any good sailing wind for almost a week. With super settled conditions we decided to try anchoring off the passless Niau atoll, something that wouldn't be possible with regular tradewinds and seas. From Anse Amyot it was a leisurely 23 nm motor to the wharf on the east side of Niau atoll. I wanted to try a med moor inside the very tiny basin, but Kathy's better judgment prevailed and we opted to anchor off the NW side of Niau atoll instead. Niau's topography is unique from most of the other Tuamotu atolls as it seems a bit raised with some sheer coral cliff abutting the waters edge and a steep drop off below. We motored just a few boat lengths off the shore for several miles around the island and found depths greater than our ability to measure as our sounder functions to only 300'. Near the west end of the airstrip, that can be identified from sea by the wind sock, we dropped anchor in a shallow area of only 42' but the bottom quickly drops away to the abyss just off our stern. From the boat it was a short swim to shore where we enjoyed a walk along the beach then jumped off the coral and snorkeled back to the boat. Kathy spotted a new to us variety of fish which is quite unusual given the huge number of hours we've spent snorkeling.
It looks like we'll have a lovely calm night here at Niau atoll unless a wind shifting squall upends our tenuously set anchor. I'll be running the SailSafe anchor alarm app on my android tablet, the piercing alarm will definitely wake you up if the boat moves outside the preset parameters.
Tomorrow we may need to do some motor sailing for the remaining 200nm to Tahiti where Kathy is excited to go shopping at the Carrefour supermarket.
That's it for now.
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Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sailing from Fatu Hiva, Marquesas to Toau, Tuamotu
April 28, 2013
Underway Position: 15°23'S 145°50'W at 2000UTC
After 72 hours underway we've averaged 7.2 knots without even raising the mainsail. Spinnaker during daylight and jib only at night to easily manage the squalls. For the first time ever we are going without a preset watch schedule and it's working out fairly well, but not something I'm entirely sure we'll adopt long term.
We're approaching Anse Amyot on the northern side of Toau atoll, Tuamotu. It a familiar anchorage with great snorkeling and close to our rhumb line to Tahiti. The wind is going light so we'll wait a few days for things to fill back in before continuing the 225nm to Tahiti where we need to by cat litter and a few other specialty items.
Like we mentioned in a recent post we're backtracking through the South Pacific with the aim of arriving in the Northern Solomon Islands at the onset of South Pacific cyclone season in November. From there we'll traverse the outer islands of Papua making our way to Indoneisa where we hope to spend at least 6 months. It's 5000 nautical miles of sailing to reach the border of Indonesia, but surprisingly the longest legs of the voyage will be 500'ish nautical miles and we'll only have 3 or 4 of these long legs. The voyage we're wrapping up today will be one of the longest of the season at 550nm and at our average speed of 7.2 that's only 3 days and 4 hours.
That's it for now.
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Underway Position: 15°23'S 145°50'W at 2000UTC
After 72 hours underway we've averaged 7.2 knots without even raising the mainsail. Spinnaker during daylight and jib only at night to easily manage the squalls. For the first time ever we are going without a preset watch schedule and it's working out fairly well, but not something I'm entirely sure we'll adopt long term.
We're approaching Anse Amyot on the northern side of Toau atoll, Tuamotu. It a familiar anchorage with great snorkeling and close to our rhumb line to Tahiti. The wind is going light so we'll wait a few days for things to fill back in before continuing the 225nm to Tahiti where we need to by cat litter and a few other specialty items.
Like we mentioned in a recent post we're backtracking through the South Pacific with the aim of arriving in the Northern Solomon Islands at the onset of South Pacific cyclone season in November. From there we'll traverse the outer islands of Papua making our way to Indoneisa where we hope to spend at least 6 months. It's 5000 nautical miles of sailing to reach the border of Indonesia, but surprisingly the longest legs of the voyage will be 500'ish nautical miles and we'll only have 3 or 4 of these long legs. The voyage we're wrapping up today will be one of the longest of the season at 550nm and at our average speed of 7.2 that's only 3 days and 4 hours.
That's it for now.
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Friday, April 26, 2013
Day 2: Sailing from Fatu Hiva toward Tahiti
April 26, 2013
Day 2: Sailing from Fatu Hiva toward Tahiti
Yesterday, we motored about 4 miles from Baie Hanavae down to Baie Omoa to charge the batteries and make water. We had a few fellow sailors aboard whom we were dropping off at Omoa where we planned to pick up some baguettes for our passage. The hikers were taking the scenic hike over between the bays, about the only hike we've missed in the Marquesas. Landing the dinghy at Omoa was exciting with a 1-2 meter surge at the wharf and we walked nearly a mile through the village before we found our baguettes all the while worried our dinghy was getting mauled by the surge at the wharf. Underway by 9AM we had the spinnaker pulling nicely well into the evening. A few big squalls looming on the radar squashed our plan to run the chute through the night, so we rolled out the jib and enjoyed a nice low key dinner of spicy pumpkin and coconut rice. Our call to just run the jib turned out to be spot on as squalls materialized and unloaded a deluge of rain and wind, but all that lazy sailing resulted in just 6.4 knots average speed overnight.
This morning we enjoyed the relative cool of the early morning hours and sipped on coffee as the tropical sun began it's daily assault of fiery rays. Fortified with coffee we hoisted our medium size spinnaker and our speed jumped up to a solid 9's with frequent surfing in the 12-15 knot range. So far today the seas are running 2.5 meters and the wind is pretty steady at 18-22 out of the southeast. On a extra big wave we caught a huge surf and hit a top speed of 18.5 knots! That sort of acceleration on a sailboat can induce a legitimate adrenaline rush and it had me jumping to the helm to ensure the autopilot held a steady course.
It's been about 2000 nautical miles since we enjoyed downwind sailing and it's a good reminder of how effortless sailing can be. The surfs are coming easy as LightSpeed is light for a ocean passage. We've pretty well burned through our cache of long term provisions and have have been subsisting mainly on locally available foods. Quite a contrast from all the boats just arriving to French Polynesia whom are stuffed full of cheap and delicious stores from Panama and Mexico. With only with few provisions aboard, 30 gallons of water and 48 gallons of fuel, 1 bottle of wine and 12 beers we'll keep enjoying the regular surfs into the mid-teens at least until our next stop Tahiti where we plan to load up on provisions.
That's it for now.
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Day 2: Sailing from Fatu Hiva toward Tahiti
Yesterday, we motored about 4 miles from Baie Hanavae down to Baie Omoa to charge the batteries and make water. We had a few fellow sailors aboard whom we were dropping off at Omoa where we planned to pick up some baguettes for our passage. The hikers were taking the scenic hike over between the bays, about the only hike we've missed in the Marquesas. Landing the dinghy at Omoa was exciting with a 1-2 meter surge at the wharf and we walked nearly a mile through the village before we found our baguettes all the while worried our dinghy was getting mauled by the surge at the wharf. Underway by 9AM we had the spinnaker pulling nicely well into the evening. A few big squalls looming on the radar squashed our plan to run the chute through the night, so we rolled out the jib and enjoyed a nice low key dinner of spicy pumpkin and coconut rice. Our call to just run the jib turned out to be spot on as squalls materialized and unloaded a deluge of rain and wind, but all that lazy sailing resulted in just 6.4 knots average speed overnight.
This morning we enjoyed the relative cool of the early morning hours and sipped on coffee as the tropical sun began it's daily assault of fiery rays. Fortified with coffee we hoisted our medium size spinnaker and our speed jumped up to a solid 9's with frequent surfing in the 12-15 knot range. So far today the seas are running 2.5 meters and the wind is pretty steady at 18-22 out of the southeast. On a extra big wave we caught a huge surf and hit a top speed of 18.5 knots! That sort of acceleration on a sailboat can induce a legitimate adrenaline rush and it had me jumping to the helm to ensure the autopilot held a steady course.
It's been about 2000 nautical miles since we enjoyed downwind sailing and it's a good reminder of how effortless sailing can be. The surfs are coming easy as LightSpeed is light for a ocean passage. We've pretty well burned through our cache of long term provisions and have have been subsisting mainly on locally available foods. Quite a contrast from all the boats just arriving to French Polynesia whom are stuffed full of cheap and delicious stores from Panama and Mexico. With only with few provisions aboard, 30 gallons of water and 48 gallons of fuel, 1 bottle of wine and 12 beers we'll keep enjoying the regular surfs into the mid-teens at least until our next stop Tahiti where we plan to load up on provisions.
That's it for now.
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Thursday, April 25, 2013
Sailing towards a new adventure
April 25, 2013
Underway Position: 10°57'S 139°27'W
Course 240°T
Speed 8.4 knots
Today we're underway. But, not in the direction you might expect! Our new plan is to scrap the existing plan, even though it'll mean back tracking the 2000 nautical miles we just sailed to position ourselves for the sail to Hawaii, Alaska and ultimately San Francisco where we planned to go back to work. When we hatched the San Francisco plan we were feeling a little burned out on our cruising lifestyle and were feeling ready for a more domestic life ashore. Thankfully those feelings have passed and we're all charged up and diving headlong into a new adventure. We've always wanted to sail SE Asia and explore some of the 17,000 Indonesian islands. So, despite a critically low cruising kitty we've decided to go for broke and hope the lower cost of cruising in SE Asia will help us stretch our dwindling cash reserves into another 1-2 years of sailing. Kathy thinks Singapore might hold some job opportunities in Bio-tech and some boat updates might be accomplished in Thailand.
Sealing the deal, we hoisted the spinnaker this morning and aimed the boat west toward Tahiti.
Our extremely changeable plan:
May- Cooks/Nuie
June- Tonga
July/August- Fiji
September/October- Vanuatu
November- Solomons
December- Papua New Guinea
2014
January- Papua New Guinea
February/June- Indonesia
July- Malaysia
August/September- Thailand
October- Singapore
We're flying a medium size spinnaker and enjoying an average boat speed of 8.4 knots since leaving Fatu Hiva about 55 nm distant... a good start to our new adventure.
That's it for now.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Underway Position: 10°57'S 139°27'W
Course 240°T
Speed 8.4 knots
Today we're underway. But, not in the direction you might expect! Our new plan is to scrap the existing plan, even though it'll mean back tracking the 2000 nautical miles we just sailed to position ourselves for the sail to Hawaii, Alaska and ultimately San Francisco where we planned to go back to work. When we hatched the San Francisco plan we were feeling a little burned out on our cruising lifestyle and were feeling ready for a more domestic life ashore. Thankfully those feelings have passed and we're all charged up and diving headlong into a new adventure. We've always wanted to sail SE Asia and explore some of the 17,000 Indonesian islands. So, despite a critically low cruising kitty we've decided to go for broke and hope the lower cost of cruising in SE Asia will help us stretch our dwindling cash reserves into another 1-2 years of sailing. Kathy thinks Singapore might hold some job opportunities in Bio-tech and some boat updates might be accomplished in Thailand.
Sealing the deal, we hoisted the spinnaker this morning and aimed the boat west toward Tahiti.
Our extremely changeable plan:
May- Cooks/Nuie
June- Tonga
July/August- Fiji
September/October- Vanuatu
November- Solomons
December- Papua New Guinea
2014
January- Papua New Guinea
February/June- Indonesia
July- Malaysia
August/September- Thailand
October- Singapore
We're flying a medium size spinnaker and enjoying an average boat speed of 8.4 knots since leaving Fatu Hiva about 55 nm distant... a good start to our new adventure.
That's it for now.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Nuku Hiva expats, Best Marquesas anchorages
April 20, 2013
Position: 09°54.45'S 139°06.19'W
Baie Hanamoenoa, Tahauta, Marquesas, French Polynesia, South Pacific
After a month in the wonderful bays around Nuku Niva, we were beginning to feel like expat locals. Henri at the end of the quay makes the best 'possion cru' (raw tuna with coconut cream, lime juice, tomatoes and cucumbers), Mahina loves to belt out songs on his Ukelle and serves up some mean 'steak frite', early mornings on Wednesday and Saturday are the only times to get fresh lettuce at the vegetable market and for those staying a while, Sedrik at Magasin Larson can special order almost anything. It's not often we stay anywhere long enough to 'do it all', but after hiking every trail, viewing every waterfall, riding horses on the beach, watching numerous dance practices and performances, eating at every restaurant and shopping at every shop, swimming with mantas, circumnavigating the island by car and under sail we've come pretty close to doing it all on Nuku Hiva. Icing on the cake came in the form of fishing aboard an 80' sport fisher with our friends Terry, Bonnie and Paul and wonderful meals with the whole crew including our Philippine friends Renee, Bong and Nap. Another 'a la mode' moment was Dave catching a 46 pound yellow fin tuna from the dinghy in Taiohae bay.
After a few false starts we tore ourselves away from Nuku Hiva and sailed down to Hiva Oa to rendezvous with a few friends whom had just arrived from Mexico and Darwin's Galapagos islands. We pulled off the 80nm inter-island sail in daylight with some vigorous 8-10 knots sailing to weather in boisterous trade wind conditions. After an overnight in Hanamenu we sailed for Atuona catching a beautiful and tasty 15 pound yellow fin tuna which made for some great sushi and sashimi to share with our friends. Anchoring at Atuona on Hiva Oa perfectly defines the term 'over crowded anchorage', so we caught up with friends, went for a 9 mile hike, bought some baguettes and then immediately sailed for Tahauta. Baie Hanamonena, Tahuata with it's white sand beach and clear waters is definitely one of the top five best anchorages in the Marquesas and since every one's been asking here are our top picks.
Fatu Hiva
-Hanavave (bay of Virgens) - Great scenery, hikes and clear waters for diving, but the rocky, tight, deep anchorage is subject to gusty winds).
Tahuata
-Baie Hanamoenoa - white sand beach, clear waters, palm trees, great holding.... paradise found.
Ua Pou
-Hakahau -Disney land skyline, easy access to town, few cruisers, hikes, but stern anchor required.
Nuku Hiva
-Taiohae - Easy access to town shops and restaurants and great hikes to archeological sites.
-Hakatea (Daniel's Bay)- Unforgettable waterfall hike, white sand beach, friendly inhabitants like tatu covered Teheke.
-Anaho - White sand, tons of hikes, remote, coral, calm anchorage, clear water, our #1 favorite.
That's it for now.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
Position: 09°54.45'S 139°06.19'W
Baie Hanamoenoa, Tahauta, Marquesas, French Polynesia, South Pacific
After a month in the wonderful bays around Nuku Niva, we were beginning to feel like expat locals. Henri at the end of the quay makes the best 'possion cru' (raw tuna with coconut cream, lime juice, tomatoes and cucumbers), Mahina loves to belt out songs on his Ukelle and serves up some mean 'steak frite', early mornings on Wednesday and Saturday are the only times to get fresh lettuce at the vegetable market and for those staying a while, Sedrik at Magasin Larson can special order almost anything. It's not often we stay anywhere long enough to 'do it all', but after hiking every trail, viewing every waterfall, riding horses on the beach, watching numerous dance practices and performances, eating at every restaurant and shopping at every shop, swimming with mantas, circumnavigating the island by car and under sail we've come pretty close to doing it all on Nuku Hiva. Icing on the cake came in the form of fishing aboard an 80' sport fisher with our friends Terry, Bonnie and Paul and wonderful meals with the whole crew including our Philippine friends Renee, Bong and Nap. Another 'a la mode' moment was Dave catching a 46 pound yellow fin tuna from the dinghy in Taiohae bay.
After a few false starts we tore ourselves away from Nuku Hiva and sailed down to Hiva Oa to rendezvous with a few friends whom had just arrived from Mexico and Darwin's Galapagos islands. We pulled off the 80nm inter-island sail in daylight with some vigorous 8-10 knots sailing to weather in boisterous trade wind conditions. After an overnight in Hanamenu we sailed for Atuona catching a beautiful and tasty 15 pound yellow fin tuna which made for some great sushi and sashimi to share with our friends. Anchoring at Atuona on Hiva Oa perfectly defines the term 'over crowded anchorage', so we caught up with friends, went for a 9 mile hike, bought some baguettes and then immediately sailed for Tahauta. Baie Hanamonena, Tahuata with it's white sand beach and clear waters is definitely one of the top five best anchorages in the Marquesas and since every one's been asking here are our top picks.
Fatu Hiva
-Hanavave (bay of Virgens) - Great scenery, hikes and clear waters for diving, but the rocky, tight, deep anchorage is subject to gusty winds).
Tahuata
-Baie Hanamoenoa - white sand beach, clear waters, palm trees, great holding.... paradise found.
Ua Pou
-Hakahau -Disney land skyline, easy access to town, few cruisers, hikes, but stern anchor required.
Nuku Hiva
-Taiohae - Easy access to town shops and restaurants and great hikes to archeological sites.
-Hakatea (Daniel's Bay)- Unforgettable waterfall hike, white sand beach, friendly inhabitants like tatu covered Teheke.
-Anaho - White sand, tons of hikes, remote, coral, calm anchorage, clear water, our #1 favorite.
That's it for now.
----------
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Thursday, April 11, 2013
Daniel's Bay waterfall hike
Patriot crew rendezvous with LightSpeed in Daniels bay for a hike to the waterfall.
Terry always the gentleman helps Kathy across a improvised balance beam bridge.
At Taheke's home near the start of the waterfall hike. Taheke has some sweet tatus including half of his face. He loves to greet visitors so if you planning on the hike be sure to stop at the home closest to the Telephone booth for a visit. This is also a great place to purchase some fruit on you way back to the boat.
Another great evening with our sport fishing friends.
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