Weather

I would like to have one night of uninterrupted sleep but the weather is making that difficult. We are having a cold front come through which made the winds switch and pick up to 30 kts. At 2 am we dragged down nearly into another boat. We were only a few feet from it when the anchor reset. So we had to pull up anchor and reanchor further away. We were lucky the boats didn't collide. We are now holding well with 270 ft of chain and no one too near us. The water is rough so we are just staying on the boat today. This cold front is moving east and things should return to normal in a day or two. We are also getting a 4 meter swell on the reef so we have to contend with that as well. I am sure hoping for more settled weather soon.
Ron

Rain

Having a litle trouble updating this. My connection is iffy. We are getting a couple of rainy days. Been to town and enjoying the food and shopping. This is an interesting place. I'll keep this short and hope it goes out.
Ron

Rain

Having a litle trouble updating this. My connection is iffy. We are getting a couple of rainy days. Been to town and enjoying the food and shopping. This is an interesting place. I'll keep this short and hope it goes out.
Ron

We've Arrived

We entered the Port of Papeete at noon today. We proceeded down channel to Marina Taina Anchorage. We are obviously elated and relieved to be here. The anchorage is very pretty and the boat is not moving finally after 22 days. It was a windy morning but once in the lee of Tahiti the wind became calm. So we are here and a bit overwhelmed with what do to first. We already meet some friendly boat neighbors who gave us some good tips. Now I mostly need a shower and a complete night of sleep.
Ron

Speeding along

We are one day out and have the boat going full speed at 6.5 kts. The seas are tolerable enough to do that although it is a wild ride. Like a horse going to the barn we can feel our closeness to Tahiti. Weather is perfect but with 20 kt wind. We should get in by noon so we will have time to find an anchorage and get organized before dark. Sun goes down at 1730. I normally drink coffee but I haven't had one cup this whole trip. It doesn't seem worth the bother and its hot anyway.
I do bother to shave though. We are really excited about arriving in Papeete. After 21 days at sea we have seen 2 boats and no land. Only lots of birds and fish. We will enjoy having the boat just sit still instead jumping and lurching all over.
Ron

More of the same

The day of squalls turned into the night of squalls. These were strong was with heavy rain and 30 kt winds. Reefing the jib during a squall is less than fun. Especially at night. Today we have sunny sky with no squalls but the winds are 20-25 with rough seas. Boat speed is good though and with 240 miles to go we should arrive in 2 days, noon on Saturday. These winds will stay with us all the way. We have had more than our share of strong winds this trip. The average we expected is much less, around
15 kts. We keep the boat moving and just hang on. This boat is fantastic for this trip, but I have learned a few things. I wish I had a "turtle" for the sliding hatch. It must remain closed or water can gush in from forward. I got wet in my bunk a couple times from this. The trade off was the hard dinghy mounted on the cabin top instead of a turtle. That also precludes the use of my dorade vents. They are essential as it is very hot below with everything closed. Sick bay reports the captain has prickly
heat on his back. He is to not sweat and take plenty of cool baths. Okay, right, will do. So we are sailing well with good weather and anticipating our soon to be arrival.
Ron

Smoother sailiing

Today was much calmer seas with nice sailing conditions except for numerous squalls but they weren't too much trouble. Nice to get the boat washed off. We are getting closer, only a few more days. We are ready to be there. It will be nice to open up the boat and dry everything out. The bedding is really damp. Feather pillows are probably not the thing to bring to the tropics. They are like a wet ball of feathers. Yuck! Laundry will be on the list when we get in. We are doing well and thankful for
the smaller seas today.
Ron

Hanging On

We are still getting pounded with strong wind and seas, up to 30 for awhile today. It should get better soon. Had a good radio signal on the net. I think the inverter was causing RF interference. Seems that is working better. I am wishing I had my dorade vents installed. They need to be removed for the dinghy on the cabin top. They would provide much needed ventilation. We are 10S and leaving the tropics so it should be less humid as we go south. We have been unlucky to have so much wind on this
trip. Average winds are 14 kts, we have twice that, day after day. It will get better. Anyway, only 4 days to go.
Ron

Same stuff..different day

We are still plugging along in 8' seas and 20-25 kt wind. We still are keeping the boat slowed down due to the waves. No squalls today, just lots of sun. We have to keep the boat closed up except the companionway so it is a little hot below. Forecast calls for more of the same caused by the stationary high just south of Tahiti. We are doing our 120 mile days so are on schedule for arrival on the 23rd. We are both looking forward to getting the anchor down. I was taking the fishing lure off yesterday
when a wave hit the boat throwing me off balance. I caught myself with my foot in the cockpit but jammed my little toe. My foot has been pretty sore. It will be okay but it is a reminder how careful we must be not to get hurt. We have only seen one boat since we left Hawaiian waters. We keep the radar on just in case. So another day of sleep, eat, and read.

Fathers Day

Happy Fathers Day, I got an email from Keith. Very nice!! Called Dad on the Sat Phone. We are plugging along in the 20-25 kt wind and 10 ft seas. If it would just be 20 kt I wouldn't mind. We are making our 120 miles a day and still should arrive Papeete on Saturday. There was no Ham net tonight. The net controllers no showed. That happens sometimes. We are getting some squally weather but have missed the worst of them. So we are doing okay and getting anxious to be in port.
Ron

Rough Night

The wind picked up to 20-25k last night with large waves right on the beam. So we would occasionally get slammed pretty good. We furled the jib, sailing with just staysail and double reef main. The boat is sailing well that way at about 5 knots. We are both pretty tired after a difficult sleeping night. The wind always picks up at night. Hopefully it will calm down today. Forecast was for 20k. In these conditions all you can do is try to sleep or read. The sky is clear so it should be a sunny day.
Last night we managed to make kielbasa with potatoes in the pressure cooker. We have been making 120m/day lately. With this beam reach I had hoped to increase that some but these waves make that too difficult. Anyway 120 is enough. Shane is going to meet us in Papeete on the 23rd. We would like to be in by then. So we are doing alright working through the rough parts. The boat is doing great.
Ron

We crossed the line

At about 1400 yesterday we crossed the equator. We tossed the leis from Makani Kai into the water, had a toast with Captain Morgans, offered one to Neptune. Festivites were then concluded. We are making good progress south. We decided we had enough easting. We are heading for a waypoint 300 miles NE of Tahiti to give us a SW run to the island. We are sailing at close to 6 kts now. We could go faster but why push so hard. At night we slow the boat down to give an easier ride and less stress on the
crew knowing sail configuration changes during the night will be unlikely. A few nights ago I had to put a reef in the main at 0200. Didn't really like doing that. We are eating well. We have something involving rice every night. Curry,stir fry, fried rice have all been popular. Ling cooks and I clean up. I think she has the better deal. Not that I'm complaining. She is a good cook. We really could use some fresh fish about now. We have been at sea for 2 weeks now. The crew is holding up well. We
have a bit over a week to go. ETA is on the 23rd. I hope this nice weather continues.
Ron

Equator Day

We are about 30 miles from the equator. Oh Oh!! Hana Pau!! I'm back. AS I was writing this the reel went off. Another marlin, darn it. This one was smaller, maybe 150 or so. I was able to stop him but it would be a long battle and we did not want this fish anyway. I tightened the drag down and in this case the hook pulled out so no lost gear. So what was I saying..oh ya, we are nearly to the equator sailing well in 12 kt wind making easting again. Another gorgeous sunrise with perfect weather. We
were able to stop motoring at sunset last night. Should have a nice sailing breeze for awhile. I am happy to make some more easting for the eventual SE wind. A bit further east will assure us of a good reach to Tahiti. Fishing lines are back out hoping for something in the 10 pound class for dinner.
Ron

Doldrums

The wind gradually went calm during the night. Now we are motoring south. We should get some wind tomorrow and 15 kts by Friday. We have plenty of fuel onboard which I brought for a calm like this. We use 8 gallons/day. We have about 35 gallons left. I don't have anything to repair today so maybe I will get a chance to read or do a little laundry. There is a lot of life out here. There are always a few birds around. We see malolo everywhere. We saw a large group of dolphins. I saw a huge splash which
I think was a marlin, aside from the one on my fishing line. I will never forget the sight of that marlin thrashing and jumping at the end of my line. Amazing power and strength. So the doldrums aren't so bad as long as the fuel holds out.
Ron

Perfect Weather

Our weather has become just perfect with 12 kt easterly wind and sunny skies. This the most relaxed sailing I've ever done. Just amazing! We are heading south but able to make some easting at night it seems. Winds always pick up at night and back to the East. We had an uneventful night which was welcomed. The Ham radio is having great difficulty for voice communication. It handles data okay. It was suggested I had corrosion problem on the 12V connection. We stopped the boat so I could get into the
battery compartment and check the radio connections. The cables on each post were not in top shape. I cleaned them all and tightened them down well. Hopefully it work better for the net tonight. If not I will check the back of the radio itself. I also fixed the refrigeration. It had been cycling on and off and basically not working. I found the 12v supply at the switch was corroded. After cleaning that the refer is working again. I guess boat repairs is a common theme out here for everyone. I should
have taken a good shake down cruise before I left but time, weather and health can make that difficult to schedule. Anyway we are looking at some really nice sailing and making good progress. We will be crossing the equator in 2 days. We are now over half way with an expected arrival in Papeete around the 23rd.
Ron
A quick update...BIG marlin strike a little while ago, at least 300 pounds. He was stripping my reel to nothing, jumping, thrashing, tail walking everything. When the line was nearly gone I tightened the drag to break the line. Luckily I got my line back. Very exciting to watch. I did not need to catch this fish!!

Highs and Lows

I have a feeling this life style is subject to a lot extreme highs and lows. Yesterday was sailing at its best. Steady 12 knot wind and lots of sun. Last night was interesting sailing under the stars with squalls passing close but no problem. Even a little lightening. This morning as the sun came up a large black sky was revealed just behind us with winds building to 20 kts. All hands on deck! Reef the jib, tack to put in a double reef in the main. This gets a little snarled but within minutes the
reef is in and we are back on course with a now familiar scenario of close hauled in 20 kt wind. We make best speed away from the dark sky with blue sky ahead. That's how it goes I guess. We have had an easy crossing of the ITCZ so far. A bit further south and we will be past it altogether. We are still making our 120 mile days. The current has not been our friend though. On the return trip we get that all back I suppose. We have changed destination for Papeete. We really don't have time to stop
at Rangiroa and be in Papeete by the end of the month. Our easting is getting more difficult as well. We have our easting for Papeete so I we can hold a south course or better we will be fine. I am sure looking forward that landfall. Position 5 37N 148 30W
Ron

In The Tropics

We entered the ITCZ this morning. Also known as the doldrums. We have 12 kt wind and gentle seas with occasional showers passing through. We are passing through the area with thunderstorms well to the west and east. So it looks good. We will get some much needed boat washings. Nice to get some of the salt washed off. We made 125 miles in the last 24 hrs. Doing well. We have our sleep patterns on a system that seems to work. Mahi for dinner...again?
Aloha, Ron

Slogging Away

We continue to bounce along here. Now at 9N 149W sailing in 22 kt wind 6 ft seas. Yesterday we caught another Mahi. We had just about used up the first one so the lines went back out. After a few hours we had another. This was a smaller one, just right. Ling made Mahi/Spam fried rice. Its was very good but in these seas cooking is really difficult. It also heats up the cabin. The forecast keeps enticing us with 10-15 kt wind but we haven't seen it yet. We are getting closer to the ITCZ where we should
get lighter winds but possible thunderstorms. So far the reports are they are west of us. That can change though. The ITCZ is at 5N so couple more days before we are there. Our progress is still very good. Although I complain about the 20 and above wind, it is very lucky for us to have it from the NE. We have been on a loose close reach and even beam reach all of time. We are making our easting and even tracking east of my planned course. The wind will turn east eventually, then we will be able to
fall off to the south still close reaching. Sleeping would seem impossible in these conditions, but somehow it works. Extra pillows are essential. The net controller has complained that my radio signal is distorted. He suggests checking the connections. When it is calmer I will do that. The email seems to go out just fine. So we are doing well.
Ron

Big Improvement

Since my earlier entry the sea conditions have improved. The weird swell pattern that caused all the trouble abated and the wind backed off to a reasonable 18 kts. I took a 2 hour snooze, conditions improved and now the boat is sailing well again at 6 kts in 6 foot seas. Fishing lines are back out. Now that we are at 10N we are in the tropics. The humidity is much higher. Correction to my earlier entry, we made 131 miles in the last 24 hours. The current against is less now so that should help our
progress a bit. We have seen many Malolo flying through the air. Really big schools. Should be some big fish chasing them around here.
Ron

10 North

Aloha Everybody,
We are one third of the way now if we keep up to 120 miles a day. We made good progress last night into worsening seas till we finally had to slow down. Winds are about 25 kt and seas 10 feet. We are occasionally getting slammed pretty good. It is not comfortable and my sleep has suffered for it. The wind generator likes it though. Batteries are fully charged now. I am hoping the seas settle down later today. Sooner would be better. Forecast calls for 20 kt for another day. The problem is the waves.
So we did 110 miles in the last 24 hours. After roll call yesterday Don Aukus called me on his ham radio. His signal came in very strong and clear. Wish mine was as good. We got caught up on the latest at Makani Kai Marina. It was fun to talk to him via radio. We also used the Satphone yesterday. Ling called her mom in Singapore and I call my mom and dad. It was great to talk to them. This typing is difficult when the keyboard is a moving target. We are looking forward to getting a little further
South where the wind and seas should give us a nice break.
Ron

Mahi

Hello everyone. The big excitement yesterday was a double Mahi strike. I landed both then released one. Keeping the larger one, about 8 pounds, I cut him up and Ling made mahi sandwiches for lunch and Mahi Penang Curry for dinner. Yum! The seas have been rough for a couple days, about 10 feet, so we slowed down to make the motion more tolerable, especially at night. So our progress has slowed some. We are still pushing up to a 1 knot current as well. We made 119 miles in 24 hours yesterday. Today's
progress will be less. In calmer seas we do about 6.5 knots but have slowed to 5.5 for a better ride. Today the sky is completely clear so it looks like a nice day with no squalls and 18 knot wind. To control the boat speed I adjust the size of the jib. We have a very deep reef in it and a very small adjustment makes a big difference in speed. Going over 6 knots in these seas is not comfortable. Our position now is 12N 151W. The forcast is for another day of 20kt wind then it should start to lessen
to 15kts and 10kts by Sunday. It would be nice to open up the boat to air things out. Alot of water gets into the boat in the forpeak where it goes to the bilge. The bilge needs pumping several times a day. I am making a "to do" list and also a "shoulda/coulda" list. All minor stuff so far. It has been one week since we left. After the first few days I found myself asking "Are we there yet?" Now I have settled into a comfortable feeling of just sailing and being on the boat with our now familiar
routine. So that's the way it is a 12N today.
Aloha, Ron

Day 5

We are still tracking right along. We are easily holding our planned course on a very loose close reach. The seas are moderate at 5'. Yesterday after sunrise a large ship was spotted crossing our bow at 3 miles. Showed up well on radar. Hope we don't see anymore. Sleeping was better last night without the squalls to attend to. I was able to fix the fishing reel so now we have both lines out but still no fish. I do see some birds but no big piles. Some dolphins visited again. We are eating fine. I
made my easy Panang Curry on rice. That was a hit with the crew. Were not really eating that much. Maybe I'll lose a little weight. We have sailed 650 miles. It seems like such a long way, now that I'm doing it. But each day rolls into the next and the time goes by fast. I haven't had time to read. Sailing the boat, managing problems, and sleeping eats up the day. I am really pleased with the Ham radio. I have checked in each day with Pacific Seafarers Net. My signal goes out clear and the process
is easy. They are a great organization. Its comforting to talk to someone and they know we are here. And I should mention how wonderful it is to be able send email and download weather. Progress has been good. Our best was 140 miles in 24 hr. We are averaging 120/day. It would be better but the half knot current slows us down. We usually keep it going close to 6 kts. We are sailing under double reefed main and deeply reefed jib and staysail. We vary the jib with the wind. Last night we kept the jib
small and the speed down to 5 kts. That is better for night time. We heard Brandon caught a 120# Ahi on his new boat. That is great for him. Hello to everybody. Hope all is well.
Ron

Sailing along now

We sailed past South Point on the Big Island this morning. We hit the wind line and went from calm to 18 kts. The seas were a little rough at first but as we got further out they flattened out to 3 feet. We feel we are really on the way now. We are tracking our course line perfectly to cross the equator at 145W. The plotter says we will get there in 9 days. That would be the 14th or so. The wind generator is keeping up with the electrical load. The Ham radio is working well and is really fun. Problems,
not many. The diesel jugs in the lazerette are leaking a little through the vent caps. I had to pull them all out to reorient them and tighten the caps. Should not have been so full. We are doing well with our sleep and watch schedule. Trying to cook is a big challenge. Keep it simple is the plan. Have not caught fish but haven't really been trying too hard. One of my reels is messed up so I can only use one. Maybe should have brought hand lines. Its all good.

We are underway

We left Kaneohe yesterday at 12:30 with a great send off from my friends at Makani Kai. Thank you for all the leis. We expected light winds but actually had a great sail across to Lanai with 15 kt winds most of the way. We motored a bit during the night then sailed right across the Alenuihaha Channel on a close reach in 12 kt wind. In are now in the wind shadow of the Big Island and are forced to motor for awhile. We are settling into our watch schedule and disrupted sleep. Hope I will get used to
that. Our only real excitement was when twice a tug/barge came very near us in the dark. I called them on the radio and they were helpful in altering their course around us. My radar was great to have for those situations. Once past all the channels we haven't seen any traffic. Ling has been a very good crew. She is really excited about this trip and she learning the boat very quickly. We were visited by dolphins during the night under a full moon. Very nice!!